VOA慢速：三位教授因研究电子而共享诺贝尔物理学奖
Three Professors Share Nobel Physics Prize
for Study of Electrons
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Three European physics professors won the
Nobel Prize on Tuesday for their work on a system that permits scientists to study
electrons. Electrons are one of the three particles that make up atoms. They
are so small, however, and move so fast, that scientists had never been able to
observe them. However, the work of French-Swedish physicist Anne L'Huillier,
French physicist Pierre Agostini and Hungarian-born physicist Ferenc Krausz
solved that problem.
The professors carried out research that
showed how ultra-fast light could permit scientists to "see" an
electron for the first time. "You can see whether it's on one side of a molecule
or on the other," L'Huillier, 65, said. "It's still very
blurry." The system that came from their work creates light that shows the
fast-moving electron in its orbit around the nucleus. Krausz's team
first created the short light pulses in the early 2000s. He said the system is
similar to a camera with a fast shutter speed that permits a
photographer to capture a Formula One race car as it crosses the finish line.
Using a special camera with light to see a clear image of a hummingbird's fast
wing movements is another example.
But the speed of an electron is so fast
that it could not be captured before the scientists produced experiments that
showed it was possible to create a flash of light in one quintillionth of a
second. Mats Larsson of the Nobel Committee said the electrons are the
"workforce" of the atom. "Once you can control and understand
electrons, you have taken a very big step forward." The method to study
electrons should help scientists develop better electronic devices or study
molecules for medical purposes.
L'Huillier is the fifth woman to receive
the physics Nobel. She said her work is important because electrons are
"how the atoms bind together," and where the chemical reactions
happen. She said she spent 30 years working on the project, and she wants other
scientists to keep working on "fundamental science" no matter how it
might be used in the future. It did not become clear how her work would be used
in "the real world" until many years passed.
L'Huillier was in the middle of teaching a
class at Lund University in Sweden when she got the news. "It's
incredible," she said. She went back to teaching the class after being
told of the prize. Agostini is a retired professor at the Ohio State
University. Krausz is a professor at the Max Planck Institute in Germany.
"I did not expect it," Krausz said. "I am overwhelmed," he
added, asking if he was "in reality or it's just a long dream."Agostini
was in Paris when the news was announced but did not get a call from the Nobel
Committee.He suggested the Nobel group was looking for him in Columbus, Ohio,
where Ohio State is located. The 82-year-old said the prize was "good, but
a bit late for me."
L'Huillier experimented with how a laser
affects atoms in a gas causing electrons to produce light. Krausz worked on
creating a system that could detect a single, very fast light pulse. Agostini
was able to investigate a series of very fast pulses. All the experiments
showed that it would be possible one day to observe an image captured in an
extremely small fraction of a second, known as an attosecond.
Physics is the second Nobel Prize of the
week. Two scientists earned the medicine prize on Monday for their work on mRNA
that led to COVID-19 vaccines. Chemistry, literature, peace and
economics come next. I'm Dan Friedell.
VOCABULARY
1.
molecule n. 分子。这指的是构成物质的最小单位，由原子组成。
2.
nucleus n. 原子核。原子的中心部分，包含着质子和中子。
3.
shutter n. 快门。相机中的零部件，用于控制曝光时间，类似于眼睑的功能。
4.
vaccine n. 疫苗
QUESTIONS
Listen
to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. Which statement accurately reflects the
research contribution of the three professors?
A.
They created a system to visualize electrons.
B.
They found a new particle in the atom.
C.
They invented a faster camera shutter speed.
D.
They developed a new vaccine with mRNA technology.
2. What did Krausz's team first create in
the early 2000s?
A.
The system that shows a fast-moving electron in its orbit.
B.
Short light pulses.
C.
A camera with a fast shutter speed.
D.
A technology to allow scientists to "see" an electron for the first
time.
3. Why does L'Huillier consider her work
important?
A.
Because it won a Nobel Prize.
B.
Because it allows for the study of molecules for medical purposes.
C.
Because electrons are how atoms bind together and where chemical reactions
happen.
D.
Because it led to the development of better electronic devices.
4. What area of research did L'Huillier
focus on?
A.
How a laser affects atoms in a gas.
B.
Creating a system that could detect a single, very fast light pulse.
C.
Investigating a series of very fast pulses.
D.
None of the above.
5. Which scientists' work led to COVID-19
vaccines as mentioned in the passage?
A.
The three European physics professors.
B.
Two scientists who earned the medicine prize on Monday.
C.
Scientists at Lund University.
D.
Scientists at The Ohio State University.
KEY
1. Which statement accurately reflects the
research contribution of the three professors?
A.
They created a system to visualize electrons.
B.
They found a new particle in the atom.
C.
They invented a faster camera shutter speed.
D.
They developed a new vaccine with mRNA technology.
【答案】A
【解析】细节题，来源于全文。文章主要介绍了三位教授如何创建一个系统来观察原子中的电子，因此正确答案为A。
2. What did Krausz's team first create in
the early 2000s?
A.
The system that shows a fast-moving electron in its orbit.
B.
Short light pulses.
C.
A camera with a fast shutter speed.
D.
A technology to allow scientists to "see" an electron for the first
time.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题，来源于第二段。文中提到Krausz的团队在21世纪初首次创建了短光脉冲，所以答案为B。
3. Why does L'Huillier consider her work
important?
A.
Because it won a Nobel Prize.
B.
Because it allows for the study of molecules for medical purposes.
C.
Because electrons are how atoms bind together and where chemical reactions
happen.
D.
Because it led to the development of better electronic devices.
【答案】C
【解析】推理题，来源于文章的第四段。根据文中L'Huillier的话，她之所以认为自己的工作重要，是因为电子是原子结合在一起并发生化学反应的地方，所以答案为C。
4. What area of research did L'Huillier
focus on?
A.
How a laser affects atoms in a gas.
B.
Creating a system that could detect a single, very fast light pulse.
C.
Investigating a series of very fast pulses.
D.
None of the above.
【答案】A
【解析】 细节题，来源于文章的倒数第二段。L'Huillier的研究焦点是激光如何影响气体中的原子，使电子发光，因此答案为A。
5. Which scientists' work led to COVID-19
vaccines as mentioned in the passage?
A.
The three European physics professors.
B.
Two scientists who earned the medicine prize on Monday.
C.
Scientists at Lund University.
D.
Scientists at The Ohio State University.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题，来源于最后一段。根据文中的描述，是周一获得医学奖的两位科学家的工作促成了COVID-19疫苗的开发，所以答案为B。
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