News

  STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE 2023

The STRUCTURES Jour Fixe will continue in October. We will keep you updated about the next talks on this page. The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions.

10th Heidelberg Laureate Forum – Inspiring Young Researchers in Mathematics & Computer Science

This September 24–29, at the 10th Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), 200 young researchers in mathematics and computer science will spend a week of scientific exchange with the recipients of the disciplines’ most prestigious prizes: the Abel Prize, ACM A.M. Turing Award, ACM Prize in Computing, Fields Medal, the Nevanlinna Prize as well as its continuation, the IMU Abacus Medal.

Having over 30 groundbreaking and award-winning researchers in mathematics and computer science in one venue is not only a thrilling prospect for the next generation of scientists attending the 10th HLF, but for anyone who has an interest in these subjects and the pioneers they have produced. Livestream their lectures and panel discussions on the HLF website or catch them at your leisure on the HLF YouTube channel, which is regularly updated.

On September 27, groups of young researchers will do on-site visits of several scientific institutes in Heidelberg. STRUCTURES is happy to take part and present the EINC building. Among others, the HLF will also visit BioQuant, Heidelberg Experimental Geometry Lab (HEGL), the Heidelberg Institute of Theoretical Studies (HITS), the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA).

Further information:

• Press Release by the HLF Foundation
• HLF Programme Overview

50th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days, Oct 9 - 13

We are happy to announce the 51-th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days, organized by the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics. The courses, which take place from October 9 to 13, 2023, are organized as parallel block lectures in the mornings and afternoons. The course program is open for advanced students, in particular those working on their Master's and doctoral theses. The aim is to broaden the physics knowledge of our students and to teach specialized techniques. Participants from other universities are welcome. An overview of the course program and the registration link can be found at the Graduate Days webpage:

Weblinks:

• Physics Graduate Days Webpage
• Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics (HGSFP)

New Study Sheds Light on Milky Way's Magnetic Fields

STRUCTURES Scientists Reproduce Milky Way’s Magnetic Field Structure in Unprecedented Detail Using Galaxy Simulations.

Magnetic fields play a significant role in shaping the evolution of the interstellar medium and the process of star formation. In their new study published in Nature Astronomy, an international and interdisciplinary research team led by STRUCTURES scientists from Comprehensive Project (CP) 1 have derived an unprecedented first-principles prediction of the Milky Way's magnetic field structure. The scientists utilized cosmological magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the Milky Way's formation, augmented with a new star-cluster population-synthesis model and detailed radiative transfer calculations to simulate the Faraday rotation measure – a primary observable signal encoding magnetic field topology and strength within polarized light. The results reproduce the observations of the Galaxy not only on large scales, but also replicate the intricate nuances of local individual star-forming clouds. Remarkably, the results emphasize the paramount influence of the Local Bubble — a density cavity encompassing our Solar System — whose rotation measure signal prevails across vast regions of the sky. This comprehensive analysis bridges a gap between observations and theoretical models, offering crucial insights into the Milky Way's origin and long-term evolution.

Weblinks:

• Original Publication: Reissl, S., Klessen, R.S., Pellegrini, E.W., Rahner, D., Pakmor, R., Grand, R., Gómez, F., Marinacci, F., Springel, V. Nat Astron (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02053-2
• Star Formation Group led by Ralf Klessen at ITA/ZAH: Webpage

Ruperto Carola Article: Emergent Properties of Complex Quantum Materials

The properties of materials are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. These laws describe how electrons and nuclei form atoms that assemble into molecules and solids. However, while it is possible to describe and predict the properties of a simple molecule or crystal using the microscopic laws of quantum mechanics, it is much more difficult to predict the behaviour of complex systems composed of many (10²³) particles. This is because, at each complexity level, new phenomena emerge that are not intuitively obtained from the underlying microscopic laws. These emergent phenomena arise from competing interactions between the constituents of the material. In the most recent edition of the RUPERTO CAROLA research magazine, STRUCTURES scientist Maurits Haverkort describes the challenge of comprehending and predicting the characteristics of materials with competing local and itinerant interactions. The article sheds light on innovative methodologies, developed within STRUCTURES, to grasp the delicate balance between these interactions, revealing emergent properties. Being able to predict and understand these properties is crucial for applications of quantum materials in diverse areas. For instance, understanding the chemistry and physics of Actinides is important for the safe storage of nuclear waste, or comprehending how such elements bind to different ligands, which could be useful for future applications in nuclear medicine.

Article in RUPERTO CAROLA:

• Maurits W. Haverkort: Microscopic laws of nature – Predicting the properties of complex systems

Kolkom 2023: 40th Colloquium on Combinatorics, Oct 13-14

We are happy to announce that the 40th Colloquium on Combinatorics (Kolkom 2023) is going to take place in Heidelberg, organized by Felix Joos (STRUCTURES, Heidelberg) and supported by the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence. The conference aims to provide a forum for researchers working in diverse areas of combinatorics. The plenary speakers will be Johannes Carmesin (Birmingham), Daniel Král' (Brno), Kai-Uwe Schmidt (Parderborn) and Vera Traub (Bonn).

The conference will take place from Oct 13 to 14 at the Mathematikon in Heidelberg. The registration deadline is Sep 17. More details on the registration and venue can be found at the conference webpage:

https://web.ifi.uni-heidelberg.de/kolkom23

STRUCTURES Short Film 5: How can complex physical structures be used as a resource for computation?

Our world consists of complex physical structures, spanning from quantum systems and cells to waterfalls and the cosmos in its entirety. Various fundamental insights gained from observations of those intricate structures can be used as a resource for novel approaches of computation. Any structure, whether it is a mug, atoms, light rays or a car, can be used as a computational structure. In the STRUCTURES Cluster, we use the learnings and know-how from our own experiments and research to drive new frontiers in computational innovation within our laboratories – all powered by the collaborative synergy of unique expertise from diverse disciplines.

Video link (YouTube):
STRUCTURES: How can complex physical structures be used as a resource for computation?

STRUCTURES Short Film 4: How can we efficiently and reliably identify structures in large datasets?

In a data-abundant world, the challenge of discerning meaningful patterns becomes ever more crucial. One of the four key research questions of STRUCTURES is how to reliably and efficiently uncover structures in large datasets. Our team of researchers trains specialized unsupervised neural networks to tackle the complexity of structure discovery. These AI algorithms autonomously construct what we term as feature spaces — an abstraction that comes to life through a relatable example: How do people's handwriting styles differ? Our networks possess the ability to learn and interpret distinct handwriting styles. The foundational concepts underlying these abilities can be applied to various structure discovery tasks in diverse fields, including disciplines such as medicine.

Video link (YouTube):
STRUCTURES: How can we efficiently and reliably identify structures in large datasets?

STRUCTURES Short Film 3: What are deep new relations between mathematical & physical structure?

"This is a coffee mug. But for a scientist, it is so much more…" Join us on a fascinating tour through the world of geometry & topology, where intriguing links emerge between physics & mathematics. The study of these connections from an interdisciplinary angle allows us to advance understanding in both disciplines, surpassing what each discipline can achieve independently. The STRUCTURES Cluster in Heidelberg offers a unique environment for scientists from diverse backgrounds to interact and collaborate. Together, our researchers synergize their expertise to drive rapid advancements, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding.

Video link (YouTube):
STRUCTURES: What Are Deep New Relations Between Mathematical and Physical Structure?

4th Workshop on Topological Methods in Data Analysis: Synergies between TDA and Life Sciences

We are happy to announce the 4th Workshop on Topological Methods in Data Analysis, which will take place from 19th to 21st of September within the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence at Heidelberg University, and is organized by the STRUCTURES Exploratory Project (EP) Mathematics and Data.

Topological data analysis (TDA) is a quickly growing field of applied mathematics that promises an exciting approach to the analysis of complex systems. The three-day workshop is designed for both mathematicians and life scientists with or without prior knowledge in TDA and relevant biology. The workshop will include a lecture and tutorial series by PD Dr. Andreas Ott (KIT) and a colloquium talk by Prof. Dr. Kathryn Hess Bellwald (EPFL) on synergies between topological data analysis and life sciences. As a supplement, participants will have the opportunity to give short lightning talks on their own TDA-related work. The workshop will be in hybrid format with opportunities for on-site get-togethers in Heidelberg.

Further information including a programme description will be available at:
https://tda.mathi.uni-heidelberg.de.

Registration will be open until September 11 for lightning talk applications and September 15 for participation only.

STRUCTURES Short Film 2: Understanding Complex Structures

Complicated structures emerge from simple laws applied to very general conditions. Mathematics plays a unifying role in providing very similar methods for cosmology and quantum fields. Our latest film, available on the STRUCTURES YouTube channel, underlines the unique interdisciplinary collaboration within the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence, in which theoretical and experimental methods are linked:

Video link (YouTube):
STRUCTURES: Understanding Complex Structures

One Year STRUCTURES Blog & Social Media + Short Film Premiere: "We are STRUCTURES"

We are delighted to announce the first anniversary of the STRUCTURES Science Outreach Blog and our social media channels. Under the motto What's that Structure?, the STRUCTURES blog has been a source of knowledge, and inspiration for a broad, scientifically interested audience passionate about understanding how structure, collective phenomena, and complexity emerge from the fundamental laws of physics. Launched in August 2022, the STRUCTURES Blog has become a platform for the exchange, transfer and discussion of scientific ideas and knowledge across diverse disciplines, including physics, mathematics, astronomy and computer science. Complementing this, we provide an extensive offer of news, information, and science communication through our active and engaging social media channels aimed at the public, members, students and colleagues.

We are proud that over the past months, in addition to gaining many new authors and presenting exciting articles, we have achieved a steady growth in visitor numbers. Our blog articles are currently accessed more than forty times a day (median over three months). The STRUCTURES blog has found a big positive resonance also on our Social Media channels, where we count 160 Twitter and 193 Instagram followers as of July 31. In addition, with the beginning of STRUCTURES' Public Talk Series Akademische Mittagspause 2023, the STRUCTURES Cluster has launched its new YouTube channel as a new content offer, on which you can already find a large amount of content related to the talks.

Throughout August, we will celebrate the Blog's and Social Media anniversary with various posts, movies and a special blog article . As a beginning, and to inaugurate our recently launched YouTube channel, we present one of four upcoming short movies about the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence, titled "We Are STRUCTURES":

Short Film: We are STRUCTURES
YouTube: We are STRUCTURES

On the occasion of this anniversary, we would like to warmly thank all of our blog authors, colleagues, visitors and everyone involved behind the scenes. The STRUCTURES Blog would not be possible without you, and the efforts of many!

Weblinks:

• STRUCTURES Science Outreach Blog
• STRUCTURES Linktree mit Social Links
• Short movie "We Are STRUCTURES"

Research: The Universal Sound of Black Holes

An international team of researchers led by STRUCTURES Member Fabian Schneider predicts that black hole mergers produce chirp sounds in two universal frequency ranges.

They are mysterious, exciting and inescapable – black holes are some of the most exotic objects in the Universe. With gravitational-wave detectors, it is possible to detect the chirp sound that two black holes produce when they merge, approximately 70 such chirps have been found so far. Based on the frequency evolution of this chirp signal, scientists can infer the so-called “chirp mass”, a combination of the two individual black hole masses. So far, it has been assumed that the merging black holes can have any mass. In their new study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, STRUCTURES Member Fabian Schneider (Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, HITS) and his team, however, predict that in this “ocean of voices”, chirps preferentially occur in two universal frequency ranges. The team's simulations align precisely with observations of the "stellar graveyard" – a collection of all known masses of the neutron-star and black-hole remains of massive stars – which reveal intriguing peaks at approximately 8 and 14 solar masses. With gravitational-wave astronomy paving the way for unprecedented insights into the cosmos, this research opens up a new frontier of exploration, helping scientists understand better where the singing black holes in this ocean of voices come from.

Weblinks:

• Original Press Release by HITS
• Original Publication: Fabian R. N. Schneider, Philipp Podsiadlowski, and Eva Laplace (2023). The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 950, 2, DOI 10.3847/2041-8213/acd77a
• Stellar Evolution Theory Group at HITS

STRUCTURES Newsletter July 2023

We are happy to present the twelfth volume of the STRUCTURES Newsletter with the following topics:

1. New STRUCTURES Professors: Michela Mapelli & Tristan Bereau
2. Workshop: Human Intelligence Meets Artificial Intelligence
3. CP 2: The Challenge of Understanding Planet Formation
4. We Are STRUCTURES
5. From Space to Earth: Uncovering the Potential Role of Meteorites in Kick-Starting Life
6. Fast Exoplanet Detection with Conditional Invertible Neural Networks (cINNs)

The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

  Joint STRUCTURES + FoF IV Workshop: Human Intelligence Meets Artificial Intelligence, Oct 4-5, 2023

We are happy to announce the workshop Human Intelligence (HI) Meets Artificial Intelligence (AI) jointly organized by the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence and Field of Focus IV (Self-Regulation And Regulation: Individuals and Societies). The workshop will take place from October 4 to 5, 2023 at Marsilius Kolleg, Heidelberg.

The registration is open until September 15. The link and the programme can be found at:
https://structures.uni-heidelberg.de/workshop_HI_meets_AI.

About the Workshop: Human intelligence (HI) emerges through the coordinated activity of a highly intricate and interconnected neural network, our brain. Understanding HI thus rests on understanding how this network implements cognitive processes, a question tackled by cognitive and neuro-scientists for decades. On the other hand, in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), the past few years have witnessed considerable progress in developing and understanding artificial deep neural networks. These models share common principles with the brain, sometimes even borrowing ideas from neuroscientific principles, although they also differ in important ways. As it stands, using modern AI tools to improve our understanding on HI, and vice versa, is a scientific field still in its infancy.

This workshop brings together experts on HI and AI to highlight recent progress in these areas and stimulate novel ideas bridging both fields. Our overarching questions are:

1. How can AI help to better understand HI?
2. How can we leverage deep learning models to explain neural mechanisms underlying HI?
3. How can HI inspire the development of AI?

Our invited speakers have focused and are currently focusing on these questions. We hope that this workshop will connect researchers on HI and AI, and identify novel collaborations between the fields.

Further information:

• Workshop Webpage
• Workshop Programme
• Field of Focus IV: Self-Regulation and Regulation: Individuals and Societies

  Schöntal Discussion Workshop 2023: Turbulence & Chaos

We are happy to announce this year's iteration of the Schöntal discussion workshop. The topic will be Turbulence & Chaos and will take place between August 22-25, 2023. The Schöntal workshop has been called into life a few years ago and is designed to stimulate discussions between members of the YRC about a specific topic. It is targeted towards young researchers from physics and mathematics and does not require any special prerequisites. For more information, please note the poster below.

