innov.7. 1-09 e - zeiss.com.au · innovation 7, carl zeiss, 1999 3 contents publisher’s imprint...

7InnovationT h e M a g a z i n e f r o m C a r l Z e i s s

■ Gazing into the Cold Depths of the Universe

■ Sun and Truth – As Goethe Didn’t Say

■ Well Poised for the Future

Show Me Your Glasses …

ISSN 1431-8059

With almost 80 research institutes in the German andEuropean research system, the Max Planck Society, whichcelebrated its 50th birthday in 1998, enjoys a high degreeof recognition and renown. In the performance of itsmany activities, cooperation with other research institutesand industrial enterprises involved in scientific research isan absolute must. Only if all scientific institutions workhand in hand to achieve progress will it also be possibleto be successful on the economic front.

If in its ongoing pursuit of knowledge the world ofbasic research sometimes appears to be overly defensiveof its independence, it is not because it refuses to play itspart in helping to achieve the research and developmentgoals of industry, or because it labors under the delusionthat the financial resources it receives bear no relation toindustry. Researchers want to be useful and are indeeduseful by creating the new knowledge that helps mankindto push the frontiers of science forward. They do notaccomplish this goal by giving the search for practicalapplications priority over the quest for knowledge, butby making new discoveries as a result of creative researchperformed within a framework of freedom and indepen-dence. The risk of failure is, of course, always an integralpart of this process.

This does not mean, however, that scientists workingin basic research live in a vacuum. In the past few years,industry has had to make considerable savings, alsoleading to cutbacks in its research activities. Today, how-ever, by developing new techniques and searching fornew materials, engi-neers are advancinginto realms whichused to be exclusive territory of science. At the sametime, many research scientists have long since lost theirfear of contact with industry and now see cooperationwith the development engineers in industry as an enticingchallenge. Year after year, the Max Planck Society con-cludes 40 to 70 contracts with industrial partners, dealingwith projects from which they expect interesting innova-tion potential. The Max Planck Society wishes to promotethe type of basic research that will one day help industryin its own R & D activities.

Another field is the promotion of tomorrow’s ca-pabilities by today’s research. There are any number ofareas in the Max Planck Society where this can be amplydemonstrated. A considerable part of our work is focusedon materials research. Of the three forms of reality posing

Creating Knowledge,Shaping the FutureHubert Markl

Innovation 7, Carl Zeiss, 19992

Foreword

a challenge to science – matter, energy and mind – it ismatter with which we are most familiar, hence explainingwhy it would appear to be the best understood andscientifically most thoroughly researched of the three.

Not only the Max Planck Society is convinced thatmaterials research, as the only truly interdisciplinaryscience and technology, is the most important and tech-nically relevant branch of research in today’s naturalsciences – apart, of course, from information and com-munication technology as well as molecular and cellbiotechnology. This is not surprising when one considersthat other fields that would perhaps immediately springto mind in this context, e.g. microelectronics, nano-technology, and hydrogen, solar and fusion energytechnology – are all firmly anchored in modern materialsresearch and materials technology, and are dependent toa major extent on the advances being made in materialsresearch if they are to achieve the success they hope for.

The past few decades have also seen dramatic devel-opments in biology and its sister sciences medicine andagricultural biology. Of particular importance in recenttimes is the extent to which all disciplines in the naturalsciences and the field of applied mathematics are rapidlygrowing together and intensifying their ties to become asingle, all-embracing natural science. As we have nowdiscovered the chemical and physical properties of thisliving matter and learnt how their functional principlescan be represented in the form of a mathematical model,it will take only a few more years for us to decode theentire genome of mankind and many dozens of micro-organisms, plants and animals – right down to the basicmolecular components. This by no means affects only

cell-biological processes. It also equally involves the inter-actions in the behavior between herbivorous animalsand the plants they eat, or the flow of substances withinentire ecosystems. It is no coincidence that two ofthe newest Max Planck Institutes in Jena – both inthe direct vicinity of the Carl Zeiss plant – are called the”Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology” and the”Max Planck Institute of Biogeochemistry”.

The fact that knowledge yields power and that powergenerates even more knowledge was something thatFrancis Bacon correctly recognized, even if he himself wasunable to put this awareness to good use. However, themost important source of power today is not so muchinfluence and financial strength, but the ability to fullyunfold one’s own intellectual resources.

Prof. Dr. Hubert Marklis President of theMax Planck Society forthe Promotion of Science.

Sowing the Seeds

of Future Applications

Sculpture of Minerva madeof dark green granite infront of the main entranceof the new headquarters ofthe Max Planck Society inMunich, created by thePeruvian artist Fernando dela Jara.Photos: Max Planck Society.

Innovation 7, Carl Zeiss, 1999 3

Contents

Publisher’s Imprint

Innovation The Magazine from Carl Zeiss No. 7, November 1999

”Innovation“ appears in German and English twice a year. It wasformerly called ”Zeiss Information with Jena Review“ (1992 to 1996),previously ”Zeiss Information“ (1953 to 1991) and ”Jena Review“(1956 to 1991).The issues of the magazine will be serially numbered,regardless of the year in question, beginning with No. 1/1996.

Publishers: Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, and Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH,Communication, Dr. Uwe Braehmer Editors: Gudrun Vogel (editor-in-charge), Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH,D-07740 Jena, Phone: (+36 41) 64 27 70, Telefax (+36 41) 64 29 41,e-mail: [email protected] and Dr. Hansjoachim Hinkelmann,Carl Zeiss, D-73446 Oberkochen, Phone: (+73 64) 20 34 08,Telefax (+73 64) 20 33 70, e-mail: [email protected], Germany.Internet: http://www.zeiss.deLayout: Marketingkommunikation Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen.

Layout and setting: MSW Aalen, Germany.Printed in Germany by C. Maurer, Druck und Verlag, D-73312 Geislingen a. d. Steige.

ISSN 1431-8059©1999, Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, and Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, Jena.

Permission for the reproduction of individual articles and illustrationsfrom ”Innovation“ – with due reference to the source – will gladly begranted after prior consultation with the editors.

If readers have any inquiries about how the magazine can be obtainedor if they wish to change their address (the customer number shouldbe indicated, if applicable), we would kindly ask them to contact theeditor.

Picture sources: Unless otherwise specified, all photographs werecontributed by the authors or originate in the archives of Carl Zeiss.

Authors: If no information is given to the contrary, the authors of thearticles are employees of Carl Zeiss and can be contacted via the editor.

Foreword

Creating Knowledge, Shaping the Future 2Hubert Markl

Contents, Publisher’s Imprint 3

From Users for Users

Searching for the Cause ofSpinal Muscular Atrophy 4Utz Fischer, Stefan Hannus, Oliver Plöttner

Plants and Their Secret Weapons 7Caroline Liepert

Measuring Crop Plant Quality in the Field 10Michael Rode, Christian Paul

Gazing into the Cold Depthsof the Universe 12Dietrich Lemke

Culture and Science

Sun and Truth – As Goethe Didn’t Say 18Lutz Wenke, Friedrich ZöllnerManfred Tettweiler, Hans-Joachim Teske

Focus on Vision

See You in Africa 23

Show Me Your Glasses andI’ll Tell You Who You Are 24Guenter Möller

The Colors of Soap 28Joachim Rosenfeld

Around the Globe

Made in Rio de Janeiro 30

News from South Africa 31Uwe Braehmer

Award-winning Confocal Micrograph 32New in New York 32

Prizes • Awards

Zeiss Optics No. 1 for Hunters 33First the Carl Zeiss Research Award,Then the Nobel Prize 34Nobel Prize for Medicine 34Otto Schott Research Award 35First Place for Zeiss Lens 35

Cooperation Ventures • Projects

Leonardo da Vinci in Action 36New Standard in Screening Systems 37Digital Photogrammetry Focused on the Future 38Rights of Use for DNA Chips 38Strategic Cooperation 38157 nm Project 39

In Short

Lenses with a New Dimension of Quality 40Zeiss with SONY 40New Facility for Plastic Eyeglass Lenses 41

Product Report

Light Microscopy 42Surgical Products 43Spectral Sensor Systems,Camera Lenses, Binoculars,Ophthalmic Products 44Business Barometer

Well Poised for the Future 45

Sales at Carl Zeiss Rise to DM 3.2 Billion 46Uwe Braehmer

Cover photo:In close cooperation withdesigners of internationalrenown, not only neweyeglass frames, but also anew collection of sunglassesare being created under thebrand ”Zeiss. High EndEyewear.“ The new eyewearcombines the values thatare the essence of the Zeissbrand – precision, first-classquality and tradition –with emotionality. Theresult is a distinctive andunmistakable product”language“. While HannesWettstein of the agency9D Design in Zurich,Switzerland is responsiblefor the design of the eye-glass frames, the sunglasseswere created by therenowned design office”Continuum“ in Milan,Italy (see article ”Show MeYour Glasses and I’ll TellYou Who You Are“,pages 24 – 27).

Outside back cover:The cooperation betweenZeiss and SONY is stillrelatively young, but it isextremely successful.In the past two years,Carl Zeiss has supplied asmany as one million lensesfor SONY cameras.The latest product is thenew Cyber-Shot ZoomDSC F505. It offers a largenumber of technicalhighlights and top-classoptics: the 7.1 – 35.5 mmVario-Sonnar® f/2.8 lenswith a zoom ratio of 1 : 5considerably determinesthe dimensions of thecamera (see Product Reporton page 44).Photos: SONY.


Never being able to walk or movewithout assistance: unimaginable formany people, but a bitter reality forpatients suffering from spinal mus-cular atrophy (SMA), a geneticallycaused disease. In Germany, approx.100 to 200 people fall ill withSMA every year.In patients withthis neuromuscu-lar disease, cer-tain nerve cells inthe spinal cord –so-called moto-neurons – die,often in the earlyyears of life.Motoneurons areabsolutely essen-tial for muscle sti-mulus. Their loss,as seen in SMApatients, therefore results in a drasticrestriction of mobility.

Depending on the onset and theclinical progression of the disease,SMA is classified into three differenttypes. In the most severe form (TypeI, also called Werdnig-HoffmannDisease), a general muscle weaknessalready occurs in the first threemonths of life. Children diagnosedwith this type will never be able to sitor stand, and, as the muscular powerrequired for the movement of thethorax and diaphragm is no longeradequate for respiration, most willdie in the first two years of life. The

successfully identified. Both genesare available as duplicates in closeproximity to each other on chromo-some 5 and display systematic muta-tions (point mutations and deletions)in SMA patients. Today, it is conside-red a fact that SMN is the SMA gene;however, it is still unclear whetherNAIP also plays a role in the pro-gression of the SMA disease. A syste-matic genetic examination has shownthat one of the two copies of theSMN gene has been lost either par-tially or completely in more than90% of all SMA patients. In theremaining cases, mutations in theSMN gene were established whicheither completely prevent the forma-tion of the SMN protein (expression)or only permit expression of a mu-tated SMN protein. Interestinglyenough, although the SMN protein isformed in SMA patients because ofthe existence of the second copy ofthe SMN gene, its quantity is stronglyreduced in the body (and particularlyin motoneurons). The SMA disease istherefore presumably caused by a

Searching for the Causeof Spinal Muscular Atrophy Utz Fischer, Stefan Hannus, Oliver Plöttner

4


progression of Type II SMA is lesssevere, but only patients with themildest form (Type III, also calledKugelberg-Welander Disease) nor-mally survive into adulthood.

Identification of theSMA gene

SMA is an incurable disease. How-ever, surprising insights into themolecular causes of the disease havebeen possible during the past fewyears, giving us reason to hope thatnew therapies can be developed inthe future.

Since SMA is a genetic disease,the first step in the molecular analysisof the disease was to find whichcomponent of the gene sequenceis mutated in SMA patients. In 1995,

two likely SMAgenes called Survi-val of Motor Neu-rons (SMN) andNeuronal Apopto-sis Inhibitory Pro-tein (NAIP) were

Stefan Hannus and OliverPlöttner (far left and right)are members of the JuniorResearch Group dealingwith spinal muscularatrophy at the Max PlanckInstitute for Biochemistry,Am Klopferspitz 18a inD-82152 Martinsried,Germany, headed byDr. Utz Fischer (center).

Fig. 1:Staining of SMN in aconnective tissue cell. In thistechnique, the SMN proteinappears in green fluores-cence and is localized bothin discrete domains in thenucleus (so-called gems)and in the cytoplasm. Atypical nucleus protein isstained red. The micro-graph was taken with aLSM 410 confocal laserscanning microscopefrom Carl Zeiss with aPlan-Neofluar®‚ 100x/1.3objective.

Fig. 2:Xenopus laevis frog.These organisms allowlarge quantities ofunfertilized oocytes to beobtained. Oocytes are idealtesting systems for manycell-biological and medicalexaminations.

reduction in SMN expression and notby the complete loss of it (”dosageeffect“).

SMN: helper proteinfor the assembly ofcellular complexes

The identification of SMN has per-mitted an analysis of the molecularcauses of spinal muscular atrophy.Initial experiments have shown thatSMN is formed in every cell of thebody and is therefore likely to have ageneral cellular function. In somaticcells (all body cells except sex cells),SMN displays a spectacular distribu-tion pattern. One part of the proteinis distributed homogeneously in thecytoplasm, but another part is con-centrated in the cell nucleus, in newdomains of unknown function (calledgemini of coiled bodies, or ”gems“)(Fig. 1).

To obtain information about thefunction of SMN in the body, theoocyte system of the African clawedfrog, Xenopus laevis, has been used(Fig. 2). With a diameter of approx.1 to 1.5 mm, the unfertilized ova(oocytes) are unusually large andideal for micromanipulation expe-riments (Fig. 3). They are thereforeused for various biochemical and cell-biological examinations. SMA resear-chers were surprised to find that theSMN protein is available in the oocytein association with a group of macro-molecular complexes. These complex-es, termed ”U snRNPs“ (U-rich smallnuclear ribonucleoprotein particles),consist of several proteins and a smallamount of ribonucleic acid (RNA),and contribute to a considerableextent to a defined step in the de-velopment of genetic information(so-called ”pre-mRNA splicing“) ofeach cell. To perform this function,the U snRNPs must be assembled firstin an orderly process from the indivi-dual modules, i.e. the RNA and theproteins. According to recent find-ings, SMN obviously ”helps“ some

proteins to bind to the RNA and thusto form functional U snRNP particles.Although final experimental proofstill remains to be obtained, it is assum-ed that the SMN deficiency in SMApatients results in defective bindingof U snRNPs and that this is at leastone of the causes of the disease.However, it remains entirely in thedark for the time being why themutations in the SMN gene exclusive-ly result in the death of motoneuronsof the spinal cord although SMN isevidently required and produced inevery cell of the body.

The analysis of the function of theSMN protein is not only of interestfor SMA research, but is also relevantto areas more oriented toward basicresearch. For example, it has alwaysbeen assumed until now that RNAprotein particles such as U snRNPscan form on their own, i. e. withoutany ”outside“ assistance from othercellular factors. Quite unexpectedly,SMA research has provided insightsinto processes in the cell which haveremained unexamined so far.



Fig. 3:Micromanipulationof oocytes of theXenopus laevis frog.

