PYTHON - The wonderful world of programming

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effzett FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JÜLICH’S MAGAZINE

PYTHON The wonderful world of programming

LIGHT SIGNALS

LIGHT WEIGHT

Plants signal stress with light

Fuel cells are dropping the pounds

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Deep breaths Deep breaths – what you see here is not a discarded prototype of a Darth Vader mask but a “gasomat”, a device that was used at Jülich’s Institute of Medicine in 1964 to examine lung function. Curing lung diseases, including carcinomas, was one of the early tasks of Jülich’s medical research.

The photo comes from the film and photo archive of Forschungszentrum Jülich.

From June, further insights into 60 years of research will be available at historie.fz-juelich.de

TO PI C S

N E W S IN B R IE F

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Branches of knowledge

The ways of waves

60 years – research at the centre

C OV E R S TO RY

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Tangible evidence The brain shows visible changes in individuals suffering from depression.

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Researchers observe atmospheric gravity waves.

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SECTIONS

Something completely different

The lighter the better

RESEARCH

The secret light of plants

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Publication details 4

Multitalent with a fun factor: the unexpected journey of the programming language Python.

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Editorial

What’s your research all about?

Paving the way for a start-up: early-career scientists improve fuel cells.

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From climate killer to raw material?

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2.2 plus 26

Reader survey: Do you like it?

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How CO2 from exhaust gases can be utilized.

22 How plant stress can be observed from space.

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Research in a tweet 28

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E D I TO R I A L

Award-winning!

Forschungszentrum Jülich can claim this in many areas – but since November 2015, this has also applied to effzett and the Annual Report. The International Corporate Media Award panel honoured both publications with their Award of Excellence. We are delighted – and would like to thank everyone involved in the publication of these magazines: particularly our scientists for their time, patience, and openness to talk about research in a different, fascinating way; our authors for the well-written articles; our photographers for capturing special moments; and our agency, SeitenPlan, for advising us and bringing everything together in the end.

Now we’re interested in your opinion on effzett! What do you like, what’s missing, and what can we improve? We have prepared an online reader survey for this purpose. You will find details at the end of the magazine.

We are looking forward to receiving your suggestions and comments.

Everyone who takes part until 20 May will be entered into a prize draw.

Want to read effzett on your tablet? Either scan the QR code with your tablet or visit our website: www.fz-juelich.de/effzett

But before you go right to the end of the magazine: right down to the last page, we have filled this effzett with many stories on Jülich’s research.

Why not have a good read?

We hope you enjoy it!

Your effzett editorial team

Impressum effzett Forschungszentrum Jülich’s magazine, ISSN 2364-2327 Published by: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany Conception and editorial work: Annette Stettien, Dr. Barbara Schunk, Christian Hohlfeld, Dr. Anne Rother (responsible according to German press law) Authors: Marcel Bülow, Dr. Frank Frick, Christian Hohlfeld, Katja Lüers, Katharina Menne, Dr. Regine Panknin, Birgit Pfeiffer, Prof. Bernd-A. Rusinek, Tobias Schlößer, Dr. Barbara Schunk, Brigitte Stahl-Busse, Ilse Trautwein, Dr. Janine van Ackeren, Angela Wenzik, Erhard Zeiss, Peter Zekert Translation: Language Services, Forschungs­zentrum Jülich

Graphics and layout: SeitenPlan GmbH, Corporate Publishing Dortmund, Germany Images: Forschungszentrum Jülich (p. 2, 5 bottom, p. 7 bottom; Forschungszentrum Jülich/Sebastian Bludau, Katrin Amunts (p. 18 (brain)); Forschungs­ zentrum Jülich/Sascha Kreklau (p. 3 bottom left and top centre, p.14–15, 19, 20–21); Forschungszentrum Jülich/Ralf-Uwe Limbach (p. 6 top, p. 12–13 portraits for illustrations, 24, 28); Forschungszentrum Jülich/ Wilhelm-Peter Schneider (p. 6 centre); 1000 Words/ Shutterstock (p. 5 top); bmaki/Shutterstock (p. 22 centre); CIC Robotic Kit/Science Discovery (p. 27 bottom); Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC (p. 3 right); Fan jianhua/Shutterstock (p. 22 (background photo)); flatvector/Shutterstock (p. 15 top (leaves)); Jojje/Shutterstock­

(p. 7 top); Andrzej Koston (cover, p. 3 top left,­ p. 8–13); LynxVector/Shutterstock (p. 15 top (pot)); Martial Red/Shutterstock (p. 15 bottom); MaxxStudio/­Shutterstock (p. 3 bottom centre, p. 22 left); mediaphotos/istock (p. 27 top); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (p. 26 bottom); Photographee.eu/Shutterstock (p.18 (background)); sappono/Shutterstock­ (p. 4); SeitenPlan GmbH (p. 25 (graphic)); SeitenPlan/ Jens Neubert (p. 16–17); Tricklabor (p. 6 bottom); VectorA/Shutterstock (p. 15 centre); wk1003mike/ Shutterstock (p. 22 right); St. D. Miller, W.C. Straka III, J. Yue, St. M. Smith, M. J. Alexander, L. Hoffmann, M. Setvák, P. T. Partain - DOI: 10.1073/ pnas.1508084112 (p. 25 top) Contact: Corporate Communications, Tel.: +49 2461 61-4661, Fax: +49 2461 61-4666,­ Email: info@fz-juelich.de

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TR AFFIC RESEARCH

Wriggling past Traffic at a standstill – the daily routine on the streets of Bangkok. But a small group wriggles through: motorbikes and bicycles make use of every gap that opens up in order to pass the waiting cars. In developing countries, this is common practice. Jülich and Berlin researchers have now developed a computer model with which they can precisely simulate the complex traffic behaviour of bikes.

– I N S T I T U T E F O R A DVA N C E D S I M U L AT I O N –

M AT E R I A L S R E S E A R C H

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By varying the layer thickness of the semiconductor sandwiches made of silicon, bismuth telluride (an n-type semiconductor), and antimony telluride (a p-type semiconductor), topological insulators can be made to measure.

