Forschungsthemen

Physicists from MPP, collaborating with scientists worldwide, have developed and constructed the particle detector ATLAS. ATLAS is an experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located at the European research center CERN in Geneva. It records the results of proton-proton collisions produced by the LHC. These collisions provide researchers with insights into the fundamental building blocks of matter and their interactions. One of the primary objectives at the LHC is the study of properties of the recently discovered Higgs boson and the further exploration of the Higgs sector in the Standard Model (SM). Furthermore, physicists are investigating physics beyond the Standard Model, and the origin of dark matter that binds our universe together.

Within the ALICE experiment at CERN scientists are investigating the properties of quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy-ion collisions, studying particle correlations and interactions to gain insights into the extreme conditions of the early universe moments after the Big Bang and to understand the fundamental forces governing matter.

A key question in particle physics is why there is matter in the universe but hardly any antimatter. Researchers from MPP, LMU, and TUM are addressing this question through their participation in the Belle II experiment in Japan. At the SuperKEKB particle accelerator, matter (electrons) and antimatter (positrons) are collided. Among the particles produced, researchers search for clues that could explain the surplus of matter.

IMPRS Lecturers: Barillari (MPP, ATLAS), Biebel (LMU, ATLAS), Caldwell (MPP, BELLE II), Döbrich (MPP, NA62), Fabbietti (TUM, ALICE), Heinrich (TUM, ATLAS), Kado (MPP, ATLAS), Kluth (MPP, ATLAS), O. Kortner (MPP, ATLAS), S. Kortner (MPP, ATLAS), Kroha (MPP, ATLAS), Kuhr (LMU, BELLE II), Mantovani Sarti (ALICE), Menke (MPP, ATLAS), Nisius (MPP, ATLAS), Paul (TUM, BELLE II)

Scientists at MPP and TUM are engaged in several non-accelerator based experiments. These include the CRESST and COSINUS experiments, which search for dark matter, and the LEGEND experiment, which studies the nature of neutrinos and aims at addressing the question whether neutrinoes are Majorana particles. TUM scientists are also involved in the ICECUBE neutrino observatory, which searches for dark matter, and the NU-CLEUS project, which explores coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering at a nuclear power reactor.

Additionally, the MPP is preparing for searches for axion dark matter with the Magnetized Disc and Mirror Axion Experiment (MADMAX) and Relic Axion Detector Exploratory Setup (RADES) experiments. MADMAX aims to detect dark matter axions by using a series of dielectric disks placed in a strong magnetic field to stimulate the conversion of axions into detectable microwave photons, targeting a range of axion masses that are otherwise dicult to explore. RADES uses resonant cavities to detect the conversion of axions into microwave photons within a strong magnetic field, aiming to explore the parameter space for axion masses and couplings that could explain the dark matter in the universe.

IMPRS Lecturers: Caldwell (MPP, MADMAX), Döbrich (MPP, RADES), Dvali (LMU/MPP, MAD- MAX), Majorovits (MPP, LEGEND, MADMAX), Petricca (MPP, CRESST), Resconi (TUM, ICECUBE), Schäffner (MPP, COSINUS), Schönert (TUM, CRESST, LEGEND), Steffen (MPP, MADMAX), Strauss (TUM, NU-CLEUS)

Observing the universe through high-energy gamma rays is crucial for understanding the most extreme astrophysical environments, where particles are accelerated to energies much higher than those producible in earth-based laboratories. The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes are currently the most sensitive Cherenkov telescopes in the world, providing astrophysicists with first-class data. To further expand gamma-ray observation capabilities, a new observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), is being built. The CTA will consist of 120 individual telescopes detecting gamma rays over a wide energy spectrum. With locations in both the northern and southern hemispheres, the CTA will enable comprehensive coverage of the entire night sky.

IMPRS Lecturers: Capel (MPP), Paneque (MPP, CTA, FERMI, MAGIC), Teshima (MPP/Univ. of Tokyo, CTA, MAGIC), Schweizer (MPP, CTA, MAGIC)

One significant project, the AWAKE (Advanced Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment) group at MPP, is exploring an innovative method to accelerate particles to high energies. This method involves injecting a proton beam into a plasma, an ionized gas. As the protons travel through the plasma, they entrain negatively charged plasma electrons, generating a kind of bow wave. By injecting a beam of electrons at the appropriate time, these electrons can be carried along by the wave, much like a surfer riding a wave. The MPP is currently leading the AWAKE project at CERN.

IMPRS Lecturers: Caldwell (MPP, AWAKE), Muggli (MPP, AWAKE)

The discovery of the Higgs particle at CERN’s LHC in 2012 was a monumental success for both theoretical and experimental particle physics. While the LHC has thus far ruled out many new particles across large areas of parameter space, particles with higher masses may still be hidden within the existing data and in data to be collected in future runs. Indirect evidence for new physics could manifest as deviations from precise Standard Model (SM) predictions in the Higgs or top-quark sectors. One research direction of the IMPRS lecturers involves obtaining theoretical predictions for various collider processes with high precision. They develop novel methods for calculating the necessary loop corrections in quantum field theory.

Collider physics topics are closely related to fundamental questions in theoretical astroparticle physics. These questions include: What constitutes the dark matter that influences the dynamics of galaxies and cosmic structures? What accounts for the dark energy causing the universe’s accelerated expansion? Why is there an abundance of normal matter compared to antimatter in the universe? What role do neutrinos play in cosmology and astrophysics? Where are the astrophysical accelerators responsible for high-energy cosmic rays?

IMPRS Lecturers: Beneke (TUM), Brambilla (TUM), Buchalla (LMU), Garbrecht (TUM), Garny (TUM), Gauld (MPP), Haisch (MPP), Henn (MPP), Ibarra (TUM), Steffen (MPP), Tancredi (TUM), Vairo (TUM), Weiler (TUM), Wiesemann (MPP), Zanderighi (MPP/TUM)

The primary research focus of the cosmology groups at the MPP and LMU is to understand the fundamental structure of elementary particle physics and gravity, and to establish connections between observations across various scales. These scales range from collider and table-top laboratory experiments to cosmological and astrophysical observations. This research encompasses several key areas: understanding the quantum substructure of black holes and cosmological space-times, achieving ultraviolet completion of the Standard Model (SM) and gravity, and developing models beyond the SM. These models aim to address long-standing puzzles such as the hierarchy problem, the origin of quark and lepton families, the strong CP problem, and the origins of dark matter, dark energy, and inflation.

IMPRS Lecturers:  Berezhiani (MPP), Dvali (LMU/MPP), Mukhanov (LMU), Weller (LMU)

Over the last years, several new and challenging research directions have emerged within the string theory and quantum gravity groups at MPP and LMU. For instance, the MPP group has made significant contributions to the swampland program. This program investigates which lower-dimensional effective field theories can be consistent with quantum gravity or string theory, aiming to establish criteria for determining whether an effective field theory lies within the landscape of string theory or the swampland.

Additionally, string theory reveals surprising relationships between different physical theories, known as dualities. One notable duality, the anti-de Sitter space/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence, proposes a relationship between gravitational theory and quantum field theory. Researchers at MPP and LMU are exploring new connections between string theory and the physics of strong interactions, which dominate the behavior of quarks and gluons. A critical area of this research is the study of scattering amplitudes in gauge and gravity theories, focusing on how these amplitudes are determined by their symmetries and analytic properties. This work is closely related to the phenomenology of elementary particles since scattering amplitudes are fundamental components of cross-section calculations.

IMPRS Lecturers: Blumenhagen (MPP), Haack (LMU), Henn (MPP), Lüst (LMU/MPP), Stieberger (MPP)