ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS PHD PROGRAM - Gran Sasso Science Institute
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ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS PHD PROGRAM
Courses Organization and Contents
(Preliminary)
Academic Year 2021-2022
Lectures at GSSI will start the first week of November and end within May, with breaks
in December/January (2 weeks) and February/March (4 weeks).
We widely defined three main research areas at GSSI:
- Low Energy Astroparticle Physics (AP-LE):
Rare events searches, underground and neutrino physics
- High Energy Astroparticle Physics (AP-HE):
High Energy Cosmic Rays, Gamma and Neutrino Astronomy
- Gravitation and Cosmology (AP-GC):
Gravitation, General Relativity, Gravitational waves, Cosmology
For each of the three main areas we offer two “pillar” courses covering theoretical and
experimental aspects respectively. Every single pillar course lasts 30 hours.
Students are required to attend all 6 pillar courses (from November to February) and
pass exams for at least 4 out of 6.
After the February break, for each area (i.e. LE, HE, GC) we offer 8 “short” courses (10
hours long) covering specific aspects in field. Students are required to attend at least 5
short courses and pass exams (preparation and discussion of a 20’ talk) for at least 3 of
them.
Admission to the second year depends on the above requirements and on the
evaluation of the student activity report (including information concerning courses
attendances, exams, participation to schools/workshops/conferences, etc. )
Interdisciplinary courses will be also organized for all the students. Students from the
second, third and fourth year should attend at least one of these interdisciplinary
courses each academic year.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS PHD PROGRAM
Contents of the Pillar Courses (a.y. 2021-2022)
(Preliminary)
NAME COURSE TITLE HOURS
F. VISSANI
AP-LE-TH LOW ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS – THEORY 30
(GSSI AND INFN)
LOW ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS – EXPERIMENTS F. FERRONI
AP-LE-EXP1 15
(DOUBLE BETA DECAY EXPERIMENTS) (GSSI AND INFN)
LOW ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS – EXPERIMENTS E. BARACCHINI
AP-LE-EXP2 15
(DARK MATTER SEARCHES) (GSSI AND INFN)
HIGH ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS – P. BLASI
AP-HE-TH 30
THEORY (GSSI AND INFN)
HIGH ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS – I. DE MITRI
AP-HE-EXP 30
EXPERIMENTS (GSSI AND INFN)
GRAVITATION AND COSMOLOGY – THEORY -1 S. CAPOZZIELLO
AP-GC-TH1 15
(GRAVITATION) (UNIV. NAPOLI AND INFN)
GRAVITATION AND COSMOLOGY – THEORY -2 S. MATARRESE
AP-GC-TH2 15
(COSMOLOGY) (UNIV. PADOVA AND INFN)
GRAVITATION AND COSMOLOGY – EXPERIMENTS – 1 J. HARMS
AP-GC-EXP1 15
(GW DETECTION) (GSSI AND INFN)
GRAVITATION AND COSMOLOGY – EXPERIMENTS – 2 M. BRANCHESI
AP-GC-EXP2 15
(GW ASTROPHYSICS) (GSSI AND INFN)
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662LOW ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS
1 LE-TH F. VISSANI Introduction to neutrinos and particle physics. Wave equations. Helicity
and chirality. Interaction hamiltonians from QED, to Fermi, to weak
interactions. Decays and cross sections. Introduction to the formalism of
quantum field theory. Standard model. Extensions of the standard
model. Major sources of neutrinos: big-bang, Sun, Earth, reactors,
supernovae, accelerators, atmosphere, high energy neutrinos. Neutrino
masses, theory and principles of the experiments. Neutrino oscillations.
Neutrinoless double beta decay. Statistics for rare processes.
2 LE-EXP1 F. FERRONI Neutrinoless Double Beta decay. What is it ? Why should be studied ?
How difficult it is ? Experimental history. Today’s status.
Perspectives.
LE-EXP2 E. BARACCHINI Introduction to direct dark matter searches and their challenges.
Experimental techniques for detecting signatures of WIMP-like DM
interactions and background rejection. Pros and cons of the various
experimental approaches and discussion on more sensitive experiments.