Cool chips of the future A new class of materials will prevent computer chips from overheating in future: topological insulators. They conduct electric current at their surface, but not on the inside. Researchers from Jülich and Aachen have found a way to optimize the properties of these only recently discovered materials. Instead of mixing two semiconductors, as usual, they stacked alternating atom layers of the materials on top of each other. Thus, the desired properties can be produced more precisely and more reliably – e. g. the surfaces and edges of the insulators should conduct electric current more rapidly and with less electrical and thermal resistance than materials in use today.

– PETER GRÜNBERG INSTITUTE –

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ERC GR ANT

Millions of funding awarded The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded two Jülich scientists Consolidator Grants. Nanophysicist Dr. Samir Lounis (top), who is also junior professor at RWTH Aachen University, and climate researcher Dr. Hendrik Fuchs (bottom) will use the funding to further expand their research. Samir Lounis investigates skyrmions, complex magnetic nanostructures for information technology.

A Jülich calculation method, which he wants to further develop with his team, will play a role in this. Spread over five years, he will receive funding totalling around € 2 million. Hendrik Fuchs is concerned with the “detergent” of the atmosphere: the hydroxyl (HO) radical. It removes contaminants from the air. Using his almost € 1.9 million in funding, the climate researcher wants to find out how the cleaning process works in areas where plants emit large amounts of organic compounds into the atmosphere.

– I N S T I T U T E F O R A DVA N C E D S I M U L AT I O N A N D P E T E R G R Ü N B E R G I N S T I T U T E – – I N S T I T U T E O F E N E R GY A N D C L I M AT E R E S E A R C H –

Preselecting active substances A new test is hoped to help researchers recognize promising active substances against Alzheimer’s disease. It verifies how well a substance eliminates various particularly toxic protein accumulations. They are thought to cause nerve cells to die. An active substance is viewed as promising if it very efficiently destroys these accumulations, called oligomers. A targeted and precise preselection can decrease the number of necessary animal experiments and avoid failures in clinical tests. The Düsseldorf and Jülich researchers are currently working on optimizing their method even further.

– INSTITUTE OF COMPLE X SYSTEMS –

In the brain, the amyloid beta protein is cut out of a larger protein (left). As a single molecule, it is harmless, but over time, it can accumulate to form oligomers, from which insoluble fibrils and plaques develop later.

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A N N I V E R S A RY

For the curious Forschungszentrum Jülich will open its doors to the public once again this year: this year’s Open Day will take place from 10:00 to 17:00 on Sunday, 5 June 2016. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to explore the campus, experience research up close, and talk to the scientists. In the spirit of “60 years – research at the centre”, Jülich will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

Further information is available at

3.5

– W W W.TA G D E R N E U G I E R . D E –

seconds . . .

… instead of the previously usual 10–60 minutes: that’s how little time a Jülich transmission electron microscope needs to record a series of around 3,500 individual images. This was made possible by a new method developed by Jülich researchers. The individual images are transformed into 3D images – just like in computed tomography. The Jülich researchers can now observe chemical reactions, for example, on the nanometre scale, in 3D, and almost in real time.

In addition, the required electron beam is much weaker. This means that cells, bacteria, and viruses can be examined without damaging them.

– ERNST RUSK A- CENTRE – – PETER GRÜNBERG INSTITUTE –

TAILORING MATE RIAL S

KINDLING E NTHUSIASM

FE E DING ALGAE

Seven Helmholtz centres have established a joint laboratory platform for the purposes of developing powerful, tailored materials for the transfor­ mation of the German energy sector (Energiewende). The Helmholtz Energy Materials Characterization Platform (HEMCP) is also open to other scientists as well as to industry.

Forschungszentrum Jülich coordinates the platform.

In mid-December 2015, the JuLab schools laboratory of Forschungs­ zentrum Jülich celebrated its 10th anniversary. So far, more than 40,000 children and young adults from the region have experi­ mented, marvelled, and learned about scientific work there. Additionally, around 100 teachers come to JuLab every year for further professional training.

A coal-fired power plant in ­Niederaußem supplies Jülich’s plant researchers with carbon dioxide (CO2). The scientists feed it to their algae, from which base materials for the chemical industry, fuels, and foodstuffs can be produced. The operator of the Niederaußem power plant, RWE, is researching how ­ CO2 can be efficiently separated from flue gases.

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Comedy and computing In 1989, Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum christened his newly developed programming language Python – not because of any particular love for snakes but, “being in a slightly irreverent mood” as he would later say in interviews, as a tribute to the British comedy group Monty Python. The slightly absurd humour rapidly became the trademark of the new language – the instructions for Python programs often include references to Monty Python sketches, such as spam and egg, which refers to the famous spam sketch. The Python project dulwich, for example, is named after a sketch by the group that takes place in London Dulwich. If you delve further into Python instructions, you will also encounter references to the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

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something completely different It is behind YouTube, Google, and animated movies. And at the same time, it is also an everyday tool in research: the programming language Python has evolved from a little but ambitious pastime to a global language among programmers. This may be due to the fact that it is “something completely different”, as the British comedy group Monty Python would put it.

December 1989: Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum wants to solve two problems: First, he wants to avoid being bored at all costs over the upcoming Christmas holidays. Second, he wants to invent a programming language that will permit him to make fast and easy headway in his current software project. He succeeds in both. It’s the birth of the programming language Python.

Even van Rossum is surprised by what follows: Python grows up into a multitalent. Programmers solve even very complex problems with the code. The open-source language has since conquered lecture halls, classrooms, and research laboratories. In 2015, the renowned specialist journal Nature expressly recommended that early-career scientists learn Python.

