Max Planck Research Groups

Turbulence and Wind Energy (Dr. Claudia Brunner)

We combine laboratory experiments and field measurements to optimize wind energy from the blade scale to the farm scale. While using the unique facilities at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization we focus on the three topics “wakes and turbine-turbine interactions in wind farms”, the “unsteady aerodynamics of wind turbine blades” and “novel sensing technology for atmospheric turbulence”. In addition to our fluid dynamics research, we conduct public policy research on “the representation of wind energy in techno-economic models”. more

Biomedical Physics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Luther)

Group in the department DFPB
Even though cardiac fibrillation is one of the most common causes of death in western industrial nations this condition is still not completely understood. Therefore, the members of the Max Planck Research Group develop mathematical models that describe cardiac fibrillation and simulate the illness in experiments. Apart from that the scientists study methods of treatment such as a new pulsed heart defibrillator that requires less energy and is therefore gentler to the patients. more

Complex Systems Theory (Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)

What are the principles that allow the brain, a complex network of neurons, to process information, to form thoughts and actions? The group of Viola Priesemann tackles this question by combining approaches from information theory and statistical physics with state of the art neurophysiological recordings.

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Theory of Turbulent Convection (PD Dr. Olga Shishkina)

Group in the department DFPB
The research of our group focusses on the nature of turbulent flows, in particular, the physics of turbulent thermal convection. This includes the investigation of natural, forced and mixed convection; coherent flow structures, boundary layer structures, small-scale turbulence in buoyancy-driven flows; the influence of rotation, non-Oberbeck-Boussinesq effects, non-monotonic fluid properties, wall roughness and domain geometry on turbulent convection. Apart from the physics of turbulence itself, we are also interested in the numerical issues and aspects of turbulence simulations. more

Dynamics of Biological Networks (Prof. Dr. Fred Wolf)

Göttingen Campus Institute, CIDBN
Biological networks – from ecosystems to networks of neurons and to molecular networks organizing the flow of information in individual cells – perform their functions as complex dynamical system. Their design emerges from the intricate interplay of systems level self-organization and long-term evolutionary remodeling. Transformative technological progress is currently opening unprecedented research opportunities to analyze collective behavior in and to decipher the evolutionary design principles of biological networks. Their active dynamics and the unique sense of efficiency and beauty it elicits make these systems profoundly fascinating and scientifically challenging. more

Theory of Biological Fluids (Dr. David Zwicker)

In contrast to most man-made machines, biological organisms are typically built from soft and often fluid-like material. How can such liquid matter be controlled in space and time to fulfill precise functions? To uncover the physical principles for such organization, we analyze theoretical models of biological processes using tools from statistical physics, dynamical system theory, fluid dynamics, and information theory. In particular, we study how phase separation is used to organize the liquid interior of cells and how the airflow during inhalation affects the transport of airborne odorants and thus the sense of smell.