Physics

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2011

2011-10-05T00:51:00.001+03:30

Saul Perlmutter

Brian P. Schmidt

Adam G. Riess

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 was awarded "for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae" with one half to Saul Perlmutter and the other half jointly to Brian P. Schmidt and Adam G. Riess.

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2011/

Growth of platinum ultrathin films on Al2O3(0001)

2011-09-06T18:47:00.002+04:30

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039602811002895

The early stages of Pt growth on Al₂O₃(0001) are investigated by means of electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. We deposit Pt ultrathin films of thicknesses ranging from 0.5 nm to 10 nm using DC sputtering deposition at 650 °C and 750 °C. We demonstrate that the growth is of Volmer-Weber type and show that epitaxy of islands could be reached at elevated temperature. The island morphology is governed by surface energy minimization, leading to well defined islands whose size depends on the nominal thickness. At 750 °C, the appearance of two island populations reveals that although the two studied growth temperatures are quite close, the growth kinetic is static at 650 °C and dynamic at 750 °C. Due to the lattice misfit between Pt and Al₂O₃, X-ray and electron diffractions reveal that the islands undergo an in-plane compression accompanied with an out-of-plane tension and such strains relax with thickness to reach the bulk lattice parameter above 10 nm when the Pt film becomes continuous. Electron microscopy in high resolution mode allows measuring the strain in isolated islands and corroborates X-ray diffraction measurements.

One-loop omega-potential of quantum fields with ellipsoid constant-energy surface dispersion law

2011-09-06T18:44:00.000+04:30

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003491611001138
Rapidly convergent expansions of a one-loop contribution to the partition function of quantum fields with ellipsoid constant-energy surface dispersion law are derived. The omega-potential is naturally decomposed into three parts: the quasiclassical contribution, the contribution from the branch cut of the dispersion law, and the oscillating part. The low- and high-temperature expansions of the quasiclassical part are obtained. An explicit expression and a relation of the contribution from the cut with the Casimir term and vacuum energy are established. The oscillating part is represented in the form of the Chowla–Selberg expansion of the Epstein zeta function. Various resummations of this expansion are considered. The general procedure developed is then applied to two models: massless particles in a box both at zero and nonzero chemical potential, and electrons in a thin metal film. Rapidly convergent expansions of the partition function and average particle number are obtained for these models. In particular, the oscillations of the chemical potential of conduction electrons in graphene and a thin metal film due to a variation of size of the crystal are described.

Fig. 3. On the top panel: I. The chemical potential of electrons in the thin metal film at the effective electron mass m_*=m, the temperature

, and the average particle number N=1.6×10¹⁶ what corresponds to the undeformed metal film with the area

, the width L_x=1 nm, and the chemical potential

. The small plots depict the total chemical potential at

(II) and

(III). The small plot (IV) depicts the quasiclassical part

of the chemical potential at

. On the bottom panel: (I) The quasiclassical contribution to the average number of conduction electrons at

and

. The total number of conduction electrons in the thin metal film with the area

at the fixed chemical potential

, and the temperatures

(II),

(III),

(IV), and

physicstoday.blogsky.com

2011-09-06T18:02:00.001+04:30

My New Blog:

http://physicstoday.blogsky.com

Auger effect boosts doped devices

2011-08-05T23:09:00.003+04:30

New experiments by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, have looked at the roles of dopants in the photoluminescence of electrically active quantum dot films for the first time and have revealed remarkably large effects never previously observed. Daniel Gamelin and colleagues have found that an "Auger process" involving Mn²⁺ dopants in the quantum dots is much more effective than that in undoped dots – a result that bodes wells for various device technologies, such as field-effect transistors or solar cells.

Auger processes generally begin with the removal of an inner shell atomic electron to form a vacancy. There are many ways to produce this vacancy, with the most common being bombardment with an electron beam. The inner shell vacancy is then filled by a second atomic electron from a higher shell and energy is released at the same time in this step. Finally, a third electron, known as an Auger electron, escapes, so carrying off the excess energy in a "radiationless" process.

The Auger processes studied in Gamelin and colleagues' work are similar, radiationless de-excitation processes in which an excited state is quenched by transferring its energy to an electron. In previous studies on quantum dots, Auger processes have involved excitons (electron-hole pairs) coupling with other excitons, or excitons coupling with electrons.

"In our study, the process involves a Mn²⁺ excited state coupling with an electron," explained Gamelin. "The energy of the Mn²⁺ excited state is rapidly transferred to an electron at the bottom of the quantum dot conduction band, promoting that electron to a much higher 'hot electron' level, which can then cool back to the bottom of the conduction band by giving off heat."

A million times longer
The researchers found that the Auger process involving Mn²⁺dopants in quantum dots are much more effective than those of their undoped counterparts. This difference arises because the excited state lifetime of Mn²⁺ is about a million times longer than that of the undoped quantum dot. This gives electrons more time to diffuse around in the doped nanocrystal film and find the excited nanocrystal before the Mn²⁺ decays

This Auger process is in fact the microscopic reverse of the so-called impact excitation that forms the basis of many electroluminescent devices. These devices generally run at the highest possible current densities to be as bright as possible but their performance is ultimately believed to be limited by Auger processes like the one that Gamelin's team has observed. "By studying these Auger processes, we hope to learn more about how they may impact electroluminescence device performance, and about how to exploit them for other device applications where they may actually be beneficial."

For their measurements, the researchers began by depositing a film of Mn²⁺-doped CdS quantum dots on top of a transparent conductive oxide. They then used this as the working electrode in an electrochemical cell. When they subsequently applied a potential to the cell, electrons were transferred into the quantum dots.

"We measured the absorption and photoluminescence of the quantum dots as we performed the electrochemical experiments – something that allowed us to determine how the added electrons changed the absorption and photoluminescence properties of the quantum dots," Gamelin toldnanotechweb.org.

Fundamentally important
The work could be fundamentally important for interpreting various photoluminescence and electroluminescence results obtained for doped semiconductor nanocrystals. "Generally, scientists collect data and then try to interpret the data based on models they build to account for all known processes," said Gamelin. "By demonstrating that this Auger process can be extremely effective in doped nanocrystals, we believe that we are alerting the research community to the fact that they must now include the possibility of this process when analysing their data."

For example, a review of the literature has already helped the team identify several examples where this Auger process may provide a more plausible explanation for the results observed over the conclusions published.

For the practical side of things, analysing this Auger process could help researchers understand fundamental performance limits of doped quantum dot electroluminescence devices.

The team is now performing similar measurements to probe electron mobilities in quantum dot films at low carrier densities (where traditional measurements are limited). For example, quantum-dot Schottky junction solar cells are an important class of device where such information would be very welcome. "We are also currently working on exploiting the Auger effect to quench Mn²⁺ photoluminescence at specific times after a laser excitation pulse, which would allow the Mn²⁺ luminescence to be modulated on timescales faster than its intrinsic lifetime of around 2 ms," revealed Gamelin. "We would also like to capture the hot electrons produced by the Auger process."

These future experiments will teach the researchers something new about Auger processes in general, and about Auger processes in quantum dots in particular. "They will certainly advance our ability to harness the physical properties of doped semiconductor nanocrystals in future device technologies."

The work was detailed in ACS Nano.
http://nanotechweb.org/

Ultimate Energy Efficiency: Magnetic Microprocessors Could Use Million Times Less Energy Than Today's Silicon Chips

2011-08-05T23:06:00.000+04:30

Future computers may rely on magnetic microprocessors that consume the least amount of energy allowed by the laws of physics, according to an analysis by University of California, Berkeley, electrical engineers.

Today's silicon-based microprocessor chips rely on electric currents, or moving electrons, that generate a lot of waste heat. But microprocessors employing nanometer-sized bar magnets -- like tiny refrigerator magnets -- for memory, logic and switching operations theoretically would require no moving electrons.

Such chips would dissipate only 18 millielectron volts of energy per operation at room temperature, the minimum allowed by the second law of thermodynamics and called the Landauer limit. That's 1 million times less energy per operation than consumed by today's computers.

"Today, computers run on electricity; by moving electrons around a circuit, you can process information," said Brian Lambson, a UC Berkeley graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. "A magnetic computer, on the other hand, doesn't involve any moving electrons. You store and process information using magnets, and if you make these magnets really small, you can basically pack them very close together so that they interact with one another. This is how we are able to do computations, have memory and conduct all the functions of a computer."

Lambson is working with Jeffrey Bokor, UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, to develop magnetic computers.

"In principle, one could, I think, build real circuits that would operate right at the Landauer limit," said Bokor, who is a codirector of the Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science (E3S), a Science and Technology Center founded last year with a $25 million grant from the National Science Foundation. "Even if we could get within one order of magnitude, a factor of 10, of the Landauer limit, it would represent a huge reduction in energy consumption for electronics. It would be absolutely revolutionary."

One of the center's goals is to build computers that operate at the Landauer limit.

Lambson, Bokor and UC Berkeley graduate student David Carlton published a paper about their analysis online in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Fifty years ago, Rolf Landauer used newly developed information theory to calculate the minimum energy a logical operation, such as an AND or OR operation, would dissipate given the limitation imposed by the second law of thermodynamics. (In a standard logic gate with two inputs and one output, an AND operation produces an output when it has two positive inputs, while an OR operation produces an output when one or both inputs are positive.) That law states that an irreversible process -- a logical operation or the erasure of a bit of information -- dissipates energy that cannot be recovered. In other words, the entropy of any closed system cannot decrease.

In today's transistors and microprocessors, this limit is far below other energy losses that generate heat, primarily through the electrical resistance of moving electrons. However, researchers such as Bokor are trying to develop computers that don't rely on moving electrons, and thus could approach the Landauer limit. Lambson decided to theoretically and experimentally test the limiting energy efficiency of a simple magnetic logic circuit and magnetic memory.

The nanomagnets that Bokor, Lambson and his lab use to build magnetic memory and logic devices are about 100 nanometers wide and about 200 nanometers long. Because they have the same north-south polarity as a bar magnet, the up-or-down orientation of the pole can be used to represent the 0 and 1 of binary computer memory. In addition, when multiple nanomagnets are brought together, their north and south poles interact via dipole-dipole forces to exhibit transistor behavior, allowing simple logic operations.

"The magnets themselves are the built-in memory," Lambson said. "The real challenge is getting the wires and transistors working."

Lambson showed through calculations and computer simulations that a simple memory operation -- erasing a magnetic bit, an operation often called "restore to one" -- can be conducted with an energy dissipation very close, if not identical to, the Landauer limit.

He subsequently analyzed a simple magnetic logical operation. The first successful demonstration of a logical operation using magnetic nanoparticles was achieved by researchers at the University of Notre Dame in 2006. In that case, they built a three-input majority logic gate using 16 coupled nanomagnets. Lambson calculated that a computation with such a circuit would also dissipate energy at the Landauer limit.

Because the Landauer limit is proportional to temperature, circuits cooled to low temperatures would be even more efficient.

At the moment, electrical currents are used to generate a magnetic field to erase or flip the polarity of nanomagnets, which dissipates a lot of energy. Ideally, new materials will make electrical currents unnecessary, except perhaps for relaying information from one chip to another.

"Then you can start thinking about operating these circuits at the upper efficiency limits," Lambson said.

"We are working now with collaborators to figure out a way to put that energy in without using a magnetic field, which is very hard to do efficiently," Bokor said. "A multiferroic material, for example, may be able to control magnetism directly with a voltage rather than an external magnetic field."

Other obstacles remain as well. For example, as researchers push the power consumption down, devices become more susceptible to random fluctuations from thermal effects, stray electromagnetic fields and other kinds of noise.

"The magnetic technology we are working on looks very interesting for ultra low power uses," Bokor said. "We are trying to figure out how to make it more competitive in speed, performance and reliability. We need to guarantee that it gets the right answer every single time with a very, very, very high degree of reliability."

The work was supported by NSF and the Defense Advanced

http://www.sciencedaily.com

Chemists Discover Freezing Point of Supercooled Water

2011-08-05T23:02:00.000+04:30

Scientists have long known that water can stay liquid at temperatures well below zero. Now they've discovered exactly how low they can go

It's easy to imagine that water must be one of best understood materials in science. After all, this liquid is possibly the best studied substance on Earth. But the truth is that many of its properties still mystify scientists.

One unsolved puzzle is its freezing point. Scientists have known for many years that you can cool liquid water well below zero degrees centigrade without it freezing. That's because water needs some nucleation event to trigger the process of ice formation. Without ice nucleation, it remains liquid.

But how low can you go?

Today, we have an answer of sorts thanks to the work of Emily Moore and Valeria Molinero at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Part of the problem is that experiments to measure the freezing temperature are so difficult to perform that nobody has managed them. But the evidence points to the likelihood that ice crystals begin to form anyway at temperatures of about -41 C.

Supercoooled water should freeze at around this temperature but nobody has succeeded in measuring it because it always begins to freeze earlier.

Moore and Molinero get around this problem by simulating the freezing behaviour of over 250,000 water molecules on a computer. What they find is that once the natural process of ice formation begins to occur, then water cannot stay liquid at much lower temperatures.

In fact, their simulation indicates that the natural freezing point of supercooled water is about -43 C, just below the temperature at which ice crystals form naturally. That's as expected but the simulation also gives new insights into the way in which this freezing occurs.

In this state, water is a mixture of low density ice and water molecules that are on the verge of becoming ice, what chemists call "four co-ordinated" meaning that each molecule is linked to four others. The structure of "four co-ordinated" water seems to have important impact on the rate at which ice can form and this is what determines the freezing point.

There is an important caveat, however. The simulations require a major correction before they produce a physically realistic result. For some reason, they suggest that the natural ice formation begins to occur at about -71 C and that supercooled water freezes at about -73 C.

That's 30 degrees lower than in the real world. To get around this, Moore and Molinero simply add 30 degrees to all their results. Just why the simulation is out by so much isn't clear.

If the work is valid, however, it could have a major impact in other areas of science.

The temperature at which supercooled water freezes is an important factor in cloud formation. And small changes in this process, when entered into in climate change models, can have a big impact on the predictions about the future of the Earth.

Exactly how the new numbers will change climate predictions isn't yet clear. And of course, climatologists will want better evidence than a slightly wonky computer simulation. But it's a decent step forward and worth keeping on eye on for its influence elsewhere in science.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1107.1622: Structural Transformation In Supercooled Water Controls The Crystallization Rate Of Ice

http://www.technologyreview.com

Quarks break free at two trillion degrees

2011-08-05T23:01:00.000+04:30

The latest QCD phase diagram

Physicists in the US, India and China have calculated that quarks and gluons can break free from their confinement inside protons and neutrons at a temperature of around two trillion degrees Kelvin – the temperature of the universe a fraction of a second after the Big Bang. The researchers arrived at this figure by combining the results of supercomputer calculations and heavy-ion collision experiments. They say that it puts our knowledge of quark matter on a firmer footing.

According to the Big Bang model, the very early universe was filled with "quark–gluon plasma", in which quarks and gluons (the carriers of the strong nuclear force) existed as individual entities. The strong force between quarks increases rapidly with distance, which means that the quarks need large amounts of energy to remain free – and therefore the plasma can only exist at extremely high temperatures. When the cosmos was only about a millionth of a second old, it had cooled to the point where quarks and gluons combined to form composite particles such as protons and neutrons. Exactly what this temperature is, however, has not been easy to work out.

The theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) explains the interactions of quarks and gluons extremely well at very small distances, which are relevant in the collisions taking place inside the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva. But at the larger distances characteristic of the quark–gluon plasma, QCD fails because it becomes impossible to account for all of the constituent interactions, which include many virtual pairs of quarks and antiquarks. So physicists use an approximation of the theory known as lattice QCD, in which the complexity of quark–gluon interactions is limited by breaking down space–time into manageable chunks.

Anchoring lattice QCD

Now Nu Xu of the Central China Normal University and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California and colleagues have anchored the value of one of the key parameters of lattice QCD. They used results from the STAR detector at Brookhaven Laboratory's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), which collides gold ions together at high energies to work out the temperature at which the quark–gluon plasma "condenses" to form individual hadrons.

Team member Bedangadas Mohanty of the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre in Kolkata, India, explains that knowing this temperature helps to map out the phase diagram of QCD. This diagram charts the transition from normal, hadronic, matter to quark matter (or possibly to another exotic state known as "colour superconductivity") as two variables are altered. These are the temperature and "baryonic chemical potential", the latter being the energy needed to remove or add a proton or neutron to the strongly interacting matter. He points out that thermodynamics can be used to work out how the temperature of water's phase transitions varies with pressure but that absolute values for these temperatures require the measurement of at least one fixed point within the phase diagram, say the boiling point at atmospheric pressure. "Likewise," he says, "in QCD we want to find out what is the temperature of the phase transition at zero chemical potential."

Calculating susceptibilities

Xu and co-workers didn't measure this temperature directly but derived it from theory and experiment. On the theoretical side, Sourendu Gupta and others at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in India calculated the first, second, third and fourth derivatives of the baryonic chemical potential with respect to pressure, and then worked out how these "susceptibilities" should vary with temperature. Meanwhile, the experimental half of the collaboration counted how many more protons than antiprotons were produced in millions of collisions of gold ions at RHIC and plotted the variation in this measured quantity. At the quark–gluon plasma transition temperature, certain combinations of the theoretical susceptibilities should numerically equal particular quantities relating to the shape of the measured distributions. So, by varying the susceptibilities with temperature until they equalled the quantities derived from experiment, the researchers arrived at a value for the transition temperature.

The value obtained by Xu's team was 175 +1/–7 MeV, equivalent to 2 × 10¹² Kelvin, which is exactly the value predicted by other indirect methods in lattice QCD. "This is the first time that there has been a direct comparison between high-temperature quark-matter theory and high-energy experiments," says Mohanty. "People have predicted what the theoretical susceptibilities should be, but you need to compare these predictions with experiment to be sure that the theory is correct."

Finding a critical point

The next step, adds Mohanty, is to measure a predicted critical point within the QCD phase diagram. At a critical point, a boundary between two phases comes to an end and the properties of the two phases become identical. There is a critical point for liquid water and steam, for example, and nuclear physicists believe that likewise there is one for normal and quark matter. Finding this critical point will involve carrying out heavy-ion collisions over a range of collision energies, something, says Mohanty, which RHIC is ideally suited to do. The LHC's ALICE detector, on the other hand, should be able to nail down the quark–gluon plasma's viscosity, with previous measurements having suggested that the plasma has a lower viscosity than any other liquid in the universe.

David Evans, a physicist at Birmingham University and head of the UK group at ALICE, is impressed by the latest work. "I think these techniques will allow theorists to tune up and improve lattice QCD by direct comparisons with experiment," he says, "and hence provide even better calculations and predictions in the future."