Further information:

• Workshop Announcement Poster
• Registration link
• About the Young Researchers Convent (YRC)

  Akademische Mittagspause 2023: STRUKTUREN IN DER WELT

Strukturen treten in allen möglichen Formen auf und prägen das Universum auf vielfältige und entscheidende Weise. Das Exzellenzcluster STRUCTURES der Universität Heidelberg bietet im Rahmen der Akademischen Mittagspause 2023 spannende Einblicke in die Erforschung von Strukturen von subatomaren Teilchen zur Kosmologie und von der fundamentalen Quantenphysik bis hin zu den Neurowissenschaften.

Das Format der Akademischen Mittagspause besteht aus 15-minütigen Fachvorträgen, allgemeinverständlich und unterhaltend, mit anschließender Frage- und Diskussionsrunde. Ergänzt wird die Veranstaltungsreihe zusätzlich von der Hochschule für Kirchenmusik durch musikalische Beiträge zum Thema „Orgelmusik sehen“. Alle Termine, Details und aktuelle Hinweise finden Sie auf unserer Übersichtsseite.

Zeit & Ort:
Bis 19. Juli Jeden Mo-Fr 13:00 bis 13:30 in der Peterskirche

Weblinks:

• Pressemitteilung Universität Heidelberg
• Playlist Akademische Mittagspause auf YouTube

  Math Colloquium and HITS Fellow Ceremony in honour of Anna Wienhard

We are delighted to announce the special “Math colloquium” in honour of our external member and former STRUCTURES speaker Anna Wienhard, organized by the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS). The colloquium, which will take place on July 8, 11 am at Studio Villa Bosch, will be a special event in honour of Anna Wienhard, who took up her new position as Director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in November 2022.

The distinguished speakers at the colloquium will be:

• Steve Trettel (University of San Francisco): “Geometry from the Inside” (Abstract)
• Richard Schwartz (Brown University): “Divide and Conquer: 5 Point Energy Minimization” (Abstract)

After the talks and discussion, Anna Wienhard will be awarded HITS Fellow by HITS Scientific Director Tilmann Gneiting.

REGISTRATION:

The talk will be hybrid. If you would like to participate in person, please register in advance at benedicta.frech@h-its.org. If you would like to participate online, please register in advance here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. In case you are not able to attend, you can watch the talk afterwards on the HITS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheHITSters.

  Arepo Development Workshop for ISM simulations 2023

We are happy to announce the Arepo Development Workshop for ISM simulations, taking place from September 11 to 15, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom, and supported by the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence.

The goal of this highly interactive workshop is to bring together people who use and develop Arepo for ISM studies, allowing them to share their knowledge on improvements and modules they have introduced to the code. The code framework Arepo is a widely used tool for simulations in the astronomical community, whether it be for cosmological, galaxy or cloud scale simulations. In the field of ISM physics, many researchers use it as a basis for their models. Within STRUCTURES, the code is used especially in the context of comprehensive project CP1, which combines multi-scale numerical simulations with data analysis techniques and functional methods to answer the key question: Why is so much of nature structured rather than diffuse? In order to keep up with research of ever-increasing complexity, new and more elaborate physics has been introduced in the code in recent years.

Further information:
Workshop webpage

  ChatGPT and its ilk - The rise of large language models and why we should care

We are happy to announce the public talk by Anil Ananthaswamy, HITS Journalist in Residence 2023, titled “ChatGPT and its ilk - The rise of large language models and why we should care”. The event will take place on July 5, 2023, 7pm at the “MAINS” (Mathematik-Informatik-Station), located near the main station.

In his talk, organized in collaboration with the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, Anil Ananthaswamy will explain the foundations of large language models (LLMs), their training process and their impact on society. He will discuss the curious emergent properties of these AI models, such as their ability to solve math problems despite not being explicitly trained for it. The question of whether LLMs possess genuine reasoning capabilities or merely engage in sophisticated pattern matching will be examined. The talk will also highlight the dangers of large language models, as they are currently designed, and why it’s important for society to become aware of the promises and perils of such AIs, as the technology has reached a point of no return.

Anil Ananthaswamy, currently serving as “HITS Journalist in Residence” at Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), is an award-winning science journalist and author. With his extensive expertise in science communication, he has contributed to reputable publications such as the New Scientist, Quanta, Scientific American and Nature, among others. Leveraging his background as a software engineer and his authorship of three popular science books, Ananthaswamy brings unique perspectives to his analysis.

Further information:

• Talk announcement by HITS
• Event webpage by MAINS

  HEGL Community Seminar: Weaving Quasicrystals

We are happy to announce the HEGL community seminar talk on Monday, June 26, at 2:15 pm, Mathematikon (Seminarraum C), in which Philip Engel will be talking on "Weaving Quasicrystals".

Abstract: I will begin by talking about joint mathematical work with Peter Smillie on tilings, quasicrystals, and moduli spaces of higher differentials. We will review the beautiful constructions of N. G. de Bruijn, who classified the Penrose tilings of the plane. Then, we will discuss how to generalize some parts of this work to build tilings of closed, flat surfaces.
For the second half of the talk, I will describe a joint art project with fiber artist Victoria Manganiello, on visualizing quasicrystals and higher dimensions. How are patterns made, converted into a format suitable for weaving, and then actually woven?

Further dates and information:
HEGL Community Seminar webpage

  TDA Seminar: Enhancing computational astrophysics with interpretable machine learning

  Special Condensed Matter Theory Seminar: The strongly drive-dressed Fermi polaron

  Celebrating the one-year anniversary of KIDS - The Parent Child Offices

We are delighted to announce that the parent-child offices “KIDS” of STRUCTURES and SFB1225 ISOQUANT will be celebrating their anniversary. We would like to use this special occasion to celebrate together, to open the buildings for all interested parties and to give parents and children the opportunity to get to know each other and to network.

DATE: Wednesday, 14 June 2023 from 16:00 hrs.
LOCATION: Albert-Überle-Str. 3-5, Room 059

There will be coffee, cake and several small games, painting and craft activities for the children. For a better preparation of the event, we kindly ask you to send us your feedback, indicating the persons participating, by June 5, 2023 at the latest by email to ekb@uni-heidelberg.de. Your families and children are very welcome!

Heidelberg University sees itself as a family-friendly university. With the parent-child offices "KIDS", we contribute to making the compatibility of family and career a self-evident aspect of our university culture. The cooperation initiative of the Cluster of Excellence STRUCTURES and the Collaborative Research Centre 1225 ISOQUANT is intended to offer parents the uncomplicated opportunity to take their children "to the office" in the event of unexpected childcare bottlenecks. In this way, the children can be cared for in a family-friendly environment parallel to their own work. More information on the project can be found at:

https://ekb.thphys.uni-heidelberg.de/.

  Workshop on Hodge theory, Mirror Symmetry, and Physics of Calabi-Yau Moduli

We are happy to announce the joint MATCH-PIMS-STRUCTURES workshop in Mathematical Physics, held from June 12 to 16, 2023 at the Mathematikon in Heidelberg.

This workshop, organized by the Mathematical Physics group in the Mathematisches Institut at Heidelberg University, in collaboration with the Algebraic Geometry group at University of Alberta, will focus on the B-model (Hodge theory), the geometry and arithmetic of moduli of Calabi-Yau manifolds, degenerations, related aspects of the A-model (enumerative geometry), and questions of fundamental physics (string theory).

More details, registration information and a list of invited speakers can be found on the workshop's web page:
https://web.mathi.uni-heidelberg.de/cymod23.

  Public Lecture by Katrin Tent: “Unentscheidbare Probleme in der Mathematik”

We are happy to announce the public lecture by Prof. Dr. Dr. Katrin Tent (Universität Münster) on Undecidable Problems. The event is organised by the Research Station Geometry + Dynamics Heidelberg in cooperation with the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence and the SFB/TRR 191 “Symplectic Structures in Geometry, Algebra and Dynamics”:

Abstract: Können Computer die Nullstellen eines Polynoms finden? Das klingt erst einmal wie eine relativ einfache Aufgabe. Aber kann man ein Programm schreiben, dass bei Eingabe eines Polynoms entscheidet, ob dieses Polynom Nullstellen in den natürlichen oder ganzen Zahlen hat? Und was hat diese Frage mit den berühmten Gödelschen Sätzen zu tun? Diese Fragen klärt der Vortrag und stellt die Zusammenhänge her.

The event takes place on May 24, 2023, 17:00 at Hörsaal Mathematikon (INF 205, 69120 Heidelberg). No registration required! More information can be found on the event's webpage.

  HEGL community seminar by Martin Traizet on May 8

In the HEGL community seminar on Monday, May 8, 2:15 pm, Martin Traizet from Université de Tours will talk about the Area of Lawson surfaces in the 3-sphere. The seminar will take place at Mathematikon, Seminarraum C.

Abstract: Lawson has constructed highly symmetric minimal surfaces of arbitrary genus $g$ in the 3-sphere ${\mathbb S}^3$. I will explain how to construct these surfaces by an integrable system method — the DPW method. As a byproduct of the construction, we obtain accurate estimations of their area. In particular, the expansion of the area in term of $1/g$ involves $\zeta(3)$, where $\zeta$ is Riemann zeta function. I will explain the path from minimal surfaces in ${\mathbb S}^3$ to values of $\zeta$ and multi-zetas. Joint work with L. Heller, S. Heller and S. Charlton.

More information can be found on the HEGL community seminar webpage.

  Space for Inspiration: IMPACT DAY 2023

New Podcast Episode: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle

  ERC Grants for Friedrich Röpke and Nicolò Defenu

STRUCTURES member Friedrich Röpke, head of the Physics of Stellar Objects group at Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), has received an European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant of €2.5 million for his project ExCEED (“Explaining Common-Envelope Evolution and Dynamics in binary stellar systems“), which explores the enigmatic common-envelope phase in binary stellar evolution.

Moreover, STRUCTURES member Nicolò Defenu, currently member of the mathematical physics group at the Institute for Theoretical Studies, ETH Zurich, has received an European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant of €1.5 million for his project QLR-Net (“Quantum long-range networks”), which explores the prismatic physics of long-range interacting quantum systems in the many-body regime.

We congratulate the two to these highly prestigious awards!

Girls'Day 2023 at the Department of Physics and Astronomy

On Girls' Day, April 27, 2023, the Department of Physics and Astronomy is offering 16 exciting hands-on workshops. You will get to know the faculty and our participating institutes on a tour, you can look over the shoulders of our physicists at work, ask all your burning questions, learn a lot about physics and have a lot of fun.

More details on this year's workshop offerings can be found at:
https://www.physik.uni-heidelberg.de/girlsday/programm.

Source: Department of Physics and Astronomy

Research Seminar Topological Data Analysis

We are happy to announce the weekly seminar Topological Data Analysis (TDA) organized by the STRUCTURES Exploratory Project (EP) Mathematics and Data. The goal of the seminar is to bring together people from various backgrounds who are interested in TDA. The prospective topics will, amongst others, include synergies with Machine Learning (ML). Scientists with a background in computer science or ML are particularly encouraged to participate.

Time & Place: Thursdays 11.15 am to 12.45 am at room 0.200, Mathematikon. The first meeting of the semester will take place on April 27th, exceptionally in the SR Statistik 02.104 of the Mathematikon.

The EP Mathematics and Data provides a platform across the fields of the natural sciences and mathematics to discuss applications and foundations of the topological analysis of data (TDA) and beyond. TDA provides versatile tools to uncover potentially hidden topological structures in data. Researches who use TDA in statistical contexts are regularly surprised by its vast sensitivity to non-local correlations.

STRUCTURES Newsletter April 2023

We are happy to present the eleventh volume of the STRUCTURES Newsletter with the following topics:

1. New STRUCTURES Members: Caroline Heneka and Jakob Zech
2. Akademische Mittagspause 2023: „Strukturen in der Welt“
3. From EP 3.4: What can observations of galaxies tell us about their history?
4. We Are STRUCTURES
5. STRUCTURES Asks: Georgia Koppe

The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

  ELLIS Life / NCT Data Science Seminar on Interpretability in Machine Learning (April 19)

Current state-of-the-art machine learning methods impress with their capabilities for prediction, classification, or when solving even complex analytical tasks in the case of large language models. However, these methods often appear as a "black box" from the outside which makes it hard to understand how a result was achieved. In his talk on Interpretable Representations and Neuro-symbolic Methods in Deep Learning on April 19, 2023 (11:00 am), Jan Stühmer will discuss several approaches to interpretability in machine learning. The talk will take place in the DKFZ Lecture Hall, Communication Center, INF 280. Jan Stühmer is junior group leader at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies and Juniorprofessor at KIT.

For further information, see the talk announcement by the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ).

  Compact Course by Tim Laux (Uni Bonn): The gradient flow structure of mean curvature flow

  Human Brain Project Podcast with Mihai Petrovici and New Episode of “Exzellent Erklärt”

The Human Brain Project's podcast Episode 7 features STRUCTURES external member Mihai A. Petrovici, who leads the Neuro-inspired Theory, Modeling and Applications (NeuroTMA) group at the University of Bern. In the new podcast episode, he talks about the intersection of biological and artificial intelligence, and his experience of growing up in a family of physicists. Mihai Petrovici is a leading scientist in the Human Brain Project, which aims to put in place a cutting-edge research infrastructure that will allow scientific and industrial researchers to advance our knowledge in the fields of neuroscience, computing, and brain-related medicine.

In addition, this month's podcast episode of Exzellent Erklärt deals with cyber security. In the new episode featuring the cluster of excellence CASA “Cyber Security in the Age of Large-Scale Adversaries”, Prof. Eike Kiltz talks about an algorithm that protects our data even from quantum computers in the age of large-scale cyber attacks. The German science podcast “Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle” reflects the research diversity of Germany’s leading research institutions and Clusters of Excellence: from Antiquities to Quantum Physics. In each episode, listeners can expect insights into the interdisciplinary work of one research network.

Weblinks:

• Human Brain Project Podcast Ep. 7: The intersection of biological and artificial intelligence with Mihai Petrovici (YouTube)
• Exzellent erklärt podcast: https://exzellent-erklaert.podigee.io/.

  Workshop on Kinetic Field Theory, April 3 to 6, 2023

We are excited to announce the workshop Advanced Topics in Kinetic Field Theory (KFT) taking place from the 3rd to the 6th of April at the Philosophenweg, Heidelberg. While the workshop itself will have more in-depth discussions about KFT, we want to encourage everyone interested to attend.

