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SFB 1258:  Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics (NDM)

Subject Area Physics
Term since 2017
Website Homepage
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 283604770
 
At the interface of astrophysics and particle physics, the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 'Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics' explores the fundamental nature of neutrinos and dark matter (DM). These abundant yet elusive particles hold the key to unravelling cosmic dynamics and understanding the composition of the Universe. Their detection requires groundbreaking technologies that push the limits of detector size, sensitivity, and purity. The mission of the CRC goes beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics to reveal the intrinsic properties of neutrinos and DM. By turning astrophysical entities such as neutron stars (NSs), white dwarfs (WDs), supernovas (SNs), and active galactic nuclei (AGN) into natural laboratories, we are exploring the interplay between the dark sector and ordinary matter. Established in 2017, the CRC brings together physicists, astronomers, and data scientists from TUM, the neighboring Max Planck Institutes, the Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics (ECAP), the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), Heidelberg, the Institute for High Energy Physics of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Vienna University of Technology, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In neutrino research (N projects), the CRC carries out experimental and theoretical investigations into the origin of neutrino masses, which is crucial for determining their Dirac or Majorana nature. Neutrino masses are manifested by mixing and oscillation, characterized by a mixing matrix. The rigorous testing of ist unitarity and the exploration of deviations are core objectives of the CRC. Collaborations include GERDA/Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay (LEGEND), IceCube and ist upgrade, Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), NUCLEUS, and Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN). The elusive nature of DM (D projects), which accounts for a substantial fraction of the mass of the Universe, is driving diverse investigations of ist properties and interactions within CRC. The quest to unravel the mysteries of DM is multifaceted: From direct detection experiments such as Cryogenic Rare Event Search using Superconducting Thermometers (CRESST) in search of low-mass DM particles, ATLAS, and IceCube in search of long-lived particles, to theoretical studies exploring unconventional signatures and collider constraints. In neutrino and γ-ray astronomy and targeted studies in hadronic and nuclear physics (M projects), the CRC uses observatories such as JUNO, IceCube, Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) and the Large-Sized Telescope (LST1), experiments such as A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE) at CERN, and initiatives such as Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE), and a hypernuclei factory at CERN to connect the study of cosmic phenomena from SNs or AGN to the microscopic understanding of particle production and interaction mechanism
DFG Programme Collaborative Research Centres
International Connection Austria, USA

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