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Astroparticle physics addresses unsolved problems in fundamental physics which lie at the frontier of particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. The existence of dark matter; neutrino flavor oscillations and generation of neutrino masses; the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe: these are all compelling evidences that our understanding of the laws of Nature is incomplete. The nature and origin of dark energy, violent astrophysical phenomena and the origin and features of cosmic rays also constitute unsolved puzzles. A solution to any of these questions can have profound implications on the understanding of the others.
This project, funded by the italian Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Universita’ e della Ricerca – Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) under the 2012 call Progetti di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale – Projects of National Interest (PRIN 2012), aims at contributing crucial steps forward in the theoretical understanding of the main open problems in astroparticle physics, also profiting of the decisive experimental results expected from observational astrophysics, precision cosmology and particle accelerators. The areas of research are:
- Dark Matter
- Neutrino Physics
- Cosmological aspects
- Particle physics aspects
The research team is formed by 8 Research Units (Torino, Napoli, Ferrara, Padova, SISSA, L’Aquila, Bari and INFN/LNF).
The Principal Investigator of the project is Nicolao Fornengo (University of Torino and INFN/Torino).