However, Johann Rafelski of the University of Arizona believes that the research suffers from "major deficiencies", in particular a lack of analysis of systematic errors. For example, he says, Xu and colleagues have not accounted for the fact that the detector counts only a limited fraction of all collision products. "The total systematic error is very probably much, much larger than the statistical error [as presented]," he says, adding that his "colleagues from the lattice-QCD community believe that this analysis has `errors at every step'".

The research is published in Science 332 1525.

http://physicsworld.com

Astronomers Discover Habitable ExoEarth Orbiting Binary Star

2011-08-05T22:57:00.001+04:30

Red and orange suns would light the skies of the most exotic exo-Earth yet discovered

In recent years, the search for an Earth-like planet orbiting another star has been the most exciting in science. The world has waited with baited breath for the discovery of another Earth.

But the discovery of Earth 2.0 has been a damp squib. Not because astronomers haven't found one; on the contrary! The problem is they've found too many candidates. And these have turned out to be so unlike Earth that it's hard to imagine that any of them can be a convincing twin.

We're left, like the starving donkey equidistant between two bails of hay, unable to decide on what to celebrate.

The top candidates so far are these:

Gliese 4581 g, the fourth rock from a red dwarf some 20 light years from Earth in the constellation of Libra

GJ 1214 b, a sub-Neptune-sized planet orbiting a star in the constellation of Ophiucus 40 light years away

and HD 28185 b, a gas giant in a near circular orbit that is entirely within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star in the constellation of Eridanus. This planet's moons, if it has any, may be good candidates for 'other Earths'

Today, we can add another strange planet to the list: 55 Cancri f, one of five planets known to orbit an orange dwarf star some 40 light years away in the constellation of Cancer.

Kaspar von Braun at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a few pals have measured its orbit accurately for the first time. These guys are able to confirm that 55 Cancri f is a genuine candidate to support liquid water.

They say that although this planet's orbit is much more elliptical than Earth's, it still spends most of its time (74 per cent) in the habitable zone.

Furthermore, 55 Cancri f is quite like Earth in some ways. Its year is about the same length as ours. And with moderate greenhouse warming, it could support liquid water all year round.

But unlike Earth, its mass is about the same as Neptune's (although it doesn't seem to have a large gaseous atmosphere).

And one other thing. it has two suns! This system consists of an orange dwarf star with a companion red dwarf that orbits at a distance of about 1000 AU. 55 Cancri f is part of a binary star system.

That's weird! The sky on Cancri 55 f must be out of this world. For one half of the year, red and orange suns would light the daytime sky. Then, at night, the red dwarf would be visible for half the year and distant stars only visible for the other half.

That makes Cancri 55 f, if not the most promising exo-Earth, then at least the most exotic.

Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1107.1936: The 55 Cancri System: Fundamental Stellar Parameters, Habitable Zone Planet, and Super-Earth Diameter

http://www.technologyreview.com

Diamond disappears in sunlight

2011-08-05T22:50:00.000+04:30

Carbon atoms set free by ultraviolet light

James Mitchell Crow

It might be among the hardest materials known, but place a diamond in a patch of sunlight and it will start to lose atoms, say a team of physicists in Australia. The rate of loss won't significantly trouble tiara wearers or damage diamond rings, but the discovery could prove a boon for researchers working to tap diamond's exceptional optical and electronic properties.

Many of the newest uses of diamonds, from laser light emission to quantum communication and computing, require micro- or nano-features to be built into the surface of the diamond. Physicist Rich Mildren and his team at Macquarie University in Sydney have now shown that beams of ultraviolet (UV) light offer a particularly gentle way to do just that.

Diamonds are usually etched by laser in a process called ablation, which burns atoms from the surface but leaves behind a rough, damaged area more like that of graphite than of diamond. Mildren and his colleagues show that by cutting the pulse power of the laser, a process called desorption takes over, with excited carbon atoms popping off the surface to leave smoothly etched diamond behind.

Mildren and his team discovered the effect by accident while developing diamond-based lasers. "We wanted to show that diamond can operate at wavelengths that other materials cannot, and UV is one such region," says Mildren. The team produced a diamond laser that successfully emitted UV light — but only for about 10 minutes, after which it would always stop working. "It turned out that we were desorbing carbon atoms, making little pits in the diamond surface. It was bad news for laser performance, but good news for this other research direction."

Diamond dilemma

Exactly how the desorption process works is still to be determined, but Mildren has a couple of theories, published this week in Optical Materials Express¹. The first hint is that the process requires a diamond surface covered with oxygen atoms. The second is that it requires two photons to release one carbon atom. When two photons hit a diamond, they produce an exciton, an excited electron-hole pair, inside the diamond that can diffuse through to the surface, where it could set a carbon atom free. "The energy of the exciton is more than ample for a carbon monoxide molecule to pop off," says Mildren. "It is also possible that the UV is exciting the surface directly, leading to bond breaking and carbon monoxide coming off too."

Although previous research had indicated that diamond can be etched in this way², Mildren's work is the first to probe some of the details of the process, and shows that the relationship between the 2-photon absorption rate and etch speed is highly linear, which provides control over the etch rate. The process also seems to have no lower threshold, meaning that carbon loss will occur even in ambient sunlight. However, the rate of loss is very slow — even a typical mercury UV lamp in a lab would take around 10 billion years to remove a microgram of diamond.

The slow rate of atom loss limits its application as a technique for etching tiny features into diamond surfaces, says physicist Steven Prawer, who heads the materials research institute at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, where he studies diamond-based devices. But that's not to say it isn't useful, he adds. "It is more a polishing technique rather than a scribing technique — but you might be able to combine it with ablation to polish an etched surface."

A smooth surface is particularly important for the diamond single-photon emitters that Prawer has been pioneering for quantum communication applications that can transmit information. Photons generated by any defects in the diamond are emitted in all directions, so many of them lost. "To capture the light, we would like to create photons inside a waveguide," says Prawer. "But etching the waveguide often leads to a very rough surface, which causes light scattering — so you lose whatever gains you would have made. A technique to smooth the etched surface would increase the count rate, which is what decides the rate of data transfer."

http://www.nature.com/news/

Nanophysics in graphene: neutrino physics in quantum rings and superlattices

2011-07-23T19:32:00.001+04:30

H. A. Fertig, Luis Brey

Department of Physics, Indiana University, , Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.

Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences. 12/2010; 368(1932):5483-97. DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2010.0210

Abstract

Electrons in graphene at low energy obey a two-dimensional Dirac equation, closely analogous to that of neutrinos. As a result, quantum mechanical effects when the system is confined or subjected to potentials at the nanoscale may be quite different from what happens in conventional electronic systems. In this article, we review recent progress on two systems where this is indeed the case: quantum rings and graphene electrons in a superlattice potential. In the former case, we demonstrate that the spectrum reveals signatures of 'effective time-reversal symmetry breaking', in which the spectra are most naturally interpreted in terms of effective magnetic flux contained in the ring, even when no real flux is present. A one-dimensional superlattice potential is shown to induce strong band-structure changes, allowing the number of Dirac points at zero energy to be manipulated by the strength and/or period of the potential. The emergence of new Dirac points is shown to be accompanied by strong signatures in the conduction properties of the system.

View on PubMed

Nanoscale alloys: from experiment and theory to quantitative modelling

2011-07-23T19:30:00.001+04:30

Sep 13, 2011 - Sep 16, 2011 | Lausanne, Switzerland

In the past two decades the physical and chemical properties of single-component metallic nanoparticles have been investigated very intensively [1,2,3]. The strong finite-size effects make computational approaches essential, especially in the small size regimes where properties depend non-trivially on the precise number of atoms. Larger nanoparticles in the scalable regime can also be described using mesoscopic approaches. Bringing two or more metals together leads to completely new phenomena, which do not have a counterpart in bulk materials [4,5]. For instance, several metals that are immiscible in the bulk can mix once at the nanoscale [6], sometimes into very unusual structures [7,8]. Nanoalloy particles show enhanced optical properties, which have already found applications in medicine as biosensors [9,10,11]. Once assembled in arrays, such systems could also provide media for optical data storage [12,13,14]. In this context, the strong magnetic anisotropy of some nanoalloy particles offers new perpectives in magnetic data storage [15,16]. Finally, the high surface-to-volume ratio of alloy nanoparticles also make them extremely appealing for heterogeneous catalysis [17,18].

The computational study of nanoalloys has expanded following several tracks. Since most physical properties are intimately related to the cluster geometry, a particular attention has been paid to structure prediction. The methods used for this purpose range from accurate ab initio calculations to empirical atomistic modelling and even mesoscopic approaches based on extrapolating finite-size behaviour. Global optimization of cluster structure is a formidable computational task, which can now be addressed using dedicated algorithms such as evolutionary-inspired methods or Monte Carlo schemes. Current applications concern systems containing up to hundreds of atoms when modelled with analytical force fields [19], up to a few tens of atoms if electronic structure is described explicitly [19,20]. The development of computer facilities and methodological improvements in density-functional theory have made modern electronic structure packages available, which allow systems containing up to several thousands atoms to be handled [21]. Besides the cluster geometry, electronic structure methods provide detailed information about the spectroscopic and optical properties [22]. However, for the purpose of studying dynamical or thermodynamical properties, atomistic potentials remain the only practical option. Most of such potentials are usually derived from well-known approximations to tight-binding theory [23,24] and can be improved using bond-order approaches [25,26]. These potentials are also usually parameterized on the basis of bulk properties and to a lesser extent surface properties, which may often be of concern when dealing with small size systems. Therefore, atomistic potentials deserve to be improved on the basis of electronic structure calculations.

Temperature has strong effects on the structure of alloy nanoparticles. It can alter the relative stability of specific structures, and induce geometric transitions [27]. For some elements, the degree of mixing or segregation depends on temperature and on the underlying structure [28,29]. Moreover, the melting process can be affected by changes in the composition of the particle. The mechanisms and kinetics of diffusion are two major issues governing the order-disorder transitions in these systems. At the present time, including the finite temperature effects is most often achieved through molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo simulations, sometimes involving Ising-model approximations [30].

The long-time dynamical processes involved in growth, coalescence, or slow diffusion are very difficult to investigate without severe approximations or even some coarse-graining. Explicit simulations are feasible only using analytical potentials. Some results have emphasized the role of kinetic effects in determining the stable structure of nanoalloy particles [31], particularly in the cases of segregated core-shell or onion-ring structures [32,33]. Bridging the time scale gap between molecular dynamics simulations and the experimentally relevant times requires the development of alternative approaches, such as accelerated molecular dynamics or kinetic Monte Carlo, which are already used for specific problems such as order-disorder transitions.

Another field where alloy nanoparticles offer unlimited possibilities is magnetism. In fact magnetic nanoalloys are likely to become as important to nanoscience as magnetic alloys are important to condensed matter and applied physics. The rapid development of this area is reflected by the number and quality of recent investigations [21,34,35]. All the central properties of a magnetic material (magnetization, magnetic anisotropy, and their temperature dependence) are most sensitive to alloying. Manipulating size and composition offers therefore remarkable perspectives, which eagerly call for the development of a consistent theoretical description. For example, one would like to grasp the microscopic mechanisms controlling the magnetic moments and magnetic anisotropy of 3d-4d and 3d-5d nanoalloys, since this would be extremely useful as a guide in the experimental development of nanoscale magnetic materials with optimized properties (e.g., nanoalloys with controlled anisotropy energies and moments for applications in recording media or spintronic devices). Thus, the potential impact of theoretical investigations is very high.

Understanding magnetic nanoalloys poses a major challenge for current numerical simulations. Besides the complexity of the many-body problem and relativistic effects that are inherent to magnetism in low symmetry nanostructures, one is here faced to the diversity of chemical configurations whose relative stability depends on the magnetic order and temperature. This concerns not only effects already observed in bulk magnetic alloys (e.g., hybridization effects between magnetic and non-magnetic elements) but also specific finite-size phenomena associated to the reduction of size, to changes in local coordination numbers, and to the interplay between surface, interface and bulk-like local environments. A successful progress in this direction (at the level of experimental expectations) requires coordinated efforts form experts on magnetism, statistical mechanics and multiscale modelling.

Finally, it is important to observe that in most applications the alloy nanoparticles are not isolated as in the gas phase. For instance, ligand molecules are often attached at the surface of chemically synthesized nanoparticles in order to prevent them from reacting with the environment (e.g., solvent or biological tissues). Clusters from molecular beams are deposited at surfaces to form assembled materials, in which case the coupling with the support can be important. The interaction of the particle with these media can modify its properties, starting with the structure. Taking into account the presence of the surrounding media poses an additional complication to the computations, which has been successfully handled in several cases [36,37]. Further progress could be achieved by using hybrid quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics methods. Continuous descriptions of the substrate or solvent often offer a natural way of overcoming the length-scale gap.

There has already been a lot of efforts in tuning the optical properties of homogeneous metal nanoparticles for molecular diagnostics and use in bioconjugation or cellular labels, as well as DNA or protein markers for diseases [9,10,11]. Nanoalloys offer additional tunability, and gold-silver particles have recently been used for detecting DNA owing to a chip-based scanometric technique [38]. Even better detection thresholds have been reported by combining gold and magnetic nanoparticles [39]. Of course, coating nanoalloys is mandatory for any such biological application, which emphasizes the need for more investigations about their toxicity.

Many of the aforementioned problems could be certainly treated far more efficiently if the interplay between the various expertises were stronger. A better description of the electronic structure would have a significant impact on the quality of modelling, which in turn will allow more quantitative predictions of thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Progress in the sampling methods would directly affect the determination of structure and the study of phase transitions. Moreover, it would also help replacing trial-and-error schemes often unavoidable in electronic structure calculations. Efficient kinetic strategies for equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium problems would naturally benefit from explicit and accurate dynamical simulations. In sum, the development of integrated techniques and multi-scale modelling is crucial in order to reach quantitative predictions.

Organisers
Florent Calvo (CNRS and University of Lyon Claude Bernard, France)
Gustavo M. Pastor (University of Kassel, Germany)
Alessandro Fortunelli (Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes, CNR, Pisa, Italy, Italy)

References

1] W. A. de Heer, The physics of simple metal clusters. Experimental aspects and simple models, Rev. Mod. Phys. 65, 611 (1993).

[2] M. Brack, The physics of simple metal clusters. Self-consistent Jellium model and semiclassical approaches, Rev. Mod. Phys. 65, 677 (1993).

[3] F. Baletto and R. Ferrando, Structural properties of nanoclusters: Energetic, thermodynamic, and kinetic effects, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 371 (2005).

[4] Faraday Discussion 138, Nanoalloys: From Theory to Applications, University of Birmingham, UK, 3-5 september 2007.

[5] R. Ferrando, J. Jellinek, and R. L. Johnston, Nanoalloys: From Theory to Applications of Alloy Clusters and Nanoparticles, Chem. Rev. 108, 845 (2008).

[6] M. P. Andrews and S. C. O'Brien, Gas-phase molecular alloys of bulk immiscible elements: iron-silver (FexAgy),J. Phys. Chem. 96, 8233 (1992).

[7] S. Darby, T. V. Mortimer-Jones, R. L. Johnston, and C. Roberts, Theoretical study of Cu-Au nanoalloy clusters using a genetic algorithm, J. Chem. Phys. 116, 1536 (2002).

[8] G. Rossi, A. Rapallo, C. Mottet, et al., Magic Polyicosahedral Core-Shell clusters, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 105503 (2004).

[9] C. Loo, A. Lowery, N. Halas, J. West, and R. Drezek, Immunotargeted nanoshells for integrated cancer imaging and therapy, Nano Lett. 5, 709 (2005).

[10] A. Panacek, L. Kvitek, R. Prucek et al., Silver colloid nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, and their antibacterial activity, J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 16248 (2006).

[11] X. H. Huang, P. K. Jain, I. H. El-Sayed, and M. A. El-Sayed, Gold nanoparticles: interesting optical properties and recent applications in cancer diagnostic and therapy, Nanomedicine 2, 681 (2007).

[12] S. Sun, C. B. Murray, D. Weller, L. Folks, and A. Moser, Spin-dependent tunneling in self-assembled cobalt-nanocrystal supperlattices, Science 287, 1989 (2000).

[13] H. Yasuda and H. Mori, Smontaneous alloying of zinc atoms into gold clusters and formation of compound clusters, Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 3747 (1992).

[14] G. Mattei, G. De Marchi, C. Maurizio, et al., Chemical- or Radiation-Assisted selective dealloying in Bimetallic Nanoclusters, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 085502 (2003).

[15] A. M. Molenbroek, J. K. Norskov and B. S. Clausen, Structure and Reactivity of Ni-Au nanoparticle Catalysts, J. Phys. Chem. B 105, 5450 (2001).

[16] C. Petit, S. Rusponi, and H. Brune, Magnetic properties of cobalt and cobalt-platinum nanocrystals investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect, J. Appl. Phys. 75, 4251 (2004).

[17] J. M. Thomas, B. F. G. Johnson, R. Raja, et al., High-performance nanocatalysts for single-step hydrogenations, Acc. Chem. Res. 36, 20 (2003).

[18] D. Bazin, C. Mottet, and G. Tréglia, New opportunities to understand heterogeneous catalysis processes on nanoscale bimetallic particles through synchrotron radiation and theoretical studies, Appl. Catal. A 200, 47 (2000).

[19] R. Ferrando, A. Fortunelli, and R. L. Johnston, Searching for the optimum structures of alloy nanoclusters, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 10, 640 (2008).

[20] B. Hartke, Structural transitions in clusters, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41, 1468 (2002).

[21] M. E. Gruner, G. Rollmann, P. Entel, and M. Farle, Multiply twinned morphologies of FePt and CoPt nanoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 087203 (2008).

[22] S. Bruzzone, G. P. Arrighini, and C. Guidotti, Theoretical study of the optical absorption behavior of Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles, Mater. Sci. Eng. C 23, 965 (2003).

[23] F. Ducastelle, Elastic modulus of transition metals, J. Phys. (Paris) 31, 1055 (1970).

[24] R. P. Gupta, Lattice relaxation at a metal surface, Phys. Rev. B 23, 6265 (1981).

[25] J. Tersoff, New empirical model for the structural properties of silicon, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 632 (1986).

[26] D. G. Pettifor, New many-body potential for the bond order, Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 2480 (1989).

[27] J. P. K. Doye and F. Calvo, Entropic effects on the size dependence of cluster structure, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3570 (2001).

[28] T. Van Hoof and M. Hou, Structural and thermodynamic properties of Ag-Co nanoclusters, Phys. Rev. B 72, 115434 (2005).

[29] F. Calvo, E. Cottancin, and M. Broyer, Segregation, core alloying, and shape transitions in bimetallic nanoclusters: Monte Carlo simulations, Phys. Rev. B 77, 121406 (2008).

[30] G. Tréglia, B. Legrand, and F. Ducastelle, Segregation and ordering at surfaces of transition-metal alloys. The tight-binding Ising model, Europhys. Lett. 7, 575 (1988).

