Lecture

Astroparticle Physics: High-Energy Particles and Dark Matter

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In course

PHYS-439: Introduction to astroparticle physics

We provide a comprehensive overview of astroparticle physics, bridging the microworld of cosmic messengers with the large-scale structure and evolution of the Universe. We also explore the detection techniques and technologies that make this investigation ...

Description

This lecture introduces astroparticle physics, covering topics such as high-energy particles from space, gamma-ray astronomy, neutrino astronomy, and extensive air shower arrays. It explores the detection methods and the use of cosmic rays, gamma-rays, and neutrinos for astronomical observations, as well as the search for dark matter in the Universe.

Instructors (2)

Andrii Neronov

Chiara Perrina

Teaching & PhD PhD Students Kimberly Sarah Keyser, Irwin Khai Cheng Tay Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Jennifer Maria FriedenMaster's theses Loîs NiggliParzival NussbaumFlorian Simmenauer (Project carried out at the University of Geneva in the AMS experiment)Kimberly KeyserLéonard LebrunPhysics Research Training Semester Kimberly Keyser

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Cosmic ray

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own galaxy, and from distant galaxies. Upon impact with Earth's atmosphere, cosmic rays produce showers of secondary particles, some of which reach the surface, although the bulk is deflected off into space by the magnetosphere or the heliosphere.

Air shower (physics)

Air showers are extensive cascades of subatomic particles and ionized nuclei, produced in the atmosphere when a primary cosmic ray enters the atmosphere. When a particle of the cosmic radiation, which could be a proton, a nucleus, an electron, a photon, or (rarely) a positron, interacts with the nucleus of a molecule in the atmosphere, it produces a vast number of secondary particles, which make up the shower.

Neutrino astronomy

Neutrino astronomy is the branch of astronomy that observes astronomical objects with neutrino detectors in special observatories. Neutrinos are created as a result of certain types of radioactive decay, nuclear reactions such as those that take place in the Sun or high energy astrophysical phenomena, in nuclear reactors, or when cosmic rays hit atoms in the atmosphere. Neutrinos rarely interact with matter, meaning that it is unlikely for them to scatter along their trajectory, unlike photons.

Dark matter

Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not absorb, reflect, or emit electromagnetic radiation and is, therefore, difficult to detect. Various astrophysical observations - including gravitational effects which cannot be explained by currently accepted theories of gravity unless more matter is present than can be seen - imply dark matter's presence.

Ultra-high-energy cosmic ray

In astroparticle physics, an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) is a cosmic ray with an energy greater than 1 EeV (1018 electronvolts, approximately 0.16 joules), far beyond both the rest mass and energies typical of other cosmic ray particles. These particles are extremely rare; between 2004 and 2007, the initial runs of the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) detected 27 events with estimated arrival energies above 5.7e19eV, that is, about one such event every four weeks in the 3000 km2 area surveyed by the observatory.

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