Jülich physicist Dr. Bernd Zimmermann has been working with the programming language for seven years. “In 2009, I wanted to combine and evaluate data from various simulations for my Diplom thesis. But there wasn’t a suitable program for this purpose,” he remembers. There was nothing for it but to roll up his sleeves and program something himself. Two aspects were important: in a best-case scenario, the program should be available for free, and it should be possible to learn it rapidly, since time for the Diplom thesis was limited. “My office colleague recommended Python. He worked with it

himself, and I was impressed by how much you can achieve with little effort. So I started teaching myself Python,” the early-career scientist explains. He benefited from the fact that he had already participated in a general programming course at university and gained some experience with MATLAB, a commercial program widely used in science.

WANTED: TAILOR-MADE SOLUTIONS Many scientists encounter similar situations: existing programs often don’t suffice to tell instruments and computers exactly what they should measure and calculate, or to evaluate data. Tailor-made programs cannot usually be simply bought or ordered. Several times, Zimmermann experienced this while at the Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI). “When we plan novel experiments or want to simulate certain properties of materials on a computer, we often have to program solutions ourselves,” says Zimmermann. He researches the interaction of the magnetic and electronic properties of solids on the nanoscale, which scientists hope will lead to breakthroughs in information technology. Complex data sets are the result, with an abundance of various parameters, which the scientists want to analyse and visualize. “For example, we investigate what magnetic properties a metal has when it has been intentionally contaminated with atoms from a different solid.

Can any laws be identified that could be used for developing

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components?” says Zimmermann. In order to find out, the researchers translate known physical theories into models and mathematical equations and thus simulate extensive scenarios on the computer. The results are complex data sets out of which the scientists can filter the insights important to them.

Python is particularly well suited for this: The programming language is very efficient when it comes to rapidly writing program sequences and elegantly structuring and clearly displaying large volumes of data.

Since the publication of the first full version in 1994, Python has become an alternative to expensive, licensed software products for many scientists. At Jülich, climate researchers use the lean programming code to plan their research trips

The programming language is very efficient when it comes to rapidly writing program sequences and elegantly structuring large volumes of data.

The Zen of Python

Beautiful is better than ugly.

Explicit is better than implicit.

Simple is better than complex.

Complex is better than complicated.

Flat is better than nested.

Sparse is better than dense.

Readability counts.

Special cases aren’t special enough to break the rules.

Although practicality beats purity.

Errors should never pass silently.

Unless explicitly silenced.

In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.

There should be one – and preferably only one – obvious way to do it.

Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you’re Dutch.

Now is better than never.

Although never is often better than right now.

If the implementation is hard to explain, it’s a bad idea.

If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea.

Namespaces are one honking great idea – let’s do more of those!

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and neuroscientists simulate the communication between neurons in the brain. In photovoltaics, the programming language helps to centrally store data taken from samples and to make them available online. Python is also in demand beyond Forschungszentrum Jülich, for example in space research or at CERN in Switzerland. Parts of the video platform YouTube and of the data exchange service Dropbox are programmed in Python, and the film industry uses the language for computer animations and special effects, for example in the 3D animation software Blender. Google’s shortlink service is also based on it.

So what’s so special about Python compared to other ­programming languages? Part of the answer is revealed by the language’s philosophy, summarized in the “Zen of Python,

by Tim Peters” – a tongue-in-cheek credo of programming, consisting of 19 aphorisms (see left). It states, for example: “Simple is better than complex. Complex is better than complicated.” Accordingly, Python is based on simple, clear rules, which means that it can be learned more rapidly than other programming languages. Tasks can also be programmed in significantly fewer lines of code than is the case in other languages.

GLUE LANGUAGE Another essential advantage of Python is that individual program commands are directly executable and don’t have to be compiled first – i. e. translated into an executable file.

Although this means reduced speed particularly for extensive programs, special additional modules can compensate for this. Python can also be combined with other languages such as Fortran, Java, C, or C++ for this purpose, since this is their strength. Integrating elements from other languages also works very efficiently in Python. This is why it has been labelled a “fantastic glue language”. It is also the reason why it is attractive for so many applications, supercomputing among them. Although other languages are better suited for parallel computing, since they make better use of the capacities of supercomputers, sequences can be better structured with Python. “You send your simulation job to the supercomputer by means of a Python script. Then, the simulation is run on the supercomputer. Afterwards, the script collects the data and visualizes them – all in one go. That’s extremely handy,” explains Zimmermann.

So that the wheel doesn’t have to be reinvented by every user, Python contains an extensive standard library that includes mathematical equations, for example. These play a role in many scientific applications in various disciplines. Over time, more and more discipline-specific modules have been added, developed jointly and made available free of charge by scientists – for example in bioinformatics, neuroscience, astronomy, and quantum computing. These make for a very convenient basis for newcomers. “For most of the problems I’ve encountered so far, existing approaches can be found online – even if sometimes they’re only code snippets. But

these can be really helpful if you want to try new solutions,” explains Zimmermann. Like a toolbox, programmers can combine and customize the parts that are important for their current task – and then make them available to others on an open-source basis.

For large-scale software projects, groups work together via online platforms such as GitHub or Bitbucket. There, they store the source code of an application which others can then copy and develop further. Debugging – which is part of everyday development work – is also run via these platforms. Here, scientists can also find partners from all over the world for their specific applications.

Another advantage of the Python community is that whenever newcomers or even experienced programmers are stuck with something, they often receive help rapidly. “When I started with Python, the support from the scientific community impressed me greatly, and it encouraged me to try my own things,” Reimar Bauer remembers. He is a programmer at Jülich’s Institute of Energy and Climate Research and himself a Python developer nowadays. He became aware of the language while he was looking for a suitable wiki system for his institute, a communication tool for scientific exchange.

“Many developers invest a lot of time helping and supporting newcomers. That’s part of the philosophy. There are networking services, groups, and conferences all over the world,” according to Reimar Bauer. He is also a member of the board of directors of Python Software Verband e. V. (PySV) and a Fellow of the Python Software Foundation (PSF). These are not commercial enterprises but non-profit organizations. They ensure that Python remains freely accessible, further develop the programming language, and support the growth of the varied international community of Python programmers.