HIGH ENERGY ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS
3 HE-TH P. BLASI The basic aspects of cosmic ray physics and astrophysics will be
discussed in detail. The propagation of charged particles in turbulent
magnetic fields will be derived from first principles, and diffusion will
arise as a natural implication. The transport (advection-diffusion)
equation will be derived and used to describe cosmic ray propagation in
the Galaxy and particle acceleration at shock waves. Special emphasis
will be given to the interaction between cosmic rays and the
environment in which they move, a phenomenon that is at the basis of
all modern theories of particle acceleration as well as transport.
4 HE-EXP I. DE MITRI In the first part several basic arguments are reviewed. Relativistic
kinematics. Interaction of radiation with matter. Basics of particle
detectors. Particle identification systems, magnetic spectrometry,
electromagnetic and hadronic calorimetry.
Then lectures focus on experimental techniques used in a variety of high
energy astroparticle physics experiments, mainly devoted to the study of
high energy cosmic radiation (gamma and neutrinos, electrons, positrons
and antimatter, protons and nuclei) using balloon and space born
detectors, ground based extensive air shower arrays and telescopes,
underground/ice/water detectors, space based EAS observatories.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662GRAVITATION AD COSMOLOGY
5 GC-TH1 S. CAPOZZIELLO Gravity and Acceleration. The Equivalence Principle. Geometry and
(TBC) Gravity. Physics and Gravity. The Geodesic Equations. Connections and
Metric. Geodesic Motion. Weak Gravitational Fields. Physical meaning of
the Metric. The Riemann Tensor. The parallel transport along a closed
curve. The Bianchi identities. The commutation of covariant derivatives.
The Ricci tensor. The Einstein Field Equations. The Stress-Energy Tensor.
Experimental Tests of General Relativity. The Theory of Gravitational
Waves. The astrophysical and cosmological sources. The Gravitational
waves detection. Gravitational Astronomy. Further theories. Further
modes. GWs as test bed for gravitational theories.
GC-TH2 S. MATARRESE The Universe on large scales: cosmological principle and Robertson-
(TBC) Walker metric. Redshift and distances in cosmology, Hubble law. The
main components of the Universe: baryons, dark matter, dark energy,
neutrinos and radiation. Friedmann equations from Einstein Equations.
Main solutions. The Universe thermal history; inflation, decoupling
primordial nucleosynthesis, hydrogen recombination, equality of matter
and radiation and matter and dark energy, ... Dark matter abundances
(hot and cold relics). Cosmological perturbations and large scale
structures: formation, evolution and statistical description.
6 GC-EXP1 J. HARMS Gravitational-wave detection has recently reached its breakthrough with
the first observations of coalescing pairs of black holes and neutron
stars. Essential for this success was the development of long-baseline,
high-power laser interferometry. In this course, the students will learn
the working principles of these instruments, and understand their
limitations. The lecture will cover current detectors and a short review of
proposed future ground-based and space-borne instruments.
GC-EXP2 M. BRANCHESI Gravitational-wave sources and astrophysical implications of the first
gravitational-wave observations. Overview of the observational results
and modeling of the physics governing the multi-messenger emission
from the coalescence of binary of compact objects, black-holes and
neutron stars, core-collapse of massive stars, and their connection with
gamma ray bursts and kilonovae. Perspectives of the transient
gravitational-wave astrophysics with present and future observatories.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS PHD PROGRAM
Contents of the Short Courses
(Preliminary)
The Short course program will start on March and end within May. Each course will
last 10 hours in total. As per GSSI rules, each student must attend at least 5 short
courses and pass an exam (20’ talk and corresponding discussion) for at least 3 of
them.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662Low Energy Astroparticle Physics: LE (TBC)
LE-1: Low radioactive background techniques for rare event searches
Ezio Previtali (INFN Milano Bicocca), Lorenzo Pagnanini (GSSI and INFN)
A detailed description of various screening methods and approaches will be presented and some results
on specific measurements will be discussed in detail.
LE-2: Dark Matter Candidates
Piero Ullio (SISSA – Trieste)
General classification of particle DM candidates. Elements of thermal description of the early Universe.
Boltzmann equation description of chemical and kinetic freeze-out; hot and cold thermal relics. The Higgs
portal for a scalar singlet as an example of WIMP DM candidate; its direct and indirect detection. Freeze-in
mechanism for non-thermal DM candidates. Dark matter as a condensate: the axion.
LE-3: Rare event searches with noble liquid TPC
Cristiano Galbiati (GSSI and INFN, Princeton University)
Main technical aspects of Liquid Xenon and Liquid Argon, single and double phase, Time Projection
Chambers. Rare event searches with large underground TPCs.
