German Federal Ministry of Research grants millions for “fusion talent” — Dr. Jonas Ohland will lead GSI/FAIR young investigators group
Grant and Award Announcement
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Jun-2025 11:13 ET (16-Jun-2025 15:13 GMT/UTC)
Starting June 1, 2025, Dr. Jonas Ohland, laser physicist at GSI/FAIR, will lead the young investigator group ALADIN (Adaptive Laser Architecture Development and INtegration). For this purpose, he will receive funding of 2.8 million euros over five years from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space as part of the “Fusionstalente” (fusion talents) program. The ALADIN project lays the foundation for the realization of stable, efficient lasers for inertial confinement fusion.
An ultra-hot giant planet may have been formed by absorbing lightweight gases like methane evaporating from tiny space pebbles, whilst being bombarded with large rocky objects.
• Tracing the origin of an ultra-hot exoplanet: The chemical composition of WASP-121b suggests that it formed in a cool zone of its natal disc, comparable to the region of gas and ice giants in our Solar System.
• Methane indicates unexpected atmospheric dynamics: Despite extreme heat, methane was detected on the nightside – a finding that can be explained by strong vertical atmospheric circulation.• First detection of silicon monoxide in a planetary atmosphere: Measurements of this refractory gas allow quantifying the rocky material the planet had accumulated.
Crucial guidance to empower countries to develop or review their position on international law and cyber activities has been unveiled.
Earthquakes create ripple effects in Earth's upper atmosphere that can disrupt satellite communications and navigation systems we rely on. Nagoya University scientists and their collaborators have used Japan's extensive network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers to create the first 3D images of atmospheric disturbances caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Their results show sound wave disturbance patterns in unique 3D detail and provide new insights into how earthquakes generate these waves. The results were published in the journal Earth, Planets and Space.
Researchers from University of South China, Tsinghua University and Technical University of Munich have developed a whole system uncertainty model and an Intelligent optimized power control system of the space nuclear reactor with faster response, higher control accuracy and stronger adaptability under uncertainty conditions. These research results provide new ideas and solutions for improving the intelligence level and autonomous control capability of advanced nuclear energy systems in complex environments.
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses lasers to create ceramics that can withstand ultra-high temperatures, with applications ranging from nuclear power technologies to spacecraft and jet exhaust systems. The technique can be used to create ceramic coatings, tiles or complex three-dimensional structures, which allows for increased versatility when engineering new devices and technologies.