Giant planets like Uranus and Neptune may contain much less free hydrogen than previously assumed. Researchers from the German Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) drove shock waves through two types of plastic to reach the same temperatures and pressures present inside such planets, and observed the behavior using ultra-strong X-ray laser pulses. Unexpectedly, one of these plastics…
Graphene Enables Clock Rates in the Terahertz Range
Graphene—an ultrathin material consisting of a single layer of interlinked carbon atoms—is considered a promising candidate for the nanoelectronics of the future. In theory, it should allow clock rates up to a thousand times faster than today’s silicon-based electronics. Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), in cooperation with…
Remote Sensing is Becoming Increasingly Important in Biodiversity Research
To measure biodiversity, researchers have been using various methods of remote sensing for about 30 years in addition to traditional field studies. Under the auspices of UFZ scientists, an international team of researchers present current opportunities, developments and prospects of remote sensing in the journal Ecological Indicators and highlight its enormous potential in assisting future…
Nano Material of a New Class
Classical materials such as ceramics, metals and polymers have their typical mechanical properties. They are hard, soft, strong, flexible or stiff. Hamburg research scientists have now synthesized a material that unites several different properties, and could thereby open the way to new applications in medical engineering and manufacturing. The scientists from the Hamburg University of…
Doped Organic Semiconductors Explored
Current semiconductor technology is based on silicon, an inorganic semiconductor material in which impurity atoms are introduced or doped for use in electronic components to increase conductivity and tailor the electronic structure. However, organic solid-state materials made of conjugated molecules or polymers can also exhibit promising semiconducting properties that make their application feasible for organic…
Protection for Humans on Mars
On Earth the atmosphere and the magnetic field weaken cosmic rays. But on Moon and Mars they pelt down unhamperdly. The cosmic radiation can harm astronauts and could cause cancer in the long run as a result of damage in DNA and cells. Chiara La Tessa is manager of experiments in GSI biophysics. She explains…