People

I am Kimmo Tuominen, professor in theoretical particle physics and leader of the Particle Cosmology research group. My research interests span a wide range from particle physics and cosmology to condensed matter physics. I have worked on dense QCD matter and its production in relativistic heavy ion collisions, phase diagrams of strongly interacting gauge field theories with matter, theories for beyond standard model physics and dark matter. I have also worked on computational field theory where I contributed to the establishing of the entire subfield of lattice field theory simulations on beyond standard model theories. Currently my research is mostly focused on dark matter models, their implications on physics of the early universe and direct detection in laboratories on Earth and in space.

Apart from math and physics I like movies, music and books. In my spare time I also like to do hiking trips ranging in duration from few nights to a week. I can discuss endlessly about hiking and gear. As a lightweight backpacker my current base weight is about 7 kg.

My name is Matti Heikinheimo. My position is university researher and I'm a supervisor to most of the students in our group together with Kimmo. I've been a researher in Helsinki since 2015, before which I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Tallinn (KBFI) and Toronto (York University). My research is mostly about dark matter, including production mechanisms of dark matter in the early universe and attempts to detect dark matter in the present universe. I also coordinate the activities of HIP in the dark matter direct detection experiment COSINUS. In my free time I like to do various sports, including padel, jujitsu and cross country skiing. I also like board games.

Greetings! I am Sebastian, a PhD student and a former Master's student of this group. I originally ended up here via a summer project under the guidance of Kimmo and Matti, which became my Master's Thesis. Soon after its completion, I was given an opportunity to continue as a PhD student. My research concerns theoretical analysis of various aspects of dark matter direct detection experiments with a focus on the effects of the crystalline structure of solid state detectors on the direct detection signal. When I'm not trying to figure out why my code isn't working I enjoy cycling, mountain biking, and going on all kinds of outdoor adventures.

Hi, Im Alex Stendahl. Im doing my PhD with the COSINUS collaboration, my supervisor being Matti and Kimmo. I joined the group slighly before my master thesis was complete and have been a member since. My work is related to the direct detection of dark matter, not only from the COSINUS point-of-view but also other direct detection experiments. My hobbies are miniature building and painting.

Hi! I'm Tushar, a PhD student working with Katri Huitu and Matti Heikinheimo. I completed my BS-MS at IISER Kolkata and have always been fascinated by the mysteries of particle physics. Currently, my research dives into the world of dark matter phenomenology, focusing on supersymmetric dark matter. I'm also involved in a project exploring how light dark matter could be detected through direct detection methods, which is an exciting and evolving field. Although my background is mostly in particle physics, I’m brushing up on cosmology—particularly Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, to better understand the intersection of particle physics and cosmological processes.

When I’m not immersed in dark matter, you can find me playing badminton or enjoying any sport, whether it's hiking, volleyball, or trying out something new. I love meeting new people and making connections outside of academia, often over delicious meals at different restaurants or experimenting with cooking at home. And just between us, if I'm not in my office, I'm probably out somewhere petting a cat or dog on the street—or in someone else's office, bugging them (in the most fun way, of course)!

Moi! I am Topi. I did my bachelor's with Kimmo on WIMP dark matter. I did my master's with Kimmo and Matti on the topic of axions and their direct detection, a topic which was new to all of us. I am currently doing my phd with Kimmo and Matti, trying to constrain the parameter space of axion-like particles through both experimental means as well as a very fascinating phenomenon known as superradiance, in which a cloud of very light particles is generically predicted to form around BHs or stars of masses matching the matter wavelength of the particle (usually ~10^-11 eV). This cloud then opens many possible detection avenues such as gravitational wave detection and pulsar timing. In my free time I enjoy reading, badminton and studying/learning about random topics and skills which are often physics related. I am also learning the piano (very slowly :] ).

Hi! My name is Aula and I'm a PhD student working with Kimmo and Matti. I did my bachelor's and master's at the University of Helsinki. During my studies, I worked as a TA in many courses, most of which were lectured by Kimmo. I also worked a couple of summers making exercises for some of Kimmo's courses. After finishing my bachelor's thesis, I applied for a summer job in this group and did my master's thesis in the supervision of Kimmo and Matti. I'm working on inelastic scatterings, for instance Migdal effect, in dark matter direct detection.

Hi! I'm Hanna, a PhD student working with Kimmo and Matti, as well as a third supervisor from another group, Risto Paatelainen. I did my bachelor's thesis with Kimmo, and my master's thesis on dark matter with Kimmo and Matti, so I've been a part of this group for quite a while! Currently I'm looking at particle decay rates in thermal field theory that contribute to the behaviour of strongly interacting matter in extreme conditions, such as neutron star mergers. Right now I'm working on phase space integrals and looking at ways to compute them analytically, while keeping the approximations at a minimum. Outside of physics I do a lot of sports, including thai boxing, hiking and going to the gym. I also have a dog! If I'm not at work, working out at a gym or on a walk with the dog, I'm most likely playing, listening or composing music. I'm always planning and organising new group activities and trips :D

Hi, my name is Niklas and I am a masters student currently working with Kimmo and Matti. My background is in nuclear physics attending the university of Darmstadt, where I completed my bachelors. For my masters I contacted Kimmo and Matti for a collaborative masters thesis in cosmology to dive further in this topic. My research focuses on trying to find a common ground between different dark matter WIMP experiments such as DAMA, LUX-ZEPLIN and others. I am aiming to constrain sets of non-relativistic operators such that multiple experiments can be described by the same set of operators. Besides being frustrated with the computer, I do a lot of different sports. I am interested in outdoor sports like hiking, running and different ball sports but also in indoor sports such as the gym or swimming (during the winter).