“Matter in Terrestrial & Cosmic Laboratories”: Exhibition Offers Insights into International Physics Research at the Ruhr Universities

It provided insights into current research in particle, hadron, astro, and plasma physics and demonstrated how experiments—ranging from particle accelerators to observatories and space-based instruments—contribute to the study of fundamental matter. The exhibition thus also reflected the research activities of the “Color Meets Flavor” Cluster of Excellence and the RAPP Center.

Exhibits included models and demonstrators for major international experiments such as LHCb and ATLAS at CERN, the IceCube neutrino observatory at the South Pole, and the FACT Cherenkov telescope on La Palma. Other stations presented projects such as Pierre Auger, MAGIC, RNO-G, and the planned solar axion telescope IAXO. Accelerator experiments such as INSIGHT at the ELSA accelerator in Bonn were also part of the exhibition. Thus, the experiments presented range from particle physics at CERN to astroparticle physics observatories and planned instruments for basic research.

A special exhibit was a model of the IceCube detector, developed in collaboration with the Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, which vividly demonstrates how the neutrino observatory works.

Following the opening, the exhibition was opened to students for three additional guided tours. This provided an opportunity to learn more about major international experiments and the related physics research activities in Dortmund and Bochum.