Project acronym a SMILE
Project analyse Soluble + Membrane complexes with Improved LILBID Experiments
Researcher (PI) Nina Morgner
Host Institution (HI) JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Country Germany
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE4, ERC-2013-StG
Summary Crucial processes within cells depend on specific non-covalent interactions which mediate the assembly of proteins and other biomolecules. Deriving structural information to understand the function of these complex systems is the primary goal of Structural Biology.
In this application, the recently developed LILBID method (Laser Induced Liquid Bead Ion Desorption) will be optimized for investigation of macromolecular complexes with a mass accuracy two orders of magnitude better than in 1st generation spectrometers.
Controlled disassembly of the multiprotein complexes in the mass spectrometric analysis while keeping the 3D structure intact, will allow for the determination of complex stoichiometry and connectivity of the constituting proteins. Methods for such controlled disassembly will be developed in two separate units of the proposed LILBID spectrometer, in a collision chamber and in a laser dissociation chamber, enabling gas phase dissociation of protein complexes and removal of excess water/buffer molecules. As a third unit, a chamber allowing determination of ion mobility (IM) will be integrated to determine collisional cross sections (CCS). From CCS, unique information regarding the spatial arrangement of proteins in complexes or subcomplexes will then be obtainable from LILBID.
The proposed design of the new spectrometer will offer fundamentally new possibilities for the investigation of non-covalent RNA, soluble and membrane protein complexes, as well as broadening the applicability of non-covalent MS towards supercomplexes.
Summary
Crucial processes within cells depend on specific non-covalent interactions which mediate the assembly of proteins and other biomolecules. Deriving structural information to understand the function of these complex systems is the primary goal of Structural Biology.
In this application, the recently developed LILBID method (Laser Induced Liquid Bead Ion Desorption) will be optimized for investigation of macromolecular complexes with a mass accuracy two orders of magnitude better than in 1st generation spectrometers.
Controlled disassembly of the multiprotein complexes in the mass spectrometric analysis while keeping the 3D structure intact, will allow for the determination of complex stoichiometry and connectivity of the constituting proteins. Methods for such controlled disassembly will be developed in two separate units of the proposed LILBID spectrometer, in a collision chamber and in a laser dissociation chamber, enabling gas phase dissociation of protein complexes and removal of excess water/buffer molecules. As a third unit, a chamber allowing determination of ion mobility (IM) will be integrated to determine collisional cross sections (CCS). From CCS, unique information regarding the spatial arrangement of proteins in complexes or subcomplexes will then be obtainable from LILBID.
The proposed design of the new spectrometer will offer fundamentally new possibilities for the investigation of non-covalent RNA, soluble and membrane protein complexes, as well as broadening the applicability of non-covalent MS towards supercomplexes.
Max ERC Funding
1 264 477 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31
Project acronym ACDC
Project Algorithms and Complexity of Highly Decentralized Computations
Researcher (PI) Fabian Daniel Kuhn
Host Institution (HI) ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURG
Country Germany
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2013-StG
Summary "Many of today's and tomorrow's computer systems are built on top of large-scale networks such as, e.g., the Internet, the world wide web, wireless ad hoc and sensor networks, or peer-to-peer networks. Driven by technological advances, new kinds of networks and applications have become possible and we can safely assume that this trend is going to continue. Often modern systems are envisioned to consist of a potentially large number of individual components that are organized in a completely decentralized way. There is no central authority that controls the topology of the network, how nodes join or leave the system, or in which way nodes communicate with each other. Also, many future distributed applications will be built using wireless devices that communicate via radio.
The general objective of the proposed project is to improve our understanding of the algorithmic and theoretical foundations of decentralized distributed systems. From an algorithmic point of view, decentralized networks and computations pose a number of fascinating and unique challenges that are not present in sequential or more standard distributed systems. As communication is limited and mostly between nearby nodes, each node of a large network can only maintain a very restricted view of the global state of the system. This is particularly true if the network can change dynamically, either by nodes joining or leaving the system or if the topology changes over time, e.g., because of the mobility of the devices in case of a wireless network. Nevertheless, the nodes of a network need to coordinate in order to achieve some global goal.
