Press Releases - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
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Non-precious yet splendid: Novel single-atom catalyst boosts zinc-air battery to record power density
Press Release of 16.12.2022
The long-term transformation towards renewable energies is inconceivable without modern energy storage technologies. These include batteries, in which electricity is temporarily stored in the form of chemical energy. Essential for their efficiency is the availability of suitable catalysts that allow the associated chemical reactions to proceed in an optimized manner.
Milestone for laser technology: demonstration of a free-electron laser driven by plasma accelerated electron beams
Press Release of 09.12.2022
Extremely intense light pulses generated by free-electron lasers (FELs) are versatile tools in research. Particularly in the X-ray range, they can be deployed to analyze the details of atomic structures of a wide variety of materials and to follow fundamental ultrafast processes with great precision. Until now, FELs such as the European XFEL in Germany are based on conventional electron accelerators, which make them long and expensive. An international team led by Synchrotron SOLEIL, France, and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany, has now achieved a breakthrough on the way to an affordable alternative solution: they were able to demonstrate seeded FEL lasing in the ultraviolet regime based on a still young technology – laser-plasma acceleration. In the future, this might allow to build more compact systems, which would considerably expand the possible applications of FELs. The research collaboration presents their results in the journal Nature Photonics (DOI: 10.1038/s41566-022-01104-w).
An exotic interplay of electrons: International research team discovers novel quantum state
Press Release of 05.12.2022
Water that simply will not freeze, no matter how cold it gets – a research group involving the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has discovered a quantum state that could be described in this way. Experts from the Institute of Solid State Physics at the University of Tokyo in Japan, Johns Hopkins University in the United States, and the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (MPI-PKS) in Dresden, Germany, managed to cool a special material to near absolute zero temperature. They found that a central property of atoms – their alignment – did not “freeze”, as usual, but remained in a “liquid” state. The new quantum material could serve as a model system to develop novel, highly sensitive quantum sensors. The team has presented its findings in the journal Nature Physics (DOI: 10.1038/s41567-022-01816-4).
Sachsen verbindet seine KI-Kompetenzen: Rund 100 Fachleute bei Vernetzungstreffen im Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf
Press Release of 25.11.2022
Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) als Technologietreiber ist ein Schlüssel für Fortschritt. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben sich im Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) rund 100 Expertinnen und Experten aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft zum intensiven Austausch getroffen. Im Rahmen der KI-Strategie des Freistaats werden hier die wichtigsten Akteure und damit Arbeits- und Forschungsfelder zusammengebracht.
Talente fördern für Wissenschaft und Industrie
Press Release of 24.11.2022
Das HZDR und die BASF Schwarzheide GmbH wollen ihre Zusammenarbeit in der Fachkräftesicherung ausbauen. Dafür haben Vertreter des Lausitzer BASF-Standorts und des HZDR am Donnerstag, dem 24. November 2022, eine gemeinsame Absichtserklärung unterzeichnet.
CASUS scientist receives prestigious ERC Starting Grant to shatter a computational bottleneck
Press Release of 22.11.2022
Employing modern machine learning methods, Young Investigator Dr. Tobias Dornheim aims to tackle one of the most fundamental computational bottlenecks in physics, chemistry, and related disciplines: the fermion sign problem.
A nanoscale view of bubble formation: A new model now describes the boiling process with much greater precision
Press Release of 18.11.2022
When a liquid boils in a vessel, tiny vapor bubbles form at the bottom and rise, transferring heat in the process. How these small bubbles grow and eventually detach was previously not known in any great detail. A German-Chinese research team under the leadership of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now managed to fundamentally expand this understanding.
