Physics courses in German and English

Physics is not an easy study. When BA-students are being let in on the secrets of electrodynamics or quantum mechanics, this is already challenging in German. At the University of Duisburg-Essen students will soon receive the teaching material in a double pack: from the third semester onward, basic tectures will additionally be held in English.

The Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Professor Dr. Michael Schreckenberg, together with 11 other male and female professors, was accepted as a new member of the North Rhine Westphalian Academy of Science and Arts at its annual celebration on 16^th May. The President of the Academy, Professor Dr. Wolfgang Löwer, handed out the certificates in the presence of the NRW Prime Minister, Armin Laschet, and the Minister for Culture and Science, Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen. Michael Schreckenberg had already been accepted as a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2011 in recognition of his research activities in the field of transport physics.

Link to University Duisburg-Essen press release

A strong couple: Nanotechnology and catalysis research have combined to bring about a new Colloborative Research Centre, which will be established at the University Duisburg-Essen (UDE) in July. Today the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced that a new CRC combining nanotechnology and catalysis research would be set up at the UDE in July. The DFG will sponsor the new network “Heterogeneous oxidation catalysis in the liquid phase” with approx.10 million Euros for an initial period of 4 years under the umbrella of the Ruhr University Alliance (UA Ruhr).

Link to University Duisburg-Essen press release

Good marks: In the current university ranking carried out by the centre for university development (CHE), the subjects examined at the University Duisburg-Essen (UDE) obtained top ratings in several respects.

Physics, for example, was in the top group when it came to issues such as finishing a degree within a reasonable timeframe, the support provided during the course of study and the courses on offer. Biology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Medicine and Sport (Teaching) also got top marks for the support they provided to students beginning their studies.  The UDE Chemistry students are very satisfied with the study situation in general, the organization of study programmes and the imparting of technical expertise.

Link to University Duisburg-Essen press release

3-2-1-zero! The recent launch of the rocket “New Shepard” from the launching pad in Van Horn, USA, was cheered by physicists from the University Duisburg-Essen (UDE) as their experiment was on board. The experiment had been chosen by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for exclusive research in the field of weightlessness. It was an exciting time for Dr. Jens Teiser. The astrophysicist had sent a vacuum chamber, a laser a camera and a control unit in miniature form on the flight into space and was crossing his fingers on the ground. The UDE researcher intends to use the experiment to show how small particles are transported from the internal to the external solar system during planet formation.

“The particles are warmed by light, in our case by the laser, so that their dark side remains cooler. The transmission of pulses surrounded by gas molecules produces such a force that the particles are accelerated away from the sun.” This acceleration can only be observed by a camera during weightlessness. This was achieved for three minutes on board the “New Shepard”. “The experiment worked very well technically”, Teiser said enthusiastically upon his return from Texas.

The project partners, the centre for applied space travel and micro gravitation (ZARM) and the Universities of Magdeburg and Bayreuth, who participated with one project each, were also satisfied. The fact that the suborbital flight had an unlucky start due to the bankruptcy of the first flight provider and delays in rocket development by the new provider Blue Origin was almost forgotten when a successful landing was made. “Now it’s back to the UDE to analyze the data”, said Teiser.

On 20^th March 20 students went on an excursion to Düsseldorf Airport. The excursion was part of the lecture on transport physics (air traffic) which is given by Florian Mazur in Professor Dr. Michael Schreckenberg’s research group. Florian Mazur is not only a transport physicist but also a pilot and therefore well suited to combine the two themes.