Latest news with #Helmholtz-ZentrumDresden-Rossendorf
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists make mind-blowing discovery after studying material that only exists exists for billionths of a second: 'Previously unimaginable'
Scientists have made liquid carbon in a lab for the first time, Interesting Engineering reported. Liquid carbon was thought to be impossible to study under normal conditions. The material only exists for billionths of a second under extreme pressure and temperatures of about 4,500 degrees Celsius, making this record-breaking technology limitless in its potential. Nuclear fusion, combining light atomic nuclei to release massive amounts of clean energy, has long been considered the holy grail of power generation. Fusion could change society by providing unlimited electricity without radioactive waste, helping cities, individuals, and companies save money compared to resource-intensive traditional energy methods. But fusion reactors require materials that can withstand high temperatures and radiation. That's where liquid carbon comes in. Thanks to its record-breaking melting point, liquid carbon could be both a coolant and a neutron moderator in future fusion plants. The research team from the University of Rostock and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf used the United Kingdom's DiPOLE 100-X laser system to create these extreme conditions. They fired high-powered laser beams at solid carbon samples, turning them into liquid for just fractions of a second while X-ray beams captured the atomic structure. "The [Science and Technology Facilities Council's] laser system has opened new research possibilities that were previously unimaginable," the researchers noted in their published findings. "This is the first time we have ever been able to observe the structure of liquid carbon experimentally," said professor Dominik Kraus, head of the Carbon Working Group at the University of Rostock. "We are looking at a complex form of liquid, comparable to water, that has very special structural properties." The team found that liquid carbon has four nearest neighbors around each atom, similar to a diamond's structure, which gives it strength and stability. This technological innovation will impact energy generation by creating more efficient, durable fusion reactors that could slash energy bills and improve resource efficiency for everyone. Diversifying clean energy sources reduces harmful air pollution that causes respiratory problems and heart disease in millions of people worldwide. The best way to take advantage of clean energy innovations right now is to install solar panels, bringing your home energy costs down to or near $0. EnergySage provides a free service that makes comparing quotes from vetted local installers easy and can save you up to $10,000 on a solar installation. While this discovery is a step forward, fusion power plants are still years away from powering your home. Other fusion projects are targeting the 2030s for commercial power, bringing us closer to unlimited clean energy. Do you think the U.S. should tax goods from China? Definitely No way Only certain goods I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
SASTRA conducts Indo-German workshop
Trichy: A three-day Indo-German workshop on ' Quantum Technologies – Computing, Connectivity and Security' (QTCCS) was held at SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, in collaboration with Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), event was funded by the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC), a joint initiative of India's Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).Saquib Shaikh, scientific officer at IGSTC, inaugurated the workshop, while Kamal K Agarwal, deputy director-general for quantum technology at the Telecommunication Engineering Centre, delivered the keynote part of the event, a quantum-based OTP generator named SAKURA-Q—developed by Dr Padmapriya, associate professor at SASTRA and CEO of MSME startup ROBOT RACE—was workshop featured 15 speakers from leading institutions and industries across India and Germany. Discussions focused on transitioning from classical to quantum systems in computing, connectivity, and security. Topics included the feasibility of using nanomaterials to realise qubits, quantum algorithms, and the development of real-time devices and machine learning 2025 will continue to explore advances in quantum computing , communication technologies, and the convergence of classical and quantum systems.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Leading lights of quantum science attend workshop at SASTRA
A three-day Indo-German workshop - 'Quantum Technologies – Computing, Connectivity and Security (QTCCS)' was held at SASTRA, Deemed to be a University, at Thanjavur. The workshop held in collaboration with German counterpart Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany, brought together leading minds from India and Germany in the field of quantum science and technology and served as a dynamic platform to foster international collaboration in this fast-evolving domain, according to a university release. The workshop was funded by the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC), a joint initiative by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The event was inaugurated by Saquib Shaikh, scientific officer, IGSTC, followed with the keynote address by Kamal K. Agarwal, Deputy Director General, Quantum Technology, Telecommunication Engineering Centre, India, the release added. After the inauguration, a product that provided access to quantum based