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Now scientists have found ways to cool atoms to temperatures far lower than we ever could before and maintain them for longer, but what if we had one of those particles and then heated it as fast we could and then to the highest temperature we could as instantly as possible. Like how substances react to rapid freezing and unfreezing what would happen to an atom? something cray cray? a little boom boom possibly?

jonh liner
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  • You bring up the idea of "rate of heating a single atom". Why do you think the rate is important? This is not clear. For instance, you can cause electronic transitions using light, and afaik they occur practically instantaneously. Probably what is important in the context of speed is the uncertainty (pseudo) relation between time and energy. – Buck Thorn Dec 16 '19 at 11:36
  • See https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1999/zewail/lecture/ – Buck Thorn Dec 16 '19 at 11:39

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Sadly nothing fancy happens that can make headlines. Atom is not a solid in a classical sense that it will break or crack if it is rapidly heated or cooled like glass. Ordinary glass will crack when liquid nitrogen is poured into it. The Sun is an example of superheated atoms or ions. Atoms start to emit light at high temperatures.

AChem
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