There will additionally be a general, introductory talk on KFT by Stefan Zentarra on Monday, 3rd of April, 10:00 am, Seminar Room 106, Philosophenweg 12, for all those of you, who want to know more about KFT.

If you want to attend the workshop, please respond with a short answer to the email in the poster.

Talk by Christian Horvat: Density estimation on low-dimensional manifolds, March 15

  Happy International Women's Day!

Six influential female scientists in physics, mathematics & computer science

Today we want to highlight some of the outstanding women who had an incredible impact on the fields of research that now form the basis of STRUCTURES: physics, mathematics and computer science. Dr. Sara Konrad (ITP, member of the Young Researchers Convent) told us that she wished women in science "more opportunities to prove their skills" and our cluster strives to make exactly that possible. To promote diversity and equal opportunities, STRUCTURES spreads awareness and implements various institutional measures accompanied by support programs. Aside from the STEPS programme and family-friendly workplaces, this includes the new STRUCTURES diversity initiative and our outreach activities.

Join us on social media:
Twitter: @structures_hd, Instagram: structures_heidelberg.

  50th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days on April 11-14, 2023

We are happy to announce the 50th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days, taking place on April 11 - 14, 2023. The courses are organized as parallel block lectures in the morning and afternoon with coffee breaks, and open for advanced students, in particular those working on their Master's and doctoral theses. The aim is to broaden the physics knowledge of our students and to teach specialized techniques. Participants from other universities are welcome!

This semester's lectures include:

• Morning courses:
  • Alan Heavens (Imperial College, London): Bayesian cosmology
  • Lavinia Heisenberg (STRUCTURES Heidelberg): Gravitational waves propagation on cosmological backgrounds
  • Aleksas Mazeliauskas (Heidelberg): Non-equilibrium phenomena and thermalisation in Quantum Chromodynamics
  • Saicharan Aswartham (IFW, Dresden): Physical properties of emerging 2D-van der Waals materials
  • Benedikt Sabass (LMU Munich): Physics of biological networks
• Afternoon courses:
  • Claudius Krause (Heidelberg): Modern Machine learning for (Particle) Physics
  • Caroline Heneka (STRUCTURES Heidelberg): The 21cm background as a probe of astrophysics and fundamental physics
  • Samuel Hammer (Heidelberg): The Current State of the Global Carbon Cycle
  • Christof Wetterich (Heidelberg): Foundation of quantum mechanics in classical statistics
  • Maarten DeKieviet (Heidelberg): Scientific writing

The Hans Jensen Lecture, taking place on Thursday, April 13 at 17:30, will be given by Jun Ye (JILA, Boulder, Colorado) on Coherence, entanglement, and clock: from emergent phenomena to fundamental physics.
The Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days take place at Im Neuenheimer Feld 226 and 227.

Link: Graduate Days Website

STRUCTURES Newsletter Feb 2023

We are happy to present the tenth volume of the STRUCTURES Newsletter with the following topics:

1. STRUCTURES Short News
2. ERC Synergy Project: Dynamics & Control of Neural Stem Cells
3. YRC: New Speakers & Upcoming Activities
4. Simulations of Planetesimal Formation Reproduce Key Properties of Asteroids, Comets
5. Annalisa Pillepich Receives ERC Consolidator Grant

The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

Research: Quantum Phase Transition Observed in Bose-Fermi Mixture

STRUCTURES theoretical physicists from the group of Richard Schmidt (STRUCTURES, Institute for Theoretical Physics) at Heidelberg University together with experimentalists from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching have made a major breakthrough in the study of atomic Bose-Fermi mixtures. These mixtures are ultracold atomic systems that are composed of both bosonic and fermionic particles and thus enable unique interactions forming new phases of matter. In their study, published in Nature Physics, the research team observed first evidence for a quantum phase transition from a so-called polaronic to a molecular phase in a density-matched degenerate Bose-Fermi mixture.

This transition, which occurs at low temperatures, is induced by interactions depleting the fraction of bosons that occupy the lowest energy state, and by the build-up of strong correlations. Both result in the emergence of a molecular Fermi gas, which has been theoretically modelled within the group of Prof. Schmidt together with Jonas von Milczewski. The features of the underlying quantum phase transition represent a new phenomenon, complementary to the paradigmatic Bose-Einstein condensate/Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer crossover observed in Fermi systems. By driving the system through the transition in an experiment by the group of Immanuel Bloch and Xin-Yu Luo in Munich, the researchers have used this novel quantum phase transition to produce a record-large sample of sodium-potassium molecules in their absolute ground state exhibiting a large molecule-frame dipole moment in the quantum-degenerate regime.

Further Information and Links:

• Original Publication in Nature Physics: Duda, M., Chen, XY., Schindewolf, A. et al., Nat. Phys. (2023)
• Research Briefing: Using a quantum phase transition to efficiently produce heteronuclear molecules
• Quantum Matter Theory Group - Richard Schmidt

International Symposium: Machine Learning and Applications in the Humanities and Social Sciences

From Monday, February 13 to Wednesday, February 15, the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) will host the international symposium on “Machine Learning and Applications in the Humanities and Social Sciences” at Mathematikon, INF 205, fifth floor. The aim is to foster interaction and exchange between multiple disciplines, from Natural Language Processing to Neuroscience and Psychology.

Invited speakers are Lisa Beinborn, Josif Grabocka, Pia Bideau, Georgia Koppe, Stefan Radev, Alina Roitberg, Fengxiang He and Viktor Bengs. To help plan the catering, please register for free at the MLAI portal:

MLAI Heidelberg: Machine Learning Talks on Campus

Special Jour Fixe by Christiane Schwieren: Women in STEM

We are happy to announce this week's Jour Fixe with a talk “Women in STEM” by Prof. Christiane Schwieren, Equal Opportunities Commisioner at Heidelberg University and expert in Behavioral and Experimental Economics at Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics. As usual, the Jour Fixe will take place on Friday, February 10, 2023 at 1:30 pm. You are welcome to join the meeting either in person or via Zoom.

Abstract: All STEM fields in German universities suffer from a difficulty in recruiting and retaining qualified women – starting at the student level, but getting worse the higher up in the academic hierarchy we look. Research on gender differences in preferences, using both experimental methods and analyses of panel data, can shed some light on the mechanisms leading to this. There is also evidence available on the success of certain policies that have been implemented to recruit more women for STEM careers. Behavioral economics is well suited to suggest evidence-based interventions for the case that the current situation does not reflect preferences well. Libertarian paternalist or “nudging” interventions have been successfully used in a diversity of settings to counter especially (unconsciously) discriminatory hiring practices. However, we are everywhere still far from gender equality, which leads to the question what factors have been overlooked or not tackled sufficiently so far. Among them are both the negative effects of being in a “token” position as a women on women, but also male reactions to increasing gender equality. Identity economics offers insights into these aspects and can help to develop new, structural solutions.

Workshop on Pseudoholomorphic Curves in Hamiltonian Dynamics

We are happy to announce the workshop “Pseudoholomorphic Curves in Hamiltonian Dynamics” taking place from February 27 to March 3, 2023 at the Mathematical Institute Heidelberg. The workshop is aimed at graduate students that are interested in the topic. The first three days we will work in small groups on some foundations of the field. On Thursday we will again in small groups look at some more recent papers (or advanced topics) and have a conference dinner in the evening. Finally, on Friday we shall have a small conference. Every participant will play an active role in the seminar - either by preparing a talk in the first part of the workshop or by presenting their favourite paper on pseudoholomorphic curves in Hamiltonian dynamics. The registration is open until February 03, 2023.

Weblinks:

• Workshop page – Information and registration

ERC Consolidator Grant for Annalisa Pillepich

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Annalisa Pillepich, research group leader at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), one of the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grants. In her project COSMIC-KEY, Pillepich and her colleagues will be developing the next generation of simulations of galaxies and of the universe as a whole – a key to understanding obser­vational data that is set to become available over the next years.

The objective of COSMIC-KEY is to create the most realistic suites of simu­lations yet of galaxy formation and its consequences for cosmic evolution and cosmic structures. This includes, among many other physical phenomena, the influence of the central black holes not only on the rate of star formation in galaxies but, crucially, on the physical properties of the gas that surrounds galaxies and permeates dark-matter halos. The ultimate goal is to use such numerical and theoretical models to fit data of the X-ray and Sunyaev–Zel'dovich signatures of groups and clusters of galaxies and in turn to infer fundamental cosmological parameters that describe the functioning of the Universe.

With a total amount of 2 million euros, the consolidator grant will be used to finance 4 post-doctoral positions and 2 PhD students at MPIA over the coming five years.

Weblinks:

• Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) - Press Release
• European Research Council - Press Release
• Annalisa Pillepich: Galaxies and Cosmology Theory Group

Research: Simulations of planetesimal formation reproduce key properties of asteroids, comets

With simulations that resolve finer details than ever before, scientists Brooke Polak (Heidelberg University) and STRUCTURES member Hubert Klahr (MPIA, Heidelberg University) have modelled a key phase in the formation of planets in our solar system: the way that centimetre-size pebbles aggregate into so-called planetesimals tens to hundreds kilometres in size. The simulation reproduces the initial size distribution of planetesimals that can be checked against observations of present-day asteroids. It also predicts the prevalence of close binary planetesimals in our solar system.

Planet formation around a star proceeds in several stages. Initially, cosmic dust in the swirling protoplanetary disk around a new star clumps together due to electrostatic (van der Waals) forces, forming so-called pebbles a few centimetres in size. The pebbles in turn join together to form planetesimals: space rocks between tens and hundreds of kilometres in diameter. Finally, collisions among these planetesimals form even larger, gravitationally-bound, solid cosmic objects: planetary embryos, which can continue accreting planetesimals and pebbles until they become planets. Simulating this progression from centimetre-size pebbles to planetesimals, however, is challenging due to the disparate scales involved. The simulations by Polak and Klahr follow an innovative approach by using a kinetic description in which small groups of pebbles in a collapsing cloud in a protoplanetary disk are treated like a gas that can undergo certain phase transitions, and assigning a pressure to this “pebble gas.” In their new work, Polak and Klahr look at several versions of collapsing protoplanetary disk regions, each with at a different distance from the Sun, starting with a distance as close as Mercury's orbit and ending with a collapsing region as far away as Neptune.

Weblinks:

• Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) - Press Release
• Hubert Klahr: Planet and Star Formation Theory Group

Scientific Computing Seminar by Nick Trefethen on Applications of AAA Rational Approximation

SIMPLAIX Workshop: “Machine Learning for Multiscale Molecular Modeling”

“Marsilius im Gespräch”: Artificial Intelligence – Between Wishful Thinking and Science

In the new podcast episode of Marsilius im Gespräch, the Podcast of Heidelberg's Marsilius Kolleg, Friederike Nüssel talks to Andreas Dreuw (Chemistry), Robert Scheichl (Mathematics, STRUCTURES Cluster) and Jan Schuhr (Law) about chances, limitations and risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI). During their time as Marsilius Fellows, the three scientists have been working on an interdisciplinary project Künstliche Intelligenz: Zwischen Wunderglaube und Wissenschaft.

The Marsilius Kolleg at Heidelberg University bridges the gap between sciences and humanities through meetings and joint projects, which in turn promotes understanding and cooperation between the sciences and the humanities. Founded in 2007, the Marsilius Kolleg is a central component of Heidelberg’s successful proposal granted by the Excellence Initiative, launched by the federal and state governments of Germany.

Weblinks:

• Podcast episode: Künstliche Intelligenz - Zwischen Wunderglaube und Wissenschaft (in German)
• Fellow report by Andreas Dreuw: “Der digitale Chemiker”
• Fellow report by Robert Scheichl: “Der digitale Mathematiker”
• Fellow report by Jan Schuhr: “Der digitale Richter”

“I AM A.I.” – Scientific Exhibition on Artificial Intelligence – Open Until Jan 29, 2023

A.I. or Artificial Intelligence – a technology that increasingly finds its way into our everyday lives. On one hand, it can make life easier in certain areas and complement human abilities, but A.I. can also cross boundaries. I AM A.I. – Artificial Intelligence Explained addresses questions surrounding A.I. and the novel traveling exhibition opened to the public for the first time ever in the Mathematics Informatics Station (MAINS) of the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation. A wide array of interactive exhibits enable visitors to look at Artificial Intelligence from different angles and learn more about both its possibilities and limitations. Exciting experiments, videos and images show the mathematical methods behind the technology that vividly convey how A.I. works and where it is applied. Guided tours of the MAINS take place every Sunday at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. (in small groups). Registration is not required.

I AM A.I. was developed and implemented by IMAGINARY with funding from the Carl Zeiss Foundation and support by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung.

More information can be found at the MAINS' exhibition website.

Scientific Machine Learning: Kickoff on Jan 19, 2023

We are delighted to announce the launch of a new recurring series of talks and events on Scientific Machine Learning. The series kicks off on Thursday, January 19th 2023 from 16h30 to 18h00 at Mathematikon (INF 205, Conference Room, 5th floor). Machine Learning galore will feature lab presentations by PIs as well as scientific talks by junior scientists:

Machine Learning galore! - Programme:

• Lab presentations:
  • Tilman Plehn, Rebecca Wade, Bernhard Höfle, Jakob Zech
• Science talks:
  • Stefan Radev (Köthe lab): Modeling Uncertainty with Neural Networks
  • Theo Heimel (Plehn lab): Normalizing Flows for LHC Physics
  • Annika Reinke (Maier-Hein lab): Pitfalls and recommendations for image analysis validation

To help plan the catering, please register for free by clicking here.

Scientific Machine Learning is a joint initiative from STRUCTURES and IWR aimed at fostering interactions within and development of the local machine learning community. Its portal, http://mlai.uni-heidelberg.de summarizes the many relevant events and news from across campus that would otherwise remain scattered across single institutions or fields.

The goals of this new platform align with the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence's objective of driving research into the fundamental understanding of current and future machine learning, and with IWR’s aim to leverage machine learning to enable the solution of long-standing problems in the natural and life sciences, the engineering sciences, as well as the humanities.

Further information and links:

• Scientific Machine Learning (MLAI) homepage
• Machine Learning Talks on Campus – Information service and mailing list
• Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR)

Bad Honnef Physics School on “Physics of Viruses” Sep 2023: Register Now

Seminar by Pierre Haas on Cutting Through the Mechanics of Cell Sheet Folding, EMBL HD, Jan 20

HeiUP Releases Four New Books in Lecture Notes Physics by Björn Malte Schäfer

We are pleased to announce the release of four new books in Heidelberg University Publishing's (HeiUP) Lecture Notes Physik series, written by Björn Malte Schäfer, Professor of Fundamental Physics at the Center for Astronomy Heidelberg (ZAH). The four books, titled:

• General Relativity
• Cosmology
• Statistical Physics
• Tooltips for Theoretical Physics

provide comprehensive overviews of key topics in theoretical physics, modern cosmology, relativity and statistics. The books are also available online at the webpage of HeiUP Lecture Notes Physik.

