The years 2008 saw the setting in operation the largest particle accelerator in the world. Project Pharaonic involving a real consortium of states (more than 20 states, spread over 5 continents), thousands of technicians, engineers and physicists are divided into many international teams.The LHC can be characterized only by superlatives, is the machine most of the world (with its ring of 27 km long) is in some points the coldest place on earth (the electro magnets are cooled to -271 ° C) is the place most vacuum of the solar system (10 000 billionth of pressure atmospheric) in the collision zones this is the place the hottest in the Solar System (100 000 times the temperature prevailing inside the Sun) .

But the fact? what is a particle accelerator? Why that size? Is that what they say about black holes and strangelets have a foundation? We will try to answer these questions in this folder.

Research institute:

In 2008, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will come into operation at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. The highest-energy accelerator ever built, it heralds a new era in particle-physics research, in which we hope to complete the standard model and even go beyond, into a new realm of physics.

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. This star is very different from our Sun is 600 times larger in size it radiates about 100 000 times of energy But like the sun, such objects also seems to have an area populated by bright or dark spots, more or less hot or cold. These structures are mainly due to convection, that is to say the transport of heat by currents of matter in motion. This bubbling is observed every day in pots of water heated in boiling At the surface of the Sun, the nearest stars, these spots are pretty well known and visible. However, not all the case for other stars including supergiants. The size, physical characteristics and the time of life of those dynamic structures remain as unknowns.



Other images of lesser quality, the surface of Betelgeuse have been obtained in the past. This was mainly surface models of the sun forced from interferometric data. Now researchers have a real image whose wealth exceeds that it is possible to imagine from a model. For the first time, we can say that two spots are present and determine the size of the largest. This difference in size observed leaves may predict different physical phenomena.



The analysis of the brightness of the spots shows a difference of 500 degrees from the temperature average the star (3 600 kelvins). The larger of the two structures has a size equivalent to a quarter of that of the star (or one and half times the Earth-Sun distance). This marks a clear difference from the Sun where the convection cells are much thinner and are barely 1/20th of the solar radius (a few times the radius of Earth). These characteristics are consistent with the idea of light spots produced by convection. These results constitute the first strong and direct indication of the presence of convection on the surface of a star other than the Sun.

The dynamics of electrons has an influence on the electrical transport and could lead to the development of transistors can turn on and off the flow extremely fast. An article was published in the scientific journal “Physical Review Letters.”

It was shown theoretically that the orientation of the carbon atoms along the edges of the leaflets affected conductive properties of graphene, researchers have experienced. Indeed, graphene is composed of hexagons of carbon atoms, form the edges of the sheets is zigzag or “chair”, as shown in the image. The experimental results show undoubtedly that the crystallographic orientation of graphene along the sides of the sheet significantly affects the electronic properties. To use pieces of nanoscale graphene nanoelectronics, control at the atomic geometry of these structures is necessary.

To carry out their experiments, researchers have developed a method of cutting and filing of pieces of graphene nano on a semiconductor substrate, silicon. With a scanning tunneling microscope to study the electronic structure at the atomic scale, they get a clear picture of the effect of zigzag edges of graphene sheet, which shows an important side effect, while the armchair orientation fails to show it. They also noticed that the graphene sheets with a width of less than 10 nanometers with zigzag edges show a predominant metallic behavior while expecting a semiconductor behavior. Even a small section of zigzag on a piece of 5 nanometers in graphene will change the material properties of semiconductor metal. And a transistor with metallic graphene will simply not work .

Unlike carbon nanotubes, graphene is flat, and therefore compatible with current manufacturing processes transistors. But, according to experimental studies of researchers, the control structure of the edges of graphene sheets will be required to have a performance standard for nanoelectronics based on graphene.

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news153928834.html

Berlin motorists various volunteers will be given six months’ Mini E ‘electric version of the “Mini”. With lithium-ion batteries, it has an autonomy of up to 250 km. The current used to come exclusively from renewable energy.
Thus, emissions Mini E “will be limited to tire wear, welcomes Werner Suss, representing Vattenfall in Berlin. To test the vehicles, the applications are open on the Internet. Motorists will have to perform their normal urban travel,
with the installation of a special electrical outlet near the garage of the vehicle. It will cost 400 euros per month for electricity.