LE-4: Satistics tools for Astroparticle Physics
N. Di Marco (GSSI and INFN), S. Petrera (GSSI and INFN), F. Salamida (University of L’Aquila and INFN)
Basic and advanced statistics tools for astroparticle physics: frequentist and Bayesian approaches.
Applications to: upper limit calculations, exclusion plots, spectral unfolding, etc.
LE-5: Radiation Measurements
Felicia Barbato (GSSI and INFN), Lorenzo Pagnanini (GSSI and INFN), Andrei Puiu (GSSI and INFN)
Measurement of radioactivity. Low Background and Ultra Low Background techniques.
Measurement of secondary cosmic radiation. Setup of a cosmic ray muon detector.
This is a laboratory course with some activity at LNGS external labs.
LE-6: Monte Carlo techniques
Luciano Pandola (INFN LNS)
Sampling of random variables, numerical integration, error estimation in Monte Carlo calculations, particle
tracking in homogeneous media, condensed, detailed and mixed Monte Carlo simulations, biasing
techniques. Blackboard lectures will be complemented by a few practical exercises.
LE-7: Neutrino oscillation experiments
Natalia Di Marco (GSSI and INFN)
Review of neutrino oscillation experiments with both natural and artificial sources.
LE-8: Cryogenics sensors and related electronics
Andrei Puiu (GSSI and INFN), Marcello Messina (INFN LNGS)
Low temperature calorimeters and readout techniques. Detection of scintillation light in liquid Ar / Xe TPC
with standard or silicon based photomultipliers and related electronics.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662High Energy Astroparticle Physics: HE (TBC)
HE-1: Non thermal processes
Roberto Aloisio (GSSI and INFN)
Basic processes of non-thermal emission in high energy astrophysics and astroparticle physics. Synchrotron
emission, inverse Compton scattering, hadronic processes. Proton-proton interaction and interactions with
astrophysical photons backgrounds. Impact on observations and theoretical models.
HE-2: Data analysis techniques in HE Astroparticle Physics
Sergio Petrera (GSSI and INFN)
Review of the main techniques for Extensive Air Shower reconstruction. The following example will be
discussed in detail: Inference of UHECR source scenarios from energy spectrum and composition data.
HE-3: Tracking and calorimetric systems in space-based experiments
Giovanni Ambrosi (INFN Perugia), Oscar Adriani (Università di Firenze and INFN)
Silicon based tracking system, calorimetric detectors, and their applications to existing and future missions
devoted to direct cosmic ray measurements. Use of SiPMs as light sensor in space-based detectors.
HE-4: Very High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy (VHE-GRA)
Alessandro De Angelis (Università di Padova and INFN)
Objectives and the Status of the Field. Phenomenology of VHE GRA in the context of multi-wavelength and
multi-messenger approach for the study of the non thermal Universe. GRA and Origin of Galactic Cosmic
Rays. GRA and Origin of Extragalactic Cosmic Rays. Cosmology with VHE gamma-rays.
HE-5: Front-end and readout electronic systems for High Energy Astroparticle Physics
Valter Bonvicini (INFN Trieste), Felicia Barbato (GSSI and INFN)
Introduction to front-end electronics and pulse processing. Basic noise concepts. Processing the signal from
a radiation detector. Identification of noise sources. General consideration about signal shaping.
Preamplifiers and Amplifiers. Radiation hardness. Specific examples on space-based detectors.
HE-6: High Energy Neutrino Astronomy
Paolo Lipari (INFN Roma)
State and perspectives of High Energy Neutrino Astronomy, and the relations with the study of the other
cosmic messengers (in particular Cosmic Rays and Gamma Rays). The flux of atmospheric neutrinos
(generated by cosmic rays in the Earth's atmosphere) will be also discussed.
HE-7: UHECR theory
Roberto Aloisio (GSSI and INFN)
Theoretical overview of acceleration and propagation processes of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays.
HE-8: Numerical methods in Astroparticle Physics
Carmelo Evoli (GSSI and INFN)
Introduction on most common numerical methods used in astroparticle physics. Designing a numerical
algorithm. Basics of computation, differentiation/integration, ODE and PDE solvers, code optimization.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662Gravitation and Cosmology: GC (TBC)
GC-1: Next generation GW observatories
Jan Harms (GSSI and INFN), William J. Weber (University of Trento and INFN)
Review of science cases and experimental approaches for next generation (space and ground based) GW detectors
GC-2: Astrophysical transients
Gor Oganesyan (GSSI and INFN)
Modelling of electromagnetic counterpart of gravitational wave sources focusing on the emission mechanisms of
gamma-ray bursts and kilonovae. The course will give an overview of the physics governing their multi-wavlength
emission in light of the most recent and updated observations.
