Former and future activities of ECHOPHYSICS
Since the 2009 foundation of the European Centre for the History of Physics (ECHOPHYSICS) in Pöllau/Austria, a strong effort has been made to remember the pioneering work of European and domestic scientists in the field of physics. The success of these efforts is reflected in numerous national and international conferences held in Pöllau and manifested plainly by the installation of the ECHOPHYSICS museum.
In the near future (3 years), the ECHOPHYSICS activities should provide a link between historical and actual challenges in the field of energy & environmental sciences in favour of a broader public attraction. In the frame of the European E14 Community Leadership Development program, ECHOPHYSICS applied for a transnational project called PARTICULARIUM in the course of which the general public can not only look at the displayed items, but also participate in self-operated experiments, workshops and training courses. The leading theme is “Sun on Earth” to address the efforts being made on renewable energy in comparison with the existing fossil and nuclear energies.
In close co-operation with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (Garching, DE), the attempts for “a sun-like burning reactor” using nuclear fusion (the ITER project) will be presented by posters and high-lighted by the exhibition of an as-tall-as-a-man Wendelstein Stellarator coil. Nuclear fission is recalled by presenting the electronic control station of the de-commissioned Austrian research reactor TRIGA MARK-II (Atominstitut der Österr. Universitäten). Nuclear energy is part of the “historical” exhibition with all the subsequent reasons for avoiding the nuclear risks. Thus the novel aspect is future “clean” or “green” energy. A demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell will be prepared and present developments of battery research in view of the target “e-mobility” will be presented and discussed in workshops and training courses held by researchers from universities and companies – all in the new PARTICULARIUM annex of ECHOPHYSICS.
Since ECHOPHYSICS is located in the rural district of the Austrian province Styria, the project is supported by the Austrian network “Zukunftsraum Land” in enhancing awareness of the challenges of rural areas and strengthening the skills needed for current and future developments. Therefore, the PARTICULARIUM project will also be supported by local companies working in the field of solar thermal and photo-voltaic power systems.
The attached picture provides a view of a superconducting magnet coil (3.5 m) from the Wendelstein 7-X Stellarator: Its installation at the new PARTICULARIUM annex in December 2017 was the latest achievement by ECHOPHYSICS. The opening ceremony for the PARTICULARIUM will take place in April/May 2018.