Fig. 4:Researchers during themicromanipulation ofXenopus laevis oocytes,using the Stemi® SV 6stereomicroscope fromCarl Zeiss.


about the function of SMN. However,it will also be of major importance toestablish a suitable animal systemin which spinal muscular atrophy canbe researched through experiments.A decisive step in this direction hasrecently been made by the genemanipulation of mice, which – likeSMA patients – are able to produceonly small amounts of SMN protein.The analysis of these mice is currentlyunder way. It is hoped that the spe-cific manipulation of the SMN gene inthe mouse will cause a disease whichcan be compared to that of SMApatients. Such a ”mouse model“ forSMA could enable the specific devel-opment of strategies for the treat-ment of the human disease.

6


Approaches for thetreatment of SMA

Although research into spinal muscu-lar atrophy is only in its initial phase,the findings obtained so far about itsmolecular causes are quite encoura-ging. Many laboratories all over theworld are now searching for strate-gies to remove the cellular defectcaused by the loss of SMN in thebody. This includes the quest foranswers to further detailed questions

IndependentJunior Research Groups

For 30 years now, the Max Planck Society has been pro-moting particularly talented young scientists – in addi-tion to the standard promotional measures within thedepartments of the Institutes – within the framework offixed-term programs for Independent Research Groups.More than one hundred young scientists chosen throughinternational competition have thus been given thepossibility of laying the foundations for a successful pro-fessional career as a scientist in their first experience ofindependent research – and all with a limited, but securebudget. These Junior Groups benefit from the infrastruc-ture and administration of the Max Planck Institutes inwhich they are integrated, but – in spite of their incor-poration in the institute structures and close associationwith the subject matter dealt with in these institutes –they are in fact independent research organizations.

The manager of a Junior Research Group has thesame autonomy for his scientific activities as the scien-tific staff and directors of the Institute. Normally, onescientist and one or two technical staff members, fundsfor students taking their doctorate and persons receivinga scholarship, and work material and instruments suit-able for the research subject, are at his/her disposal. TheJunior Research Groups receive funds for a fixed periodof five years.

These groups have been so successful that the MaxPlanck Society is also considerably promoting similargroups abroad. The first example is two of these groupsat the Institute for Cell Biology of the Chinese Academyof Science in Shanghai. Considerations have also beenmade to form bilateral groups together with scientificorganizations from outside Germany, e.g. the CNRS inFrance or the Weizmann Institute in Israel.

Fig. 5:Everyday research in themolecular biological labora-tory of the Max PlanckInstitute of Biochemistry.Photo: Heddergott.

nismic – and one which can only becomprehensively investigated in aninterdisciplinary approach. It is there-fore no surprise that ecologists, bio-chemists, population geneticists andexperts from organic and analyticalchemistry work closely together atthe institute.

Chemicalself-defense

of plants

Plants are the focalpoint of the institute's scientific stud-ies. Their large number of herbivo-rous enemies has led not only to thegrowth of thorns and prickles by

which many plants keep unwantedvisitors at bay, but also to the evolu-tion of effective chemical defensemechanisms. When under attack,plants frequently respond by intensi-fying their synthesis of specific sub-stances which have an inhibitory ortoxic effect on insects. The roots oftobacco plants (nicotiana), for examp-le, produce the familiar nicotine, aneurotoxin which may account foras much as 10 % of the leaves’ dry

7


Plants and Their Secret WeaponsCaroline Liepert

Dr. Caroline Liepert is aresearch coordinator atthe Max Planck Instituteof Chemical Ecology,Tatzendpromenade 1a,D-07745 Jena, Germany.

Fig. 1:Gas chromatographylaboratory in the molecularecology department.

Fig. 2 (in the text):Caterpillar of the owletmoth on cotton.

Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH has currentlyprovided accommodation on its pre-mises for two Max Planck Institutesuntil their own buildings in Jena arecompleted. Due to the implementa-tion of a strategy focusing certainproduct lines on the different loca-tions of the Carl Zeiss Group, largefacilities at the Jena plant have beco-me vacant. An area of 2,300 m2 wasused in 1997 to set up laboratoriesand offices for the Max PlanckInstitute of Chemical Ecology, includ-ing e.g. laboratories for classical chemistry, isotope analysis, analyticalmetrology and molecular biology.After the completion of an initialstudy, the Consulting and Engineer-ing business unit of Carl Zeiss perform-ed the overall planning procedureand subsequently monitored the con-struction work. Only ten monthsafter the signing of the contract, thelaboratories were offici-ally handed over tothe user.

At the sametime as thisproject, dis-cussions andwork were

initiated on the second Max PlanckInstitute on the Zeiss premises: theInstitute of Biogeochemistry. State-of-the-art laboratories and officeswith a surface totaling 2,600 m2

were planned and built for thisorganization. The institute started itswork after only nine months, in June1998.

Where huge machines used tooperate for the electroplating ofmechanical components suchas microscope stands, state-of-the-art, computer-controlledequipment has now been instal-led for the separation and identi-fication of natural substances and forthe reproduction and research ofgenetic sequences. These are only afew examples of the instrumentsused by the Max Planck Institute ofChemical Ecology in Jena for itswork. Founded in September 1996 asthe second Max Planck Institute inJena, the organization now has a

staff of approx. 130 employeesfrom Germany and abroadworking in four scientificdepartments and in generalservice teams. The scientists atthe institute are exploring thequestion as to how live organ-isms communicate with theirenvironment via chemicalmessengers. What appears tobe a pretty straightforwardsubject at first glance is infact a highly complex inter-

action system at diffe-rent levels – mole-

cular, cellularand orga-

Basic ResearchUnder the Roof

of Carl ZeissInnovation 7, Carl Zeiss, 1999


matter. Such a diet is lethal for manyinsects. It is no accident, therefore,that nicotine is also used as a pesti-cide. What signals indicate infesta-tion by harmful insects and how arethe stimuli transmitted at a molecularlevel inside the tobacco plant – theseare questions which the scientists atthe Max Planck Institute are trying toresolve. Beyond this, they are alsointerested in the ecological conse-quences of such chemical defensemechanisms. Do tobacco plantsproduce less seed and, as a result,fewer potential descendants if theyhave to use more of their metabolicenergy for defense than non-infestedplants of the same species? Theseissues are being investigated in labo-ratory and field experiments.

A further groupof secondary sub-stances present inplants which play animportant role fordefense against herbi-vores or pathogensand are being studiedin depth at the institutecomprises glucosinola-tes or thioglucosides,the parent substance ofmustard oils with thepungent taste or odorwe are all familiar withfrom mustard, horsera-dish or capers. Little isknown to date aboutthe biochemistry andgenetics of glucosi-nolate biosynthesis, despiteits previously mentioned prac-tical relevance for mankind.Using state-of-the-art biomo-lecular and genetic methods,the scientists are trying tothrow light on the control ofthe metabolic pathways and to revealthe importance of these substancesfor the interaction between plantsand their herbivorous or pathogenicenemies.

An odorous cryfor help

Plants are also able to exchangeinformation via the air – in the formof volatile cues which act as SOS sig-nals – thus protecting themselvesagainst herbivores. The productionand emission of odorous substancesinduced by eating insects also at-tracts their enemies (insectivores). Thismeans that the plants' odors serve asmarkers that point the way towardthe prey. This phenomenon is alsointerpreted as the “plant's cry forhelp“. However, these plant odorsnot only permit insectivores to findtheir prey more easily, but also indu-ce non-infested plants of the samespecies in the direct neighborhood to

8


Figs 5 and 6:Investigation of nicotineproduction in tobaccoplants.

Fig. 3:Caterpillar of the tobaccohawkmoth on tobacco.

Fig. 4 (large photo):Collection of odoroussubstances of a corn plant.

intensify the synthesis of theseodorous substances. The importanceof this discovery, e.g. for plant pro-tection, is evident. Apart from thecontent of the volatile cues, thescientists at the Max Planck Instituteare primarily interested in the mole-cular mechanisms of the signal cas-cade inducing the biosynthesis ofodorous substances.

Genes for chemicalsignals

The infestation of plants by herbi-vores triggers a complex mechanismin the plant's organism. To under-stand the basic functional processesof the plant's self defense, it is alsoessential to identify and characterizethe resistance-specific genes involvedin the synthesis, storage, identifica-tion and metabolism of chemical cuemolecules. State-of-the-art biomole-cular and genetic methods enablethe scientists at the institute to pro-vide information on which areas ofthe plant's genome are activated ordeactivated by infestation. The rese-archers hope that – irrespective ofthe considerable potential for appli-cations in agriculture and forestry –the findings will also give them aninsight into the processes in whichthese interrelations of organismsevolved in the past.



Max Planck Institute ofBiogeochemistry

Gaschromatography MS laboratory of the Max PlanckInstitute of Biogeochemistry. The institute studies thebehavior of ecosystems and biogeochemical processes invarying climatic conditions. The aim is to understandcomplex overall systems composed of a large number ofinteracting subsystems which influence each other.Ultimately this also includes gaining an insight intowhether and to what extent nature is still able tocompensate for human intervention. For this purpose,systematic experiments must be conducted for theinvestigation and modeling of functional connectionsand interactions, followed by the combination ofthe results with e.g. paleo-data to assess the forecastpotential of such models.

Fig. 7:DNA analysisusing a sequencer.


The combine harvester which is com-monplace in agriculture today was areal technical revolution 50 yearsago. This machine made it possibleto combine the tedious process ofreaping grain in the field with thedusty threshing procedure thatusually took place many weeks afterthe harvest. There are now signs ofan advance in agricultural harvestingwhich could initially result in asimilar breakthrough in crop plantcultivation.

For the short period between har-vesting and the next sowing, plantbreeders need rapid, cost-effectiveand meaningful analytical techniquesto be able to develop crop plantswith improved quality. The advancesachieved in, for example, the drymatter content of forage grass, theoil content of oilseed rape and theprotein content of feed barleydepend directly on the intensity ofselection from a starting materialwhich consists of thousands offoundation stocks. Instead of con-ventional ”wet chemical” analyticalprocedures, spectroscopy in the near

measurements on representativesamples of the crop during har-vesting. The CORONA NIR sensormodule installed in the harvester isbased on the MMS-NIR 1.7 diodearray spectrometer (Fig. 1) and hasbeen specially designed for the roughconditions of field use.

The particular benefits of theCORONA NIR result from the highmeasuring speed of the MMS-NIR 1.7,its high temperature stability, smallsize and total insensitivity to vibra-tions and shock. These features clearlydistinguish this unit from the NIRmeasuring instruments used in thelaboratory which are unsuitable formobile use in the rough conditions offield cropping, not only because oftheir slow measuring speed but alsobecause of their moving, shock-sensi-tive gratings or filter wheels requiredfor the dispersion of polychromaticlight.

Measuring Crop Plant Qualityin the FieldMichael Rode, Christian Paul

F rom Users for Users

infrared (NIRS) has proved to besuccessful for this purpose and cannow be transferred from the labora-tory to the field as a consequence ofnewly developed instruments.

Compact, sturdyand fast

On the basis of the equipmentdevised and the chemometric rese-arch carried out by Norris in the USA,spectroscopy in the near infrared(NIR) has now made its way intoplant breeding. So far, however, thecurrent status of the NIRS instrumenttechnology has limited this analyticalprocedure to stationary use in thelaboratory. The availability of diodearrays for the spectral range of thenear infrared now makes it possibleto use NIRS directly on agriculturalharvest machines. The companyCarl Zeiss, the Danish agriculturalengineering company Haldrup andthe Institute of Crop and GrasslandScience of the German FederalAgricultural Research Center havejointly developed a forage harvesterfor trial plots which allows NIRS

Michael Rode andDr. Christian Paul work atthe Institute of Crop andGrassland Science ofthe German FederalAgricultural ResearchCenter (FAL), Bundesallee 50 in D-38116 Braunschweig/Germany.

Fig. 1:MMS-NIR 1.7 spectral sensorfor the wavelength range from950 to 1,700 nm.

Background:Clover-grass mixturePhoto:AGROCONCEPT,Bonn/Germany.

Determining thecontent of water andother constituents

The water content of field cropsdetermines their stability duringstorage, partially characterizes theirnutritional value and is also a crucialfactor in fixing their trading price.Water is the constituent which canbe most easily determined in the nearinfrared (Fig. 2). While other consti-tuents of economic importance suchas protein, oil and carbohydratesdisplay lower absorptivity in the nearinfrared (Fig. 3), their contents cannonetheless be determined with highanalytical precision by a single, non-destructive measurement of freshlyharvested grains and seeds.

Harvesting withspectrometers

In the summer of 1999, the firstHaldrup forage harvesters of the new”NIRS harvest line” for such forageplants as grass and clover werepurchased by the German plantbreeding companies Deutsche Saat-

veredelung (DSV) and NorddeutschePflanzenzucht (NPZ) and tested inthe field (Fig. 4). The chemometriccalibration of the sensor in field con-ditions is being continued togetherwith these plant breeding companies.In addition, a combine harvesterequipped with a CORONA NIR willbe available for such grain crops ascereals, oil seeds and grain legumesfor the first time in the year 2000.

The integration of NIR diode arrayspectrometers in agricultural combineharvesters will initially increase theefficacy of plant breeding and testingaimed at creating cultivars withimproved properties. In addition, itshould not be overlooked that thistype of ”mobile analysis” can also betransferred to practical agriculturewhere a wide variety of approachesto so-called ”precision farming” areincreasingly being tested. Thus, theNIR diode array spectrometers, whichare no bigger than a child's hand,could one day make an effectivecontribution to quality assurance inenvironmentally compatible plantproduction.



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Fig. 4:Forage harvester from thecompany Haldrup(Denmark).

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April 8, 1998 marked the end ofobservations by the ISO Europeansatellite observatory. The mission,however, is far from over. Since1999, the data obtained in 12,000hours of observation ranging fromthe solar system to extragalacticbackground radiation has been madeaccessible to all astronomers forarchive observations of the infraredsky.

ISO’s mission in space lasted for 29months, eleven months more thanoriginally planned. Throughout thisperiod, a temperature of as low asminus 271 °C – less than the externaltemperature in space – was main-tained inside the observatory. Thispermitted the exploration of celestial

bodies which are too cold to emitany visible light. One of the fourscientific instruments on board ISOwas the ISOPHOT imaging photopolarimeter developed by the MaxPlanck Institute of Astronomy inHeidelberg and manufactured by thecompanies Dornier, Carl Zeiss andBattelle [1, 2]. With its multitude ofhigh-precision opto-mechanical com-ponents, this instrument operated

forms the UV radiation of the hotnucleus into the infrared of the pack-aging. Widely distributed dust seemsto be present everywhere in the cos-mos (Fig. 1).

Interplanetary andintergalactic dust

Interplanetary dust is concentratedaround the sun and in a flat diskaround the ecliptic up to a solardistance of 3 AU. The sunlight disper-sed by dust is visible as zodiacal light.In the infrared range, the entire sky isbrightened up by the dust's thermalradiation in a very wide spectralrange from 7 to 70 µm. The highsensitivity of a cold satellite telescopeis limited here by the ”infrared zodia-cal light“. Temperature measure-ments (Fig. 2, [3, 14]) permit impro-ved modeling of the interplanetarydust cloud with respect to its densitydistribution and the properties of itsparticles. This is of major importancefor gaining an insight into the phy-sical processes of the solar systemand addresses issues concerning thelife span and supply of the particles(comets, asteroid remnants). Allattempts to determine the extra-galactic background radiation requirethe correction of the bright fore-ground of zodiacal light and, as aresult, precise models of the inter-planetary dust cloud.

