Friedel oscillations

Friedel oscillations are wiggles that happen in how electrons are arranged around an object when there is a change or disturbance in its surroundings. Imagine playing with grains of sand on a beach. If you make a sandcastle, the sand around it might become a little bit packed. This causes the sand further away from the castle to wiggle around in a pattern, creating a ripple effect.

In the same way, electrons around an object behave similarly when the object changes. For example, if you have a metal sphere and you change its surface in some way, maybe by scratching it, the electrons around it will also change. They will start to move around and wiggle in a pattern. These oscillations are called Friedel oscillations.

These wiggles can have different patterns and frequencies depending on how big the object is, how it is shaped, and what it is made of. They can look like waves or ripples and they can have different strengths and speeds. Scientists study Friedel oscillations because they can provide information about the materials being used and they can be important in different types of electronic devices.