09|12 Newsletter of the Research Centre DESY The gate to the nanocosm 100 years ago, Max von Laue discovered X-ray diffraction by crystals Simulated 3D diffraction pattern of zinc blende (ZnS). The positions of the coloured spots are related to the lattice By Helmut Dosch geometry, while the colours and sizes of the spots encode information about the types and positions of the atoms. 2012 is a special year for DESY: just 100 years ago, two pioneering discoveries laid the foundation for today’s scientific room of the University of Munich, the mission of DESY − the investigation of the physicists shot a thin X-ray beam on Distinguished 6 structure of matter. Victor Franz Hess’ copper sulphate placed in front of photo- Minjie Yan wins Otto Stern Prize discovery of cosmic rays (see “DESY in- graphic plates. Von Laue discovered Form” 7+8/2012) straightforwardly led characteristic diffraction patterns on the Plasma Expert 7 to particle and astroparticle physics, photographic plates. With this, he was Ralph Aßmann joins accelerator division and Max von Laue’s discovery of X-ray able to interpret correctly the electro- diffraction by crystals laid the corner magnetic nature of X-rays discovered Pulling Strings 8 stone for structural analysis, thus open- 17 years before in Würzburg by Wilhelm Summer school attracts young talents ing the gate to the nanocosm. Conrad Röntgen. Two fundamental phys- ics questions could be answered once the molecular structure of solid states The ground-breaking experiment which for all: X-rays are nothing else than light, and associate the function of materials Max von Laue, together with Walter only with a shorter wavelength, and with the molecular configuration and its Friedrich and Paul Knipping, success- crystals consist of precisely arrayed inner structure. “Dear Mr. Laue! I cordially fully carried out on 20 April 1912 is justi- atom and molecule structures. salute you on your marvelous success. fiably celebrated today as one of the ex- periments of the century. In a basement For the first time, it was possible to see CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DireCtor’s Corner Dear colleagues, forefront of international claimed at CERN. This is prominent guests will join DESY is still experiencing a science competition. probably one of the really us when we will give the hot summer. This has little to great discoveries and it is PETRA III hall the name of do with a southern climate Our goal is to have enough also a great success for the physicist and Nobel bringing hot air from the resources available in the DESY playing a decisive role in l aureate Max von Laue who, African desert to our shores, future for DESY’s research. both large LHC ex peri ments. a hundred years ago, made the but instead with research This kind of research is In spite of the heavy con- ground-breaking discovery and research policy. DESY is urgently necessary to pro- struction works all around of X-ray diffraction by crystals. involved in a heated debate vide cutting-edge large-scale the Hamburg campus, our light I am looking forward to with its funding bodies on the scientific facilities for our sources are running smoothly, welcome not only Federal financial means which are due users. We are sure that there producing outstanding scien- Chancellor Angela Merkel, from 2015/16 for the operation will be reasonable solutions tific results that fill the best the First Mayor of Hamburg of the European XFEL. We which will continue to support scientific journals. The con- Olaf Scholz and Nobel Prize need the backing of the DESY’s success story. struction of the European in Chemistry laureate Ada federal and state govern- XFEL X-ray laser also proceeds Yonath, but also many of the ments and the Helmholtz DESY research is in a hot according to plan. DESY colleagues who regis- Association to have enough phase, as usual. In July, the tered for this event. strength to keep our research discovery of a new particle – This month, there will be a centre on a level which is very probably the Higgs ceremonial event on our Yours, necessary to remain at the boson – at the LHC was pro- campus: on 19 September, Helmut Dosch Your experiment counts among the right. With improved X-ray sources and decoding of the molecular structure of most glorious that physics has seen,” more refined experimental methods, the ribosome, the protein factory of the Albert Einstein wrote shortly after the science quickly managed to understand cell, by Ada Yonath are two outstanding presentation of the results. how to produce tailor-made materials examples of this technological revolution; and medicine. This has caused a revolution both of them were also awarded with Sodium chloride – commonly known as in our understanding of organic and the Nobel Prize. table salt – was among the first materials anorganic nature. The discovery of the which