More than 300 Scientists at SRF 2009 in Berlin
International Conference on RF-Superconductivity and Accelerator Physics was a great success!
International Conference on RF-Superconductivity and Accelerator Physics was a great success! The HZB hosted an important international conference, SRF 2009 (International Conference of Radiofrequency Superconductivity) from September 20 to 25. Professor Dr. Anke Rita Kaysser-Pyzalla welcomed the interested scientists in her opening speech at dbb Forum in Berlin. The number of attendants exceeded all expectations. More than 300 scientists took advantage of this opportunity to discuss the latest results in SRF research and technology development.
RF superconductivity has evolved over the last decades into the enabling technology for many accelerators for particle physics, nuclear physics and, increasingly, light sources. The European Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) in Hamburg and the recently commissioned Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge, USA are exciting examples of the varied applications of SRF.
The SRF 2009 was organised by HZB in cooperation with the Forschungszentrum Dresden - Rossendorf. In Rossendorf, 13 tutorial sessions were held from 17th to 19th of September. Notable professionals passed on their extensive knowledge and experience in the field of SRF to about 90 participating scientists.
Please click here for more information on the SRF 2009: http://srf2009.helmholtz-berlin.de
- Mesoporous silicon: Semiconductor with new talentsSilicon is the best-known semiconductor material. However, controlled nanostructuring drastically alters the material's properties. Using a specially developed etching apparatus, a team at HZB has now produced mesoporous silicon layers with countless tiny pores and investigated their electrical and thermal conductivity. For the first time, the researchers elucidated the electronic transport mechanism in this mesoporous silicon. The material has great potential for applications and could also be used to thermally insulate qubits for quantum computers.
- Innovative battery electrode made from tin foamMetal-based electrodes in lithium-ion batteries promise significantly higher capacities than conventional graphite electrodes. Unfortunately, they degrade due to mechanical stress during charging and discharging cycles. A team at HZB has now shown that a highly porous tin foam is much better at absorbing mechanical stress during charging cycles. This makes tin foam an interesting material for lithium batteries.
- BESSY II: Building block of the catalyst for oxygen formation in photosynthesis reproducedIn a small manganese oxide cluster, teams from HZB and HU Berlin have discovered a particularly exciting compound: two high spin manganese centres in two very different oxidation states and. This complex is the simplest model of a catalyst that occurs as a slightly larger cluster in natural photosynthesis, where it enables the formation of molecular oxygen. The discovery is considered an important step towards a complete understanding of photosynthesis.