News archive of 2024
Physicist Wolfram Pernice and Theologian Michael Seewald receive Leibniz price 2025
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize to the Catholic Theologian Prof. Michael Seewald from the University of Münster for his outstanding research.
At the same time, the Rectorate is very pleased that Prof. Wolfram Pernice from the University of Heidelberg has also received a Leibniz Prize. In 2015 Pernice had accepted a professorship at the Institute of Physics at Münster University, and he is still affiliated with the University as an Adjunct Professor. He is also a member of the “Intelligent Matter” Collaborative Research Centre.
Universität Münster vergibt Dissertationspreise
Das Rektorat der Universität Münster hat in einer Feierstunde in der Schloss-Aula 14 Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und -wissenschaftler mit dem Dissertationspreis des Jahres 2024 ausgezeichnet. Neben der wissenschaftlichen Exzellenz müssen die Dissertationen ein hohes Maß an Originalität aufweisen und einen bedeutsamen Beitrag zur aktuellen Forschung leisten. Rektor Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels sowie die Prorektorinnen Prof. Dr. Maike Tietjens und Prof. Dr. Monika Stoll verliehen die Preise, die mit jeweils 3.500 Euro dotiert sind.
Collaborative Research Centers receive further funding in the millions
The German Research Foundation (DFG) is supporting two Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) at the University of Münster for a further four years: a total of around 25 million euros will go to CRC 1450 ‘inSight: Imaging organ-specific inflammation using multiscale imaging’ and CRC 1459 ‘Intelligent matter: from responsive to adaptive nanosystems’.
A new puzzle piece for string theory research
String theory aims to explain all fundamental forces and particles in the universe – essentially, how the world operates on the smallest scales. Though it has not yet been experimentally verified, work in string theory has already led to significant advancements in mathematics and theoretical physics. Dr. Ksenia Fedosova, a researcher at the Mathematics Münster Cluster of Excellence at the University of Münster has, along with two co-authors, added a new piece to this puzzle: They have proven a conjecture related to so-called 4-graviton scattering, which physicists proposed for certain equations. The results have been published in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS).
Physicists produce the world's smallest QR code
World record in the Department of Quantum Technology at the University of Münster: a team led by physicist Prof. Dr. Carsten Schuck and student Lukas Schulte as well as doctoral students Tim Buskasper and David Lemli has produced the world's smallest QR code. With a size of 5.38 square micrometers, it is around 20 times smaller than the previous world record set by a research group from Singapore and around seven times smaller than a human red blood cell.
Study shows influence of elementary particles on the structure of atomic nuclei
In particle physics, quarks are known as the building blocks of nucleons – protons and neutrons – as well as their binding through the strong nuclear force mediated by gluons. How this force also indirectly holds nucleons together in atomic nuclei, however, is one of the most important current questions in nuclear physics. The fact that the bound states of two nucleons play a special role in atomic nuclei is already known from nuclear physics experiments at low energy. Now, a team from Europe and the USA led by Dr Tomáš Ježo and Prof Michael Klasen from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Münster has investigated these bound states at a higher resolution for the first time.
"What will count in the end is how we humans use AI"
Christina Hoppenbrock took this occasion to ask physicist Dr. Oliver Kamps how artificial intelligence (AI) can help to conserve resources and, in particular, what challenges it poses for humanity. Kamps is a member of the team managing the “InterAI” teaching programme at the University of Münster and will be one of the guests on the panel discussing the question of “Concerns about AI” on the Sustainability Day.
The astroseminar takes place for the 25th time
Dass aus einer Runde mit einer Handvoll Studierenden eine Veranstaltung mit mehr als 300 Gästen wird, hätte im Jahr 2000 niemand gedacht. Damals hielt Dr. Peter Biermann, Professor an der Universität Bonn und Gruppenleiter am Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, bei den „Münsterschen Kolloquien“ einen Vortrag über Astrophysik. An jenem Abend diskutierten einige der Studierenden mit ihm und Prof. Dr. Elmar Jessberger vom Institut für Planetologie der Universität Münster in kleiner Runde noch lange weiter – und ahnten nicht, dass dieser Moment die Geburtsstunde des Astroseminars war.
70 years of CERN: University of Münster celebrates
The CERN nuclear research center near Geneva is 70 years old. The University of Münster, which has been involved in research at CERN for more than 40 years, is celebrating this milestone birthday on September 21 with an action day at the LWL Planetarium.
Iris Niehues returns to her home university from Spain
When a material has been removed layer by layer to such an extent that only a hint remains - ideally a single, two-dimensional layer of atoms - things get exciting for junior professor Dr. Iris Niehues. The thinnest materials available have special optical properties that make them interesting for potential use in quantum computers. They have fascinated the physicist since her Master's thesis. "I am constantly looking for ways to manipulate the optical properties and understand the fundamental interactions in nanosystems. I want to make them usable for technical components," she says, summarizing her motivation.