In particular, we plan to study algorithms and lower bounds for basic computation and information dissemination tasks in such systems. In addition, we are particularly interested in the complexity of distributed computations in dynamic and wireless networks."
Summary
"Many of today's and tomorrow's computer systems are built on top of large-scale networks such as, e.g., the Internet, the world wide web, wireless ad hoc and sensor networks, or peer-to-peer networks. Driven by technological advances, new kinds of networks and applications have become possible and we can safely assume that this trend is going to continue. Often modern systems are envisioned to consist of a potentially large number of individual components that are organized in a completely decentralized way. There is no central authority that controls the topology of the network, how nodes join or leave the system, or in which way nodes communicate with each other. Also, many future distributed applications will be built using wireless devices that communicate via radio.
The general objective of the proposed project is to improve our understanding of the algorithmic and theoretical foundations of decentralized distributed systems. From an algorithmic point of view, decentralized networks and computations pose a number of fascinating and unique challenges that are not present in sequential or more standard distributed systems. As communication is limited and mostly between nearby nodes, each node of a large network can only maintain a very restricted view of the global state of the system. This is particularly true if the network can change dynamically, either by nodes joining or leaving the system or if the topology changes over time, e.g., because of the mobility of the devices in case of a wireless network. Nevertheless, the nodes of a network need to coordinate in order to achieve some global goal.
In particular, we plan to study algorithms and lower bounds for basic computation and information dissemination tasks in such systems. In addition, we are particularly interested in the complexity of distributed computations in dynamic and wireless networks."
Max ERC Funding
1 148 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-11-01, End date: 2018-10-31
Project acronym ACOPS
Project Advanced Coherent Ultrafast Laser Pulse Stacking
Researcher (PI) Jens Limpert
Host Institution (HI) FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAT JENA
Country Germany
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE2, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary "An important driver of scientific progress has always been the envisioning of applications far beyond existing technological capabilities. Such thinking creates new challenges for physicists, driven by the groundbreaking nature of the anticipated application. In the case of laser physics, one of these applications is laser wake-field particle acceleration and possible future uses thereof, such as in collider experiments, or for medical applications such as cancer treatment. To accelerate electrons and positrons to TeV-energies, a laser architecture is required that allows for the combination of high efficiency, Petawatt peak powers, and Megawatt average powers. Developing such a laser system would be a challenging task that might take decades of aggressive research, development, and, most important, revolutionary approaches and innovative ideas.
The goal of the ACOPS project is to develop a compact, efficient, scalable, and cost-effective high-average and high-peak power ultra-short pulse laser concept.
The proposed approach to this goal relies on the spatially and temporally separated amplification of ultrashort laser pulses in waveguide structures, followed by coherent combination into a single train of pulses with increased average power and pulse energy. This combination can be realized through the coherent addition of the output beams of spatially separated amplifiers, combined with the pulse stacking of temporally separated pulses in passive enhancement cavities, employing a fast-switching element as cavity dumper.
Therefore, the three main tasks are the development of kW-class high-repetition-rate driving lasers, the investigation of non-steady state pulse enhancement in passive cavities, and the development of a suitable dumping element.
If successful, the proposed concept would undoubtedly provide a tool that would allow researchers to surpass the current limits in high-field physics and accelerator science."
Summary
"An important driver of scientific progress has always been the envisioning of applications far beyond existing technological capabilities. Such thinking creates new challenges for physicists, driven by the groundbreaking nature of the anticipated application. In the case of laser physics, one of these applications is laser wake-field particle acceleration and possible future uses thereof, such as in collider experiments, or for medical applications such as cancer treatment. To accelerate electrons and positrons to TeV-energies, a laser architecture is required that allows for the combination of high efficiency, Petawatt peak powers, and Megawatt average powers. Developing such a laser system would be a challenging task that might take decades of aggressive research, development, and, most important, revolutionary approaches and innovative ideas.
