Prof Azwinndini Muronga (UJ Physics Department and Soweto Science Centre Director) is in search for potential collaborators and students in their research fields which are Nuclear, Particle, Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Johannesburg. If you know students and staff who will be interested please pass this on to anyone you know on the African continent. Students may come and study at UJ from Honours level up to PhD level. Staff interested in collaborating with us at UJ are strongly encouraged to do so. Attached please find an electronic poster that depicts the UJ research activities

1. Astrophysics and Particle Physics @ UJ
Active Galaxies, Atmosphere, Sun
Prof Hartmut Winkler (Head of Department and Head of the Group) is studying the variations and optical spectral
characteristics of active galactic nuclei (AGN). He is developing a web-based atlas of the visual spectra of
comparatively nearby Seyfert galaxies, as well as a catalogue of AGN based on a revised, more sophisticated,
spectral characterization scheme. He is in addition investigating the Earth atmosphere’s transparency through solar
and astronomical measurements, including the night sky brightness. This has important applications in fields as
diverse as solar energy generation and astronomical site testing.”
His Ph D students are involved in the study of dust interaction with radio jets of active galaxies (Mr. Bernard Duah
Asabere), and solar energy in order to reproduce ground level solar radiation characteristics observed in tropical
climates (Ms. Marie Chantal Cyulinyana).
Astroparticle physics group/
High Energy Astrophysics, AGNs and GRBs
Head: Prof. Soebur Razzaque
The astroparticle physics group at UJ is involved in gamma-ray and
neutrino astrophysics research, using data from large international
facilities such as the Fermi-Large Area Telescope and the IceCube
neutrino observatory. Research topics include active galactic nuclei,
gamma ray bursts, extragalactic diffuse background and search for
new physics. Results from research by the group members have been
published in over 7 journal articles in the last year.
Other members: Dr. Richard Britto (postdoctoral fellow), Mr.
Bantipo Kamoua-Kolani (PhD student), Ms. Jessymol K. Thomas
(Ph D student)
Astrophysics
and Particles
Physics
at UJ
Department of Physics
Hot and Dense Matter
Head: Prof. Azwindini Muronga
“Our research field lies in the intersection of Nuclear, Particle,
Astrophysics and Cosmology. At the moment we are studying the the
nature and properties of Hot and Dense Matter in Heavy Ion Collisions
and in Astrophysics. The study focuses on the properties of a new state
of matter - the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP)- which existed just for a
microsecond at the beginning of the Universe after the big bang and
might also exist in the deep interior of neutron stars. Scientists are now
able to recreate this new state of matter in the terrestrial laboratories
such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider experiments in Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Long Island New York and the Large Hadron
Collider experiments at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland.
Studying the properties of QGP by studying its transport properties and
the equation of state will help us to understand how our Universe begins,
how it evolves, where is it going, and how will it ends.”
M Sc Students: Ms Rotondwa Mudau, Mr Thendo Nemakhavhani
High Energy Physics Group / Dark Matter from SUSY at ATLASHigh Energy Physics Group / Dark Matter from SUSY at ATLAS
Head: Prof. Simon H. ConnellHead: Prof. Simon H. Connell
The UJ High Energy Physics Group pioneered the South African participation at ATLAS.
The Group’s analysis focuses on the recently discovered Higgs boson as a portal to the discovery of new physics beyond the Standard Model. In this scenario, the
Standard Model Higgs mixes with a Dark Sector, and decays via a Dark Force back to Standard Model Particles. Our search is in the channel H->Z’Z’->4 leptons.
The excess in the rate of observation of the Higgs in the channel H->ZZ->4 leptons, though not yet significant, is another motivation. This work is related to dark
matter, whose presence has been evidenced by astronomy.. The Group has contributed to the development of an important tool for the ATLAS Detector which tracks
missing transverse energy and momentum. This is used in nearly all searches, particularly those involving invisible particles like neutrinos and dark matter
candidates. The Group participates in software development for the Control Room, and the development and operation of the ATLAS nerve centre, where all data is
acquired and stored, the so called TDAQ system, and in the upgrade of the muon detectors in preparation for Run II. Finally, the group makes extensive use of High
Performance Computing and has assisted in the roll-out of these technologies to UJ and to other disciplines. The Group has brought about 300 publications in highly
cited journals to UJ.
Other members: S. Ballestrero (100% at CERN), C. Lee (100% at CERN), Visiting Professor (also at BNL), Prof K. Assamagan,
Post-docs: Dr M. Aurousseau, Dr E. Castaneda (100% at CERN, shared with UCT),
Students: CJ. Lee, (PhD, 100% at CERN), P. Ntsoele (Msc), D Unwuchola (PhD), N. Govender
http://infraredtv.com/IR_Explained.html
KAT-7, MeerKAT, SKA
Stellar Physics Group
Head: Dr Chris Engelbretch
The stellar physics group at UJ use 'stellar music' to work out the
interior structure and evolution of stars (hence: 'asteroseismology').
The Kepler space telescope has brought about a revolution in this
very important field of study, which impacts on models of galaxy
formation, large-scale structure of the universe and cosmology.
Kepler was launched in 2009 and the UJ group joined various
multi-national Kepler Working Groups in 2010. We are working on
2 separate Kepler-based projects at the moment. Ultimately, this
work will feed into our involvement with MeerKAT and SKA through
models of pulsar formation.
Ph D Students: Mr. Pierre van Heerden, Mr. Chris Middleton
Msc Student: Ms. Refilwe Kgoadi
Artist concept of Kepler in space. Credit: NASA/JPL