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The Research Field Matter - from the Microworld to the Whole Universe

Matter is the basic material of our existence. Stars and planets are made of it, as are humans and microbes.

Credit: European XFEL/Blue Clay Studios

The Helmholtz Research Field Matter explores the most diverse facets - from the tiny elementary particles to the big picture, the cosmos: How has the universe developed since the Big Bang? And what do the basic building blocks of matter look like, what holds them together? Both questions are closely related: Those particles that had been created in the first moments of the universe had decisively shaped its development.

Furthermore, the research area investigates those regions that lie between these two extremes - for example crystals, plastics or proteins. Their properties are determined by the interaction of the atoms and molecules that make them up. And the more precisely we understand the highly complex interplay of these atoms and molecules, the more precisely we can develop new high-tech materials,electronic materials and medicines. By analyzing the microscopic structure of a wide variety of materials, we are not only creating insights that are sometimes completely unexpected, but also essential foundations for future innovations.

To achieve its goals, Helmholtz operates a number of top-class large-scale research facilities. For example, the synchrotron radiation sources PETRA III in Hamburg and BESSY II in Berlin provide high-intensity X-ray light that can be used to analyze the structure of nanomaterials and biomolecules down to the atom. Helmholtz is also significantly involved in numerous international research facilities - such as the world's most powerful X-ray laser, the European XFEL in Hamburg, or the experiments at the world's largest particle accelerator, the LHC, at CERN in Geneva. In the future, further scientific beacons will be added: FAIR, the world's most powerful accelerator complex for nuclear and hadron physics, is being built in Darmstadt. This deals with the study of all particles containing the tiny elementary particles quarks, known as hadrons. Among other things, FAIR will provide answers to the question of how the chemical elements inside a star are "baked" in detail.

The Research Field Matter works closely with other Helmholtz fields as well as with universities, companies and research organizations in Germany and abroad. In this way, it creates synergies between basic and application-oriented research and continues to develop into a magnet for young scientists.

Highlights

  • Matter

    In a million-year-old piece of amber, researchers have identified a prehistoric ant as a genus and species in its own right. This was achieved with the help of the PETRA III X-ray light source in…

  • Matter

    Zehra Sayers was co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the SESAME synchrotron accelerator in Jordan. In this interview, she talks about the vision, successes and obstacles of the project.

  • Matter

    The interdisciplinary Centre for Molecular Water Science (CMWS) aims to advance research into the world's most unusual liquid.

  • Matter

    Water is commonplace. And yet many of its amazing properties, which are crucial for the emergence and maintenance of life, are still not properly understood. The interdisciplinary Centre for Molecular…

  • Matter

    In this interview, Weckert discusses various aspects of his work, including the impact of extremely high-luminosity X-ray radiation and the possibilities for analyzing sustainable materials for the…

  • Health, Matter

    The successful development of the mRNA active ingredient highlights the vital role basic research plays in applications.

Contact

Helmut Dosch

Research field coordinator Matter
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron

Ilja Bohnet

Chief Research Manager Matter
Helmholtz Association

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