In total, BMW will use 50 “Mini E” in Berlin. On the inside, motorists are only two seats and a small storage space. The batteries, weighing between 200 and 300
kg, are in fact all over the place usually reserved for the back seat and much of the trunk. The stations will be reloading, they gradually settled in the city. Eventually, Vattenfall plans to install 100 pumps of this type.

In Berlin, BMW and Vattenfall and undertake the initiative for electromobilite, supported by the federal government as part of a national strategy being developed. On the same model demonstration project, other energy companies and
manufacturers should follow the example soon. Indeed, Daimler and RWE soon test 100 electric Smart in the project “e-mobility Berlin“. RWE will set up 500 recharging points. Meanwhile, Volkswagen and E. ON agreed to launch in June 2008 the project “Flottenversuch Electromobilite” 25 to test rechargeable hybrid vehicles (model Twindrive) combining a combustion engine to an electric motor. Their project is part of the CEP , and is supported by the BMU to the tune of
15 million over 4 years.

This report presents a description of the electoral system giving the United States’ voting technologies used, the physical or organizational vulnerabilities that can affect the proper conduct of elections and ways to ensure a democratic system.

It was shown theoretically that the orientation of the carbon atoms along the edges of the leaflets affected conductive properties of graphene, researchers have experienced. Indeed, graphene is composed of hexagons of carbon atoms, form the edges of the sheets is zigzag or “chair”, as shown in the image. The experimental results show undoubtedly that the crystallographic orientation of graphene along the sides of the sheet significantly affects the electronic properties. To use pieces of nanoscale graphene nanoelectronics, control at the atomic geometry of these structures is necessary.

To carry out their experiments, researchers have developed a method of cutting and filing of pieces of graphene nano on a semiconductor substrate, silicon. With a scanning tunneling microscope to study the electronic structure at the atomic scale, they get a clear picture of the effect of zigzag edges of graphene sheet, which shows an important side effect, while the armchair orientation fails to show it. They also noticed that the graphene sheets with a width of less than 10 nanometers with zigzag edges show a predominant metallic behavior while expecting a semiconductor behavior. Even a small section of zigzag on a piece of 5 nanometers in graphene will change the material properties of semiconductor metal. And a transistor with metallic graphene will simply not work .

Unlike carbon nanotubes, graphene is flat, and therefore compatible with current manufacturing processes transistors. But, according to experimental studies of researchers, the control structure of the edges of graphene sheets will be required to have a performance standard for nanoelectronics based on graphene.

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news153928834.html

The Ministry of Science and Technology (DST)

The hydrogen plan aims to meet 25% of aggregate demand catalysts from MGP in 2020. But the plan also aims to take advantage of knowledge developed in South Africa in the field of thermal nuclear reactors and high temperature gas cooled by heat, and the gasification and liquefaction of coal to develop new technologies for hydrogen production.

The plan is based on hydrogen three centers of competence:
- The competence center for catalysis Mintek hosted by the Research Center (mining) and the University of Cape Town (University of Cape Town-CPU) to develop research on hydrogen and fuel cells.
- The competence center for the integration / validation / qualification in engineering system is located at UWCT (University of Western Cape)
- CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) and NWU (North West University) are home to the center of competence for the hydrogen infrastructure.

The South African government invested the sum of 40 million Euros over three years, 80% reserved for technology development and expertise and the remaining 20% intended to stimulate private sector participation including the participation of companies such as ‘Anglo Platinum and Johnson Mathey.

The CSIR researchers, therefore, synthesised and characterised various ammonium-type anion exchange membranes. They will subsequently be evaluated in terms of methanol permeability as a function of temperature, as well as ionic conductivity as a function of alkalinity, from 25 ºC to 70 ºC. This investigation will determine the suitability of these membranes for possible use in direct alcohol alkaline fuel cells.

In order to facilitate testing of fuel cell components under controlled conditions, the CSIR group improved an existing design for a test cell in terms of the active surface area, upgrading to a multicell stack, as well as temperature measurement and control. These improvements allow the cell to be used in conjunction with a FuelCon Evaluator C050 test rig in performance tests, in order to manipulate temperature, humidification of reactant gases, gas flow rates and electric load, thus giving control over a wide range of parameters.

