Institutskolloquium des IPP 2020

Ort: IPP Greifswald

Genetics and neurobiology of willpower: why some people can resist temptations better.

Institutskolloquium
  • Datum: 07.02.2020
  • Uhrzeit: 10:30 - 12:00
  • Vortragende: Irina Yakutenko
  • Irina Yakutenko is a scientific journalist and writer based in Berlin. As a science writer and editor, she worked at many leading Russian media including Lenta.Ru, TASS and ‘Вокруг света’ ("Around the Globe ") magazine. She graduated from Molecular Biology Department of Moscow State University and her primary interest in science lies in the field of biology. She is especially interested in biological mechanisms underlying different aspects of human behavior. In 2017 she published a book “Willpower and self-control: how do genes and brain prevent us from resisting temptations”. In the book, which was short-listed for prestigious Russian book prize ‘Просветитель’ (Enlightener), she studies the phenomenon of willpower in the context of neurobiology and genetics, and reviews existing scientific theories explaining why some people combat temptations better than others. In addition to writing, Irina often gives public speeches about science: she is a lecturer and author of popular science videoblogs ‘Бодрые новости’ (Brisk news) and ‘И что с того?’ (So what?’).
  • Ort: IPP Greifswald
  • Raum: HGW S1 (Übertragung Hörsaal D2)
  • Gastgeber: Dmitry Moseev
  • Kontakt: dmitry.moseev@ipp.mpg.de
Statistics revealed that people dramatically differ in their capability to resist all sorts of temptations from nicotine and alcohol to food cravings and shopping. Latest research shows that brains of the people who can better resist things which seem pleasant now but are dangerous in the long run, distinctly differ from those of others. These differences include not only physiology but also biochemistry: brain of willpower superheroes literally works in another way when exhibited to cravings. In her lecture Irina Yakutenko will explain what differences are most important in the context of self-control and tell which genes are responsible for the behavior patterns that manage our reactions to tempting things. In the last part of the lecture she will outline some strategies that can help people who bear ‘unfavorable’ gene variants to overcome devastating reactions of their brain that threaten important life plans. [mehr]

WENDELSTEIN 7-X ON THE WAY TO HIGH-PERFORMANCE PLASMAS

Institutskolloquium
Wendelstein 7-X is the first large optimized stellarator that was designed with reactor relevant requirements in mind. Its design criteria include reduction of the neoclassical heat transport, minimization of the bootstrap plasma current, improved fast-ion confinement and a suitable divertor concept. The ultimate goal of the project is to validate the viability of this design line as a fusion reactor that could allow a true steady state operation without hazardous disruption events. W7-X came into operation in 2015 after a lengthy construction phase and it has now completed two experimental campaigns, including a short limiter phase and a test divertor phase. This presentation reviews the most prominent experimental results from the point of view of the overall plasma performance. Although the initial experimental time was largely devoted to technical but necessary aspects, such as commissioning of plasma diagnostics, error field correction, first wall conditioning and heating power upgrade; some prominent physics results that are likely to remain relevant in the future were already obtained. In particular, it is found that the plasma performance is well below pure neoclassical predictions in the vast majority of discharges. Typical energy confinement times are at the level at or below the empirical ISS04-scaling. The ion temperature in such discharges is limited below 1.6 keV, with profiles reminiscent of stiffness in tokamaks. Furthermore, almost no dependence on the efficiency of collisional coupling between ions and electrons and on magnetic configuration (effective helical ripple) is observed. But, a significant and serendipitous improvement of the plasma performance is observed after the injection of a series of frozen hydrogen pellets that leads to very peaked density profiles. Ion temperatures above 3 keV and energy confinement times above the ISS04-scaling, were achieved in post-pellet phases. This conditions correspond to the highest triple product realized in stellarators so far. At least two important conclusions can be drawn from the described observations. Firstly, the record parameters obtained with pellet injection strongly suggest that the W7-X transport optimization is effective. Secondly, the findings in non-pellet cases imply that the plasma performance in W7-X is otherwise dominated by anomalous losses. Even though a detailed understanding of turbulent losses still needs to be elaborated with the help of e.g. gyro-kinetic GENE simulations, presently it appears that peaking of the density profile is important for improving the plasma performance. Future experiments to validate this conjecture will benefit from further improved experimental capabilities, such as first wall cooling, active pumping, continuous pellet injection, increased heating power. Apart from that, a truly steady state plasma operation will soon become possible after installation of water cooled targets. [mehr]
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