Nachwuchsförderung in Technik und Naturwissenschaften
Am Mittwoch, 20. Juli 2005 findet an der Universität Zürich Irchel das
Finale des "18th International Young Physicists' Tournament" statt.
Dieses internationale Turnier für junge Talente findet im Jahr der
Physik zum ersten Mal in der Schweiz statt. ETH- und Uni-Angehörige,
die sich für den Nachwuchs an Wissenschaftlern und Laboranten
interessieren, sind herzlich eingeladen an der Schlussveranstaltung mit
Workshop und Finalwettkämpfen teilzunehmen. Ein Detailprogramm kann
heruntergeladen werden: http://www.iypt.ch/Documents/flyer_final.pdf
--
Thomas A. Jung
Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Paul Scherrer Institute
CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Switzerland
Phone: ++41 56 310 45 18
Home: ++41 1 720 61 42
Fax: ++41 56 310 26 46
http://www.psi.ch/lmnhttp://www.nccr-nano.orghttp://monet.physik.unibas.ch/gue/nanolab/
Dear Colleagues
Today Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will terminate
with a talk on
Astrophysics (see abstract below). From 16:45, there will be tea and
coffee in front of the
lecture hall 16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University (the usual
place!).
For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
Please note: There will be no talk in the last week of the semester.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
Gravitational Lenses, Hubble Constant, and QSOS
Georges Meylan
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, EPFL
In the context of the new scientific orientation of the Laboratory of
Astrophysics of the EPFL, I will present three interconnected topics in
extragalactic astrophysics: (i) COMOGRAIL is a photometric monitoring
program of already known lensed quasars. Started in September 2004, it
will provide, within 3 years, Ho determination with a precision better
than 2%, including systematics. The project also involves VLT and HST
follow up and the use of the most advanced image deconvolution
softwares. (ii) Strong lensing can be efficiently used in the study
(lensed) quasar accretion disk, by following the microlensing chromatic
variations induced by the lensing galaxy. Our VLT spectrophotometric
monitoring of the Einstein Cross is currently searching for chromatic
microlensing events in order to constrain the energy distribution of
the quasar accretion disk, at a resolution of a few micro, possibly
even nano arcseconds. (iii) I will present the first results of a
direct spectroscopic VLT and HST study of quasars hosts galaxies at low
redshift (z<0.3).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Next Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will terminate
with a talk on
Astrophysics (see abstract below). From 16:45, there will be tea and
coffee in front of the
lecture hall 16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University (the usual
place!).
For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
Please note: There will be no talk in the last week of the semester.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
Gravitational Lenses, Hubble Constant, and QSOS
Georges Meylan
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, EPFL
In the context of the new scientific orientation of the Laboratory of
Astrophysics of the EPFL, I will present three interconnected topics in
extragalactic astrophysics: (i) COMOGRAIL is a photometric monitoring
program of already known lensed quasars. Started in September 2004, it
will provide, within 3 years, Ho determination with a precision better
than 2%, including systematics. The project also involves VLT and HST
follow up and the use of the most advanced image deconvolution
softwares. (ii) Strong lensing can be efficiently used in the study
(lensed) quasar accretion disk, by following the microlensing chromatic
variations induced by the lensing galaxy. Our VLT spectrophotometric
monitoring of the Einstein Cross is currently searching for chromatic
microlensing events in order to constrain the energy distribution of
the quasar accretion disk, at a resolution of a few micro, possibly
even nano arcseconds. (iii) I will present the first results of a
direct spectroscopic VLT and HST study of quasars hosts galaxies at low
redshift (z<0.3).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Today Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will feature
again an Einstein-related talk:
Prof. Jarlskog will tell us more about how Einstein got his Nobel Prize.
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!).
For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
How Did Einstein Get the Nobel Prize ?
Cecilia Jarlskog
Lund University
The talk will address the following items:
-Alfred Nobel and his Prizes
-Selection of the laureates and a few examples
-A more detailed discussion of the Prize to Einstein
-Future prospects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Today at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will continue with the
Abschiedsvorlesung of Peter F. Meier (see
abstract below).
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!). For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
Note that tomorrow there will be a Workshop dedicated to Peter F. Meier
(for program see attachment).
You will notice that there is still one slot of the Kolloquium program
open: June 29, the last date before SS05 ends.