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At Forschungszentrum Jülich, the Jülich Supercomputing Centre offers Python courses for scientists. In accordance with the wishes expressed by Jülich’s institutes, the language has also been included on the curriculum for mathematical-technical software developers. During this dual study course taught at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Aachen University of Applied Sciences, the students learn to program applications for research with a practical orientation.

PLAYGROUND NOT JUST FOR KIDS Due to its advantages, Python is also used to kindle children’s enthusiasm for programming in some countries, such as the United Kingdom and some developing countries. A tiny single-board computer, which is a slightly bigger than a credit card and which already has Python installed, is used for this: the Raspberry Pi. The BBC developed its own version, the Micro Bit, and it will give around one million of these to eleven- and twelve-yearolds for free in 2016. The device is hoped to arouse children’s interest for digital technology and programming.

But the tiny PC could also be a starting point into Python for adults. “You can do a lot of useful and fun things with it,” says Reimar Bauer. There are entire websites and magazines concerned with Raspberry Pi, which present users’ projects.

“A colleague of mine programmed hers so that it automatically takes photos of birds visiting her bird bath and then sends the pictures to her.”

Maybe some of you need a clever software application?

Or maybe you’d like to try something new over the holidays?

Go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and get programming!

BIRGIT PFEIFFER

Reimar Bauer (left) and Bernd Zimmermann use Python for entirely different purposes.

For Bauer, it serves as a tool to share knowledge in climate research, while Zimmermann uses it to simulate materials properties.

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Getting started with Python For beginners: Python for beginners, with download and tutorial on the pages of the Python Software Foundation: www.python.org/about/gettingstarted Documentation: https://docs.python.org/3 Courses and workshops: There are lots of free tutorials and online courses on Python, for example on iTunes U or the edc platform in the USA: www.edx.org/course?search_query=Python For women: Special workshops and online services are also available for women who want to learn Python, among them PyLadies, PyLadies Remote, and Djangogirls. The latter offer workshops for beginners on web programming in Python using the development environment Django.

Django Girls: djangogirls.org PyLadies: www.pyladies.com PyLadies Remote: remote.pyladies.com Participate in a group: You can get an overview of Python user groups in the German-speaking region on the website of Python Software Verband e. V., where you are also invited to participate: python-verband.org/mitmachen/ug Raspberry Pi: A neat way of starting is Raspberry Pi – a tiny single-board computer with which you can realize lots of fun projects in Python: www.raspberrypi.org Python humour: www.python.org/doc/humor

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RESEARCH

The secret light of plants One garage, one idea – and the rest is history. Such legends are usually set in Silicon Valley. But the restless search for an answer in a dark room underneath the greenhouses of Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU) also has the makings of a thrilling tale: from basement to orbit, so to speak.

“It all began 20 years ago, with a concrete question,” says biologist Prof. Uwe Rascher from the Institute of Plant Sciences (IBG-2). “My objective was to find out whether photosynthesis happens evenly all over a leaf or if there are areas of differing activity.” This can’t be seen with the naked eye. Inside the leaves of plants, a process that is invisible to us takes place, during which light, water and carbon dioxide are converted into sugar and other substances with the aid of the green pigment chlorophyll. But with a trick, this can be revealed because plants glow. Where they photosynthesize, they give off a weak, red fluorescent light. This red glow is stronger the more excess, unusable light energy accumulates in the leaves.

This glow can’t be seen in daylight, however; usually, the ambient light is too bright. “The first fluorescence measuring instrument that I had the chance to use as a student at the university of Erlangen was absolutely enormous,” remembers Uwe Rascher, “it took up an entire lab table.” Over the years, the technology has shrunk tremendously. “During my doctoral work in the basement of the greenhouses at TU Darmstadt, the devices were already small enough to fit into a plant chamber of about two by two metres,” Rascher recalls. “Just three years later, the devices had been miniaturized so much that I was able to fasten them to a climbing harness,” he says, recollecting his subsequent postdoc position in

the greenhouses of Biosphere 2 in Arizona. There, at lofty heights, he studied photosynthesis in tree tops. And yes, it’s true: leaves – no matter how evenly green they appear – do not photosynthesize to the same extent everywhere. Fluorescence is also a direct measure of how intensively a plant binds CO2 and whether it is stressed.

MAKING STRESS VISIBLE When plants are stressed by heat, parasites, adverse soils, or air pollution, the red glow changes – but differently because every plant reacts differently to stress. Nowadays, these changes can also be measured in daylight, thanks to high-performance spectrometers developed and constructed under the leadership of Forschungszentrum Jülich. They also make mea­ surements from the air possible, using aircraft.

Thus, the researchers were able to investigate the fluorescent glow of large agricultural areas, ecosystems, and landscapes in Europe and the USA. The singularly successful measurement campaigns were pivotal for the decision made by the European Space Agency (ESA) to place their next Earth observation satellite at the service of plant research. In seven years’ time, a fluorescence spectrometer will orbit the Earth and render visible what plants glow, whether this is more or less intensive, and where. “These maps will let us measure the effect of unfavourable environmental conditions on plants across the globe,” says Rascher. Agriculture, among other

15 Gaining insights thanks to an optical aid: plant researchers Uwe Rascher (left) and Andreas Burkart

Experiment for school classes What you need:

areas, will benefit: the maps will make it possible to improve the selection of crops for agricultural areas, or recognize initial damage by parasites or droughts faster and take rapid action.

The satellite mission will be backed by mea­suring stations on the ground. Plant researcher ­ Dr. Andreas Burkart is responsible for these at Jülich. Instead of climbing trees, the biologist drafts circuit diagrams, solders and programs control units, and constructs spectrometers.

A plant with green leaves

An LED UV torch (please don’t look into the light, and don’t point it at other people!)