[31] H. B. Liu, U. Pal, R. Perez, and J. A. Ascencio, Structural transformation of Au-Pd bimetallic nanoclusters on thermal heating and cooling: A dynamic analysis, J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 5191 (2006).

[32] F. Baletto, C. Mottet, and R. Ferrando, Growth of Three-shell onionlike bimetallic nanoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 135504 (2003).

[33] M. M. Mariscal, S. A. Dassie, and E. P. M. Leiva, Collision as a way of forming bimetallic nanoclusters of various structures and chemical compositions, J. Chem. Phys. 123, 184505 (2005).

[34] S. Yin, R. Moro, X. Xu, and W. de Heer, Magnetic Enhancement in cobalt-manganese alloy clusters, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 113401 (2007).

[35] R. M. Wang, O. Dmitrieva, M. Farle, et al., Layer resolved structural relaxation at the surface of magnetic FePt icosahedral nanoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 017205 (2008).

[36] M. Walter, J. Akola, O. Lopez-Acevedo, et al., A unified view of ligand-protected gold clusters as superatom complexes, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 9157 (2008).

[37] G. Barcaro, A. Fortunelli, G. Rossi, et al., Epitaxy, truncations, and overhangs in palladium nanoclusters adsorbed in MgO(001), Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 156101 (2007).

[38] Y. Cao, R. Jin, and C. A. Mirkin, DNA-modified core-shell Ag/Au Nanoparticles, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 7961 (2001).

[39] J.-M. Nam, S. I. Stoeva, and C. A. Mirkin, Bio-bar-code-based DNA detection with PCR-like sensitivity, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 5932 (2004).

EMAG 2011

2011-07-23T19:29:00.001+04:30

Sep 6, 2011 - Sep 9, 2011 | United Kingdom

EMAG 2011

The Electron Microscopy & Analysis Group's bienniel Conference has established a strong reputation as a key event in the calendars of the national & international microscopy communities.
Starts on 06/09/2011
Ends on 09/09/2011
Category Electron Microscopy
Location University of Birmingham, UK

Key dates
Abstract submission deadline: 2 March 2011
Early registration deadline: 6 August 2011
Registration deadline: 1 September 2011

The Electron Microscopy and Analysis Group's (EMAG) biennial conference has established a strong reputation as a key event in the calendars of the national and international microscopy communities, since its inaugural meeting in 1946 (then known as the Electron Microscopy Group). It has always sought to capture the latest in the development and applications of electron microscope techniques.
EMAG 2011 will continue this tradition in Birmingham, a city well known for its materials-based industries. The central location of Birmingham means that EMAG 2011 will be easily accessible for day visitors as well as for delegates attending the whole conference and the Advanced School.

A high quality Trade Exhibition is at the heart of a EMAG conference. EMAG 2011 will build on the success of the Exhibition at Sheffield in 2009 with a mixture of exhibits and technical workshops to enable delegates to interact with vendors and witness the latest developments in microscopy and nanotechnology.

The scientific themes of EMAG 2011 will be addressed through invited and contributed oral and poster presentations. One of the principal features of the conference is the opportunity it gives to young researchers to present their work through both the symposia and the poster sessions. There will be prizes for the best student contributions.

The Advanced School on Chemical Nanoanalysis will be held on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 September to enable young researchers to expand their knowledge in a key subject theme of the conference.

The themes of EMAG 2011 will be:
• Quantitative interpretation of electron microscope images and spectra
• Characterisation of advanced materials
• New techniques and methods in electron microscopy

There will be an exciting programme with a mixture of plenary talks by internationally renowned leaders in the field, invited talks in the specialist sessions, together with contributed oral and poster presentations. The scientific sessions will include:
• Nanofabrication and scanning electron microscopy
• Modelling and quantification
• Advances in imaging and spectroscopy techniques
• Applications of high resolution imaging and spectroscopy
• Functional materials
• Nanomaterials
• Structural materials
• Biosciences, biomaterials and soft matter
• Earth and environmental sciences
• In-situ electron microscopy

The conference will open with a welcome reception on the evening of Tuesday 6 September. The main scientific programme will commence on the morning of Wednesday 7 September and will conclude at lunchtime on Friday 9 September.
The conference dinner will be held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on the evening of Thursday 8 September.
An additional Advanced School on Chemical Microanalysis will be held on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 September. Further information about this advanced school will be made available as soon as it is available.

Twelfth International Workshop on Modeling of Mantle Convection and Lithosphere Dynamics

2011-07-23T19:28:00.003+04:30

Aug 20, 2011 - Aug 25, 2011 | Groß Dölln, Germany

Zusammenfassung: This workshop will seek to further understanding in the area of geodynamics. Topics to be addressed include scientific and technical issues in geodynamic modelling and outreach to students to become more involved in current geodynamic research.

invited speakers:

Ulrich Christensen - Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany
Paul Tackley - ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Mike Gurnis - Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, USA
Nick Arndt - LGCA, Université J. Fourier, France
Jeroen van Hunen - Durham University, U.K.
Taras Gerya - ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Barbara Romanowicz - University of California, Berkeley, USA
Shun Karato - Yale University, USA
Andrey Ganopolski - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany
Onno Oncken - GFZ Potsdam, Germany
Evgenii Burov - Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP), France
Laurent Montesi - University of Maryland, USA
Harro Schmeling - J. W. Goethe University Frankfurt M, Germany
Boris Kaus - ETH Zurich, Switzerland

14th International Workshop on the Physics of Non-Ideal Plasmas

2011-07-23T19:28:00.001+04:30

Sep 9, 2012 - Sep 14, 2012 | Rostock, Germany

This workshop continues the traditional series of PNP meetings, which are dedicated to the theoretical and experimental research of the physics of dense non-ideal plasmas since 1980. The event will feature cutting-edge sessions and some review lectures.

Topics:

Statistical physics and ab-initio simulations
Producing non-ideal plasmas (optical lasers, free electron lasers, heavy-ion beams,
Z machine, high explosives etc.)
Diagnostics of non-ideal plasmas (e.g. x-ray scattering, line shapes, stopping power, emission and absorption)
Equilibrium properties, EOS, and phase transitions
Kinetics, transport and optical properties
Dense astrophysical and ICF plasmas
Ultra-intense laser-matter interaction
Dusty plasmas

20th International Conference on Plasma Surface Interactions

2011-07-23T19:27:00.001+04:30

May 21, 2012 - May 25, 2012 | Aachen, Germany

Scope

The objective of the 20th PSI Conference is to provide
and exchange the most recent scientific knowledge on
the physical processes at the interface between fusion
plasmas and the plasma-facing components and to
evaluate their implications for the coming generation
of fusion machines.

Topics

• Physics Processes at the Plasma-Material Interface
• Plasma Fuelling, Recycling, and Retention
• Wall Conditioning and Tritium Removal Techniques
• Impurity Sources, Transport, and Control
• Material Erosion, Migration, Mixing, and Dust Formation
• Plasma Boundary Physics and Main Chamber Interaction
• Plasma Exhaust and Density Control
• Power Exhaust and Heat Load Control
• Plasma Edge and First Wall Diagnostics
• Plasma Surface Interaction in the
Steady-State Reactor Regime

Proceedings

High quality papers, contributing to the practical
application and development of PSI knowledge in present
plasma devices and future reactors will be considered for
publication. Papers written on the basis of invited, oral and
selected poster contributions will be published after peer
review and evaluation in a dedicated issue of Journal of
Nuclear Materials.

SPIE Optics + Photonics

2011-07-23T19:26:00.003+04:30

Aug 21, 2011 - Aug 25, 2011 | San Diego, United States of America (USA)

SPIE Optics + Photonics is the largest inter-disciplinary technical conference in North America where you can find the latest research and technologies in solar, nano, optics, photonics, and space optics. The NanoScience + Engineering conferenece is actually one of the largest nano-technology conferences of its kind, where the science of metamaterials, plasmonics, carbon nanotubes, nano-engineering for PVs, solar hydrogen, and nanostructured thin films are discussed.

NURETH-14

2011-07-23T19:26:00.001+04:30

Sep 25, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011 | Toronto, Canada

FROM THE WEBSITE OF NURETH14:
The 14th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermalhydraulics (NURETH-14) will be held in September 25-30, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, CANADA. Continuing the tradition of the highly successful series of thirteen conferences, NURETH-14 will gather an international group of leading academic and industry researchers and practitioners engaged in engineering and scientific work focused on nuclear reactor thermalhydraulics. This is the only major conference series devoted solely to the advancement of knowledge in the nuclear reactor thermalhydraulics field. NURETH-14 is a unique opportunity for researchers and practitioners in the field to present results of their work and discuss challenges and new ideas.

The organizing committee is now encouraging all potential attendees to submit papers for this great event. Topical tracks will include, but not limited to, the following topics (please see the Technical Program page for preliminary list of tracks and sessions):

Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer Fundamentals
Code Developments and Applications
Severe Accidents and Fires
Advanced Code Developments
Operation and Safety of Existing Reactors
Instrumentation, Measurement Techniques and Testing
Advanced Reactors Thermalhydraulics (Gen III+, IV, INPRO, Fusion)
Waste Management Thermalhydraulics
Thermalhydraulics of Non-electricity Generating Nuclear Equipment
Special Topics: Thermalhydraulics and Structural Integrity in Connection to Aging and Life Extension; Fusion Reactor Thermalhydraulics; Issues and Future Directions of Thermalhydraulics R&Ds; Best Estimate and Uncertainty methods;Radiological Hazard Related Thermalhydraulics – Aerosol behaviors, consequences, Other (Open to proposals from professional community)

The Dark Universe Conference

2011-07-23T19:24:00.003+04:30

Oct 4, 2011 - Oct 7, 2011 | Heidelberg, Germany

An international Conference of the Transregional Research Center TRR33
"The Dark Universe" Bonn-Heidelberg-Munich (funded by the DFG) at
Heidelberg University on the occasion of its 625th anniversary.

Topic

The current picture of our universe has emerged from a remarkably successful combination of cosmological theory and a wide range of observations. After the discovery of an accelerated expansion of the late-time universe from distant supernovae in 1998, independent observations of the cosmic microwave background and of the large-scale distribution of galaxies have supported and strengthened the overall picture.

In the standard cosmological model, normal baryonic matter contributes only roughly 5% to the overall density, the rest being in the form of dark matter (23%) and dark energy (72%). Whereas dark matter has already been postulated by Zwicky in 1933, the existence and dominance of dark energy was unexpected and raised fundamental questions as e.g. the range of validity of Einstein's gravity, the role of extra dimensions, the existence of new forces, the nature of vacuum, the relation to the inflationary field and to the particle physics models.

The conference will bring together theoreticians and observers from particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics, to present and discuss the latest research results in the fields of dark matter and dark energy, and to indicate new paths for future research.

Several topical plenary talks will be selected from among the applicants. There are no parallel sessions. Ample space for posters close to the conference hall is available.

The conference talks and posters will be published on a maintained webpage, no formal proceedings are planned.

International Symposium on Clusters and Nano-Structures (Energy, Environment, and Health)

2011-07-23T19:24:00.001+04:30

Nov 7, 2011 - Nov 10, 2011 | Richmond, United States of America (USA)

Welcome to ISCAN - 2011
The International Symposium on Clusters and Nanostructures (ISCAN) will be held in the historic Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia from November 7-10, 2011. This symposium is a continuation of the Richmond Conference series that started in 1982 and is held every four years. The focus of the 2011 Richmond conference is on the role clusters and nanostructures play in solving outstanding problems in energy, environment, and health; three of the most important issues facing science and society.

Due to the novel properties brought about by their reduced size, low dimensionality, and unique composition, nanostructures hold the promise to solve practical problems that are important to society. Clusters are the ultimate nanostructures where a fundamental understanding of their properities can be achieved one atom and one electron at a time. The roles that clusters and nanostructures play in clean and sustainable energy are many, but the symposium's focus is on the challenges in the areas of solar, wind, bio, thermoelectric, and hydrogen. Environmental issues, such as air- and water-pollution and the role of nanoparticles in alleviating these problems will be addressed. Topics in health will include therapeutic and diagnostic methods as well as health hazards attributed to nanoparticles. Cross-cutting topics such as reactions, catalysis, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of clusters and nanostructures will also be covered.

The symposium will bring together researchers from physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering to share their ideas and results, to identify outstanding problems, and to develop new collaborations. No parallel sessions are planned so that participants can take part in all the discussions. The oral sessions will include invited talks as well as hot-topics to be selected from contributed abstracts.

Participants can also present their research in two poster sessions.

Dynamics within and between proteins

2011-07-23T19:23:00.001+04:30

Aug 31, 2011 - Sep 2, 2011 | Colchester, United Kingdom

Dynamics within and between proteins

A Biochemical Society Focused Meeting
Starts on 31/08/2011
Ends on 02/09/2011
Category Life Sciences
Location University of Essex, UK

Dynamics at the macroscopic level is concerned with how proteins move. There are many examples ranging from motors in muscle contraction to proteins that search DNA for their targets. From ensemble studies to single molecules there have been considerable advances in our understanding of how proteins move and respond to forces placed on them.

The aim of this meeting is to showcase the leading research in protein structure and dynamics at both the macro- and microscopic levels.

Topics
• Folding, misfolding and design
• G-protein coupled receptors: structure and activation
• Probing dynamic states of proteins and protein complexes through NMR spectroscopy
• Motor protein dynamics: a single molecule view

Abstract submission deadline: 29 June 2011
Earlybird registration deadline: 31 July 2011

Proceedings (invited speakers) will be published in Biochemical Society Transactions

Oral communication slots are available at this meeting. All attendees, particularly researchers in the early stages of their career, are invited to submit a poster abstract for consideration as an oral communication.

Student Bursaries are available for this meeting.

A Biochemical Society Centenary Poster Prize and a British Biophysical Society Poster Prize of £200 each will be awarded at this meeting.

Organisers:
Jody Mason (University of Essex, United Kingdom)
Phil Reeves (University of Essex, United Kingdom)
Jon Worrall (University of Essex, United Kingdom)
Neil Kad (University of Essex, United Kingdom)
Christopher Cooper (University of Essex, United Kingdom)

Foundations and New Methods in Theoretical Physics

2011-07-23T19:22:00.005+04:30

Aug 29, 2011 - Sep 9, 2011 | Wolfersdorf, Germany

To Get Acquainted With New Research Topics and Methods

The idea is to learn the basics of relatively new research areas relevant to modern theoretical physics, formal as well as phenomenological. This is important especially for soon-to-be postdocs who need to broaden their view and skills in order to be competitive and versatile in changing collaborations. The aim of the school is to provide first hands-on experience with those topics. Accordingly, special emphasis is given to exercises in small groups, complementing three hours of morning lectures. In the afternoon, the lecturers will guide the students through a set of exemplary problems, which illustrate and expand on the main points of the lectures. The atmosphere will be informal, and lively discussion is encouraged.

Foundations and New Methods in Theoretical Physics

2011-07-23T19:22:00.003+04:30

Aug 29, 2011 - Sep 9, 2011 | Wolfersdorf, Germany

Workshop on biomaterials and their interactions with biological and model membranes 2011

2011-07-23T19:22:00.001+04:30

Sep 19, 2011 - Sep 23, 2011 | Salou, Spain

The general topic of the meeting is the interaction of synthetic polymers, nanoparticles, surfactants, proteins, small biomolecules with biological and model phospholipid membranes. Leading scientists and experts from biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and industry will participate in the meeting to give it a true multidisciplinary environment.

The meeting is planned in form of oral talks, posters and discussion pannels, where experts from different fields can share their knowledge interactively.

Workshop on biomaterials and their interactions with biological and model membranes 2011

2011-07-23T19:21:00.007+04:30

Sep 19, 2011 - Sep 23, 2011 | Salou, Spain

A Workshop on the Emerging, Multi-wavelength View of the Galactic Centre Environment

2011-07-23T19:21:00.005+04:30

Oct 17, 2011 - Oct 20, 2011 | Heidelberg, Germany

Dear Colleagues,

Here you can find information about the upcoming workshop on "The emerging, multi-wavelength view of the Galactic Centre Environment", to be held in Heidelberg (Germany) from October 17. through to October 20. 2011.

“This workshop will focus on the unusual interstellar medium of the inner 400 pc of the Galaxy, its constituents, and the processes that energize it.”

First Announcement:
The workshop "The emerging, multi-wavelength view of the Galactic Centre Environment" will take place in Heidelberg (Germany) in October 2011. The workshop will be hosted by the Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) and will be organized by Felix Aharonian, Roland Crocker and David Jones.

This workshop will focus on the unusual interstellar medium of the inner 400 pc of the Galaxy, its constituents, and the processes that energize it. Topics for discussion will include (but not be limited to):

•How is the region's molecular gas distributed and heated?

•Is there or is there not a high-filling-factor, very hot plasma suffusing the region?

•How strong is the local magnetic field? What is its topology? How is it generated?

•Do the unusual gas and magnetic field conditions lead to a stellar initial mass function biased towards formation of more massive stars?

•What can we learn from large-angular-scale MeV, GeV and TeV gamma-ray emission detected from the region?

•What role does the super-massive black hole on radii larger than a few parsecs?

•Is there a large-scale wind out of the region? If yes, how is it driven?

•How are the recently-detected `Fermi bubbles' created and how do the relate to the GC?

•What can we learn from multi-wavelength studies of the region?

•What does the inner 400 pc of the Galaxy teach us about star-formation in starburst environments?

This meeting will provide a comfortable environment for intensive discussions, and feature a flexible timetable and a very modest conference fee.

If you, or members of your research group, colleagues and/or students of yours, are interested in the workshop, please let us know in order to facilitate our planning for the workshop.

First International Workshop on Search & Mining Entity-Relationship Data (SMER´11)

2011-07-23T19:21:00.002+04:30

Oct 28, 2011 - Oct 28, 2011 | Glasgow, United Kingdom

First International Workshop on Search & Mining Entity-Relationship Data (SMER´11)

Overview
Data complexity and its diversity have been rapidly expanding over the last years, spanning from large amounts of unstructured and semi-structured data to semantically rich available knowledge, and driven by ever increasing sophistication in data management requirements. Numerous applications in various domains such as social-media, healthcare, telecommunication, e-commerce and web analytics, business intelligence, and cyber-security, require new methods and tools for collecting and extracting entities and their relationships from unstructured and heterogeneous data sources to be transformed into useful knowledge and provide insights. While lots of useful facts are being added on a daily basis on multitude web and enterprise data sources, they are still hidden behind barriers of language constraints, data heterogeneity and ambiguity, and the lack of proper query interfaces. In addition, novel search and data mining methods are required to provide expressive and powerful discovery capabilities, yet intuitive enough, for exploring the large amounts of entity-relationship data.

