GSI and FAIR make a significant contribution to understanding the structure and properties of matter through their research with heavy ions. This research opens up new possibilities in the fields of nuclear and particle physics, atomic physics, plasma physics, biophysics and medical science and materials science, which provide an essential basis for future innovations and contribute to solving pressing social issues. GSI and FAIR offer national and international scientists a unique research infrastructure for researching matter.
GSI´s and FAIR´s research is based on ethics and rules that form the fundamental framework for ensuring good scientific practice. GSI and FAIR base their own guidelines and principles on the guidelines of the German Research Foundation, among others, and implement specific measures to prevent scientific misconduct.
Through the research results obtained and the transfer of these findings, technology and innovations to industry and society, both research institutes make a substantial contribution to sustainable development in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals
One example is the Digital Open Lab with the energy-efficient Green IT Cube data center, which makes an important contribution to environmental protection and resource efficiency. The use of ion beams in cancer therapy or the application of nanotechnologies as sensors for viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 viruses, are further examples of GSI and FAIR's contribution to overcoming social challenges.
In addition, GSI and FAIR are actively committed to Open Science in order to promote open, transparent and free access to scientific knowledge. The implementation of Open Science practices promotes collaboration and knowledge in research.
In consideration of the high energy and raw material consumption of large-scale research equipment, GSI and FAIR not only have a responsibility to enable research for sustainable development, but also to build and operate the accelerator facility itself more sustainably. This includes measures for energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, the minimization of resource consumption and the more sustainable procurement of products and services at GSI and FAIR.
The innovative and energy-efficient Green IT Cube is one of the most powerful scientific data centers in the world. It serves to provide the required computing and storage capacities for the future FAIR accelerator facility in a more sustainable way.
The data center has a cube-shaped structure with dimensions of 27x30x22 meters, six floors and an adjacent technical building with cooling towers. The 3D topology of the server racks in the computing complex shortens the paths of the interconnecting lines and thus enables very fast data access with many terabytes per second.
The Green IT Cube is characterized in particular by its energy-efficient cooling system with water via the rear walls of the server cabinets (racks). This method makes it possible to completely dispense with re-circulating air cooling in the room. As a result, the data center consumes less than 7 % of the energy needed for computing. The consumption of conventional systems is significantly higher at 30 % to 100 %.
Research in physics, materials research, medicine and biology is conducted in the Green IT Cube. In future, the data center space will also offer to other research institutions and companies for their own research work. The promotion and provision of the Green IT Cube´s computing capacities help to strengthen future technologies, exploit synergies and make a significant contribution to efficient, energy-saving and innovative data centers.
Further information on the Green IT Cube can be found here.
The use of ion beams in cancer therapy is based on many years of research at GSI's accelerator facility for ion beams. This type of cancer treatment can be used to precisely combat tumors while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Due to promising results, the therapy is being further applied and researched in specialized medical centers in Heidelberg and Marburg.
Ion beam therapy represents a significant advance in cancer treatment and opens up new possibilities for more effective and gentler therapy. It is an example of continuous innovation in oncology and the endeavor to constantly improve the treatment results of cancer patients.
Further information can be found here.
GSI and FAIR are committed to Open Science practices and actively promote Open Science to foster open access to scientific knowledge in the form of data, software, publication, hardware and infrastructure and to increase transparency, collaboration and reproducibility in research.
With these initiatives, GSI and FAIR are helping to make science more open, transparent and cooperative. This promotes the quality and efficiency of research and enables broader social access to scientific findings.
Further information on Open Science can be found here.
For more than 35 years, GSI has been communicating complex scientific topics to a broad audience in an understandable, vivid and interactive way as part of its public lecture series.
The monthly science and research exchange offers both young and old exciting insights into the research of GSI and FAIR as well as into urgent and current topics from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, medicine and informatics. The purpose is to make scientific phenomena understandable such as the recently detected gravitational waves, physical experiments with particle accelerators, medical therapy with particle beams and quantum physical phenomena. This knowledge transfer contributes to the social dimension of sustainable development.
With this lecture series, GSI and FAIR inform the scientifically interested public about developments as well as the newly gained knowledge and involve the audience in the scientific and research processes.
With the help of live demonstrations and experimental lectures, research becomes tangible and understandable for everyone. This strengthens the mutual exchange and dialogue and achieves a better mutual understanding between science and society.
The current program and further information can be found here.
Contact
Sustainability Manager GSI and FAIR
Jan Lindenberg
Phone: +49 6159 71 1381
E-Mail: nachhaltigkeit(at)gsi.de