STRUCTURES Newsletter Dec 2022

We are happy to present the ninth volume of the STRUCTURES Newsletter with the following topics:

1. Recap 2022 and Happy Holidays
2. Symmetric Spaces for Machine Learning – Representation Matters! (Project Report by Diaaeldin Taha)
3. STRUCTURES Asks: Lavinia Heisenberg
4. We Are STRUCTURES

The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

  Research: STRUCTURES Scientists simulate curved and expanding spacetime using ultracold atoms

In a laboratory experiment, a team of STRUCTURES researchers from CP 4 at Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics (KIP) and Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) have succeeded in realising an effective spacetime that is experimentally controllable. In their research with ultracold quantum gases of potassium, they were able to simulate an entire family of curved universes to investigate different cosmological scenarios and compare them with the predictions of a quantum field theoretical model. “For the wave-like excitations on the condensate, the propagation speed depends on the density and the interaction of the atoms. This gives us the opportunity to create conditions like those in an expanding, spatially curved universe,” explains Prof. Dr Stefan Flörchinger. The researcher, who previously worked at Heidelberg University and joined the University of Jena at the beginning of this year, elaborated the theoretical mapping of the atomic system to a noninteracting quantum field in a curved and expanding metric, which was used to benchmark the experimental results.

The success of this experiment shows that quantum field simulators offer the possibility to enter unexplored regimes in quantum cosmology. “Studying the interplay of curved spacetime and quantum mechanical states in the lab will keep us busy for some time to come,” says Prof. Dr Markus Oberthaler, head of the experimental group and STRUCTURES speaker.

Further reading and information:

• Original Publication 1: Viermann, C., Sparn, M., Liebster, N. et al.: “Quantum field simulator for dynamics in curved spacetime”. Nature (2022)
• Original Publication 2: Tolosa-Simeón, M., Parra-López A., Sánchez-Kuntz N., et al.: “Curved and expanding spacetime geometries in Bose-Einstein condensates”, Physical Review A (2022)
• Article in VICE: Scientists Simulate Early Universe With Quantum State of Matter In Mind-Bending Lab Experiment
• Website: Synthetic Quantum Systems collaboration

Seminar by George Bougas on Dynamical Association of Efimov Trimers and Atom-Dimers in Cold Gases, Nov 30

Seminar by Christina Kurzthaler: Physics of Bacterial Transport in Dilute & Porous Environments, EMBL, Nov 29

Film Screening of “Arrival” with Scientific Introduction as part of the Ruperto Carola Lecture Series

EINC Research Building is being officially inaugurated

New Podcast Episode: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle

Anna Wienhard becomes director of MPI for Mathematics in the Sciences

New Podcast Episode: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle

STRUCTURES Newsletter Oct 2022

We are happy to present the eighth volume of the STRUCTURES Newsletter featuring the following topics:

1. STRUCTURES Short News Oct 2022:
• Dual Superfluidity Observed in Ferromagnetic Ultracold Gas
• STRUCTURES Blog and Social Media
2. Research Update: Machine learning meets quantum simulation
3. 6th YRC Schöntal Workshop on “Renormalisation and Effective Theories”
4. New Members and Fellows
5. We Are STRUCTURES
6. STRUCTURES Asks: Felix Joos

The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

  ERC Synergy Grants for STRUCTURES members Anna Marciniak-Czochra and Simon Anders

The European Research Council awards Prof Anna Marciniak-Czochra (IAM/BioQuant/IWR) and Jun-Prof Simon Anders (Bioquant/ZMBH) together with Dr Laure Bally-Cuif (Institut Pasteur, Paris) and Ana Martin-Villalba (DKFZ) the highly endowed ERC Synergy grant for a pioneering research project that focuses on interdisciplinary research into the dynamics and control of neural stem cells. Stem cells are human cells with the unique ability to develop various other types of cells with specialized functions. The project “PerPetuating Stemness: From single-cell analysis to mechanistic spatio-temporal models of neural stem cell dynamics” (PEPS) is going to investigate the ability of stem cells to renew themselves and to differentiate. The PEPS team will develop and combine experimental methods with data analysis and mathematical modelling in order to understand how neural stem cells guarantee the human brain's long-term function by constantly generating new neurons necessary for its plasticity and repair. This requires an interdisciplinary and multi-scale effort to clarify how to reconcile decisions taken at the single cell level and at the population level. The ERC is making available approximately eleven million euros for the PEPS project, with almost 3.8 million going to fund the work at Ruperto Carola. The ERC Synergy Grants fund collaborative projects that, due to their complexity, require methods and expertise of multiple groups in order to achieve breakthroughs that would not be possible in individual projects.

Further information:
Anna Marciniak-Czochra's Website
Simon Anders' Website
Press Release by the European Research Council

Special Seminar on Physical Mathematics by Vasily Golyshev, Fri Oct 28, 2022

On Friday, October 28, 11:15 am, there will be a special Physical Mathematics seminar by Vasily Golyshev (Bures-sur-Yvette) on Hypergeometric Calabi-Yau Motives and their Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer Volumes:

Abstract: We give closed hypergeometric expressions for the Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer volumes of certain rank $4$ weight $3$ Calabi–Yau motives presumed to be of analytic rank $1$. We compare the first derivative of the $L$–functions of these motives at the central argument $s = 2$ to the B-SD volumes.

The talk will take place in Mathematikon, SR 9 at 11h (c.t.).

  Research: Dual superfluidity observed in a ferromagnetic ultracold gas

STRUCTURES scientists have experimentally demonstrated twofold superfluidity and dynamical thermalization in an ultracold ferromagnetic spinor Bose gas of Rubidium atoms.

Bose-Einstein condensates form an ideal ground to explore dynamical phenomena emerging in the many-body limit. Due to their rich internal structure spinor condensates give rise to intricate symmetry breaking and superfluidity features. Superfluids can flow without dissipation and are an example of a macroscopic system dominated by quantum physics. The equilibrium state of the spin-1 gas at ultralow temperatures exhibits a dual condensate in the “easy-plane” ferromagnetic phase. This is a form of matter in which all atoms show phase coherence over the whole extent of the system in both density and spin. The direct observation of this dual state has previously been challenging due to access to only short timescales or limited experimental control. In a recent experiment carried out by the group of Markus Oberthaler at the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP) in collaboration with Daniel Spitz and Jürgen Berges from the Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP) it has been prepared and thoroughly probed for the first time. The quantum gas could be stored long enough to observe the system’s evolution towards its equilibrium state, as well as to demonstrate the emergence of long-range coherence and spin-superfluidity. The new methods and results are an important step towards understanding quantum many-body dynamics and thermalization in large magnetic spin systems.

Link to the associated publication in Nature Physics:
Prüfer, M., Spitz, D., Lannig, S. et al. Condensation and thermalization of an easy-plane ferromagnet in a spinor Bose gas. Nat. Phys. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01779-6.

  Research: Machine learning meets quantum simulation

Summary by Tobias Schmale, Moritz Reh and Martin Gärttner:
Quantum simulators solve quantum many-body problems that are hard to simulate on classical computers due to the exponential increase of computational cost with the number of simulated particles. This exponential hardness also hits when performing quantum tomography, which means fully characterizing the prepared quantum states. Machine learning inspired variational approaches may overcome this challenge by restricting the manifold of trial states among which the experimentally prepared state is searched. The trick is to find structures inherent to the physical problem the simulator tries to solve, and to use these to create a compressed state representation, just like e.g. in image compression methods. In [1] we demonstrated that this method leads to a scalable tomography scheme using convolutional neural networks. We considered various experimentally relevant scenarios where we generated synthetic measurement data numerically. Working towards deploying this method on real experimental data, we recently applied it to an experiment creating entangled photon pairs [2]. A unique extension, that was possible thanks to collaborations within STRUCTURES, is the use of neuromorphic hardware. Optimizing the parameters of an analog neuromorphic chip we demonstrated the encoding of Bell states [3] and quantum ground states [4].

Associated literature:

1. T. Schmale, M. Reh, M. Gärttner. Efficient quantum state tomography with convolutional neural networks. NPJ Quantum Information 8, 115 (2022).
2. M. Neugebauer, L. Fischer, A. Jäger, S. Czischek, S. Jochim, M. Weidemüller, M. Gärttner. Neural-network quantum state tomography in a two-qubit experiment. Phys. Rev. A 102, 042604 (2020).
3. S. Czischek, A. Baumbach, S. Billaudelle, B. Cramer, L. Kades, J. M. Pawlowski, M. K. Oberthaler, J. Schemmel, M. A. Petrovici, T. Gasenzer, M. Gärttner. Spiking neuromorphic chip learns entangled quantum states. SciPost Phys. 12, 39 (2022).
4. R. Klassert, A. Baumbach, M. A. Petrovici, M. Gärttner. Variational learning of quantum ground states on spiking neuromorphic hardware. iScience 25(8), 104707 (2022).

Honorary Doctorate for Theoretical Physicist Sally Dawson, Special Lecture on Oct 13

In recognition of her outstanding scientific achievements in the field of Theoretical Physics, Dr Sally Dawson is to be awarded the honorary doctorate of the Combined Faculty of Mathematics, Engineering and Natural Sciences of Heidelberg University. The Faculty is paying tribute to her contributions, particularly to the discovery and physics of the Higgs Boson. Dr Dawson, researcher at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, has had close connections for many years with the elementary particle research community in Germany, and Heidelberg in particular.

The honorary doctorate will be presented by Rector Prof Dr Bernhard Eitel at an award ceremony on Thursday (Oct 13) at 6 pm in the Great Hall of the Old University (Alte Aula). The laudatory address will be given by STRUCTURES member Prof Dr Jürgen Berges, Dean of Heidelberg's Physics & Astronomy Department. Dr Dawson will then give the “Hans Jensen Lecture” on the topic “Why Study Particle Physics? Tackling the Big Questions”. The lecture series commemorates Hans Jensen, a Heidelberg researcher in the field of Theoretical Physics who received the Nobel Prize in 1963.

For more information, see also Heidelberg University's press release.

  49th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days Oct 10-14, 2022

The 49th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days of the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics (HGSFP) take place on October 10 - 14, 2022. With the Graduate Days, co-organised by STRUCTURES, the HGSFP offers advanced students and researchers a biannual spring/autumn school featuring different topics from various fields of physics. Participants are encouraged to broaden their perspective in physics by attending introductory courses on topics that are unfamiliar to them, or deepen their knowledge by attending specific courses that may be offered at a deeper level. Courses are held in English.

Young Scientist Retreat FI EMS from Nov 24 to 26, 2022

The Flagship Initiative: Engineering Molecular Systems (FI EMS) invites all PhDs and PostDocs working in the field of Engineering Molecular Systems at Heidelberg University (and its partner institutions) to their young scientist retreat at Trifels on November 24th – 26th 2022. There will be a scientific program with talks and posters as well as some time for social activities. Registration is open until October 10th.

Further information:

• Announcement with details (PDF, 143 KB)
• Flagship Initiative: Engineering Molecular Systems (FI EMS)

Talk by Avi Wigderson (Abel Prize winner 2021) on “Randomness - the Utility of Unpredictability”, September 19, 3:00 pm

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Avi Wigderson (IAS, Princeton, Abel prize winner 2021) will give a talk with the title Randomness - the Utility of Unpredictability on Monday, Sep 19, 3 pm at INF 230 (Großer Hörssal). The talk is aimed to a general audience, in particular to staff and students in physics, computer science and mathematics. After the talk, there is some time for questions to and chatting with the speaker.

Title: Randomness - the Utility of Unpredictability
Abstract: Is the universe inherently deterministic or probabilistic? Perhaps more importantly - can we tell the difference between the two? Humanity has pondered the meaning and utility of randomness for millennia. There is a remarkable variety of ways in which we utilize perfect coin tosses to our advantage: in statistics, cryptography, game theory, algorithms, gambling... Indeed, randomness seems indispensable!
Which of these applications survive if the universe had no randomness in it at all? Which of them survive if only poor-quality randomness is available, e.g. that arises from "unpredictable" phenomena like the weather or the stock market? A computational theory of (pseudo)randomness, developed in the past decades, reveals (perhaps counter-intuitively) that very little is lost in such deterministic or weakly random worlds. In the talk I'll explain the main ideas and results of this theory.
No special background will be assumed.
Host: Felix Joos

Avi Wigderson is a widely recognized authority in the diverse and evolving field of theoretical computer science. His main research area is computational complexity theory. Together with László Lovász, Avi Wigderson was awarded the Abel prize 2021 for their striking contributions to Theoretical Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics. The Abel prize is together with the fields medal arguably the most prestigious award in mathematics.
Avi Wigderson visits Heidelberg as he is a speaker at the 9th Heidelberg Laureate Forum

Please see also the talk announcement at the Theoretical Computer Science group page.

YRC STRUCTURES Conference Oct 4-7 2022: Register now

The registration for the YRC STRUCTURES Conference 2022 closes soon. You can still register until September 7th via this link.
The YRC STRUCTURES Conference, which takes place from October 4 to 7 in Neuenheimer Feld, will bring together young and senior members of the cluster. It is the first and only such event which allows all cluster and YRC (Young Researchers Convent) members to meet in person and discuss your ongoing research within the cluster. We look forward to engaging overview talks contributed by the cluster PIs, exciting talks by YRC members presenting their research and newest results within the cluster, fruitful discussions during poster sessions and lunch talks from exciting new start-ups.

For further information, please see also the conference web page.

3rd Workshop on Topological Methods in Data Analysis Sep 28 – 30

From 28th to 30th of September the Third Workshop on Topological Methods in Data Analysis will take place within the Cluster of Excellence STRUCTURES at Heidelberg University. This three-day workshop includes introductions into the powerful data analysis machinery of persistent homology and to machine learning techniques. A particular focus is laid on synergies between topological data analysis and machine learning, where fruitful applications have been recently emerging. The workshop will take place primarily online, complemented by on-site get-together opportunities in Heidelberg.
The registration is now OPEN (link).

Prior to the workshop, we offer from 12th to 16th of September, an introductory course on topological data analysis on-site in Heidelberg, which is tailored to non-mathematicians and focusing on intuitive examples. We ask for prior notification of attendence via mail to mschmahl[at]mathi.uni-heidelberg.de.

