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We are pleased to inform you that on Saturday, 21 October 2023, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, will take place the Open Day of the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
On this day, visitors will have the opportunity to attend Open Lectures, lab-tours to eighteen state-of-the-art laboratories, and participate in workshops designed for various age groups.
During the Open Day, we will also have the opportunity to take part in presentations and experiments prepared by children and young people fromthe Young Explorers clubs, as well as the finalists of the Physics Paths competition in the category of physics popularization.
We cordially invite all those who are curious about the world of physics and natural sciences to participate in the Open Day of the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. This is a unique opportunity to get to know our Institute and the captivating world of science.
Event location:
Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Aleja Lotników 32/46
02-668 Warsaw
10:00 – 10:45 | Prof. Bogdan Kowalski 70 years of Science and Innovation in 30 minutes |
During the 30 minutes of the presentation we will participate in a guided tour through the 70 years of history of the Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences. We will follow its peregrination from the cradle of physics in Warsaw at Hoża street to its present residence at “Aleja Lotników”. We will stop at some milestones to consider major achievements of the employees of the Institute. We will acknowledge the evolution of its structure, fields of interest, development of new groups and laboratories, always aimed at meeting the challenges of developing physics. |
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10:50 – 11:50 | Prof. Marek Godlewski The challenges of science. |
The Earth's population growth and rapid industrialization pose a threat to the further development of our civilization. An energy crisis is looming, environmental pollution is increasing, there is a shortage of food and access to clean water, and pandemics are resurging. The escalating problem is the massive emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Bleak scenarios even speak of the end of our civilization. Aware of these threats, scientists face many challenges. In the presentation, examples will be given of work carried out in physics laboratories, including at the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, related to new materials, new phenomena, and new electronic devices that allow us to mitigate the civilizational threats ahead of us. If we consistently implement the solutions emerging from these laboratories, we can look to the future with hope. |
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11:55 – 12:55 | Prof. Andrzej Wiśniewski Superconductivity - a phenomenon that constantly surprises us |
This lecture will delve into the fundamental properties of the superconducting state, along with the parameters characterizing this state. The basic concepts of microscopic superconductivity theory will be presented, alongside discussions on the structure and properties of the recently discovered high-temperature superconductors. The session will include a demonstration of levitating a magnet above a high-temperature superconductor. Various phenomena associated with superconductivity enabling the construction of SQUID magnetometers, applications of superconductivity in transmission lines, and superconducting magnets will also be discussed. | |
13:00 – 13:55 | Prof. Tomasz Sowiński Testing antimatter with atomic precision |
The study of antimatter stands as one of the most captivating subjects in contemporary physics. Decades of unprecedented experimental advancements at the intersection of atomic and nuclear physics have not only enabled the production of antimatter particles but also their controlled accumulation, storage, and utilization as highly precise research tools. A fundamental question that remains unanswered pertains to whether the modern theory of gravitational interactions accurately describes the world of antimatter. This query is being pursued by the international AEgIS team at CERN in Geneva, which includes Polish researchers from Toruń and Warsaw. The primary aim of this ambitious research program is to investigate with atomic precision how objects containing antimatter components experience free fall in Earth's gravitational field. | |
14:00 – 14:55 | Dr. Michał Szot Thermoelectricity |
The lecture on thermoelectricity will focus on how the conversion of heat into electricity, and vice versa, can be practically applied. This topic holds significant importance for sustainable development and ecology, as it allows for the efficient utilization of heat previously considered useless. The presentation will showcase the latest scientific achievements in thermoelectricity and discuss the ways this technology can find application in daily life. | |
15:00 – 15:55 | Dr. Hab. Izabela Kuryliszyn-Kudelska, Dr. Beata Brodowska Properties of Matter at Low Temperatures |
The "Properties of Matter at Low Temperatures" showcase will center around the fascinating field of low-temperature physics. The presentation will cover the history of this discipline's development and techniques for achieving low temperatures, which have enabled the study of novel properties of solids and liquids. Particular emphasis will be placed on superconductivity, which manifests at extremely low temperatures. The showcase will include demonstrations of the behavior of matter at low temperatures, as well as discussions on methods for measuring such temperatures. |
Instructors: Dr. Izabela Kuryliszyn-Kudelska, Dr. Beata Brodowska, Dr. Dominika Kochanowska, Dr. Paweł Skupiński
Join us for the "World of Crystals" workshops during the Open Day at the Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences! During the sessions, participants will have the opportunity to delve into the atomic structure of selected chemical elements, understand the differences in the structures of solids, liquids, and gases, and explore various types of crystalline structures in different materials, including minerals found in Poland.