Outside the solar system, the skyis brightened up in patches by theinterstellar dust distributed in theform of clouds (cirrus). At even largerdistances, extragalactic dust – if itexists at all! – might contribute to thesky signal. To date, it has not beenpossible to detect any dust betweenthe galaxies in different galaxy clu-sters. The ISOPHOT camera for thefar infrared has now made it possibleto extend the wavelength range upto 200 µm. As a result, ”color“ mea-surement permitted the excess radia-tion of intergalactic dust with a tem-perature of T ~ 30 K present in the

Gazing into the Cold Depths of the UniverseDietrich Lemke

12


without a hitch in cryovacuum forthree years, including the preparatoryphase before the launch. The com-panies involved deserve great praisefor this achievement.

Dusty universe

Large parts of the universe remaininvisible behind dense, interstellarclouds of dust particles. Infraredwaves, however, are able to penetra-te this dust virtually unattenuated.Due to its widespread distribution,dust absorbs the short-wave radiati-on of hot stars and is heated up.Depending on its distance from thestar and the size of its particles (smallones are heated to higher temperatu-res!), the dust reaches temperatures

of T ~ 10… 300 K. Further heating ofthe particles is prevented by theemission of thermal radiation whichwe observe in the form of infraredradiation. This means that no energyis lost: the luminous intensity of in-visible, young stars in dense, circum-stellar clouds, for example, emergesin the form of infrared radiation onthe much larger surface of thesurrounding clouds. The dust trans-

Professor Dietrich Lemke,Max Planck Institute ofAstronomy, Königstuhl 17,D-69117 Heidelberg,Germany, is the ”PrincipalInvestigator“ for theISOPHOT imagingphotopolarimeter.

ISO

Fig. 1:To be able to measureextremely faint luminancesuch as the extragalacticbackground radiation, allintervening brightnesscomponents caused byintergalactic, interstellarand interplanetary dust mustbe determined separately.Instrumental stray lightoriginating from the sun,moon and earth wasestablished to be negligiblein ISO.

3K background

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Coma galaxy cluster to be distinguis-hed from galactic interstellar dustwith T ~ 17 K (Fig. 3, [4]). It is ama-zing that dust should exist in theComa cluster at all although the en-tire cluster is embedded in plasmagas as hot as T ~ 100 million K. Thefact that dust has nevertheless beendetected, even if the gas-to-dustratio was only 10 000 : 1 (the com-mon ratio in galaxies such as MilkyWay is 100 : 1), indicates a constantsupply of fresh dust. It is expelledfrom the galaxies of a smaller clustercurrently in the process of fusingwith the Coma cluster.

A glimpse of theearly universe

J. L. Puget (Paris) and his internatio-nal team used ISOPHOT to look forvery distant, young galaxies in celesti-al regions in our Milky Way displayingan extremely low density of neutralhydrogen and hence a low contentof absorbing dust. 24 objects havebeen found in an area of 1.5 squaredegrees in the Marano field in the



Fig. 2:The top section of theillustration shows the sky inecliptic coordinates dividedinto areas close to the poleand close to the ecliptic, thelatter being again dividedinto regions close to anddistant from the sun.The spectra measured byISOPHOT-S in the mediuminfrared indicate the colortemperature of the inter-planetary dust bycomparison with Planck'sspectra of the black body.Although the interplanetarydust is hottest above thesolar poles, it displays onlyfaint brightness (poorersignal/noise ratio of themeasurement!) [14].

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Fig. 3:The Coma cluster ofgalaxies is embedded in hotX-ray gas (white ROSATcontour lines). Two inter-sections with ISOPHOT inthe far infrared (orange)show a slight excess ofradiation at the cluster'scenter. It is accounted for asthe thermal radiation ofintergalactic dust in thecluster [4].


southern sky and have been interpre-ted as a new class of objects with apronounced red shift ([5], Fig. 4). Theresults suggest that dust produced bythe first star generation was alreadyabundant in the early universe.

Soot – practicallyeverywhere

The graphite-like polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs) which resemblesmall soot particles and apparentlyoccur infrequently in the Andromedagalaxy (Fig. 9, [8]) are very commonin the cosmos. ISOPHOT helped todetect them in hot ionized gaseous

nebulae (HII regions), in warm reflec-tion nebulae and, for the first time, incold, thin cirrus clouds (Fig. 5).Another first was the scanning of thedistant spiral galaxy NGC 891, whichwe see from the side, from one outeredge to the other to detect the pre-sence of PAHs. Again, the result sho-wed the pervasive presence of soot –from the center to the most distantspiral arms. And everywhere its pro-perties are very similar to those of thePAHs in Milky Way. The PAH lineshave even been detected in ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs)whose luminosity exceeds that of the

stars) and were successfully transfor-med into biogenic chemical sub-stances [7]. Could such particles –transported to the young earth bymeteorites – be the astrophysical ori-gin of life on earth?

Quasars

A few exceptions apart, the infraredgap in the quasars' spectrum wasalso a gap of knowledge in themodel created for these active galax-ies [9, 10]. While the visible and radio ranges displayed a synchrotronspectrum, it remained uncertain asto how to bridge the infrared range.

14


Milky Way ten- to one hundredfold[6]. R. Genzel (Garching) and his team observed a large number ofULIRGs using the ISOPHOT-S spectro-photometer, and on the basis of theline widths they concluded whatthe principal source of energy mustbe (star formation or Black Hole).Obviously, PAHs are exceptionallystable particles capable of beingformed and surviving anywhere incosmos. The significance of thesecarbon compounds is demonstratedby recent laboratory results: PAHs inthe ice envelopes of simulated cosmicdust particles were subjected to ultra-violet radiation (as emitted by hot

Fig. 4:The extragalactic back-ground radiation canbe studied either by countingthe individual sources (top)or using the integratedluminance (bottom). In theFIRBACK program, JeanLoup Puget ’s team detecteda large number of sourcesat 175 µm which, as thebrightest single sources,account for approx. onetenth of the expectedbackground radiation fromthe young universe.Kalevi Mattila's team alsocounted single sources, anddistinguishes them fromsimilar-looking cirrusnodes by performingmeasurements at severaldifferent wavelengths.A further aim is to determinethe integrated extragalacticbackground with itscharacteristic ”color“ byseparating the faint,extended cirrus.

Fig. 5:Although the intensities andhigh-energy UV componentsof stellar radiation differ byseveral orders of magnitude,the characteristic PAH linesdisplay comparable linethicknesses both in brightreflection nebulae and faintcirrus clouds. The situationis similar in the NGC 891galaxy, the fist galaxy to bestudied from edge to edge[15].

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ISO furnished the proof that most(presumably even all) quasars arepowerful infrared emitters. The maxi-mum in the infrared is caused by theemission of hot and cold dust. In thecommon model of active galaxies,this dust is heated up in an accumu-lation of matter (torus) surroundingthe accretion disk around the centralBlack Hole (Fig. 6). A striking similari-ty exists between the quasar spec-trum 3C48 and that of the classicalradio galaxy CygA. Are all radio gala-xies really quasars?

Water and ice

ISO’s spectrometers detected water inmany places in the Milky Way. Thissubstantiates the assumption that lifecould exist in the environment of alarge number of stars. The watermolecule is of astrophysical impor-tance because its emission contrib-utes to the cooling of the star formati-on areas, without which the collapseof clouds into protostars would bedelayed. The formation rate of water

vapor measured by Harwit et al. [11]in the vicinity of a very young starin the Orion nebula is impressive:sufficient water to fill all the oceanson earth is produced every thirtyminutes! The powerful stellar windsoriginating from the young star heatup the surrounding interstellar medi-um to such a degree that all freeoxygen combines with the omnipre-sent hydrogen to form water vapor.

Even frozen water has been detec-ted by ISO in many star formationareas. It envelops the interstellardust particles which are effectivelyshielded in dense clouds from theradiation of young stars. In addition,such molecular clouds contain carbonmonoxide not only in the abundantgaseous form, but also in the form ofsolid CO ice. ISOPHOT-S and theshort-wave spectrometer SWS alsodiscovered carbon dioxide ice (”dryice“, Fig. 7) which is surprising be-cause gaseous CO2 is extremely rare.Which processes transformed the COice envelopes probably existing at thebeginning into CO2 ice? Laboratory

experiments suggest that the ultra-violet radiation of the stars or thecosmic radiation could initiate thistransformation via a number of com-plex chemical processes (formaldehy-de?) [12, 13]. The complete processmust take place at extremely lowtemperatures, as the sublimationtemperatures of the CO ices liebelow –250 °C.


Fig. 6:The centers of quasars arethought to consist of energygenerators formed by blackholes surrounded byaccretion disks and a dusttorus. In the polar jets,highly polarized synchro-tron radiation is generatedin powerful magnetic fieldsand can be observedprimarily in the radio range(radio loud quasars). Radioquiet quasars have only faintmagnetic fields. ISOPHOTobservations show intenseinfrared radiation in manyquasars: the ”side view“reveals that the synchrotronspectrum (dashed line) issuperposed by a dustemission maximum fromthe torus. In the polardirection, the synchrotronradiation is particularlyintense (Doppler-amplified)and outshines a dustemission assumed to lieunderneath [9].

FR 0234+28z = 1.213

3C 405 = Cgynus Az = 0.056

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Fig. 7:Spectrum from theChameleon dark cloudcomplex comprising a largenumber of young stars oflow and medium mass,measured by the astronomerteam of Th. Henning usingISOPHOT-S.The infrared nebula ChaIRN surrounding one of theobjects displays pronouncedabsorption lines of inter-stellar H20 ice (3.1 µm), CO2

ice (4.27 µm) and, possibly,NH3 ice (9 µm) [13].

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Cygnus A at l = 6 cm (Perley et al.)


subsystems. ISO was excellently sui-ted for this purpose, as no failureshad occurred during the entire missi-on. This unexpected utilization afterthe depletion of the helium, the ran-dom and parallel scans and the11-month extension of the missionthanks to the extremely economicuse of the helium ”. . . have provideda yield of more than 100 % in theISO mission“, said Dr. Roger Bonnet,ESA's science director.

16


degree of time utilization during themission to more than 95 %.

”A yield ofmore than 100 %“

After the last drop of helium hadevaporated, the increased noise andthe radiation caused by the heatingof the telescope abruptly blindednearly all ISO sensors. The SWSspectrometer, however, continued tosupply stellar spectra in the nearinfrared for a few more weeks.During the weeks after the heliumhad run out, the ESA performedextensive tests on the satellite’s

Fig. 9:Picture of the Andromedagalaxy composed of stripmaps resulting from theISOPHOT random scan at175 µm. The bright starformation ring is clearlyrecognizable, as can be seenin a comparison with Fig. 8.The picture gives an idea ofthe degree of sky coverageachieved by the randomscan in a much-frequentedarea (O. Krause, MPIA).

Random scans

When slewing from one observationobject to the next, the telescope trac-es an unforeseeable, curved path inthe sky to avoid zones which are”out of bounds“ for thermal reasons(sun, earth,…). Since the speed alongthe slew also fluctuates, the slewtimes count as inevitable lossesduring a mission. Not so with ISO.During the slew, the ISOPHOT-C200far infrared camera generated a”strip map“ of the sky in the newwavelength region around 175 µm.When lined up, the strip maps with awidth of 3 arcsec obtained through-out the mission would cover a lengthof 150 000°. The strips run in a criss-cross pattern over the entire sky,their highest concentrations being

at the sites of popular objects (Magellanic Clouds, calibration sour-ces, . . . Fig. 9). Objects of specialinterest are those of unusual bright-ness at 175 µm, i. e. objects contai-ning large quantities of cold dust.This applies to almost half of allgalaxies included in the first largescanning catalog! An example isshown in Fig. 10: the high luminosityin the far infrared is thought to beproduced here by a temporarily highstar formation rate and by theheating of dust due to the interactionof two closely adjacent galaxies. Therandom scans of ISOPHOT and otherISO instruments have increased the

Fig. 8:The M31 Andromedagalaxy mapped withISOPHOT at a wavelengthof 175 µm. A classical spiralstructure is not discernible.The concentric ring witha diameter of 20 kpc(Å 100 arc min) containsdust with a color temper-ature of 16 K heated up byincreased star formationactivity at this location.The core of M31 appearsfaint due to its relativelyhigh temperature ofT ~ 30 K. At the top right,the 175 µm map projectedas a top view [8].

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(”Pipeline“). Research in the archiveis easy: on entry of an object name(M31, . . .) or coordinates (a, d), a listof the data obtained for the objectconcerned with different instrumentsis displayed. Small color picturesprovide a fast overview of all mapsand spectra available. This permitssupplementary information from theinfrared range to be added to manyresearch projects performed on thesame object in other spectral regions.The archive will certainly also be usedfor increasing the number of objectsin ISO observations to obtain statisti-cally significant quantities. Thequasar measurements of all obser-vers, for example, can be combined,or images of the nearest largegalaxies can be obtained in the lightof their coldest matter. Interested?Then visit the ISO web sitehttp://www.iso.vilspa.esa.es.

Have fun browsing!



Fig. 10:Example of a source ofunusual brightness at175 µm discovered in therandom scan. The opticalimage (PSS) shows a pairof fusing (?) galaxies. Thisinteraction presumablytriggered an increased starformation rate [16].

A detailed description ofthe ISO mission resultsby the same authorwas published in theastronomy journal”Sterne und Weltraum”,issues 9 and 10, 1999.

30”

Observationcontinues –in the ISO archive!

The data archive of the ESA groundobservatory in Villafranca nearMadrid was opened in early 1999. InJuly, a good year after the end of themission, the one-year period allowedfor the last guarantee observationshad elapsed. This means that everyastronomer in the world has nowunrestricted access to all data via theinternet. The archive contains dataproducts such as spectra and maps atdifferent wavelengths generated withthe aid of analytical programs

Literature

[1] Lemke, D., et al.: Astron. Astrophys. 315, L 64 (1996).[2] Lemke, D., et al.: Cryogenics Vol. 33,No. 4 (1993).[3] Abraham, P., et al.: Astron. & Astroph. 338.No. 1, 91 – 96 (1998). [4] Stickel, M., et al.: Astron. Astroph. 329, 55 – 60 (1997).[5] Dole, H., et al.: Proceedings of Conference “The Universe as seen by ISO“.ESA-SP-427, S. 1031 (1999).[6] Lutz, D., et al.: Astrophys. J. 505, L 103 (1998).[7] Bernstein, M. P., et al.: Science 238, 1135 (1999).[8] Haas, M., et al.: Astron. Astroph. 338, No. 1, L 33 (1998).[9] Haas, M., et al.: Astrophys. J. 503, L 109 (1998).[10] Klaas, U., et al.: Astrophys. J., 512, 157 (1999).[11] Harwit, M., et al.: Astrophys. J. 497, L 105 (1998).[12] Gürtler, J., et al.: Astron. & Astrophys. 315, L 189 (1996).[13] Gürtler, J., et al.: Astron. Astroph. Im Druck (1999).[14] Abraham, P., et al.: Proceedings ofConference “The Universe as seen by ISO“.ESA-SP-427b, p. 145 (1999).[15] Mattila, K., et al.: Astron. Astroph. 342,643 – 654 (1999).[16] Stickel, M., et al.: Astron. Astroph. 336,116 – 122 (1998).

