- Andrew Taylor
Dear All,
Continuing with our regular EuCAPT newsletters for 2022, this is our February
issue. Our newsletter aims to keep you informed of recent/upcoming
theoretical astroparticle physics related developments, with a focus on Europe.
Next EuCAPT Colloquium:
`Precision gravity: from the LHC to LISA and ET',
Rafael Porto,DESY,
3pm CET, Tue 8th Mar 2022.
zoom connection
Upcoming EuCAPT Colloquia Timetable:
Upcoming Events:
The EuCAPT webpage provides an up-to-date list of upcoming astroparticle
physics events: https://www.eucapt.org/events
Of particular note is the 2022 EuCAPT symposium, 23-25 May 2022:
registration and the call for abstracts are both now open!
Please also note the upcoming schools in Spring 2022:GGI PhD School: Astroparticle Physics, Cosmology and Gravitation, Florence 14-25 March 2022
ISAPP School: Astrophysical sources of cosmic rays, Paris Saclay 28 March - 8 April 2022
Enrico Fermi International School of Physics, Como 23-29 June 2022
NBIA PhD Summer School on Neutrinos, Copenhagen 11-15 July 2022
Upcoming Seminars Calendar:
A list of virtual meetings are provided on our calendar:
Resources
We have now added a new webpage to our website, providing a list of open resources which the theoretical astroparticle and cosmology communities currently share:
(please feel free to bring to our attention additional resources that we might currently
be overlooking)
Blogs
Please see the latest additions to our profiles blog, providing insights into members
of our astroparticle and cosmology community: https://www.eucapt.org/blog
Job Opportunities:
Our mattermost channel provides a list of job advertisements:
To facilitate information flow around our community, please feel to contact us with any information that you feel maybe suitable for circulation in future newsletters (eucapt.info@gmail.com). In particular, we encourage the community to indicate to us upcoming conferences and events which they would like us to advertise.
All the best,
Andrew (on behalf of the EuCAPT SC)
- juliedalgobbo
Name: Matheus Rodrigues Medeiros Silva
Current position: PhD
Affiliation: University of Pisa
Field of research: Theoretical Cosmology
What is your career trajectory to date?
I did my undergraduate degree at UNESP (Brazil), from 2013 to 2017, where I developed research in experimental condensed matter physics with FAPESP scholarship. During the end of my degree I decided to pursue a career in theoretical physics, then, I did my master degree at UEL (Brazil), from 2017 to 2019, working in late universe cosmology. Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of Pisa working in theoretical cosmology, where I am also supported by INFN under the program TAsP (Theoretical Astroparticle Physics).
What are the most exciting open questions in your research area?
Is inflation the mechanism setting the initial conditions to the hot big bang epoch? Which inflationary model, or which underlying fundamental physics is behind such mechanism?
What do you like and dislike about being a scientist?
It is astonishing how our minds can be creative, our ability to boils down nature into equations, to propose particles and fundamental laws which can be verified or ruled out. During my degree I watched the documentary “Particle Fever” and I saw Peter Higgs seeing the press conference of CERN confirming the existence of the mechanism that he helped to develop and of the particle that takes his name. I could only imagine how amazing was the sensation he felt. From then on I realized that I wanted to be a theoretical physicist. Even in way smaller scales, when we propose a new formalism or an equation, even if it is not a gaming changer in our field, still we are the first ones to see that result, which came from our minds, translated into equations in a piece of paper. These kind of feeling is amazing!!! I dislike that all the time when we are finishing a step (Master, PhD, Post Doc) that we should feel joy, is the same time that we are becoming unemployed.
Which of your skills are you most proud of, or find most useful?
I grew up seeing my parents working hard to give me better opportunities. Having them as my role model, inspires me to keep trying even when I don’t know how to proceed with my work!
In your career so far, at what point were you the most excited, and what were you excited about?
It was amazing when I received the news that I have won a PhD position in Pisa!!
What new skills would you like to learn in the next year?
For what regards the early universe cosmology, I would like to learn new theoretical skills to study fundamental theories in the inflationary context. For what regards the late universe, I would like to learn coding skills to link my work with observations.
What role do you think a community network like EuCAPT can play in developing theoretical astroparticle physics and cosmology in Europe?
It plays an important role in defining the next steps in the field. As an example, the white paper is helpful for young scientists entering the field, as it joins some of the most important names in each sub-field organizing what are the future challenges and the important questions to be answered.