Objective
This workshop shall serve as an open forum for discussing the new research challenges in search and mining of large scale ER data extracted from multitude of unstructured and semi-structured data sources, driven by recent industry trends and requirements in various domains and increasing academic interest. The workshop will bring together researchers from different communities working on similar problems in the context of ER and other semantic data, allowing for cross-fertilization between areas. During the workshop, we will identify common problems and their various solution approaches in DB, KM, and IR.

Organization
• Haggai Roitman, IBM Research - Haifa, Israel
• Ralf Schenkel, Saarland University and Max-Planck-Institut Informatik - Saarbrücken, Germany
• Marko Grobelnik, J. Stefan Institute, Department for Intelligent Systems, Slovenia.

Program Committee
• Krisztian Balog, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
• Roi Blanco, Yahoo! Research, Spain
• David Carmel, IBM Research, Israel
• Kevin C.C. Chang, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
• Lise Getoor, University of Maryland, USA
• Yosi Mass, IBM Research, Israel
• Einat Minkov, Haifa University, Israel
• Oren Kurland, Technion, Israel
• Pavel Serdyukov, Yandex LLC, Russia
• Kavitha Srinivas, IBM Research, USA
• Martin Theobald, Max-Planck Inst., Germany
• Sivan Yogev, IBM Research, Israel
• Elad Yom-Tov, Yahoo! Research, USA
• Cong Yu, Google, USA

Topics of Interest
The workshop has two main themes. The first is search and discovery over rich entity-relationship data. The second is entity-relationship data mining methods. More specifically, the following list of topics are covered by this workshop:
• ER data collection methods.
• ER data extraction, cleansing, representation, and processing.
• ER data resolution and disambiguation.
• Efficient Indexing methods.
• Query languages and interfaces (keyword-based, semantic, hybrid, visual), query processing and optimization.
• Ranking methods and top-k queries over ER data.
• Similarity and proximity search.
• Context-based retrieval over ER data.
• Temporal aspects in ER search and data mining.
• Exploratory search and faceted search over ER data.
• Personalized search over ER data.
• ER data mining (e.g., feature extraction, clustering, classification, authority and link analysis, trust, recommendation, etc).
• ER data fusion, integration, and lineage.
• Privacy models for ER search and data mining.
• Large scale ER search and data mining methods.
• Search and data mining over incomplete or noisy ER data.
• Search and data mining over multilingual ER data.
• Novel applications using ER search and data mining.
• Evaluation methodologies.
• Usability methods for ER data exploration.

* Submission: June 29, 2011
* Notification: July 29, 2011
* Camera Ready: August 12, 2011 (hard deadline)
* Workshop: October 28, 2011

6th Heidelberg Summer School: Characterizing Exoplanets - From Formation to Atmospheres

2011-07-23T19:20:00.005+04:30

Aug 1, 2011 - Aug 5, 2011 | Heidelberg, Germany

The goals of the IMPRS Summer Schools are to:
- bring together research students of various fields for discussion and exchange of ideas;
- encourage young researchers and advanced students to continue research in these fields; and
- strengthen future interdisciplinary research in these areas;
The focus of this school is to link current observations and theory from formation and detection of planets to explore their atmosphere and characterizing habitable environments. It will highlight the newest results in extra solar planet search in a cross-disciplinary environment, discuss different formation scenarios and observables, recently discovered Super-Earths to potential habitability of rocky planets in a very interactve environment.

Royal Microscopical Society - Light Microscopy Summer School

2011-07-23T19:20:00.002+04:30

Sep 11, 2011 - Sep 13, 2011 | York, United Kingdom

Light Microscopy Summer School

One of the most popular events the RMS organises, the LM Summer School is an annual, residential course covering the principles of light microscopy.
Starts on 11/07/2011
Ends on 13/07/2011
Category Light Microscopy
Location University of York, UK

Scientific Organiser: Peter O'Toole (University of York)

The Light Microscopy summer school is an annual, residential three day course held at the University of York covering the principles of light microscopy. Participants are also trained in practical issues surrounding light microscopy. After introductory presentations, the course is taught predominantly through hands-on practical sessions.
The course is suitable for both novices and more experienced users wanting to gain a greater understanding of the microscope and feedback every year is always fantastic (see below). Students come from a range of backgrounds within both research and commercial organisations. All have benefited greatly from the Course and leave with increased understanding and skills.
The course is immediately followed by a two day hands-on Confocal Course - Getting the most from your Confocal and a one day Grain Sizing Course.

Further Information
The registration fee includes:
• 3 nights en-suite accommodation (Sunday to Wednesday inclusive) on the pleasant University of York campus;
• All meals, including the course dinner on the Tuesday evening at a restaurant in York, and lunch and daytime refreshments.
The LM Summer School has previously been awarded 19 CPD points from the IBMS.

Registration details
This course is now FULL and registration has closed. To be added to the waiting list please email sarah@rms.org.uk

Feedback on the 2010 Summer School...
"Excellent & engaged teachers!" - "Great course!!!" - "The content of the course was clear, obtainable and well taught."
"To be taught by consummate experts & enthusiasts is a real pleasure. They obviously were totally into their subject & were always happy to answer any question no matter how simple or complex & their answers were always full and easily understandable. The quality of the course notes was excellent."

Here’s what Jeff Ellis (Microscopy - Xerox Limited), one of the delegates on this year’s course thought:
“I thought the course was excellent overall and I think everyone really enjoyed the course itself and the social side. It's a bit of a shame it only lasted three days as we were only just getting to know each other when it ended!
There was a lot of available equipment for the practicals which was really appreciated. To be taught by consummate experts and enthusiasts is a real pleasure. They obviously were totally into their subject and were always happy to answer any question no matter how simple or complex and their answers were always full and easily understandable. The quality of the course notes was also excellent.
We all thought the food at the university was very good and the arranged social side was superb, with the unexpected ghost walker making an interesting change. Having arranged evenings is a very good aspect of the course and was appreciated by everyone. The buffet lunch was a great idea providing quality food and variety, catering for all tastes.
Overall, superb! I feel I've come away from the course with a completely new understanding of the microscope and its capabilities. The next few days will be spent applying the new techniques using the instrument here and going through a drawer full of accessories to find out exactly how much capability we really have. It was really good to meet everyone on the course. Everyone was so helpful to each other. Some of the other attendees have also suggested new techniques to try.
Thanks so much for your efforts. I think you put together a great course and I will be watching out for other RMS courses in the future.”

Here's what students on previous courses have said...
"I absolutely loved the course, it had a very good balance of theory, practice & contact time with the instructors."
"Probably the most useful course I've ever been on. I've already used the knowledge I gained in my job - it's like the scales have been lifted from my eyes! It's good to know I'm now getting the most out of my equipment."
"Extremely enjoyable, with interesting lectures, practicals & materials."
"I found the course informative and interesting, will definitely attend more RMS courses."
"The pace was quick enough to keep you thinking yet steady enough for information to sink in."
"...I found some of the lecturers inspirational!"
"Very well presented & all speakers were very knowledgeable about their fields."
".....an awesome lecturer, even better at talking science than Johnny Ball!"

13th International Congress of Stereology

2011-07-23T19:19:00.003+04:30

Oct 19, 2011 - Oct 23, 2011 | Beijing, China

13th International Congress of Stereology

The 13th International Congress of Stereology, will be held 19-23 October 2011 at Tsinghua University, Beijing. The International Congress of Stereology is the quadrennial Conferences of ISS (International Society for Stereology).
Starts on 19/10/2011
Ends on 23/10/2011
Category Stereology
Location Beijing, China

The goal of ICS-13 is to promote research and applied activities in stereology and its related fields. Another goal is to bring together leading scientists working on recent advances on methods in Stereology, Geometrical and Topological tools, Main mathematical and physical transforms, Mathematical Morphology, Stochastic geometry, Spatial Statistics, Space-time dynamics, Pattern analysis, Texture evaluation, Fractals, Image enhancement, 3D reconstruction, Colour images, etc..

Conference Information
The International Society for Stereology (ISS), founded in 1961 and incorporated in 1963, includes members from the fields of mathematics, statistics, biology and materials science. The purpose of the Society is to promote the exchange and dissemination of information, amongst persons of various scientific disciplines and countries, regarding Stereology - nominally the science of determining the spatial structure of materials - on the basis of sections and projections through the materials. Stereology also embraces the analysis of planar images perse, and three- dimensional probes of materials. A prime concern of the Society is all practical applications of Stereology. The ISS also promotes such associated fields as Image Analysis and Processing, Stochastic Geometry, Mathematical Morphology, Pattern Recognition, and Fractal Geometry.

13th International Congress of Stereology

2011-07-23T19:19:00.001+04:30

Oct 19, 2011 - Oct 23, 2011 | Beijing, China

2nd International Conference Asia-Europe Physics Summit

2011-07-23T19:18:00.003+04:30

Oct 24, 2011 - Oct 26, 2011 | Wroclaw, Poland

European Physical Society, in cooperation with three physical societies from Poland, Germany and France is organising "Asia-Europe Physics Summit".

ASEPS is a platform to forge Asia-Europe physics programme strategies by discussing the scientific priorities and possible shared contributions to large scale infrastructures or networks in an Asia-Europe cooperation framework. ASEPS promotes synergies between different fields of physics and between physics and other research fields: biology and health, environment, energy; it also favours the involvement of developing countries in research so as to bridge the knowledge/digital gap.

ASEPS contributes to development of bi-regional cooperation projects thanks to initiating joint labs, workshop centers and schools for education and training. Our forum aims at improving communication with the society, in particular between scientists, decision makers and industry representatives.

The ASEPS 2011 motto is "Physics for sustainable development", whereas the goal is to show a scientific potential in the field of widely understood physics in Europe and Asia from the point of view of synergy search and building common science & technology and educational enterprises. Representatives of leading science centres, key research infrastructures in Asia and Europe (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures - ESFRI), global industrial partners, non-governmental organisations and authorities responsible for science and innovation development are invited to participate in this intercontinental event.

To ensure a wide participation of Asia countries representation, the organisers plan to co-finance the participation of representatives of less developed Asian countries.

NiPS Summer School 2011

2011-07-23T19:18:00.001+04:30

Aug 1, 2011 - Aug 6, 2011 | Perugia

Summer School "Energy Harvesting at micro and nanoscale"
Workshop "Energy management at micro and nanoscale"

The Noise in Physical System Laboratory organizes the 2011 NiPS Summer School devoted to "Energy Harvesting at micro and nanoscale" and the Workshop "Energy management at micro and nanoscale".

The school, supported by the EC Fet Proactive project NANOPOWER and by the Coordination and Support Action ZEROPOWER, is open to graduate students, post-docs, young researchers, and in general to all scientists interested in the physical foundations and practical applications of energy harvesting at micro and nanoscale. As part of the school there is a two days workshop where the students and external participants can present the result of their research. The workshop covers a wider range of subjects under the title of “Energy management at micro and nanoscale” and is open to contributions.

ISACC 2011 — 5th International Symposium Atomic Cluster Collisions

2011-07-23T19:17:00.008+04:30

Jul 20, 2011 - Jul 25, 2011 | Berlin, Germany

Scientific Program

The scientific program for this symposium will consist of sessions, which will include invited lectures, review talks and progress reports. A number of contributed papers will be chosen as special reports by the International Advisory Committee of the ISACC 2011. Other contributed papers will be presented in a poster session. Suggestions about possible candidates for invited speakers should be sent to one of the Co-Chairmen of the ISACC 2011. The list of invited speakers will be distributed with the second announcement.

Themen:

Structure and dynamics of atomic clusters and nanoparticles; Electron and photon cluster collisions; Ion-cluster collisions; Cluster structure and dynamics on a surface; Phase transitions, fusion, fission and fragmentation in finite systems; Clustering in systems of various degrees of complexity; Structure and dynamics of bio-macromolecules; Collision processes involving biomolecules; Nanoscopic insights into radiation damage processes; Clusters and biomolecules in external fields: electric, magnetic, laser, FEL; Towards imaging of clusters and biomolecules at FEL.

Electromagnetic & Light Scattering XIII

2011-07-23T19:17:00.006+04:30

Sep 26, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011 | Taormina, Italy

Electromagnetic and Light Scattering crosses the boundaries of many science and engineering disciplines. It is central to both fundamental and applied research in astrophysics, atmospheric physics, geophysics, material science, nano-optics, biology, and medicine.

The ELS XIII meeting will focus on theoretical, computational, and experimental advances in electromagnetic and light scattering by particles with arbitrary sizes, shapes, and optical properties. Contributions will cover a broad range of topics from classic subject areas such as interstellar dust, atmospheric aerosols, remote sensing observations, particle detection and characterization, to more recent research fields such as optical trapping and nano-optics.

The ELS conference series has had a triple start in Amsterdam (1995), Bremen (1996), and Helsinki (1997). It has continued in New York (1998), Vigo (1999), Halifax (2000), Gainesville (2002), Bremen (2003), Salobreña (2005), St. Petersburg (2006), Bodrum (2007), Hatfield (2008), and Helsinki (2010).

ELS XIII will be held in Taormina (Italy), a “patch of paradise” as described by J.W Goethe in his “Italian Journey”. Taormina is one of the world top touristic destinations, where visitors can experience a perfect combination of old times charming atmosphere, preservation of history and culture, and an elegant and lively way of life to be enjoyed in relaxing walks through the old town.

Electromagnetic & Light Scattering XIII

2011-07-23T19:17:00.004+04:30

Sep 26, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011 | Taormina, Italy

Photonics meets Biology

2011-07-23T19:17:00.002+04:30

Sep 15, 2011 - Sep 18, 2011 | Hersonissos, Greece

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Sir Alfred Cuschieri, University of Dundee, UK
Paras N. Prasad, SUNY at Buffalo, USA
Valery Tuchin, Saratov State Univ., RUSSIA

LECTURERS
Peter Andersen, DTU, DENMARKX
Gert ’t Hooft, Philips, NETHERLANDS
Carsten Reinhardt, LZH e.V., GERMANY
Irene Athanassakis, University of Crete, GREECE
Andrei V. Kabashin, Un. de Méditerranée, FRANCE
Andrei Rode, Australian Nat. Univ., AUSTRALIA
Gert von Bally, University of Muenster, GERMANY
Ursula Keller, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Dimitrii Rogatkin, Moniki, RUSSIA
Hjalmar Brismar, KTH, SWEDEN
Pablo Loza-Alvarez, ICFO, SPAIN
Grigorii Sokolovskii, Ioffe Institute, RUSSIA
Maria Ana Cataluna, University of Dundee, UK
Timo Mappes, KIT, GERMANY
Stelios Tzortzakis, IESL-FORTH, GREECE
Giulio Cerullo, Politecnico di Milano, ITALY
Holger Moench, Philips, GERMANY
Giannis Zacharakis, IESL-FORTH, GREECE
James Ferguson, University of Dundee, UK
Aleksandr Ovsianikov, TU Wien, AUSTRIA

35th Annual Symposium of Microscopical Society of Ireland

2011-07-23T19:16:00.006+04:30

Aug 24, 2011 - Aug 26, 2011 | Dublin, Ireland (Republic of Ireland)

35th Annual Symposium of Microscopical Society of Ireland

Venue: The Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructure and Nanodevices

Starts on 24/08/2011
Ends on 26/08/2011
Category General Microscopy
Location Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

The Microscopical Society of Ireland is a multi-disciplinary, all-island learned society which concerns itself with all aspects of microscopy. The main aim of the society is to foster discussion and cooperation between those who use any form of microscopy in their work, whether this be in the academic or the industrial world.

The primary forum of discussion is the annual symposium which is generally held in one of the academic institutions on the island of Ireland, moving from year to year. Over the next couple of years we aim to expand this meeting to encompass three core areas of the life, physical, and instrumental sciences.

We feel that this is a unique opportunity for researchers at all levels to be exposed to new and innovative ideas which transcend traditional academic and industrial boundaries. Historically, the symposium has provided an excellent forum for young researchers (particularly at postgraduate level) to present their data and findings at a conference. We will continue to foster this very strongly as this is one of the few meetings in Ireland where PhD students of very disparate backgrounds can engage in scientific debate.

13th Frontiers of Electron Microscopy in Materials Science

2011-07-23T19:16:00.004+04:30

Sep 18, 2011 - Sep 23, 2011 | California, United States of America (USA)

13th Frontiers of Electron Microscopy in Materials Science

Major support for FEMMS2011 is provided by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & National Nuclear Security Administration
Starts on 18/09/2011
Ends on 23/09/2011
Category Materials Science
Location California, USA

The thirteenth Frontiers of Electron Microscopy in Materials Science Conference is an international conference focused on the application of electron microscopy in the field of materials science. This meeting typically includes over 50 invited speakers, who are the most influential scientists in the field. The conference will be held September 18-23, 2011 at the Sonoma DoubleTree Hotel in the Sonoma Wine Country.

FEMMS attracts the best and brightest of the electron microscopy community and affords significant opportunities for students and post docs to meet and have substantive discussions with the leaders in the field. It has been held biennially since 1987. It has been held in Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Sessions will include:
• Advances in Instrumentation and Methods
Session Chairs: Joachim Mayer and Stephen Pennycook
• Spectroscopy in the (S)TEM
Session Chairs: Paula Kotul and Glanluigi Botton
• Ultrafast Science: Synergy between X-rays and Electrons
Session Chairs: Bryan Reed and Bradley Siwick
• Towards Quantitative In-Situ Microscopy
Session Chairs: Andy Minor and Eric Stach
• Development of 3-D Methods
Session Chairs: Ilke Arslan and Matthew Weyland
• Materials Application 1: Nanostructures
Chairs: Renu Sharma and Frances Ross
• Organic Materials
Chair: Matt Libera
• Material Application 2: Interfaces and Defects
Session Chairs: Douglas edlin and Susanne Stemmer
• Poster sessions
Session Chair: Masashi Watanabe

PARTICIPATION IN FEMMS
Participants in FEMMS2011 will be limited to 100. All oral presentations re invited. All submitted contributions will be considered for he Poster Session. Please contact session chairs for more information.

CONFERENCE VENUE
The scientific sessions and the poster presentations will ake place at DoubleTree Hotel Sonoma County, located in the California Wine Country.

The abstract deadline for submissions via email is July 31, 2011. Be sure to submit your abstract early.

All oral presentations are invited. All submitted contributions will be considered for the Poster Session.
Submit your abstracts by email to femms2011@llnl.gov with a subject of ABSTRACT FOR FEMMS2011.

