Metastabler

Metastabler is a term used in chemistry and physics to describe a state or configuration that is not the lowest possible energy state but is stable enough to exist for a significant period. These states are often referred to as metastable states. In a metastable state, a system possesses more energy than its ground state, but it is prevented from transitioning to the ground state by an energy barrier. This barrier must be overcome for the system to release its excess energy and reach its most stable configuration.

An example of a metastable state can be observed in the diamond allotrope of carbon. Diamond is metastable at standard temperature and pressure; graphite is the thermodynamically more stable form. However, the conversion of diamond to graphite is extremely slow due to a very high activation energy barrier, meaning diamond persists for geological timescales. Another common example is supersaturated solutions, where more solute is dissolved than would normally be possible at a given temperature. The excess solute remains dissolved, but the addition of a seed crystal can trigger rapid crystallization, releasing the excess solute and moving to a more stable state. In nuclear physics, metastable states are known as isomers, which are excited states of atomic nuclei that have relatively long half-lives.