{"brief":[{"title":"New members in administration","date":"March 25, 2026","label":"brief","tag":"New members","summary":"Welcome Doae, Shahed and Triana","content":"\u003cp\u003eIFAE has now completed its team of Administration student interns with the arrival of Shahed Al Refae, Doae Bakkach Chergui, and Triana Cerezo Carreño.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll three students come from the Jaume Mimó High School in Cerdanyola del Vallès, within the framework of a collaboration between the school and IFAE aimed at developing local talent. This initiative allows students to gain hands-on professional experience while contributing to strengthening key administrative services that currently require additional support. At the same time, their training provides an opportunity for IFAE to benefit from new perspectives and more up-to-date working practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Triana Cerezo\" src=\"/news/2026/03/25/new-members-in-administration/cerezo-triana-1.jpg\"\u003e\nTriana Cerezo Carreño, a student in the Higher Vocational Training programme in Administration and Finance, supports general administration and management, taking on responsibilities related to executive assistance and coordination across departments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Shahed Al Refae\" src=\"/news/2026/03/25/new-members-in-administration/al-refae-shahed.png\"\u003e\nShahed Al Refae, a student in the Intermediate Vocational Training programme in Administrative Management, is carrying out her internship within the Human Resources team, where she supports tasks such as organizing employee records, updating data, and assisting in recruitment processes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Doae Bakkach\" src=\"/news/2026/03/25/new-members-in-administration/bakkach-doae-1.jpg\"\u003e\nDoae Bakkach Chergui, who is pursuing a Higher Vocational Training programme in Transport and Logistics with a specialization in International Trade, contributes to both the Finance team—particularly in invoicing—and the Trips department\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWelcome Triana, Shahed and Doae!\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["administration"],"label":"brief","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/03/25/new-members-in-administration/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2026/03/25/new-members-in-administration/admin-interns_hu4787184243827515012.jpeg"},{"title":"Einstein Telescope Collaboration appoints new leadership","date":"March 19, 2026","label":"brief","tag":"New leadership","summary":"Michele Maggiore has been selected as its new Spokesperson, with Angélique Lartaux appointed Deputy Spokesperson.","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Einstein Telescope (ET) Collaboration has appointed Michele Maggiore as its new Spokesperson and Angélique Lartaux as Deputy Spokesperson. They will guide the scientific and strategic direction of the collaboration as it advances toward the realization of Europe’s next generation gravitational wave observatory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://einsteintelescope.eu/news/einstein-telescope-collaboration-appoints-michele-maggiore-as-spokesperson-and-angelique-lartaux-as-deputy-spokesperson/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eKeep reading\u003c/a\u003e\n in the Einstein Telescope website.\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["gw"],"label":"brief","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/03/19/einstein-telescope-collaboration-appoints-new-leadership/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2026/03/19/einstein-telescope-collaboration-appoints-new-leadership/et_logo_hu16349078887825344030.jpg"},{"title":"Eugenio Coccia participates in a conference at the Italian Embassy in Madrid","date":"March 19, 2026","label":"brief","tag":"Conference Italian Embassy","summary":"The conference focused on advancing our understanding of the Universe.","content":"\u003cp\u003eEugenio Coccia took part in a conference held at the Italian Embassy in Madrid focused on advancing our understanding of the Universe. His contribution addressed the role of next-generation gravitational wave observatories and their potential to open new observational windows on the cosmos.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe event also featured talks by Juan García-Bellido (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) and Nanda Rea (Institute of Space Sciences, ICE-CSIC), who presented perspectives on cosmology and high energy astrophysics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://thediplomatinspain.com/2026/03/17/conferencia-en-la-embajada-de-italia-para-comprender-el-universo/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eRead more\u003c/a\u003e\n.\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["ifae"],"label":"brief","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/03/19/eugenio-coccia-participates-in-a-conference-at-the-italian-embassy-in-madrid/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2026/03/19/eugenio-coccia-participates-in-a-conference-at-the-italian-embassy-in-madrid/italianembassymadrid_hu7314477011394915862.jpg"},{"title":"New ATLAS group publication","date":"March 18, 2026","label":"brief","tag":"New publication","summary":"Search for Higgs boson pair production in association with top-quark pairs using 196 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at √s = 13 and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe paper \u003ca href=\"https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HIGP-2024-33/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;Search for Higgs boson pair production in association with top-quark pairs using 196 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at √s = 13 and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e\n has been made public and submitted to the JHEP journal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis paper presents the first search for non-resonant Higgs boson pair production in association with a top-quark pair (tt̄HH) using proton–proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Tamara was the Editorial Board Chair of this physics analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["collider-physics"],"label":"brief","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/03/18/new-paper-atlas-2/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2026/03/18/new-paper-atlas-2/atlas_pub_hu1869638972868539045.jpg"},{"title":"New Gamma-ray group publication","date":"March 18, 2026","label":"brief","tag":"New publication","summary":"Combined dark matter search towards dwarf spheroidal galaxies with Fermi-LAT, HAWC, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1475-7516/2026/03/035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003e\u0026ldquo;Combined dark matter search towards dwarf spheroidal galaxies with Fermi-LAT, HAWC, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS\u0026rdquo;\u003c/a\u003e\nhas been published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.  