DESY Theory Workshop: Cosmology Meets Particle Physics, Ideas & Measurements

2011-07-23T19:16:00.001+04:30

Sep 27, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011 | Hamburg, Germany

The annual DESY Theory Workshop is organized by the elementary particle physics community in Germany. The focus is on a topical subject in theoretical particle physics and related fields. The workshop features:

* Four half-day plenary sessions of specialized talks by invited speakers
* Two half-days of parallel sessions, allowing young researchers to present their work
* The DESY Heinrich-Hertz-Lecture on Physics for public outreach

Plenary Talks

F.R. Bouchet (Paris), A.H. Chamseddine (Beirut), M. Cirelli (CERN), K. Danzmann (Hannover), P. Di Bari (Southampton), S. Dubovsky (New York), J. Dunkley (Oxford/Princeton), G. Dvali (Munich), B. Garbrecht (Aachen), D.E. Kharzeev (Brookhaven), T. Konstandin (CERN), A. Lindner (DESY), L. McAllister (Cornell), P. Schleper (Hamburg), B. Schutz (Golm), M. Shaposhnikov (Lausanne), A.A. Starobinsky (Moscow), C. Weinheimer (Münster), P. Wells (CERN), S. Zaroubi (Groningen)

DESY Heinrich Hertz Lecture on Physics

T.T. Yanagida (IPMU Tokyo)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011, DESY Auditorium

Parallel Sessions and Convenors

Contributions by young researchers are especially encouraged. Abstracts can be submitted to the convenors before August 31, 2011. Limited financial support for young physicists is available.

Particle Phenomenology: M. Krämer (Aachen), T. Mannel (Siegen)
Cosmology & Astroparticle Physics: L. Covi (Göttingen) , D. Schwarz (Bielefeld)
Strings & Mathematical Physics: T. Weigand (Heidelberg), M. Zagermann (Hannover)

Organizing Committee

J. Berges, W. Buchmüller, L. Covi, H. Dreiner, A. Hebecker, V. Mukhanov (chair), O. Philipsen, A. Ringwald, D. Schwarz, G. Sigl, Y.Y.Y. Wong, M. Zagermann

Photonex 2011

2011-07-23T19:12:00.007+04:30

Oct 18, 2011 - Oct 19, 2011 | Coventry, United Kingdom

Photonex 2011

For the twentieth year, Photonex 2011 will be run as a combined exhibition and technical conference for those working in optics, photonic and imaging technology.

Starts on 18/10/2011
Ends on 19/10/2011
Category Technology
Location Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK

It is the UK’s largest exhibition of these technologies and attracts an audience from all parts of the world with 15 countries represented in 2010. After last year’s success, Vacuum Expo 2011 will be run in parallel with Photonex to provide an excellent mix of synergistic tools and techniques for the visitor.
In the twenty years of running the Photonex event, the organisers have developed an extremely successful model for this market place. It provides an annual event to visit in order to keep up with the very latest technologies displayed in an exhibition environment alongside a high profile technical conference. Photonics is of enormous importance in scientific research, industry, defence and security. The aims are to enable visitors to Photonex 2011 to see working demonstrations on exhibitor stands; to discover the difference between one supplier and another; and to ensure that a valuable day will be spent networking and meeting with knowledgeable and experienced suppliers, fellow scientists and industrialists.

This year’s conference will offer a diverse choice of programmes dedicated to the hottest technologies of the moment. The first track to be announced is on 'High Power Diode Lasers & Systems'. This programme has been expanded following the success of last year’s event and will now take place over two days. As well as providing industry-leading speakers, the organisers and sponsors would welcome contributions from visitors who may review the programmes and announcements on the web site. Current sponsors of the technical programme include the Institute of Physics Optical Group, ESP KTN, UKIVA and the Scottish Chapter of the IEEE Photonics Society. More programmes together with details of the talks and invited speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Running in parallel will be a showcase of the very latest vacuum and related technologies and innovations for applications in science and industry. Vacuum Expo 2011 will provide an unequalled business environment for the effective and meaningful transfer of information and knowledge within the field of vacuum, thin film and nanoscale technologies.

Potential visitors and contributors to the scientific programme are encouraged to visit the Photonex website and register their interest today to receive regular electronic newsletters detailing the up to date additions to the agenda.
With over 100 exhibiting companies expected in Coventry, the 2011 events are already on the way to success.

AVS 58th International Symposium & Exhibition

2011-07-23T19:12:00.005+04:30

Oct 30, 2011 - Nov 4, 2011 | Nashville

The AVS Symposium is a full-week conference with an average of 15 parallel sessions sponsored by 10 divisions and 2 technical groups, an extensive equipment exhibition and a wide range of networking and career advancement events.

This year's symposium promises to be more exciting than ever and will feature programming in thirteen timely topical areas in addition to the core AVS technical program. Running concurrent with the symposium, we have organized eleven focused sets of sessions (Focus Topics) that will feature state-of-the-art research on Energy Frontiers, Graphene and Related Materials, Helium Ion Microscopy, Biofabrication and Novel Devices, Neutron Scattering, Electron Transport in Low-Dimensional Materials, Transparent Conductors & Printable Electronics, Actinides and Rare Earths, Marine Biofouling, Nanomanufacturing Science and Technology, Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Tribology, and In Situ Spectroscopy and Microscopy.

The AVS fosters a multidisciplinary environment that cuts across traditional boundaries between disciplines and is the place for exchanging ideas on the latest developments in the science and technology of materials, interfaces and processing. The technical program covers not only state-of-the-art advancements in the science and technology of measurement, manipulation and processing of material surfaces and interfaces, but also a wide range of fundamental findings to better understand the properties of these surfaces and interfaces for the purpose of manufacturing novel devices for high-impact applications. The program covers topics that span the range from biological materials to solid-state electronics, biological cells to solar cells, and friction and wear to plasma deposition of thin films. If your work involves fundamental science or applications and processing of materials and interfaces, we hope to see you in Nashville.

A key feature of this year’s program is Energy Technology. The week-long Energy Frontiers Focus Topic provides a forum for presenting multidisciplinary research advances that impact a wide range of energy conversion and storage issues. A highlight of the Focus Topic is the AIP Industrial Physics Forum that will kick-off the week and address such issues as Global Energy Prospects, The Supply/Demand Challenge of the Electric Economy and Materials for a Sustainable Future. If your work focuses on materials, surfaces and interfaces for energy harvesting, conversion and/or storage – the Energy Frontiers Focus Topic is the place to showcase your advances!

Nanoscale science and technology is a prevailing theme throughout the symposium, as the properties and processing of nanoscale materials and are strongly affected by surfaces and interfaces. The use of nanostructured materials is ubiquitous and ranges from energy harvesting to electronic, optical or biomedical devices. Three quarters of the program encompass various aspects of Nano Science and Technology. If you work in Nano, consider submitting an abstract to one of many sessions on nanoscale science and technology.

The foundation of the AVS is vacuum science and technology, which over the years has evolved into the use of controlled and sophisticated environments for quantitative measurements and processing of material surfaces and interfaces. While there are many direct links to vacuum science and technology in many of the program topics, controlled environments and measurements are now being applied to a spectrum of in vacuo, in situ, in operando, and in vivo systems. If your work involves the development of controlled environments, the processing of interfacial systems, or quantitative interfacial analysis - from vacuum, to plasmas, to biological systems, then the AVS is the venue where you need to present your work!

As you examine the Call for Abstracts, we are certain that you will see many sessions that will interest you and still many others that will be a perfect fit for your latest research. We think that you will benefit greatly by participating in this Symposium and networking with the rest of the AVS community.

We look forward to receiving your abstract and seeing you in Nashville!

AVS 58th International Symposium & Exhibition

2011-07-23T19:12:00.003+04:30

Oct 30, 2011 - Nov 4, 2011 | Nashville

Capturing Colloids II

2011-07-23T19:11:00.004+04:30

Oct 11, 2011 - Oct 12, 2011 | Manchester, United Kingdom

This one and a half day meeting will appeal to chemists that regularly use microscopes and image capturing techniques as a tool and people that specialise in developing microscopical and image capture techniques within the colloids area. We will discuss leading edge science in the fields of Microscopy, Image Analysis and Colloid Science.

The meeting will be an enjoyable interactive event with invited speakers, posters and a conference dinner.

Stereology Workshop

2011-07-23T19:11:00.001+04:30

Aug 29, 2011 - Sep 2, 2011 | Bern, Switzerland

Stereology Workshop

An introduction to state-of-the-art stereology with emphasis on its practical application in biomedicine.
Starts on 29/08/2011
Ends on 02/09/2011
Category Stereology
Location Bern, Switzerland

Experimental design, sampling, use of stereological probes, estimation of stereological parameters, and the application of statistical methods appropriate for stereology are covered. The course encompasses lectures, classroom exercises with real biomedical images, and laboratory practicals demonstrating the implementation of proper sampling and processing techniques on real biological organs.

This course is intended for students and researchers from the field of biology and medicine interested in sampling and measurement of 3D structures. Applications involving any kind of microscopy (e.g. light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, multi-photon microscopy, electron microscopy) as well as non-invasive scanning techniques like CT and NMR are welcome.

Participants should bring their specific projects and questions. During the course, there will be ample opportunity for discussions with the instructors.

Workshop on Quantitative Microscopy
(in collaboration with the Microscopy Imaging Center (MIC), University of Bern)

The dates are fixed:
1. Week: Stereology: August 29 - September 2, 2011
2. Week: Hands-on VISIOPHARM newCAST: September 5 and 6, 2011
(planned)

Stereology provides biomedical researchers with efficient and unbiased tools to obtain real 3D data like volume, surface, length, and number of organs, tissues, cells, and organelles from measurements done on microscopic sections.
If this is important for your research, this workshop is for you!

Provisional program (may be subject to change):
1. Week: Stereology
Monday
Presentation of projects by participants
Lecture: Definition of probes, sampling and basic statistics
Lecture: Volume estimation, Cavalieri principle
Exercise: Volume estimation
Practical: Agar embedding and slicing of organs

Tuesday
Lecture: The fractionator principle (systematic sampling)
Exercise: The fractionator
Lecture: The disector, counting and sampling in 3D
Exercise: Number estimation
Lecture: More disector sampling, including connectivity
Exercise: Connectivity
Exercise: Alveolar number

Wednesday
Lecture: Length and Surface, IUR
Exercise: Length estimation
Lecture: Ratios, multilevel sampling design, reference trap
Lecture: Vertical sections
Exercise: Surface from vertical sections
Practical: Fractionator sampling, vertical sections; embedding, sectioning and staining

Thursday
Lecture: Sampling and sizing of particles
Exercise: The Nucleator
Exercise: Point sampled intercepts
Lecture: Tissue deformation, slicing, tools and gadgets
Demonstration: Stereology and imaging machinery: newCAST
Demonstration: Stereology web-tool: the STEPanizer

Friday
Lecture: All the estimators of particle size
Lunch break
Final presentation of projects by participants

2. Week:
Hands-on computer based stereology and imaging machinery: newCAST (Visiopharm, DK)
Two days with practical exercise
PC-Installation for every participant provided. Own notebook may be used.
Study material from participants

XII Latin American Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena (LAWNP-2011)

2011-07-23T19:10:00.003+04:30

Oct 10, 2011 - Oct 14, 2011 | San Luis Potosi, Mexico

The XII Latin American Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena (LAWNP-2011), will be held in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, from October 10 to October 14, 2011.
This international conference will be the twelfth in a series of Latin American Workshops that have taken place every two years to discuss different aspects of nonlinear phenomena. The previous meetings took place in Buzios, Brazil in 2009, Arica, Chile in 2007, Bariloche, Argentina in 2005, Salvador, Brazil in 2003, Cocoyoc, Mexico in 2001, Cordoba, Argentina in 1999, Canela, Brazil in 1997, Bariloche, Argentina in 1995, Mar del Plata, Argentina in 1993, Santiago, Chile in 1990, and Mar del Plata, Argentina in 1988.

The workshop will center on nonlinear dynamics, in particular spatially-extended dynamics, and out-of-equillibrium phenomena. A partial lists of subjects follows: space-time chaos, synchronization, pattern formation, coherent structures, morphogenesis and developmental biology, far from equilibrium phase transitions, granular materials, inelastic gases, coarsening, aging, nanomachines, reaction kinetics, instabilities and bifurcations, nonlinear fluid dynamics, dynamics of complex systems, and dynamics on complex networks.

ESF Conference in Partnership with LFUI; Continuing Challenges in Earthquake Dynamics: New Methods for Observing and Modelling a Multi-Scale System

2011-07-23T19:10:00.000+04:30

Sep 24, 2011 - Sep 29, 2011 | Obergurgl, Austria

ESF Research Conferences
ESF Conference in Partnership with LFUI
Continuing Challenges in Earthquake Dynamics: New Methods for Observing and Modelling a Multi-Scale System

24-29 September 2011
Universitätszentrum Obergurgl, Austria

Chaired by: Prof. Sandy Steacy, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK
Co-chaired by: Dr. Annemarie Christophersen, GNS Science, NZ; Dr. Sebastian Hainzl, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, DE; Dr. David Marsan, Université de Savoie, FR

World leading scientists engaged in detailed observations and modelling of earthquake phenomena and young scientists interested in developing new collaborative links are
invited to apply. The meeting will include on-going advancements in earthquake physics with the advent of new higher resolution data, growing linkages of physical / statistical
models, and increasing use of robust statistical techniques to test models. The conference is organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in partnership with the Leopold-
Franzens-Universität Innsbruck (LFUI) and it will take place on 24-29 September 2011 in Obergurgl, Austria.

Programme
Earthquake systems are complex multi-scale phenomena that involve a wide variety of interlinked processes. For example, earthquake triggering mechanisms may include stress corrosion as well as dynamic and static stress changes, and the latter may be modified by visco- or poro- elastic effects and afterslip. Similarly, rupture initiation and propagation are controlled by the stress budget and material heterogeneity of fault zones, yet ruptures themselves affect that heterogeneity and both seismic and aseismic processes influence the stress. Given these complications, there is a clear need in earthquake physics for integrative observations and modelling. Fortunately, we are currently entering an era of unprecedented high resolution data due to major initiatives such as dense GPS and seismic arrays as well as deep drilling of active fault zones. Additionally, new statistical techniques are becoming available to enable robust comparison of models with observations.

The aim of this conference is to bring together world leading scientists engaged in detailed observations and modelling of earthquake phenomena over a range of scales in order to share information across sub-disciplines and begin to develop truly integrative understanding of the earthquake process. The conference will also enable young scientists to engage with state-of-the-art researchers and develop new collaborative links. The meeting will build on the successful ESF-FWF-LFUI conference “New challenges in earthquake dynamics: Observing and modelling a multi-scale system” convened in 2008. However, it will include on-going advancements in earthquake physics with the advent of new higher resolution data, growing linkages of physical / statistical models, and increasing use of robust statistical techniques to test models.

Conference format:
• lectures by invited high level speakers
• short talks by young & early stage researchers
• poster sessions, round table and open discussion periods
• forward look panel discussion about future developments

Invited speakers and talks will include:
Massimo Cocco, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia Rome, IT
Francois Cornet, Institut de Physique du Globe Strasbourg, FR
Jim Dieterich, University of California Riverside, US
Giulio Di Toro, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia Rome, IT
Ana Ferreira, University of East Anglia, UK
Thomas Fischer, Charles University Prague, CZ
Joan Gomberg, US Geological Survey Seattle, US
Sebastian Hainzl, GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) Potsdam, DE
Isabelle Manighetti, Laboratoire de Geophysique Interne et Tectonophysique Grenoble, FR
David Marsan, Institut des Sciences de la Terre (ISTerre), FR
John McCloskey, University of Ulster, UK
Jeff McGuire, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, US
Phil Meredith, University College London, UK
Masao Nakatani, University of Tokyo, JP
Mark Naylor, University of Edinburgh, UK
Hugo Perfettini, Institut des Sciences de la Terre (ISTerre), FR
Shinji Toda, Disaster Prevention Research Institute Kyoto, JP
Max Werner, Princeton University, US
David Shelly, US Geological Survey, US
Sandy Steacy, University of Ulster, UK

How to Participate

Conference participation is possible only after successful application.

Deadline for applications: 24 June 2011.

Fees & Grants
Conference fees cover an all inclusive package which includes all basic expenses that occur during the event.

Grantee Conference fee will be covered by ESF and its partners 0 €
Assisted Conference Fee will be partially covered by ESF and its partners 380 €
Early Bird Registration and payment NO LATER THAN 14 days before the registration deadline 740 €
Normal Registration and payment LATER THAN 14 days before the registration deadline 820 €
Non-Residential Conference participation without accommodation 560 €
Grants are available for students and early stage researchers to cover the conference fee and possibly part of the travel costs. Grants are distributed based on financial need and scientific merit. Grantees must attend the entire conference in order to benefit from the grant. Grant requests should be made by ticking appropriate field(s) in the paragraph "Grant application" of the application form.
4 EUR of this fee is used to make this conference more ecologically sustainable. This amount will allow us to offset almost 100% of the CO2 emissions created by this conference and are part of our efforts to make ESF Research Conferences greener...

If you have any questions please consult our FAQ page or contact:
Ms. Alessandra Piccolotto apiccolotto@esf.org
Conference Officer
Phone +32 (0)2 533 2023
Fax +32 (0)2 538 8486
Please quote 11-359 in any correspondence.

24th European Conference on Biomaterials

2011-07-23T19:09:00.001+04:30

Sep 4, 2011 - Sep 8, 2011 | Dublin, Ireland (Republic of Ireland)

24th European Conference on Biomaterials

This Tier One Conference is expected to attract over 1,000 delegates including academics, clinicians and many leading medical technology industry representatives from around the world.
Starts on 04/09/2011
Ends on 08/09/2011
Category Biomaterials
Location Dublin, Ireland

On behalf of the Local Organising Committee, I would like to invite you to join us and colleagues from around the world in Dublin in September for what promises to be an exciting and informative conference. The theme of the meeting is ‘The Cycle of Biomaterials – Back to Our Roots’.

As you are all aware, these are significant times as we are at the crossroads of new understandings at cellular and molecular levels coupled with interesting concepts in scaffolding technologies with the advances in nanotechnology and the ever-present need to drive existing technologies towards clinical translation. In addition, the biomaterials paradigm is ever-changing with new clinical targets and applications. The conference programme is designed to reflect these developments and challenges.

Specific topics will include recent advances in the use of biomaterials for therapeutics; vascularisation, innervations, and tissue integration; advances in nanotechnology and materials science; host response, and lessons from translational research of the existing paradigms.

The meeting will offer delegates innovative and stimulating topics with a well-balanced programme of plenary speakers, oral presentations, rapid-fire-sessions, poster sessions and educational workshops. In addition, there will be Young Scientist Forum (YSF) activities that will stimulate and engage the next generation of researchers. The social programme will provide an exciting taste of what Ireland has to offer. I also hope that delegates will take the opportunity to discover other parts of Ireland by extending their stay.