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Weimar – Cultural Capital of Europein 1999. One of the numerous anni-versaries celebrated in the culturalcapital's eventful year is the 250th

birthday of Johann Wolfgang vonGoethe. An insight into the life andwork of the great poet himself andhis contemporaries is given in theGoethe National Museum comprisingthe poet's home and the GoetheMuseum which was reopened inspring 1999 after revamping of thebuilding and its contents. The newpermanent exhibition is no longer aconventional presentation of Goetheand his life. Under the symbolicmotto ”Repeated Reflections”, itshows an exposition which is devotedto the period termed ”WeimarClassicism” in general and describesthe origins and effects of this multi-faceted phenomenon of culturalhistory.

An impressive technical installationattracts the visitors' attention as soonas they enter the refurbished muse-um building on a sunny day. Thepowerful projection of the solarspectrum by a spectral prism appara-tus reminds us that Goethe devoted

long phases of his life to the study oflight and the theory of color. Inparticular, a link is made to his expe-riments with prisms and his criticalanalysis of Newton. The technicalinstallation was specially developedand manufactured for this purpose atthe Institute of Applied Optics of theFriedrich Schiller University in Jenaand at Carl Zeiss. The necessary fundswere made available by Carl Zeiss,Oberkochen, and SCHOTT GLAS,Mainz.

Newton’s interpretation of the prismexperiment describes the ”white”light of the sun as being composedof beams of different refracting pro-perties whose lateral spread producesspecific color impressions in the eye.

Goethe on the other hand deniedthe heterogeneity of white light.For him, it was ”… the most simple,spectrally unresolved, homogeneousphenomenon we know. It is notcomposed of different components –least of all of colored kinds of light.”

The prism experiment forms thecenter of Goethe's criticism of

Sun and Truth – As Goethe Didn't SayLutz Wenke, Friedrich Zöllner, Manfred Tettweiler, Hans-Joachim Teske

18

Culture and Sc ience

The ”Newtonianpoltergeist”

Looking through a prism at a broadstrip of white paper against a blackbackground in daylight, Goetheobserved the so-called edge spectra,the colored seams at the borderlinesbetween white and black. This basicexperiment was of such fundamentalimportance for him that the edgecolors can be said to constitute theelementary components of Goethe’scolor theory in much the same wayas the spectral colors did in Newton’s.

Prof. Lutz Wenke is Deanof the Faculty of Physicsand Astronomy at theFriedrich Schiller University,Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena. Dr. Friedrich Zöllner andManfred Tettweiler workat the Institute of AppliedOptics. Hans-JoachimTeske is the Manager ofthe Astronomical Instru-ments business unit atCarl Zeiss.

Fig. 1:Goethe National Museumin Weimar.

Showing Lightin its

True Colors

Newton's approach to which hedevoted a major, polemic part of hisTheory of Color published in 1810,with the aim of banishing the biasedNewtonian ”poltergeist” for ever. Hiscriticism of Newton does not standup to any sort of examination basedon the laws of physics, and it alreadygave rise to protests in Goethe’s time.

There’s still no get-ting round the sun

The centerpiece of the new opticalinstallation in Weimar is a heliostat, acomputer-controlled mirror on therooftop of the museum which pre-cisely follows the sun’s movement.Goethe, who did not have such afacility at his disposal, wrote in hisTheory of Colors:

”The objective experiments, onthe contrary, necessarily require thesun-light which, even when it is to behad, may not always have the mostdesirable relation with the apparatusplaced opposite to it. Sometimes thesun is too high, sometimes too low,and withal only a short time in themeridian of the best situated room.It changes its direction during theobservation, the observer is forcedto alter his own position and that ofthe apparatus,…” (Goethe’s Theoryof Colors, Didactic Part, § 303, trans-lated by Charles Lock Eastlake,London: Murray 1840).

The heliostat reflects the sunlightvia a pathfolding mirror through theoval window of the glass domeinto the museum's stairwell (Figs 3and 4). A specially manufacturedachromatic objective lens with a focallength of approx. 2 m and a diameterof 40 cm suspended here imagesthe solar disk onto the slit of aspectral apparatus. Due to the largeaperture of this objective lens,approx. 10 percent of the 1 kW lightpower permanently supplied by oursun per square meter in favorableconditions can actually be utilized.

The spectral apparatus itselfcomprises the above-mentioned slit,an objective lens imaging this slitonto a projection screen, and twoprisms (Fig. 5). The prisms are madeof dense flint, a type of glass dis-playing both a high refractive powerand wide dispersion of the individualwavelengths. The spectral apparatusis suspended under the largeobjective lens at the center of

the stairwell's round window (Fig. 4).The spectrum is presented on a

projection screen of 2 m x 0.4 m(Fig. 5) which has been provided witha special coating to permit a brilliant



Figs 2a to 2c:Interior view of the newGoethe Museum whoseexposition on WeimarClassicism presents a panoramaof literature, politics and artfrom the period 1750–1840.2a: Louise, Queen of Prussia,née Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776–1810).2b: Anatomical specimens fromJ. W. von Goethe’s collection.2c: Showcase containing theanthology ”Über Licht undFarben 2“ (On Light and Color 2) 1767–1792.


materials in the visual range de-creases as the wavelength increases(towards red).

Incidentally, the dark lines inthe solar spectrum discovered byWollaston and Fraunhofer (since1802) and resulting from the absorp-tion by the sun's and earth’satmosphere cannot be observed.For this, the slit of the spectralapparatus would have to be setto an extremely narrow widthwhich, however, would significantlyreduce the illumination intensity andnecessitate a real ”dark room”.

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than 250 µm on a diameter of800 mm. Special techniques formounting the mirrors on a steelcarrier permitted these surface de-formations to be reduced to such anextent that the aberrations of thesolar disk on the spectrograph slitreached a tolerable level.

With all prism materials used inpractice (and in particular the denseflint glass used here), the visibledispersion spectrum is widely dis-persed in the violet and blue range,but compressed in the red rangebecause the dispersion of these

Fig. 4:Achromatic objective lensand spectral apparatus inthe stairwell of the GoetheMuseum (upward view).

color phenomenon to be perceivedin sunlight ”which in general is notvery propitious to northern ob-servers”. The projection, however, isnot an edge spectrum, which wouldperhaps have been more to Goethe’sliking. The implementation of thisedge spectrum would have necessi-tated the use of a wide open slit.

Probably the most decisive factorin the planning and installation of theprojection system was the fact that,for reasons of cost, the heliostat andpathfolding mirror used are of a typeonly suitable for the architecturalutilization of daylight and sunlight,but not for solar observation. Themirrors are made of float glass withaluminized and varnished back sur-faces. Interferometric measurements(Fig. 6) provided PV values of more

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Fig. 3:Optical beam path for theprojection of the solarspectrum.



paper through a prism, as describedby Goethe in the Didactic Part of hisTheory of Color, the edge spectrumshown in Fig. 7a will be perceived.

Goethe explains these edge spec-tra as being the shift of the objectsfrom their real position caused by theeffect of the prism. According toGoethe, the image is not shiftedcompletely as if it in fact resisted theshift. As a result, a ”secondaryimage” is produced which slightlyprecedes the actual image.

If the bright rectangle is viewedthrough a prism, it is shifted to theleft by refraction, and the brightsecondary image is superposed onthe dark paper. Goethe propoundsthat bright on dark produces bluewhich changes into violet if the effectof the dark increases. On the rightedge, the image of the dark surfaceshifts over the remaining bright”principal image”. Dark on brightproduces yellow which, according toGoethe, accounts for the yellowseam. Where the effect of the darkincreases, yellow changes into red.

Goethe called the colors greenand purple a ”complication” ofthe colored seams. If an extremelynarrow, bright object is placed on a

With a slit of moderate width asused in the spectral apparatus instal-led here, the objective lens projectsone virtually monochromatic slitimage next to another on the screen,all adding up to a relatively purespectrum.

Goethe's edgespectra

If the slit of the spectral apparatus isextremely widened or if a broadwhite strip is observed against black

Fig. 5:Solar spectrum projected ona specially coated screen.

Background:J. W. von Goethe in an oil paintingby Ferdinand Jagemann, 1806.

dark background, the yellow andblue edges on either side are shiftedinto one another and the mixture ofthe colors provides green. With athin, dark object on a bright back-ground, the overlap of the violet andred edges provides purple.

From the physico-optical view-point, it is an untenable interpreta-tion that edge spectra should becaused by principal and secondaryimages and their resistance to dis-


placement. In the case of a wide slit,the edge spectra can be demon-strated to result from the overlap ofmonochrome slit images, as illustra-ted in Fig. 7b. For greater clarity, theslit images of the individual colors areshown in a vertical arrangement.

On the right, (starting from 1), thered edge spectrum is very obviousbecause both red and yellow are fullyrepresented here. On the left in theillustration, the blue edge spectrum isvisible (at 1’ and 2’). At the positionmarked with 4, all colors are presentand produce white.

Extraordinary observations weremade by Goethe on the ”negativeslit” (Fig. 8a): Unlike the experimentdescribed above, a broad blackstrip is viewed against a white back-ground through the prism. An un-usual ”reversed spectrum” is observedhere, displaying the respective com-plementary colors of the previouslydescribed edge spectrum. The for-mation of this ”reversed spectrum”can be demonstrated in Fig. 8b.

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Literature[1] Buchwald, E.: FünfKapitel Farbenlehre,Mosbach/Baden 1955.

Fig. 6:Interferometric testingof the mirrors for theprojection of the solarspectrum at the FriedrichSchiller University in Jena.

Fig. 7a:An edge spectrumgenerated on a wide slit.7b:Illustration explaining theedge spectrum.

Fig. 8a:Goethe’s observations of thesolar spectrum on the”negative slit“.

8b:Illustration explaining theedge spectrum on the”negative slit“.

Starting at the top, a dark fieldshould be drawn in the middlebetween the strips of the same color.The background at 0 and 0’ – previ-ously black – is now white becauseall colors are present here. Thepreviously white center at 4 is nowblack due to the lack of any color.On the left, the sequence of colorstowards the edge is red (3’), reddishyellow (2’) and yellow (1’), and onthe right violet (3), blue (2) and bluishgreen (1). Goethe lists the following”elements” between white andwhite, from right to left: blue, bluishred, black, reddish yellow, yellow(Theory of Colors; Didactic Part§ 246), corresponding to the posi-tions marked here with 2, 3, 4, 2’, 1’.

If the normal slit or the white stripbecomes increasingly narrow, thestandard prismatic spectrum isgradually obtained, with greeninstead of white in the middle.

If the ”negative slit” or the blackstrip becomes increasingly narrow,the red and violet spectral endsoverlap at position 4 to form purple,the complementary color of green,as can be seen in the illustration. As aresult, the following color sequenceis obtained with a thin black strip ornegative slit: white, yellow, orange,red, purple, violet, blue, bluish green,white.

”My noble physicist opponents”,Goethe wrote Zelter on March 13,1822, ”seem to me like Catholic cle-rics set on proving wrong aProtestant from the Council ofTrent”. Goethe's opponents alwaysused a method based on the laws ofphysics to assess and refute hisTheory of Colors. This was exactly themethod which Goethe rejected andfor which he substituted an aestheticapproach.

Photos 1, 4 and 5:Peter MichaelisPhoto 2 and background onpp. 20/21:Stiftung Weimarer Klassik,Sigrid Geske.Photo 6:FSU Jena.

0 ’ 1 ’ 2 ’ 3 ’ 4 3 2 1 00 ’ 1 ’ 2 ’ 3 ’ 4 3 2 1 0

7a 8a

7b 8b


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See You in Africa

Around midday on August 11, 1999,millions of people cast their eyesexpectantly toward the heavens.They were waiting with bated breathfor a total solar eclipse that was to bevisible within a 100 km-wide zoneextending from the south of Englandto India - the one to be seen thiscentury in Germany. However, veryfew actually managed to see thedramatic corona surrounding the sunas the moon moved in front of it.The hopes of many people weredashed, as the thrilling spectacle wasconcealed behind a thick cover ofcloud.

All with an eyeto safety

Solar eclipses cannot, of course, beobserved with the naked eye: themedia in countries across Europe hadappealed to the public beforehand toensure that their eyes were properlyprotected during the event. Specialsolar eclipse glasses which reduceharmful solar radiation by a factorof 1 : 100,000 and hence allow safeobservation of the sun shield thewearer against both dangerous UVand infrared light and visible glare.A total of 18 million pairs of theseglasses were sold on the market,including about 5 million from CarlZeiss via eyecare professionals ordirect distribution channels.

TV pictureswith telescope opticsby Carl Zeiss

Right on time for the event, theWelzheim Observatory in theSwabian-Franconian Forest in thesouth of Germany, the observationstation of the Carl Zeiss Planetariumin Stuttgart, received a special, newtelescope containing central opticsfrom Carl Zeiss. The first task given tothis instrument was to support theastrophysical activities during the lastsolar eclipse of this century in

Germany. The telescope and thedome were set up and extensivelytested by the firm Baader Plane-tarium based in Mammendorf nearMunich. The heart of the installation,a 150 mm APQ objective lens fromCarl Zeiss with a focal length of 1200mm, provides razor-sharp, detailedand color-corrected images of thesun. Numerous accessories in thespecially installed 5 m dome allowphotos of such solar activities assunspots, protuberances or faculae.During the total solar eclipse, the skyover Welzheim was only slightlycloudy, allowing the solar corona tobe very impressively observed.Pictures from the telescope weretransmitted live by German andEuropean television. The Germanchannel "Südwestfunk" also offeredthe pictures taken with the solartelescope in Welzheim live on theweb.

Africa's turnnext time

Despite the inclement weather con-ditions, the total eclipse wasnonetheless an unforgettable event.The next one – at least in these spec-tacular dimensions – will not takeplace until June 21, 2001 in Africa.People in Germany have a longerwait ahead of them - until September3, 2081!

Fig. 2:Wearing protective eyewearfrom Carl Zeiss, the Premierof Bavaria Edmund Stoiber(top) and the President ofthe German ParliamentWolfgang Thierse observedthe solar eclipse inOberpfaffenhofen nearMunich.Photo: dpa.

Fig. 1:The moon totally concealedthe sun in a zone with awidth of approx. 100 kmover southern Germany -for a maximum of twominutes and 17 seconds.

Photo of the corona:Ulrich Görze, member of staffat Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen.


Show Me Your Glassesand I’ll Tell You Who You AreGuenter Möller

24

Focus on V is ion

Guenter Möller conductedthis work with d...c brand& design consultants,Frankfurt, Germany, oneyear ago. He is currentlyManaging Director ofbrandware partners Ltd.,London and Frankfurt –a consulting companyspecializing in strategicproduct and brandplanning.

On the basis of extensive product,design and market analyses, CarlZeiss has drafted a new positioningstrategy for eyeglass frames and hasnow implemented it in the form ofnew collections. When devising thenew approach to design embodied inthe new frames, Carl Zeiss closelyexamined the preferred styles andesthetic motivations of eyeglasswearers. The following provides ashort summary of some of theinteresting results obtained.

