A team of researchers including the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI) has observed a pair of galaxies merging 12.8 billion years ago, forming one of the brightest objects in the early Universe, reports a new study in The Astrophysical Journal. Observations to date have discovered a number of supermassive black holes with masses exceeding a billion times that of the Sun in the early Universe, when the Universe was less than a…
Since the 1960s, astronomers have wondered how the Sun’s supersonic “solar wind,” a stream of energetic particles that flows out into the solar system, continues to receive energy once it leaves the Sun. Now, they may have discovered the answer. Since the 1960s, astronomers have wondered how the Sun’s supersonic “solar wind,” a stream of energetic particles that flows out into the solar system, continues to receive energy once it leaves the Sun. Now, thanks to a lucky lineup of…
…wins start-up funding competition. Lower Saxony research incubator Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) supports MHH project Bacta Implants with 770,000 euros. The Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) aims to translate cutting-edge biomedical research into clinical practice. To this end, the IBT has awarded start-up funding totalling more than 1.6 million euros in the second funding round. Nine research projects took part in the final round of the competition for the funding, and the jury has now selected two winners. One…
A new ultrashort pulse (USP) laser beam source from TRUMPF, designed for industrial use, will significantly expand the range of applications of USP laser processes. The Fraunhofer ILT will be systematically exploring the potential of this beam source with an average output of 1 kW in the coming months. Among other things, experiments are planned to optimize processes in battery and fuel cell production, toolmaking, semiconductor technology, as well as to test various beam guidance strategies. Many of these pilot…
HZDR-Team presents new diagnostic tool for laser-plasma accelerator. Laser-plasma accelerators take up less space than conventional facilities, which are sometimes kilometers long. Such compact particle sources can accelerate electron bunches efficiently, enabling x-ray lasers that fit in the basement of a university institute. But there are a few challenges to be met: in order to produce UV or x-ray light, the electron bunches generated by a laser-plasma accelerator must be very finely bundled and have defined properties. To date, it…
Fraunhofer IKTS opens Europe’s first R&D center for transparent ceramics in Hermsdorf, Thuringia. See-through like glass, but heat-resistant and scratch-proof like ceramics – transparent ceramics are unique materials. Their manufacturing requires not only special know-how, but also specialized equipment and systems. In future, transparent ceramics will be able to make even greater use of their advantages over glass and sapphire in terms of robustness, hardness, transmission and cost effectiveness. The reason: Fraunhofer IKTS has opened a new research and development…
When different quantum states combine, new collective states of matter can emerge. In the quantum realm, combining components such as atoms that possess quantum effects can give rise to macroscopic quantum states of matter, featuring exotic quantum excitations that do not exist anywhere else. In a collaboration between Aalto University and the Institute of Physics CAS, researchers built an artificial quantum material, atom by atom, from magnetic titanium on top of a magnesium oxide substrate. They then carefully engineered how…
Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, implement modifications to their high-speed atomic force microscopy that simultaneously improve resolution and speed, while enabling direct measurements of 3D structures to provide conclusive evidence of a contested hydration layer forming as calcite dissolves. Understanding the dissolution processes of minerals can provide key insights into geochemical processes. Attempts to explain some of the observations during the dissolution of calcite (CaCO3) have led to the hypothesis that a hydration layer forms, although…
A team of scientists has unlocked the potential of 6G communications with a new polarisation multiplexer. Terahertz communications represent the next frontier in wireless technology, promising data transmission rates far exceeding current systems. By operating at terahertz frequencies, these systems can support unprecedented bandwidth, enabling ultra-fast wireless communication and data transfer. However, one of the significant challenges in terahertz communications is effectively managing and utilising the available spectrum. The team has developed the first ultra-wideband integrated terahertz polarisation (de)multiplexer implemented…
A&M joins a Northwestern University-led center to bring highly skilled, affordable robotic assistance to the workforce and beyond. Texas A&M University is joining a new National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC), led by Northwestern University, seeking to develop robots capable of enhancing human labor. A central goal of the Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND) center is to make robotic assistance accessible and applicable to a wide range of physical actions through an engineered system of dexterous robotic hands,…
High-Resolution 3D Tracking of Coral Reef Fish. A study by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) is employing new methods in coral reef research. Under the leadership of fish ecologist Dr Julian Lilkendey, an international research team utilised innovative AI technologies to analyse the movements of reef fish in the Red Sea with high precision. The recently published study in the journal “Ecology and Evolution”, which also involved researchers from the Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics…
Simple Ingredients for a Chemical Hydrogen Storage System. Researchers are still looking for an ideal way to safely and stably store hydrogen, the beacon of hope for the energy transition. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock, LIKAT, and the company H2APEX report on how this volatile and combustible gas can be tamed safely and with simple “ingredients” in the latest issue of NATURE COMMUNICATION.* Together, they developed a homogeneous catalyst system with which they can bind hydrogen…
SLF PhD student Patricia Asemann writes about her work on the Silvretta glacier, melting ice, falling winds and pasta with pesto. “Dancing in the moonlight” and Toto’s “Africa” sound off our phones’ speakers as we walk up the Silvretta glacier in the rhythm of the music. Our surroundings are beautiful but our eyes are fixed on the next bit of steep, bumpy, and slightly dirty ice to set our crampons on. Walking around on a glacier is usually pretty fun,…
Spatial orientation mechanisms surprisingly similar to our own. Researchers are turning to zebrafish to unlock the secrets of place cells, which play a crucial role in forming mental maps of space, social networks, and abstract relationships. Until now, place cells have only been found in mammals and birds, leaving the question of how other species internally represent the external world largely unanswered. A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics has now found the first compelling…
Study finds that our natural killer cells instinctively recognise and attack a protein that drives cancer growth. Scientists are on the verge of a cancer breakthrough after working out how the body’s immune system targets cells devastated by the disease. A new study has discovered that our natural killer cells, from the immune system which protect against disease and infections, instinctively recognise and attack a protein that drives cancer growth. The experts say that by hijacking this protein, known as…
Researchers from Würzburg and Berlin present a new molecule for visualising the sphingomyelin metabolism. This offers prospects for innovative therapeutic approaches in infection research. At the end of the 19th century, the German pathologist Ludwig Thudichum isolated previously unknown fatty substances (lipids) from the brain. He named the new class of molecules sphingolipids – after the Greek mythical creature Sphinx, out of respect for “the many riddles it posed to the researcher”. Since then, many diseases have been discovered that…
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