SEEING RED “For me, seeing really is believing,” stresses Burkart. For this reason, he likes guiding visitors into a darkened room on the ground floor of the institute. On the way there, he quickly picks a leaf off a weeping fig meant to lend an air of cosiness to the grey institute corridor. Its white-edged, green leaves are ideally suited for the subsequent experiment: in the darkness, Burkart points the glimmering blue light of an LED UV torch at the leaf. What is visible is a green leaf in a blueish beam of light. Then, the biologist hands the visitors red-tinted glasses, which completely filter out the light of the torch. Suddenly, a red, fairy-like glow is visible in some spots of the leaf, where it has begun photosynthesizing. The white edge of the leaf doesn’t glow, since there are no chloroplasts there, and thus photosynthesis is not possible.

Burkart is currently working on new spectro­ meters – stationed on the ground – as well as the associated control and data software. These units will be positioned in several locations all over the world. They will collect fluorescence data in a largely autonomous way and transmit them to a central laboratory. There, the values will be compared with the information collected by the ESA spectrometer in orbit. The researchers are certain that they will thus obtain important insights into the state of health of our planet’s green lungs.

B R I G I T T E S TA H L - B U S S E

Glasses with red lenses (available for purchase as “red laser glasses”)

What you have to do: 1 Place the plant in a dark room.

The darkness will interrupt photosynthesis.

2 Now point the UV torch at the plant.

The UV light will excite the chlorophyll in the leaves and activate photosynthesis.

3 Put on the red glasses. The red glow that is now visible is the plants’ fluorescence. The red lenses of the glasses filter out the blue UV light from the torch and only let the red light pass that is emitted by the plant.

4 In daylight, we can’t see this red glow with the naked eye because the much brighter sunlight outshines the weak fluorescent signal from the plants.

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RESEARCH

BRAIN

ENVIRONMENT

Structural biology

ENER

Bioeconomy

Nuclear waste management

Biophysics Neuroscience

Plant research

Climate research

Fuel cells 1990 renamed “Forschungszentrum Jülich”

Imaging techniques (PET/MRT)

Systems research

Atmospheric chemistry

Neurobiology

Biotechnology

Fusion research Energy research & reactor technology

Soil research Nuclear chemistry Nuclear medicine

Life sciences (biology, agriculture) Chemistry

1990–2016: Orientation along social challenges 1970–1990: Expansion and further development

Photovoltaics

Particle (e.g. with had

Physics (plasma & nuclear physics, neutron research)

1961 renamed “Nuclear Research Centre Jülich” (KFA)

Nuclear Research

1956–1970: Foundation and operation

11 December 1956 Decision by NRW state parliament to build a nuclear research facility

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GY

INFORMATION 60 Y E A R S – R E S E A R C H AT T H E C E N T R E

Branches of knowledge

Green IT

Battery & storage systems

Data science

Highperformance materials

Future information technology

Quantum technologies

Whether it’s the number of buildings, employees, or research topics – since its foundation in 1956, Forschungszentrum Jülich has been growing. But as the graphic shows, this growth has not been haphazard.

Simulation science The growth of the institution, located right in the middle of the Stetternich Forest, can be compared with one of the trees growing there. Jülich’s seed is nuclear research. It is the basis of the physical research priorities, such as neutron and plasma physics, as well as of the first branches. Researchers work on the topic of radioactivity, ranging from radiation-resistant reactor materials to biological radiation effects and radioactive tracers for medicine and agriculture.

Micro- & nanoelectronics

Materials research

physics neutrons, d rons)

Applied mathematics

High-performance computing

Information technology

This expertise is further developed and used in non-nuclear fields. Out of the physics branch, materials research grows, from which Green IT and future information technology develop; from chemistry, climate research arises. Applied mathematics, which starts out as an auxiliary institute for building reactors, develops into high-performance computing and then into simulation science. Today’s widespread crown with the major priorities is formed, with some branches crossing several sections. Thus, brain researchers make use of simulation science, and knowledge from energy research flows into new computer concepts. This interconnectivity is made possible by one of Jülich’s principal characteristics: interdisciplinarity.

The tree may present Jülich’s development in a more harmonic way than it really has been. Naturally, there was no authoritative master plan in 1956 that is still valid today – there are breaks, failed projects, and delicate shoots which may yet grow. This tree does not show these. But what it does show is that the beacons of today have grown from the history of Forschungs­z­entrum Jülich.

BERND -A. RUSINEK

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FO R ES RESA CRHCUHN G

Tangible evidence Listlessness, despondency, an emptiness inside: depression has many faces. Tangible evidence for the illness is, however, evident in the brain, as Jülich scientists have discovered.

Depression robs people of the joy of living. Researchers are trying to discover whether changes in the frontal lobe of the brain are a cause or a consequence of the illness.

Monika M.* wakes up very early every morning. She usually sleeps badly and feels strangely listless. There is no real reason for this, but she is still constantly sad and worried. The 52-year-old computer scientist is hardly capable of going shopping or visiting the doctor. Just like around three million other people ­ in Germany, Monika M. suffers from depression.

The symptoms of this psychiatric disorder are diverse, and the causes are not yet fully understood. In contrast, a structural change in the brain that Jülich researchers recently identified for the first time is unambiguous. Dr. Sebastian Bludau and Prof. Simon Eickhoff ascertained that in the brains of patients suffering from depression, the amount of grey matter is reduced in certain areas of the frontal pole.

For this purpose, the scientists from the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1) compared the volume of this cerebral matter in the various frontal pole areas in healthy and depressed individuals.

“A certain area, the medial frontal pole, is involved in social-affective processes such as brooding or self-reflection. These play a role in depression,” explains Sebastian Bludau. The analysis showed that this area is smaller in individuals suffering from depression. The scientists were also able to detect a connection between the duration/severity of the illness and brain volume: “The severer and longer the illness, the smaller the amount of grey matter in the medial frontal pole,” the neuroscientist summarizes.

In contrast, there were no differences in the lateral frontal pole, which is involved in cognitive processes such as memory. Whether these changes in the brain are a consequence or a cause of depression has yet to be investigated.