The goal of the ACOPS project is to develop a compact, efficient, scalable, and cost-effective high-average and high-peak power ultra-short pulse laser concept.
The proposed approach to this goal relies on the spatially and temporally separated amplification of ultrashort laser pulses in waveguide structures, followed by coherent combination into a single train of pulses with increased average power and pulse energy. This combination can be realized through the coherent addition of the output beams of spatially separated amplifiers, combined with the pulse stacking of temporally separated pulses in passive enhancement cavities, employing a fast-switching element as cavity dumper.
Therefore, the three main tasks are the development of kW-class high-repetition-rate driving lasers, the investigation of non-steady state pulse enhancement in passive cavities, and the development of a suitable dumping element.
If successful, the proposed concept would undoubtedly provide a tool that would allow researchers to surpass the current limits in high-field physics and accelerator science."
Max ERC Funding
1 881 040 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31
Project acronym ACROSS
Project 3D Reconstruction and Modeling across Different Levels of Abstraction
Researcher (PI) Leif Kobbelt
Host Institution (HI) RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN
Country Germany
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE6, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary "Digital 3D models are gaining more and more importance in diverse application fields ranging from computer graphics, multimedia and simulation sciences to engineering, architecture, and medicine. Powerful technologies to digitize the 3D shape of real objects and scenes are becoming available even to consumers. However, the raw geometric data emerging from, e.g., 3D scanning or multi-view stereo often lacks a consistent structure and meta-information which are necessary for the effective deployment of such models in sophisticated down-stream applications like animation, simulation, or CAD/CAM that go beyond mere visualization. Our goal is to develop new fundamental algorithms which transform raw geometric input data into augmented 3D models that are equipped with structural meta information such as feature aligned meshes, patch segmentations, local and global geometric constraints, statistical shape variation data, or even procedural descriptions. Our methodological approach is inspired by the human perceptual system that integrates bottom-up (data-driven) and top-down (model-driven) mechanisms in its hierarchical processing. Similarly we combine algorithms operating on different levels of abstraction into reconstruction and modeling networks. Instead of developing an individual solution for each specific application scenario, we create an eco-system of algorithms for automatic processing and interactive design of highly complex 3D models. A key concept is the information flow across all levels of abstraction in a bottom-up as well as top-down fashion. We not only aim at optimizing geometric representations but in fact at bridging the gap between reconstruction and recognition of geometric objects. The results from this project will make it possible to bring 3D models of real world objects into many highly relevant applications in science, industry, and entertainment, greatly reducing the excessive manual effort that is still necessary today."
Summary
"Digital 3D models are gaining more and more importance in diverse application fields ranging from computer graphics, multimedia and simulation sciences to engineering, architecture, and medicine. Powerful technologies to digitize the 3D shape of real objects and scenes are becoming available even to consumers. However, the raw geometric data emerging from, e.g., 3D scanning or multi-view stereo often lacks a consistent structure and meta-information which are necessary for the effective deployment of such models in sophisticated down-stream applications like animation, simulation, or CAD/CAM that go beyond mere visualization. Our goal is to develop new fundamental algorithms which transform raw geometric input data into augmented 3D models that are equipped with structural meta information such as feature aligned meshes, patch segmentations, local and global geometric constraints, statistical shape variation data, or even procedural descriptions. Our methodological approach is inspired by the human perceptual system that integrates bottom-up (data-driven) and top-down (model-driven) mechanisms in its hierarchical processing. Similarly we combine algorithms operating on different levels of abstraction into reconstruction and modeling networks. Instead of developing an individual solution for each specific application scenario, we create an eco-system of algorithms for automatic processing and interactive design of highly complex 3D models. A key concept is the information flow across all levels of abstraction in a bottom-up as well as top-down fashion. We not only aim at optimizing geometric representations but in fact at bridging the gap between reconstruction and recognition of geometric objects. The results from this project will make it possible to bring 3D models of real world objects into many highly relevant applications in science, industry, and entertainment, greatly reducing the excessive manual effort that is still necessary today."