Rolling dice to gain insights into planets and stars
Press Release of 15.11.2022
Finding out the properties of quantum systems that are made of many interacting particles is still a huge challenge. While the underlying mathematical equations are long known, they are too complex to be solved in practice. Breaking that barrier most probably would lead to a plethora of new findings and applications in physics, chemistry and the material sciences. Researchers at the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have now taken a major step forward by describing so-called warm dense hydrogen – hydrogen under extreme conditions like high pressures – as accurately as never before. The scientists’ approach, based on a method that puts random numbers to use, can for the first time solve the fundamental quantum dynamics of the electrons when many hydrogen atoms interact under conditions usually found in planet interiors or fusion reactors (Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.066402).
HZDR and Heyrovský Institute intensify cooperation
Press Release of 14.11.2022
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry (JH-INST) in Prague want to expand their existing cooperation by founding a joint laboratory and a training center for 2D materials. On November 14, 2022, the scientific directors of the two institutions, Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt and Prof. Martin Hof, signed an addendum to the existing memorandum of understanding from October 2019. At an accompanying two-day meeting, physicists from Dresden and the Czech Republic want to explore possible joint projects.
Our path to brain-inspired computing: HZDR team prepares neuromorphic component for industrial use
Press Release of 10.11.2022
Many technical systems rely heavily on automatic pattern recognition, as for example autonomous driving. Currently, this is done by software that runs on traditional computer systems. Yet this solution is energy-hungry and cannot be scaled down as needed. Neuromorphic chips are about to change that, as they will be able to recognize patterns on their own, not unlike our brains, using only a fraction of the energy required by conventional systems. Katrin and Helmut Schultheiss from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have found an innovative approach to this new technology. In partnership with an international research group, they have launched the EU-funded project NIMFEIA to develop a prototype for industrial production.
The color play of mineral resources: Dr. René Booysen receives the L'Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science
Press Release of 04.11.2022
Dr. René Booysen researches the exploration of mineral deposits. At the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), belonging to the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), she develops sensor-based exploration techniques to identify resources in a non-invasive way.
Metamaterial for the terahertz age: Tailored quantum materials as a high-efficiency frequency booster
Press Release of 02.11.2022
An international research team, comprising scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and JMU Würzburg, has found a way of generating terahertz radiation by frequency conversion much more efficiently than with previous technologies. A specially constructed quantum materials system acts as a high-efficiency frequency booster. As the authors reported in the journal “Light: science & applications”, potential applications stretch as far as sixth generation mobile communications (6G) (DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-01008-y).
Nanoelectronics for Immunotherapies: HZDR Cancer Researcher Receives ERC Consolidator Grant
Press Release of 19.10.2022
Approximately thirty thousand people die every day from cancer worldwide. What is known as “immunotherapy” is increasingly becoming the scientific focus in the fight against the disease. Together with her team, Dr. Larysa Baraban, physicist at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) is researching a chip that should ultimately make it possible to develop customized cancer immunotherapies. Her efforts are funded by the European Research Council (ERC) for five years through an ERC Consolidator Grant totaling nearly two million euros.
Innovative graphite recycling awarded as top European innovation
Press Release of 14.10.2022
Anna Vanderbruggen receives the EIT CHANGE Award for her revolutionary graphite extraction method which could decrease the environmental footprint of battery production
International ambassadors for worldwide collaborations of the HZDR
Press Release of 10.10.2022
Twelve foreign scientists who have completed their doctorates or conducted research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) for a period of time and are now working in Finland, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Iceland, Japan, or Mexico are visiting the HZDR this week for an international alumni week. The intensive innovation and exchange program aims to initiate collaborations with companies and scientific institutions around the world. The HZDR intends to internationalize its alumni network with the HZDR-TrAIN project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In addition, former employees from abroad who are now working all over the world are brought together in the HZDR Innovators Club as experts in knowledge and technology transfer.
Nachhaltige Magnete: PUMA hilft der Energiewende
Press Release of 05.10.2022
Leistungsstarke Magnete können zur effektiven Kühlung, Wärme- und Stromerzeugung verwendet werden. Sie tragen entscheidend zur Energiewende bei. Ein Verbund unter der Leitung der Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) erforscht daher neue magnetische Werkstoffe, die effizient und umweltverträglich sind. Partner im Projekt PUMA sind die Technische Universität Darmstadt und das Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). Das Bundesforschungsministerium fördert PUMA ab Oktober für vier Jahre mit zwei Millionen Euro.