Suggestions for a speaker are welcome.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
Abstract:
Computer Simulations in Science (Abschiedsvorlesung)
Peter F. Meier
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
A critical examination of advantages and limits of computer simulations
in science is presented. The interplay between reality, model, and
treatment is of essential relevance and must be addressed. Do numerical
calculations help us in understanding nature, or do they perhaps hide
away the essential issues or even mislead us ? Some of these questions
are examined using well known examples from statistical mechanics and
solid state physics. In particular, the usefulness of computer
simulations for an explanation of high temperature superconductivity is
discussed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Tomorrow Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will
continue with the talk outlined below.
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!). For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
Earthquakes and Tsunami
Edi Kissling
Institut für Geophysik, ETH Zürich
Following the large and destructive earthquake of December 26th, 2004
off-shore Sumatra, quick installation of a tsunami warning system for
the Indian ocean has been requested and promised by politicians. The
second large earthquake in the Sumatra subduction zone only three
months later, luckily did not excite a tsunami. This only documents,
however, some of the challenges to be met by any warning system for
such potentially very dangerous natural phenomena and, in particular,
the problems related to false alarms. In the presentation, the main
physical processes related to earthquakes and tsunamis will be outlined
to address the following problems: What triggers such large earthquakes
and under what conditions do they excite a tsunami? How does the
tsunami interact with islands, groups of islands, and continental coast
lines? Continued earthquake research, tsunami modeling, and fast and
reliable routine assessment of earthquake source parameters by
seismological services around the world are prerequisites to better
understand these natural phenomena. Research and technology provide the
basis for targeted monitoring and ultimately for warning systems for
earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis, though only by continued and
increased awareness and action of local and regional authorities and by
the people may these systems work to reduce the effects of these
unavoidable processes of nature and hopefully to help prevent
disasters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Today Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will continue
with the first Einstein-related talk:
Norbert Straumann will discuss the contents of Einstein's doctoral
thesis (Universitaet Zuerich, 1905, see below).
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!). Due to the expected larger audience, the Kolloquium
has this time been moved to Hoersaal G 20.
There will be signs posted.
For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
You will notice that there is still one slot of the Kolloquium program
open: June 29, the last date before SS05 ends.
Suggestions for a speaker are welcome.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
On Einstein's Doctoral Thesis
Norbert Straumann
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Uni Zuerich
Einstein's thesis "A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions" was the
second of his five celebrated papers in 1905. Although it is - thanks
to its widespread practical applications - the most quoted of his
papers, it is less known than the other four. The main aim of the talk
is to show what exactly Einstein did in his dissertation. As an
important application of the theoretical results for the viscosity and
diffusion of solutions, he got (after eliminating a calculational
error) an excellent value for the Avogadro number from data for sugar
dissolved in water. This was in agreement with the value he and Planck
had obtained from the black-body radiation. Two weeks after he finished
the 'Doktorarbeit', Einstein submitted his paper on Brownian motion, in
which the diffusion formula of his thesis plays a crucial role.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
This Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will continue
with the talk outlined below.
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!). For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
You will notice that there is still one slot of the Kolloquium program
open: June 29, the last date before SS05 ends.
Suggestions for a speaker are welcome.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
Atomic-Scale Friction and How to Avoid it: Superlubricity and
Thermolubricity
Joost W.M. Frenken
Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Despite its apparent simplicity, our understanding of the phenomenon of
friction is still far from complete. This talk is devoted to interfaces
that slide with nearly zero friction. Using a special friction force
microscope [1-3], we quantitatively track the forces between a sharp
tip and a flat surface, with a friction force resolution as low as 15
pN. To our surprise we observe a transition from atomic-scale
"stick-slip" motion to a situation of (near) frictionless, continuous
sliding, for tungsten tips in contact with graphite surfaces [4-6]. Our
observations strongly suggest that a graphite nano-flake is attached to
the tungsten tip, so that we actually record the forces between two
parallel graphite lattices. By rotating the substrate with respect to
the tip, we periodically go through fully aligned and completely
misoriented configurations. When the misalignment is sufficiently
severe, the lateral forces on the atoms in the flake cancel, thereby
dramatically reducing the total friction force. This phenomenon is
referred to as 'superlubricity' and is proposed to play a key role in
the lubricating properties of graphite. We have developed a theory that
also accounts for thermal excitations in the contact and find that
temperature can act as a surprisingly efficient lubricant. Our
experimental results exhibit clear signs of this 'thermolubricity',
even at room temperature [7].
