The duo of scientists of the University of Gdańsk and the Universidad de Costa Rica have solved one of the oldest puzzles in physics – the mechanism of electrification of bodies, i.e. triboelectricity. The results of their research were published in the Physical Review Letters.
Electrification is a long known physical phenomenon consisting in creating in the body, electrically neutral, an excess of electric charges, causing the flow of current. However, only recently this process was provided with its explanation, thanks to the cooperation of Prof. Robert Alicki and Prof. Alejandro Jenkins.
Until now, there has been no satisfactory theoretical explanation of how mechanical friction can cause electrical charging. The collaborating scientists used the modern theory of open quantum systems to solve this ancient puzzle.