What’s your favorite food?
Ohh... this is a difficulty one..., there are so many foods that I love!!! As a Brazilian, one of my favorite foods is the barbecue!! The barbecue during the weekend, festivities or a soccer game is quite important in our culture. In particular my uncle prepares THE BEST ROAST RIBS IN THE AREA, or as he would say "A melhor costela da região!!"
Have you lived in a different European country than you do now? If so, would you like to tell us something about it, e.g. a fond memory or something you found surprising?
Italy is the first country that I lived other than Brazil, before coming here I have never been in a different country. It is lovely to live in such a historical place with amazing food! It is also interesting to see how the seasons are so well defined in Europe, differently from the Southern Hemisphere.
How do you like to relax after a hard day of work?
I like to be with my wife, have a good dinner and watch TV series together!! Also, summer in Pisa is awesome, after work we still have daylight, so I like to go to the skate park to ride my BMX, or go to sit in the grass in “Piazza dei Miracoli” enjoying the sunset and seeing the Leaning Tower.
Do you have any non-physics interests that you would like to share?
I like all kinds of sports, mainly, I like to ride BMX. I also like to repair the car with my dad, and learn about engine mechanics with him.
If you were not a scientist, what do you think you would be doing?
I have already considered to be an engineer, or work in data management. However, nowadays, I do not see myself doing something other than being a scientist, in particular a theoretical physicist! I really love my job! Of course, there are difficult days when I don’t know how to proceed with my work (quite frequently). However, there are awesome days when I feel myself on fire, hyper focused for days or weeks, doing computations from the time that I wake up to the time that I go to sleep. I love so much when this happens!!
- juliedalgobbo
Name: Francesca Calore
Current position: Faculty
Affiliation: Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique (LAPTh, CNRS)
Field of research: Astroparticle and Theoretical Physics
What is your career trajectory to date?
After an MSc degree in Theoretical Physics at the University of Turin in October 2010, I moved to Hamburg for my PhD studies where I obtained a joint PhD with the University of Turin. I then worked for 3 years as postdoctoral fellow in GRAPPA, at the University of Amsterdam, in the group of G. Bertone. In October 2016, I was hired as CNRS researcher and I work since then in the astroparticle and cosmology group of the Laboratoire d’Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique (LAPTh), in Annecy.
What are the most exciting open questions in your research area?
Surely, what is the nature of dark matter is THE question in my research area. Nonetheless, many exciting open questions, related to the astrophysics of our Galaxy, are of relevance for my research. As an example, what is the origin of some longstanding excesses in gamma-ray astrophysics, from the 511 keV line to the Fermi Galactic Center GeV excess.
What do you like and dislike about being a scientist?
As a theoretical (astro)physicist, I very much enjoy the freedom to choose what I really like to work on, and being able to explore new lines of research without (almost) no constraint. What I disliked the most, while being a postdoc, was the difficulty to feel at home in a place where you know you would have only spent a couple of years, three at most.
In your career so far, at what point were you the most excited, and what were you excited about?
I was very excited about the first gravitational wave event detection and impressed by the type of measurement performed by the GW interferometers.
What advances or new results are you excited about or looking forward to?
Besides the discovery of the dark matter particle nature, I really look forward to the discovery of the stochastic gravitational wave background whose nature and properties may shed light onto fundamental physics.
What role do you think a community network like EuCAPT can play in developing theoretical astroparticle physics and cosmology in Europe?
EuCAPT can be crucial in federating the theory community around common objectives and affirming its role within the European scientific community.
Have you lived in a different European country than you do now? If so, would you like to tell us something about it, e.g. a fond memory or something you found surprising?
Besides France (and Italy), I lived in Hamburg and Amsterdam. I loved both cities very much, but I especially enjoyed living in Amsterdam and bike everywhere, under all weather conditions. Given that I am not a very sporty soul, it was extremely surprising to find myself biking effortless under the rain and snow.
How do you like to relax after a hard day of work?
Relax is a word than comes in very late in my daily routine. After the kids are finally asleep and if weather allows us, my husband and I sit down on our balcony and chat quietly sharing our day.
If you were not a scientist, what do you think you would be doing?
I love animals but I don’t have the stomach to be a vet, so probably a biologist… which is again a scientist!
What question would you have liked us to ask you, and what would you have responded?
Do you feel privileged being a scientist? And I would have answered: Yes, I do.