An evaluation of market observationsshows that ”type matching”, i.e.”What suits my personality as anindividual?” – is the key unifyingmotive behind all purchases of pre-scription eyewear – to a greaterextent than fashion, design, comfortor price. Underlying this key moti-vating factor is a mindset oriented

”Designers by Zeiss“, No. 1:Continuum, Milan

”Designers by Zeiss“ – an exciting part of the collection”Zeiss. High End Eyewear.“ That will be regularlyrenewed. Internationally acclaimed designers will beproviding their own personal interpretation of thesubject ”The Future“ – without ostentation or decora-tion, but with a lot of surprises. In the first collection,the firm Continuum, Milan, shows its vision of what aneyeglass frame should be. The small, highly specializedteams by no means confine their work to productdesign, but are also active in such fields as interiordesign and product planning. The firm’s credo: ”Designis a function that simplifies the object and highlights theutility of the product”. In frame design, this meanskeeping the materials used to produce the models, e.g.monel, nickel silver or aluminum, as authentic aspossible to ensure that their natural structure and com-position are prominent. The various components usedshould never have a predominantly decorative function:with its different material and craftsmanship, for ex-ample, the joint should underline its bearing function.For Continuum, design is much more than merely deter-mining the outer shape and appearance of a product:it is the ”interface between technology and people”.


toward certain ideals or role modelsand collective esthetic aspirations.Understanding these fundamentalconnections between basic arche-typal styles (including rectangular,oval and circular shapes) and theesthetic orientation of eyeglasswearers was a further step in thedevelopment the new Zeiss brandculture which finds expression in thecurrent, initial collection called ”Zeiss.High End Eyewear.”

Type matchingand role models

”Type matching” means firstly thatour own personality type, theimpact of our own facial features,can be complemented by the stylingof our eyeglass frame. The accep-tance or rejection of a frame style willthus depend on the degree to which

the statement made by the framestyle matches our preferred taste orrole model.

Our ideals are derived from ourpersonal perception of a lifestyle andpersonal ethos that we considerdesirable and that influences the waywe think and act. What appeals to usis determined by factors stemmingfrom upbringing and experience,contemporary phenomena and ourpersonal environment.

In analyzing these factors, Zeissconsidered the question of whethersuch ideals and aspirations could betypologized. An attempt was madeto identify standard groups ofeyeglass wearers who exhibitedsimilar stylistic preferences. And sureenough, on closer examination,certain basic ideals emerged.

Without any claim to universalapplicability or empirical validation,

five ideals were identified and visu-alized in a series of collages. Theseideals represent an entirely newframework for comparative estheticsand personal perceptions in theeyewear market. The basis ideasbehind this type of market analysisare a further logical development offormer target group definitions.

Focus on V is ion

The brains behind the collections: Hannes Wettstein, co-founderand partner of 9D Design, Zurich,Switzerland, winner of manyawards, and professor at Karls-ruhe Design School, Germany.

The designer Hannes Wettstein uses a metaphor toexplain the way he works: ”I meet an Egyptian whodoesn’t speak English or German, and I certainlydon’t speak any Arabic. So we have to try to use asort of sign language. In this way, a totally newlanguage can result, one which provides some sur-prising solutions.” This little anecdote shows that forthe creator of ”Zeiss. High End Eyewear.” design ismore than form and style. Wettstein gets to the veryheart of things and their function. And that meansentering into an in-depth dialogwith both the manufacturer andthe potential user. This was alsothe approach adopted by thewell-known Swiss designer whenworking on the now famous”Metro” low voltage lightingsystem. The idea was as simple asit was ingenious: inspired by theprinciple behind cable car systems, Wettstein trans-ported light through a cable system. Along the samelines, it was not the intention of the Master ofReverse Thinking (the nickname used by his students)to reinvent eyeglasses for ”Zeiss. High End Eyewear.”He was much more interested in the functionalaspects of the individual components. If his analysishas resulted in the creation of new shapes, then thisreally is Design by Hannes Wettstein.

26

”The Achiever“

Transparency, lightness and clarity –these are the main stylistic featuresof the frames preferred by achievers.The word connotes the key qualitiesof control, domination, leadershipand innovation. Most achievers areto be found in the ranks of topmanagement. Achievers want aeyeglass frame that underlines themuch needed – but sometimeslacking – professional competenceand interpersonal skills of themanager. A species whose functionas a role model continues to be high– and not just for up-and-comingmanagers.

”The Carer“

While the achievers want frames tounderline professional competenceand vision, the caring among us wanttheir eyewear to express socialresponsibility, reliability and trust-worthiness. This type of person isfrequently found in the social ormedical professions, where theysuccessfully perform duties involvingcounseling, supporting, training andprotecting. Their frames are typicallyoval, round or they have roundedcorners – archetypal styles that,together with warm materials (ace-tate, horn) and colors (Havana andearthy tones) are currently enjoyingrenewed popularity.

”The Specialist“

Yes, they are still with us, doublebridge eyeglass frames. As the long-established answer to the estheticideal of older technocrats, engineers,scientists and – depending on theirpersuasion – politicians (also see“The Diplomat”), the strong geome-trical form and compact structure ofthis frame emphasizes “knowledge“.A common attribute of this group,whose function as role models is

Focus on V is ion


likely to remain constant in theforeseeable future, is the desire forstructure, precision, control andanalysis.

27

”The Diplomat”

To put the above analysis to the test,we had a look at a group of thepopulation that contains just aboutall of the ideals and ”role models”:our politicians or ”the Diplomats”.The ”technocrats” and ”individua-lists” are undoubtedly over-represen-ted here, with true ”achievers” or”carers” rather thin on the ground.With its members constantly in thelimelight and in the public eye, theeffect conveyed by this group is nolonger simply a matter of personaltaste. PR and image consultants areextremely active in this ”market” –even if the opposite would oftenseem to be the case! However, onlyin very few cases do they actuallymanage to create a new role model,but tend to gear their work towardthe grouping given above.

”The Diva“

We often recognize this type by thehighly decorative and glamorousframes they wear and withwhich they express theircharisma, their artistic sen-sibilities. Divas have nointerest in products that aretraditional or conventional,but favor extra-vagantly decora-tive styles withthe aim of settingthemselves apartand inspiring ad-miration.They usually optfor lavishly decorated frames thatmany people consider to be showyand ostentatious.

”TheIndivi-dualist“

Everybody knows one – the eternalindividualist, the self-promoter. Witha tendency to stylization and publi-city-seeking, these people like theireyeglass frames to proclaim theirindividuality from afar. With thereductionist and archetypal basicstyles they prefer, their faces becomea stage with the frame as its leadingactor.

This group tends to personalize, toenthuse, to emotionalize. Aspirationand reality merge in the living-out oftheir individual lifestyles, so that thedistinction between their personaland business lives becomes increa-singly blurred.

Glasses as a Meansof Self-Expression


Is it possible to take high-quality photographs of the very delicatecolors displayed by the interferencephenomenon of a soap film? Thiswas the question I was askedby Prof. Dr. Günter Nimtz andDr. Werner Klein from the II. Instituteof Physics of Cologne University.As I am friends with both gentlemenand they are aware of my enthusiasmfor photography I was the nextperson they thought of. The aim wasto create material for a lecture. I roseto this new challenge, and as Ibecame more and more captivatedby the beauty of the results I ob-tained, it was the esthetic aspect thatincreasingly became the focus of myendeavors.

The device for producing the soapfilm could not be simpler. A metal teacaddy with a diameter of 8 cm isimmersed in soap suds and placedupright. Gravitation then causes the

soap film produced to adopt aconical shape, resulting in the forma-tion of horizontal fringes (Fig. 1). Byapplying pulses of air from a cannula,I managed to bring a bit of life intothis stable, but rather dull situation,creating completely new, multi-colored structures which lasted a fewseconds. It was when this excitingscenario was in motion that I shotmy pictures.

The Colors of SoapJoachim Rosenfeld

28

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I was surprised at the technicaldifficulties I encountered whentaking the photographs. For instance,the flat soap film cannot be used likea camera-ready copy, as it acts like amirror. This means that the picturesmust be taken at an angle whichresults in a huge depth-of-fieldproblem at a 1 : 1 reproduction ratio.This requires extreme stopping downof the lens to be able to obtain apicture with edge-to-edge sharpness.The fact that colors only account forapprox. 8 % of the incident light inconstructive interference explains thelarge amount of flash energy of3,000 WS needed.

The camera equipment usedconsisted of a 553 ELM Hasselbladmotor camera with auto-bellows andthe excellent 120 mm Zeiss S-Planar®

f/5.6 macro lens stopped down to 32.The light came from a wafer-arealamp supplied by a Bowens genera-tor. I chose the Fuji Velvia 50 ASA/18

DIN as the slide film due to its highcolor saturation. With this equipmentI took far more than 1000 6 x 6slides. Using the most attractive ofthese slides, I created a lap-dissolveshow with background music.

I mixed the soap suds myself usingsodium oleate and glycerin, addinghydroquinone as an oxidation inhi-bitor.

Fig. 1:Interference on a soap filmstood upright(large picture).

Figs. 2 to 8:Patterns generated byapplying whirling actionto the soap film.


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Dr. Joachim Rosenfeld,Starenweg 42, D-50226 Frechen/Germany,is an ophthalmologist practising in Cologne. His hobbies includephotography and classicalmusic. At the early age of14, he took his firstphotographs using a KineExakta and a 58 mm ZeissBiotar f/2 lens. Later, headded comprehensiveHasselblad and Contaxcamera systems with atotal of 28 Zeiss lenses tohis equipment.


Around the Globe

Made in Rio de Janeiro

antireflective coating of eyeglasslenses has been installed in the newfactory. And a highly qualifiedworkforce will guarantee the fastproduction of top-quality prescriptionlenses.

This investment in ultramodernproduction installations and highlyskilled staff strongly underlines theintention of Carl Zeiss to firmlyestablish its ophthalmic products inBrazil and South America. For eye-glass lenses, Brazil offers a growthpotential of around 9 %, far inexcess of the world average of 2 %.Via the MERCOSUR economic zone,the other important South Americanmarkets are easily accessible fromBrazil.

Fig. 1:The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro,Luiz Paulo Conde, speakingduring the ceremony held tomark the opening of thenew lens factory.

Eyeglass lenses from Carl Zeiss arecertainly no stranger to the SouthAmerican market. However, to actu-ally buy them, hurdles in the form oflong import processes and highimport duties had to be crossed inthe past.

With the opening of a modernlens factory in Rio de Janeiro in Brazilin September 1999, this is now athing of the past. On-site productionin a market that holds great promisefor the future offers considerablebenefits not only from the viewpointof faster processing, but also onthe price front. State-of-the-artequipment for the machining and

Fig. 2:Highly skilled workersguarantee the fast pro-duction of top-qualityprescription lenses.

Fig. 3:Ultramodern equipmentfor the machining andantireflective coating ofeyeglass lenses wasimported for the newfactory in Rio.

Despite its breathtaking naturalbeauty, the country at the Cape ofGood Hope is no paradise. SouthAfrica is a country of very greatcontrasts – and an interesting marketin which Carl Zeiss does good busi-ness despite a difficult economicscenario.

The 100-strong workforce of CarlZeiss in South Africa, from which themarkets in Swaziland, Lesotho,Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabweare also covered, contribute anannual sales figure approaching DM20 million to the Carl Zeiss Group.”The name Zeiss enjoys a very highstanding here”, says Ernfried Sehnke,the new President of Carl Zeiss (Pty.)Ltd. in Randburg near Johannesburg.In the past few years of politicaluncertainty, the excellent reputationof Zeiss products has helped tosustain instrument and system sales

in the areas Medical Systems,Microscopy and Industrial Metrology.The automotive industry in particularis suffering from lower import dutiesand the reduced buying power in thecountry. ”We are currently using atelemarketing campaign to ask ourmetrology customers in the car

industry and its subcontractors whattheir concrete requirements actuallyare. In this way, we aim to enhanceservice quality – a factor which isnow becoming more and moreimportant”, explains Sehnke.

However, the real cornerstone ofbusiness for Carl Zeiss is ophthalmicproducts which account for around50 % of overall sales in South Africa.Prescription labs in Johannesburg,Cape Town and Bloemfontein supplythe country’s eyecare professionalswith Zeiss quality. While glass lensesare particularly popular, eyeglassframes and contact lenses fromCarl Zeiss have not yet achieved anymajor degree of success. ”Inhibitingfactors here include the typical tasteand preferences of the South Africanpopulation and the high price level ofZeiss frames. The more than 150,000frames that we sellin the countryevery year are spe-cially designed forthis market”, ex-plains Volker Antes,the manager incharge of ophthal-mic products inSouth Africa.

A further main-stay of business inthe South African subsidiary is medi-cal systems and microscopes. In thefield of surgical microscopes in parti-cular, Carl Zeiss has a good name

in South Africa.”However, thestate is providingless and lessmoney for thepublic health ser-vice, with theresult that priva-

te hospitals are increasingly becomingimportant clients for us,” is howSehnke describes the current trend.

Finally, there is a very special typeof merchandise marketed by the Zeisscompany in South Africa that enjoyeda real boom in the past thanks to thenumerous gold, platinum anddiamond mines scattered across thecountry: precision and analyticalbalances from the firm Sartorius inGöttingen, Germany.

Despite the difficult economicclimate, the committed team of theSouth African sales company has setitself the goal of sustaining sales andexpanding new business in someindividual segments of the market, inparticular by providing customerswith even better service.

News from South Africa Uwe Braehmer


Around the Globe

Figs 1 to 4:Impressions from South Africa.1 and 3:The city of Cape Town witha view of the harbor and thefamous Table Mountain inthe background.Photos 1 to 4: dpa.

Fig. 5:Mr. Tshabalala, who worksin the shipping area ofCarl Zeiss (Pty.) Ltd. inRandburg, was proud toreceive his certificate inhonor of 25 years of serviceto the company.

Fig. 6:President Ernfried Sehnkeand employee AlexanderRichter (standing from leftto right) with a customer atan Axiovert® 100 M CARVmicroscope.


Around the Globe

In 1998 biomedical researchers world-wide were invited to participate inthe Olympus/Current biology Photo-micrograph Competition. Amongmore than 700 entries, first prizewas unanimously given to Dr. GerRamakers from the Neurons andNetworks Group at the NetherlandsInstitute for Brain Research.

The winning photomicrographwas taken with a digital camera onan LSM 410 inverted confocal laserscanning microscope with Axiovert®

135M from Carl Zeiss. It shows a 23-day-old neuron dotted with presy-naptic terminals in which regionsimportant for information transferwere stained with immunofluores-cent methods in green, red and blue.The fine structure is well resolved by a 40x Neofluar® objective with anumerical aperture of 1.3.

Award-winningConfocal Micrograph

Equipped with state-of-the-art navi-gation aids, surgical microscopesfrom Carl Zeiss point the way to thefuture of microsurgery. The demandfor these leading-edge systems isgrowing right across the globe.

James J. Kelly, the new Presidentand CEO of the American subsidiaryCarl Zeiss Inc. in Thornwood, NY,seen here at an SMN System, isresponsible for the US market.

New in New York

Dr. Ger J. A. Ramakerswon first prize in theOlympus/Current Biologycompetition with hishighly impressive micro-graph. He works in theNetherlands Institute forBrain Research,Meibergdreef 33,1105 AZ Amsterdam ZO,Holland.