Optimized pandemic testing strategies for retirement homes
Press Release of 04.10.2022
The Where2Test team's third web application provides retirement and nursing homes with a scientific basis for devising a testing strategy in times of pandemic. Taking various factors into account, the app suggests daily testing of individual groups of residents at set intervals of two to several days. The recommended strategy aims to detect a disease outbreak in the shortest time possible without overwhelming nursing staff with testing duties. The coronavirus pandemic has shown that day-to-day patient care can suffer as a result of demanding testing efforts. The application was developed by the Where2Test team at the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). In the process, the group drew on the expertise of care facility managers. The app, funded by the Free State of Saxony, has an online presence at www.where2test.de.
Neue Partner für exzellente Wissenschaft: HZDR begrüßt Entscheidung zu geplanten Großforschungszentren
Press Release of 29.09.2022
Das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), der Freistaat Sachsen und das Land Sachsen-Anhalt haben am heutigen Donnerstag, dem 29. September, die Gewinner im Ideenwettbewerb „Wissen schafft Perspektiven für die Region!“ verkündet. So sollen in den kommenden Jahren in der sächsischen Lausitz das Deutsche Zentrum für Astrophysik und im mitteldeutschen Revier das Center for the Transformation of Chemistry entstehen. Das Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) gratuliert den Projekten zum Erfolg und freut sich auf eine zukünftige Zusammenarbeit.
Improving energy efficiency in distillation with math
Press Release of 27.09.2022
The European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) has honored Dr. Vineet Vishwakarma with the „EFCE Excellence Award“ in the field of fluid separations. The 33-year-old researcher received the prestigious award for his outstanding PhD research conducted at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), which he defended last year at TU Dresden. Vishwakarma accepted the award on Wednesday, September 21, at the „Distillation & Absorption Symposium 2022“ in Toulouse, France. It is only granted every four years and comes with a prize money of 1,500 Euros.
Silicon nanopillars for quantum communication
Press Release of 20.09.2022
Across the world, specialists are working on implementing quantum information technologies. One important path involves light: Looking ahead, single light packages, also known as light quanta or photons, could transmit data that is both coded and effectively tap proof. To this end, new photon sources are required that emit single light quanta in a controlled fashion – and on demand. Only recently has it been discovered that silicon can host sources of single-photons with properties suitable for quantum communication. So far, however, no-one has known how to integrate the sources into modern photonic circuits. For the first time, a team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now presented an appropriate production technology using silicon nanopillars: a chemical etching method followed by ion bombardment.
Large-scale exercise successfully completed: Dresden fire brigade simulated forest fire at the Rossendorf research site
Press Release of 17.09.2022
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the state capital Dresden rehearsed a crisis situation on the campus in Rossendorf on Saturday, September 17, 2022. During the large-scale exercise, the Dresden fire brigade and the plant fire brigade of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) fought a fictitious forest fire under the special conditions of the research site.
A closer look at hidden interactions: New BMBF young investigator group sheds light on technetium
Press Release of 14.09.2022
With a half-life of about 210,000 years, the radioactive isotope technetium-99 (99Tc), which is produced in nuclear reactors by fission of the uranium isotope 235U, plays a central role in the question of safe final disposal of radioactive materials. Nevertheless, it is still largely unclear how technetium behaves in the environment after release. A new young investigator group called "TecRad" led by Dr. Natalia Mayordomo Herranz of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) now aims to close this gap with a variety of advanced methods. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with 1.87 million euros over the next five years.
