Johannes Gutenberg University > Faculty 08 > Physics > Institute of Physics > Experimental Particle & Astroparticle Physics (ETAP)
By colliding intense beams of high-energy particles, ETAP researchers are studying fundamental processes that have played an important role in the very early universe. After the discovery of the Higgs particle at the Large Hadron Collider, the focus is now on probing unexplored territory in search for new particles, including the elusive dark matter particles.
While we know that 85% of the matter in the universe is “dark” — i.e. does not interact with or emit light — the fundamental nature of its constituents is so far unknown. As a most promising candidate, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) have been sought for a long time, with the next generation of experiments now reaching a new sensitivity level. Next to major contributions to these experiments, ETAP researchers explore alternative possibilities such as hidden and axion-like particles.
Neutrinos only interact weakly with other matter and are extremely difficult to detect – yet they can act as unique probes that escape the most extreme astrophysical environments. Initially thought to be massless, we also know today that neutrinos have “weight” — a feature leading to the tantalizing phenomenon of neutrino oscillations in which neutrinos change their flavour in flight. From the USA via China to the South Pole, ETAP is involved in several experiments aiming to reveal the properties of the neutrinos themselves using accelerators, reactors or natural sources. But at the same time, they can act as messengers to study object far away in the universe.
Pushing the frontier in (astro-)particle physics calls for ever more sophisticated detectors with increasing sensitivity and precision. To search for rare or subtle processes these instruments require cutting-edge technology alongside with the ability to record data at exceedingly high rates.
Within the pronounced R&D efforts in ETAP, we therefore develop new detection technologies and precision instruments together with advanced read-out, triggering and data transfer electronics.
Our work on detector development is done in close collaboration with the PRISMA Detector Lab.
ATLAS is a general-purpose experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. It is designed to perform precision measurements to seek answers to fundamental questions such as: What are the fundamental forces of nature? What is dark matter made of? What is the fundamental physics of the early universe?
The Mainz ATLAS group shares major responsibility for the construction, operation and upgrade of the L1 trigger and is involved in the liquid Argon calorimetry of ATLAS as well as the new high-granularity timing detector. Physics analysis activities include precision measurements of electroweak processes, Higgs boson and top quark physics as well as a broad range of searches for new particles and interactions beyond the Standard Model.
The SHiP (Search for Hidden Particles) experiment at CERN aims to detect new particles connected to a possible Hidden Sector which only feebly couple to the known Standard Model particles. The experiment shall start taking in 2032.
Mainz is taking leading roles in the development and construction of the Barrel veto system (Surround Background Tagger, SBT) and the Calorimeter and Particle ID system.
The NA62 experiment at CERN precisely measures the ultra-rare decay K+ → π+νν̄ and many other K+ and π0 decays in the search for New Physics beyond the Standard Model.
The Mainz group has built and is responsible for the Hadron Calorimeter (MUV) and the Online PC Farm, and strongly contributes to data analysis.
DUNE is a precision neutrino experiment currently being constructed in the US. Its focus will be to understand if neutrinos and anti-neutrinos oscillate identically.
The Mainz group is focussing to develop novel methods to measure neutrino oscillations and cross sections using movable near detectors.
T2K is a long baseline neutrino experiment in Japan to make precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters.
Our local group concentrates to understand neutrons produced in the neutrino interactions, which is essential to understand the neutrino energy.
XENON is a rare-event experiment underneath the Gran Sasso massif in Italy searching for scattering of dark matter particles with atoms of liquid Xenon.
At Mainz we are co-responsible for the neutron and muon veto systems, and engage in R&D for the next-generation experiment XLZD.
COSI, a soft gamma-ray telescope to be launched in 2027, will map Galactic positrons and nuclear lines from massive stars and supernovae, study GRBs, and search for dark matter.
Our focus is on the prediction of the telescope background and sensitivity, and on Machine Learning techniques to efficiently describe its response.
JUNO is a neutrino experiment in China, featuring a 20,000-ton liquid scintillator detector designed to determine the neutrino mass ordering and to precisely measure neutrino oscillation parameters using reactor anti-neutrinos. It will also serve for astroparticle physics – including solar, geo, supernovae, and atmospheric neutrinos.
In Mainz, we are involved in almost all aspects of the experiment, from commissioning the detector through sensitivity studies to the initial data analysis.
NuDoubt⁺⁺ aims to measure two-neutrino and neutrinoless positron-emitting double weak decays.
We developed a hybrid and opaque scintillator which allows for a unique particle identification.
ANNIE is a small Water Cherenkov Detector in the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermilab (Chicago). ANNIE measures neutrino cross-sections but explores as well new detector technologies, e.g. ultrafast LAPPD light sensors.
The Mainz group leads the effort on hybrid Cherenkov/scintillation detection by installing a new Water-based Liquid Scintillator target.
The IceCube detector is a cubic-kilometer neutrino telescope deployed in the glacial ice at the geographic South Pole. Its enormous size allows it to study the very rare interactions of astrophysical neutrinos — unique probes from the depths of the universe that can help identify the elusive sources of cosmic rays. At the same time, the properties of neutrinos themselves can be studied from the abundance of observed atmospheric neutrinos and their oscillations on their way through the Earth.
The Project 8 collaboration aims to measure the absolute neutrino mass by combining the new technologies of Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy and cold atomic tritium. Both molecular hydrogen and molecular tritium can be cracked into atoms by thermal dissociation. However, to trap these atoms in a magnetic field, they must first be cooled to millikelvin temperature.
In Mainz, we are developing an atomic beam source that can provide atomic tritium for a next-generation neutrino mass experiment.
The experimental research teams, including Bachelor, Master, and PhD students and postdoctoral fellowships, can be found on the pages of the experiments.
The ETAP groups offer a great variety of Bachelor, Master and PhD thesis topics in the fields of high energy particle, detector, and neutrino physics and dark matter searches. Typically, the topics are experimental and phenomenological data analyses using software, electronics and hardware developments for detectors as well as FPGA programming. Large data analyses are performed on the MOGON computer cluster of the University of Mainz or the Grid.
- Experimental and phenomenological data analyses (often performed on the JGU MOGON computer cluster or the Grid).
- Hardware developments for detectors.
- Detector electronics and FPGA programming.
We always have opportunities for interesting theses in all of these areas. Specific topics vary over time with the life-cycles of the experiments from development and construction up to operation and data analysis. Therefore, please feel free to browse our website and, in case of interest, contact us for more information.
The following seminars are of general interest for the ETAP. All seminars take place during the lecture time.
Physics Colloquium of the University and the MPIs (Tue, 16:15, Hörsaal Kernphysik)
Seminar of the Cluster of Excellence PRISMA+ (Wed, 13:00, Lorentzraum)
Current Topics from Particle and Astroparticle Physics (ETAP Seminar) (Mon, 12:30, Minkowskiraum)