For further information, please see the workshop's webpage at:
https://tda.mathi.uni-heidelberg.de/

Workshop in Geometry and Dynamics Oct 20-21, 2022

We are happy to announce that registration is open for the Workshop in Geometry and Dynamics, which is going to take place on October 20th and 21st at Mathematikon in Heidelberg. The aim of this workshop is to bring together researchers in geometry and dynamics with a particular focus on magnetic dynamics, billiards, symplectic geometry and sub-Riemannian geometry.

The registration link and more information can be found at:
https://www.sites.google.com/view/workshopgeometryanddynamics/home.

STRUCTURES Blog and Social Media Channels Online

We are delighted to announce that the new STRUCTURES Blog is online, launched in parallel with our new social media presence on Twitter (@structures_hd) and Instagram (@structures_heidelberg). On the blog and on our Instagram and Twitter channel, we will provide explanations and insights on interesting structures that are related to our research in the STRUCTURES cluster, and visualize them with captivating images. We hope to give a broad, interested audience an idea of what these structures are, how they come about, and why they fascinate us. Starting off with an article by Manfred Salmhofer on "The Structure of STRUCTURES", we look forward to your feedback regarding the blog.

• STRUCTURES Blog: https://structures.uni-heidelberg.de/blog/
• Instagram: @structures_heidelberg
• Twitter: @structures_hd

  New Podcast Episode: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle

New Centre for Model-Based Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The new, interdisciplinary CZS Heidelberg Center for Model-Based AI at Heidelberg University connects mathematical modelling methods with information processing in neuronal networks. To this end it links research activities from the fields of mathematics, computer science, physics, and medicine – part of which are carried out within STRUCTURES and its participating institutes. The centre aims to develop highly effective, energy-efficient, and privacy-compliant information processing and problem-solving processes for research and industry. Of central significance will be the combination of mathematical models and modern machine learning processes. “We are working on methods that are reliable and demonstrate how certain the decisions made with the aid of neuronal networks are,” states Prof. Ullrich Köthe (IWR), who is majorly involved in setting up the new centre. With “green IT” as their motto, the researchers furthermore intend to design their numerical techniques to consume as little energy as possible. The centre is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS) with five million euros over a period of six years.

See also Heidelberg University's Press Release.

Ruperto Carola magazine July 2022: STRUCTURES Members Wolfram Pernice and Rüdiger Klingeler provide insights into their research

In the current issue (July 2022, German) of Heidelberg University's research magazine "Ruperto Carola", STRUCTURES professor Wolfram Pernice provides insights into his research on novel computing platforms that work with light instead of electrons. These so-called "photonic" computing platforms allow to perform operations relevant to neural networks and artificial intelligence (AI) in very short times and with remarkable energy efficiency. This will be of huge relevance for overcoming current barriers to the bandwidth of conventional AI computing systems based on electronic computers. The architecture underlying the programmable nanostructures developed by Prof. Pernice and his group are inspired by the functioning of neurons and the human brain, which do not strictly distinguish between data storage and data processing. Such "neuromorphic" computational methods promise new applications in autonomous driving, training artificial neural networks or ultra-fast processing of telecommunication signals.

In the same issue, Prof. Rüdiger Klingeler of STRUCTURES talks with educational scientist Nina Jude about hard facts in soft research fields, about defects that increase the stability of a material, and about the question of which soft skills and hard skills are really necessary in studies; and what school education should do in this regard.

  Research: First dormant black hole found outside the Milky Way

An international research team under participation of STRUCTURES member Fabian Schneider discovered a “dormant” black hole in a binary-star system outside our galaxy. These black holes are very difficult to find because they do not emit X-ray radiation.

In their study, published in Nature Astronomy, the researchers reported the first discovery of a ‘dormant’ stellar-mass black hole, VFTS243, outside the Milky Way galaxy, based on observations with ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). Stellar-mass black holes form when massive stars collapse under their own gravity at the end of their lives. If this happens in a binary system, the resulting black hole will be orbiting a luminous companion star. Such black holes often accrete material from their companion and emit powerful X-rays, but a “dormant” black hole does not. Astronomers suspect that many more dormant black holes exist than previously thought. The team also found that the star that gave rise to VFTS243 disappeared without evidence of a strong supernova explosion, indicating a ‘direct-collapse’ scenario. The new results have significant implications for the origin of black-hole mergers in the cosmos.

Original Publication (July 18, 2022):
Shenar et al: An X-ray quiet black hole born with a negligible kick in a massive binary within the LMC. Nature Astronomy.

Public lecture by Sebastian Hensel on the Poincaré Conjecture + Open HEGL on July 22

On July 22, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hensel (LMU Munich) will give a public talk (in German) on “Von Sphären, Schleifen und Flüssen: die Poincaré-Vermutung und die Form des Raums” as part of our event series on the Poincaré conjecture in the context of the nationwide Millennium Prize Problems Mathfest. This talk is aimed at everyone who is curious about topology and at high school students (Oberstufe). After the talk, there will be the opportunity to talk to the lecturer and other scientific experts and to participate in a hands-on exploration of geometry and topology at the Heidelberg Experimental Geometry Lab (HEGL).

For details, please see the event page of the Research Station Geometry & Dynamics and the press release (German).

STRUCTURES Newsletter July 2022

We are happy to present the seventh volume of the STRUCTURES Newsletter, which features the following topics:

• 1. STRUCTURES Short News July 2022
• 2. From CP4: Simulating a Quantum Field in Curved and Expanding Spacetimes
• 3. We Are STRUCTURES
• 4. STRUCTURES Asks: Björn Malte Schäfer

The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

Millennium Prize Problems Mathfest: Celebrating the Poincaré Conjecture (July 2022)

In July, we proudly present two talks in Heidelberg on the Poincaré Conjecture, one of the seven famous, complex “Millennium Prize Problems” defined by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000. On July 15 and 22, respectively, Prof. Dr. Markus Banagl (Uni Heidelberg) and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hensel (LMU Munich) will give insights into this intriguing subject and recent developments in the field. After the talk on July 22, there will be the opportunity to talk to the lecturer and other scientific experts and to participate in a hands-on exploration of geometry and topology at the Heidelberg Experimental Geometry Lab (HEGL). These events are part of a nationwide Millennium Prize Problems celebration. The solution to each of these problems carries a prize of 1 million USD. Among them, only the Poincaré conjecture has been fully resolved. Established by Henri Poincaré in 1904 and proved by Grigori Perelman in 2003, it states that every finite three-dimensional space without boundary, on whose surface every loop can be continuously contracted to a point, must have the form of a three-dimensional sphere.

Details on the programme can be found on the event page of the Research Station Geometry & Dynamics.
Please also see the associated press release (German).

Differential Geometry Seminar by Richard Kenyon: “Dimers, webs and SL_n local systems” on July 7

We cordially invite you to attend the talk by visiting guest professor Richard Kenyon (Yale) in the Differential Geometry Seminar on July 7, 1:00 - 2:00 PM at the Mathematical Institute in Seminarraum A:

Title: Dimers, webs and SL_n local systems
Abstract: We consider SL_n-local systems on graphs on surfaces and show how the associated Kasteleyn matrix can be used to compute probabilities of various topological events involving the overlay of n independent dimer covers (or “n-webs”). This is joint work with Dan Douglas and Haolin Shi.

For more information, please visit the seminar web page.

Herlinde Koelbl: “Faszination Wissenschaft - 60 Begegnungen mit wegweisenden Forschern unserer Zeit” on June 30

We are delighted to announce the talk “Faszination Wissenschaft - 60 Begegnungen mit wegweisenden Forschern unserer Zeit” by photographic artist Herlinde Koelbl, which was postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic situation:

Thursday, June 30, 2022, 6 pm (c.t.),
Neue Universität, Hörsaal 13.

The talk will be held in German. The STRUCTURES Project Management Office is happy to answer questions.

  Workshop on “Geometry and Machine Learning” July 11–13 - Register Now

On behalf of the Research Station: Geometry and Dynamics and the Cluster of Excellence: STRUCTURES, we are happy to announce that the registration for the “Workshop on Geometry and Machine Learning” (July 11–13, HITS) is open. This workshop will bring together researchers and practitioners of Geometry and Machine Learning to interact and exchange ideas.

You can register on: https://gaml.mathi.uni-heidelberg.de/

The deadline for registration is Sunday, June 26th, 2022.

  Research: Bubbly structure of gas in the Milky Way

An international group of astronomers under participation of STRUCTURES member Ralf Klessen found the imprint of the bubbles produced by the explosion of dying stars in the structure of the gas that pervades our galaxy.

An international researcher team under participation of STRUCTURES scientists has found the imprint of bubbles produced by supernova explosions in the structure of the gas that pervades our Galaxy. They made this discovery by applying artificial intelligence (AI) methods to data from the HI4PI survey, the most detailed all-sky map of atomic hydrogen in the Galaxy to date. The scientists analysed filamentary structures in the emission of atomic hydrogen and found that their orientation with respect to the Galactic plane changes progressively with radius, indicating a similar distribution of atomic gas as in nearby spiral galaxies. The study revealed that filamentary structures preserved a record of dynamical processes induced by ancient supernova explosions and the rotation of the Galaxy. The new results are an important step in understanding the process responsible for galaxy-scale star formation.

Original Publication:
J. D. Soler et al., The Galactic dynamics revealed by the filamentary structure in atomic hydrogen emission, arXiv:2205.10426v1 [astro-ph.GA] 20 May 2022. See also the press release of the Center for Astronomy Heidelberg (ZAH).

  SAVE THE DATE: Invitation to the YRC STRUCTURES Conference Oct 4 to 7, 2022

We are happy to announce that the Young Researchers Convent (YRC) STRUCTURES Conference will take place from October 4th-7th 2022 in Heidelberg. The conference intends to bring together young and senior members of the cluster in virtue of closer collaboration. It serves as an opportunity to present and discuss research throughout STRUCTURES such as the CPs and EPs. The conference consists of seven keynotes by PIs in each of the CPs, as well as presentations of current projects from the members (talks and posters) of the YRC.
The registration will open soon, stay tuned!

Links: Conference webpage | YRC page.

  Research: Collective movement of pathogens largely determined by physical principles

STRUCTURES member Ulrich Schwarz examines how physical properties of malaria parasites can influence their individual and collective dynamics, as part of an interdisciplinary research team.

The disease of malaria is triggered by single-celled parasites that accumulate in large groups in the salivary glands of mosquitoes before transmission to human beings. In an interdisciplinary study, the research teams led by Prof. Dr Friedrich Frischknecht (malaria research), Prof. Dr Karl Rohr (biomedical image analysis) and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schwarz (physics of complex biosystems) have set the pathogens in motion and studied their collective dynamics. The researchers discovered that malaria parasites can migrate in large vortices when extracted by means of appropriate experimental preparation. To understand these phenomena the acquired image data were analysed quantitatively using cutting-edge methods of image processing, allowing to precisely identify the parameters that explain the experimental observations. The teams observed emerging properties of collective migration, which arise because the movement of the individual pathogens is converted into elastic energy that is stored in the vortex. “Our new model system offers the opportunity to better understand the physics of collectives with elastic properties and perhaps render them usable for technical applications in the future,” explains Ulrich Schwarz.

Weblinks:
University's press release (English, May 13).
Original publication by Patra et al. (2022) in Nature Physics

Public lecture on Mathematics in Music and Visual Arts (May 30)

We cordially invite you to the public lecture on “Töne sehen und Muster hören – Mathematik in Musik und Kunst” by Prof. Jürgen Richter-Gebert (TU München) on Monday, May 30 2022 at 5 pm, Mathematikon lecture hall.

Abstract: Math makes it possible. This lecture is a journey through central topics of mathematics and art such as symmetry, proportion, and rhythm. Here are some of the questions addressed in the lecture:

• What do tiles, common salt, and a canon have in common?
• How can you create one picture by moving shapes?
• How do you create a 3-D-model out of such a picture? Can you hear it?

You will be able to witness a small set of simple rules turning into fascinating structures. This metamorphosis is performed by a piece of interactive software. The results may vary from intricate images to intriguing drum beats.

Link: Announcement by the Research Station Geometry & Dynamics.

  STRUCTURES Workshop “Random Geometry in Heidelberg” May 16 - 20

From 16th to 20th of May the Workshop “Random Geometry in Heidelberg” is going to take place within the cluster of excellence STRUCTURES at Heidelberg University. The goal of the workshop is to foster interactions between researchers in random geometry, quantum gravity and quantum field theory. To this end it combines a diverse schedule of scientific presentations with ample discussion time. Topics include but are not limited to: tensor field theory, group field theory, the topological recursion and non commutative field theory. Special emphasis will be placed on applications of such models to quantum gravity, conformal field theory, condensed matter or artificial intelligence.

The workshop will take place in the Neuenheimer Feld campus in Heidelberg and is organised by Razvan Gurau, Sabine Harribey, Carlos Perez Sanchez and Adrian Tanasa. Links and further information are available at the workshop’s webpage.

  Research: Observation of Cooper pairs in a mesoscopic two-dimensional Fermi gas

STRUCTURES physicists Philipp Preiß and Selim Jochim have directly observed Cooper pairs in an ultracold Fermi gas.

The emergence of fermionic superfluidity and superconductivity is closely linked to the formation of Cooper pairs. These are strong correlations between pairs of electrons (or other fermions) with opposite spin and momentum localised at the Fermi surface in momentum space. Understanding the mechanism behind pair formation has so far been a challenge. In their new study published in Nature, the research team around Philipp Preiß and Selim Jochim have directly observed Cooper pairs in a mesoscopic two-dimensional Fermi gas. Using an advanced fluorescence imaging technique, they were able to extract spin- and single-atom-resolved momentum distributions with particle-detection fidelities comparable to those of quantum gas microscopes. With precise control over the interactions, particle number and potential landscape, they were able to establish observables that allow to identify different pairing mechanisms and to answer longstanding questions concerning not only such mesoscopic systems but also their connection to the macroscopic world.

Link: Research article by Holten et al. (2022) in Nature.

“Welt der Physik” Podcast with Prof. Ulrich Schwarz on the Physics of Cells

“A cell is the smallest unit of life, in a certain sense the elementary particle of biology” (Ulrich Schwarz). Every living being is made up of cells. The human body for instance consists of over 10¹³ different cells, which are divided into more than 200 different cell types. In order to understand the complex processes in cells, researchers approach them not only from the biological but also from the physical side. In the new episode of Welt der Physik's podcast, Ulrich Schwarz (ITP, STRUCTURES Heidelberg) explains how much physics is in cells. The podcast is in German.