Ausstellung: Wenn aus Wissenschaft Kunst wird
Press Release of 12.09.2022
Bilder des Helmholtz Imaging Wettbewerbs sind ab 12. September im Helmholtz-Institut Freiberg für Ressourcentechnologie (HIF) zu bewundern
Building scaffolds using exotic elements: Research team succeeds in creating novel metal-organic frameworks
Press Release of 09.09.2022
Discovered 25 years ago, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) quickly gained the aura of a “miracle material” due to their particular properties: their large inner surfaces and tuneable pore sizes facilitate improved applications, for example in materials separation and gas storage. While previous representatives were mainly based on transition metals like copper and zinc, a team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has explored more exotic parts of the periodic table: they investigated analogous compounds with actinides as the inorganic component. In this way, they are helping, among other things, to promote the safe disposal of radioactive materials.
HZDR und SICK: Strategische Partnerschaft bei Prozessmesstechnik und Personalthemen
Press Release of 07.09.2022
Für die Entwicklung neuer Sensoren und Anwendungen greift die SICK Engineering GmbH aus Ottendorf-Okrilla seit einiger Zeit auf die Expertise des HZDR zurück. Um diese Kooperation auszubauen und auf die Nachwuchsförderung auszuweiten, haben SICK und HZDR eine Absichtserklärung für eine langfristige enge Zusammenarbeit unterzeichnet.
Rohstoffe aus der Lampe - Leschs Kosmos: Virales Recycling von Seltenen Erden aus Leuchtstofflampen
Press Release of 05.09.2022
Es ist kein Geheimnis, dass die Rohstoff-Vorkommen auf der Erde begrenzt sind. Deshalb sind innovative Lösungen für das Recycling gefragt. Forscher*innen des Helmholtz-Instituts Freiberg für Ressourcentechnologie (HIF) am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) haben ein Verfahren entwickelt, mit dem sie Seltene Erden aus Leuchtstofflampen zurückgewinnen können. Den Schlüssel zur gezielten Rückgewinnung der Seltenen Erden liefern Bakteriophagen: Viren, die vor allem Bakterien infizieren. Durch die Kombination mit einem speziellen magnetischen Trennungsverfahren ist es den Freiberger Forscher*innen gelungen, Rohstoffe gezielt aus Stoffgemischen herauszufiltern und wiederzuverwenden. Dieses innovative Recycling interessiert auch die ZDF-Wissenschaftsreihe Leschs Kosmos, die sich dem Thema in ihrer nächsten Folge am 6. September 2022 um 22:45 Uhr widmet.
Making nanodiamonds out of bottle plastic: Research team uses laser flashes to simulate the interior of ice planets
Press Release of 02.09.2022
What goes on inside planets like Neptune and Uranus? To find out, an international team headed by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the University of Rostock and France’s École Polytechnique conducted a novel experiment. They fired a laser at a thin film of simple PET plastic and investigated what happened using intensive laser flashes. One result was that the researchers were able to confirm their earlier thesis that it really does rain diamonds inside the ice giants at the periphery of our solar system. And another was that this method could establish a new way of producing nanodiamonds, which are needed, for example, for highly-sensitive quantum sensors. The group has presented its findings in the journal Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo0617).
A recycling hub for materials research: The EU project ReMade@ARI starts on September 1st under the coordination of the HZDR
Press Release of 26.08.2022
According to the European Union's Circular Economy Action Plan, the industry can determine up to 80 percent of a product's subsequent environmental impact at the design phase. However, the linear manufacturing pattern offers few incentives to make products more sustainable. The research infrastructure project ReMade@ARI, which deals with innovative materials for key components in various areas such as electronics, packaging or textiles, wants to change this: The goal is to develop new materials with high recyclability and at the same time competitive functionalities. To this end, the institutions involved want to harness the potential of more than 50 analytical research infrastructures throughout Europe under the coordination of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR).