revealed their molecular structure molecular structure of our genetic sub- With the increasing knowledge about to mankind through this kind of experi- stance DNA in the 1950s and the the structure of matter, materials-based ment. It was Sir William Henry Bragg innovations coined the past decades. and his son, Sir William Lawrence Bragg, The development of new high-tech who decoded the structure of table salt materials took place at a breathtaking shortly after Max von Laue provided the speed. Just think of semiconductor proof of X-ray diffraction by crystals. technology which at half-a-year intervals Both father and son won the Nobel Prize provides us with computers that are in 1915 for their interpretation and faster, smaller and have a more powerful application of the Laue technique. In the memory. When you get a singing birthday same year, von Laue retrospectively card, you have a far greater computational received the 1914 Nobel Prize in Physics. power at hand than the allied forces once 2 had at their disposal at the landing in “Science has been enriched by a method Normandy. Today, we take it for granted of research whose full implications can- Image taken in 1912 of an X-ray interference of a zinc that we have highly brilliant LED flat not yet be fully appreciated,” the Nobel blende crystal. Zinc blende (ZnS) was one of the first screens with extremely sharp images. Committee wrote at that time on Laue’s crystals inves ti gated by Laue, Friedrich and Knipping. And when we are getting old, titanium discovery – and they turned out to be Photograph: Deutsches Museum high-tech joints may replace our worn- out hips – to name just a few examples. Almost none of our contemporary technologies would be conceivable and possible without the bold research on the molecular structure of matter – a good enough reason to celebrate Max von Laue’s epoch-making discovery. In a ceremony on 19 September, the new PETRA III experimental hall will receive the name “Max von Laue”. Prominent guests assured to come: Federal Chancellor and physicist Angela Merkel, the First Mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz and Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Ada Yonath, who carried out her key experiments at DESY to identify the structure of the ribosome. The super microscopes that are Experimental set-up used by Max von Laue, Walter Friedrich and Paul Knipping at the discovery of X-ray diffraction necessary for these investigations by crystals in 1912. Photograph: Deutsches Museum fundamentally differ from the light microscopes that are commonly found on laboratory tables. The attempt to niques allow tracking molecular pro- entists benefit from these facilities, hun- take a step into the atomic and cesses in nano materials under dreds of guest scientists use the exist- subatomic world requires large, very environmental and technological ing light sources every year and some of complex and (unfortunately) costly conditions for the first time and to de- our partners like the University of Ham- particle accelerators which accelerate code the atomic structure of complex burg, Helmholtz- Zentrum Geesthacht particles to the highest energies. The macromolecules for substance research and the European Molecular Biology particles themselves or the emitted with highest resolution. Laboratory (EMBL) built their own insti- X-ray beams are then used as a probe tutes at DESY. With the foundation of the to investigate the unknown. DESY is one of the few research centres DESY NanoLab, the Center for Free- in the world that has a unique expertise Electron Laser Science CFEL and the With the super microscope PETRA III, a in the construction of these super Centre for Structural Systems Biology new and decisive milestone has been microscopes. FLASH, the world’s first CSSB on the DESY campus, a world- reached in science. It is the world’s free- electron laser for short wavelengths wide unique nano-bio research centre is most powerful light source of its kind in was designed and built at DESY, and emerging around these special light the hard X-ray region. The highly brilliant DESY is the main shareholder of the fu- sources. radiation produced by means of sophis- ture flagship of this discipline, the X-ray ticated accelerator technologies, and laser European XFEL, which is currently the most modern experimental tech- under construction. Not only DESY sci- Max von Laue − physics pioneer and lover of fast automobiles Max von Laue (9 October 1879 – 24 April superconductivity. He also wrote a History 1960) was born at Pfaffendorf, near Kob- of Physics which went into four editions lenz. His father was an official in the and was translated into seven languages. German military administration, who was raised to hereditary nobility in 1913. Max With his wife Magdalena von Laue had two developed an interest in the exact sciences children.