Gravity warps time: a new atomic clock proves it

Over there gravitythe more intense it is, the more it stretches the time, which is slower. Scientists used a new atomic clock Exactly at the shortest distance ever seen: just one millimeter. It has also been confirmed over much shorter distances.

Brushing up on Einstein’s theory, we remember that where gravity is stronger, time is slower. This is what time dilation is. And the strongest gravity is near the center of the Earth. The experiments confirmed this, as did the new atomic clock.

It is a powerful tool because it can detect even small changes in gravity. All watches consist of three main parts. The first part fluctuates. Then there is a counter for the number of swings. Finally, there is a timekeeping reference to understand whether the watch is too fast or too slow.

The oscillations of the clock are determined by a laser It goes back and forth quickly. In this case, 429 trillion times per second. This special laser-based device is called frequency comb

There are 100,000 strontium atoms in the atomic clock. They are vertical and controlled by another laser. The latter perfectly cools the strontium atoms in optical molasses. The main laser shines on strontium atoms. When the main laser hits at the right frequency, the atoms get some of its light. So you have neither too fast nor too slow a pace.

In addition, it can track climate change, predict volcanic eruptions, melt glaciers, map the Earth and improve GPS. It could solve many mysteries related to the universe.