Fine particles back into the raw material cycle: FINEST project selected in the Helmholtz Association's sustainability challenge
Press Release of 19.07.2022
Industrial processes are inevitably associated with the generation of fine-grained residues. These rarely find re-entry into the industrial value chain. Typically, they are disposed of and represent a potential environmental risk. In the FINEST project, coordinated by the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), various fine-grained material streams of anthropogenic origin are being recorded and investigated. The investigations aim to develop novel concepts for their processing in order to keep them in the cycle and to safely dispose of remaining residual materials. Within the framework of the Sustainability Challenge of the Helmholtz Association, the consortium consisting of the HZDR, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF) and the University of Greifswald was able to prevail against numerous competitors and will receive 5 million euros in funding.
Mit Ionenstrahlen zu Hightech-Materialien: Projekt zur kontrollierten Galliumoxid-Fertigung gestartet
Press Release of 13.07.2022
Der Halbleiter Galliumoxid ist ein aussichtsreicher Kandidat für einen möglichen Einsatz in der Leistungselektronik. Eine industriell nutzbare Technologie zur kontrollierten Herstellung des Materials ist jedoch noch nicht in Sicht. Das liegt vor allem an seiner Fülle an möglichen Kristallstrukturen, die gleichzeitig nebeneinander vorkommen können und die sich in ihren für die Halbleiterindustrie relevanten Eigenschaften zum Teil deutlich voneinander unterscheiden. Diesem Problem widmet sich nun das mit 1,3 Millionen Euro geförderte Projekt GoFIB, ein Zusammenschluss von Forschenden des Helmholtz-Zentrums Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), der Universität Oslo und der Universität Helsinki.
Polish-German partnership is filled with life at conference in Wrocław
Press Release of 08.07.2022
Following the 2021 memorandum of understanding between the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Wrocław (UWr), the partnership between researchers in Saxony and Wrocław is strengthened with CASUSCON, a new conference aimed at identifying areas of future cooperation. The inaugural event takes place from July 11 to 14, 2022 in Wrocław. There, researchers from the HZDR, in particular from its Görlitz-based Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS), will meet colleagues from different research institutions in Wrocław, namely from the University of Wrocław, the Wrocław Medical University, the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, and the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften – HZDR präsentiert sich mit breitem Spektrum der Forschung
Press Release of 05.07.2022
Wenn am 8. Juli 2022, 17 Uhr, die Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften startet, werden auch rund 100 Wissenschaftler*innen des Helmholtz-Zentrums Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Einblicke in ihre Forschungsprojekte gewähren. Insgesamt hat das HZDR neun Vorträge und 19 Exponate vorbereitet. Zu finden sind die HZDR-Forschenden in der Wissenschaftsnacht im Hörsaalzentrum der TU Dresden, im Untertagelabor im Dresdner Felsenkeller, im Nationalen Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen (NCT) und im Nationalen Zentrum für Strahlenforschung in der Onkologie (OncoRay). Thematisch umfassen die einzelnen Programmpunkte beispielhaft das Leistungsspektrum des HZDR auf den Gebieten von Energie, Gesundheit und Materie.
Advocating a new paradigm for electron simulations
Press Release of 01.07.2022
Although most fundamental mathematical equations that describe electronic structures are long known, they are too complex to be solved in practice. This has hampered progress in physics, chemistry and the material sciences. Thanks to modern high-performance computing clusters and the establishment of the simulation method density functional theory (DFT), researchers were able to change this situation. However, even with these tools the modelled processes are in many cases still drastically simplified. Now, physicists at the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) and the Institute of Radiation Physics at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) succeeded in significantly improving the DFT method. This opens up new possibilities for experiments with ultra-high intensity lasers, as the group explains in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation (DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00012).
ProtOnART – a new consortium for proton online adaptive radiation therapy
Press Release of 27.06.2022
A new consortium for the advancement of Proton Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy, ProtOnART, uniquely brings together researchers, clinicians, and industry. The members of the ProtOnART consortium are OncoRay in Dresden, Germany, and PARTICLE in Leuven, Belgium, both combining academic expertise with clinical experience in proton therapy, as well as industrial partners Ion Beam Applications (IBA), proton therapy system manufacturer from Belgium, and RaySearch Laboratories, provider of oncology software solutions from Sweden.