D. Kerszberg and J. Rico corresponding authors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis paper presents a comprehensive joint search for WIMP dark matter (DM) signals combining data from five leading gamma-ray observatories, namely: Fermi-LAT, HAWC, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS. This collaboration has produced the most stringent constraints on the DM annihilation cross-section in the GeV-TeV mass range, improving the sensitivity of individual instruments by a factor of 2-3. This work represents a major milestone for the astroparticle physics community and serves as the definitive legacy result from the current generation of gamma-ray telescopes.\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["gammaray"],"label":"brief","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/03/18/new-gamma-ray-group-publication/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2026/03/18/new-gamma-ray-group-publication/gammas_paper_hu5859136672295113871.jpg"}],"highlights":[{"title":"Call for Applications for the position of Director of IFAE","date":"February 25, 2026","label":"highlight","tag":null,"summary":"IFAE has launched an international call for applications for the position of Director. The selected candidate will provide scientific leadership and strategic direction for the institute in its next stage of development.","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) has officially announced the opening of a Call for Applications for the position of Director. The call, launched on 23 February 2026, invites qualified candidates with a strong track record of scientific excellence and leadership to apply for the strategic role of leading the institute.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEstablished in 1991 as a public research consortium between the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), IFAE is a CERCA Centre of Excellence that conducts cutting-edge research in particle physics, astroparticle physics, cosmology and related technologies. The Institute is also a founding member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and contributes to major international scientific collaborations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSituated on the UAB campus near Barcelona, IFAE brings together ICREA research professors, UAB faculty, and its own scientific personnel to advance theoretical and experimental research across a wide range of fields. These include Standard Model and Beyond Standard Model physics, neutrino physics, collider physics, gamma-ray astronomy, gravitational waves, and observational cosmology. In addition, the institute is involved in applied research in medical imaging and quantum computing technologies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"role-and-responsibilities\"\u003eRole and Responsibilities\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Director will provide the scientific vision and strategic goals for the institute, oversee research and innovation activities, and ensure the institute’s financial sustainability through competitive funding and partnerships. The role also includes submitting the institute’s research program to the Consortium’s Governing Board and maintaining close communication with the CERCA Institution.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccessful candidates should demonstrate:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA distinguished record of scientific achievement\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProven skills in team and research management\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExperience with international scientific collaborations and consortia\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA deep understanding of the European and Spanish research landscapes\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile the working language at IFAE is English, proficiency in Catalan or Spanish is considered an advantage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"application-process\"\u003eApplication Process\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/careers/jobs/2026/02/call-for-applications-director-of-ifae/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe call\u003c/a\u003e\n is open from 23 February to 14 April 2026 (reference: IFAE2026/08_DIRECCIO_IFAE). Candidates are invited to submit a CV and cover letter by email to the Director of CERCA at \u003ca href=\"mailto:candidatures@cerca.cat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ecandidatures@cerca.cat\u003c/a\u003e\n before the deadline. The appointment will initially span four years, with the possibility of extension.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Selection Committee—comprising representatives from the Governing Board, the CERCA Institution, and the External Scientific Committee—will screen applications, conduct interviews, and propose a ranked list of candidates for approval by the Governing Board.\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["ifae"],"label":"highlight","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/02/25/call-for-applications-for-the-position-of-director-of-ifae/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2026/02/25/call-for-applications-for-the-position-of-director-of-ifae/ifae_hu14162482091198790574.jpg"},{"title":"Dark Energy Survey scientists release new analysis of how the universe expands","date":"January 22, 2026","label":"highlight","tag":null,"summary":"The latest results combined weak lensing and galaxy clustering and incorporated four dark energy probes from a single experiment for the first time.\nResearchers from the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies played a key role in this analysis within the Dark Energy Survey, co-leading the weak-lensing, redshift calibration, and magnification studies.","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Dark Energy Survey (DES) collaboration is releasing results that, for the first time, combine all six years of data from weak lensing and galaxy clustering probes. In the paper, which represents a summary of 18 supporting papers, they also present their first results found by combining all four probes — baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), type-Ia supernovae, galaxy clusters, and weak gravitational lensing — as proposed at the inception of DES 25 years ago.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“DES really showcases how we can use multiple different measurements from the same sky images. I think that’s very powerful,” said Martin Crocce, research associate professor at the Institute for Space Science in Barcelona (ICE-CSIC) and co-coordinator of the analysis. “This is the only time it has been done in the current generation of dark energy experiments.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analysis yielded new, tighter constraints that narrow down the possible models for how the universe behaves. These constraints are more than twice as strong as those from past DES analyses, while remaining consistent with previous DES results.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There’s something very exciting about pulling the different cosmological probes together,” said Chihway Chang, associate professor at the University of Chicago and co-chair of the DES science committee. “It’s quite unique to DES that we have the expertise to do this.