I L S E T R AU T W E I N

The JuBrain atlas Sebastian Bludau and Simon Eickhoff used the three-dimensional brain atlas JuBrain for their research. The digital reference work was developed by a team of Jülich neuroscientists headed by Katrin Amunts and Karl Zilles and comprises maps of around 200 brain areas. In order to create it, ultrathin slices of the brains of deceased individuals were analysed by means of high-resolution technology and state-of-the-art image analysis. JuBrain is freely accessible for scientists, and enables them to effectively zoom into individual brain areas.

The atlas has already permitted several new research insights.

* name changed by the editors

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What’s your research all about, Dr. Plöger?

Dr. Felix Plöger, Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Stratosphere

“I calculate the ‘ageing’ of air: at altitudes of 10–50 kilometres, air masses migrate from the tropics to the poles. In the process, they alter their chemical composition – we call this the ‘ageing’ of air. By means of model simulations and comparisons with trace gas measurements, we calculate the age of air and thus determine how fast it moves. It usually takes several years for this distance to be covered. According to climate models, this process is currently accelerating. I want to verify this since it could influence the distribution of contaminants and global warming.”

20

RESEARCH

Looking forward to their own enterprise: Vitali Weißbecker, Andreas Schulze Lohoff, and Klaus Wedlich (from left to right)

The lighter the better Three young Jülich researchers are taking the plunge and establishing their own business. What drives them is fuel cells. Their recipe for success: a pronounced decrease in weight and volume.

And the child still needs a name: “We really haven’t agreed on one yet,” says Vitali Weißbecker (31), laughing. His colleagues Andreas Schulze Lohoff (30) and Klaus Wedlich (31) join in. The three men are very cheerful in general on this spring-like winter morning. The three scientists from the Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-3) are on their way towards establishing their own business and are still looking for a suitable name for their enterprise. They are confident and ready for action with their exten-

sive scientific expertise to market their business model. The motivation for their own start-up is fuel cells. This technology is environmentally friendly, emission-free, and produces pure water as a by-product. Fuel cells operate silently, are more efficient than combustion engines, and generate electricity instead of motion, so that many fields of application can be considered. The bandwidth ranges from on-board power supply on ships and combined heat and power units in homes, laptops, mobiles, and cameras up to vehicle propulsion. Entire stacks of such fuel cells could supply cars with energy, for example. The main mechanical component of every fuel cell is a bipolar plate. The component separates reaction gases and coolants from each other. At the same time, it conducts the electricity away and therefore has to have good electrical conductivity. Conventional bipolar plates consist of graphite or a graphite-plastic mixture. The disadvantage:

21

that a life of pure research wouldn’t make him happy in the long term. An innovative start-up, by means of which he can develop his product to market maturity together with his two colleagues and friends, was the more exciting alternative.

Weißbecker told his doctoral supervisor, Werner Lehnert, about his start-up plans. Right from the word go, he was convinced by the idea and supported the young researcher in his efforts, for example in filing the patent application. “For a while, it looked like we might fail because there were new requirements for patent applications,” Lehnert recalls. He heads the group on high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells at IEK-3 and also holds a professorship at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of RWTH Aachen University. Today, he mentors the three. Meeting the four men together makes it very obvious: they are united by trust, respect, expertise, and great satisfaction in the start-up project.

they are heavy. An 85-kilowatt fuel cell stack in a car, for example, weighs around 150 kilograms.

Instead of the heavy graphite plate, chemist Weißbecker, mechanical engineer Schulze Lohoff, and materials scientist Wedlich utilize a much lighter metallic bipolar plate, reducing the weight of the stack by a factor of three, so that it now only weighs 50 kilograms. The highlight: to stop the plate from rusting, they spray it with an ultrathin protective carbon coating, which they developed themselves. The result is a long-term stable, corrosion-resistant fuel cell stack that is much lighter and takes up less space – that is where industry suddenly becomes interested.

INCIDENTAL FINDING The subject of Weißbecker’s doctoral work at Forschungszentrum Jülich put him on the track of this carbon-based coating in 2012. He was investigating various coatings for bipolar plates, such as nickel-chrome, graphite, and gold.

Some of these materials are light, but they rust quickly, while others, such as gold, are simply too expensive. More or less in passing, the young man discovered the promising carbon compound, which doesn’t yet exist on the market. So what’s the exact atomic composition? “That’ll remain our trade secret,” says Weißbecker, laughing again. The discovery suited the young man perfectly, even back then, since he was already sure

50

kilograms lighter: the new fuel cell stack weighs two thirds less than conventional stacks.

The formalities have been concluded, the business plan is ready. “That was the greatest challenge,” says Weißbecker. After all, he is a chemist and not a business economist. From July 2016 onwards, one more person will support the trio: Alexander Funck (24) will ensure that the numbers add up. All four personnel posts and the material costs will be funded for the next 18 months by Exist research transfer, an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Weißbecker and his colleagues want to make good use of this time by optimizing the properties of the carbon coating and testing it in the field. There won’t be much time for sleep.

In 2015, their tireless work was honoured with additional seed money worth € 10,000: with its enterprise concept, the trio won AC2, an Aachen competition for new start-ups.

After the conclusion of the first Exist funding phase in July 2017, establishing their own business is next in line. By this time, the child can no longer be nameless. If everything goes according to plan, the second Exist funding phase will follow: the start-up will have to leave Forschungs­zentrum Jülich, and only materials costs will then be financed. To put it bluntly: the project must be running smoothly by then. Vitali Weißbecker is already looking forward to that moment.

K ATJ A L Ü E R S

22

RESEARCH

Foam materials

Fuel

Fertilizer

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From climate killer to raw material?

Global warming is steadily progressing. It is mainly caused by carbon dioxide blown into the air by power plants, industrial enterprises, cars, etc. The vision: CO2 emissions should decrease drastically. This could be achieved, for example, by separating the climate-damaging gas from waste gas flows and utilizing it as a raw material.

It now seems only a matter of time before they sink into the sea completely, and their huts and villages no longer stand next to beaches lined with palm trees but under water: the Marshall Islands and the Maldives. Global warming is melting glaciers and raising sea levels.