Solidarität mit Menschen aus der Ukraine: HZDR ermöglicht vertriebener Wissenschaftlerin Neustart
Press Release of 23.06.2022
Im März musste Inna Iarmosh gemeinsam mit ihrer Tochter und ihrer Mutter ihre Heimat Kiew verlassen. Ab 1. Juli wird die junge Wissenschaftlerin nun die Arbeit an ihrer in Kiew begonnenen Promotion für ein Jahr am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) fortsetzen – unterstützt durch ein Stipendium der Volkswagenstiftung.
Schülerlabor DeltaX feiert 11-jährige Erfolgsgeschichte und vergibt erstmals HZDR-Lehrkräfte-Preis
Press Release of 13.06.2022
Gestartet ist das Schülerlabor am Helmholtz- Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) im Sommer 2011 in einem kleinen Seminarraum, über die Jahre hat es sich zum modernen Multifunktionslabor entwickelt. Inzwischen ist DeltaX überregional etabliert. Mehr als 27.000 Schüler*innen und über 1.000 Lehrkräfte haben seit der Gründung das Schülerlabor kennen und schätzen gelernt. Neben den zahlreichen Programmen vor Ort bietet DeltaX auch ein umfangreiches Programm an Online-Experimentierkursen an. Grund genug also für eine Geburtstagsfeier, bei der auch erstmals der HZDR-Lehrkräfte-Preis verliehen wurde.
Levitating rarities: Magnetic trapping of rare-earth ions may lead to a handy technology for their separation
Press Release of 03.06.2022
Some raw materials are considered critical by the European Commission. These include many representatives from the rare-earth elements group, for which supply bottlenecks are imminent and no simple substitute options in technological applications exist. With currently no economically feasible mining operations in Europe, an important source is the recycling of electronic waste that contains considerable amounts of these metals. The downside: the process of concentrating the precious material in sizable amounts depends on environmentally harmful chemicals. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) might have a solution to this problem, as they report in Journal of Physical Chemistry C: They use simple magnets to trap rare-earth ions in solution.
Improving mineral exploration efficiency in Europe
Press Release of 02.06.2022
European project VECTOR with the focus on evidence-based and accessible knowledge that integrates scientific and social pathways to improve mineral exploration and mining
Surprising turbulence: HZDR team comes across unexpected flow behavior in liquid metals
Press Release of 20.05.2022
Some metals are in liquid form, the prime example being mercury. But there are also enormous quantities of liquid metal in the Earth’s core, where temperatures are so high that part of the iron is molten and undergoes complex flows. A team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now simulated a similar process in the laboratory and made a surprising discovery: Under certain circumstances, the flow of liquid metal is far more turbulent than expected – and this has a significant impact on heat transport.
Detecting Heavy Metals in Hair Samples
Press Release of 09.05.2022
South Africa is home to the largest known gold deposit on Earth, the Witwatersrand basin near Johannesburg. When mining the desired precious metal, harmful, toxic and radioactive mining waste comes to the surface as a byproduct. An international research team, which involves scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), is helping to determine the degree of uranium contamination and identify which populations are most at risk. To do so, the Dresden researchers are analyzing individual hair samples.
Luftschadstoffe besser überwachen: HZDR-Team erreicht ersten Meilenstein für Entwicklung hochempfindlicher Nanosensoren
Press Release of 06.04.2022
Der Weltgesundheitstag 2022 "Our planet, our health" macht auf die gesundheitlichen Folgen des Klimawandels aufmerksam. Viele Effekte sind noch nicht ausreichend verstanden. Das EU-geförderte RADICAL-Projekt könnte ein wichtiges Puzzleteil liefern. Innovative Sensorik soll die Messmöglichkeiten freier Radikale in der Atmosphäre revolutionieren. Am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) gelang einem Forschungsteam nun der erste grundlegende Schritt: die Fertigung maßgeschneiderter Nanodraht-Chips mit besonderen Sensoreigenschaften.
