Archive
«Every day counts in the battle against the virus»
The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way research is carried out at PSI but has not brought it to a standstill. Gabriel Aeppli, head of the Photon Science Division at PSI, talks about the exceptional threat that Covid-19 represents and how PSI researchers are studying this new virus at SLS, and possibly soon at SwissFEL as well.
Priority research continues
The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is in limited operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and most employees are working from home in accordance with the Federal Council's specifications. Nevertheless, essential research facilities and projects continue to operate in accordance with all the necessary safety precautions.
"We want to understand how this virus works"
The Swiss Light Source SLS at PSI is still in operation despite the Covid-19 pandemic – and may be urgently needed, especially in these difficult times. Oliver Bunk, head of the Laboratory for Macromolecules and Bioimaging, explains why.
"Strategy and networking are enormously important"
Gebhard Schertler, head of the Biology and Chemistry Division at PSI and professor of structural biology at ETH Zurich, explains what research is being done on the coronavirus at PSI and why collaboration with researchers from other institutions plays such an important role in this.
«SLS is something very special right now, across Europe»
The Swiss Light Source SLS is one of just a few facilities of its kind in Europe that are still in operation during these pandemic times. In an interview, Mirjam van Daalen, chief of staff of the Photon Science Division, emphasises how important international cooperation is these days.
Sniffing out radioactive substances in freight transport
With a mobile measurement portal, PSI regularly carries out radioactivity checks on heavy goods vehicles. The purpose of this work, on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, is to discover stray radiation sources.
Professor Dr. Christian Rüegg new Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute
The new director of the Paul Scherrer Institute has taken up office today. Christian Rüegg aims to further reinforce the leading role of PSI's large research facilities, and thus promote Switzerland as a location for research.
Athos is making great strides
The new beamline at PSI's X-ray free-electron laser SwissFEL will soon be ready for action. In December, Athos delivered laser light for the first time − even sooner than expected, to the delight of the researchers responsible for its construction.
First-time direct proof of chemical reactions in particulates
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have developed a new method to analyse particulate matter more precisely than ever before. With its help, they disproved an established doctrine: that molecules in aerosols undergo no further chemical transformations because they are enclosed in other particulate matter.
Nanoworlds in 3-D
Tomographic images from the interior of fossils, brain cells, or computer chips are yielding new insights into the finest of structures. These 3-D images are made possible by the X-ray beams of the Swiss Light Source SLS, together with detectors and sophisticated computer algorithms developed at PSI.
"Electric is already the right choice today"
An interview on automotive power systems with Christian Bauer, a scientist at PSI's Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis who specialises in life cycle and sustainability analyses.
Tracking down the mystery of matter
At the ultracold neutron source at PSI, researchers have measured a property of the neutron more precisely than ever before: its electric dipole moment. That's because the search is still on for an explanation of why, after the Big Bang, there was more matter than antimatter.
Short film of a magnetic nano-vortex
Using a newly developed imaging method, researchers were able to visualise the magnetic structure inside a material with nanoscale resolution. They succeeded in creating a short "film" consisting of seven movie frames that shows, for the first time in 3D, how tiny vortices of the magnetisation deep within a material change over time.
Make way for electric cars
Petrol, diesel, fuel cell or electric – which is the automobile of the future? A PSI study has examined the overall climate impact of various vehicle engines in use today and also projected it to the year 2040.
Toward better motors with X-ray light
Making Switzerland's road traffic fit for the future calls for research, first and foremost. In the large-scale research facilities of PSI, chemists and engineers are investigating how to improve the efficiency of motors and reduce their emissions.
Swiss STIX X-ray telescope sets off for the sun
On 10 February, the ESA mission Solar Orbiter is scheduled to start. The Swiss X-ray telescope STIX will be launching too – with detectors developed at PSI.
Simulation: The third pillar of science
PSI researchers simulate and model large research facilities as well as experiments, for example, in the materials and biological sciences. Andreas Adelmann, head of PSI's Laboratory for Scientific Computing and Modelling, explains how they do it.
Well varnished violins play longer
Traditionally, violins are varnished to protect them from humidity and other environmental influences. At PSI, a scientific team has investigated how different coatings affect the instrument. Under no circumstances, they found, should anyone try to do without varnish completely.
Modelling and simulation pay off
Researchers in PSI's Laboratory for Scientific Computing and Modelling solve the most complex problems through a combination of theory, modelling, and high-performance computing. With powerful computers, they simulate the smallest molecules or large research facilities.
5,000,000,000,000,000 bytes from Villigen to Lugano
During investigations of tiny structures with large research facilities, huge amounts of data accumulate at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI. This data is archived at the CSCS supercomputer centre in Lugano, and the researchers use the supercomputer there for their simulations and modelling.