Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR)

How does matter behave in strong fields and at small-scale dimensions?  How can malignant tumours be identified at an early stage and treated effectively?  How can resources and energy be utilised in an efficient and safe manner?  The researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf are seeking to answer these questions.

New Materials

Many scientists at the HZDR investigate the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions and at small dimensions.  They use strong magnetic fields and intense radiation to explore basic phenomena, on the one side, and to better understand and systematically influence materials with high potential for future technologies, on the other. Thus, novel physical approaches, be it electronic, magnetic or optical ones, serve for the development of advanced materials which, in turn, are the basis for new information technologies or resource and energy efficient processes.  In order to gain new insights into material properties and structures, several large-scale research facilities are used.

Cancer Research

In this field, the Helmholtz researchers in Dresden and scientists from Dresden University of Technology and the University Hospital Dresden are working closely together, operating the “National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology” in Dresden, in short OncoRay. There are also intensive cooperations with OncoRay’s partner institute HIRO at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. At the HZDR, scientists are focusing on three topics: they are investigating radioactive substances to improve the diagnosis of cancer and how these may then be used to create new cancer therapies in the future.  The scientists are also developing and improving innovative imaging methods for oncology.  And finally, they are advancing particle acceleration with innovative laser technologies.

Nuclear Safety Research

In order to prevent and control potentially hazardous incidents in existing and future nuclear reactors and to accurately predict the migration of radionuclides in diverse waste disposal sites, we need to know much more of these complex technological and ecological processes.  That is why the Dresden researchers are studying the environmental impact of radionuclides and seeking to find ways of assessing and increasing the safety of nuclear and chemical plants and processes.

Large-scale research facilities

The HZDR operates six large-scale research facilities – some of them unique – that are also available to external users from science and industry.

• The Radiation Source ELBE permits research to be conducted with neutrons, positrons, X-rays, and gamma radiation as well as infrared and terahertz radiation from two free-electron lasers.  Particles are accelerated with a superconducting linear accelerator and the ultra-short pulsed DRACO laser.
  
  
• The Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory creates and applies the world’s highest magnetic fields e.g. for researching new superconducting, magnetic and semiconductor materials.
  
  
• The Ion Beam Center is specialized in energetic particle bombardment for surface functionalisation and analysis at a European scale (coordination of the EU’s SPIRIT project).
  
  
• The Rossendorf Beamline (ROBL) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble is used for materials research and research on nuclear-waste disposal.
  
  
• The TOPFLOW facility allows scientists to study complex flow phenomena like those occurring in nuclear reactors and in chemical and process-engineering plants under realistic conditions.
  
  
• Cooperation in cancer research: The PET Center Dresden-Rossendorf is operated jointly by the HZDR, the University Hospital Dresden, and TU Dresden.
  
  

Projects for the Future

The Free State of Saxony is currently funding three large scientific projects at the HZDR which create unique opportunities to conduct experiments. Another building project will improve the infrastructures for cancer research at the HZDR.

• The Center for High Power Radiation Sources for the exploration of extreme states of matter (petawatt laser, broadband terahertz radiation source, uniting the laser facility DRACO and radiation source ELBE)

• Expanding the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory as an international user centre

• DRESDYN – A European platform for dynamo experiments and thermohydraulic studies with liquid sodium

• Center for Radiopharmaceutical Tumour Research

At the end of 2010, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) accepted the application of the HZDR and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg [Freiberg University of Mining and Technology] to jointly establish and operate a Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology.

Facts & figures

A member of the Helmholtz Association since 1 January 2011, the HZDR has four locations in Dresden, Leipzig, Freiberg and Grenoble. Although the research centre itself was founded on 1 January 1992, the history of Dresden-Rossendorf as a research location goes back to 1956. The HZDR currently has approximately 800 staff members – of those, 380 are scientists, a number which includes 120 PhD students – and has basic funding of around €80 million at its disposal (2011).