Helmholtz Virtual Institute International Conference "Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes" 2016
We invite you to join the International Conference "Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes" which will take place in the heart of Berlin at the Magnus-Haus of the German Physical Society from September, 12th -16th, 2016. Now, the Online registration is open.
The conference is conducted by the Helmholtz Virtual Institute "Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes" where transient states of matter are captured in snapshots and electronic and structural dynamics are followed with Synchrotron and Free Electron Laser radiation.
At the conference we cross the boundaries of physics, chemistry and materials science and focus on unifying aspects of materials function. Since we also leave the regime of single photon interactions fundamental aspects of X-ray matter interaction are touched.
Online registration is open. Please submit abstracts of your oral or poster contributions. Out of these we will choose hot topic talks. Please take advantage of our limited accommodation contingency in Berlin and the participation at social events included in the conference fee.
For additional information and updates, please checkthe conference web portal. Other inquiries can be directed to the Conference Secretariat.
We’re looking forward to meeting you in Berlin.
- 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.
- Energy of charge carrier pairs in cuprate compoundsHigh-temperature superconductivity is still not fully understood. Now, an international research team at BESSY II has measured the energy of charge carrier pairs in undoped La₂CuO₄. Their findings revealed that the interaction energies within the potentially superconducting copper oxide layers are significantly lower than those in the insulating lanthanum oxide layers. These results contribute to a better understanding of high-temperature superconductivity and could also be relevant for research into other functional materials.
- Electrocatalysis with dual functionality – an overviewHybrid electrocatalysts can produce green hydrogen, for example, and valuable organic compounds simultaneously. This promises economically viable applications. However, the complex catalytic reactions involved in producing organic compounds are not yet fully understood. Modern X-ray methods at synchrotron sources such as BESSY II, enable catalyst materials and the reactions occurring on their surfaces to be analysed in real time, in situ and under real operating conditions. This provides insights that can be used for targeted optimisation. A team has now published an overview of the current state of knowledge in Nature Reviews Chemistry.