These research activities and findings will be presented as a paper at the second CSIR biennial conference, which will take place in Pretoria, on November 17 and 18, under the theme ‘Science: Real and Relevant’, in the section on ‘An Energy Secure South Africa’.

 Source- http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/topic/fuel-cell

With diverse applications in the field of entertainment – there are even competitions for dance robotics, as it exists within the RoboCup Junior – this device allows students of different ages can create their own dances and records, interacting with interdisciplinary teaching areas such as robotics , music, rhythm, dance and optimization of movement.

The system, developed under a master’s thesis and started a year ago, is already considered an example of success in the application of advanced concepts of artificial intelligence.

The robot dancer works from algorithms rhythmic perception of musical notes with intelligent hearing systems integrated. The entire system of dance is essentially reactive. The robot reacts in sync with different stimuli (light or music related to the color of the dance floor) while expressing the movement of dance set in advance by the user. The software used is similar to that developed for robotic soccer, a specialty of FEUP has won numerous trophies at national and global level.

Joao Oliveira pursuing the project as part of his PhD in Computer Engineering under the supervision of researchers Luis Paulo Reis (FEUP) and Fabien Gouyon (INESC Porto). He works on the creation and management of choreography for humanoid robots. The idea is to interact together and dancing robots. In addition to a fun, this project also has an educational aspect for future students. While fun to build their own robot, they will have to use different teaching interdisciplinary fields such as robotics, music, rhythm, dance and movement optimization.

Even before the technology does not stop there: the age. Large machines can fail, because a small component is defective and is no longer available. “Obsolescence” – German for “obsolescence” – is the technical term for the problem that most companies know. In particular, semiconductor elements, which in almost any complex machine are used, are affected by this phenomenon. Solutions investigated the research now “ParaObsol”, in which scientists from universities, research institutes and companies involved. From the Chair Circuit and System Design of the TU Chemnitz, two research assistants under the direction of Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hinkle on the project.

The aim of the project is to build a research and development network for quick and safe replacement of exchanged control, regulation and monitoring and analysis systems. It affects, for example, power plants, hospitals, research centers, vintage cars and general traffic, medical, analytical and metrology whenever they become shorter due to the availability of semiconductor devices, no spare parts available. The alliance partners will help the appropriate methods, procedures and the development and test systems to design and realistic problems to be tested.

So far, companies that are producers of the message that the production of a component is set, only one way: as many parts to buy and store. An expensive endeavor, especially small and medium-sized businesses can not afford. Affected circuits are usually required for the control of the system are responsible. They are often needed, the problem is through a re-design is solved – the affected circuit is newly developed. For small quantities, however too high a financial and temporal costs. The idea of the research “ParaObsol”: The researchers want to just individual parts, or their function, copied by components that are currently on the market are available. But new parts often come from a different generation of semiconductor technology and do not fit into the old neighborhood – here, the scientists added the necessary votes for sure.

“Our work here in Chemnitz concentrate on capturing and formalizing the parameters of the Altschaltung as well as verification and test of the replacement circuit,” says project collaborator Claudia Tischendorf of the Professorship Circuit and System Design. The formalization allows the automated processing and verification of technical data with computational resources. To fully formalized mathematical data to be checked against simulations, only a small part for the selected parameter. “The uniqueness of formalized data avoids misunderstandings, which in human language texts or images can occur,” says Tischendorf and adds: “In addition, the formal data base for the generation of test programs to support and documentation.”

With around 1.2 million euros in the next two years, the European Regional Development Fund and the Land of Bavaria to the research project, again the same amount to control the companies involved in: system GmbH (coordinator of the project), Alcatel Lucent, Nuremberg Baumüller GmbH, Ruf Automobile GmbH and Siemens AG Medical Solutions. Apart from the Technical University of Chemnitz, the Georg Simon Ohm University of Nuremberg, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg involved.

For more information: Contact Erik Markert, telephone 0371 531-35049, e-mail erik.markert @ etit.tu-chemnitz.de.