COSMIC WISPER :
Mathieu Kaltschmidt
Current position:
PhD student
Affiliation:
CAPA, U. Zaragoza, Spain
Field of research:
Cosmology and Particle Physics, with a focus on Axion Physics
What is your career trajectory to date?
BSc + MSc at ITP U. Heidelberg, Germany, then moved to Zaragoza for my PhD
What are the most exciting open questions in your research area?
Overall, the most exciting event would of course be the actual detection of the axion or of a similar particle. For the concrete example of my own research, we would like to gain a better understanding of the axion production from topological defects, i. e. strings and domain walls, which we hope to obtain by performing HPC simulations with advanced numerical techniques such as Adaptive Mesh Refinement. This is one of the few possibilities to pinpoint the axion mass from theory, which can help to speed up experimental searches.
What role do you think a network like COSMIC WISPers can play in developing WISP searches in Europe ?
A network like COSMIC WISPers plays a crucial role in developing WISP searches in Europe. Joining this network during my first year of PhD studies, which also marked my entry into the field of WISPs, proved immensely beneficial. It provided me with the opportunity to connect with both young researchers and more senior experts in the field. Through the network, I was able to establish collaborations with colleagues from all across Europe, which hopefully will result in advancements in our collective pursuit of understanding the properties of WISPs.