[1] M. Dienwiebel et al., Rev.Sci.Instrum., in press
[2] M. Dienwiebel et al., in "Nanotribology. Critical assessment and
Research Needs",
Ed. S.M. Shu, Z.C. Ying, Kluwer, Dordrecht, (2002) p. 115.
[3] T. Zijlstra et al., Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 84 (2000) 18.
[4] M. Dienwiebel et al., Surf. Sci. 576 (2005) 197.
[5] G.S. Verhoeven et al., Phys. Rev. B 70 (2004) 165418.
[6] M. Dienwiebel et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 (2004) 126101.
[7] S.Yu. Krylov et al., to be published.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Tomorrow Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will
continue with the talk outlined below.
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!). For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
You will notice that there is still one slot of the Kolloquium program
open: June 29, the last date before SS05 ends.
Suggestions for a speaker are welcome.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
The Photon and the Vacuum Cleaner
Prof. Ian Walmsley
Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University
Quantum technologies based on optics often rely on photon bunching and
measurement with feedforward to achieve an effective nonlinear
interaction between otherwise transparent particles. The efficacy of
this strategy for implementing nonlinear interactions requires pure
state single photon wave packets. These, however, are not so easy to
come by. In this talk I will discuss some methods and tools that enable
the preparation of such states.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Colleagues
Tomorrow Wednesday, at 17:15, the Kolloquium series of SS05 will start
with the talk outlined below.
From 16:45, there will be tea and coffee in front of the lecture hall
16 G 05 at the Irchel Campus of the University
(the usual place!). For directions or further information, go to
http://www.physik.unizh.ch/teaching/kolloquium05/kolloquium.html
You will notice that there are still two slots of the Kolloquium
program open: May 18 and June 29. Suggestions for speakers
are welcome.
With best regards,
Juerg Osterwalder
Molecular and Supra-Molecular Self Assembly: Condensed Matter Physics
Projected into 2 Dimensions
Thomas Jung
Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institute,
Villigen
One of the key challenges in molecular machines and devices is the
reproducible assembly of functional units in an addressable way e.g. in
2D arrays at surfaces. Using a variety of different molecules with
specifically designed structure, increasingly complex functional layers
have been manufactured and explored. Selective molecular interaction is
the generic origin of molecular self assembly [1] and a variety of
different mechanisms have been identified: Selective chemical bonding
[2], conformational bi-stability [3], and 2D phase behaviour [4]
produce distinctly different functional layers. Binary molecular
systems which involve longer range dipole forces and entropic mobility
provide the basis for an increased periodicity [5]. In conjunction with
a conformational mechanism the spacing between individual
supramolecular units has very recently been increased to 7.2 nm [6].
Going beyond supra-molecular assembly extended networks have been
created by a thermally activated chemical reaction [7] and have been
used as a template for supra-molecular organisation of ad-C60
molecules. Most recently the first successful assembly of extended
molecular layers on insulator thin films has been demonstrated [8]. All
these examples have in common that the supra-molecular structures are
extremely well defined and identical on a level which is impossible to
reach by convential top-down assembly techniques. Following the
discussion of the physics and chemistry involved in the formation of
these versatile structures I shall review and update the concept of
mechanic and electronic ‘function’ on a single molecular scale.
[1] G. M. Whitesides, J. P. Mathias and C. T. Seto. Science 254, 1312
(1991)
[2] S. Berner et. al. Chem. Phys. Lett. 348, 175 (2001)
[3] T. A. Jung et al. Nature 386, 696 (1997)
[4] S. Berner et. al. Phys. Rev. B 68, 115410 (2003), Additional
Manuscript in Preparation
[5] M. de Wild et al. ChemPhysChem 10 881 (2002)
[6] D. Bonifazi et al. Angewandte Chemie Intl. Ed., 43, 4759 – 4763
(2004).
[7] M. Stoehr et al. Manuscript in Preparation
[8] L. Ramoino et al. Manuscript in Preparation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prof. Dr. Jürg Osterwalder
Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
phone: +41 44 635 5827 <<< NOTE NEW AREA CODE ! >>>
lab: +41 44 635 5745
sekr: +41 44 635 5781
fax: +41 44 635 5704
e-mail: osterwal(a)physik.unizh.ch
web: http://www.physik.unizh.ch/groups/grouposterwalder/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~