We hope to meet you in Ireland!
Enjoy the craic!
Abhay Pandit

Chair, ESB 2011 Dublin
Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials
National University of Ireland, Galway

On-Line Registration opens from April 10th, 2011.
Early Registration opens from 10th April to May 9th , 2011.
Registration opens from 9th May to July 15th , 2011.
Late Registration opens after July 15th , 2011.
Late Call for Abstracts: Poster and Rapid Fire Presentation Only - April 5th to May 28th
Notification of Acceptance for Late Poster and Rapid Fire Presentation begins June 1st

Sunday, September 4th, 2011
12:00 - 18:00 Registration
13:00 - 16:15 YSF Workshops
18:00 - 21:00 Opening Reception

Monday, September 5th, 2011
07:00 - Registration
08:30 - 09:00 Opening Ceremony
09:00 - 09:45 Plenary
09:45 - 10:15 Break/Exhibition/Poster Session 1
10:15 - 11:30 Concurrent Sessions 1
11:30 - 11:45 Break
11:45 - 13:00 Concurrent Sessions 2
13:00 - 14:30 Lunch/Exhibition/Poster Session 1
14:30 - 15:15 Plenary
15:15 - 15:30 Break
15:30 - 17:00 Concurrent Sessions 3
17:00 - 17:30 Break
17:30 - 19:00 Concurrent Sessions 4
20:00 - Late Literary Pub Trail/Young Scientists Social

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
07:30 - Registration
08:30 - 09:15 Plenary
09:15 - 09:45 Break/Exhibition/Poster Session 2
09:45 - 10:45 Young Scientists Forum
10:45 - 11:15 Jean Leray Award
11:15 - 11:30 Break/Exhibition
11:30 - 13:00 Concurrent Sessions 5
13:00 - 14:30 Lunch/Exhibition/Poster Session 2
14:30 - 15:15 Plenary
15:15 - 15:30 Break/Exhibition
15:30 - 17:00 Concurrent Sessions 6
17:00 - 17:30 Break/Exhibition
17:30 - 19:00 Concurrent Sessions 7

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
07:30 - Registration
08:30 - 09:00 George Winter Award
09:00 - 09:45 Plenary
09:45 - 10:15 Break/Exhibition/Poster Session 3
10:15 - 11:30 Concurrent Sessions 8
11:30 - 11:45 Break/Exhibition
11:45 - 13:00 Concurrent Sessions 9
13:00 - 14:30 Lunch/Exhibition/Poster Session 3
14:30 - 15:15 Plenary
15:15 - 15:45 General Assembly
15:45 - 16:00 Break/Exhibition/Poster
16:00 - 17:00 Concurrent Sessions 10
20:00 - Late Gala Dinner – Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Thursday, September 8th, 2011
07:30 - Registration
08:30 - 09:15 Plenary
09:15 - 09:45 Break/Exhibition
09:45 - 11:00 Concurrent Sessions 11
11:00 - 11:15 Break/Exhibition
11:15 - 12:45 Concurrent Sessions 12
12:45 - 13:15 Closing Ceremony
13:15 - 14:15 Lunch

Finite Dimensional Integrable Systems in Geometry and Mathematical Physics 2011

2011-07-23T19:08:00.004+04:30

Jul 26, 2011 - Jul 29, 2011 | Jena, Germany

The emphasis of the conference will be on geometry. The lectures will explain the connections between the modern theory of finite dimensional integrable systems and other branches of mathematics and mathematical physics, their role in interactions between mathematics and physics, as well as their applications in geometry and physics. The topics include: Integrable geodesic flows and natural Hamiltonian systems, Integrable systems on Lie algebras and symmetric spaces, Applications of finite dimensional integrable systems in mathematical physics and general relativity, Integrability criteria and obstructions to integrability, Symplectic geometry and dynamics of integrable systems, Killing tensors and separation of variables, Systems of PDE and Cartan geometries arising in the theory of integrable systems.

Topics:

Integrable geodesic flows and natural Hamiltonian systems
Integrable systems on Lie algebras and symmetric spaces
Applications of finite dimensional integrable systems in mathematical physics and general relativity
Integrability criteria and obstructions to integrability
Symplectic geometry and dynamics of integrable systems
Killing tensors and separation of variables
Systems of PDE and Cartan geometries arising in the theory of integrable systems

The FDIS2011 is organized by Vladimir S. Matveev, Christian Richter and Konrad Schöbel.

Iberian Peptide Meeting

2011-07-23T19:08:00.002+04:30

Feb 1, 2012 - Feb 3, 2012 | Alicante, Spain

Dear Colleague,

On behalf of the organizing committee, it is our great pleasure and privilege to invite you to participate in the Iberian Peptide Meeting, EPI_2012, which will be held in Alicante from February 1st to February 3rd, 2012.

This conference will bring together the most prestigious specialists in peptides and their applications, mainly of the Iberian Peninsula, but also from different European countries. The Iberian Peptide Meeting will attract Portuguese and Spanish researchers, from both the Academia and the Industry, that use or develop peptides and their derivatives in basic and applied research, from Chemistry and Biology, to Medicine and Biotechnology. This meeting will discuss recent advances in the study, synthesis and applications of peptides, peptidomimetics and its derivatives, both from natural and
synthetic origin, implemented in all areas of knowledge, from technological research to biomedical, as well as pharmaceutics and cosmeceutics.

Among the various aspects to be addressed in the Iberian Peptide Meeting we can name: Peptides and nanomaterials, peptides as models for membrane proteins, pepducins in signaling and therapeutics, chemical library in-vivo screening, molecular dynamics of peptides, design of functional biomaterials, peptide-membrane interactions, therapeutic peptides, peptidomimetics design and function, cosmeceutical peptides, peptides in chemical biology, bioactive peptides / peptide microarrays, bioinorganic peptides, clinical use of peptides, glycodendrimers, application of NMR to
peptides, dendrimers, foldamers and combinatorial synthesis, brain-penetrating peptides, new approaches to signaling, peptide chemistry, peptide prodrugs and much more.

The main goal of the Iberian Peptide Meeting is to maximize the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss new advances with fellow scientists from all over the Iberian Peninsula in particular and Europe in general. We also aim to encourage the co-operation and interaction among the participants, as well as build friendships.
We will make every effort to organize a memorable and successful Iberian Peptide Meeting. We believe that the conference will not only benefit all participants in terms of academic exchange and developing a significant scientific cooperation, but will also provide an opportunity for participants to experience the unique blend of a modern city, Alicante.

We look forward to welcoming you in Alicante next year. With your participation and support, we have no doubt that EPI_2012 will be a great success.

Yours sincerely,
Prof. Antonio Ferrer / Prof. José Villalaín
EPI_2012 Local Organizing Committee
For more up-to-date information, http://ibmc.umh.es/epi2012

Nanocarbons 2011

2011-07-23T19:07:00.005+04:30

Sep 6, 2011 - Sep 11, 2011 | Acquafredda di Maratea, Italy

Carbon Nanotubes and Related Materials: From Physico-Chemical Properties to Biological and Environmental Effects

Nanomaterials have specific properties mainly governed by quantum physics or surface effects, and significantly different from those of macroscopic objects. Emblematic nanomaterials are carbon nanotubes, which have generated a worldwide, and highly competitive, scientific research activity. The general aim of this conference is, thanks to its pluridisciplinary approach, to give the different actors of carbon nanotubes (CNT) research (physicists, chemists, biologists) the proper level of knowledge required to discuss with the other participants and understand each other correctly. The conference will therefore propose courses accessible to scientists of different fields, as well as more specialized courses in each domain of interest, including the most recent advances on the subject. The program will focus on four general topics: synthesis/characterization of CNT, CNT chemistry, health effects of CNT, and environmental effects of CNT

su-erbil2011

2011-07-23T19:07:00.002+04:30

Oct 18, 2011 - Oct 20, 2011 | Erbil, Iraq

3rd international scientific conference of Salahaddin University-Erbil

2011 Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference. Workshop on Room-Temperature Semiconductor X-Ray And Gamma-Ray Detectors

2011-07-23T19:06:00.004+04:30

Oct 23, 2011 - Oct 29, 2011 | Valencia, Spain

The 2011 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, together with the Workshop on Room-Temperature Semiconductor X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Detectors will be held in Valencia, Spain, from October 23rd - 29th. As with previous meetings, this will be a great opportunity to get together with old friends and to make new ones, to exchange ideas and share knowledge and experience in the nuclear science and medical imaging fields.

The meeting will be held at the Valencia Convention Center (designed by Sir Norman Foster) and two adjacent hotels. The conference center is located in the north part of city, with easy access to the airport, and within walking distance of a variety of other hotels in all categories. It is conveniently linked to the city center and the beaches by public transport.

Since the first IEEE NSS/MIC to be held in Europe took place in Lyon, France to celebrate the millennium in 2000, successful European meetings have been held with a four year cycle, in Rome (2004) and Dresden (2008). However, such has been the success of the European meetings that it was decided to hold the fourth meeting in Europe in 2011, three years after Dresden. Once again, an international Organizing Committee is planning a meeting of high scientific level that will include both oral and poster presentations and refresher courses on important topics. A commercial exhibition that will showcase state-of-the-art products and services from a wide range of companies will be held in parallel to the scientific sessions.

The city of Valencia is a traditional, average sized Mediterranean-style Spanish city located on the east coast of Spain. Attendees can experience the atmosphere of an historic city that is a fascinating mixture of different cultures and religions, combining history with a unique vision of the future exemplified by the modern architectural area that has become a reference model for urban expansion. Valencia offers a stimulating scientific environment together with a rich cultural heritage of music, art, gastronomy, architecture and folklore. The attendees can enjoy relaxing walks through the parks and streets of this unique city, as well as visiting the museums, aquarium, biopark and beaches. Temperatures will be mild and pleasant at that time of year. A variety of interesting tours will be offered so attendees and their companions can experience Valencia and the surrounding region to the full.

The Organizing Committee is delighted to invite you to join them for the first ever IEEE NSS/MIC/RTSD to be held in Spain. I therefore look forward to welcoming you to Valencia, in October 2011.

David W. Townsend, General Chair

NUCLEAR SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM
The IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS) offers an outstanding opportunity for scientists and engineers interested in, or actively working in the fields of nuclear science, high energy physics, radiation instrumentation and related software for different applications, to meet and discuss with colleagues from around the world. The program emphasizes the latest developments in technology and radiation instrumentation and their implementation in experiments for particle physics, homeland security, space, accelerators, and other radiation environments. The NSS program consists of plenary, parallel, and poster sessions, with a number of joint sessions with the Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) as well as with the Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detector Workshop (RTSD). Educational Short Courses are organized focusing on topics of interest for the scientific community. Authors are invited to submit papers describing original, previously unpublished work in the five main NSS topics areas listed here:

Detection components
Scintillators
Photodetectors
Solid state hybrid and monolithic detectors
Gaseous detectors
Front End, DAQ, Trigger electronics
Analog and digital circuits
Low noise highly integrated front end electronics
Digitization and signal processing
DAQ architectures and hardware standards
Multi-level trigger approaches and trigger farms
Fault tolerance and radiation hardness
Software and Computing
Core software tools
Simulation and analysis
Distributed and grid computing
Detectors/Intrumentation (small systems)
Gamma-ray and neutron detection
Nuclear detectors
Tools and techniques for bio-medical research
Synchrotron radiation and accelerator instrumentation
Homeland security
Large detection systems
High energy physics and nuclear physics detectors
Astrophysics and space instrumentation
Nuclear power

MEDICAL IMAGING CONFERENCE

The Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) is the foremost international scientific meeting on the physics, engineering and mathematical aspects of nuclear medical imaging. As the field develops, multi-modality approaches are becoming more important. The content of the MIC reflects this, with a growing emphasis on the methodologies of X-ray, optical and MR imaging also in relation to nuclear imaging techniques. Most recent topics such as Advanced Imaging in Radiotherapy and Hadron Therapy are now well located within the Conference. In addition, specialized topics will be addressed in the Short Courses.

Authors are invited to submit papers describing original and innovative contributions to the field of medical imaging in the topics listed below:

Emission tomography instrumentation (PET, SPECT)
Other medical imaging technologies (CT, MR, Optical, Photoacustic, etc.)
Multi-modality systems
High resolution & pre-clinical imaging instrumentation, techniques and systems
Intra-operative probes & portable imaging systems
New detector materials/technologies for medical imaging
Image reconstruction methods
Data corrections and quantitative imaging techniques
Simulation and modeling of medical imaging systems
Data acquisition and signal processing
Image processing and parametric imaging
Imaging in radiotherapy
Hadron therapy

18TH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ROOM-TEMPERATURE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS

The 18th International Workshop on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors (RTSD) represents the largest forum of scientists and engineers developing new semiconductor radiation detectors and imaging arrays. Room-temperature solid-state detectors for X-ray, gamma and neutron radiation are finding increasing applications in such diverse fields as medicine, homeland security, astrophysics and environmental remediation. The objective of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussion of the state-of-the-art of the development for semiconductor materials and organic materials for detection, materials characterization, device fabrication and technology, electronics and applications. To provide a comprehensive review, oral and poster presentations representing a broad spectrum of research activities emphasizing either device or materials understanding are sought. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on original works in the following areas:

Semiconductor materials for radiation detection
Organic materials for radiation detection
Crystal growth, materials and defects characterization
Solid-state neutron detectors
Strip, pixel and discrete semiconductor detectors
Properties of electrical contacts and device technology
Radiation damage, long-term stability and environmental effects
Scintillator/semiconductor array hybrids
Detector/ASIC hybridization, interconnects and electronics
Spectrometer systems for homeland security, nuclear inspections safeguards and portal monitoring
Imaging systems for medical, astrophysics, nondestructive
Testing and cargo monitoring applications

Microscopy Conference 2011

2011-07-23T19:06:00.001+04:30

Aug 28, 2011 - Sep 2, 2011 | Kiel, Germany

Microscopy Conference 2011

Organised by the German Society for Electron Microscopy e.V. DGE.
Starts on 28/08/2011
Ends on 02/09/2011
Category Microscopy
Location Kiel, Germany

In collaboration with:
European Microscopy Society, Nordic Microscopy Society, Polish Microscopy Society,
Scientists from Research Institutions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, & St. Petersburg, Russia.

Topics
• Instrumentation
• Materials Science
• Life Science

Conference Chair
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Jäger
Institute of Materials Science, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel

Welcome to the Microscopy Conference 2011!

Dear Colleagues,
We are very pleased to offer to you this official invitation to come and join us at the Microscopy Conference MC 2011, which will be held at Kiel, Germany, from August 28 – September 02, 2011. This congress will be jointly organised by the German Society for Electron Microscopy (DGE), in collaboration with the European Microscopy Society (EMS), the Nordic Microscopy Society (SCANDEM), the Polish Microscopy Society (PTMi), scientists from research Institutions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and St. Petersburg, Russia, and with local colleagues from the Christian-Albrechts-University at Kiel, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISiT) Itzehoe. It will bring together scientists from all over Europe. The venue of the meeting will be the Christian-Albrechts-University (CAU) at Kiel, which is just a short distance away from the beautiful bay of Kiel and its city centre. We are expecting around 550 participants in Kiel.

As on previous conferences, MC 2011 will focus on Microscopy with imaging instruments, with the three major topics, Material Science, Instrumentation and Methods, and Life Sciences, with about seven sessions each. In addition, the conference will host a major trade exhibition, which will bring together manufacturers of all different kinds of microscopies and microscopy techniques, as well as suppliers of accessories and consumables, preparation tools, image analysis systems, and important publishers in the field. The manufacturers are invited to present their latest equipment and developments and highlight new potential applications in technical lectures which will address a general audience. In the exhibition areas of the CAU Kiel, the commercial exhibition will form an integral part of the Conference and will contribute to the fact that MC 2011 will be a comprehensive source of information for anybody who is interested in microscopy for materials science and life science.

We very much hope that you find this venue and the conference interesting and that you will use this outstanding opportunity to join and meet the international microscopy community.

We would be pleased if you would follow our invitation and attend the MC 2011 in Kiel.

Deadline for abstract submission 18 April, 2011
Deadline for Late Breaking Posters 31 July, 2011

Venue
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Main auditorium
Christian-Albrechts-Platz 2
24143 Kiel/Germany

Organiser
DGE - German Society for Electron Microscopy e.V.
www.dge-homepage.de
Conference chair
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Jäger
Institute of Materials Science
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Kaiserstrasse 2
24143 Kiel/Germany
wj@tf.uni-kiel.de
www.uni-kiel.de

Conference organisation
Conventus
Congressmanagement & Marketing GmbH
Francesca Rustler
Carl-Pulfrich-Straße 1
07745 Jena/Germany
Phone +49 (0)3641 3 11 63 41
Fax +49 (0)3641 311 62 41
francesca.rustler@conventus.de
www.conventus.de

Rutherford Centennial Conference on Nuclear Physics 2011

2011-07-23T19:05:00.002+04:30

Aug 8, 2011 - Aug 12, 2011 | Manchester, United Kingdom

Rutherford Centennial Conference on Nuclear Physics 2011

The event will celebrate the centenary of the publication of Rutherford’s paper describing the discovery of the atomic nucleus.
Starts on 08/08/2011
Ends on 12/08/2011
Category Nuclear Physics
Location The University of Manchester, UK

The conference will mark one hundred years of the atomic nucleus by addressing the wide range of current topics characterising modern nuclear physics, including nuclear structure and astrophysics, hadron structure and spectroscopy, weak interactions and relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

The Rutherford Centennial Conference on Nuclear Physics will be held at The University of Manchester on 8-12 August 2011. The event will celebrate the centenary of the publication of Rutherford's paper describing the discovery of the atomic nucleus.

The conference will mark one hundred years of the atomic nucleus by addressing the wide range of current topics characterising modern nuclear physics, including nuclear structure and astrophysics, hadron structure and spectroscopy, weak interactions and relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Subject Areas
• Nuclear Structure
• Nuclear Astrophysics
• Weak Interactions
• Hadronic Structure and Spectroscopy
• Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

In addition to this wide-ranging physics programme, a number of social and public events will be taking place in and around the city of Manchester, including:
- Exhibition and reception at the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry, including displays of original apparatus, documents and papers.
- Civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr Mark Hackett (To be confirmed).
- Conference dinner in the Grade II listed Whitworth Hall, with pre-dinner drinks in the galleries of the Manchester Museum.
- Visits to Tatton Park and the Lowry Museum.

PPSN 2012: 12th International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving From Nature

2011-07-23T19:04:00.002+04:30

Sep 1, 2012 - Sep 5, 2012 | Taormina, Italy
PPSN 2012: 12th International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving From Nature

The Twelfth International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving from Nature (PPSN XII) will be held in Taormina, Italy on 8-12 September 2012. This biennial meeting aims to bring together researchers and practitioners in the field of natural computing.

Natural Computing is the study of computational systems which use ideas and get inspiration from natural systems, including biological, ecological, physical, chemical, and social systems. It is a fast- growing interdisciplinary field in which a range of techniques and methods are studied for dealing with large, complex, and dynamic problems with various sources of potential uncertainties.

