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Physics - 23.03.2023

New ATLAS result weighs in on the W boson
Physicists present new result of the ATLAS detector The W boson is the mediator particle of the electroweak force. Discovered in the 1980s at CERN, its properties remain challenging to measure within the Standard Model of particle physics. An international team has now presented a new and improved W-boson mass measurement by the ATLAS experiment at CERN.

Physics - Chemistry - 21.03.2023

Surprise in the Quantum World
Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat have achieved a significant milestone in the pursuit of energy-efficient quantum technologies by designing a ferromagnetic topological insulator. In 2019, an international research team headed by materials chemist Anna Isaeva, at that time a junior professor at ct.qmat (Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter), caused a stir by fabricating the world's first antiferromagnetic topological insulator - manganese bismuth telluride (MnBi 2 Te4).

Physics - Chemistry - 21.03.2023

Surprise from the quantum world
The Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat has designed a ferromagnetic topological insulator - a milestone on the way to energy-efficient quantum technologies. Back in 2019, an international research team led by materials chemist Anna Isaeva - then a junior professor at the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat - Complexity and Topology in Quantum Materials - achieved a minor sensation with the fabrication of the first antiferromagnetic topological insulator manganese bismuth telluride (MnBi 2 Te4).

Chemistry - Physics - 21.03.2023

Smart light traps
Synthesis gas and battery power from sunlight energy Plants use photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight. Now researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have applied this principle as the basis for developing new sustainable processes which in the future may produce syngas (synthetic gas) for the large-scale chemical industry and be able to charge batteries.

Physics - Chemistry - 14.03.2023

Magnifier for quantum excitations
Scientists at TU Ilmenau have succeeded in realizing and understanding in detail a molecular magnifying glass for the lattice vibrations of a two-dimensional material. The results of the work, which are the result of many years of intensive joint research with theoretical physicist Mads Brandbyge from TU Denmark, have just been published in Physical Review Letters , the most important journal for physics research.

Physics - 13.03.2023

Understanding quantum mechanics with active particles
Physicists discover unexpected connection between active particles and quantum-mechanical systems The study of active particles is one of the fastest-growing areas of physics. With "active particles" physicists refer to objects which move by themselves as a result of internal self-propulsion. These include living things such as bacteria and fish swimming, birds flying or humans walking around - as well as artificial nano-robots which can be inserted into the body to transport medication.

Physics - 10.03.2023

Hotter than infinity - Light pulses can behave like an exotic gas
In our modern society huge amounts of data are transmitted every day, mainly as short optical pulses propagating through glass fibres. With the steadily increasing density of such optical signals, their interaction grows, which can lead to data loss. Physicists at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the College of Optics and Photonics in Orlando, Florida are investigating how to control large numbers of optical pulses as precisely as possible to reduce the effect of such interactions.

Chemistry - Physics - 09.03.2023

Access to new fluorescent materials
Significantly increased efficiency of fluorescence - Wide range of applications in everyday life Fluorescence is a fascinating natural phenomenon. It is based on the fact that certain materials can absorb light of a certain wavelength and then emit light of a different wavelength. Fluorescent materials play an important role in our everyday lives, for example in modern screens.

Earth Sciences - Physics - 01.03.2023

Honeycombs in the desert
Convection of salty water creates hexagonal patterns The honeycomb-like patterns that often occur in salt deserts, including Death Valley and Chile, look like something from another world. A team that included researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen, Germany, explain the origin of the mysterious patterns for the first time.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 24.02.2023

Distant cradles of stars
James Webb Space Telescope unveils star formation in gas and dust networks of other galaxies The first images of the James Webb Space Telescope are helping to uncover the missing pieces of the star formation puzzle in nearby galaxies. Data from the powerful infrared telescope are revealing previously hidden regions where new stars are born. These images provide the first clues as to how networks of gas and dust become the site of active star formation.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 22.02.2023

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Secrets of Nearby Galaxies
As part of a worldwide collaboration, Heidelberg research groups are studying the impact of young stars on galaxy formation Astronomical observations with the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a complex network of structures in nearby galaxies. The infrared images offer a detailed view of stars, gas, and dust and therefore of star formation and galaxy development.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 17.02.2023

Distant star cradles
The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Star Formation in Gas and Dust Networks of Other Galaxies Even the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope are helping to clarify questions about how stars form in relatively nearby galaxies. Data from the powerful infrared telescope are revealing to scientists previously hidden regions where new stars are born.

Physics - Materials Science - 14.02.2023

Solid-state battery: New material class with excellent ion conductivity
Neutrons make movement of ions visible A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has discovered a material class with above-average conductivity. This is a decisive step forward in the development of high-performance solid-state batteries. Investigations conducted at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) made an essential contribution to the discovery.

Physics - 14.02.2023

When the light is neither ’on’ nor ’off’ in the nanoworld
Scientists at the Universities of Würzburg and Bielefeld detect the quantum properties of collective optical-electronic oscillations on the nanoscale. The results could contribute to the development of novel computer chips. Whether the light in our living spaces is on or off can be regulated in everyday life simply by reaching for the light switch.

Physics - Chemistry - 13.02.2023

Method found for analysing complex, tiny crystals
The atomic structure of solid substances can often be analysed quickly, easily and very precisely using X-rays. However, this requires that crystals of the corresponding substances exist. Chemist Professor Oliver Oeckler from Leipzig University and his team are developing methods to make this possible even for very small crystals that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Physics - Chemistry - 13.02.2023

Method found for analyzing complicated, tiny crystals
Success after ten years of research: Three intergrown compounds discovered The atomic structure of solid substances can often be analyzed quickly, easily and very precisely using X-rays. However, this requires that crystals of the corresponding substances are available. Chemist Oliver Oeckler of the University of Leipzig and his team are developing methods to make this possible even for very small crystals that are invisible to the naked eye.

Physics - Life Sciences - 09.02.2023

Creating 3D objects with sound
Scientists assemble matter in 3D using sound waves for 3D printing Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the Heidelberg University have created a new technology to assemble matter in 3D. Their concept uses multiple acoustic holograms to generate pressure fields with which solid particles, gel beads and even biological cells can be printed.

Chemistry - Physics - 08.02.2023

New method for targeted design of molecules
Potential applications include industrial processes, drug discovery and optoelectronics Engineering novel molecules and materials with specific properties can yield significant advances for industrial processes, drug discovery and optoelectronics. However, the search for novel molecules and materials is comparable to looking for a needle in a haystack, since the number of molecules in chemical space is of the unimaginable order of 10 to the power of 60.

Earth Sciences - Physics - 07.02.2023

Asteroid impact in slow motion
For the first time, researchers have recorded live and in atomic detail what happens to the material in an asteroid impact. The team of Falko Langenhorst from the University of Jena and Hanns-Peter Liermann from DESY simulated an asteroid impact with the mineral quartz in the lab and pursued it in slow motion in a diamond anvil cell, while monitoring it with DESY's X-ray source PETRA III.

Physics - Life Sciences - 25.01.2023

Thermal motions and oscillation modes determine the uptake of bacteria in cells
Team at the University of Freiburg analyzes how model bacteria dock to and penetrate membrane bubbles. How and with what effort does a bacterium - or a virus - enter a cell and cause an infection? Researchers from Freiburg have now made an important contribution to answering this question: A team led by physicist Alexander Rohrbach and his collaborator Dr. Yareni Ayala was able to show how thermal fluctuations of a model bacterium and membrane oscillation modes of a model cell influence the energy with which the model bacteria dock and enter the membrane.