Docentlecture by Anna Obertacke - Particles from Space

by Anna Obertacke (Stockholm University)

Wednesday 22 Apr 2026, 10:15 → 11:30 Europe/Stockholm

FB54 (AlbaNova Main Building)

Astroparticle physics explores the Universe using messengers such as X-rays, gamma rays, charged nuclei, and neutrinos that travel across vast cosmic distances and times, carrying unique information about extreme astrophysical environments. By uniting particle physics, astronomy, and cosmology, the field aims to probe fundamental physics beyond the reach of terrestrial experiments and to gain insights into the conditions shortly after the Big Bang.

The measurement of these astrophysical messengers requires large-scale, high-precision detectors capable of operating in challenging environments, from deep ice and water to space-based observatories. The rare signals recorded by these detectors are interpreted using sophisticated statistical methods, large-scale data processing, and careful treatment of substantial uncertainties, as a handful of detected particles must be used to unravel complex and often poorly understood astrophysical processes.

In this opening lecture of a master course, I will provide a pedagogical introduction to astroparticle physics from an experimental perspective. The content is accessible to interested undergraduate students, yet the many open questions in the field make it equally engaging for current and future researchers.