Three-day exchange at User Meeting
From December 12 to 14, more than 400 users of HZB's BER II and BESSY II large-scale equipment met up to discuss the current state of technology and exchange their views on pressing scientific issues. Two of the highlights were Science Day on December 13 and Neutron Day on December 14, both held at the Bunsensaal in Berlin-Adlershof. Both days, the focus was on instrumentation. Participants were able to learn about new technologies and advances in large-scale equipment instrumentation. Science Day featured the many scientific achievements that have been made thanks to BESSY II and BER II.
Holger Dau of the Free University Berlin delivered the keynote lecture titled "X-ray spectroscopy in solar-fuels research - from biology to inorganic catalysts." EMPA Zurich's Andreas Züttel gave the public lecture titled "What we learn from history to master the future energy challenge." The two lectures impressively highlighted the tremendous potential of large-scale equipment in energy research.
Science Day awards
On December 13, two awards were given out by the Helmholtz Centre Berlin Circle of Friends. Recipients of this year's 4000 Euro Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Award included DESY's and European X-FEL's Gianluca Geloni, Vitali Kocharyan, and Evgeni Saldin as well as Paul Emma of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The four physicists were being recognized for their development of a "self-seeding" protocol that significantly improves free-electron laser technology.
The Ernst-Eckhard-Koch Award for excellence in doctoral-level research in the amount of 2500 Euros went to up-and-coming physicist Dr. Daniil Evtushinsky of the Leibniz Institute for Solid Body and Materials Research in recognition of his work on band-structured and fermi areas of a new class of two-dimensional, high-temperature superconductors.
The HZB User Committee's Best Poster Award went to Christian Caspers of the Jülich Research Centre for the skillful presentation of his work on "Magnetic Oxides EuO Thin Films on Surface Passivated Silicon for Silicon Spintronics."
240 posters, 51 vendors
During the poster session in BESSY experimental hall, a total of 240 posters documented the work done by both HZB and external researchers using the HZB research facilities, with topics ranging from the life sciences and basic physics research to applied research on industrial materials. In addition, five satellite symposia sought to answer pertinent questions on neutron spectroscopy, crystallography, and related topics.
As in previous years, the user meeting featured a well-attended industry exhibit with 51 vendors of synchrotron spectroscopy and neutron diffraction experimental equipment showcasing a broad range of state-of-the-art products. Thanks to the vendors' generous financial support, the lavish "Berlin Buffet" on Thursday night, which offered yet another chance for conversation and networking, attracted many visitors. The organizers would like to thank Adlerhof con.vent, WISTA Management GmbH's event planners, for organizing the industry exhibit.
- Peat as a sustainable precursor for fuel cell catalyst materialsIron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts have the potential to replace the more expensive platinum catalysts currently used in fuel cells. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and universities in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia. At BESSY II, the team observed the formation of complex microstructures within various samples. They then analysed which structural parameters were particularly important for fostering the preferred electrochemical reactions. The raw material for such catalysts is well decomposed peat.
- Helmholtz Investigator Group on magnonsDr Hebatalla Elnaggar is setting up a new Helmholtz Investigator Group at HZB. At BESSY II, the materials scientist will investigate so-called magnons in magnetic perovskite thin films. The aim is to lay the foundations for future terahertz magnon technology: magnonic devices operating in the terahertz range could process data using a fraction of the energy required by the most advanced semiconductor devices, and at speeds up to a thousand times faster.
- The future of corals – what X-rays can tell usThis summer, it was all over the media. Driven by the climate crisis, the oceans have now also passed a critical point, the absorption of CO2 is making the oceans increasingly acidic. The shells of certain sea snails are already showing the first signs of damage. But also the skeleton structures of coral reefs are deteriorating in more acidic conditions. This is especially concerning given that corals are already suffering from marine heatwaves and pollution, which are leading to bleaching and finally to the death of entire reefs worldwide. But how exactly does ocean acidification affect reef structures?
Prof. Dr. Tali Mass, a marine biologist from the University of Haifa, Israel, is an expert on stony corals. Together with Prof. Dr. Paul Zaslansky, X-ray imaging expert from Charité Berlin, she investigated at BESSY II the skeleton formation in baby corals, raised under different pH conditions. Antonia Rötger spoke online with the two experts about the results of their recent study and the future of coral reefs.