Max ERC Funding
2 482 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym AEROCAT
Project Non-ordered nanoparticle superstructures – aerogels as efficient (electro-)catalysts
Researcher (PI) Alexander Eychmueller
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDEN
Country Germany
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE5, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary "AEROCAT aims at the elucidation of the potential of nanoparticle derived aerogels in catalytic applications. The materials will be produced from a variety of nanoparticles available in colloidal solutions, amongst which are metals and metal oxides. The evolving aerogels are extremely light, highly porous solids and have been demonstrated to exhibit in many cases the important properties of the nanosized objects they consist of instead of simply those of the respective bulk solids. The resulting aerogel materials will be characterized with respect to their morphology and composition and their resulting (electro-)catalytic properties examined in the light of the inherent electronic nature of the nanosized constituents. Using the knowledge gained within the project the aerogel materials will be further re-processed in order to exploit their full potential relevant to catalysis and electrocatalysis.
From the vast variety of possible applications of nanoparticle-based hydro- and aerogels like thermoelectrics, LEDs, pollutant clearance, sensorics and others we choose our strictly focused approach
(i) due to the paramount importance of catalysis for the Chemical Industry,
(ii) because we have successfully studied the Ethanol electrooxidation on a Pd-nanoparticle aerogel,
(iii) we have patented on the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells with bimetallic aerogels,
(iv) and we gained first and extremely promising results on the semi-hydrogenation of Acetylene on a mixed Pd/ZnO-nanoparticle aerogel.
With this we are on the forefront of a research field which impact might not be overestimated. We should quickly explore its potentials and transfer on a short track the knowledge gained into pre-industrial testing."
Summary
"AEROCAT aims at the elucidation of the potential of nanoparticle derived aerogels in catalytic applications. The materials will be produced from a variety of nanoparticles available in colloidal solutions, amongst which are metals and metal oxides. The evolving aerogels are extremely light, highly porous solids and have been demonstrated to exhibit in many cases the important properties of the nanosized objects they consist of instead of simply those of the respective bulk solids. The resulting aerogel materials will be characterized with respect to their morphology and composition and their resulting (electro-)catalytic properties examined in the light of the inherent electronic nature of the nanosized constituents. Using the knowledge gained within the project the aerogel materials will be further re-processed in order to exploit their full potential relevant to catalysis and electrocatalysis.
From the vast variety of possible applications of nanoparticle-based hydro- and aerogels like thermoelectrics, LEDs, pollutant clearance, sensorics and others we choose our strictly focused approach
(i) due to the paramount importance of catalysis for the Chemical Industry,
(ii) because we have successfully studied the Ethanol electrooxidation on a Pd-nanoparticle aerogel,
(iii) we have patented on the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells with bimetallic aerogels,
(iv) and we gained first and extremely promising results on the semi-hydrogenation of Acetylene on a mixed Pd/ZnO-nanoparticle aerogel.
With this we are on the forefront of a research field which impact might not be overestimated. We should quickly explore its potentials and transfer on a short track the knowledge gained into pre-industrial testing."
Max ERC Funding
2 194 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31
Project acronym ALEXANDRIA
Project "Foundations for Temporal Retrieval, Exploration and Analytics in Web Archives"
Researcher (PI) Wolfgang Nejdl
Host Institution (HI) GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER
Country Germany
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE6, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary "Significant parts of our cultural heritage are produced on the Web, yet only insufficient opportunities exist for accessing and exploring the past of the Web. The ALEXANDRIA project aims to develop models, tools and techniques necessary to archive and index relevant parts of the Web, and to retrieve and explore this information in a meaningful way. While the easy accessibility to the current Web is a good baseline, optimal access to Web archives requires new models and algorithms for retrieval, exploration, and analytics which go far beyond what is needed to access the current state of the Web. This includes taking into account the unique temporal dimension of Web archives, structured semantic information already available on the Web, as well as social media and network information.