PPSN XII will be a showcase of a wide range of topics in Natural Computing including, but not restricted to: Evolutionary Computation, Neural Computation, Molecular Computation, Quantum Computation, Artificial Life, Swarm Intelligence, Artificial Ant Systems, Artificial Immune Systems, Self-Organizing Systems, Emergent Behaviors, and Applications to Real-World Problems.

PPSN XII will also feature workshops and tutorials covering advanced and fundamental topics in the field of natural computation.

All accepted papers will be presented during poster sessions and will be included in the proceedings. Following the tradition of PPSN, we plan to publish the proceedings in the Series Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) by Springer.

The PPSN conference series started 1990 in Dortmund.

SCOPE:

PPSN XII will showcase a wide range of topics in Natural Computing including, but not restricted to: Evolutionary Computation, Quantum Computation, Molecular Computation, Neural Computation, Artificial Life, Swarm Intelligence, Artificial Ant Systems, Artificial Immune Systems, Self-Organizing Systems, Emergent Behaviors, and Applications to Real-World Problems.

PAPER PRESENTATION:

Following the now well-established tradition of PPSN conferences, all accepted papers will be presented during small poster sessions of about 16 papers. Each session will contain papers from a wide variety of topics, and will begin by a plenary quick overview of all papers in that session by a major researcher in the field. Past experiences have shown that such presentation format led to more interactions between participants and to a deeper understanding of the papers. All accepted papers will be published in the LNCS Proceedings.

PAPER SUBMISSION:

Researchers are invited to submit original work in the field of natural computing as papers of not more than 10 pages. Authors are encouraged to submit their papers in LaTeX. Papers must be submitted in Springer Verlag's LNCS style through the conference homepage.

IV International Conference on Surfaces, Materials and Vacuum

2011-07-23T19:03:00.003+04:30

Sep 25, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Dear Colleagues and Students,

From its beginning the Mexican Society on Science and Technology of Surfaces and Materials (SMCTSM) has been an important forum used by the Mexican scientific community for discussion of scientific and technological topics related with research in the areas of surfaces and materials.

The high academic level of those involved in our conferences promoted the transformation of our annual national meetings (the XXXI this year), into an international conference and the organization of this meeting will continue for the forthcoming years.

On this occasion we have the pleasure to inform you that the fourth edition of the International Conference on Surfaces, Materials and Vacuum will be held in the city of Puerto Vallarta located on the pacific Coast of Mexico, the 26th – 30th of September. This year, our Conference will be held together with the Specialist Meeting on Carbon (SMC-2011), a meeting devoted to all areas of carbon research but focused on an in-depth and detailed examination of the similarities and differences between the synthesis-property relationships of the different carbon types.

The scientific program of the Conference is divided into plenary conferences, short courses and the different symposia (see the list below) with oral and poster contributions related to the different areas of materials science and technology.

2011-07-23T19:03:00.001+04:30

"IV International Conference on Surfaces, Materials and Vacuum"

Sep 25, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The first international scientific-research conference of Iranian students in Armenia

2011-07-23T18:58:00.001+04:30

Sep 16, 2011 - Sep 17, 2011 | Armenia

By God’s grace Iranian students in Armenia decided to hold an international scientific-research conference on 17-18 June 2011 in order to materialize their long run research objectives, establish a decent scientific link among scholars and researchers and provide a comfortable and friendly atmosphere for exchanging ideas and thought among them. Thus we would be glad to invite faculty members of universities and higher education institutions, postgraduate students and researchers to send their articles and help us to hold a worthwhile and noteworthy international conference. It should be mentioned that registration and paper submission should be done online and not later than 10 May 2011.

iBioMath 2011

2011-07-23T18:57:00.003+04:30

Aug 12, 2011 - Aug 12, 2011 | Paris, France

First International Workshop on Integral Biomathics: iBioMath 2011, In conjunction with the European Conference on Artificial Life ECAL 11, the 20th Anniversary Edition “Back to the Origins of Alife”

iBioMath 2011

2011-07-23T18:57:00.001+04:30

Aug 12, 2011 - Aug 12, 2011 | Paris, France

Metamaterials '2011: The Fifth International Congress on Advanced Electromagnetic Materials in Microwaves and Optics

2011-07-23T18:55:00.002+04:30

Oct 10, 2011 - Oct 15, 2011 | Barcelona, Spain

Metamaterials '2011: The Fifth International Congress on Advanced Electromagnetic Materials in Microwaves and Optics

Barcelona, Spain, 10-15 October 2011
(Conference: 10-13 October 2011, Doctoral school: 14-15 October 2011)

Metamaterials 2011 will be hosted by the Centre CIMITEC of the Escola d'Enginyeria at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

This congress series was initiated by the European Network of Excellence Metamorphose and is organized by the Virtual Institute for Artificial Electromagnetic Materials and Metamaterials (Metamorphose VI).

This series of events brings together and continues the traditions of the highly successful series of International Conferences on Complex Media and Metamaterials (Bianisotropics) and Rome International Workshops on Metamaterials and Special Materials for Electromagnetic Applications and Telecommunications. International Conferences on Complex Media and Metamaterials had eleven editions, with the names “Chiral”, “Bi-isotropics”, or “Bianisotropics”, reflecting the developments in the field of artificial electromagnetic materials.

The first four editions of the Congress were held in Rome (October 2007), in Pamplona (September 2008), London (September 2009) and Karlsruhe (September 2010).

- Topics -

The Congress will address a wide area of research in artificial electromagnetic materials and surfaces and their applications from RF to optical frequencies. The conference topics encompassing theory, design, applications, fabrication and measurements include but are not limited to:

Physics of complex electromagnetic materials
Micro- and nano-fabrication of metamaterials
Experimental techniques for characterization of metamaterials
Analytical and numerical modelling of metamaterials
Homogenization of metamaterials and effective medium models
Three-dimensional metamaterials
Planar metamaterial structures, meta-surfaces and meta-sheets
Metamaterials for nanoelectronics and nanoantennas
Carbon nanotubes and graphene in metamaterials
Tunable, reconfigurable and nonlinear metamaterials
Absorption-free metamaterials
Chiral and bianisotropic composites
Metamaterials with extreme parameters
Quantum metamaterials
Plasmonic metamaterials
Extraordinary transmission
EBG structures, photonic crystals, and their applications
RF and microwave metamaterials: design, properties, and applications
Millimeter wave/THz metamaterials and applications
Optical metamaterials and applications
Acoustic metamaterials and applications
Antenna and absorber applications of metamaterials
Metamaterials as sensors
Medical applications of metamaterials
Superlenses, hyperlenses, other near-field imaging devices
Transformational electromagnetics and optics
Advances in cloaking
Educational aspects of metamaterials

MICROSCOPY AT THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE - 2ND JOINT CONGRESS OF THE PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH MICROSCOPY SOCIETIES

2011-07-23T18:54:00.002+04:30

Oct 18, 2011 - Oct 21, 2011 | Aveiro, Portugal

On behalf of the Portuguese and Spanish Societies of Microscopy, it is our great pleasure to warmly invite you to attend our next Joint Meeting to be held in Aveiro, Portugal, under the title “Microscopy at the Frontiers of Science”

After the experience gained in our previous successful meeting in Segovia, in 2009, we are fully convinced that on this new occasion we will also be able to offer attractive Scientific and Social Programs that we are sure will meet your expectations. It is without doubt that both Societies and the University of Aveiro, at whose installations we will celebrate this event, will do all that is possible to achieve this goal.

In these past two years our scientists have had the opportunities to face new challenges. These have involved the use of Microscopy to solve problems in the fields of Life and Materials Science; the use and development of novel instruments, techniques and methodologies and, undoubtably, to contribute to improving our scientific understanding of the behavior of both live and inert matter. The local organizing committee is preparing the presentation of recent findings, which merit being freshly reported and exchanged amongst close colleagues in a friendly environment.

The general theme of the meeting, “Microscopy at the Frontiers of Science”, will be developed through of a series of top quality Plenary and Invited lectures, as well as through oral and poster contributions of quality as high as those presented in Segovia.

In our view, this Joint meeting offers a larger critical mass to discuss and exchange our most recent experiences than those we are able to gather in individual corresponding national meetings. This is an important added value, which is further reinforced by the opportunity to strengthen scientific collaboration with our closest colleagues. From all these points of view this meeting provides an excellent forum to disseminate our scientific output and findings.

The attractive city of Aveiro offers cultural experiences and entertainment possibilities that will enrich and complement the Scientific and Technical programs foreseen for the meeting. Care is being paid by the organizers to satisfactorily fulfill the social program expectations of the attendees.

In any case, it is quite clear that to guarantee the success of this new event, from all points of view, we need to rely on your participation. Therefore, we ask you to book in your diary the dates from 18th to 21st October to join us at the Second Joint Meeting of the Portuguese and Spanish Microscopy Societies.

Looking forward to welcoming you personally in Aveiro,

Paula Vilarinho and José J. Calvino
Chairs of the Meeting

Second Annual International Conference on IN VIVO QUANTUM BIOLOGY and WELL-BEING

2011-07-23T18:51:00.002+04:30

Apr 20, 2012 - Apr 22, 2012 | PHILADELPHIA, United States of America (USA)

If you attended the FIRST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on IN VIVO QUANTUM BIOLOGY and WELL-BEING in Philadelphia from January 5, 2011 - January 9, 2011 then you know it was extremely successful - not to mention productive, lots of fun, networking, forming new friendships, renewing old ones, sampling philly cheese-steaks, visiting the constitution hall and so on, overall very enjoyable.

Participants and delegates were immersed in experiential sessions in Quantum Phenomena, SCQD, Resonant Electron Tunneling, Quantum Entanglement, Lasing Endocrines, A tour of Biology, A tour of Quantum Mechanics, and Magnetic Resonance Stimulation.
At the Conference, there were numerous opportunities to review and re-connect. The hands on sessions were particularly popular!

Quantum Mechanics came into being nearly a century ago. It transformed Physics. Chemistry embraced QM, and it too was transformed. Electrical Engineering embraced QM, and that too was transformed. Although there have been remarkable progress in Biology, at an experiential level we seem hesitant to embrace the notion that we too are quantum mechanical. For instance, it is alright for the electron to be "over there" where we can poke it, and do experiments on, and so on. But we consider ourselves to be Newtonian, not Quantum Mechanical. So we've pushed, poked and cajoled the electrons for over a century, but we find ourselves unable to surrender to the ubiquitous electron that actually dances us into existence! Perhaps not really that shocking when we consider our own equipment we carry around (our sensory system) is seemingly Newtonian. In this Conference we take up the inquiry that the sensory system is, in fact, quantum mechanical! Can this knowledge be used to naturally enhance our well-being? Indeed, could mathematical physics be adapted to expand our functional optimization and well-being? Would that be more appropriate than chemical intervention with drugs or surgery that leaves notorious side effects -- especially those situations that do not call for severe intervention?

Are you working in this field? Would you like to be a speaker at this Conference? We have not yet finalized the program contents. We are accepting proposals from principal researchers. Please submit yours before it is too late. Contact information is in our website.

Physcon 2011 - 5th International Scientific Conference on Physics and Control

2011-07-23T18:50:00.000+04:30

Sep 5, 2011 - Sep 8, 2011 | León, Spain

The 5th International Scientific Conference on Physics and Control will be held from September, 5st to September, 8th 2011, at the Vegazana Campus of the University of León.

The conference will take place in the Escuela de Ingenierías Industrial, Informática y Aeronáutica (Faculty of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Computation and Aeronautics).

Scientific Program

The Conference “Physics and Control 2011″ will focus on the borderland between Physics and Control with emphasis on both theory and applications. Topics will include (but will be not limited to): nonlinear dynamics, micro- and nanotechnologies, self-organization and complexity, controlled systems in physics, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, biology and other natural sciences.

Topics include (but are not limited to):
• nonlinear dynamics
• micro- and nanotechnologies
• self-organization and complexity
• controlled systems in physics
• engineering
• chemistry
• biology and other natural sciences

European Conference on Complex Systems 2011

2011-07-23T18:48:00.006+04:30

Sep 12, 2011 - Sep 16, 2011 | Vienna, Austria

The conference aims to provide a broad forum for the diverse communities engaged in Complex Systems.

European Conference on Complex Systems 2011

2011-07-23T18:48:00.003+04:30

Sep 12, 2011 - Sep 16, 2011 | Vienna, Austria

The conference aims to provide a broad forum for the diverse communities engaged in Complex Systems.

ISMFA 2011- Int. School on Magnetohydrodynamics and Fusion Appl., Marmaris, Turkey

2011-07-23T18:47:00.000+04:30

Sep 9, 2011 - Sep 17, 2011 | Marmaris, Turkey

The main purpose of the school is to teach the basics of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and fusion researches. A bridge between the basic principles of MHD and the advanced researches on fusion will be founded. Fusion energy is the best hope of Mankind for a long-term clean energy solution; and this school will play a role in the increased interest among the scientific community in this area. Thus, we aim to enhance the understanding of the plasma dynamics in a magnetic and heated environment, that affects the yields of fusion events. With this respect, the school courses cover plasma sytems modelling, instabilities, convection, turbulence, nonlinear aspects of MHD, inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) and plasma focus (PF) devices within 7 days.

We believe that this international school will enhance the interest on MHD and fusion studies and the students from undergraduate, M.Sc and Ph.D programs as well as the postgraduate researchers would have an opportunity to flourish their understandings and/or researches on the cutting-edge physics of the topics above. This event will also have a poster session and presentation covering the studies of students. Thereby, we hope that the students will have an opportunity to improve their researches on MHD and fusion further based on the suggestions. Another aim is to increase the interest on fusion, which is the most efficient energy type in universe. With this regard, the physics of inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) and plasma focus (PF) devices is presented and future perspectives on these topics are considered.

The achievement of the courses will be evaluated by homeworks. In addition to the courses practises and simulation studies by using computers will be realized. The students will be able to apply the codes and other materials when they return to their country. .

The outlines of the scientific programme can be stated in two main divisions:

1) Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) problems,

2) Fusion modelling and plasma instabilities

In the first part, the basics of MHD is presented. The dynamic equations such as Navier-Stokes and conservation equations will be explained in a magnetic media. The effect of heating under a certain temperature gradient and basic instabilities will also be explained.

In the second part of the course, fusion modelling is handled. The use of the Lee model-based Universal Plasma Focus Laboratory Facility and the multi-component cathode modelling in an IEC is explained in detail. Some applications will also be realized in the intensive hands-on computer numerical experiments sessions.

ORGANIZER
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol KURT (Gazi University, Turkey)

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Prof. Dr. Friedrich H. BUSSE (Bayreuth University, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Sing LEE(Institute for Plasma Focus Studies, Malaysia)
Prof. Dr. Werner PESCH(Bayreuth University, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Sor Heoh SAW (INTI College, Malaysia)
Prof. Dr. H. Mehmet ŞAHİN (Gazi University, Turkey)

LECTURERS
Prof. Dr. Friedrich H. BUSSE (Bayreuth University, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Sing LEE(Institute for Plasma Focus Studies, Malaysia)
Prof. Dr. Werner PESCH(Bayreuth University, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Sor Heoh SAW (INTI College, Malaysia)
Prof. Dr. H. Mehmet ŞAHİN (Gazi University, Turkey)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol KURT(Gazi University, Turkey)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Mehmet CANTÜRK(Atılım University, Turkey)
Dr. Hassan Murtaza(Technical Education Institute of Crete, Greece)

Date: 10 - 16 September 2011

Place: Institute of Theoretical and Applied Physics (ITAP)
http://itap-tthv.org

Contact: ismfa2011@gmail.com

Nano Cleaning: Perfect for Inside and Outside the Home

2011-07-19T20:51:00.000+04:30

Nano cleaning is all about minimising the need to clean all kinds of objects, and making cleaning much easier when it is necessary. The main tools of nano cleaning are smart coatings, which have been developed through nano sciences - the study of particles so tiny they are measured in billionths of a metre. These coatings are very thin films that bond with a wide range of surfaces to form a barrier that repels dirt, liquids and bacteria.

Where can nano cleaning be used inside and outside the home? Almost everywhere! Here are a few examples:

Kitchens. Anywhere that food is stored or prepared must not only look clean but must also be kept as free as possible from disease-causing bacteria. Kitchen counters, cupboards, floors, splashbacks and appliances can all be protected with a smart coating so smooth that bacteria cannot colonise on it. The coating is odourless and completely non-toxic, and allows most spills and splashes - even grease - to be easily wiped away with nothing more than a damp cloth or mop.

Bathrooms. Smart coatings are invisible and can be applied to all types of natural and man-made materials without altering their appearance. In the bathroom they can be used on ceramic and stone tiles, glass shower screens, mirrors, plastics, woodwork and chrome. Bacteria and fungal spores that normally thrive in warm, humid conditions can't cling to smart coatings, so there's no need to use powerful chemicals to combat them.

Bedrooms. Smart coatings are hypoallergenic and dust, pollen and other allergens can be lifted from them with a damp cloth, which is good news for anyone who has asthma or other allergies.

Living rooms. Textiles such as carpets, curtains and upholstered furniture are more resistant to dirt and stains when protected by a smart coating. This means they have to be deep cleaned less often which keeps them looking like new for longer. Smart coatings also protect surfaces from accidental scratches, which makes them a good choice for polished wood.

Conservatories. Cleaning all the glass in a conservatory is a difficult task that nano cleaning makes a lot easier. Applying a smart coating to the outside prevents dirt sticking to the glass so it will simply wash off in the rain. The insides of windows treated in the same way only need an occasional wipe with a damp cloth to keep them clean and sparkling.

Gardens. Garden furniture, children's play equipment, even garden statues can be cleaned quickly and easily using a combination of smart coatings and plain, cold water.

Garages. Nano cleaning methods keep cars, motorbikes and bicycles looking their best, and protected from corrosion and scratches, without frequent washing, waxing and polishing routines.

Nano cleaning saves time, energy and money. It's also kind to the environment. That's why professional green cleaning companies are recommending it to all their customers.

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk

Researchers Use Nanotechnology to Study Real-Time Cellular Communications

2011-07-19T20:38:00.000+04:30

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have formulated a technology to control interactions between individual cells in real-time. They made use of nanotechnology to plant sensors on the cell’s surface. This innovative technology offers users the ability to comprehend complicated cell biology, to design efficient therapeutics, and to monitor transplanted cells. These results are recorded in Nature Nanotechnology.

