Astroparticle physics

Astroparticle physics or particle astrophysics, also called high energy astrophysics, a branch of astrophysics, the methods and techniques of particle physics applies to astrophysical issues.

Observation techniques

Based on traditional astronomical observations is the reception of electromagnetic radiation from the cosmos. Astroparticle physics complements the information that can be gained by such observations of cosmic events by the detection of elementary particles of cosmic origin. An important example are cosmic neutrinos as they are generated, for example in supernovae. Your proof serve as AMANDA or IceCube experiments.

Another example is the detection of the so-called cosmic rays, as it is operated for example with the Pierre Auger Observatory or at KASCADE -Grande. From such experiments is hoped that information on cosmic particle accelerators, as they believed in supernovae or other highly energetic astrophysical processes.

Furthermore, an attempt is made with particle detectors such as CRESST or EDELWEISS, directly detect the constituents of the so-called dark matter, the result plays an important role in the cosmos astronomical observations.

Also highly energetic electromagnetic gamma rays that can be detected not with telescopes, but only with particle detectors, fall within the scope of astroparticle physics.

Particle physics models of explanation

In the standard model of cosmology, the universe emerged from an extremely dense and hot state before breakfast around 14 billion years ago. In such energy densities, the models of particle physics are asked to explain the former properties of matter, such as the slight excess of matter over antimatter (known as baryon asymmetry ).

Another example of the use of statements from particle physics to astrophysics is the theoretical explanation of the density fluctuations in the earliest universe ( fractions of a second after the Big Bang ), which goes back to the so-called inflationary models, the field concepts of particle physics and cosmic expansion combine. Are about the details of these early observations fluctuations of the cosmic background radiation, give approximately the Planck space telescope, digestion.

In yet uncertain feet are attempts to explain the dark matter known as using suitable species of elementary particles (such as specific supersymmetric partner particles ), and the attempt to attribute the so-called dark energy, through which accelerates the cosmic expansion on the effects of quantum field theory.