Within ALEXANDRIA, we will significantly advance semantic and time-based indexing for Web archives using human-compiled knowledge available on the Web, to efficiently index, retrieve and explore information about entities and events from the past. In doing so, we will focus on the concurrent evolution of this knowledge and the Web content to be indexed, and take into account diversity and incompleteness of this knowledge. We will further investigate mixed crowd- and machine-based Web analytics to support long- running and collaborative retrieval and analysis processes on Web archives. Usage of implicit human feedback will be essential to provide better indexing through insights during the analysis process and to better focus harvesting of content.
The ALEXANDRIA Testbed will provide an important context for research, exploration and evaluation of the concepts, methods and algorithms developed in this project, and will provide both relevant collections and algorithms that enable further research on and practical application of our research results to existing archives like the Internet Archive, the Internet Memory Foundation and Web archives maintained by European national libraries."
Summary
"Significant parts of our cultural heritage are produced on the Web, yet only insufficient opportunities exist for accessing and exploring the past of the Web. The ALEXANDRIA project aims to develop models, tools and techniques necessary to archive and index relevant parts of the Web, and to retrieve and explore this information in a meaningful way. While the easy accessibility to the current Web is a good baseline, optimal access to Web archives requires new models and algorithms for retrieval, exploration, and analytics which go far beyond what is needed to access the current state of the Web. This includes taking into account the unique temporal dimension of Web archives, structured semantic information already available on the Web, as well as social media and network information.
Within ALEXANDRIA, we will significantly advance semantic and time-based indexing for Web archives using human-compiled knowledge available on the Web, to efficiently index, retrieve and explore information about entities and events from the past. In doing so, we will focus on the concurrent evolution of this knowledge and the Web content to be indexed, and take into account diversity and incompleteness of this knowledge. We will further investigate mixed crowd- and machine-based Web analytics to support long- running and collaborative retrieval and analysis processes on Web archives. Usage of implicit human feedback will be essential to provide better indexing through insights during the analysis process and to better focus harvesting of content.
The ALEXANDRIA Testbed will provide an important context for research, exploration and evaluation of the concepts, methods and algorithms developed in this project, and will provide both relevant collections and algorithms that enable further research on and practical application of our research results to existing archives like the Internet Archive, the Internet Memory Foundation and Web archives maintained by European national libraries."
Max ERC Funding
2 493 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym APHOTOREACTOR
Project Entirely Self-organized: Arrayed Single-Particle-in-a-Cavity Reactors for Highly Efficient and Selective Catalytic/Photocatalytic Energy Conversion and Solar Light Reaction Engineering
Researcher (PI) Patrik Schmuki
Host Institution (HI) FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERG
Country Germany
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE5, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary The proposal is built on the core idea to use an ensemble of multiple level self-organization processes to create a next generation photocatalytic platform that provides unprecedented property and reactivity control. As a main output, the project will yield a novel highly precise combined catalyst/photocatalyst assembly to: 1) provide a massive step ahead in photocatalytic applications such as direct solar hydrogen generation, pollution degradation (incl. CO2 decomposition), N2 fixation, or photocatalytic organic synthesis. It will drastically enhance efficiency and selectivity of photocatalytic reactions, and enable a high number of organic synthetic reactions to be carried out economically (and ecologically) via combined catalytic/photocatalytic pathways. Even more, it will establish an entirely new generation of “100% depoisoning”, anti-aggregation catalysts with substantially enhanced catalyst life-time. For this, a series of self-assembly processes on the mesoscale will be used to create highly uniform arrays of single-catalyst-particle-in-a-single-TiO2-cavity; target is a 100% reliable placement of a single <10 nm particle in a 10 nm cavity. Thus catalytic features of, for example Pt nanoparticles, can ideally interact with the photocatalytic properties of a TiO2 cavity. The cavity will be optimized for optical and electronic properties by doping and band-gap engineering; the geometry will be tuned to the range of a few nm.. This nanoscopic design yields to a radical change in the controllability of length and time-scales (reactant, charge carrier and ionic transport in the substrate) in combined photocatalytic/catalytic reactions. It is of key importance that all nanoscale assembly principles used in this work are scalable and allow to create square meters of nanoscopically ordered catalyst surfaces. We target to demonstrate the feasibility of the implementation of the nanoscale principles in a prototype macroscopic reactor.
