Scientist creates mini universe of 24,000 atoms to measure time without clocks
The experiment uses changes in entropy to track the order of events in a controlled atomic system.
A scientist at the University of Birmingham has constructed a miniature universe consisting of approximately 24,000 atoms to demonstrate that time can be measured without a clock, according to the Times of India.
Giovanni Barontini conducted the experiment by tracking the sequence of events through changes in entropy, which is the measure of disorder within a system.
The experiment used rubidium atoms chilled to nearly absolute zero, or minus 273 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the atoms behave as a single cloud within a trap.
A laser splits the trap into a bright, observed side and a dark, unobserved side. The internal timer progressed only when atoms moved across the laser barrier between these two sections.
The study found that when no atoms crossed the barrier, the internal clock stopped, causing it to disagree with an external clock that continued to run.
Barontini noted that the model is a starting point that excludes factors like black holes. The cloud's movements could eventually help scientists simulate conditions following the Big Bang or the theoretical Big Crunch.