Professor Dr. JOACHIM KOPP

PRISMA Professorship for Theoretical Particle Physics

Joachim Kopp was appointed professor for Theoretical Particle Physics at the Cluster of Excellence PRISMA, Department of Physics, Mathematics and Computer Sciences of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz in May 2014. His research area is theoretical particle and astroparticle physics beyond the Standard Model, including in particular the physics of dark matter and neutrinos, as well as searches for new phenomena at the LHC.

Joachim Kopp and his team will develop new theoretical models addressing the shortcomings of the current Standard Model of particle physics, which, for instance, does not contain a dark matter candidate and does not explain the striking patterns observed in the masses and in the flavour structure of elementary particles.

The new working group will investigate how current and future data from laboratory experiments and from astrophysical and cosmological observations can be used to determine in what way the Standard Model needs to be extended. To relate theoretical models to experimental observables, the group will employ - and where necessary develop - a large toolbox of analytical and numerical techniques, including for instance the formalism of quantum field theory, Monte Carlo simulations and computer algebra.

Joachim Kopp, born in Regensburg, Germany, in 1981 studied physics at the Technical University Munich. He continued his doctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg; in 2009 he received his PhD at the Heidelberg University (magna cum laude). After his studies Joachim Kopp spent three years as research assistant at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermi Lab), USA. Until his appointment at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Joachim Kopp headed the Otto-Hahn-Junior Researcher Group "PhenoCOND" (Phenomenology of Colliders, Neutrinos and Dark Matter) at Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg.

With this research Joachim Kopp contributes to PRISMA's research areas A "Fundamental Interactions" and B "Origin of Mass and Physics Beyond the Standard Model".

Scientific career

May 2014
Appointment Professor (tenure track) for theoretical particle physics, Cluster of Excellence PRISMA, Department of Physics, Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

2012 - 2014
Leader of Otto-Hahn-Junior Research Group "PhenoCOND" (Phenomenology of Colliders, Neutrinos and Dark Matter), Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany
Otto Hahn Medal of the German Max Planck Society

2009 - 2012
Research Associate, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL, USA

2006 – 2009
PhD, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Titel of dissertation: "New phenomena in neutrino physics"
PhD Scholarship from Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (2007-2009)

Main teaching and research topics

  • Theoretical particle and astroparticle physics
  • Physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics
  • Dark matter
  • Neutrino phenomenology and quantum mechanical foundations of neutrino oscillations
  • Searches for new physics at the LHC

Publications

Decoherence by wave packet separation and collective neutrino oscillations
E. Akhmedov, JK, M. Lindner
arXiv:1405.7275 [hep-ph]

A ménage à trois of eV-scale sterile neutrinos, cosmology, and structure formation ("Cosmologically Safe eV-Scale Sterile Neutrinos and Improved Dark Matter Structure")
B. Dasgupta, JK
arXiv:1310.6337 [hep-ph], Phys. Rev. Lett. 112 (2014) 031803

Sterile Neutrino Oscillations: The Global Picture
JK, P. Machado, M. Maltoni, T. Schwetz
arXiv:1303.3011 [hep-ph], JHEP 1305 (2013) 050

Flavor violating Higgs decays
R. Harnik, JK, J. Zupan
arXiv:1209.1397 [hep-ph], JHEP 1303 (2013) 026

Missing energy signatures of dark matter at the LHC
P. Fox, R. Harnik, JK, Y. Tsai
arXiv:1109.4398 [hep-ph]

A CoGeNT Modulation Analysis
P. Fox, JK, M. Lisanti, N. Weiner
arXiv:1107.0717 [hep-ph], Phys.Rev. D85 (2012) 036008

LEP Shines Light on Dark Matter
P. Fox, R. Harnik, JK, Y. Tsai
arXiv:1103.0240 [hep-ph], Phys.Rev. D84 (2011) 014028

DAMA/LIBRA and leptonically interacting Dark Matter
JK, V. Niro, T. Schwetz, J. Zupan
arXiv:0907.3159 [hep-ph], Phys. Rev. D 80 (2009) 083502

Oscillations of Mössbauer neutrinos
E. Akhmedov, JK, M. Lindner
arXiv:0802.2513 [hep-ph], JHEP 0805 (2008) 005

New features in the simulation of neutrino oscillation experiments with GLoBES 3.0
P. Huber, JK, M. Lindner, M. Rolinec, W. Winter
arXiv:hep-ph/0701187, Comput. Phys. Commun. 177 (2007) 432-438