Save the date: Saturday, October 5th is our Science Weekend celebration! Together we will show what science can do. Physics and Astronomy!
(Astro-) Particle Physics - Dr. Joris van Heijningen (Nikhef)
Detecting gravitational waves, detached from Earth: 14.00 – 14.30
- To study the Universe and all the processes in it, we need a big toolbox. To study stars and galaxies, we have the most exquisite telescopes on Earth and in space and to study how particles interacted in the hot particle soup just after the Big Bang, we use particle colliders like CERN in Switzerland. Since 2015, we have a new tool: gravitational-wave detectors with which we can study black holes and the rest of the dark Universe. Joris will explain how the detectors work and how the future gravitational-wave detector may be built in South Limburg.
(Astro-) Particle Physics - Dr. Mara Senghi Soares (Nikhef)
Life as a CERN scientist (in English) – 14.30 -15.00
- Being a physicist at CERN is an amazing adventure. In this talk we share experiences about how one decides to follow this path, and what so interesting can a researcher learn, both in terms of life experience and of science. In particular, we will discuss a few scientific studies that are currently being carried out by the LHCb experiment at CERN.
Biophysics of Photosynthesis - Dr. Volha Chukhutsina
Photosynthesis
- Photosynthesis is everywhere: Contrary to popular belief, photosynthesis does not only happen in plants. Half of it takes place in water. We will show you a kaleidoscope of photosynthetic samples that we study in our lab.
- We'll be using a technique called chromatography to look at the different pigments in plant leaves and other samples. Although leaves often look all green, they actually contain several different pigments. By extracting the pigments from the leaves and putting them on a special paper, we'll use a solvent to move the pigments up the paper. As they move, the pigments separate according to their speed, revealing the hidden colours such as green, yellow and red. This experiment allows us to see the complex mixture of pigments that gives photosynthesis its colour.
- Life is driven by different proteins that are sensitive to light: Join us in playing with the protein - let's switch it on and off with different lights.
The Photoconversion Materials (PCM) - Dr. Charusheela Ramanan & Dr. Loreta Muscarella & Dr. Andrea Baldi & Dr. Sven Askes (AMOLF)
Stamp & Create: Making Colorful Perovskites with a Ball Mill!
- With lots of force and noise, this demonstration shows how we use a ball mill to create high-tech materials called perovskites. These colorful materials can be used as light-absorbing components in solar cells or as luminescent materials in display screens.
A pitch about a photoswitch
- Thanks to the existence of light, we can see all the different colors the world has to offer. But what if we told you that light doesn't just reveal the colors of objects, but can also change them? Join us today and explore the exciting world of "powered" chemistry and physics!
Gold nanoparticle synthesis
- It's just like making crème brûlée! In this demonstration, we’ll use flames to create extremely tiny gold crystals, also known as nanoparticles. Come and discover the chemical reaction taking place! We’ll also explain why they have such beautiful colors.
Quantum Metrology and Laser Applications - Dr. Laura Dreissen (FNWI/UvA)
Atomic Clocks: 12.30 – 13.00
- Human kind has been measuring time for over thousands of years. While this started with observations of the sun, today we use single atoms, and time is now the most precise physical quantity ever to be measures. But what is this all good for? In this lecture, Laura explains the basics of atomic clocks and zooms in on the impact of time measurements, both on our daily life and on our understanding of the universe.
Quantum Metrology and Laser Applications - Dr. Oscar Versolato (ARCNL)
How does ASML's computer chip machine work?: 15.30-16.00
- ARCNL conducts fundamental research into physical processes that are important in the latest computer chip machines. These machines are extremely advanced and deliver exceptional performance. Think of working on the nanometer scale. Making ultra-small computer chips is done by working with extreme ultraviolet light. What is this light? Why is it special? Oscar will elaborate on this further. He also talks about other research at ARCNL. Consider metrology (is everything neatly aligned?) and also friction. Sustainability is also an important theme to which ARCNL research can also contribute.