Current efforts towards a more fundamental theory beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics open up a window for deviations from exact Lorentz symmetry. To test Lorentz symmetry, one can take advantage of the extreme energies reached by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We use the air showers initiated by UHECRs to study the effects of Lorentz violation (LV), focusing on isotropic,...
Several gamma-ray observatories have discovered photons of cosmic origin with energies in the PeV ($10^{15}$ eV) range. Photons at these energies might be produced as by-products from particle acceleration in so-called PeVatrons, which are widely assumed to be the sources of a large part of galactic cosmic rays. Based on recent measurements of these PeV $\gamma$-sources by LHAASO and HAWC, we...
The neutrino mass is one of the still-to-be-solved puzzles of particle physics. Measuring the neutrino mass is possible by performing precision spectroscopy of the tritium beta-decay spectrum at its endpoint. Until now, experiments following this approach use molecular tritium and are therefore limited by the broadening of the molecular final state distribution.
For future experiments...
Building on the successful cosmic ray observations with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) telescope, the low frequency part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), currently undergoing construction in Australia, will serve as a next-generation cosmic ray observatory in the coming decade. It is planned to have an extremely homogeneous and dense antenna layout of roughly 60,000 antennas in an area of...
The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) is one of the most extreme and close by astrophysical environments and of particular interest for studies of non-thermal processes. It is also one of the first known sources of cosmic-ray acceleration to PeV energies within our Galaxy. The emission of TeV gamma rays in the CMZ is affected by the source position and the distribution of the gas, photons and...
One of the most promising approaches for the next generation of neutrino experiments is the development of large hybrid Cherenkov/scintillation detectors, made possible by recent advancements in photodetection technology and liquid scintillator chemistry. This poster discusses the development of a potential future detector liquid with notably slow light emission. The properties of this...
The movement of open science has gained momentum in recent years, demanding a cultural change in science towards sharing of research data, software and processes, with open science policies requested for most major project. The KM3NeT collaboration has responded to this demand not only by endorsing a policy, but is actively developing its computing infrastructure and processes towards the goal...
The adaptation of large-language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT for information retrieval from scientific data, software and publications is offering new opportunities to simplify access to and understanding of science for persons from all levels of expertise. They can become tools to both enhance the usability of the open science environment we are building as well as help to provide systematic...
The German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) fosters FAIR data management and the sharing of digital research objects across diverse scientific fields. PUNCH4NFDI brings together Germany's astroparticle, particle, astrophysics, hadron, and nuclear physics communities to collaborate on the development and utilization of hardware and software infrastructures that facilitate the...
With the knowledge and statistical power derived from two decades of measurements, the Pierre Auger Observatory has significantly advanced our understanding of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays whilst unearthing an increasingly complex astrophysical scenario and tensions with hadronic interaction models. The field now demands primary mass as an observable with an exposure that only the surface...
Currently, the tightest constraints on the absolute scale of neutrino mass are obtained by the KATRIN (KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino) experiment, giving an upper limit on the mass of electron anti-neutrino of 0.45 eV (https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.13516). Final projected sensitivity of the KATRIN experiment will be in the vicinity of 0.3 eV, and should be reached at the end of 2025.
Going...
