Scientists have determined the upper limit of the speed of sound

The researchers explained that waves are vibrations that move energy from one place to another.

Sound waves can travel throughdifferent media, such as air or water, and move at different speeds depending on what they pass through. For example, they move much faster through solids than through liquids or gases, so you can hear an approaching train much faster if you listen to the sound traveling along the tracks rather than through the air.

Einstein's theory of special relativitysets the absolute speed limit at which a wave can move at the speed of light, and is approximately 300 thousand km per second. However, until now it was not known whether a sound wave has an upper speed limit when moving through solids or liquids.

Research published in the journal ScienceAdvances, shows that the prediction of the upper limit of the speed of sound depends on two dimensionless fundamental constants: the fine structure constant and the proton-to-electron mass ratio.

What is known about Russian and American hypersonic weapons

These two numbers are known to play a key rolein many processes of the Universe: the course of reactions such as proton decay and nuclear fusion in stars depends on their value, and the balance between these two values ​​sets a narrow corridor of the "habitable zone" where planets can form and life-supporting molecular structures can arise.

The authors suggested that the speed of sound shoulddecrease with increasing atomic mass. According to this theoretical prediction, which scientists have tested on a wide range of materials, the fastest sound will be in solid atomic hydrogen.

“Sound waves in solids are importantimportance in many areas of science, - said one of the study authors Chris Picard, professor of materials science at the University of Cambridge. “For example, seismologists use sound waves caused by earthquakes to understand the nature and internal structure of the earth. They are also of interest to materials scientists because they determine the elastic properties of materials, their ability to withstand loads. "

Read also

On day 3 of illness, most COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell and often suffer from a runny nose

See the closest shots of the Sun's surface

The Doomsday glacier turned out to be more dangerous than scientists thought. We tell the main thing