Emissions that we have been venting into the air with our power plants, cement factories, and cars are to blame for this state of affairs. CO2 is one of the key culprits. It is formed primarily in combustion processes. A few years ago, the idea was developed of separating CO2 from the other waste gases – a technique called carbon capture by the scientific community – and storing it underground far from the atmosphere.

Technically, this is already possible. But – honestly – would you like to live close to such a storage site? After several failed legislative drafts, CO2 storage is now legally possible in Ger­ many – but in practice, it is a dead letter. Instead, questions now mostly concern the issue of how to use this greenhouse gas as a raw material.

SEPARATION FROM WASTE GASES First, let’s have a look at how CO2 can be obtained from waste gases. There are several approaches to this. In the post-combustion process, the gas is separated after the actual combustion process: chemicals such as amines wash the climate-­ damaging gas from the gas stream and, in a separator, release it in concentrated form. Afterwards, the chemicals flow back so that they can start the hunt for CO2 once again.

Oxyfuel power plants approach the problem from a different angle. Instead of burning energy carriers with air, as is the usual method, i.e. a mixture of 78 % nitrogen and 21 % oxygen, pure oxygen is used. Combustion is thus more efficient, combustion gas and waste gas flows are decreased and nitrogen oxide, which is harmful to our health, is not produced.

But the most important point is that the waste gases consist ­ of pure carbon dioxide, which could be used directly. By comparison, the waste gas flow of conventional power plants contains only 15 % CO2.

So far, however, producing the necessary oxygen requires a lot of energy. Jülich scientists headed by Dr. Wilhelm A. Meulenberg, together with 14 other partners, are working on a far more efficient method as part of the GreenCC project: they want to operate oxyfuel power plants with membranes since the efficiency loss of this method is far lower than that of conventional methods. The basic principle: the waste gas in the power plant flows along a membrane on the other side of which is air. Oxygen ions can pass through the membrane and move to the other side, into the waste gas, while nitrogen is held back. In this way, the waste gas is enriched with oxygen and can be fed back into the combustion process. Thus, nitrogen doesn’t enter the combustion gas – and the waste gas is virtually pure CO2. The Jülich researchers are developing the necessary ceramic membrane.

However, even the best method in the world is only useful if it is actually applied. “The most promising approach so far is the post-combustion method, i. e. washing the waste gas after combustion. Some demonstration facilities already exist. There are also a few industrial enterprises considering oxyfuel – but so far, the approach has not caught on,” says Dr. Petra Zapp, who is concerned with technology assessment at Forschungs­ zentrum Jülich. The reason is the costs: industrial enterprises pay a penalty of € 6–8 per tonne of CO2 that they release into the air. If they were to collect and recycle the CO2, they would have to cough up a lot more. Using membranes could make the process a lot more lucrative and thus perhaps make it a winner.

After all, only the future can tell which of the three approaches will win the race – or whether none of them will.

24

RESEARCH

Dr. Wilhelm A. Meulen­ berg (IEK*-1) heads the Gas Separation Membranes group

Dr. Petra Zapp (IEK-STE) is concerned with technology assessment

REPLACING FOSSIL RESOURCES Nevertheless, let’s think one step ahead. Once pure CO2 has been separated from waste gases, the question arises: what to do with it? One option is the chemical industry – here, it could serve as a raw material, for example in the production of urea, a popular component of fertilizer. “For the synthesis of urea, around 110 million tonnes of CO2 per year are used worldwide,” explains Dr. Alexander Otto, whose doctoral work at Forschungszentrum Jülich focused on this topic. This CO2, however, doesn’t come from power plant stacks but from the urea producers’ own ammonia production. Chemicals giant Bayer, energy supplier RWE, and RWTH Aachen University do it differently: they want to use CO2 from power plant waste gases to produce plastics. It is hoped that the carbon dioxide can replace the conventionally used crude oil, at least in part.

There is a pilot plant for this purpose in Dormagen. It produces plastics that are necessary, for example, for manufacturing foam material for mattresses.

However: “Even if we were to obtain all the relevant chemical products and plastics by means of CO2 from waste gases, Europe’s chemical industry could only use a fraction of all greenhouse gases produced in Europe,” according to Otto.

“Only 2.3 % at most could be saved this way.”

Another idea remains: converting the climate-damaging gas into fuel. Sunfire GmbH is currently building a demonstrator in Dresden to convert CO2 and hydrogen into petrol. Jülich researchers are involved in this as suppliers of hydrogen. They are optimizing industrial high-temperature fuel cells which produce hydrogen by means of electrolysis. “If the necessary electricity for the fuel cells stems from wind or solar power plants, petrol can thus be produced in an environmentally friendly way,” says Dr. Norbert H. Menzler, expert for solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells at Forschungszentrum Jülich. In general, the concept already works, as is shown by a 40-kilowatt demonstration facility. Menzler is convinced that “In the long term, this technology is a must, since aircraft and ships will require kerosene or diesel for a long time. The relevant research must be started now so that the technology is ready when the time comes.”

Dr. Norbert H. Menzler (IEK-1) heads the Solid Oxide Fuel and Electro­ lysis Cells group

Dr. Alexander Otto (IEK-3) studies electrochemical processes

Algae could be another user of CO2 to supply energy: at Forschungszentrum Jülich, scientists are feeding them with carbon dioxide. The algae propagate and can then be dried and used as fuel. But, again, there is a catch: drying the algae requires a lot of energy. But depending on the climate zones, the Sun could take on this task.

BOTTLENECK HYDROGEN Whatever way carbon dioxide is to be used, in almost all cases hydrogen is required as a reactant. If it is produced by means of electrolysis – i. e. splitting water by means of electricity from renewable sources – this technique is extremely environmentally friendly, but when it comes to economic viability, the record is poor. Fuel cells require relatively large amounts of electricity, which simply makes hydrogen too expensive – and it is expected to remain this way for the next few years.

Jülich scientists therefore want to make electrolysis cheaper.

