Research News

Mirna Elizabeta Kramar from the MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization and Jascha Lau & Michael Weber from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences receive the Otto Hahn Medal for outstanding achievements in their dissertations. Lau is additionally honored with the Otto Hahn Award for the special quality of his research. The Max Planck Society presented the awards at its annual meeting on June 22.
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The Department Living Matter Physics from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) revealed a link between the generation of entropy and the topological features of a system. In their study, recently published in Nature Communications, the scientists investigated the random motion of particles in vortex flows. They found that fluctuations in entropy production can be characterized based only on the number of windings around the vortex, but not on the shape or size of the trajectory. These findings could contribute to a better understanding of microscopic systems, such as micro-motors or particles moving in biological media. more

A group of scientists led by Nate Cira of Harvard and Cornell University and Stefan Karpitschka of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization has discovered that some liquid droplets first spread out on surfaces and then contract again on their own. This boomerang effect depends on the composition of the droplets. Since these leave virtually no traces when they contract, unlike conventional drying, this opens up new possibilities for cleaning and removing particles from sensitive surfaces such as microchips. more

Anyone who regularly stirs their coffee knows about the advantages of turbulent mixing: the movement of the spoon creates a turbulent flow that can distribute the milk very quickly and evenly in the cup. Moreover, turbulent mixing is also responsible for the distribution of gasoline in the engine cylinder or of dust particles in the atmosphere. The research group led by Prof. Michael Wilczek at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization and the University of Bayreuth has now succeeded in better understanding the geometry of turbulent mixing; their results were recently published in Nature Communications. more

The European Research Council (ERC) provides funding for the research of Max Planck Research Group Leader with a Consolidator Grant of approximately 2 million euros for the next 5 years. Together with his group, David investigates the physical principles behind the organization of biological matter at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) and the Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN). He is one of 313 researchers in Europe passing the last round of the competitive grant selection process across all scientific disciplines to tackle big scientific questions. more

Researcher from MPI-DS receives research fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt foundation more

The European Mechanics Society has elected Dr. Olga Shishkina, group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), as a EUROMECH fellow in the field of fluid mechanics recognizing her seminal contributions in this field. Only three laureates from this field are selected across Europe every other year. The council selected Olga for her profound work on Rayleigh-Bénard convection, which is of fundamental importance in numerous fields, including oceanography, astrophysics and climate research. more

Göttingen computer scientist and brain researcher receives ERC Starting Grant of 1.5 million euros more

Since 2014, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS) in Göttingen have been studying the behavior of tiny cloud droplets at the Schneefernerhaus Environmental Research Station (UFS). Their aim is to significantly improve the prediction of precipitation. The ‘Seesaw’ - a device equipped with the latest technology that records the drops three-dimensionally – was installed for this purpose. The results of the first measurements have now been published in the journal 'Review of Scientific Instruments' and promise a major step towards improving precipitation forecasting. more

The research group leader from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS) has been selected to become a new member of the EMBO community of young researchers. David studies the physical principles of the organization of biological matter. Together with 25 other researchers, as of January 2022 he will join an international platform through which young investigators have access to a variety of networking opportunities and funding. more