Link: Welt der Physik: Podcast episode 333: Physik der Zelle

  Special Colloquium by Prof. Steven Chu, May 10, 2022

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Steven Chu, Nobel Laureate in Physics 1997 and former Secretary of Energy under Barack Obama, will give a special colloquium on Tuesday, May 10, 1:15 pm, on: What new biology and biophysics can be learned from nanometer-millisecond tracking of the dynein molecular motor (see the announcement poster). The colloquium will take place in Hörsaal 1 of the Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics (KIP, INF 227). The colloquium will be followed by a Q&A session on Prof. Chu’s current research and former work. Researchers and students from all disciplines are welcome!

  Joint Workshop with FI EMS: From Structures to Functions, IWH May 9, 2022

We are happy to announce that the workshop “From Structures to Functions” jointly organised by the Flagship Initiative Engineering Molecular Systems (FI EMS) and the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence is going to take place entirely in presence. The registration is now closed. The workshop will start at 09:00 am at the International Academic Forum Heidelberg (IWH) in Hauptstr. 242 (old town Heidelberg). Participants are asked to use the lower entry at the front of the building.

Please find the schedule with speakers & topics here.

  Symposium Computational Soft Matter and Biophysics May 12 and May 19, 2022

The symposium will take place in hybrid form at the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP). Lectures will be held in attendance for invited guests only but will also be broadcast via ZOOM. For more information on the invited speakers and the ZOOM details , please visit ITP's web page on the event or see the associated poster.

  STRUCTURES NEWSLETTER Vol. 6 Apr 2022

We are happy to present the sixth volume of the STRUCTURES newsletter, which features the following topics:

• Pg. 1: New Centre for Model-Based AI  /  New Quantum Technology Cooperation Projects  /  KIDS: The New Parent-Child Offices of STRUCTURES and ISOQUANT Are Ready For You!
• Pg. 2: HEGL: The Heidelberg Experimental Geometry Lab
• Pg. 3: We Are STRUCTURES  /  Save the Date: STRUCTURES YRC Conference Oct. 4–7 2022
• Pg. 4: STRUCTURES Asks: Anna Marciniak-Czochra

The STRUCTURES Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

HEGL Community Seminar May 2

We cordially invite you to attend the Heidelberg Experiment Geometry Lab (HEGL) Community Seminar talk by Sean Lawton on May 2 at 3pm:

Title: Dynamics, Finite Fields, and Character Varieties: A Geometry Lab Project Working!
Abstract: In 2014, the Mason Experimental Geometry Lab (MEGL) was founded at George Mason University (GMU). During Fall and Spring of that year, MEGL obtained funding, space, equipment, and participants. In Summer 2015, the first research (and outreach) projects began. One of the first projects explored dynamics on the finite field points of certain algebraic varieties. This project continued every semester and summer until Fall 2018. In addition to interesting conjectures with substantial data to support them and 1000’s of lines of code generating said data, the project created awesome visualizations (images and 3D prints), a GMU-College of Science research award, an undergraduate honors thesis, a PhD thesis, a community of mathematicians (11 student participants, most in PhD programs or in professional scientific positions), and many fond memories. This talk is about that story.

The Seminar will take place online via Zoom. Contact HEGL or join the HEGL Mailing List to get the Zoom coordinates. More information can be found at the HEGL seminar website.

Symposium on Computational Astrophysics May 5 2022

The symposium on Computational Astrophysics will take place on May 5, 2022 in hybrid form. Lectures will be held in attendance for invited guests only but will also be broadcast via ZOOM. For more information, please visit the web page of the Center of Astronomy (ZAH) on the event or see the associated poster.

Reality and probability: from atoms to bacteria and the Earth climate

We cordially invite you to attend the talk by Lamberto Rondoni (Politechnico di Torino) on Reality and probability: from atoms to bacteria and the Earth climate on Friday April 22 at 4.00pm at EMBL, Large Operon.

Registration is no longer required, but it is still mandatory to wear FFP2 masks in seminar rooms. Online access via Zoom: Meeting ID: 910 5345 7980, Passcode: 449594

Abstract: Probability is arguably the most effective mathematical tool that all sciences use. However, probability is not reality, and one should be aware of the relations between them, in order to avoid errors, and actually develop useful predictive theories. In this lecture, I will invite the audience and myself to ponder the matter, illustrating various notions probability and giving examples of how statistical physics understands thermodynamic phenomena. I will then discuss success and failures in the use of probabilities in Physics, and will conclude mentioning some applications of biological and geophysical interest.

SIMPLAIX Inaugural Symposium on April 12

We are happy to announce the SIMPLAIX Inaugural Symposium on April 12. In the new SIMPLAIX collaboration, researchers from HITS, Heidelberg University, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are addressing challenges in the simulation of biomolecules and molecular materials by pooling their expertise in multiscale computer simulation and machine learning. The collaboration is funded by the Klaus Tschira Foundation and will be launched on 12 April 2022 at Studio Villa Bosch, Heidelberg.

The schedule is available here (PDF).
See also: SIMPLAIX Website

  48th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days April 11-14, 2022

The 48th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days of the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy take place on April 11 - 14, 2022. Participants from other universities are very welcome!
Courses are open for advanced students, in particular those working on their Master's and doctoral theses. It is the aim to offer courses that broaden the students' physics knowledge as well as to teach specialized techniques.

'Almost a PhD' lecture Series.

The STRUCTURES Young Researcher's Convent (YRC) is happy to announce another talk in its 'Almost-a-PhD' series:
Tuesday, April 12, 6.00pm: Tobias Haas: An Entropic Perspective on Equilibrium, Uncertainty and Entanglement. (online via Zoom, German).
The talk will be in German this time, as it will be the language of Tobi's defence.

About the 'Almost a PhD' lecture series:
In the 'almost a PhD' talks, PhD students shortly before their defence can practice their PhD talk. The presentation will be followed by questions and, if wanted, a short round of feedback. In this format PhD candidates benefit by practising their talk in front of a live audience and listeners are presented with understandable and hopefully high quality talks about a broad variety of current research topics. And if you are currently in your PhD yourself, you can collect ideas for your own talk in the future! If your defence is coming up and you are keen to practice your talk yourself, send a mail with your topic and your preferred date to the YRC.

STRUCTURES member Dylan Nelson receives Hector RCD Award

Dylan Nelson studied at the University of California in Berkeley and at Harvard University (both USA). After earning his doctorate in 2015, he became a post-doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching near Munich. Since 2020 he has directed the Emmy Noether research group “Computational Galaxy Formation and Evolution”, which explores the origins and development of galaxies with computer support. “We want to understand how gas flows in, out of and around galaxies,” underlines the astrophysicist. In order to understand the evolution of cosmic structures over time, Dr Nelson’s research group is developing numerical simulations. “With the funds from the Award and the additional doctoral position, we can explore new simulation techniques and applications of current machine learning methods,” says Dylan Nelson.

• Heidelberg University Press release (March 31, 22)
• Hector fellow academy: RCD Award
• Dylan Nelson's homepage.

The new parent-child offices of STRUCTURES and ISOQUANT are ready for you!

Do you want to go to the office and have a child with you, or would you like a relaxing nursing room right by your workplace? Then we have the right place for you! “KIDS”, the new parent-child offices at Philosophenweg and Mathematikon, are open to all participants of the STRUCTURES and ISOQUANT projects. Several fully equipped workstations, a group room as well as a quiet room for breastfeeding, a kitchenette and numerous play corners for the little ones are waiting for you. For more information, go to https://ekb.thphys.uni-heidelberg.de/ – register on our website and book your desired workspace flexibly! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time: ekb@uni-heidelberg.de. We look forward to welcoming you and your kids in our offices!

For more information and pictures, have a look at the KIDS flyer:
Flyer German | English (PDF, 1.6MB).

STRUCTURES NEWSLETTER Feb 2022

We are happy to present the fifth volume of the STRUCTURES newsletter, which features the following topics:

• Pg. 1: New EPs – ERC Starting Grant for Lauriane Chomaz – Members News
• Pg. 2: STRUCTURES asks: Lauriane Chomaz
• Pg. 3: CP 3: Modeling Cell Mechanics with the Finite Element Method
• Pg. 4: News from the YRC – We Are STRUCTURES

“Welt der Physik” Podcast on Emergence with Manfred Salmhofer

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This phrase, often attributed to Aristotle, is how one could describe one of the most fascinating, complex properties of nature: Emergence. When several parts of a physical system – whether atoms, birds or stars – interact with each other, new properties can be observed that its single parts do not have on their own. This phenomenon is the focus of the new episode by “Welt der Physik”'s podcast “Emergenz”, in which Manfred Salmhofer from STRUCTURES explains how such emergent properties arise and what role they play in physics.

The podcast is in German and available at the “Welt der Physik” webpage:

Welt der Physik: Folge 330 – Emergenz (in German, Feb. 10, 2022).

NEW DATE: Ruperto Carola Lecture Series STRUCTURES: „Strukturen in der Musik Johann Sebastian Bachs“ on February 7, 2022

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Dr. Andreas Kruse's talk on „Strukturen in der Musik Johann Sebastian Bachs“ will take place on February 7 at 7:30 pm at the Aula der Neuen Universität (Access limited to 2G+, FFP-2 mask mandatory).
The talk, which will be in German, focuses on structure in compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, explaining the term “structure” in music by the example of Viennese Classicism and analyzing themes and motifs of single works by Bach, before addressing the compositional technique of the fugue. Prof. Dr. Andreas Kruse is expert on music, author of the book „Die Grenzgänge des Johann Sebastian Bach“ and Senior professor distinctus at Heidelberg University.

The event will take place as part of the Ruperto Carola Lecture Series (Ruperto Carola Ringvorlesung) STRUCTURES, which focuses on the emergence and description of structures in mathematics and physics, human society, the human body, literature and music. The lecture series is organized by Matthias Bartelmann, STRUCTURES member, and Manfred Salmhofer, speaker of STRUCTURES.

See the University press release here (in German, February 3, 2022).

New Podcast Episode: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle (7)

STRUCTURES Member Lauriane Chomaz receives ERC Starting Grant

Two outstanding Heidelberg-based early-career researchers – Junior Professor Dr Lauriane Chomaz and Dr Ganna Gryn’ova – have each been awarded an ERC Starting Grant, which is a high amount of funding from the European Research Council (ERC). Prof. Chomaz, an experimental physicist at Heidelberg University, will receive approximately 1.5 million euros for her research work on two-dimensional dipolar quantum gases. The ERC will likewise endow Dr Gryn’ova with around 1.5 million euros for a project on the design and modelling of functional organic materials. The computational chemist from the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) also does research at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) of Ruperto Carola. The funding has been granted for a period of five years.

Lauriane Chomaz’s research project to be funded with the ERC Starting Grant is called “Two-dimensional Dipolar Quantum Gases: Fluctuations and Orders” (2DDip). In it, she addresses the question of how matter orders itself under extreme conditions – in two-dimensional space and in the presence of competing long-range and short-range atomic interactions – and how the resultant order changes under the effect of quantum and thermal fluctuations. With the assistance of an innovative experimental apparatus, the scientist will, for the first time, generate ultra-cold quantum gases from dysprosium atoms in an effective two-dimensional space. Dysprosium is a rare earth and exhibits the highest magnetic moment of all natural stable chemical elements. By examining different states of these magnetic gases, Prof. Chomaz wants to gain new insights into hitherto unexplored, exotic states of matter, their respective orders, ordering mechanisms, and their fluctuations. The physicist hopes that her research will help to answer open questions on two-dimensional ordering in the presence of long-range atomic interactions, and to open up new research avenues.

After graduating in quantum physics, Lauriane Chomaz gained her doctorate in 2014 with a study of Bose gases in reduced dimensions at the École normale supérieure in Paris (France). She then continued her research as a post-doc at the University of Innsbruck (Austria). For that she received a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship from the European Commission and was admitted to the Elise Richter Programme of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). In 2021 she joined Heidelberg University as a tenure-track professor. Prof. Chomaz is part of the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence with her newly formed “Quantum Fluids” research group at the Institute for Physics. She is also a member of Heidelberg University’s Collaborative Research Centre 1225 “Isolated Quantum systems and Universality under extreme conditions” (ISOQUANT).

See University press release from January 19, 2022:
German | English.

Happy New Year and STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE 2022.

The STRUCTURES cluster wishes everyone a bright, healthy and prosperous new year. Despite the ups and downs due to Covid-19, we hope that 2021 has been a successful year for all of our members. We are grateful for the commitment and the fruitful, lively collaboration within and beyond the cluster, which we are looking forward to maintain. For the new year, we are excited to announce many lecture programs, talks, fellowships and guest programs – with the Jour Fixe as the central place to meet and exchange ideas.

The Jour Fixe continues in January with the following guests:

• January 21: Anna Erzberger (EMBL, Heidelberg) (Postponed)
• January 28: Fabian Hahner (MI, Heidelberg)
• February 04: No Jour Fixe - General Assembly

STRUCTURES NEWSLETTER Vol. 4 is now online!

We are happy to present the fourth volume of the STRUCTURES newsletter!

The STRUCTURES Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

New Podcast: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle - Episode 5

Talk postponed: Faszination Wissenschaft - 60 Begegnungen mit wegweisenden Forschern unserer Zeit by Herlinde Koelbl

We regret that due to the current pandemic situation, Herlinde Koelbl's talk cannot take place on December 16, 2021. But we are planning it for next year! Please stay tuned for the new dates.

Aufgrund der momentanen COVID-Situtation kann der Vortrag von Herlinde Koelbl am 16.12.2021 leider nicht stattfinden. Er wird auf das nächste Jahr verschoben - weitere Informationen folgen!

Ruperto Carola Lecture Series STRUCTURES starts on November 8

We are delighted to announce that this semester term the Ruperto Carola Lecture Series (Ruperto Carola Ringvorlesung) is organized by Matthias Bartelmann, STRUCTURES member, and Manfred Salmhofer, speaker of STRUCTURES.
On Monday, November 8, Manfred Salmhofer addresses the connection between the diversity of structures that surround us in the natural world and the unity of the laws of nature that underlie them. In addition to lectures by Markus Oberthaler and Matthias Bartelmann from STRUCTURES, we are looking forward to six renowned speakers from philosophy, brain research, psychology, literature, law, and music.
Lectures take place every Monday at 7:30 pm, Aula Neue Universität. The talks will be given in German language.

See press release here (November 4, 2021).

Research: Solving Complex Learning Tasks in Brain-Inspired Computers

STRUCTURES members Andreas Baumbach, Akos Ferenc Kungl, Johannes Schemmel and Mihai Petrovici develop a new training approach for spiking neural networks with their co-workers.