GC-3: Nucleosynthesis
Sergio Cristallo, INAF Teramo
Introduction to main nuclear burnings in quiescent hydrostatic phases and basics of stellar evolution.
Production of heavy elements via neutron capture processes. Description of available experimental facilities.
GC-4: Physics of Compact Stars
Massimo Mannarelli, INFN LNGS
Basic tools of general relativity, weak interactions and strong interactions for studying compact stars. The course will
focus in nature of Neutron Stars, and more exotic compact stellar objects as Strange Stars and Pion Stars.
GC-5: Low energy gamma and neutrinos from GW events
Giulia Pagliaroli (GSSI and INFN)
Modeling and observations of low energy neutrino emission and GWs emission from core-collapse Supernovae, and
high energy neutrino production in Gamma Ray Burst. The course will include an overview of the combined search
strategy and data analysis with GWs, gamma-rays and neutrinos.
GC-6: Advanced Virgo and GW data analysis
Viviana Fafone (Università di Roma “Tor Vergata” and INFN) – Marco Drago (GSSI and INFN)
Overview of the scientific case and of detector design for Advanced Virgo. Introduction on the general techniques for
GW data analysis: practical examples on the real data around the detected GW events.
GC-7: Observational Cosmology
Paolo de Bernardis (Università di Roma “La Sapienza” and INFN), Andrea Cimatti (Università di Bologna)
Phenomenology and observation of Cosmic Microwave Background (first half) and Dark Energy (second half)
CMB detection techniques and observational results.
Overview of the other main cosmological probes: Type I supernovae, weak gravitational lensing, galaxy clustering,
abundance of galaxy clusters, stellar ages. The tension among different Hubble constant measurements.
GC- 8: Compact object formation and evolution
Michela Mapelli (INAF Padova)
State-of-the-art knowledge about astrophysical black holes and neutron stars. The importance of massive star
evolution and of the main supernova mechanisms (core collapse, electron capture, pair instability and pulsational pair
instability) to shape the mass spectrum of compact objects. Formation of binary compact objects, isolated and the
dynamical formation channel across cosmic time. Hands-on part: students will run some simple population-synthesis
simulations and will analyze the statistics of simulated binary compact objects.
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
C.F. 01984560662ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS PHD PROGRAM
Contents of the Interdisciplinary Courses
(Preliminary)
One (or more) interdisciplinary course will be organized by each GSSI Area and offered
to all students. The interdisciplinary course organized by the Astroparticle Physics area
will be the following. Students should attend at least one of these interdisciplinary
courses each academic year.
AP-INT-1: Research policies and systems
Luciano Catani (INFN Roma “Tor Vergata” and MiUR)
The course aims at providing the future Principal Investigators with the necessary understanding of the research and
innovation system at various levels and the role of the main actors in the design of policies, regulations and priorities
for the research and innovation. Global, continental (i.e. European) and national research systems will be presented
with a special focus on the elements of coordination and consistency. Main research schemes, programmes and
funding instruments will be presented and discussed. Among other matters, the programme will touch upon topics
such as International Research Organisations and Research Infrastructures, Intellectual Property Rights, impact and
research assessment, management of research. The analysis of latest developments in research policies, e.g. mission-
oriented policies, research on societal challenges, open science and innovation will give an insight into the new trends
and the future priorities that scientific research should contribute to address
AP-INT-2: Applications to Medical Physics
Cristiano Galbiati (GSSI and INFN , Princeton University)
The course will cover the societal broader impact of selected technologies developed in the context of
frontier Astroparticle Physics experiments, with particular focus on impact on medical applications, from
diagnostics to care.
AP-INT-3: Statistics (TBC)
Giulio D’Agostini (Università di Roma “La Sapienza” and INFN)
Interdisciplinary applications of statistics
GSSI Gran Sasso Science Institute
Viale Francesco Crispi, 7 - 67100 L'Aquila, Italia - www.gssi.it Tel. +39 0862 4280262 email: info@gssi.it
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