One of the key aspects of the workshops will be introducing the method of bulk crystal growth, which was invented by the distinguished Polish scientist, Professor Jan Czochralski. We will learn about how this innovative technique has impacted the advancement of science and industry, as well as its significance for contemporary researchers and technologists.
Throughout the workshops, participants will engage in hands-on activities, building newly learned crystalline structures using geomag geomagnetic blocks. They will enrich their knowledge about the fascinating world of crystals, their unique properties, and applications, including materials produced at the Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences. Join us on this exceptional journey of discovery and exploration into the world of crystals.
When : start at a full hour between 10:00 and 14:00 (last entry at 13:00)
Duration : approx. 55 minutes
Where: room A of IP PAS
For whom: children and adolescents aged 8-14
Instructors: Dr. Jacek Szczepkowski, Dr. Damian Włodzyński, Matylda Olko
During the workshop you will play the roles of "Alice" and "Bob", who need to exchange secret information. Unfortunately, they cannot meet face to face. The information is so important that every spy wants to know it... including "Eve." The spy "Eve" is a very demanding opponent, she is able to intercept any data transmission: catch a pigeon with a letter, bribe a messenger, tap into telecommunications wires, eavesdrop on radio waves, and on top of that she is pretty good mathematician and IT specialist.
Are you ready to accept this challenge?
When : I group 10:00-12:30
II group 13:00-15:30
Duration : approx. 2.5h
Where: room D of IP PAS
For whom: high school students, college students, adults.
Where: Assemble in the entrance hall of the institute
When: Entrance according to the hours of accessibility of the labs between 10:00 a 16:00: (last entrance at 15:30)
The lab tours will include short experimental demonstrations (up to 30 mins) in each lab. Visitors will be organised into groups of about 5-8 persons and taken to the labs by out researchers and doctoral students. Here is the list of lab demonstrations:
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 6 participants
Crystal growth by the Czochralski method.
Minimum participant age: 12 years, maximum group size: 6 participants
Nanotechnology in experiment
The laboratory tour (without device operation demonstration, which is not feasible on this timescale) will showcase the use of molecular beam epitaxy for growing very small objects (submicrometer scale). The tour aims to present the equipment and discuss the technique's significance and applications in scientific research.
Minimum participant age: 7 years, maximum group size: 6 participants
Creation and quality assessment of the surfaces of ultrathin magnetic layers - magnetic memories.
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 6 participants
Molecular Beam Epitaxy method: Building structures atomic layer by atomic layer to construct a laser.
Minimum participant age: 8 years, maximum group size: 5 participants
Epitaxy - the world in nano-scale.
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 6 participants
Three-dimensional nano-landscape: Surfaces viewed in an atomic force microscope.
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 6 participants
How to identify an element? Weigh its atom!
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 5 participants
Photoelectrons - informants about bonds.
No age limits, maximum group size: 6 participants
Infrared spectroscopy in the quest for new drugs.
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 8 participants
How to measure the distance between adjacent atoms in a crystal?
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 8 participants
How are objects of nanometer size manufactured and viewed?
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 8 participants
How to determine the gold content in gold?
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 5 participants
Levitation - micro objects in electrodynamic traps.
Demonstration of levitation of electrically charged micro objects in an alternating quadrupole electric field
Minimum participant age: 7 years, maximum group size: 8 participants
Molecules, electrons, and photons: Creating light in OLEDs.
Exploring how light is generated in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). How is light generated in OLEDs - Organic Light Emitting Devices? What emits light and what determines its colour? How can it be controlled? How does the structure of materials and molecules affect the colour and intensity of emitted light? How are such molecules designed?
Answering these questions we will get familiar with fluorescence and phosphorescence. We will see how the molecules are excited and deactivated. We will get to know interesting processes in excited states of molecules: charge, mass, and energy transfers, and we will see them at liquid nitrogen temperature (-196°C). We will learn how the structure of molecules affects these phenomena. And we will see how fascinating and unusual is the world of luminescent molecules.
Minimum participant age: 14 years, maximum group size: 10 participants
Cancer and nanotechnology - new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Minimum participant age: 14 years, maximum group size: 10 participants
Spectroscopy, microscopy, hydrodynamics - how droplets form inside droplets and how to study them.
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 8 participants
Contemporary technologies for thin film growth.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see a professional, thin film growth laboratory with increased purity equiped with ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) and PLD (Pulsed Layer Deposition) growth reactors, as well as metal layer sputtering machines. In addition, visitors will be able to carry out the process of growing the CuO layer themselves using a simple variation of the hydrothermal method.
Minimum participant age: 10 years, maximum group size: 8 participants
Magnets and magnetism
Honorary patronage:
Project co-financed by the Ministry of Education and Science under the program Excellent Science II