Nano Nebula

Description

Honorable Mention Global warming is one of the biggest problems facing society today. One solution may be to remove the growing amounts of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. But how can we do that? In this image, carbon dioxide and water are reacting with the element barium to form a new, previously unidentified material. Surprisingly, as this new material forms, it looks like a nebula in outer space (despite being billions and billions of times smaller!). And like nebulae collapse to form stars and galaxies in space, eventually this swirling nano nebula will collapse into a single dense particle, too. Forming and collecting these dense particles from carbon dioxide may be a new way to remove it from our atmosphere, which may help us combat and reduce global warming.

Abstract

This image originally appeared as part of Northwestern's Scientific Images Contest. The contest and subsequent exhibitions are organized by Science in Society, the university's research center for science education and public engagement. Further information and opportunities to participate are available on their website. Prints and canvas editions of these Northwestern research images can also be purchased online (with the small net profit going to science education and outreach programming in the Chicago area).

Other

number_in_sequence: 12

Files

Additional details