Delegation from Jordan visited the HZB
From left to right: Prof. Dr. Jan Lüning (HZB, design. GF), Dr. Roland Steitz (HZB), H.E. Dr. Khaled TOUKAN (Chairman of Jordan Atomic Energy Commission), Dr. Antje Vollmer (HZB), Mr Akram Hayjeneh (Jordan Embassy in Berlin), Dr. Samer Kahook (Manager of JRTR Jordan Atomic Energy Commission). © HZB/ K. Fuchs
The delegation visits the neutron hall in Berlin-Wannsee.
Dr. Khaled Toukan and Prof. Jan Lüning © HZB
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will intensify its cooperation with Jordanian large-scale research facilities. This was agreed between Prof. Dr. Jan Lüning and representatives of a high-ranking Jordanian research delegation, which visited the HZB at the end of November 2018.
On 27 November 2018, H.E. Dr. Khaled Toukan, Chairman of the Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission and Director of the synchrotron radiation source SESAME, and Dr. Samer Kahook, Manager of the Jordanian Research and Training Reactor JRTR, visited the HZB. They were accompanied by Akram Hayajneh, 2nd Secretary of the Jordanian Embassy in Berlin.
The delegation was informed about the science, the user service and the operation of the neutron source BER II at the Lise-Meitner-Campus. Afterwards, the designated scientific director of the HZB, Prof. Dr. Jan Lüning, led them through the BESSY II experimental hall in Adlershof. In discussions, the delegation talked with representatives from the HZB about the perspectives of Jordan's large-scale research facilities. Another topic was possible support for the Jordanian research reactor against the background of the final shutdown of the BER II at the end of 2019.
HZB has been engaged in SESAME for many years
In addition, the long-standing cooperation between SESAME and HZB was to be further expanded, said the delegates. The synchrotron radiation source SESAME works with the electron accelerator of BESSY I. After decommissioning of that facility, the components were transferred to Jordan in 2002 and successfully installed in SESAME with the help of experts from Germany and other European countries. These components still run very reliably today, emphasized SESAME Director Dr. Khaled Toukan.
Training opportunities for Jordanian scientists
During the meeting, both sides agreed that there would be further training opportunities for Jordanian scientists at BESSY II.
The HZB is also involved in setting up a new beamline for soft X-ray light at SESAME. As reported, the Helmholtz Association will provide 3.5 million euros for this project. The HZB will build an APPLE II undulator for the new SESAME beamline, train the Jordanian team and support them with remote maintenance.
- 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.
- BESSY II: Phosphorus chains – a 1D material with 1D electronic propertiesFor the first time, a team at BESSY II has succeeded in demonstrating the one-dimensional electronic properties in phosphorus. The samples consisted of short chains of phosphorus atoms that self-organise at specific angles on a silver substrate. Through sophisticated analysis, the team was able to disentangle the contributions of these differently aligned chains. This revealed that the electronic properties of each chain are indeed one-dimensional. Calculations predict an exciting phase transition to be expected as soon as these chains are more closely packed. While material consisting of individual chains with longer distances is semiconducting, a very dense chain structure would be metallic.
- Did marine life in the palaeocene use a compass?Some ancient marine organisms produced mysterious magnetic particles of unusually large size, which can now be found as fossils in marine sediments. An international team has succeeded in mapping the magnetic domains on one of such ‘giant magnetofossils’ using a sophisticated method at the Diamond X-ray source. Their analysis shows that these particles could have allowed these organisms to sense tiny variations in both the direction and intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field, enabling them to geolocate themselves and navigate across the ocean. The method offers a powerful tool for magnetically testing whether putative biological iron oxide particles in Mars samples have a biogenic origin.