> Under these extreme conditions, matter starts behaving very differently from what we are used to.. More than half a century ago, physicists predicted the existence of a "supersolid" state. It is matter that has the properties of both a solid and a superfluid, in which a fraction of the atoms flow friction-free through the lattice – a regular arrangement of points or objects – of a rigid crystal structure.. A series of tiny whirlpools, or quantised vortices, begin to appear.. These are like small holes in the fluid, each rotating at a specific speed.. they arrange themselves in beautiful, regular patterns across the surface of the superfluid, almost like the holes in a piece of Gruyere cheese, but perfectly organized.
> Under these extreme conditions, matter starts behaving very differently from what we are used to.. More than half a century ago, physicists predicted the existence of a "supersolid" state. It is matter that has the properties of both a solid and a superfluid, in which a fraction of the atoms flow friction-free through the lattice – a regular arrangement of points or objects – of a rigid crystal structure.. A series of tiny whirlpools, or quantised vortices, begin to appear.. These are like small holes in the fluid, each rotating at a specific speed.. they arrange themselves in beautiful, regular patterns across the surface of the superfluid, almost like the holes in a piece of Gruyere cheese, but perfectly organized.