July 2023

This month’s image shows a comet-like particle gracefully navigating the (nano)cosmos.
The particle is the result of an annealing experiment with a gold/nickel thin film on a zinc oxide substrate. An unexpected reaction of nickel with zinc oxide produced a tail trailing a gold particle. The image was acquired using a scanning electron microscope with back scattered electrons, which gives gold-rich areas a bright appearance.
Let this image remind you of the wonders beyond our sight – the universe and the nanoscale.