OTP generator, named as SAKURA-Q, designed by Padmapriya (Indian Co-ordinator), Associate Professor, SASTRA University and also, CEO, ROBOT RACE, MSME company, was launched. The workshop members included 15 eminent speakers from various institutes and industry from Germany and India. The main focus of this conclave was to discuss the efficient transformation of computing, connectivity and security from classical to quantum regime. The discussion included the possibility of nanomaterials feasiblility to realize qubits and algorithm that guides, along with the possibilities to develop devices for real-time applications and extension of this application in machine learning, the release added. The event concluded with reflections on the need to strengthen Indo-German collaboration, aiming to build enduring partnerships across academia and industry. QTCCS' 2025 not only enriched scholarly discourse but also laid the groundwork for future research alliances, underscoring SASTRA's commitment to global scientific excellence and innovation. In addition, QTCCS' 2025 also focused on current advancements in quantum computing, communication systems, and the convergence of classical and quantum technologies, encouraging meaningful dialogue and exchange between academic and industry experts, the release added.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mysterious Radioactive Anomaly Discovered Deep Under The Pacific Ocean
A strange radioactive 'blip' has been detected deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. Analyzing several thin layers of seafloor crust, scientists in Germany have identified a sudden surge in the radioactive isotope Beryllium-10 sometime between 9–12 million years ago. The beryllium-10 blip was detected in the seabeds of the Central and the Northern Pacific, but the authors behind the study, led by physicist Dominik Koll of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf research institute, say the anomaly could be present throughout the Pacific, maybe even the world. It's unknown where the sudden surge came from, but researchers have a few ideas. Beryllium-10 is a radioactive isotope that is continuously produced by cosmic rays interacting with Earth's atmosphere. When it rains from the atmosphere and settles in the ocean, the isotope becomes incorporated into the extremely slow growth of some deep metal-rich crusts. Maybe, more than 9 million years ago, there was "a grand reorganization" of the ocean currents that meant beryllium-10 was deposited more in the Pacific, suggest Koll and colleagues. Or maybe this was a worldwide phenomenon. The cosmic fallout of a near-Earth supernova, or our Solar System's passage through a cold, interstellar cloud, could both result in more cosmic ray activity, the authors also hypothesize, leading to a surge in beryllium-10 deposits in the ocean. Ferromanganese crusts that incorporate beryllium-10 exist in every ocean on Earth, and they can capture a million years of ocean chemistry in just a few millimeters. Researchers can use the slow rate at which beryllium-10 radioactively decays into a form of boron as a measure of time, comparing the ratio of the two chemicals to determine the age of minerals in Earth's crust. These thin, ancient crusts are near-continuous geological timelines of our planet's last 75 million years or so, but they are also very tricky to date with certainty. Carbon dating only goes back to about 50,000 years, and measures based on the decay of uranium isotopes aren't useful indicators, either. Beryllium-10 is the key to unlocking at least 10 million years of this crusty capsule. The half-life of beryllium-10 is about 1.4 million years, which means it is typically used to date up to 20 millimeters of ferromanganese crust. Most ferromanganese crusts are between 1 and 26 centimeters thick. What Koll and his team found in the Pacific, however, was a surprise. "At around 10 million years, we found almost twice as much 10Be as we had anticipated," explains Koll. "We had stumbled upon a previously undiscovered anomaly." Like a bookmark in a tome, the team says this "anomaly has the potential to be an independent time marker for marine archives". The team checked their work across several areas of the Pacific Ocean. One 50-millimeter slice of ferromanganese crust could be dated back more than 18 million years. The growth rate of the ferromanganese crust in the Pacific was determined to be 1.52 mm per million years, which means the depth of the anomaly dates back to between 10.5 and 11.8 million years ago. Wherever the beryllium-10 anomaly occurs in these samples essentially translates to that age. "The origin of this anomaly is yet unknown," the authors write, but because our own Sun's activity probably wasn't strong enough to create such a long-lasting beryllium surge, the team suspects Earth's protection against interstellar cosmic rays may have changed roughly 10 million years ago. Either that, or a really close supernova showered our planet with more radioactivity material than usual. "Only new measurements can indicate whether the beryllium anomaly was caused by changes in ocean currents or has astrophysical reasons," says Koll. "That is why we plan to analyze more samples in the future and hope that other research groups will do the same." Only time will tell if the beryllium blip is a regional or global phenomenon. The study was published in Nature Communications. Sea Turtles Dance to Orientate With Earth's Magnetic Field, Study Reveals Yellowstone's Super-Hot Water May Hold The Secrets of Earth's First Breath Mantis Shrimp Reveals The Secret to Surviving Its Deadly Shockwaves
