UNC-CH Physics and Astronomy Colloquium

Matteo Agostini, Technical University Munich

“Neutrinos: a Unique Probe to Uncover the Secrets of Nature”

Neutrinos play a key role in our life. They are deeply involved in many particle and nuclear physics processes, from the microscopic world of subatomic particles till the evolution of entire galaxies. They can travel billions of light years, flying through planets and stars without interacting, and are thus unique probes to study our Universe. They are also a portal to uncover the fundamental laws of particle physics as some of their properties — e.g. their masses — cannot be explained with our current model and require new theories. In this talk I will discuss the experimental efforts to study the Sun with the BOREXINO experiment and the origin of neutrino masses with the GERDA and SOX projects.