Summary
The proposal is built on the core idea to use an ensemble of multiple level self-organization processes to create a next generation photocatalytic platform that provides unprecedented property and reactivity control. As a main output, the project will yield a novel highly precise combined catalyst/photocatalyst assembly to: 1) provide a massive step ahead in photocatalytic applications such as direct solar hydrogen generation, pollution degradation (incl. CO2 decomposition), N2 fixation, or photocatalytic organic synthesis. It will drastically enhance efficiency and selectivity of photocatalytic reactions, and enable a high number of organic synthetic reactions to be carried out economically (and ecologically) via combined catalytic/photocatalytic pathways. Even more, it will establish an entirely new generation of “100% depoisoning”, anti-aggregation catalysts with substantially enhanced catalyst life-time. For this, a series of self-assembly processes on the mesoscale will be used to create highly uniform arrays of single-catalyst-particle-in-a-single-TiO2-cavity; target is a 100% reliable placement of a single <10 nm particle in a 10 nm cavity. Thus catalytic features of, for example Pt nanoparticles, can ideally interact with the photocatalytic properties of a TiO2 cavity. The cavity will be optimized for optical and electronic properties by doping and band-gap engineering; the geometry will be tuned to the range of a few nm.. This nanoscopic design yields to a radical change in the controllability of length and time-scales (reactant, charge carrier and ionic transport in the substrate) in combined photocatalytic/catalytic reactions. It is of key importance that all nanoscale assembly principles used in this work are scalable and allow to create square meters of nanoscopically ordered catalyst surfaces. We target to demonstrate the feasibility of the implementation of the nanoscale principles in a prototype macroscopic reactor.
Max ERC Funding
2 427 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym AQSER
Project Automorphic q-series and their application
Researcher (PI) Kathrin Bringmann
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAET ZU KOELN
Country Germany
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE1, ERC-2013-StG
Summary This proposal aims to unravel mysteries at the frontier of number theory and other areas of mathematics and physics. The main focus will be to understand and exploit “modularity” of q-hypergeometric series. “Modular forms are functions on the complex plane that are inordinately symmetric.” (Mazur) The motivation comes from the wide-reaching applications of modularity in combinatorics, percolation, Lie theory, and physics (black holes).
The interplay between automorphic forms, q-series, and other areas of mathematics and physics is often two-sided. On the one hand, the other areas provide interesting examples of automorphic objects and predict their behavior. Sometimes these even motivate new classes of automorphic objects which have not been previously studied. On the other hand, knowing that certain generating functions are modular gives one access to deep theoretical tools to prove results in other areas. “Mathematics is a language, and we need that language to understand the physics of our universe.”(Ooguri) Understanding this interplay has attracted attention of researchers from a variety of areas. However, proofs of modularity of q-hypergeometric series currently fall far short of a comprehensive theory to describe the interplay between them and automorphic forms. A recent conjecture of W. Nahm relates the modularity of such series to K-theory. In this proposal I aim to fill this gap and provide a better understanding of this interplay by building a general structural framework enveloping these q-series. For this I will employ new kinds of automorphic objects and embed the functions of interest into bigger families
A successful outcome of the proposed research will open further horizons and also answer open questions, even those in other areas which were not addressed in this proposal; for example the new theory could be applied to better understand Donaldson invariants.