Bio4Rec und SUMI: Förderung von Projekten aus der Ressourcentechnologie und Strahlenphysik bewilligt
Press Release of 31.03.2022
Forschende des Helmholtz-Zentrums Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) haben Förderbescheide für zwei neue Forschungsvorhaben erhalten. Dabei geht es zum einen um das Recycling von Metallen mittels Biomolekülen und zum anderen um die Erforschung ultraschneller physikalischer Prozesse unter extremen Bedingungen mit Hilfe eines supraleitenden Magneten. Die Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB) hat zur Förderung der Projekte eine Zuwendung in Höhe von 375.000 Euro bewilligt.
Energie-Schluckspecht Klärwerk - Optimale Sauerstoffnutzung für sauberes Wasser
Press Release of 21.03.2022
Zum diesjährigen Weltwassertag am 22. März richten die Vereinten Nationen ihren Fokus insbesondere auf sauberes Leitungswasser. Beiträge dazu leistet das CLEWATEC-Labor (Clean Water Technology Lab) am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), das gemeinsam mit dem Industriepartner Air Liquide den Sauerstoff-Verbrauch von Klärschlamm-Becken optimiert. Dadurch können die Betreiber von Klärwerken, also Städte, Gemeinden und die Industrie, eine Menge Energie einsparen auf dem Weg zu sauberem Wasser.
Auf gutem Weg bei der Verwertung von Bergbaualtlasten: recomine erhält weitere Fördermillionen für Sanierungstechnologien
Press Release of 17.03.2022
Das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) untersützt das 2019 gegründete Bündnis recomine mit weiteren sechs Millionen Euro aus dem Förderprogramm „WIR! – Wandel durch Innovationen in der Region“. Die positive Begutachtung der recomine-Aktivitäten der letzten drei Jahre gaben dafür den Ausschlag. Somit stehen dem Bündnis für die Umsetzungsphase bis 2025 insgesamt 12,7 Millionen Euro zur Verfügung. recomine will Methoden etablieren, mit denen sich Halden und metallreiche Wässer aus dem Bergbau nicht nur nachhaltig sanieren, sondern die darin verbliebenen Wertstoffe auch wirtschaftlich verwerten lassen. Koordiniert wird das Vorhaben durch das Helmholtz-Institut Freiberg für Ressourcentechnologie (HIF), das zum Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) gehört.
Laser flashes for cancer research - Research team achieves milestone in proton irradiation
Press Release of 15.03.2022
Irradiation with fast protons is a more effective and less invasive cancer treatment than X-rays. However, modern proton therapy requires large particle accelerators, which has experts investigating alternative accelerator concepts, such as laser systems to accelerate protons. Such systems are deployed in preclinical studies to pave the way for optimal radiation therapy. A research team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has now successfully tested irradiation with laser protons on animals for the first time, as the group reports in the journal Nature Physics (DOI: 10.1038/s41567-022-01520-3).
Breite Anerkennung für Online-Angebote: Mehrere Preise und Förderungen für Schülerlabor DeltaX
Press Release of 14.03.2022
Das Team um Dr. Matthias Streller hatte schnell verstanden, dass Corona nicht das „Aus“ für die Schülerlabor-Angebote sein muss. Frühzeitig hat das Team neue Formate entwickelt, die bei verschiedenen Jurys auf Anerkennung stoßen.
On the Hunt for Ultra-Thin Materials Using Data Mining
Press Release of 11.03.2022
A German-American research team, led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has succeeded in predicting 28 representatives of a novel class of 2D materials using data-driven methods.
