The historical and cultural significance of the Great Pyramid of Giza is well-documented, but new research reveals that it has immense scientific value, too.
As it turns out, the magnificent Egyptian pyramid can focus electromagnetic energy through its hidden internal chambers.
Great Pyramid Yields Great Potential
In the research published in the Journal of Applied Physics, physicists from the ITMO University in Russia and Laser Zentrum Hannover in Germany conducted the study that aimed to see what the electromagnetic response of the Great Pyramid would be to radio waves. They predicted that in a resonant state, the pyramid would be able to concentrate electromagnetic energy in and beneath it.
"Egyptian pyramids have always attracted great attention. We as scientists were interested in them as well, so we decided to look at the Great Pyramid as a particle dissipating radio waves resonantly," Dr. Sc. Andrey Evlyukhin, the scientific supervisor and coordinator for the research, explains in a statement in Eurekalert.
Evlyukhin adds that there are limited information on the physical properties of the Great Pyramid of Giza, so the team made certain assumptions such as the absence of unknown cavities inside and the building material being ordinary limestone that's evenly distributed throughout the structure.
The Experiment
First, the physicists determined that a resonant state can be induced with radio waves as long as 200 to 600 meters. Then, they created a model of the pyramid's electromagnetic response, calculating the part of the incident wave energy can be scattered or absorbed by the pyramid in resonance. Finally, the electromagnetic fields distribution inside the pyramid was determined using the same conditions.
True enough, their measurements revealed that in a resonant state, the pyramid can focus electromagnetic energy in its internal chambers as well as a third unfinished chamber on the structure's base.
Practical Implications Of The Study
More than just a cool trivia fact about the Great Pyramid, the findings from the new study will usher in a wave of new advancements in scientific circles.
One of the next steps that researchers are eager to explore is whether nanoparticles in the shape of the pyramid would interact with light the same way it did with radio waves, according to the Telegraph. If it is able to concentrate energy in specific areas in these conditions, it could have groundbreaking effects on solar energy, among others.
"Choosing a material with suitable electromagnetic properties, we can obtain pyramidal nanoparticles with a promise for practical application in nanosensors and effective solar cells," Dr. Polina Kapitanova, a physicist at ITMO University, tells Telegraph.