Summary
This proposal aims to unravel mysteries at the frontier of number theory and other areas of mathematics and physics. The main focus will be to understand and exploit “modularity” of q-hypergeometric series. “Modular forms are functions on the complex plane that are inordinately symmetric.” (Mazur) The motivation comes from the wide-reaching applications of modularity in combinatorics, percolation, Lie theory, and physics (black holes).
The interplay between automorphic forms, q-series, and other areas of mathematics and physics is often two-sided. On the one hand, the other areas provide interesting examples of automorphic objects and predict their behavior. Sometimes these even motivate new classes of automorphic objects which have not been previously studied. On the other hand, knowing that certain generating functions are modular gives one access to deep theoretical tools to prove results in other areas. “Mathematics is a language, and we need that language to understand the physics of our universe.”(Ooguri) Understanding this interplay has attracted attention of researchers from a variety of areas. However, proofs of modularity of q-hypergeometric series currently fall far short of a comprehensive theory to describe the interplay between them and automorphic forms. A recent conjecture of W. Nahm relates the modularity of such series to K-theory. In this proposal I aim to fill this gap and provide a better understanding of this interplay by building a general structural framework enveloping these q-series. For this I will employ new kinds of automorphic objects and embed the functions of interest into bigger families
A successful outcome of the proposed research will open further horizons and also answer open questions, even those in other areas which were not addressed in this proposal; for example the new theory could be applied to better understand Donaldson invariants.
Max ERC Funding
1 240 500 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2019-04-30
Project acronym ASTONISH
Project Atomic-scale STudies Of the Nature of and conditions for Inducing Superconductivity at High-temperatures
Researcher (PI) Roland Martin Wiesendanger
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAET HAMBURG
Country Germany
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary "One of the greatest challenges these days in condensed matter physics is the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms leading to high-Tc superconductivity and ultimately, as a result of that, the discovery of a material system exhibiting a superconducting state with a transition temperature Tc above room temperature. While several different classes of high-Tc materials have been discovered in the past decades, including the well-known CuO-based superconductors (cuprates) or the more recently discovered class of Fe-based superconductors (pnictides), the mechanisms behind high-Tc superconductivity remain controversial. Up to date, no theory exists which would allow for a rational design of a superconducting material with a transition temperature above room temperature. On the other hand, experiments on rather complex material systems often suffer from material imperfections or from a lack of tunability of materials’ properties within a wide range. Our experimental studies within this project therefore will focus on model-type systems which can be prepared and thoroughly characterized with atomic level precision. The growth of the model-type samples will be controlled vertically one atomic layer at a time and laterally by making use of single-atom manipulation techniques. Atomic-scale characterization at low energy-scales will be performed by low-temperature spin-resolved elastic and inelastic scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) as well as by non-contact atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy based techniques. Transport experiments will be conducted by a four-probe STM setup under well-defined ultra-high vacuum conditions. By having access to the electronic and spin, as well as to the vibrational degrees of freedom down to the atomic level, we hope to be able to identify the nature of and the conditions for inducing superconductivity at high temperatures, which could ultimately lead a knowledge-based design of high-Tc superconductors."
Summary
"One of the greatest challenges these days in condensed matter physics is the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms leading to high-Tc superconductivity and ultimately, as a result of that, the discovery of a material system exhibiting a superconducting state with a transition temperature Tc above room temperature. While several different classes of high-Tc materials have been discovered in the past decades, including the well-known CuO-based superconductors (cuprates) or the more recently discovered class of Fe-based superconductors (pnictides), the mechanisms behind high-Tc superconductivity remain controversial. Up to date, no theory exists which would allow for a rational design of a superconducting material with a transition temperature above room temperature. On the other hand, experiments on rather complex material systems often suffer from material imperfections or from a lack of tunability of materials’ properties within a wide range. Our experimental studies within this project therefore will focus on model-type systems which can be prepared and thoroughly characterized with atomic level precision. The growth of the model-type samples will be controlled vertically one atomic layer at a time and laterally by making use of single-atom manipulation techniques. Atomic-scale characterization at low energy-scales will be performed by low-temperature spin-resolved elastic and inelastic scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) as well as by non-contact atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy based techniques. Transport experiments will be conducted by a four-probe STM setup under well-defined ultra-high vacuum conditions. By having access to the electronic and spin, as well as to the vibrational degrees of freedom down to the atomic level, we hope to be able to identify the nature of and the conditions for inducing superconductivity at high temperatures, which could ultimately lead a knowledge-based design of high-Tc superconductors."