Photo:An almost mature neuronalnetwork in tissue culture.On the cerebral cortexneurons which werecultivated for 23 days, theinhibitory neurotrans-mitters were stained withGABA green and theexcitatory neurotrans-mitters with aspartatic acidin red. The blue dots aresynapses/synaptic contactsstained with synaptophysin.

this success were most certainly thesuperb image quality and the hightwilight performance provided bythis scope, its large field of view,short design and low weight. In thebinoculars assessed,the Zeiss 7 x 45 B T*DesignSelectioncame in first with39 % of the votedue to its unparalle-led image quality.With 12 %, anotherZeiss binocular, the8 x 56 B/GA T*ClassiC got thirdprize – testifying tothe undiminishedpopularity of thistraditional binocu-lar.

This recent sur-vey impressively de-monstrates Zeiss‘leadership in thefield of huntingoptics in CentralEurope.


Pr izes · Awards · Anniversar ies

Zeiss Optics No.1 for Hunters

Fig. 1:Peter Däpp, BinocularsDivision, Carl Zeiss,receiving first prize for thebest riflescope for huntingroebucks (Zeiss Diavari®VM/V 2.5 – 10 x 50) andthe best binocular forhunting roebucks(Zeiss 7 x 45 B T*DesignSelection) fromRüdiger Klotz, editor-in-chiefof ”Wild und Hund“magazine.

14 %58 %

16 %12 %

Zeiss DiavariVM/V 2,5 – 10 x 50

SwarovskiPV 2,5 – 10 x 42

Schmidt & Bender3 – 12 x 50

Sonstige

Ergebnisse der Leserumfrage:„Bockjagd-Zielfernrohr 1999“

Ergebnisse der Leserumfrage:„Bockjagd-Zielfernrohr 1999“

At the International Fair for Huntingand Sports Weapons, Outdoor Wearand Hunting Accessories in Nurem-berg, Germany, IWA in short, morethan 900 companies from 43 coun-tries displayed the range of huntingoptics, hunting weapons and acces-sories available on the world market.

On the opening day of the fair,”Wild und Hund“, the most impor-tant national German hunting maga-zine, awarded prizes to the winnersof a broad-based readers’ survey inwhich more than 5000 readers selec-ted what they thought to be theoptimum equipment for huntingroebucks. They were asked to namethe best hunting weapon, the bestspotting scope, the best bullet, thebest riflescope and the best pair ofbinoculars for hunting roebucks.

As in the surveys of previousyears, Zeiss hunting optics once againproved to be extremely popular withhunters. From 35 specified riflesco-pes, the Zeiss Diavari® VM/V 2.5 –10 x 50 from the Victory line camefirst with 58 % of the vote, an out-standing result. The factors crucial to

Fig. 3:Diavari® VM/V 2.5 –10 x 50 riflescope.

Figs 4 and 5:Results of the 1999 ”Wildund Hund“ readers’ surveyto discover the optimumbinoculars and riflescopesfor hunting roebucks.5

34 % 39 %

15 %12 %

Zeiss 7 x 45 B T*DesignSelection

SwarovskiSLC 10 x 42

Zeiss 8 x 56B/GA T* ClassiC

Sonstige

Ergebnisse der Leserumfrage:„Bockjagd-Fernglas 1999“Ergebnisse der Leserumfrage:„Bockjagd-Fernglas 1999“

Fig. 2:7 x 45 B T* DesignSelectionbinocular.

4

The 1999 Nobel Prize for Medicinewas won by Günter Blobel, a cell andmolecular biologist of Germanextraction who has been working atthe New York Rockefeller Universityfor more than 30 years. He receivedthe award for his pioneering researchinto proteins. Blobel has increasedour understanding of how proteinsare transported and how they reachtheir destination. His research hashelped scientists to gain more insightinto various hereditary diseases whichare attributable to deficient proteintraffic. With his trail-blazing discover-ies, Blobel has also played an impor-tant role in advancing techniquesused in biotechnology and geneticengineering. A better understanding



Nobel prizewinnerGünter Blobel in his labat the Rockefeller Universityin New York.Photo: dpa.

The Carl Zeiss and Otto SchottResearch Awards, each presentedonce every two years on an alterna-ting basis, were created to motivateand promote primarily young scien-tists in recognition of outstandingwork in the field of optics and glasstechnology.

Both research awards are admini-stered by the Donors' Association forthe Promotion of Science in Germanyand are advertised internationally inline with the global sphere of activityof both Carl Zeiss and SCHOTT GLAS.Past winners therefore include notonly German physicists and chemists,but also scientists from the USA,Japan and other European countries.

The international importance ofthe award-winners is amply demon-strated by the example of Prof. Dr.Ahmed Zewail, who won theCarl Zeiss Research Award in 1992for his groundbreaking contributions

to the field offemtochemistry.With ultrashort la-ser double pulses inthe femtosecondrange (1 millionthof a nanosecondor 10-15 of asecond!), he suc-ceeded in obtai-ning direct insightsinto the dynamicsof chemical reac-tions, providingproof of funda-mentally new phenomena in molecu-lar physics.

Seven years later, in the fall of1999, Ahmed Zewail received themost coveted of all scientific awards,the Nobel Prize. His pioneering workon the direct observation of ultrafastreactions in gases, liquids and on sur-faces in real time have now provided

First the Carl ZeissResearch Award, Then the Nobel Prize

The Egyptian AhmedZewail was awarded theNobel Prize for Chemistryin 1999 for his pioneeringwork on the observationof ultrafast chemicalreactions with femtolaserdouble pulses.

many new insights into chemistry,giving a dramatic boost to an entirescientific discipline.

Nobel Prize for Medicine

Photo on right:Presentation of the CarlZeiss Research Award toProf. Dr. Ahmed Zewail andDr. Yoshihisa Yamamoto inthe Carl Zeiss Planetariumin Stuttgart in 1992.

of the processes in the mammaliancell now makes it possible to optimi-ze the performance of biologicalsystems for the benefit of mankind.

At the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute of the Rockefeller Universityin New York, Günter Blobel alsoworks with Zeiss microscopes, inclu-ding the Axiophot® 1 photomicros-cope and the Axiovert® microscope.

Günter Blobel numbers among themost fervent supporters of the recon-struction of the Frauenkirche churchin Dresden which was destroyed inWorld War II and will donate part ofhis prize money to the reconstructionnot only of the church, but also ofthe synagogue in Dresden and ofhistorical buildings in Furbine, Italy.



Presentation of the award for the medium-format 120 mm Apo-Makro-Planar T*f/4 lens by ”Color Foto“.

Otto Schott Research Award

include both neo-dymium- and er-bium-doped laserglass. In anotherfar-reaching dis-covery that pre-ceded today’scommunicationdevices by 30years, Snitzer co-developed thefirst fiber opticlaser amplifierwith laser glass.

John H. Campbell was giventhe award for his leading rolein the development, characte-rization, production and appli-cation of optical materials forhigh-peak-power lasers, and ofmulticomponent phosphatelaser glass in particular. Hiswork has made a major con-tribution to the building oflarge high-peak-power laser systemssuch as the National Ignition Facility(NIF) in the US and the LaserMegaJoule (LMJ) in France.

Nowadays, laser technology is anabsolute must for sensor systems,materials processing, medicine or tel-ecommunications. Here, glass playsan active role as a laser medium. Thetwo American scientists ProfessorElias Snitzer (Rutgers University,Piscataway, NJ) and Dr. John H.Campbell (Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory, Livermore, CA)received the 1999 Otto ResearchAward for their exemplary work inthe field of laser glass research. Theprize, to which the sum of DM50,000 has been allocated, waspresented during an internationalcongress on glass science held inPrague in June 1999.

Elias Snitzer is one of the pioneersin the field of laser glass research.Scientific brilliance, creativity and inparticular the ability to identify tech-nologies of key importance for thefuture have characterized his workfor over 40 years. He was the firstscientist to prove the suitability ofglass for use as an active lasermaterial. His visionary inventions

Fig 1:Presentation of the 1999Otto Schott Research Awardto Prof. Elias Snitzer (2nd

from left) and Dr. John H.Campbell (2nd from right)by the trustees of the ErnstAbbe Fund (from left toright) Prof. Gerd Müller,Dr. Udo Ungeheur,Prof. Donald Uhlmann.

Fig. 2:Prof. Elias Snitzer.

Fig. 3:Dr. John H. Campbell.

Carl Zeiss won an award in thesurvey conducted every year by ColorFoto, a German photo magazine, inwhich readers are asked to select”the best photographic products“. Inthe category ”medium-format lensesabove DM 1,000“, the 120 mmApo-Makro-Planar T* f/4 lensfor the new CONTAX® 645 came infirst with 48 % of the vote for thiscategory. Second place obtained29.6 % and third place 11.8 % ofthe vote.

First Placefor Zeiss Lens


The LEONARDO DA VINCI action pro-gram for vocational training in theEuropean Union also promotes co-operation between universities andindustry. Carl Zeiss is now represen-ted in this program as the leader ofthe project ”Initial and ContinuingTraining of Biologists and MedicalProfessionals in Microscopy”.

Innovations in microscopy, thedevelopment of new instrument sys-tems and techniques, and the emer-gence of new fields of application allmake it necessary to adapt initial andcontinuing training in biology andmedicine to the state of the art intechnology. To ensure that trainingcan keep pace with the extremelyrapid developments in science andtechnology, the appropriate coursesmust be held in universities and rese-arch institutes.

In-depth transnational coursesaimed at providing participants withthe latest knowledge in modernmicroscopy therefore constitute anew approach in vocational trainingwhich has not been contained

in European uni-versity educationbefore. Partners from various coun-tries – lecturers in the courses andadditional guest tutors from industryand research – are now makingEuropean cooperation in the field of

Leonardo da Vinciin ActionHeinz Gundlach

36

Cooperat ion Ventures · Pro jects

vocational training a reality. The re-sultant high level of the coursesallows scientific knowledge, applica-tion techniques and experience to becommunicated simultaneously to theparticipants.

In the pilot project ”Initial andContinuing Training in Microscopy”which is being supported by theEuropean Union by the provision offunds for personnel and travel expen-ses as well as for materials, basiccourses have already been held onthe subjects Image Formation in theMicroscope, Illumination and Con-trasting Techniques, Conventionaland Digital Fluorescence Microscopy,and the Basics of Photomicrographyand Digital Image Processing.

Courses, seminars and workshopsare also being offered to post docsand scientists on various subjects,e.g. Video Microscopy, DigitalFluorescence Microscopy, Methodsand Applications in Cell and Molecu-lar Biology, and Molecular Genetics.

The partner countries are Italywith the University of Pavia

(Prof Dr. I. Freitas,Prof. Dr. C. Pellicciariet al), Austria withthe University ofInnsbruck (Prof. Dr.G. Wick et al), andthe German CancerResearch Center inHeidelberg (Prof. Dr.M. Trendelenburg,Dr. S. Joos, Dr. J.Kartenbeck, Dr. L.

Langbein et al). Even at this earlystage, it is already evident that theinitial and ongoing specialist traininghas improved not only the students’knowledge of microscopy and the

Dr. Heinz Gundlach,a member of the CentralResearch and TechnologyDivision at Carl Zeiss,is the Manager andCoordinator of the pilotproject ”Initial and Continuing Training ofBiologists and MedicalProfessionals inMicroscopy“ and hasplayed a key role in theimplementation of theevents.

Fig. 1:Basic microscopy coursein Pavia in 1999.On the right:Prof. Dr. I. Freitas.

associated fields of application, butalso the quality of the microscopework performed. The goal is to crea-te training modules in the form ofcompendiums and electronic media,e.g. CD-ROMs, which can then bepassed on to other institutions andother European countries – a furtherstep toward the further networkingof Europe.

To date, two basic courses (”LightMicroscopy and PhotomicrographyTechniques”) have taken place at theUniversity of Pavia, as well as threesymposiums on the subjects ”NewFrontiers of Optical Microscopy inCell Biology”, ”Basics in FluorescenceMicroscopy and Fluorochromes” and”Investigating Cell Dynamics andDeath by Conventional and ConfocalMicroscopy”. The Cancer ResearchCenter in Heidelberg has been thelocation for two special coursesdealing with the topics ”VideoEnhanced Microscopy, Digital Imag-ing and Fluorescence Techniques in Cell Biology” and a symposium

entitled ”Biomedical Photo-nics”.This year also saw the

first hands-on courses and seminarson the ”Morphology of the Cyto-skeleton”, ”Methods of Molecularand Cell Biology” and a practicalcourse on human genetics for bio-

Fig. 2:Training course inimmunofluorescence inInnsbruck in 1999.On the left:Professor Dr. G. Wick.

logy, medical and dental students incollaboration with the University ofHeidelberg.

In Innsbruck a training course hastaken place on the subject”Immunofluorescence and Immuno-histochemistry” and will be repeatedin February 2000 to meet the highlevel of demand.

For the first time in the LEO-NARDO program in 1999, Carl Zeissheld an in-depth course in clinicalcytology for medical professionalsand cytoassistants during the Medicaexhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany.

This project will run for three yearsand ends at the beginning of theyear 2001. Further inquiries havesince been received from otherEuropean countries who wish toconduct similar courses and seminars.

You can find more information inthe Internet under:

■ europa.eu.int/pol/educ/info_de.htm#leonardo

■ www.unipv.it/webbio/anatcomp/leonardo/leonardo.htm

■ www.zeiss.de/mikro



4 steps, or 1536 samples in 16 steps,within only a few seconds. The Zeissreader performs all the optical detec-tion methods (fluorescence, lumines-cence and absorption measurements)normally used in biological screeningfor the detection of interactionsbetween potential effective sub-stances and drug targets, and thusensures efficient drug research with ahigh sample throughput.

In September 1999, after the suc-cessful joint development of a newUltra High Throughput Screening(UHTS) system started in the fall of1997, Roche and Carl Zeiss Jenaagreed to install the currently mostmodern UHTS system in all the Rochepharmaceutical research centersthroughout the world. The contractcovers the installation of six systems.Thanks to their modular and compactdesign, the systems ideally meet therequirements of the various researchcenters. Worldwide installation willinclude the Roche research centers inSwitzerland, Germany, England, Ja-pan and the USA. This means thatRoche will be the first company tohave access to the new UHTS tech-nology from Carl Zeiss.

In the search for new drugs, theprotein structures playing a majorrole in the progress of a disease (drugtargets) are systematically examinedfor their interactions with potentialeffective substances available fromextensive Roche substance libraries.The screening of large substancelibraries is aimed at finding suitabledrugs quickly and making themavailable for the subsequent develop-ment of pharmaceuticals.

The new UHTS system from Zeissallows up to 200,000 samples perday to be examined for their efficien-cy in up to 10 measurements persample. The centerpiece of the UHTSis a new kind of detection system(Multi-Channel Reader), combinedwith a newly developed technologyand control software for the proces-sing of microplates in which the testsare performed. The miniaturization oftest volumes by using microplateswith 384 or 1536 wells (samplechambers) results in drastic savings ofthe biological reagents and chemicalsubstances used. The reader with its96-channel optics specially designedfor this purpose permits the high-pre-cision analysis of 384 samples in

New Standardin Screening Systems

Photo:Transport of a 384-wellmicroplate from the turn-table of a workstation to themulti-channel reader (left).Carl Zeiss has based thisnew transport technologyon a decentralizationstrategy to permit highflexibility within singleworkstations; these areconnected in a row througha bi-directional transportbelt.

