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Attosecond

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An attosecond is 1×10−18 of a second (one quintillionth of a second).[1] For context, an attosecond is to a second what a second is to about 31.71 billion years.[2][3]

The word "attosecond" is formed by the prefix atto and the unit second. Atto- was made from the Danish word for eighteen (atten).[4] Its symbol is as.

An attosecond is equal to 1000 zeptoseconds, or 1⁄1000 of a femtosecond. Because the next higher SI unit for time is the femtosecond (10−15 seconds), durations of 10−17 s and 10−16 s will typically be expressed as tens or hundreds of attoseconds:

Times which can be expressed in attoseconds:

  • 1 attosecond: the time it takes for light to travel the length of two hydrogen atoms
  • 12 attoseconds: record for shortest time interval measured as of 12 May 2010[5]
  • 24 attoseconds: the atomic unit of time
  • 67 attoseconds: the shortest pulses of laser light yet created[6]
  • 100 attoseconds: fastest ever view of molecular motion[7]
  • 200 attoseconds (approximately): half-life of beryllium-8, maximum time available for the triple-alpha process for the synthesis of carbon and heavier elements in stars
  • 320 attoseconds: estimated time it takes electrons to transfer between atoms[8]
  • (Longer time: femtosecond)

See also

References

  1. ^ "attosecond". Memidex/WordNet Dictionary/Thesaurus. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  2. ^ Electron Motion Filmed, 28 Feb. 2008
  3. ^ Exploring "Attosecond" Time. Visualising an Attosecond... How short is an attosecond?
  4. ^ atto- [A toh] (Danish or Norwegian: eighteen; a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements). Wordinfo.info (2007-04-05). Retrieved on 2011-01-23.
  5. ^ "12 attoseconds is the world record for shortest controllable time".
  6. ^ Watching Quantum Mechanics in Action: Researchers Create World Record Laser Pulse – 4 September 2012 – ScienceDaily. www.ScienceDaily.com. Retrieved on 2012-09-04.
  7. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4766842.stm Science, 312, p424, April 2006 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/312/5772/424
  8. ^ Electron timed hopping between atoms – physics-math – 20 July 2005. New Scientist. Retrieved on 2011-01-23.
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