Using pulsed magnetic fields to fight neurodegenerative diseases
Press Release of 08.03.2022
In motor neuron diseases of the nervous system, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commands can no longer be sent to the muscles. This gradually leads to paralysis. Physicist Dr. Thomas Herrmannsdörfer from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and physician Prof. Richard Funk from the TU Dresden formulated the idea to selectively revive the motor neurons using magnetic fields. Initial laboratory research results have proven them right and are encouraging them to further pursue their project and plan a prototype therapy facility.
Pufferspeicher für „grüne“ Energie - Einfacher Aufbau macht Alkalimetall-Iod-Batterie wettbewerbsfähig
Press Release of 03.03.2022
Ein unscheinbarer Stahlzylinder – rund sieben Zentimeter im Durchmesser und zehn Zentimeter hoch – könnte der Energiewende einen dringend benötigten Schub verleihen. Denn die Flüssigmetall-Batterie, die Dr. Juhan Lee und sein Team am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) entwickelt haben, glänzt vor allem durch ihren einfachen und kostengünstigen Aufbau. Die Jury des HZDR-Innovationswettbewerbs zeigte sich zudem beeindruckt, dass sich die Batterie am Ende ihrer Lebenszeit gut recyceln lässt. Die Preisverleihung findet am 8. März statt.
Producing medical isotopes at extreme energy density
Press Release of 22.02.2022
Molybdenum (Mo-99) plays a seminal role in the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. After a few hours, the radioisotope decays to produce Technetium-99m, which is used in the imaging procedures needed to examine millions of people around the world every year. The current fission-based process has many challenges like the aging reactors and the environmental impact of the process. That is why researchers are searching for alternative methods of production. At the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the European SMART collaboration has now successfully tested the production of Mo-99 with the help of the superconducting linear accelerator ELBE.
Speeding through nanowire: Nanowires under tension create the basis for ultrafast transistors
Press Release of 07.02.2022
Smaller chips, faster computers, less energy consumption. Novel concepts based on semiconductor nanowires are expected to make transistors in microelectronic circuits better and more efficient. Electron mobility plays a key role in this: The faster electrons can accelerate in these tiny wires, the faster a transistor can switch and the less energy it requires. A team of researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the TU Dresden and NaMLab has now succeeded in experimentally demonstrating that electron mobility in nanowires is remarkably enhanced when the shell places the wire core under tensile strain. This phenomenon offers novel opportunities for the development of ultrafast transistors.
Sächsische Transfer Roadshow am HZDR: Sachsen auf dem Weg zum internationalen Standort für Lebenswissenschaften
Press Release of 24.01.2022
Wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse und ihr Transfer müssen Hand in Hand gehen. Dies ist Grundlage, um die aktuellen und künftigen Herausforderungen unserer Welt zu lösen und dient zugleich der Erschließung innovativer Märkte für den sächsischen Mittelstand.
Artificial lightning to prompt nuclear fusion: Fusion processes can be triggered by pulsed electric fields
Press Release of 06.01.2022
Pulsed electric fields, such as the ones caused by lightning strikes, manifest themselves as voltage spikes, posing a destructive threat to electronic components and causing considerable damage. Scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have now discovered that such voltage spikes can also have useful properties. In the journal Physical Review Research (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.033153), they report how nuclear fusion processes, for instance, can be significantly reinforced by extremely strong and fast-pulsed electric fields.
Bringing the Sun into the lab: Liquid-metal experiment provides insight into the heating mechanism of the Sun's corona
Press Release of 03.01.2022
Why the Sun's corona reaches temperatures of several million degrees Celsius is one of the great mysteries of solar physics. A "hot" trail to explain this effect leads to a region of the solar atmosphere just below the corona, where sound waves and certain plasma waves travel at the same speed. In an experiment using the molten alkali metal rubidium and pulsed high magnetic fields, a team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has developed a laboratory model and for the first time experimentally confirmed the theoretically predicted behavior of these plasma waves – so-called Alfvén waves – as the researchers report in the journal Physical Review Letters (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.275001).
