In cooperation with SURAGUS GmbH, the Fraunhofer FEP has succeeded in realizing non-contact in-situ measurements under high vacuum conditions at temperatures of up to 220°C within the HotSense project (grant number 100547507/4102) funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Economics, Labor and Transport (SMWA). Thus, measurements of the sheet resistance or -conductivity, or the metal layer thickness can be carried out in close proximity to the process directly after hot layer deposition or layer modification processes by means of non-contact…
The number of infections with the fungus Candida auris is also increasing in Germany. This is shown in a new study by research teams from Würzburg, Jena and Berlin. Despite low numbers, scientists advise precautionary measures. Among the yeasts from the Candida genus that cause infections in humans, the species Candida auris is still relatively new: this species was only described in 2009, and to date no evidence has been found before the 1990s. It is unclear what ecological niche…
High-resolution imaging of radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf show a double-lobed structure like the radiation belts of Jupiter. Astronomers have described the first radiation belt observed outside our solar system, using a coordinated array of 39 radio dishes from Hawaii to Germany to obtain high-resolution images. The images of persistent, intense radio emissions from an ultracool dwarf reveal the presence of a cloud of high-energy electrons trapped in the object’s powerful magnetic field, forming a double-lobed structure analogous to…
Rigorous tests on photovoltaic (PV) modules, integrated PV systems, solar thermal collectors, inverters and other solar technologies are carried out, for the most part, in an indoor laboratory environment. Accompanying these are the long-term tests under real weather conditions lasting several years. Now re-searchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE want to use the newly constructed, three-hectare test field near Freiburg, Germany, to combine the results from both test approaches. In particular, PV modules will be able…
A group of researchers led by Andreas Wallraff, Professor of Solid State Physics at ETH Zurich, has performed a loophole-free Bell test to disprove the concept of “local causality” formulated by Albert Einstein in response to quantum mechanics. By showing that quantum mechanical objects that are far apart can be much more strongly correlated with each other than is possible in conventional systems, the researchers have provided further confirmation for quantum mechanics. What’s special about this experiment is that the…
Astronomers have found that supermassive black holes obscured by dust are more likely to grow and release tremendous amounts of energy when they are inside galaxies that are expected to collide with a neighbouring galaxy. The new work, led by researchers from Newcastle University, is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Galaxies, including our own Milky Way, contain supermassive black holes at their centres. They have masses equivalent to millions, or even billions, times that of our Sun. These black…
A team of scientists from the Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory have developed a way to collect terahertz imaging data on materials under extreme magnetic and cryogenic conditions. They accomplished their work with a new scanning probe microscope. This microscope was recently developed at Ames Lab. The team used the ultralow temperature terahertz microscope to take measurements on superconductors and topological semimetals. These materials were were exposed to high magnetic fields and temperatures below liquid helium (below 4.2 Kelvins…
The spiral-shaped bacteria Helicobacter pylori are common and troublesome. More than 13 percent of Americans have an H. pylori infection, although rates vary with age, race and socioeconomic status. The microorganism uses its corkscrew-like tail to power forward through viscous fluids such as stomach mucus. When it arrives at the epithelium of the stomach wall, it can cause everything from ulcers to cancer. In a new study published by Physical Review Letters, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers created a 3D model of this…
Robots can help find objects you’ve lost, thanks to new ‘artificial memory’. Engineers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a new way to program robots to help people with dementia locate medicine, glasses, phones and other objects they need but have lost. And while the initial focus is on assisting a specific group of people, the technology could someday be used by anyone who has searched high and low for something they’ve misplaced. “The long-term impact of this is…
For decades, a research team from the University of Jena has travelled regularly to the Antarctic. Its most recent observations of Antarctic wildlife paint a clear picture of climate change in the southernmost part of the world. If there were ever a prize for the longest journey to work, the Jena University team led by Christina Braun would stand a good chance of winning it. To reach their research area, the polar ornithologist and her team travel some 14,000 kilometres…
The bacteria present in the intestine provide information about the quantities of fungi of the potentially disease-causing Candida genus. Among them, and surprisingly, are lactic acid bacteria that are known for their protective effect against fungal infections. The findings of researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) and their collaborative partners from Denmark and Hungary add another piece to the puzzle of understanding the human gut microbiome. The human gut microbiome is an extremely…
EU qualification programme brings together international doctoral researchers in chemistry, materials science and sensor technology. Air pollution is considered to be one of the world’s biggest environmental problems, but it is often only associated with outdoor air. Yet people spend an average of 22 hours a day indoors, where furniture, carpets or wall paints can release harmful solvents over time. The scientists in the international doctoral programme “SENNET” aim to detect such pollutants. They want to develop reliable sensors based…
Leipzig University presents LexCube 3D visualisation. Researchers from Leipzig University will present an interactive digital cube that can visualise climate data from anywhere in the world in space and time at the Building Bridges for the Next Generations conference on 16 May. As a freely accessible website, LexCube makes terabytes of data available to everyone. The programming and implementation of the data cube is the PhD project of Maximilian Söchting, supervised by Professors Gerik Scheuermann and Miguel Mahecha. Climate change…
Reusable sponge can capture and recover critical metals and heavy-metal pollutants. Northwestern University engineers have developed a new sponge that can remove metals — including toxic heavy metals like lead and critical metals like cobalt — from contaminated water, leaving safe, drinkable water behind. In proof-of-concept experiments, the researchers tested their new sponge on a highly contaminated sample of tap water, containing more than 1 part per million of lead. With one use, the sponge filtered lead to below detectable…
Biophysicist at Göttingen University receives ERC Proof of Concept Grant. Professor Timo Betz, University of Göttingen, has been awarded a Proof of Concept (PoC) grant by the European Research Council (ERC) for his “TissMec” project to develop a 3D screening system to cultivate tissue and automatically stimulate and quantify its mechanical properties. PoC ERC grants provide top-up funding of €150,000 over 18 months to outstanding researchers, who have already received ERC funding, so that they can build on the innovation…
A common chemical reaction that most people have seen first-hand is the inspiration for a new way to make a flexible gel film that could lead to innovations in sensors, batteries, robotics and more. A research team led by Texas Engineers developed what they call a “dip-and-peel” strategy for simple and rapid fabrication of two-dimensional ionogel membranes. By dipping sustainable biomass materials in certain solvents, molecules naturally respond by arranging themselves into functional thin films at the edge of the…
Feedback
