# 5th state of matter

1. Nov 24, 2004

### lakshmi

what is the 5th state of matter
can aybody explain it

2. Nov 24, 2004

### wolverine

You must know the 3 states of matter: liquid,solid,gaz, but at hight temerature, you can also find a state called plasma(electrons are free)

The fifth state of matter you're talking about might be the QGP (Quarks and GLuon PLasma).

Scientists believe that QGP is a state where quarks are free (T = 170 Mev and epsilon = 3 GeV per fm^3), as during the first second of our universe.

Many experiments are runing now to prove its existence in Berkeley and Geneva...

I hope it's answers your question ...

Regards

3. Nov 24, 2004

### Hurkyl

Staff Emeritus
He might be talking about Bose-Einstein condensate.

4. Nov 24, 2004

### humanino

5. Nov 24, 2004

### rayveldkamp

I did a 2nd year undergrad uni course in statistical mechanics this semester, and we touched on Bose-Einstein condensation, just by deriving certain temperatures etc.
We were told that the first experimental evidence of B-E condensation was in 1995 where Rubidium atoms were cooled to something like 4x10^-3 K, by using "laser traps"
How does this work?

6. Nov 24, 2004

### Entropy

Well, basicly you have lasers that hit a group of atoms from all sides and inhibit their movement, effectively dropping their temperature.

7. Nov 24, 2004

### loandbehold

Actually, it's much colder- something like $$10^{-7} K$$ is more typical.

As for how they did it, take a look at http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/bec/index.html [Broken]. which provides an easy introduction.

Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017
8. Nov 24, 2004

### dextercioby

My opinion is that QGP is not anything different than ordinary Fermions+Photons plasma.You just need higher temperatures and energies go get the former.If such a plasma is obtained,then it should be regarded as a confirmation of the Standard Model,just like more "normal" plasma is.

9. Nov 25, 2004

### wolverine

Hi

I'm agree with you, dextercioby, when you sau that the discovery of QGP will confirm the power of the standart model, but I don't believe it's like a normal plasma.

In QGP, quarks are free, and calculations with lattice QCD show us that there where a phase transition (sign of new state of matter) during the creation of such a plasma.

See you

10. Jun 3, 2010

### sameerpaisari

is there anything called the supercool state of matter or something..something that happens when water is 0 deg celcius in kelvin temp..?

11. Jun 3, 2010

### Dickfore

Ohhh, you are referring to a supercooled liquid. That's still the liquid phase. The only issue is, it exists below the freezing temperature and it is unstable. A small center of crystalization (like a grain of sand or another impurity) will cause the whole water to freeze.

12. Jun 3, 2010

### brother time

I thought that Quark-Gluon Plasma was the 7th state?
Isn't the Einstein-Bose condensate the 5th?
I know that water can occasionally get to be -10 degrees Celsius without freezing.
cheers, BT

13. May 19, 2011

### tlr280

There was a nice program on Nova (pbs channel) channel on TV. that covered what you are asking about.

This program discussed a substrate that is formed when elements are cooled to near zero degree K. The particles do not act as separate elements but seem to form a common matter that acts unlike the individual element.

The program mentioned California Berkley as being the 1st site to produce it. They referred to it as the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC)

here is a link that I found http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/ultracold-atoms.html

I found this to be really interesting as my kids science books do not even mention this 5th matter.