Psychoacoustic sonification: This term refers to the expression of data in form of sound rather than though visualization. Master’s degree students at the University of Bremen have now used this technology to create an acoustic spirit level, which is available free of charge in the form of the mobile “Tiltification” app. “The mobile app for Android and iOS devices equips your phone with a spirit level. For this, it uses the sensors that are built into virtually every smartphone,” explains…
In semiconductor device applications, there is an increasing demand for semiconductors with very high carrier concentrations. The semiconductor material parameters, namely carrier density and mobility, are what primarily determine device performance. Hence, it is important to accurately characterize the carrier density and mobility of a semiconductor for the development of its device applications. The use of THz waves, or electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths of around 300 µm and frequency of about 1 THz, in the nondestructive testing of semiconductors has…
Physicists design novel quantum material. Smartphones, notebooks and other electronic devices of our everyday life strongly benefit from the ever-increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices. This development comes however at a price: confining electrons enhances their scattering– cell phones heat up. Topological insulators hold promises for a more efficient and sustainable technology. At odds with conventional semiconductors, the current flows on their boundaries, with scattering becoming prohibited thanks to symmetry reasons. In other words, things stay cool! In 2007 Laurens Molenkamp,…
Lava samples have revealed a new truth about the geological make-up of the Earth’s crust and could have implications for volcanic eruption early warning systems, a University of Queensland-led study has found. UQ volcanologist Dr Teresa Ubide said it was previously understood that cooled lava from so-called ‘hot spot’ volcanoes was ‘pristine’ magma from the melting mantle, tens of kilometres under the Earth’s surface. “This isn’t quite the case – we’ve been misled, geologically deceived,” Dr Ubide said. “For decades, we have…
A long-lasting non-equilibrium phase coexistence in supercritical fluids has been observed by a Korean research team. A team of researchers led by Professor Gunsu S. Yun from POSTECH’s Department of Physics and the Division of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Professor Dong Eon Kim of the Department of Physics and Max Planck POSTECH/Korea Research Initiative (MPK) has observed the non-equilibrium phase coexistence in supercritical fluids lasting several hours. The researchers explained the phenomenon through a mass transport model at the phase…
A new method designs nanomaterials with less than 10-nanometer precision. It could pave the way for faster, more energy-efficient electronics. DTU and Graphene Flagship researchers have taken the art of patterning nanomaterials to the next level. Precise patterning of 2D materials is a route to computation and storage using 2D materials, which can deliver better performance and much lower power consumption than today’s technology. One of the most significant recent discoveries within physics and material technology is two-dimensional materials such…
Bio-inspired slow-release system for site 1 sodium channel blockers mimics the anesthetics’ natural receptors in the body. Site 1 sodium channel blockers such as tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin are small-molecule drugs with powerful local anesthetic properties. They provide pain relief without toxic effects on local nerves and muscles, and are an attractive alternative to opioids. But injected by themselves, they can easily float away, causing severe systemic toxicity. Encapsulating these drugs in safe delivery systems has been a challenge: Because they…
It’s challenging to make predictions, especially in astronomy. There are however, a few forecasts astronomers can depend on, such as the timing of upcoming lunar and solar eclipses and the clockwork return of some comets. Now, looking far beyond the solar system, astronomers have added a solid prediction of an event happening deep in intergalactic space: an image of an exploding star, dubbed Supernova Requiem, which will appear around the year 2037. Although this rebroadcast will not be visible to…
Viruses in the ocean are numerous, diverse and play an important role in the marine carbon cycle. A new study in ISME Journal provides exciting insights into the life of marine viruses in the North Sea during the spring bloom. Off the offshore island of Helgoland, researchers led by Nina Bartlau from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology found a dynamic viral community that can strongly influence the mortality of North Sea bacteria and thereby the carbon cycle of…
Geophysicists solve a key problem in physics and provide results that can be applied in such diverse areas as planetary research and 3-D printing / publication in ‘PNAS’. The prediction of the angle of repose for raised mounds of dry cohesive granular material is a long-standing problem in the natural sciences and in industry. Using numerical (particle-based) simulations, geophysicists Dr Eric Parteli (until 2020 at the University of Cologne, now at the University of Duisburg-Essen) and Filip Elekes (University of…
Today, the mutual optimization of design and technology provide key advantage in the highly competitive semiconductor market. Traditionally, when developing integrated circuits (IC), their design and technology were considered and developed separately. Looking to the future, this is no longer appropriate. Experienced IC designers need a deeper understanding of the interactions between design and technology options to ensure maximum product optimization. For the 18th time, the “International Conference on IC Design and Technology (ICICDT)” provides a forum for engineers, researchers,…
The ForTra gGmbh for Research Transfer (subsidiary of the Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation) would like to invite to the 4th EKFS Translational Research Workshop on September 22 & 23, 2021 in Frankfurt/Main. At the workshop distinguished experts will discuss the important challenge “How to Improve Translational Medicine”. They will present possible solutions to increase the chances of biomedical products reaching the market and benefiting patients. Come and join us in Frankfurt to discuss the possibilities for empowering translational medicine and…
Bone injuries in the face and skull—known as craniomaxillofacial defects—can be caused by sports injuries, vehicle accidents, or battlefield injuries. Repairing such defects is complicated because different types of cells need to interact with each other. In a new study, researchers are investigating the types of material used in reconstruction to see which one works best. Over 2 million bone graft surgeries occur annually across the world. CMF bone defects are usually irregularly shaped, which is why they are often…
As we age, our bones become thinner, we suffer fractures more often, and diseases like osteoporosis can occur. One of the culprits is ageing stem cells in the bone marrow, which are no longer as effective at replenishing the bones. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Ageing Research at the University of Cologne have now shown that the epigenome of these stem cells changes with age. They were able to…
Is the Standard Model of particle physics incorrect at key points? Recently there has been an increase in experimental observations that deviate from the predictions of this widely accepted physical theory. A current study by the University of Bonn now provides even stronger evidence for the existence of “new physics”. The final version of the paper is now published in the journal Physics Letters B. Lead author Chien-Yeah Seng will present the results in mid-October at the fall meeting of…
Seismic instruments generally have a built-in navigation-grade single-mode GPS receiver. During the operation of the station, while recording seismic data, the equipment also records the location of the station at regular intervals. Broadband seismic instruments generally record the locations of stations every hour (or every day), while short-period seismometers often record the locations of stations at shorter intervals (for example, every ten minutes). Although the positioning accuracy of these single-mode GPS receivers is not as good as that of geodetic…
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