Four young promising scientists from Nikhef receive a Veni grant from NWO. They will receive up to € 320,000 to further develop new research ideas.
A total of 174 researchers have received a grant. The Veni is a personal scientific grant, is part of the NWO Talent Programme and is aimed at researchers who have recently obtained their PhDs. They will conduct research within the full breadth of science.
Melissa van Beekveld (Theory) will focus on more accurate predictions of the current theory of particle collisions. Teresa Bister (Auger) will study the directional distribution of cosmic rays using new data. Peter Tsun Ho Pang’s (Virgo-GW) project will focus on supranuclear matter in neutron stars and Mike Sas (ALICE) will make accurate measurements of the QGP temperature using the upgraded ALICE detector.
Read more about the research these researchers will be conducting with their grant:
Melissa van Beekveld – Power up the shower: new frontiers in the modeling of particle collisions
It is clear that the current understanding of the laws of nature is not complete. However, particle-collision measurements, which provide researchers with an opportunity for a deeper understanding of these laws, have not given any insight as to where the missing piece of the puzzle might be. Accurate theory predictions are necessary to efficiently analyse the vast amount of data. Unfortunately, these predictions are currently not precise enough. By developing innovative simulations for particle collisions, this research will result in more accurate predictions, allowing an optimal analysis of particle collisions.
Teresa Bister – Search for the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays
Identifying the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with energies >1018 eV is still one of the most fascinating open questions in astroparticle physics. In this VENI proposal, new data obtained by machine learning methods and the AugerPrime upgrade of the Pierre Auger Observatory, will be leveraged to study the directional distribution of cosmic rays depending on their energies and charges. With that, not only a characterization of the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is possible, but also of the intervening cosmic magnetic fields.
Peter Tsun Ho Pang – Astronomy versus nuclear physics: Seeking dissonance between space and lab
This project explores supranuclear matter in neutron stars, offering insights into both nuclear and fundamental physics, particularly gravity. Neutron stars, formed from collapsing stars, exhibit extreme pressure and density, emitting electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves. Since physicists cannot replicate these conditions on Earth, the project aims to address uncertainties in high-density matter through a novel approach. By investigating potential tensions between astronomical observations and nuclear experiments, including violations of general relativity and phase transitions in quantum chromodynamics, the research seeks to contribute to our understanding of an overlooked sector in physics.
Mike Sas – Illuminating the temperature of the quark-gluon plasma at the LHC
Using ultra high-energy particle collisions between heavy nuclei researchers can create an extremely hot and dense state of matter that is referred to as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). This is a state of matter thousands of times hotter than the core of the sun and is completely different from hadronic matter. This research will deliver the first precise measurement of the QGP temperature at the LHC using the upgraded ALICE detector, which is a very challenging measurement that was not possible before. This will be done by measuring the thermal radiation coming from the QGP.
About the Veni grant
Veni is part of the NWO Talent Programme. It allows researchers who have recently obtained their PhD to conduct independent research and develop their ideas for a period of three years. Read more >>
Source: NWO