5th Workshop on FAIR Data in Plasma Science (FDPS-V)
We are pleased to announce the 5th Workshop on FAIR Data in Plasma Science (FDPS-V), which will take place on 11–12 May 2026 at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), Germany. Virtual participation will also be available. The workshop continues the annual series of events on research data management within the low-temperature plasma (LTP) community. Its goal is to present current developments and to strengthen community exchange on this topic.
FDPS-V will provide an overview of successful solutions for collaborative research data management aimed at making data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR), thereby fostering broader use of data-driven research methods. The program will cover best practices for everyday research activities as well as infrastructure tools for research data handling. Successful examples from plasma research groups and collaborative research centers will be presented. In addition, future developments and standardization efforts for data sharing and reporting within the LTP community will be discussed.
The workshop will be held as a hybrid event, and participation is free of charge. Please save the date and register via the link provided on the workshop website.
Attendance in person at INP is limited, so early registration is encouraged. The application form will be closed on 3th May, 2025.
Project week during the autumn holidays
During the autumn holidays, highschool students in classes 8 and 9 enjoyed an eventful week full of physics, experiments and research at the Alfried Krupp Schülerlabor at the Ruhr University Bochum. In the workshop ‘From Plasma to Gold Coating,’ the students discovered the exciting characteristics of luminous gases and their numerous applications, such as in surface coating. They visited laboratories, observed researchers at work and learned that plasmas can also be ignited in liquids. In Prof. Scherer's lecture ‘From Diamonds, Pencil Tips and Symmetries,’ they learned how to (theoretically) turn a pencil tip into a diamond. Other highlights included a visit to the planetarium, meals together in the mensa and a physics duel followed by pizza. We would like to thank all participants for their curiosity and fascination for physics and are already looking forward to the next project week!
International School on Low Temperature Plasma Physics
In the beginning of October, chosen Master and PhD students within the field of plasma physics, engineering and chemistry had the chance to get in contact with leading experts and lecturers. During the International School on Low Temperature Plasma Physics and the subsequent Master Class on Smart organic coatings by plasmas, fundamentals of plasmas and cutting-edge reserach has been discussed in lectures and during a poster session. Hands-on experience was obtained during three workshops lead by reknown professors from France and Portugal.
Since 28 years, the plasma school is organized by leading experts in the field of plasma physics. This year, the international chair was located at University of Mons in Belgium, while the local organizing team was located at Ruhr University in Bochum. The plasma school has also been funded by the CRC 1316 and the Research Department "Plasmas with Complex Interactions".
10th anniversary of the RAPP Center
We were delighted to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the RAPP Center with some special events!
The celebrations began with a festive ceremony attended by representatives from all participating universities, including Prof. Albert (Rector of the University of Duisburg-Essen), Prof von Keudell(Prorector of Ruhr University Bochum), and Prof. McElvany (Prorector of TU Dortmund ) .
A true highlight of the evening was the premiere of our planetarium show „Unser exotisches Universum“ (“Our Exotic Universe”), which captivated the audience with fascinating insights into the science of our CRC.
The evening concluded with a reception and refreshments, providing a wonderful opportunity for conversation and connection.
The celebrations continued with a scientific conference featuring international invited speakers, held in the unique atmosphere of the German Mining Museum „Deutsches Bergbaumuseum“.
Over two days, participants engaged in stimulating discussions covering the wide range of topics represented within the RAPP Center. The event fostered lively scientific exchange and helped to strengthen the sense of community within our research network.
We are proud of what the RAPP Center has achieved over the past decade and look forward to many more years of exciting collaboration and discovery!
Picture: Some impressions from our premiere celebration.