Fig. 3 (below):Microscopy course in Paviain 1999. On the left:Professor Dr. C. Pellicciari.

Strategic Cooperation



The Carl Zeiss PhotogrammetryDivision has paved the way for thefuture by co-founding Z/I ImagingCorp., a joint venture of Carl Zeissand the US software companyIntergraph Corporation. Intergraph isone of the world's leading providersof engineering, mapping/GIS and ITsolutions for the process, building,utilities and transportation industries.Carl Zeiss has long-standing experi-ence and an excellent reputation inphotogrammetry, especially in theareas of camera and plottingsystems. The new company providesphotogrammetric image processingsoftware as open solutions both onUNIX systems and on a Windows NTplatform. The product range alsoincludes aerial survey cameras formapping and reconnaissance appli-cations. Another focus in the joint

DigitalPhotogrammetryFocused on the Future

venture's work is R&D to createnew products for photogrammetry,mapping and airborne reconnais-sance. In addition to providing con-tinued support to the customers ofthe two former companies, the joint venture aims to address newcustomer groups in industry, govern-ment authorities, the building sectorand in data imagery services with itscomprehensive product spectrum.

The headquarters for the consoli-dated global operations of Z/IImaging Corp. is Huntsville, Ala-bama/USA. The European businessactivities of the new joint ventureformed by Carl Zeiss and Intergraphare managed from Oberkochen.

Carl Zeiss Jena has acquired theexclusive rights of use worldwide fora new generation of DNA chips forcancer diagnosis developed by theGerman Center of Cancer Researchin Heidelberg (DKFZ). Together withscientists from the center, thecompany intends to develop newdiagnostic techniques with whichcancer-inducing genetic defects canbe detected with a high degree ofsensitivity, to the point of marketmaturity. The chip reader required forthis comes from Carl Zeiss. Thesigning of the license agreement”now allows the development of thenew DNA chips for routine use inresearch and hospitals“, said Dr. Peter Lichter, manager of the depart-ment for the organization of complexgenomes at the DKFZ who developedthe new technique together withProf. Dr. Thomas Cremer of Heidel-berg University.

Rightsof Use forDNA Chips

With the launch of CMM-OS, thenew operating program for coordi-nate measuring machines, Carl Zeissis meeting the increasing customerdemand for open system architectu-res. The metrology know-how ofCarl Zeiss and the accuracy and re-liability of the Zeiss coordinatemeasuring machines are now there-fore being made available to all usersof manufacturer-independent opera-ting software. The high competenceof Metrologic in the conversionof preowned coordinate measuring

The French Metrologic Group basedin Meylan near Grenoble, a systemspecialist in metrology software, andCarl Zeiss Industrial MeasuringTechnology, Oberkochen, have ente-red into a strategic partnership. Theobjective of this cooperation is toprovide those customers who wantto use manufacturer-independentsoftware packages with uniform,interlocking solutions. Initially, thecooperation will cover Europe andthe USA, but will later be extendedto the rest of the world.

machines combined with the power-ful ”Metrolog II“ software perfectlysupplements the performance port-folio of Carl Zeiss with the manythousand UNIX software packagessold and the newly developed NT-based PC software solutions.

The Metrologic Group is a majormanufacturer of measuring softwaresystems and controls for coordinatemeasuring machines. The companyconcentrates its market activities onthe modernization of coordinatemeasuring machines.

L GmbH

erung:

gies AG

k PrProzesstechnik

39


157 nm Project

formed as part of the 157 nm pro-ject. From the year 2001 onward, theconcrete tools and processes willthen be developed and are scheduledto reach the application stage from2003. It is hoped that feature sizes ofsmaller than 0.07 µm (70 nm) can beachieved from 2005.

In addition to the German 157 nmproject, similar group initiatives existin the USA and Japan.

Fig. 1:Time schedule for theGerman consortium for157 nm lithography.

Project Timing

Application

< 100 nm

Material for masksand opticsLaserLens designconceptOpticaltechnologiesToolMask technology

Tooldelivery

Preparation forvolumemanufacturing

Establishedprocess

DevicedevelopmentProcessintegration

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

BasicR & D

Tool andprocessdevelopment

Mask

Material:HeraeusSchott ML GmbH

Blank:Schott ML GmbH

Processing:InfineonTechnologies AG

Resist

InfineonTechnologies AG

Tool

Laser:Lambda Physik

Laser optics &beam delivery:

Jenoptik AG,L.O.S. GmbH

Illuminator &projection lens:

Carl ZeissMaterial:

Schott ML GmbH

Project Co-ordination by Carl Zeiss

Process technology

IMEC

ASML Scanner


The optical lithography used in thefabrication of microchips is constantlyadvancing toward smaller andsmaller feature sizes. Using in-creasingly complex and bettersystems, it is possible to generatefiner and finer structures. Currently,a working wavelength of 193 nmand feature sizes of as small as0.15 µm have been achieved.However, the research and the deve-lopment of the next generationsare already in full swing. The nextstep is lithography at 157 nm. Toimplement this step rapidly andsuccessfully, several German com-panies have formed a consortiumwhich is supported by the GermanMinistry of Education and Research.Responsibility for the coordination ofthis project rests with Carl Zeiss.

All steps involved in the complexprocess of chip fabrication must bereconsidered for the new workingwavelength of 157 nm. The materialfor the optical components – as inthe working wavelength of 193 nm,this material is CaF2 – is beingdeveloped and produced by thecompanies Schott ML and Heraeus.The sphere of responsibility of the

companies Lambda Physik and L.O.S.GmbH is laser optics and beamdelivery systems for the 157-nm F2

laser. The photoresist developmentand the mask process are lookedafter by the company InfineonTechnologies AG (formerly SiemensSemiconductor Division). Respon-sibility for the overall system restswith the company ASM Lithography.

As a leading provider of optical193-nm technology, Carl Zeiss isoptimally poised to also reduce theworking wavelength to 157 nm.Several factors will greatly help thecompany in this process: its in-depthexperience gained in CaF2 technologyfrom material qualification to theprocessing of lens elements made ofthis material, the unique anti-reflec-tion coating know-how acquired inhighly specific surface coating, thesophisticated measuring and test pro-cedures used in the manufacture ofthe optical components, and insystem integration.

In the years 1999 to 2001, thebasic research and developmentwork regarding the material, themask technology, the laser and theoptical technologies are to be per-

Fig. 2:The member companies ofthe German consortium for157 nm lithography andtheir responsibilities.

What on earth was Carl Zeiss doing atthe Internationale Funkausstellung(major event for consumer electronics,communications and entertainment)in Berlin in September 1999? Thecompany’s cooperation with SONYmade it all possible – and the resultsmost certainly turned a lot of heads atthe exhibition. Carl Zeiss providedinformation on its lenses in theSONY digital camcorders and digitalstill cameras and on the new wide-angle and telephoto converters forthese lenses. Also on display was themost recent product of this coopera-

tion, the Cyber-shot zoom camerawhich is equippedwith a 5x zoomlens.


A new coating technology for high-performance lenses considerablyimproves the quality of the exposuresystems used in wafer steppersfor microchip fabrication. Using amodern software solution as a basis,increased light transmission acrossthe entire lens is achieved. The newcoating tools now make it possible tocontrol the coating thickness profilein such a way that it can be adaptedto the respective requirements withina specific area or from lens to lens.

This technology developed byHensoldt AG, Wetzlar, a company of

Lenses with aNew Dimension of Quality

40

In Short

Figs 1 and 4:The SONY booth at theInternationale Funkaus-stellung in Berlin inSeptember 1999 whereCarl Zeiss was alsorepresented.

Zeiss with SONY

the Carl Zeiss Group, has beenadopted in all semiconductor systemssupplied by Carl Zeiss. Used as earlyas 1992 for the exposure systems forthe 365 nm, 248 nm and 193 nmwavelengths, this technology is nowalso used in the Starlith® 900, 700and 400 lithography lenses.

In addition to high-performancelenses, components of interferome-ters such as Direct 100 were coated.The new procedure makes it possibleto obtain a totally uniform coatingacross the entire surface of the com-ponent, resulting not only in impro-

Photo:Starlith® 700semiconductor lens.

ved light transmission, but also inincreased measuring accuracy.

Fig. 2:DCR-PC100Digital Camcorder.

Fig. 3:DSC-F505Digital Camera.Photos 2 and 3:SONY/Wenzel,Cologne/Germany

1

3

42


In Short

Fig. 2:Dr. Peter Grassmann,President and CEO ofCarl Zeiss, and UlrichPfeiffle, Mayor of Aalen,at the official openingceremony.

Figs 3 and 4:The new facility providessubstantially improvedproduction conditions.

ditioned clean rooms and the utili-zation of state-of-the-art techno-logies to provide maximum flexibility,will help Carl Zeiss safeguard itsinternational competitiveness in thefield of eyeglasses.

Product Report

Light Microscopy

The LSM 5 PASCAL laser scanningmicroscope is a high-performance,compact system for individual usersand small workgroups involved withbiomedical applications, and formaterial examinations in both routineand research. Due to its confocaltechnology and scanning procedure,it permits the fast and non-con-tact fluorescence/reflection recordingof three-dimensional microstructuresdown to the sub-micrometer range.Although the LSM 5 PASCAL is avail-able at a surprisingly attractive price,no compromises were made in imagequality, flexibility and reliability.Scanning fields of unparalleled size,single images with more than 4 mil-lion pixels in up to 4096 gray levels,high flexibility for scanning modeselection, and powerful, user-friendlysoftware are its major benefits. The

LSM 5 PASCAL user can now fullybenefit from the perfect interactionbetween the fully motorizedAxioplan® 2 research microscope andthe laser scanning microscope. If re-quirements grow with new appli-cations, the LSM 5 PASCAL will keepthe pace. For example, a second fluo-rescence channel and the trans-mitted-light channel can be retro-fitted, up to eight emission filters perchannel can be individually changedby the user, and numerous softwareoptions, such as enhanced functionsfor scanning and presentation, areavailable, to name just a few of thenumerous upgrading possibilities. TheLSM 5 PASCAL will therefore keep instep with your future demands.

The Axioplan® 2 imaging microscopefor fluorescence applications has beenoptimized for examinations using theFISH (fluorescence in-situ hybridi-zation) and M-FISH techniques ingenetics and for multifluorescenceapplications, e.g. in developmentaland cell biology with the wide varietyof mutants of GFP. A completely newfluorescence system allows eightdifferent fluorescence images to berecorded manually or automaticallycontrolled by computer. The M-FISHtechnique, which allows the identifi-cation of all 24 human chromosomesthrough six fluorescence dyes, uses sixfluorescence filter sets. The Axio-plan® 2 imaging provides numerousnew features for digital documen-tation, particularly for combinationwith the Zeiss AxioVision® software.The high-contrast fluorescence im-ages with optimum resolution which are possible with the

Axioplan® 2 imaging make the de-tection of genetic defects in here-ditary diseases quicker and morereliable than with any of the tech-niques used until now. Outstandingfeatures of the microscope are theimproved contrast and the increaseddetection sensitivity which have beenmade possible by the so-called ”LightTrap“ (patent pending) for fluores-cence microscopy, and the 8-positionfilter turret with an unrestricted fieldof 25 mm which saves time duringsample screening. The push-and-clickfilter changer for high flexibility in theselection of filters permits the installa-tion of a new filter module withinseconds without tool or the filtersequence to be matched to theappropriate examination.


LSM 5 PASCAL laser scanning microscope.

Application Examples for LSM 5 PASCALTop left: OK cells, mitosis, labeled with eCFP (PSD95) and Alexa546 (Actin).Top right: Xanthidium cristatum (SAG173.80), 3-channel recording: double fluorescence + DIC.Bottom left: Endothelial cells, double fluorescence without crosstalk of channels, 2048 x 2048 pixels.Bottom right: zebra fish embryo, 3-D projection.

Top: 3D illustration of a fiber compoundmaterial, taken in fluorescence with”3DforLSM“ software, detail:450 µm x 450 µm x 260 µm.Right: 3D illustration of the topographyof cut PZT ceramic.(Sample: Fraunhofer Institute forBiomedical Technology,Sulzbach/Germany).

Axioplan® 2 imaging fluorescence microscope.

The ConfoCor® 2 is a fluorescencecorrelation microscope which im-plements fluorescence correlationspectroscopy in a full-fledged micro-scope workstation environment. Forthe first time, it allows biochemists,biophysicists, cell biologists and phar-maceutical researchers to examine thebinding behavior of biologically inter-esting macromolecules, even in livingcells. The ConfoCor® 2 extends theapplication possibilities of fluores-cence correlation spectrometers (FCS).The fluorescence correlation micro-scope permits the efficient exami-nation of molecular interactions notonly in small volumes, but also inliving cells for the first time. Thebenefits of the ConfoCor® 2 over conventional techniques include aconsiderably lower sample consump-tion and higher measuring speeds.The ConfoCor® 2 permits thenew fluorescence cross correlation

technique, thus expanding the FCSapplication spectrum even further.The instrument is fully automated,which means that the user does nothave to waste valuable time dealingwith the instrument technology.

The AxioCam digital camera permitsall users of light microscopes to docu-ment their microscopic and macro-scopic examinations with high-qualitydigital images. AxioCam providesoptimum image quality and ultrahighresolution both in all biological andmedical applications – from patho-logy, cell research and genetics toneuroscience – and in materials exam-inations – from metallography andmaterials analysis to quality assur-ance, the semiconductor industryand forensic applications. It does notmatter which of the standard con-trasting techniques in light mi-croscopy (brightfield, darkfield, phasecontrast, DIC, etc.) is used. Thecamera can be easily and convenientlyoperated via the AxioVision® imagearchiving software, which provides acompletely integrated configurationfor image acquisition, processing,measurement and archiving in a

single program. The ultrahigh imageresolution of 3900 x 3090 pixels guar-antees loss-free images at full micro-scope resolution in real color. Theresolution can be set in a range from1300 x 1030 pixels to 3900 x 3090pixels and matched to the relevanttask. The special benefit of theAxioCam is that the user requiresonly a single camera for a variety ofapplications in microscopy with differ-ent resolutions. In addition to con-venient camera operation, theAxioVision® image documentationsystem included in the basic confi-guration permits the processing ofthe images, the inclusion of text andgraphics, and archiving.


Product Report

Surgical Products

The new OPMI® NCS on the NC 32floor stand is setting new standardsin its class in terms of price – per-formance – ergonomics. The newsystem is based on the ”Contravestechnology“ (suspension systemlocked in position with magneticclutches and using counterweights forbalancing) introduced by Carl Zeiss inneurosurgery and has been adoptedas the worldwide standard for neuro-surgical suspension systems. Con-traves-type systems provide thesurgeon with optimum conditions formoving and positioning the OPMI®

and with maximum convenience andsafety. Further features of this newOPMI® system include the Varioskopoptics and the high-intensity xenonillumination. The range of time-honored accessories from Carl Zeissprovides many possibilities of adapt-ing the system to different situationsin the OR not only in neurosurgery,but also in ENT, mouth and maxillo-facial surgery, and in plastic andreconstructive surgery.

