Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
| Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics | |
|---|---|
 Walther-Bothe Laboratory |
|
| Category: | research Institute |
| Carrier: | Max Planck Society |
| Legal form of the carrier: | Registered association |
| Seat of the wearer: | Munich |
| Facility location: | Heidelberg |
| Type of research: | Basic research |
| Subjects: | physics |
| Areas of expertise: | Atomic physics , molecular physics , astroparticle physics , particle physics |
| Basic funding: | Federal government (50%), states (50%) |
| Management: | Thomas Pfeifer (Managing Director) |
| Homepage: | www.mpi-hd.mpg.de |
The Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) is an institute of the Max Planck Society and is located at the foot of the Königstuhl in Heidelberg . On the initiative of Walther Bothe , it was founded in 1958 from the Institute for Physics in the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research which had existed since 1930 . Today the MPIK is engaged in basic research in the fields of astroparticle physics and quantum dynamics.
The first director was Wolfgang Gentner . Since 1966 the institute has been led by a board of directors. There are currently six departments and several other research groups and junior research groups. Scientific and technical service areas as well as administration support the researchers. The institute has around 390 employees, plus graduates and academic guests.
Scientists at the MPIK work together with other research groups from Europe and all over the world and play a leading role in numerous international collaborations. There are particularly close relationships with some major research institutions such as GSI (Darmstadt), DESY (Hamburg), CERN (Geneva), INFN - LNGS (Assergi L'Aquila) or the Weizmann Institute in Israel.
In the metropolitan region, the institute cooperates closely with Heidelberg University, where the directors and other employees of the institute teach. Young scientists are supported in three International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) and one graduate school.
research
The research focus at the MPIK lies in the two areas of particle and astrophysics and quantum dynamics . Both experimental and theoretical research is carried out.
The research area astroparticle physics (synergies of particle physics and astrophysics ) is represented by the departments of Jim Hinton and Manfred Lindner and combines issues of the macro and microcosm. A special focus is on high energy astrophysics and neutrino physics, but the physics of heavy quarks and astronomical infrared sources are also examined. Unusual observation methods for gamma quanta and neutrinos open new windows to the universe. Theoretically, among other things, what is hidden behind “ dark matter ” and “ dark energy ” is investigated .
The departments of Klaus Blaum , Christoph Keitel and Thomas Pfeifer focus on the research area of quantum dynamics (many-body dynamics of atoms and molecules ). Reaction microscopes can be used to “film” simple chemical reactions. Storage rings and traps for ions enable precision experiments to be carried out practically under space conditions. The interaction of intense laser light with matter is investigated using methods from theoretical physics. In addition, experiments on high-precision mass measurements and the generation of ultra-short laser pulses are carried out.
In addition, there are several independent scientific junior research groups at the MPIK, e.g. B. the groups "Cold collisions and ways to life in interstellar space (ASTROLAB)" and "Ultra-cold negative ions by laser cooling (UNIC)".
The MPIK is involved in numerous research projects, including
- BOREXINO - A neutrino detector in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) for the investigation of nuclear reaction mechanisms in the sun.
- Double Chooz - A reactor neutrino experiment to determine the neutrino mixing angle Theta 13 .
- FLASH - Free-Electron Laser at DESY
- GERDA - A precision experiment to prove neutrino-free double beta decay .
- GLoBES - A software for simulating various neutrino experiments .
- HESS - A Cherenkov telescope system in Namibia for gamma astronomy.
- HITRAP - project of the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research to measure the g-factor of highly ionized uranium.
- KATRIN - A mass spectrometer to determine the neutrino mass from the radioactive beta decay .
- XENON - An experiment for the direct detection of dark matter.
- CTA - A project for a gamma-ray observatory with Cherenkov telescopes
Facilities
The MPIK has the following large-scale facilities:
- Several electron beam ion traps ( Electron Beam Ion Trap , EBIT) were developed and built at the MPIK, with which heavy ions (for example 78 times charged mercury) can be generated, stored and examined. The ions are analyzed with precision spectrometers for all wavelengths and made available for other experiments (e.g. a reaction microscope ). One of the EBITs was specially designed as a portable device and was used at DESY in Hamburg and BESSY in Berlin to investigate the interaction of highly charged ions with synchrotron radiation. In addition, experiments were carried out on the free-electron lasers FLASH in Hamburg and LCLS in Menlo Park, California.
- The ultra-cold storage ring ( English cryogenic storage ring , CSR), an electrostatic storage ring will allow in the near future experiments with molecular ions virtually under the conditions of interstellar clouds.
Former directors
- Peter Brix (director 1972 to 1986)
- Hugo Fechtig (* 1929), (Director 1974–1994)
- Wolfgang Gentner (Director 1958 to 1974)
- Werner Hofmann (Director 1988 to 2019)
- Konrad Mauersberger (* 1938) (Director 1994-2003)
- Theodor Mayer-Kuckuk (director 1964–1966)
- Bogdan Povh (* 1932) (Director 1975-2000)
- Ulrich Schmidt-Rohr (Director 1961–1994)
- Dirk Schwalm (Director 1993-2005)
- Joachim Ullrich (Director 2001 to 2012)
- Heinrich J. Völk (Director 1975 to 2005)
- Hans-Arwed Weidenmüller (Director 1972 to 2001)
- Josef Zähringer (director 1964–1970)
literature
- Jürgen Kiko, Ulrich Schmidt-Rohr: Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics , published by the Max Planck Society, Munich: General Administration of the Max Planck Society 1984, first edition 1975, series of reports and communications; 84.2
Web links
- Official website
- MPI publications in the MPG's eDoc server
- From nuclear physics and cosmochemistry to quantum dynamics and astroparticle physics, brochure on 50 years of the MPI for nuclear physics, 2008, PDF, download
Coordinates: 49 ° 23 ′ 16 " N , 8 ° 42 ′ 33" E