Researchers control electronic properties of moiré crystals
If you make a material thinner and thinner, there comes a point when it undergoes a seemingly miraculous transformation: A two-dimensional material that consists of only one or two layers of a crystalline solid sometimes takes on completely different properties than the same material with greater thickness. A research team led by physicist Prof Ursula Wurstbauer from the University of Münster is investigating how the properties of two-dimensional crystals stacked on top of each other can be controlled to exhibit different behaviours, e.g. as an insulator, an electrical conductor, a superconductor and a ferromagnet. To do this, the scientists utilised the interactions between the charge carriers (electrons) and the so-called ‘energy landscape’ of the crystals.
Outstanding Master's thesis at the Department of Physics honored
Jan Bieling has received the "Infineon Master Award", endowed with 2,000 euros, for his outstanding master's thesis on the experimental characterization of a magnetite surface with regard to crystal structure, magnetism and electron structure. The prize is awarded by the Department of Physics at the University of Münster and Infineon Technologies AG for the best Master's thesis of the year. The award ceremony took place during the graduation ceremony of the Department of Physics.
Thorough planning ensures successful conference
For many scientists, organising conferences or network meetings is part of their job. But undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students are rarely confronted with such a task. Despite the lack of routine, doctoral student Hannah Treppke and students Jan Schwarte and Moritz Wendel from the Institute of Geophysics took up the challenge and organised the Geophysical Action Programme (GAP) 2024 conference.
"Der Spin ist die Ursache für alle Formen von Magnetismus"
In der Arbeitsgruppe von Prof. Dr. Markus Donath am Physikalischen Institut der Universität Münster erforscht Fabian Schöttke ein intuitiv kaum zugängliches Phänomen: den Spin von Elektronen. Warum der Spin im Alltag präsent ist und wie er helfen könnte, in elektronischen Anwendungen Energie zu sparen, erklärt der Doktorand im Interview mit Christina Hoppenbrock.
First measurement of a nuclear recoil signal from solar neutrinos with XENONnT
Today, Wednesday, July the 10th, at the IDM conference in L’Aquila (IT), the XENONnT collaboration announced the first measurement of low-energy nuclear recoils from neutrinos produced in nuclear reactions inside the sun, particularly those involving the element boron.
Physiker Kai Schmitz gibt Einblicke in die Evolution des Universums
Das Arbeitsgebiet von Prof. Dr. Kai Schmitz liegt an der Schnittstelle von Teilchenphysik und Kosmologie, sein Steckenpferd sind Gravitationswellen aus dem frühen Universum. Im Gespräch mit Christina Hoppenbrock gibt der Arbeitsgruppenleiter am Institut für Theoretische Physik Einblicke in die Evolution des Universums, in die Methoden der Forschung und in die noch ungeklärten Fragen der Kosmologie.
Neues Projekt zum Schutz kritischer Infrastruktur gegen Cyberattacken
Gasleitnetzwerke, Stromtrassen und Kommunikationsnetzwerke sind aus dem Alltag nicht wegzudenken – umso problematischer ist ihre Bedrohung durch Cyberangriffe. Vor diesem Hintergrund startet nun das Forschungsprojekt „MANTIS“. Ziel ist es, diese kritischen Infrastrukturen mithilfe moderner Quantentechnologie vor Hackerangriffen zu schützen. An dem Verbundprojekt, das vom Fraunhofer-Institut für angewandte Optik und Feinmechanik IOF in Jena geleitet wird, ist die Arbeitsgruppe von Quantenphysiker Prof. Dr. Carsten Schuck an der Universität Münster beteiligt. MANTIS wird mit einem Budget von gut fünf Millionen Euro umgesetzt. Davon fließen rund 1,1 Millionen Euro an die Arbeitsgruppe von Carsten Schuck. Das Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben ist bis 2027 angelegt und wird vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) mit einem Förderanteil von 86 Prozent unterstützt.
Ehre für beachtliche Leistungen
Bedeutende Erkenntnisse, zahlreiche Publikationen und etliche Auszeichnungen: Die Nachwuchsgruppenleiterin Dr. Line Næsborg und der Juniorprofessor Dr. Kai Schmitz haben in ihrer jungen Karriere bereits viel erreicht. Die Chemikerin forscht an einer nachhaltigen und umweltfreundlichen Nutzung von Lichtenergie, der Teilchenphysiker widmet sich in seiner Arbeit den Gravitationswellen. Die Universitätsgesellschaft Münster e. V. verleiht beiden am 3. Juli den Förderpreis. Gäste sind ab 18 Uhr bei der Veranstaltung im Hause der VR Bank Westfalen-Lippe eG (Hafenplatz 2) willkommen und können sich unter anmeldung@universitaetsgesellschaft-muenster.de registrieren. Im Folgenden stellen wir beide Preisträger in kurzen Porträts vor.
Kern- und Teilchenphysiker erhalten Millionenförderung
Study shows: 2D materials rotate light polarisation
"Neutrinos are very difficult to detect"
Physiker bieten "International Masterclass" für Jugendliche an
Infineon-Promotionspreis für Physikerin Shabnam Taheriniya