Cells carrying sensors monitor the cellular nano-environment in real-time

The Co-Director of the Center for Regenerative Therapeutics (ReGen Rx) at BWH, Jeffrey Karp, stated that they can track the communication of cells in real-time with unmatched temporal and spatial resolution. He adds that they can now gain deep insights into drug-cell interactions and communication between cells that can be suitable for finding new drugs.
The cell-signaling sensors that are used presently can only track the activity in bulk surroundings that comprises a collection of cells. Researchers in this study made use of nanotechnology to plant a sensor to the cell membrane, to track signals within the nano-environment. When sensors are directly labeled on cells, they can be useful for cell or tissue transplants.
The lead author of the study, Weian Zhao, stated that this technique has potential in the field of personalized medicine if it can be used to conduct periodic studies on interactions of drugs with cells. Karp adds that this technique will enable them to investigate a drug's impact on interactions between cells to determine a suitable treatment for each individual.
The preliminary information obtained by the researchers proves that this real time technique can be used to track the environment close to transplanted cells, which would be useful to comprehend signaling events associated with an inflammation site. These signaling activities could be useful for treating several diseases.
Source: http://www.brighamandwomens.org/

2nd International Conference on Bio-Sensing Technology 2011

2011-06-17T17:53:00.001+04:30

10-12 October 2011, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Registration now Open! Click here

Bio-sensing technologies are of increasing importance in healthcare, agri-food, environmental and security sectors, and this is reflected in the continued growth of global markets for such technologies. This two and a half day Conference will provide a forum for accessing to the most up-to-date and authoritative knowledge from both commercial and academic worlds, sharing best practice in the field as well as learning about case studies of successfully integrated bio-sensing technologies. The meeting will provide an opportunity to highlight recent developments and to identify emerging and future areas of growth in this exciting field.

Following the success of the inaugural conference, the second International Conference on Bio-Sensing Technology will bring together leaders from industry and academia to exchange and share their experiences, present research results, explore collaborations and to spark new ideas, with the aim of developing new projects and exploiting new technology for bio-sensing applications.

The conference will include:

Presentations from leading specialists highlighting new opportunities in bio-sensing technologies
An opportunity to share best practice in the integration of technologies for bio-sensing
An exhibition of leading-edge, commercial technology
A poster forum for unveiling new research ideas and concepts
Networking opportunities
A strong industry focus with companies presenting their technologies

Themes

The four sessions of the conference will be:

1. Biomarkers

Development and discovery of new biological molecules and systems for integration in bio-sensing applications. For example, novel molecules integrated with silicon components at the micron and nano-scales; biological targets for sensing technologies, for example new disease markers that can be used as a target for applications such as rapid diagnostics. The use of biomarkers also includes aspects of immobilization and stabilization.

2. Sensor technology

Novel sensing technologies developed for bio-sensing applications including optical, electrochemical, piezoelectric or magnetic measurements; novel sensors for bio-imaging. Micro and nano fabrication technologies used to develop and manufacture bio/sensors.

3. Instrumentation and data processing

Challenges associated with measuring signals generated by biosensor technologies to enable the utilization of bio-sensing systems. Potential solutions relating to the development of new instrumentation, signal and image processing, data analysis and communications.

4. System Integration

Issues associated with integrating technologies to produce a working bio-sensing system. This could include technical interfacing challenges such as sample introduction and handling through to aspects of commercialisation and adoption of bio-sensing technology into chosen markets.

Poster session forum

In the poster session forum selected poster presenters will be invited to provide a brief oral review of their poster. Presenters will be selected to cover topical themes reflecting one aspect of novel technologies that could be impinge on future commercial markets. This will then provide the introduction for a debate between representatives from the academia, industry and government and other bodies.

http://www.biosensingconference.com/

Top 100 living geniuses

2011-05-08T02:22:00.000+04:30

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

British geniuses feature heavily in a 2007 list that notes the greatest living thinkers of our time - proportionately more than any other country.

The top 100 living geniuses was compiled by a panel of six experts in creativity and innovation from Creators Synectics, a global consultants firm.

The company emailed 4,000 Britons in the summer of 2007 and asked them to nominate up to 10 living people who they considered geniuses.

Each genius was then awarded scores out of ten against criteria which included: paradigm shifting; popular acclaim; intellectual power; achievement and cultural importance.

1= Albert Hoffman (Swiss) Chemist 27
1= Tim Berners-Lee (British) Computer Scientist 27
3 George Soros (American) Investor & Philanthropist 25
4 Matt Groening (American) Satirist & Animator 24
5= Nelson Mandela (South African) Politician & Diplomat 23
5= Frederick Sanger (British) Chemist 23
7= Dario Fo (Italian) Writer & Dramatist 22
7= Steven Hawking (British) Physicist 22
9= Oscar Niemeyer (Brazilian) Architect 21
9= Philip Glass (American) Composer 21
9= Grigory Perelman (Russian) Mathematician 21
12= Andrew Wiles (British) Mathematician 20
12= Li Hongzhi (Chinese) Spiritual Leader 20
12= Ali Javan (Iranian) Engineer 20
15= Brian Eno (British) Composer 19
15= Damian Hirst (British) Artist 19
15= Daniel Tammet (British) Savant & Linguist 19
18 Nicholson Baker (American Writer 18
19 Daniel Barenboim (N/A) Musician 17
20= Robert Crumb (American) Artist 16
20= Richard Dawkins (British) Biologist and philosopher 16
20= Larry Page & Sergey Brin (American) Publishers 16
20= Rupert Murdoch (American) Publisher 16
20= Geoffrey Hill (British) Poet 16
25 Garry Kasparov (Russian) Chess Player 15
26= The Dalai Lama (Tibetan) Spiritual Leader 14
26= Steven Spielberg (American) Film maker 14
26= Hiroshi Ishiguro (Japanese) Roboticist 14
26= Robert Edwards (British) Pioneer of IVF treatment 14
26= Seamus Heaney (Irish) Poet 14
31 Harold Pinter (British) Writer & Dramatist 13
32= Flossie Wong-Staal (Chinese) Bio-technologist 12
32= Bobby Fischer (American) Chess Player 12
32= Prince (American) Musician 12
32= Henrik Gorecki (Polish) Composer 12
32= Avram Noam Chomski (American) Philosopher & linguist 12
32= Sebastian Thrun (German) Probabilistic roboticist 12
32= Nima Arkani Hamed (Canadian) Physicist 12
32= Margaret Turnbull (American) Astrobiologist 12
40= Elaine Pagels (American) Historian 11
40= Enrique Ostrea (Philippino) Pediatrics & neonatology 11
40= Gary Becker (American) Economist 11
43= Mohammed Ali (American) Boxer 10
43= Osama Bin Laden (Saudi) Islamicist 10
43= Bill Gates (American) Businessman 10
43= Philip Roth (American) Writer 10
43= James West (American) Invented the foil electrical microphone 10
43= Tuan Vo-Dinh (Vietnamese) Bio-Medical Scientist 10
49= Brian Wilson (American) Musician 9
49= Stevie Wonder (American) Singer songwriter 9
49= Vint Cerf (American) Computer scientist 9
49= Henry Kissinger (American) Diplomat and politician 9
49= Richard Branson (British) Publicist 9
49= Pardis Sabeti (Iranian) Biological anthropologist 9
49= Jon de Mol (Dutch) Television producer 9
49= Meryl Streep (American) Actress 9
49= Margaret Attwood (Canadian) Writer 9
58= Placido Domingo (Spanish) Singer 8
58= John Lasseter (American) Digital Animator 8
58= Shunpei Yamazaki (Japanese) Computer scientist & physicist 8
58= Jane Goodall (British) Ethologist & Anthropologist 8
58= Kirti Narayan Chaudhuri (Indian) Historian 8
58= John Goto (British) Photographer 8
58= Paul McCartney (British) Musician 8
58= Stephen King (American) Writer 8
58= Leonard Cohen (American) Poet & musician 8
67= Aretha Franklin (American) Musician 7
67= David Bowie (British) Musician 7
67= Emily Oster (American) Economist 7
67= Steve Wozniak (American) Engineer and co-founder of Apple Computers 7
67= Martin Cooper (American) Inventor of the cell phone 7
72= George Lucas (American) Film maker 6
72= Niles Rogers (American) Musician 6
72= Hans Zimmer (German) Composer 6
72= John Williams (American) Composer 6
72= Annette Baier (New Zealander) Philosopher 6
72= Dorothy Rowe (British) Psychologist 6
72= Ivan Marchuk (Ukrainian) Artist & sculptor 6
72= Robin Escovado (American) Composer 6
72= Mark Dean (American) Inventor & computer scientist 6
72= Rick Rubin (American) Musician & producer 6
72= Stan Lee (American) Publisher 6
83= David Warren (Australian) Engineer 5
83= Jon Fosse (Norwegian) Writer & dramatist
83= Gjertrud Schnackenberg (American) Poet 5
83= Graham Linehan (Irish) Writer & dramatist 5
83= JK Rowling (British) Writer 5
83= Ken Russell (British) Film maker 5
83= Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov (Russian) Small arms designer 5
83= Erich Jarvis (American) Neurobiologist 5
91=. Chad Varah (British) Founder of Samaritans 4
91= Nicolas Hayek (Swiss) Businessman and founder of Swatch 4
91= Alastair Hannay (British) Philosopher 4
94= Patricia Bath (American) Ophthalmologist
94= Thomas A. Jackson (American) Aerospace engineer 3
94= Dolly Parton (American) Singer 3
94= Morissey (British) Singer 3
94= Michael Eavis (British) Organiser of Glastonbury 3
94= Ranulph Fiennes (British) Adventurer 3
100=. Quentin Tarantino (American) Filmmaker

Predictions of 2011 winners for Nobel Prize in physics

2011-05-05T23:25:00.003+04:30

2010

Charles L. Bennett
Professor of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
Why: for discoveries deriving from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), including the age of the universe, its topography, and its composition
Thomas W. Ebbesen
Professor, University of Strasbourg, and Director, ISIS (Institute of Science and Supramolecular Engineering), Strasbourg, France
Why: for observation and explanation of the transmission of light through subwavelength holes, which ignited the field of surface plasmon photonics
Lyman A. Page
Henry DeWolf Smyth Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ USA
Why: for discoveries deriving from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), including the age of the universe, its topography, and its composition
Saul Perlmutter
Professor, Department of Physics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA, and Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA
Why: for discoveries of the accelerating rate of the expansion of the universe, and its implications for the existence of dark energy
Adam G. Riess
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA, and Senior Member, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD USA
Why: for discoveries of the accelerating rate of the expansion of the universe, and its implications for the existence of dark energy
Brian P. Schmidt
Australian Research Council Federation Fellow, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Weston Creek, Australia
Why: for discoveries of the accelerating rate of the expansion of the universe, and its implications for the existence of dark energy
David N. Spergel
Charles Young Professor on the Class of 1897 Foundation and Chair, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ USA
Why: for discoveries deriving from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), including the age of the universe, its topography, and its composition

for 2011
Comment here:

Dark matter and string theory?

2011-04-22T14:07:00.000+04:30

physorg.com

Ultra-cold neutrons are trapped in particular quantum energy states by the at IL earth’s gravitational force, an underlying mirror and a neutron absorber above. By vibrating the mirror scientists can lift neutrons to higher quantum energy state and make highly accurate energy measurements

Super-cold neutrons could provide the answer. A new technique developed by neutron scientists is so sensitive that it could be used to measure the quantum effects of gravity. Minute deviations from Newtonian laws could prove whether dark matter or string theory’s extra dimensions exist.

Particle physicists from the Vienna University of Technology and Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) have developed a new technique named Gravity Resonance Spectroscopy that bounces ultra-cold neutrons along a mirror to observe their various quantum energy states. By vibrating the mirror at particular frequencies, researchers are able to boost the neutrons to higher quantum energy states.

This is the first resonance-spectroscopy method, which does not use electromagnetic forces, fields or potentials to drive the transitions. Their success is an important step towards modelling gravitational interactions at very short distances and looking for predicted tiny deviations from pure Newtonian gravity.

The research, reported in Nature Physics, could also test the equivalence principle, a 16th century law that states gravity accelerates all objects equally, regardless of their mass. In 1971, it was famously demonstrated on the moon by Apollo astronaut Dave Scott who dropped a hammer and feather, which millions watching at home saw land simultaneously. Researchers hope to use this new technique to test the principle’s accuracy at the atomic level for the first time.

The visible effects of gravity are usually seen only at large scales, governing the motion of stars and planets whilst quantum mechanics is primarily evident at the atomic scale.

“In this tiny world, the gravitational force is so weak that it is difficult to observe its quantum effects,” explains Prof Hartmut Abele, from Vienna’s Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics. “Using atoms to measure these effects is extremely difficult as they are disturbed by short range electric forces such as Van der Waals or Casimir forces. However, using ILL’s ultra-cold neutrons, which are chargeless, very slow moving and extremely resistant to electrical disturbance we can measure these effects extremely precisely”.

Prof Abele, Tobias Jenke and scientists from ILL took a high precision spectroscopy technique measuring resonance, which is usually applied to electromagnetic interactions, and for the first time used it to measure gravity. Their work improves on research using ultra-cold neutrons and mirrors to observe quantum gravitation interactions, first devised at the world leading neutron facility in 2002. In this new research Prof Abele and his team mechanically induced transitions between these different energy states through the introduction of an oscillating field, achieved by vibrating the underlying mirror at a particular frequency. Using this technique future research will be able to calculate more precisely the energies behind the various quantum states of a neutron in the Earth's gravitational field.

Dr. Peter Geltenbort, Physicist at ILL and collaborator on this research: “In 2002, ultra-cold neutrons allowed us for the first time to observe the different quantum energy states of the neutron under the Earth’s gravity. Now with this technique we can attribute incredibly precise energies to each of these states. It’s a major breakthrough for those looking to understand the fundamental nature of gravity and bring together the physics of the atomic world with that of our own”.

Some physicists believe that more accurate measurement of these energies will reveal a slight divergence with those calculated using Newtonian laws of gravity. They predict that detecting and quantifying this disparity will provide evidence of dark matter particles known as axions or the extra dimensions suggested by string theory.
Prof Andrew Harrison, Science Director at ILL: “Whilst neutrons provide a valuable resource for applied science, Professor Abele’s research demonstrates their worth in uncovering the most basic truths in nature. Through our ongoing Millennium upgrade programme ILL continues to improve its capabilities to support world class fundamental and applied science.”

More information:
Nature Physics online, 17 April 2011

Nano-scale Transistor for Quantum Computation Processors

2011-04-22T13:58:00.000+04:30

azonano.com

A team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh has developed a single-electron transistor called SketchSET, or sketch-based single-electron transistor to help build enhanced computer memories, electronic materials, and the quantum computer parts.

The research paper has appeared in Nature Nanotechnology and explains that the computer’s core component, an island measuring 1.5nm in diameter, can function with just one or two electrons. This feature would render the transistor applicable in ultradense memories and quantum processors. These devices could help address complicated issues.

Pitt's SketchSET

The nano-scale island could also function as a synthetic atom to create new artificial electronic materials including superconductors, says team leader Jeremy Levy, a professor of physics and astronomy in the School of Arts and Sciences. Levy collaborated with lead author and physics and astronomy graduate student Guanglei Cheng, besides physics and astronomy researchers Feng Bi, Daniela Bogorin, and Cheng Cen. The Pitt team collaborated with a research team from the University of Wisconsin led by materials science and engineering professor Chang-Beom Eom, and research associates Chung Wun Bark, Jae-Wan Park, and Chad Folkman.
A sharp conducting probe of an atomic force microscope was used to create nano-sized wires and transistors at the interface of a crystal of strontium titanate and a 1.2nm thick lanthanum aluminate layer. The devices can later be erased, allowing the interface to be reused. The SketchSET comprises an island structure that could hold zero, one or two electrons. This numbers causes specific conductive traits. Wires protruding from the transistor deliver more electrons over the island.
The single-electron device is sensitive to an electric charge and exhibits ferroelectricity, due to which the transistor serves as a solid-state memory. The ferroelectric state can also monitor the number of electrons on the island when there is no external power source. A computer memory that was based on this characteristic could retain data when the processor was shut down. It could also prove susceptible to nano-scale pressure changes like a nanoscale charge or force sensor.

Flowing electrons magnetize graphene

2011-04-22T13:54:00.000+04:30

http://physicsworld.com

A new spin on graphene

Physicists in the UK have discovered another useful property of graphene – the material can be magnetized by simply passing a current of electrons through it. The effect could prove useful in creating spintronic or quantum-information devices that use the spin of the electron.

Graphene is a honeycomb-like 2D sheet of carbon just one atom thick. It acts as a semi-metal and is often touted as a "wonder material" with the potential to make extremely small electronic devices of the future.

This latest work was done by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester in the UK, who shared the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics for creating the first sheets of graphene. The research also involved scientists in the US, Russia, Japan and the Netherlands.

Spin currents

The researchers made their discovery by passing an electrical current along a piece of graphene in the presence of a small magnetic field. They found that spin-up and spin-down currents are produced in opposite directions, perpendicular to the direction of the electrical current. The effect is to magnetize the graphene sheet (see figure). The effect is important because it offers physicists a way of controlling spin using electrical current.

The researchers studied more than 20 devices, with two types of graphene – graphene grown on an oxidized silicon wafer and another system where crystals of hexagonal boron nitride were placed between the graphene and the silicon wafer.

While this is not the first time a form of graphene has been magnetized, it is the first time that net magnetization has been created in graphene using spin currents. The research also suggests that spins can be generated, even if graphene has no magnetic moment.

"The central [result] is that they can create large spin currents, which allow them to separate spatially the up and the down spins," says Markus Mueller, at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy. Mueller believes that the experiment offers a way to produce simple and robust spin-current sources, which could have many applications.

Imbalance at the Dirac point

Mueller explains that the effect is related to an unusual property of graphene – a Dirac or "neutrality" point where the valence and conduction bands meet. Particles above the Dirac point and holes below the Dirac point react in opposite ways to a magnetic field. The result is an imbalance explains Mueller. "You have more 'up' spins so that their Fermi surface lies in the particle-like region; and fewer 'down' spins, which at their Fermi level are hole-like. That's all you need to create a strong spin current."

Another peculiarity of graphene is that even a very small concentration of charge carriers will hold the magnetization. This is unlike normal substances in which opposite spins can be induced, but a large number of charge carriers are required to maintain the magnetization. If the concentration of charge carriers is decreased, most materials begin to act as insulators and the magnetization is lost. But as Geim explains, in graphene "the dominant phenomenon [of magnetization] still occurs... it even increases as the concentration of charge carriers is reduced, as it is inversely related and this is a salient feature of graphene".

"Non-local quantum effect"

Another surprising finding is that the spins maintain their orientation for relatively long distances in the graphene – a property that is very desirable for spintronics and quantum-information applications. Antonio Castro Neto of Boston University believes that this "non-local quantum effect" is also related to the Dirac point. Writing in Science, he explains that "close to the Dirac point the charge of the electron behaves incoherently (and hence, classically) but its spin behaves coherently (and thus quantum mechanically)".

Francisco Guinea at the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid says the results are very important for spintronic applications, especially as spin currents can be used to retrieve information stored in magnetic devices. Mueller agrees: "It seems this is a quite interesting way to transfer information to spatially different locations via voltage signals, which are easy to process and detect."

The research is reported in Science 332 328 .