Developing a machine that processes information as efficiently as the human brain has been a long-standing research goal towards true artificial intelligence. The interdisciplinary research team at Heidelberg University and the University of Bern (Switzerland) led by Mihai Petrovici is tackling this problem with the help of biologically-inspired artificial neural networks. Spiking neural networks, which mimic the structure and function of a natural nervous system, represent promising candidates because they are powerful, fast, and energy-efficient. One key challenge is how to train such complex systems. The German-Swiss research team has now developed and successfully implemented an algorithm that achieves such training.

See press release from October 29, 2021 (in English) or from October 29, 2021 (in German).

Original publication in Nature Machine Intelligence from September 17, 2021 (in English).

New Podcast: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle

The next episode of “#exzellenterklaert - Spitzenforschung für alle” is online! Learn more about “Bacteria in the Gut - How Drugs Affect our Microbiome,” and listen directly to Lisa Maier, Junior Group Leader at the Tuebingen Cluster of Excellence CMFI.

The German science podcast on current science topics reflects the research diversity of the Germany’s leading research institutions and Clusters of Excellence: from Africa Studies to Quantum Physics. In each episode, listeners can expect insights into the interdisciplinary work of one research network. The researchers of the clusters of excellence, funded by DFG talk to podcaster Larissa Vassilian about how they want to find scientifically based answers to relevant topics of our time - for the society of tomorrow.

Link: https://exzellent-erklaert.podigee.io/.

STRUCTURES NEWSLETTER Vol. 3 is now online!

We are happy to present the third volume of the STRUCTURES newsletter!

The STRUCTURES Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

STRUCTURES Member Matthias Bartelmann elected as member of the University Council

We congratulate our member Matthias Bartelmann for being elected as member of the University Council!
The University Council oversees the management by the Rectorate. It can at any time give the Science Ministry its opinion on strategic matters concerning the university. It consists of eleven members who are appointed by the Minister for Science, Research and the Arts. Six members, including the chairperson, are leading figures from outside the university; five members, including the deputy chairperson, are members of the university. The term of office of the members, and of the University Council, is three years.

Workshop on Pure Spinors, Superalgebras, and Holomorphic Twists, October 4-8

From 4th to 8th of October the Workshop "Pure Spinors, Superalgebras, and Holomorphic Twists" will take place in hybrid format within the cluster of excellence STRUCTURES at Heidelberg University. The goal of the workshop is to bring together experts working at the intersection between theoretical physics and pure mathematics - with a special emphasis on representation theory, complex, algebraic and derived geometry -, to foster exchange, collaborations and the development of a shared language between these diverse groups.

Talks will take place in the Zoom-extended Mathematikon Hörsaal. Links and further information will be available at the workshop’s homepage.

Workshop on Topological Methods in Data Analysis, October 4-6

From 4th to 6th of October the Second Workshop on Topological Methods in Data Analysis will take place within the cluster of excellence STRUCTURES at Heidelberg University. The three-day workshop includes introductions into the powerful data analysis machinery of persistent homology, tutorial sessions held by Mathieu Carrière, and features invited colloquial talks by Nils Baas, Frédéric Chazal and Rien van de Weygaert. The workshop will take place online only.

Registration for the workshop is open until 1st of October via this form. More information including the detailed schedule can be found on workshop webpage.

STRUCTURES Member Fabian Schneider receives Ludwig-Biermann-Award

We congratulate Fabian Schneider for being awarded the Ludwig-Biermann-Award! With this price, the German Astronomical Society (AG) acknowledges Fabian Schneider's work on the evolution of massive stars, binary stars and supernovae.

Since January 2021, Fabian Schneider started his research group at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) and joined STRUCTURES in March 2021.

The award ceremonies will take place during the virtual annual meeting of the German Astronomical Society from September 13-17, 2021

See press release here.

New Podcast: Exzellent Erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle

“Exzellent erklärt - Spitzenforschung für alle” finally goes online on September 1st! The German science podcast on current science topics reflects the research diversity of the Germany’s leading research institutions and Clusters of Excellence, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: from Africa Studies to Quantum Physics. In each episode, listeners can expect insights into the interdisciplinary work of one research network. The researchers of the clusters of excellence talk to podcaster Larissa Vassilian about how they want to find scientifically sound answers to relevant topics of our time - for the society of tomorrow.

Link: www.exzellent-erklaert.de.

Awards and Honors for STRUCTURES Members

We congratulate Giulio Beletti and Dieter Heermann! Giulio Belletti has been awarded with a Humboldt research stipent for postdocs. He is member of the STRUCTURES YRC and works with Beatrice Pozzetti at the Mathematical Institute on geometry and topology. Dieter Heermann, Institute for Theoretical Physics, in now member of the International Advisory Board of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China).

STRUCTURES welcomes three new members

We are very happy to welcome our three new members Dylan Nelson, Tilman Plehn and Björn Malte Schäfer to STRUCTURES. Dylan Nelson is an Emmy Noether Research Group Leader of the Computational Galaxy Formation and Evolution Group at the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, within the Center for Astrophysics (ITA/ZAH). Tilman Plehn is Professor at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, working on particle phenomenology and machine learning. Björn Malte Schäfer leads the Statistics and Cosmology Group at the ARI (Astronomisches Rechen-Institut), within the Center for Astrophysics (ZAH).

STRUCTURES NEWSLETTER Vol. 2 is now online!

We are happy to present the second volume of the STRUCTURES newsletter!

The STRUCTURES Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

STRUCTURES NEWSLETTER Vol. 1 is now online!

We are happy to present the first edition of the STRUCTURES newsletter!

The STRUCTURES Office is happy to answer questions and to receive feedback.

Workshop on Low Dimensional Quantum Many Body Systems

The workshop will take place at the International Academic Forum in Heidelberg from July 12th to July 16th 2021. Further information can be found here.

STRUCTURES Member Felix Joos receives Lautenschläger Junior Researcher Prize

We congratulate Felix Joos on receiving the Lautenschläger Junior Researcher Prize! Manfred Lautenschläger, the award sponsor and an Honorary Senator of Heidelberg University, describes him as an “enormously productive young researcher, who with creativity, self-determination and technical flexibility is tackling major questions in theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics”.

Since March 2020, Felix Joos is Junior Professor at the Institute for Computer Science, leading the group Theoretical Computer Science and joined STRUCTURES in July 2021. He recently attracted attention with his solution to the “Oberwolfach problem” (2018) and a paper on the “kissing number” (2019).

The festive presentation is to take place on 7 May 2021 as a virtual event, open to the public, and will be livestreamed from the Great Hall of the Old University starting at 17:00. It is accessible via the portal heiONLINE of Heidelberg University.

See press release from April 29, 2021.

STRUCTURES Member Anna Wienhard receives ERC Advanced Grant

We congratulate Anna Wienhard on receiving an ERC Advanced Grant. For her project on Symmetries in Mathematics, she got awarded with about two million Euro over a funding period of five years.

Anna Wienhard is Professor at the Mathematical Institute on Differential Geometry and leads the research group Groups and Geometry at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS). She is Co-Spokesperson of STRUCTURES and Scientific Director of the Research Station Geometry and Dynamics.

See press release from April 22, 2021 (in German).

CP7 Lunch Seminar - Summer Term 2021

We cordially invite you to the newly founded CP7 lunch seminar on selected Wednesdays during the semester. This seminar is an informal meeting for members and anyone who might be interested. Participants take turns at illustrating their area of research or a neighboring field, in 30-minute talks aimed at a broader audience. The goal is to stimulate discussions and explore possible collaborations at the interface between Mathematics and Physics.

For the updated schedule and more information, please visit the CP7 Seminar webpage.

Girl's Day 2021 with STRUCTURES

Discovering physics in a whole new light was the aim of Girls'Day, April 22. At this day it was possible to look behind the curtain of the scientific work of the department of physics and astronomy at Heidelberg University. Welcomed by the dean of the department for physics and astronomy, 120 young girls from all over Germany took part in twelve extraordinary online workshops with diverse topics such as black holes, programming with robots, mysteries of light and the universe.

We thank all participating scientists and are looking forward to taking part next year again. The Girls`Day was jointly supported by STRUCTURES, the Collaborative Research Centre 1225 "Isolated Quantum Systems and universality in extreme conditions", the Collaborative Research Centre 881 "The Milky Way System" and the HighRR Research Training Group.

Watch the introductory video by some of our YRC members about the daily life of a scientist here.

STRUCTURES welcomes four new members

We are very happy to welcome our four new members Jan Johannes, Philipp Preiß, Johannes Schemmel and Fabian Schneider to STRUCTURES. They excellently represent the rich diversity of research areas of the STRUCTURES community. Jan Johannes, leading his group "Statistics of Inverse Problems", is Professor at the Institute for Applied Mathematics. Junior group leader Philipp Preiß from the Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics leads a new project funded by the ERC starting grant "UniRand - Random Unitarities in a Rapid Optical Lattice Simulator". Johannes Schemmel, working on neuromorphic computing, is head of the "Electronic Vision(s) Group" at the Kirhoff-Institute for Physics. Fabian Schneider is Junior group leader of the "Stellar Evolution Theory" group at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies.

New STRUCTURES Professorship on Experimental Physics

We are happy to announce that Dr. Lauriane Chomaz has accepted the new STRUCTURES Tenure-Track-Professorship on Experimental Physics. Professor Chomaz, a world leading expert on quantum fluids, explores their behavior using ultracold assemblies of atoms. She joined the STRUCTURES community this February.

Research: The Role of Turbulence in the Birth of Stars

STRUCTURES member Ralf Klessen investigates interstellar gas clouds, as part of an international cooperation.

New level computer simulations reveal the role of turbulence in interstellar molecular clouds in star formation. In their publication, the authors show how their results allow to draw conclusions how this turbulent movement transitions from the supersonic to subsonic regime

The work of this international research team was led by scientists of the Center for Astronomy of Heidelberg University (ZAH) and of the Australian National University in Canberra. The simulations took place at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre of the Bavarian Academy of Science and Humanities.

See press release from January 11, 2021 (in English) or from January 15, 2021 (in German).

Original publication in Nature Astronomy from January 11, 2021 (in English).

New edition of the Science Pub Quiz

ONLINE SCIENCE PUB QUIZ @ SCIENCE DAYS

Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Time: 07:30pm - 10:30 pm
As this month`s edition will be hosted as part of the Science Days (one of Germany`s oldest science festivals), this quiz edition will be in German only! Nevertheless, there will be many interesting questions like "Why should you pet a basil plant? How would you draw a Dugong? And which quack medicine can turn your skin blue?".
This month`s guest will be Fabian Navarro, who will talk about his current project Eloquentron 3000 (a bot writing poems) and the release of the new book "poesie.exe". You can register here to get all information and the link for participation: https://2020.science-days.digital. If you want to know more about the Science Pub Quiz Heidelberg, just visit the brandnew website: https://www.scipubquiz.de.
Dennis and Lisa have also presented their idea of the Science Pub Quiz at the WissKon2020: https://youtu.be/rp34ZoLRTqg.

Postdoc opening in Theoretical/Mathematical Physics at Heidelberg University

Applications are invited for several postdoctoral appointments at the University of Heidelberg in Theoretical/Mathematical Physics. The appointments are made in the context of the STRUCTURES cluster of excellence, EXC 2181/1 and of the European Research Council "Random Tensors and Field Theory" grant (principal investigator Razvan Gurau). The successful applicant is expected to dedicate part of their research time to working on core topics in the Random Tensors research program.

The deadline for applications is November 22, 2020. The starting date for the appointment is no earlier than September 1, 2021, but can be at a later date. The initial appointment is for two years, but can be extended. The salary is commensurate with experience.
The interested candidates should submit their application through the academicjobsonline website.

Heidelberg University awards special commitment for digital teaching

Heidelberg University awards nine men and women in different categories for their extraordinary commitment in transforming lectures into digital teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Kilian Schultes und Ruby Ellis, Dr. Nicole Aeschbach, Katharina Anders, Steve Bahn, Prof. Dr. Ullrich Köthe, Dr. Denis Vogel, Dr. Stefan Karcher and Christopher Nunn. The whole article can be found here.

Funding Doctoral Students in Mathematics

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft extends joint Research Trainig Group 2229 “Asymptotic Invariants and Limits of Groups and Spaces” at Heidelberg University and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Read the full article here.

Scientific Computing Seminar starts on October 15

The Seminar series will start with Ashia Wilson who will present A Dynamical Perspective on Accelerated Methods. Ashia is in transition from Microsoft Research to her soon to start assistant professorship at MIT, and currently based in Heidelberg.
Title: A Dynamical Perspective on Accelerated Methods.
Time: Thursday, 15th of October, 16:15
Place: Online via the Link: https://audimax.heiconf.uni-heidelberg.de/sch-7ge-ntc
Abstract is available here.

Python Course on Topological Methods in Data Analysis

This workshop has been organized by the members of the STRUCTURES Exploratory Project "Mathematics & Data".

In the workshop the participant will be introduced to the main techniques utilized in topological data analysis and their implementation provided by the python package scikit-tda. Introductions to the Mapper algorithm and persistent homology will be complemented by respective hands-on tutorial sessions. The workshop will conclude with an exploratory project of these methods on ‘real data’, which may be provided by the participants.

Registration Deadline: October 11th, 2020 online at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2V50PhVQTQcXQgL_MtiNeEco8f5Uf7f-9fskO0qckZJnO7g/viewform
Detailed information about the workshop can be found at the website https://micbl.github.io/TDAworkshop/.

EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL PROMOTES PROJECTS WITH A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILLION EUROS

Three scientists at Heidelberg University are receiving generous support from the European Research Council (ERC), which has awarded each of them an ERC Starting Grant for excellent young researchers. It will fund the research projects of Dr. Philipp Preiss in quantum physics, Dr. Lutz Greb in chemistry and PD Dr. Lucas Schirmer in medicine. ERC resources totalling approximately 4.5 million euros are available for this purpose. The funding period for all three projects is five years.

Further details can be found at press report site of Heidelberg University.

New STRUCTURES Professorship on Mathematical Physics

We are happy to announce that Dr. Razvan G. Gurau has accepted the new STRUCTURES Professorship on Mathematical Physics. Professor Gurau, presently directeur de recherche at CNRS and the center for Theoretical Physics (CPHT) at Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France, is a world leading expert in the theory of random tensors and its connections to quantum field theory, gravity and topology. He will join the STRUCTURES community this December.

FULL PROFESSORSHIP (W3) IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS

The Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Department of Physics and Astronomy together with the Cluster of Excellence STRUCTURES at Heidelberg University announces an opening for a
FULL PROFESSORSHIP (W3) IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS.