The S8 ceiling mount has been de-veloped for use in ophthalmic surgery,plastic and reconstructive surgery, ENT

microsurgery and neurosurgery. Thismount provides flexibility, optimumhandling and an extremely long armextension which leaves enough roomfor the other high-tech units used in amodern microsurgical OR. At thepress of a button, magnetic clutchescan be released, allowing the S8ceiling mount and the OPMI® surgicalmicroscope to be moved almosteffortlessly. The innovative electronicsunit provides many storage possibi-lities for up to 9 users or applications.User-specific settings of the variousmicroscope functions (lamp bright-ness, zoom and focusing speed, con-figuration of the foot control panel)can be activated at the press of abutton. The focusing speed andthe speed of the lateral movement(X-Y coupling) are dependent on themagnification set, i.e. the speed ofthese functions is greater with a lowmagnification providing a larger fieldof view than with a high magnifi-cation and a smaller field of view.Thus, the surgeon never loses sight ofthe surgical field. With its large,smooth surfaces and internal cablerouting, the design of the system alsomeets the demands made by theOR staff for safe handling and easyasepsis.

OPMI® NCS surgical microscopeon a floor stand.

S8 ceiling mount.

ConfoCor® 2 fluorescence correlationmicroscope.

AxioCam digital microscope camera.

Product Report


Binoculars

The 10 x 30 B MC Diafun® binocularis a multi-purpose, high-quality binoc-ular with 10x magnification at a veryattractive price. The extremely sturdybinocular housing with its ergonomi-cally successful design accommodatesa reliable mechanical system andhigh-precision optics, securely pro-tected against dust, moisture andtemperature extremes. All opticalcomponents are provided with a spe-cially matched MC multicoating. Thisensures high light transmission and abrilliant, true-color image with highdetail recognition even in poor light

conditions. Like all Zeiss binoculars,the new model features special eye-pieces which offer eyeglass wearersthe full field of view of 96 m at 1,000m. An internal focusing system allowsrapid focusing to a close range of 5m. These qualities and a light weightof only 450 g make the 10 x 30 B MCDiafun® the ideal unit for the hikerand traveler. It is available in a classicblack version or in a black/blue ver-sion. The delivery package includes acarrying strap with a wide neck padand a Cordura pouch with a beltloop.

Ophthalmic Products

The progressive lens Gradal Top® E isthe result of the optimization of allprocesses in production – from de-velopment right up to the finishedlens. As visual requirements are attheir most critical in the distance zoneof a progressive lens, the productenhancement procedure was focusedon this area. While the intermediatezone plays a decisive role in deter-mining the extent to which first-timewearers tolerate a progressive lens,the size of the distance and nearzones is of special relevance for prac-tical use by experienced wearers. In

Gradal Top® E, the ranges of visionhave been improved overall, providingthe wearer with even more comfort-able vision.

Clarity, innovation and avant garde,without exaggerated severity, werethe major design parameters specifiedin the development of the sun-glass collection. The quest for newmaterials or material combinations,the integration of technical precisionand a distinctive design are the out-standing features of the collection.

Fernglas 10 x 30 B MC Diafun®. Gradal Top® E progressive lens.

Camera Lenses

The latest SONY digital camera isequipped with a 5x Vario Sonnar®

zoom lens from Carl Zeiss. The 7.1-35.5 mm Vario Sonnar® f/2.8 lens isa fast, high-performance lens with azoom ratio of 1:5. The lens fully fillsan image field of 4.8 mm x 6.4 mmon the 1/2", 2.1 megapixel detectorCCD chip. The focal length of 7.1 mmto 35.5 mm corresponds to a focallength of 38 mm to 190 mm in ahigh-speed, multi-purpose zoom lensused for 35 mm photography. High-quality optical glass is used for the10 elements in 7 groups. Together

with multicoating, this ensures superbbrilliance and color saturation. Thesuperior resolution of details (defini-tion) throughout the entire focallength range is also attributable tothe use of two specially computedaspheres. In addition, the optical raytracing has been precisely matched tothe filter and the cover glass of theSONY CCD chip used. Thus, theexacting requirements of a 1/2", CCDimage detector with 2.1 megapixelsand a Nyquist frequency of 128 linepairs per millimeter are completelymet. Even at maximum aperture, theimage quality is extremely high acrossthe entire image field.

The high-quality telephoto converterfor the digital SONY camcorders (e.g.PC2; PC3; TRV10) with Zeiss opticshas been specially matched to theVario Sonnar® zoom lens used inthese camcorders. So far, the magnifi-cation provided by the telephotorange has often not been largeenough to zoom in on an extremelydistant object in such a way that itfills the frame. With the 2x telephotoconverter, the excellent optical perfor-mance of the lens is extended tocover the extreme telephoto range.

Models 1805 (top) and 1801 (left) of thesunglass collection.

Spectral SensorSystems

The CORONA sensor unit offers thepossibility of simultaneously capturingand evaluating the visible and near-infrared wavelength range andtherefore allows entirely new mea-suring techniques such as the simul-taneous in-line measurement of colorand moisture in moving products inthe textile and paper industries. Theresult is enhanced quality, moreclarity in production and, consequen-tially, reduced costs. The sensorunits already contain the spectralsensor, the measuring optics, the

light source and the necessary inter-face. Application-specific measuringgeometries and accessories alsoprovide solutions to a multitude ofmeasuring tasks. Configurations forcolor metrics, layer thickness andmoisture measurement, the analysisof ingredients in food stuff, and anycombinations of these applicationsare possible. The centerpiece of theCORONA measuring head consists ofcompact and sturdy spectral sensorsof the MMS family, which guaranteeextremely high reproducibility of notonly the wavelengths, but also theintensity information. As all kinds ofmoving parts such as stepping motorsor shutters have been dispensed with,high reliability and a permanent andcorrect state of spectral wavelengthare obtained – and all with a scanningtime in the millisecond range andwith the simultaneous capture of awavelength range from 350 nm tomore than 2000 nm. CORONA sys-tems can be used in rough industrialenvironments and are suitable forportable applications. Depending onthe task to be performed, threecomprehensive software packages areavailable.

CORONA spectral sensor unit.

SONY DSC-F505 Cyber-shot digital stillcamera with 7.1 – 35.5 mm VarioSonnar®f/2.8 lens.

45

Bus iness Barometer

Carl Zeiss ready andwaiting for the euro

The European Union is by far thebiggest market for Carl Zeiss. Theintroduction of a common currencywill bring many changes, for whichthe company has made extensiveand detailed preparations.

From the viewpoint of data pro-cessing, Carl Zeiss has been fullyeuro-capable since January 1, 1999,i.e. business transactions can be con-ducted in the euro if the customer sodesires. The interest in the euro isparticularly high in the IndustrialMetrology business group, whereinternational corporations such asDaimlerChrysler or Volkswagen arepressing for a rapid switch to theeuro. In Consumer Optics, on theother hand, far fewer clients aredemanding a swift switch to theeuro, as most of them are retailerswho transact their business in cash.

Needless to say, prize quotationsand invoices in euros require europrice lists which are now available atCarl Zeiss. At the same time, thefinancial and accounting depart-ments must be in a position to pro-cess documents made out in eurosand to make and receive paymentsin the new currency. The requiredpreparations were completed on

Well Poised for the Future

schedule in 1998. Indeed, Carl Zeisswas one of the first industrialenterprises in Germany to use euro-capable DB-DIRECT software, a pro-duct of the Deutsche Bank forelectronic payment transactions.

The euro is still being treated asa foreign currency for the purposeof accounting and data processing.For the time being, the internal unitof account is still the deutsche mark,but the euro will become the corpo-rate currency on October 1, 2000.This is another extremely complexprocedure from the IT viewpoint. Asin almost all companies in Germany,payroll accounting will be switchedto the euro on January 1, 2002, i.e.salaries and wages will be paid ineuros when euro bills and coins areactually in everyday use.

Y2K Project:Good planningis half the battle

The turn of the millennium was amajor talking point for a long time.The notorious Y2K compliance, i.e.the ability of computers to cope withthe changeover to the new datewithout difficulty, was worrying notonly private PC users. Companieswhose processes and procedures arenow conducted via complex com-puter networks had to be preparedfor all eventualities. At Carl Zeiss,too, anything that could possibly

cause disruption in this contextwas sought and remo-ved, and not only in-ternally but also with

customers and sup-pliers. Firstly, it was

important to ensure thatthe measuring and

evaluation systemsdelivered by Carl

Zeiss all guaranteed anabsolutely smooth, trouble-

free transition to the next millen-nium. To achieve this goal, our

customers were closely in-corporated in our numerous

activities in this area.Innovation 7, Carl Zeiss, 1999

Secondly, the many and diverse pro-cesses involved in our contacts withsuppliers also had to continue to runsmoothly at the turn of the year. Toensure that this was the case, CarlZeiss wrote to all important suppliersto obtain information on their Year2000 activities. In the case of particu-larly critical purchased components,the suppliers were audited by CarlZeiss in order to guarantee that therequired checks and measures hadbeen properly and conscientiouslyimplemented.

Finally, it was also essential that nocomplications or problems should beexperienced in internal processeswith regard to Y2K. With this inmind, a special project team at CarlZeiss registered and assessed morethan 4,000 systems with more than14,000 components throughout thecompany. 100 teams worked to-gether on projects in the six businessgroups and central divisions of thecompany. These figures impressivelydemonstrate the extremely complexinterplay of many factors in the close-ly networked Zeiss world.

Although all possible sources ofdisruption had been carefully analy-zed and the appropriate measuresimplemented to remedy them, thecompany was on special standbyduring the date change. For a globalplayer like Carl Zeiss, this meant aperiod of 48 hours for which detailedcontingency plans had been devised.

In the 1998/99 fiscal year, growthwas achieved by the MedicalSystems business group with surgicalmicroscopes. Global leadership in thefield of traditional surgical microsco-pes was further expanded. An in-creasing level of hospital demand forstate-of-the-art, computer-controllednavigation systems was evident. Newdiagnostic and therapy systems forophthalmology aroused keen intereston the market. Overall, Carl Zeissrecorded sales totaling DM 670 milli-on in business with medical systems,an increase of 11 % over last year.

Despite a slowdownin business activity inthe automotive sector,a pleasing trend wasseen in the IndustrialMetrology businessgroup. With a 10 %boost in business toDM 475 million, thisgroup also successfullyexpanded its leadership on the worldmarket. Apart from the automotiveindustry where Zeiss machines areused for the highly precise measure-ment of car bodies, chassis and en-gines, the needs of additional custo-mers in the aircraft and electronics


industries were addressed by newproducts.

After an initial slump in the wakeof the global chip crisis, the corner-stone of business at Carl Zeisswas once again SemiconductorTechnology. Demand for microlitho-graphy systems of the modernStarlith® generation picked upagain, leading to an overall salesvolume of DM 480 million in thisbusiness group, only 4 % less thanlast year.

Consumer Optics has now over-come a downturn in business toincrease its sales by 8 % to DM 800million. The demand for high-qualityplastic eyeglass lenses was particu-larly high. Business with eyeglassframes was characterized by intensi-ve preparations for a new collection,and contact lens business by the high-ly competitive climate in this sector.Binoculars and riflescopes achieveda healthy level of market growth.In the Camera Lens Division, anupswing in business resulted from

new products. Cooperation withSony in this field reached a newhighpoint with the delivery of themillionth lens.

With a 10 % increase in sales toDM 450 million, a marked upturn inbusiness was achieved by the

Sales at Carl Zeiss Riseto DM 3.2 billion Uwe Braehmer

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Bus iness Barometer

Fig. 1:The flexibility of pro-duction in the OphthalmicInstruments Division hasbeen substantially increasedthrough investment in anew manufacturing line.This enabled the division todeliver over 100 additionallaser slit lamps at shortnotice and on schedule to one of the leadingmanufacturers of medicallasers.

In the 1998/99 fiscal year, despite thedifficulties facing it in the generaleconomic scenario, the Carl ZeissGroup successfully increased itsoperational business by 6 %. Salesbilled before the cutoff date onSeptember 30, 1999 totaled DM 3.2billion. The operating result wasslightly improved. However, due tochanges to the law in Germany, highprovisions had to be set aside for theemployee pension scheme. Structuralmeasures and other provisions alsoleft their mark on the result.

Dr. Uwe Braehmer isVice President andGeneral Manager in theCentral CommunicationDivision of Carl Zeiss.

Fig. 2:Modern clean rooms wereinstalled at Hensoldt AG inWetzlar, a 100 % subsidiaryof Carl Zeiss, for theassembly of binoculars andriflescopes. Use was madeof experience gained withlenses for illuminationsystems in the wafersteppers used for chipfabrication. The pictureshows lenses being insertedin binoculars – the lastphase of assembly beforefinal inspection.

Microscopy business group. Costlymanufacturing and logistic processesfor light microscopes and the inten-sive measures required for thedevelopment of microscope systemsfor biomedical and pharmaceuticalresearch left their mark on the result.In the early summer of 1999, thisbusiness group launched an exten-sive optimization initiative focusedprimarily on new, innovative plat-form-based products and the en-hancement of all processes.


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Fig. 5:The highly exact mandrelsand measuring technologyfrom Carl Zeiss make a keycontribution to the opticalquality of the telescopemodules for the EuropeanX-ray satellite XXM. Overthe next ten years, the XMMwill discover a million newcelestial bodies using threetelescopes from Carl Zeisswhich will operate inparallel and display anoverall optical surface ofalmost 200 m2.

Fig. 4:Concentration of theproduction of high-qualityplastic lenses at the Aalenplant is an integral com-ponent of the investmentprograms with which theConsumer Optics businessgroup aims to enhance itsinternational competitive-ness.

In the 1998/99 fis-cal year, the businessgroup for Opto-Elec-tronic Systems con-centrated its activitieson module and projectbusiness as well asoptronics (defense andspace technology). Themain emphasis in Jenawas placed on digital projection(”light engines“), an area whichachieved healthy growth rates.

Fig. 3:Wöhlk ContactlinsenGmbH, a 100 % subsidiaryof Carl Zeiss, has movedinto a new building nearKiel, a town in the north ofGermany. Optimized mater-ial flow, a modular infra-structure, optimization ofproduction cycles and theintroduction of newtechnologies are improvingthe efficiency of the contactlens manufacturer.

An improvement was evident in the Optronics area (ZEO) inOberkochen despite a difficult pro-curement market. Overall, sales inthis business group rose by 6% toDM 285 million.

After the discontinuation of weak,traditional areas of business in thepast few years, Carl Zeiss aims tofocus even more sharply on keyfields which offer high growth

potential for the future. The bestopportunities are offered by fourmajor areas: optical systems for bio-technology and medicine, measuringtechnology for industry, the semi-conductor business and all areas ofbusiness associated with the eye.

In the next century, global eco-nomic development will be centeredon the photon, no longer the elec-tron – this is the verdict reached bythe American National ResearchCouncil on behalf of the US govern-ment. With its core competencies inthe key technology of optics, CarlZeiss will be at the forefront of thisdevelopment right from the outset.

2000!

With One Million

Into the Year

innov.7. 1-09 e - zeiss.com.au · innovation 7, carl zeiss, 1999 3 contents publisher’s imprint...

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