Max ERC Funding
2 170 696 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31
Project acronym CapReal
Project Performance Capture of the Real World in Motion
Researcher (PI) Christian Theobalt
Host Institution (HI) Klinik Max Planck Institut für Psychiatrie
Country Germany
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2013-StG
Summary Computer graphics technology for realistic rendering has improved
dramatically; however, the technology to create scene models to be rendered,
e.g., for movies, has not developed at the same pace. In practice, the state
of the art in model creation still requires months of complex manual design,
and this is a serious threat to progress. To attack this problem, computer
graphics and computer vision researchers jointly developed methods that
capture scene models from real world examples. Of particular importance is
the capturing of moving scenes. The pinnacle of dynamic scene capture
technology in research is marker-less performance capture. From multi-view
video, they capture dynamic surface and texture models of the real world.
Performance capture is hardly used in practice due to profound limitations:
recording is usually limited to indoor studios, controlled lighting, and
dense static camera arrays. Methods are often limited to single objects, and
reconstructed shape detail is very limited. Assumptions about materials,
reflectance, and lighting in a scene are simplistic, and we cannot easily
modify captured data.
In this project, we will pioneer a new generation of performance capture
techniques to overcome these limitations. Our methods will allow the
reconstruction of dynamic surface models of unprecedented shape detail. They
will succeed on general scenes outside of the lab and outdoors, scenes with
complex material and reflectance distributions, and scenes in which lighting
is general, uncontrolled, and unknown. They will capture dense and crowded
scenes with complex shape deformations. They will reconstruct conveniently
modifiable scene models. They will work with sparse and moving sets of
cameras, ultimately even with mobile phones. This far-reaching,
multi-disciplinary project will turn performance capture from a research
technology into a practical technology, provide groundbreaking scientific
insights, and open up revolutionary new applications.
Summary
Computer graphics technology for realistic rendering has improved
dramatically; however, the technology to create scene models to be rendered,
e.g., for movies, has not developed at the same pace. In practice, the state
of the art in model creation still requires months of complex manual design,
and this is a serious threat to progress. To attack this problem, computer
graphics and computer vision researchers jointly developed methods that
capture scene models from real world examples. Of particular importance is
the capturing of moving scenes. The pinnacle of dynamic scene capture
technology in research is marker-less performance capture. From multi-view
video, they capture dynamic surface and texture models of the real world.
Performance capture is hardly used in practice due to profound limitations:
recording is usually limited to indoor studios, controlled lighting, and
dense static camera arrays. Methods are often limited to single objects, and
reconstructed shape detail is very limited. Assumptions about materials,
reflectance, and lighting in a scene are simplistic, and we cannot easily
modify captured data.
In this project, we will pioneer a new generation of performance capture
techniques to overcome these limitations. Our methods will allow the
reconstruction of dynamic surface models of unprecedented shape detail. They
will succeed on general scenes outside of the lab and outdoors, scenes with
complex material and reflectance distributions, and scenes in which lighting
is general, uncontrolled, and unknown. They will capture dense and crowded
scenes with complex shape deformations. They will reconstruct conveniently
modifiable scene models. They will work with sparse and moving sets of
cameras, ultimately even with mobile phones. This far-reaching,
multi-disciplinary project will turn performance capture from a research
technology into a practical technology, provide groundbreaking scientific
insights, and open up revolutionary new applications.
Max ERC Funding
1 480 800 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-09-01, End date: 2018-08-31