We are looking for an internationally recognized theorist working on quantum physics in the context of quantum simulation, physical aspects of information theory, and the foundations of new methods of information processing and computation. The new professor should establish contact to the Heidelberg research groups in experimental and theoretical physics, and in particular provide theoretical perspectives for future experiments. This professorship is a key component in the Heidelberg cluster of excellence STRUCTURES and in the newly established focus area physics of information/novel methods of computation at the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Please have a look at the full job ad for further details: Job advertisement

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their application in English including a CV, a list of publications, a list with teaching experience and a research plan in electronic form (pdf) until October 21, 2020 to the Dean, Prof. Dr. T. Plehn, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, D-69120 Heidelberg (dekanat@physik.uni-heidelberg.de).

ELLIS LIFE HEIDELBERG RESEARCH UNIT

STRUCTURES members Carsten Rother and Ullrich Köthe participate in the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems.

The great potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for the life sciences – from basic research in biology to medical applications – has to date largely been neglected.
To leverage that potential in future, researchers from Heidelberg University, the German Cancer Research Center, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have founded a new research unit. It aims to support AI research in the life sciences and forge international links with activities in Heidelberg. The unit is part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS). ELLIS Life Heidelberg will initially be funded by the founding institutions for five years.
More info can be found at the Heidelberg University website.

Physics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma with Mauricio Martinez Guerrero

Title: Initial state fluctuations of QCD conserved charges in high energy nuclear collisions
Abstract: We initialize the Quantum Chromodynamic conserved charges of baryon number, strangeness, and electric charge arising from gluon splitting into quark-antiquark pairs for the initial conditions of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. A new Monte Carlo procedure that can sample from a generic energy density profile is presented, called Initial Conserved Charges in Nuclear Geometry (ICCING), based on quark and gluon multiplicities derived within the color glass condensate (CGC) effective theory. We find that while baryon number and electric charge have nearly identical geometries to the energy density profile, the initial strangeness distribution is considerable more eccentric and is produced primarily at the hot spots corresponding to temperatures of T≳ 400T ≳ 400 MeV for PbPb collisions at √s N N = 5.02 TeV.

Speaker: Dr. Mauricio Martinez Guerrero (North Carolina State University)
Thursday, August 20, 16:00 h, ITP, Online
Link: https://cern.zoom.us/j/99708870674

Conducting Research in the land of Future!

This is the title of the current brochure from “Baden-Württemberg international” (bw-i), which introduces excellent research landscapes in Baden-Württemberg.
The brochure mainly aims at scientists and people generally interested in science who are eager to receive more information about the Baden-Württemberg research landscape, and who would like to get a broad overview of what this beautiful federal state has to offer in terms of universities, research institutions, etc.
The cluster of excellence STRUCTURES is presented, as well as further institutions from bioeconomy, lightweight construction and industry 4.0. A large variety of examples demonstrate outstandingly what we are working on in this region.

The brochures are available at bw-i as well as in their download center.

45. Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days in autumn 2020

The 45th Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days of the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy take place from 5th - 9th October 2020. Participants from other universities are very welcome!
Courses are open for advanced students, in particular those working on their Master's and doctoral theses. It is the aim to offer courses that broaden the students' physics knowledge as well as to teach specialized techniques.

To take part in the 45th Graduate Days please register yourself here.
Website of the Graduate Days here.

STRUCTURES Members Ullrich Köthe and Ulrich Schwarz both give an insight on their research in the current issue of the Ruperto Carola magazine

Read Ullrich Köthes article here
Read Ulrich Schwarzs article here or have a look at the entire issue here.
Group website of Ullrich Köthe.
Group website of Ulrich Schwarz.

NEW PUBLICATION from STRUCTURES MEMBERS

Theory of a resonantly interacting impurity in a Bose-Einstein condensate.

See Original Publication: Drescher M., Salmhofer M, Enss T.: Theory of a resonantly interacting impurity in a Bose-Einstein condensate (published online 10 July 2020).

NEW PUBLICATION from STRUCTURES MEMBERS

Cosmic Waves. Interconnected Gas flows show how Star-Forming Gas accumulates in Galaxies.

Have a look at the Heidelberg University press release here.
See Original Publication: Henshaw, J.D., Kruijssen, J.M.D., Longmore, S.N. et al. Ubiquitous velocity fluctuations throughout the molecular interstellar medium. Nat Astron (2020). or https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1126-z.

NEW PUBLICATION from STRUCTURES MEMBERS

Experimentally Identifying Effective Theories in Many-Body Systems.

Have a look at the Heidelberg University press release here.
See Original Publication: M. Prüfer, T.V. Zache, P. Kunkel, S. Lannig, A. Bonnin, H. Strobel, J. Berges, and M.K. Oberthaler: Experimental extraction of the quantum effective action for a non-equilibrium many-body system. Nature physics (published online 15 June 2020).

Postponed: Workshop on Low Dimensional Quantum Many-Body Systems

July 12-16, 2021. IWH Heidelberg

Developing new connections in many body quantum theory. Organizing Committee: Nicolò Defenu (ETH Zürich), Tilman Enss (Heidelberg University), Manfred Salmhofer (Heidelberg University).

More information can be found here.

NEW PUBLICATION from STRUCTURES MEMBERS

Quantum Electrodynamics Experiment: Researchers see application in future Quantum Technologies.

Have a look at the Heidelberg University press release here.
See Original Publication: Mil A, Zache TV, Hegde A, Xia A, Bhatt RP, Oberthaler MK, Hauke Ph, Berges J, Jendrzejewski F. A scalable realization of local U(1) gauge invariance in cold atomic mixtures; Science 367, 1128-1130, 2020. DOI: 0.1126/science.aaz5312.

STRUCTURES Member Johannes Walcher gives an insight on Dualities in Mathematics and Physics in the latest issue of the Ruperto Carola magazine

Read the article here or have a look at the entire issue here.
Group website of Johannes Walcher.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Outlook on summer term 2020.

June 26: Jour Fixe with Julien Tailleur, Université Paris Diderot-CNRS.
July 03: Jour Fixe with Stefan Floerchinger, ITP Uni Heidelberg
July 10: Internal STRUCTURES General Assembly
July 17: Jour Fixe with Guido Kanschat, IWR Uni Heidelberg
July 24: Jour Fixe with Michael A. Klatt, Princeton University


The list will be updated on a regular basis. Details will follow as soon as possible. The Project Management Office is happy to answer any questions.

Summer term 2020, Heidelberg: Lecture by STRUCTURES Postdoc Luca Battistella.

Details can be found here.

Last edition of the Science Pub Quiz on July 29th, 2020

Back and live with limited places!

6th SCIENCE PUB QUIZ IN HEIDELBERG Date: Wednesday, 29 July 2020
Time: 07:30pm (doors open at 7pm)
Venue: Cafe Leitstelle at Dezernat #16
Organizers: Dennis Schulz and Lisa Ringena (both PhD students at Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg).
For the upcoming Science Pub Quiz in Heidelberg will be back in real life! The last edition before the summer break has a total of 40 spots in a well-aired Cafe Leitstelle available for you. As usual, we will ask you sciency questions, a vegetable or fruit might be thrown in water, and we have a wonderful guest: Linn Voss will join us from Berlin, where she does her PhD on toxicology at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
Entrance is free, doors open at 7pm, and questions will be asked both in English and German - and while we welcome all nerds Heidelberg, it will absolutely not be necessary to have studied any science to answer our questions.

Due to the current situation, you have to pre-register via email to sciencepubquiz@posteo.de with your name and, if you'd like to participate in a team, the names of your team members.

Event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/163768071730688.
All information on the quiz: www.pubquiz-hd.de
Instagram: @science.quiz.hd

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Online Seminar.

Friday, July 24th, 2020.

13:30h Minkowski Functionals as Comprehensive Shape Descriptors in Physics“. (Michael A. Klatt, Princeton University, USA).

'Almost a PhD' lecture Series.

Upcoming talk: Monday, July 20, 18:15, Linda Shen: Universelle Dynamik & Thermalisierung in isolierten Quantensystemen.
The talk will be in German this time, as this will be the language of Linda's defence.

About the 'Almost a PhD' lecture series:
In the 'almost a PhD' talks, PhD students shortly before their defence can practice their PhD talk. The presentation will be followed by questions and if wanted a short round of feedback. In this format PhD candidates benefit by practising their talk in front of a live audience and listeners are presented with understandable and hopefully high quality talks about a broad variety of current research topics. And if you are currently in your PhD yourself, you can collect ideas for your own talk in the future!
After the talk is finished and all questions are answered we would love to invite everyone to a virtual get-together. Grab a beer or snacks in front of your computer and have an informal discussion or chat.
If your defence is coming up and you are keen to practice your talk yourself, write us a mail with your topic and your preferred date. We will supply you with a 'drawing pad' that can be connected to a computer, to simulate an actual blackboard presentation. Speakers can borrow one of these pads and use it for their talk.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Online Seminar.

Friday, July 17th, 2020.

13:30h Planetesimals, Dust Bunnies, and Hybridized Discontinuous Galerkin Methods. (Guido Kanschat, IWR, Uni Heidelberg).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Online Seminar.

Friday, July 3rd, 2020.

13:30h Thermodynamics from relative entropy. (Stefan Floerchinger, ITP, Uni Heidelberg).

Falling Walls Lab Heidelberg

June 23, 2020. 4 pm. Online Event

Join the Falling Walls Lab Heidelberg and get to know the innovative ideas of their labsters who will present their research, business model, or initiative in a pitch of just 3 minutes each:
To attend the event sign in on https://heika-research.de/en/events/falling-walls-lab-heidelberg.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Online Seminar.

Friday, June 5th, 2020.

13:30h Neuromorphic encoding of quantum entanglement (Martin Gärttner, Uni Heidelberg).
Please contact the STRUCTURES Project Management Office for the login information.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Online Seminar.

Friday, May 29th, 2020.

13:30h Searching for Extrasolar Planets with Gravitational Microlensing (Joachim Wambsganss, Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie, Uni Heidelberg).
Please contact the STRUCTURES Project Management Office for the login information.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Online Seminar.

Friday, May 15th, 2020.

13:30h Substructures in large objects (Felix Joos, Institute for Computer Science, TCS Group, Uni Heidelberg).
Please contact the STRUCTURES Project Management Office for the login information.

Science Pub Quiz on May 13th, 2020

New online event this month organized by Lisa Ringena & Dennis Schulz.

Be part of this faboulos event! The livestream starts at 19.30h with brand-new questions.
If you would like to take part, please email to sciencepubquiz@posteo.de.
All information on the quiz: www.pubquiz-hd.de
Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/231662431545711/
Instagram: @science.quiz.hd

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Online Seminar Series starts with Angkana Rüland.

Friday, May 08, 2020.

13:30h Rigidity and Flexibility in PDEs: Uncertainty, Antilocality and the Fractional Calder\'on Problem (Angkana Rüland, Uni Heidelberg).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

Friday, February 07, 2020.

11:30h Bayesian Parameter Estimation for Mathematical Models of Self-Organization and Biological Pattern Formation (Anna Marciniak-Czochra and Robert Scheichl, IWR Heidelberg).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

Friday, January 31, 2020.

• 11:30h Measuring the symplectic size of subsets in phase space (Gabriele Benedetti, MI Heidelberg).
• 14:30h Universality on Network Structures from Quantum Dynamics to Big Data: EP 2.3 by T. Enss, M. Weidemüller, N. Defenu (Nicolo Defenu, ITP Heidelberg).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE: Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

Friday, January 24, 2020.

• 11:30h Universe(s) in a box: towards numerical simulations of the Reionization (Annalisa Pillepich, MPI Astronomy, Heidelberg).
• 13:30h Using the HI 21 cm line to study the high-redshift Universe (Simon C.O. Glover, ITA, Uni Heidelberg).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, January 17, 2020, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

14:30h(!) Can Geometric Hydrodynamics meet Dynamical Data Analysis? (Peter Albers (MI) und Christoph Schnörr (IAM)).

Monday, January 13, 2020, INF 205 (MATHEMATIKON), SR3, 14:00h (s.t.): STRUCTURES SEMINAR.

Quasimodular forms from Betti numbers (Pierrick Bousseau, ETH Zürich).

Abstract available here.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, December 13, 2019, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

11:30h The future of Artificial Intelligence (Helmut Linde, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, December 6, 2019, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

11:30h Stability and instability of Many-Body Localization (Wojciech de Roeck, KU Leuven).

Wednesday, November 27, 2019, 18:00h, Heidelberg, INF 227 (KIP), HS2: Öffentlicher Abendvortrag.

Erfolgsfaktoren und Stolpersteine auf dem Karriereweg von Frauen - Strategien für mehr Selbstbehauptung im Job (Sigrid Meuselbach).

Details can be found here.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, November 22, 2019, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

12:45h Welcome with coffee and cake.

13:30h Eigenvalue problems for nonlinear differential equations.
(Carl Bender, Washington University, St. Louis, USA).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, November 15, 2019, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

11:30h Geometry of bounded critical phenomena
(Giacomo Gori, ITP Heidelberg).

13:30h Laplacian roots, space sandwiches, spectral methods, and Ising clusters
(Giacomo Gori, ITP Heidelberg).

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, November 8, 2019, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

11:30h Interplay between structure and function during brain development
(Ana Millan, Universidad de Granada, Spain).

11:30h(!) New emergent behavior in networks with higher-order interactions
(Federico Battiston, Central European University Nador, Hungary).

November 4-6, 2019, Paris: 1st French-German Meeting in Physics, Mathematics & Artificial Intelligence Theory.

For details, see the following PDF.

STRUCTURES JOUR FIXE.

Friday, October 25, 2019, Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, Room 106.

11:30h Kinetic field theory for cosmic structure formation (Matthias Bartelmann, ITP Heidelberg).
13:30h Kinetic field theory: more on the generating functional (Matthias Bartelmann, ITP Heidelberg).

October 11, 2019, Heidelberg: ERC Synergy Grant for STRUCTURES member Ralf Klessen.

Astrophysicist Prof. Dr Ralf Klessen, a researcher at the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University (ZAH), is part of an international research team in receipt of an ERC Synergy Grant – a highly endowed grant from the European Research Council (ERC). Read more...

October 10-11, 2019, Heidelberg: Symposium on Synthetic Quantum Systems.

For details, see the following PDF.

October 7-11, 2019, Heidelberg: STRUCTURES especially supports these two courses in the framework of the 43rd Heidelberg Physics Graduate Days:

• Modern Bayesian Inference for Machine Learning (Melih Kandemir, Bosch Center for AI).
• Classical and Quantum Dynamical Systems (Sandro Wimberger, Università di Parma).