Believe in Science
The FASTER project can be said to be progressing smoothly. The first research result was a success, the patent development rights were sold, and it also made a certain amount of noise in international journals such as Today's Physics, Nature, and Chemical Reviews.
The prototypes of the B Series are under intensive and orderly development. This series is based on Cerium-Gallium-Copper Amorphous alloy, and Shen Qi hopes to develop prototypes with better micro-nano processing performance.
While Computer Science simulations of the Cerium-Gallium-Copper Amorphous system are not difficult, preparing an ideal Cerium-Gallium-Copper alloy in real experiments presents some challenges.
In the preparation of samples for the A Series, Shen Qi and his team obtained data and experience that the higher the purity of cerium, the better.
In the B Series samples, gallium replaced aluminum in the A Series samples.
This is where the problem arises: when preparing Cerium-Gallium-Copper alloys, the higher the purity of cerium, the worse the performance of the resulting alloy sample.
Shen Qi, who was in charge of the office, looked at the data report and couldn't sit still any longer, so he went to the physics laboratory to understand the experimental situation firsthand.
Since deciding to have a baby, Shen Qi has been coming to the lab less often. When there's nothing important to do, he spends his time in his office making long-term plans, reading philosophy and history books, and practicing calligraphy.
Shen Qi arrived at the laboratory, put on protective gear, and personally took charge to find the root cause of the problem.
Shen Qi selected ten Ce ingots of industrial purity (nominal purity of 99.7 wt.%) and one high-purity Ce ingot (nominal purity of 99.9 wt.%). He tested the purity of Ce metal using XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy) and measured the content of impurity elements using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.
Everyone gathered around the computer to look at the data. The data showed that the critical formation size of Cerium-Gallium-Copper Amorphous alloy varied from 1 mm to 20 mm depending on the purity of Ce.
"There is indeed a problem. The lower the purity of cerium in the raw material cerium ingot, the better the amorphous forming ability of the Cerium-Gallium-Copper Amorphous alloy is? Where exactly did our experimental design go wrong during this period?" Tang Yuan frowned and pondered, looking frustrated.
"I disagree with Senior Brother Tang Yuan's point of view," Shen Jinbao said.
Tang Yuan rolled her eyes at Shen Jinbao: "You can shut up now."
Shen Jinbao didn't shut up, but instead offered her explanation. "Because gallium replaces aluminum, the intrinsic local structure characteristics of the B Series amorphous system, namely the free volume, must change. Our experimental design was correct, and we can draw qualitative conclusions from the real data. The raw material cerium ingot for the B Series samples must be low-purity cerium ingot, because low-purity cerium ingot is the most suitable for this specific series."
Tang Yuan was a little surprised. "Oh, that makes a lot of sense."
Shen Jinbao must have some real talent, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to get into graduate school or pursue a doctoral degree.
Tang Yuan pressed Shen Jinbao, "But the question is, how exactly does the free volume change in the B Series amorphous system?"
Shen Jinbao looked at Shen Qi: "Perhaps Academician Shen can answer this question."
"Not bad, Jinbao has made progress." Shen Qi praised Shen Jinbao, and then explained, "The data shows that the Doppler broadening spectra of all Cerium-Gallium-Copper Metallic Plastic from gallium-6 to gallium-13 are the same as the broadening spectra of elemental cerium. This indicates that the chemical environment around the annihilation sites of τ1 and τ2 is cerium atoms."
"I noticed that τ1~130ps is less than the defect-free intrinsic annihilation time of face-centered cubic cerium, which is 197ps. So I speculate that low-purity cerium is actually more conducive to the synthesis of high-performance Cerium-Gallium-Copper Metallic Plastic. Conversely, gallium must be of high purity. If subsequent experiments prove my conjecture, it means that my theory of defect topology is correct." As Shen Qi spoke, he became more and more enthusiastic, and then he operated DSC again, obtaining a set of data through differential scanning calorimetry.
DSC data show that the thermodynamic properties of B Series Amorphous Alloy samples prepared from Ce raw materials of different purities also differ.
"Understood."
"Academician Shen's explanation is reasonable."
The researchers actively discussed how the power of the collective can overcome all difficulties, and how problems were solved one by one through this collective wisdom and teamwork.
Shen Qi dispelled the fog, and everyone reached a consensus that subsequent experiments should focus on low-purity cerium and high-purity gallium.
The purity of the raw material cerium must be as low as possible; it certainly cannot be lower than 95%.
What purity level of gallium is suitable? Is 99.99999%?
Gallium with 99.99999% purity does not exist. Extracting extremely high-purity gallium at a low cost is another challenge for the industry.
What is the purity of cerium? What is the purity of gallium?
To answer this question, the project team needs to continue research and practice, obtaining answers through a large amount of experimental data.
The large amount of high-purity cerium ingots used in the previous experiments was wasted, and the equipment and energy used for sample preparation and testing were also wasted.
That's how experimental physics is; it's inherently an expensive field.
The consumption of raw materials and energy cannot be called a waste; at least Shen Qi and his team discovered a flawed and unworkable route in advance.
Once you start doing experiments, it can sometimes be addictive.
Shen Qi has been visiting the lab more frequently lately, but he keeps his promise to his wife in mind that no matter how busy he is at work, he must be home before 10 p. m.
Spring has passed and summer has arrived, bringing us to early summer.
The Nobel Prize announcement in October is not far off.
Shen Qi is very successful in his career. Even when he encounters some technical problems, he and his team can solve them in a timely manner.
Some media outlets, both domestic and international, have begun to focus Shen Qi, speculating whether he will win the Nobel Prize this year and which prize he will receive.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Shen Qi was filled with unease.
He wasn't worried about his career, but rather about his wife's health.
Shen Qi and Ou Ye had been married for more than half a year and had been trying to conceive using scientific methods for more than half a year.
Ou Ye has not conceived to this day.
There's definitely something wrong with this.
Tonight, Shen Qi solemnly said to Ou Ye, "Wife, let's go to the hospital for a check-up soon, both of us."
"It's all my fault, I can't even get pregnant..." Ou Ye choked up as she spoke, sobbing softly.
Shen Qi held Ou Ye's hand and gently encouraged her, "Wife, we must trust science. If you're ready, we'll go to the hospital."
Ou Ye wiped away her tears, preparing herself to bravely face all possibilities. "Mm."
Pre-pregnancy checkups are not something you can do on a whim.
Doctors recommend that women undergo preconception checkups 3 to 7 days after their period ends, and that they avoid sexual intercourse before the checkup.
The doctor also recommends that both partners undergo preconception checkups simultaneously, ideally 3 to 6 months in advance.
Three to six months ago, Shen Qi and Ou Ye did not go to the hospital.
Now, Shen Qi has no choice but to take this seriously and prepare to face reality.
In fact, modern medicine is very advanced. Even if conception cannot be achieved through normal sexual intercourse, there are many other effective scientific solutions.
Therefore, Shen Qi encouraged Ou Ye to always believe in science.