“In concrete terms, we are trying to reduce the degradation of electrolysis cells at high temperatures,” explains Menzler. Degradation effects in materials are the cause of the decrease in stack performance over time. Jülich researchers have reduced stack degradation down to about 1 percent. This means that after 1,000 hours of operation, the cells require only 1 percent more electricity to produce the same amount of hydrogen as at the beginning. “The price of the gas that is produced therefore depends on electricity prices,” Menzler continues, “while purchasing the hardware costs less now than it did five or ten years ago.” In the long term, this could mean a great opportunity opening up.

J A N I N E VA N A C K E R E N

*IEK = Institute of Energy and Climate Research

25

The ways of waves Atmospheric gravity waves influence our climate. It was previously not possible to measure the propagation of these waves.

A lucky find in the data of a NASA satellite has permitted researchers to get a decisive step closer.

When a stone drops into water, it creates ringshaped ripples. It looks the same when strong thunderstorms, tropical storms, or volcanic eruptions cause the air particles of the Earth’s atmosphere to oscillate. These atmospheric gravity waves propagate sideways and upwards and influence winds, temperatures, and the chemical composition of the middle and upper atmosphere. For climate research, they are an important building block for a better understanding and prediction of global flow patterns in the atmosphere.

It was previously not possible to measure the propagation of these waves from their excitation at the ground up to their dissolution at the boundary to space at an altitude of around 100 kilometres. By means of infrared images from two different NASA environmental satellites, an international team of researchers involving Jülich has now come one decisive step closer to that objective: they were able to track gravity waves through various layers of the atmosphere.

“The discovery of gravity waves in the new NASA data was an unexpected stroke of luck,” says Dr. Lars Hoffmann, delighted. He heads the climate SimLab at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre and was involved in evaluating the satellite data.

“We were able for the first time to show that even volcanic eruptions can generate gravity waves.”

The discovery was made possible by the extreme light sensitivity of the new Day/Night Band infrared sensor on board the Suomi-NPP satellite.

Its proper task is making the Earth’s surface and cloud formations visible from space even at night.

But due to its sensitivity, it also records a very weak type of infrared radiation called nightglow.

It is a weak glow in the night sky, caused by various photochemical processes in the mesosphere. Atmospheric gravity waves influence this radiation and are therefore visible in the sensor’s images.

Just like a stone dropped into water: gravity waves over North America

Since the Day/Night Band sensor only collects data from an altitude of around 80–90 kilometres, the researchers combined their analyses with infrared measurements from NASA’s Aqua satellite, which investigates gravity waves in the stratosphere at about 30–40 kilometres. In this way, they were able to track the waves through various layers of the atmosphere. The researchers’ aim now is to continuously observe the formation and propagation of the waves throughout the next few years. The new knowledge will then be used to review and improve existing climate models.

A thunderstorm causes energy to be released. This makes the atmosphere oscillate.

Sensors on board satellites can track the path of the gravity waves.

K AT H A R I N A M E N N E

Suomi-NPP satellite

Aqua satellite

Space

Measuring range

Mesosphere

Measuring range Stratosphere Gravity waves

Thunderstorm cell

Troposphere

Earth’s surface

26

RESEARCH

Conducting research where others distil whiskey 0 7,0

On behalf of Jülich, Dr. Niina Jalarvo works in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

There, she supervises a measuring instrument at the strongest pulsed neutron source in the world.

0k

Jülich

m

USA Oak Ridge

Jülich’s campus measures 2.2 km2. But Jülich scientists are active beyond the campus.

This section features brief reports on where they conduct research. This time around, the spotlight is on Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Looking into the heart of BASIS: researchers can conduct experiments at the SNS neutron source in Oak Ridge by means of the Jülich measuring instrument.

2.2

The best-known American whiskey comes This has advantages for both institutions: plus from Tennessee. It is filtered drop by drop scientists from Jülich and other German through charcoal and matured in hand-made research establishments thus have access barrels for several years. Elsewhere in Tennessee, to the globally unique neutron source in Oak an entirely different pace is set: at the spallation Ridge, and SNS is provided with specially develneutron source (SNS). There, neutrons – elecoped measuring instruments, including competrically neutral elementary particles – speed tent supervisors. through various materials at more than 1,000 kilometres per hour. In this way, researchers But not only German experts come to Oak Ridge: want to find out where atoms are located in a “It’s a bonus that researchers from all over the material and how the atoms move. “We need this world work here,” says Jarvalo. Science charfundamental knowledge on the processes taking acterizes the city: the National Laboratory, for place on the atomic scale in order to improve example, is not only home to the SNS neutron materials and tailor them for future technologsource but also to one of the fastest supercomputical applications,” explains Jalarvo. On behalf ers in the world. Daily life in Oak Ridge in general of Jülich, the scientist from Finland researches has little to do with the laid-back Tennessean exelectrolytes for batteries and fuel cells, among istence in the whiskey producers’ advertisements. other things.

But in spite of all the bustle at SNS, it is not just the whiskey producers who have to be patient: She also supports other scientists from all over the scientists also need to take their time – their the world who use the BASIS measuring inmeasurements often take several days. strument for their research. It is one of three FR ANK FRICK instruments at SNS operated or co-operated by the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS).

SNS in figures

6 JCNS employees are active at SNS.

A total of 17 measuring instruments are in operation.

More than 700 visiting scientists work at SNS every year.

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DO YOU LIKE IT? READER SURVEY

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We have prepared an online reader survey for this purpose. The questions are available at the following address: fz-juelich.de/effzett-umfrage We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Take part now and win a prize!

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Please note: the closing date for entries is 20 May 2016.

RESEARCH IN A TWEET Hot stuff! The fusion facility #Wendelstein 7-X has produced hydrogen plasma for the first time – and our research is keeping it in check.

Dr.-Ing. Olaf Neubauer and his colleagues study how the walls of the fusion facility can be protected from the 100-million-degree plasma. For Wendelstein 7-X, the researchers also developed a superconducting supply for magnets which keep the plasma away from the wall. The aim of fusion research is to generate energy in the same way our Sun does.

fz-juelich.de/nuclearfusion

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