El calendario de adviento (de ciencia) 2015 del Instituto Max-Planck

El calendario de Adviento del Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, presenta una imagen de ciencia –y su explicación– cada día.

Calendario de adviento 2015. © MPG

Hasta el 24 de diciembre, se pueden ir descubriendo las sorpresas científicas escondidas tras cada número con un simple ‘clic’.

Y el día 1 de diciembre esconde…Towers of silicon:

Día 1: Towers of silicon. © MPG

To achieve higher efficiency in future solar cells, researchers do not form the silicon for photovoltaic elements into today’s conventionally smooth layers, but into ‘carpets’ of nanowires which absorb a lot more light. Since these wires are just 100 nanometres thick and two micrometres long, they resemble tiny towers. The researchers produce these structures by initially coating a thin layer of silicon with polystyrene spheres. The silicon, which is not protected by the beads, is then removed by etching it with plasma, i.e. strongly ionized gas. Normally, the silicon towers stand close together. Here, researchers have left gaps between the polystyrene spheres to be able to inspect the wires from the side as well. The electron microscope, with which the picture was taken, distinguishes between different materials because it uses two different detectors. It shows polystyrene in red and silicon in green.

Explicación de la imagen, MPG

Hay que tener paciencia para ir descubriendo las imágenes escondidas tras cada día del mes de diciembre (hasta el día 24) … porque el botón correspondiente se activa ese mismo día.

¡Una gran iniciativa para disfrutar y aprender!

–oOo–

Día 2 de diciembre…Free-fall in a golden cage:

Día 2: Free-fall in a golden cage. © MPG

Two inconspicuous looking metal cages are at the heart of the satellites of ESA mission LISA Pathfinder. In each of these special chambers, there is a two- kilogram cube of gold-platinum alloy of extremely low magnetic susceptibility. In space, the cubes will be free-floating and, remaining in perfect free-fall, only respond to gravity. With the collected data, LISA Pathfinder will pave the way for the measurement of gravitational waves in space and test key technologies for future space observatories. The mission, in which the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hannover is playing a leading role, was scheduled to start this morning from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Based on technical difficulties, however, the launch was postponed. 

Explicación de la imagen, MPG

–oOo–