Technische Universität Darmstadt

About: Technische Universität Darmstadt is a education organization based out in Darmstadt, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Context (language use). The organization has 17316 authors who have published 40619 publications receiving 937916 citations. The organization is also known as: Darmstadt University of Technology & University of Darmstadt.

Technical design report for the upgrade of the ALICE inner tracking system

Abstract: ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is studying the physics of strongly interacting matter, and in particular the properties of the Quark–Gluon Plasma (QGP), using proton–proton, proton–nucleus and nucleus–nucleus collisions at the CERN LHC (Large Hadron Collider). The ALICE Collaboration is preparing a major upgrade of the experimental apparatus, planned for installation in the second long LHC shutdown in the years 2018–2019. A key element of the ALICE upgrade is the construction of a new, ultra-light, high- resolution Inner Tracking System (ITS) based on monolithic CMOS pixel detectors. The primary focus of the ITS upgrade is on improving the performance for detection of heavy-flavour hadrons, and of thermal photons and low-mass di- electrons emitted by the QGP. With respect to the current detector, the new Inner Tracking System will significantly enhance the determination of the distance of closest approach to the primary vertex, the tracking efficiency at low transverse momenta, and the read-out rate capabilities. This will be obtained by seven concentric detector layers based on a 50 μm thick CMOS pixel sensor with a pixel pitch of about 30×30 μm2. This document, submitted to the LHCC (LHC experiments Committee) in September 2013, presents the design goals, a summary of the R&D activities, with focus on the technical implementation of the main detector components, and the projected detector and physics performance.

Force Fields for Studying the Structure and Dynamics of Ionic Liquids: A Critical Review of Recent Developments

Abstract: Classical molecular dynamics simulations are a valuable tool to study the mechanisms that dominate the properties of ionic liquids (ILs) on the atomistic and molecular level. However, the basis for any molecular dynamics simulation is an accurate force field describing the effective interactions between all atoms in the IL. Normally this is done by empirical potentials which can be partially derived from quantum mechanical calculations on simple subunits or have been fitted to experimental data. Unfortunately, the number of accurate classical non-polarizable models for ILs that allow a reasonable description of both dynamical and statical properties is still low. However, the strongly increasing computational power allows one to apply computationally more expensive methods, and even polarizable-force-field-based models on time and length scales long enough to ensure a proper sampling of the phase space. This review attempts to summarize recent achievements and methods in the development of classical force fields for ionic liquids. As this class of salts covers a large number of compounds, we focus our review on imidazolium-based ionic liquids, but show that the main conclusions are valid for non-imidazolium salts, too. Insight obtained from recent electronic density functional results into the parametrization of partial charges and on the influence of polarization effects in bulk ILs is highlighted. An overview is given of different available force fields, ranging from the atomistic to the coarse-grained level, covering implicit as well as explicit modeling of polarization. We show that the recently popular usage of the ion charge as fit parameter can looked upon as treating polarization effects in a mean-field matter.

Backbone rigidity and static presentation of guanidinium groups increases cellular uptake of arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides.

Abstract: In addition to endocytosis-mediated cellular uptake, hydrophilic cell-penetrating peptides are able to traverse biological membranes in a non-endocytic mode termed transduction, resulting in immediate bioavailability. Here we analysed structural requirements for the non-endocytic uptake mode of arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides, by a combination of live-cell microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and analytical ultracentrifugation. We demonstrate that the transduction efficiency of arginine-rich peptides increases with higher peptide structural rigidity. Consequently, cyclic arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides showed enhanced cellular uptake kinetics relative to their linear and more flexible counterpart. We propose that guanidinium groups are forced into maximally distant positions by cyclization. This orientation increases membrane contacts leading to enhanced cell penetration.

PUFs: myth, fact or busted? a security evaluation of physically unclonable functions (PUFs) cast in silicon

Abstract: Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are an emerging technology and have been proposed as central building blocks in a variety of cryptographic protocols and security architectures. However, the security features of PUFs are still under investigation: Evaluation results in the literature are difficult to compare due to varying test conditions, different analysis methods and the fact that representative data sets are publicly unavailable. In this paper, we present the first large-scale security analysis of ASIC implementations of the five most popular intrinsic electronic PUF types, including arbiter, ring oscillator, SRAM, flip-flop and latch PUFs. Our analysis is based on PUF data obtained at different operating conditions from 96 ASICs housing multiple PUF instances, which have been manufactured in TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology. In this context, we present an evaluation methodology and quantify the robustness and unpredictability properties of PUFs. Since all PUFs have been implemented in the same ASIC and analyzed with the same evaluation methodology, our results allow for the first time a fair comparison of their properties.

Lattice parameters and anisotropic thermal expansion of hexagonal boron nitride in the 10–297.5 K temperature range

Abstract: Lattice parameters for hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) were determined using X-ray powder diffraction at a synchrotron-radiation source (beamline B2, Hasylab/DESY, Hamburg) in the previously uninvestigated temperature range from 10 K up to 297.5 K. The relative change of a and c with rise of temperature in the studied range is anisotropic and amounts to about -0.05% and +0.82%, respectively. The corresponding increase of the unit-cell volume is 0.73%. The evaluated values of thermal expansion coefficients derived from the lattice-parameter dependences on temperature are generally consistent with earlier data determined by interferometryfor T≥82 K.