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"how-to-measure-dark-energy\"\u003eHow to measure dark energy\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout a century ago, astronomers noticed that distant galaxies appeared to be moving away from us. In fact, the farther away a galaxy is, the faster it recedes. This provided the first key evidence that the universe is expanding. But since the universe is permeated by gravity, a force that pulls matter together, astronomers expected the expansion would slow down over time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen, in 1998, two independent teams of cosmologists used distant supernovae to discover that the universe’s expansion is accelerating rather than slowing. To explain these observations, they proposed a new kind of energy that is responsible for driving the universe’s accelerated expansion: dark energy. Astrophysicists now believe dark energy makes up about 70% of the mass-energy density of the universe. Yet, we still know very little about it.\nIn the following years, scientists began devising experiments to study dark energy, including the Dark Energy Survey. Today, DES is an international collaboration of over 400 astrophysicists and scientists from 35 institutions in seven countries. Led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the DES collaboration also includes scientists from Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley and SLAC national laboratories.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/DEScollab_hu14107931485209381582.jpeg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/DEScollab_hu12282006238302864524.jpeg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/DEScollab_hu12495446165594590249.jpeg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/DEScollab_hu15348316563191703068.jpeg alt=\"DES collaboration picture\" width= 800 height= 600 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003cfigcaption class=\"text-sm tracking-tight -mt-4\"\u003e\n    La colaboración Dark Energy Survey ha publicado los resultados finales que combinan lentes gravitacionales débiles y el agrupamiento de galaxias con seis años de datos.\n     \u003cspan class=\"ml-4\"\u003e Credit: Ari McManus, University of Pennsylvania\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo study dark energy, the DES collaboration carried out a deep, wide-area survey of the sky from 2013 to 2019. The DES collaboration built an extremely sensitive 570-megapixel digital camera, DECam, and installed it on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope at the NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Chilean Andes. For 758 nights over six years, the DES collaboration recorded information from 669 million galaxies that are billions of light-years from Earth, covering an eighth of the sky. Spanish institutions have been part of the project since its inception in 2005 and, in addition to making major contributions to the design, construction, testing, and installation of DECam and to data taking, they currently hold important responsibilities in the scientific exploitation of the data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;From our images, we can measure galaxy shapes and the subtle distortions caused by gravity, as well as the positions of galaxies and how they cluster across the sky. To interpret these measurements, however, we also need to know how far away the galaxies are. In practice, we infer these distances from their colors, measured through observations in different filters.\u0026rdquo;, says William d’Assignies Doumerg, a doctoral student at the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) and a member of the Dark Energy Survey redshift calibration team.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In this analysis, we have taken distance calibration to an unprecedented level of precision, allowing us to reliably connect the observed distribution of galaxies with the underlying physics of dark energy,” says Giulia Giannini, co-lead of the DES Redshift Working Group and a researcher at ICE-CSIC in Barcelona\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the latest results, DES scientists greatly advanced methods using weak lensing to robustly reconstruct the distribution of matter in the universe. They did this by measuring the probability of two galaxies being a certain distance apart and the probability that they are also distorted similarly by weak lensing. By reconstructing the matter distribution over 6 billion years of cosmic history, these measurements of weak lensing and galaxy distribution tell scientists how much dark energy and dark matter there is at each moment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The final DES lensing measurement includes around 150 million galaxies, an extraordinarily large data set. This is exciting, but it also brings a real responsibility to make sure that every part of the analysis is robust. In DES, we believe we have risen to that challenge. Through new methodologies and strong scientific results, the collaboration has delivered a measurement that will stand as a milestone for many years, and one that we can be genuinely proud of.”, says Simon Samuroff, a postdoctoral researcher at IFAE, who co-led the cosmic shear analysis presented in these results.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/Horizontal_FINAL_hu1759380078443910865.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/Horizontal_FINAL_hu17648320506590715277.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/Horizontal_FINAL_hu8474702701530260945.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/Horizontal_FINAL_hu10550251034102059796.jpg alt=\"DES infographic\" width= 800 height= 450 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003cfigcaption class=\"text-sm tracking-tight -mt-4\"\u003e\n    Correlaciones utilizadas por DES para reconstruir la distribución de la materia en el universo. El análisis combina las formas de las galaxias de fondo (en amarillo) con las posiciones de las galaxias que actúan como lente (en rojo).\n     \u003cspan class=\"ml-4\"\u003e Credit: Jessie Muir, DES\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this analysis, DES tested their data against two models of the universe: the currently accepted standard model of cosmology — Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) — in which the dark energy density is constant, and an extended model in which the dark energy density evolves over time — wCDM.\nDES found that their data mostly aligned with the standard model of cosmology. Their data also fit the evolving dark energy model, but no better than they fit the standard model.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, one parameter is still off. Based on measurements of the early universe, both the standard and evolving dark energy models predict how matter in the universe clusters at later times — times probed by surveys like DES. In previous analyses, galaxy clustering was found to be different from what was predicted. When DES added the most recent data, that gap widened, but not yet to the point of certainty that the standard model of cosmology is incorrect. The difference persisted even when DES combined their data with those of other experiments.\n“The Dark Energy Survey is a success story for Spanish cosmology. An entire generation has grown scientifically within DES, and we are ready to lead the next generation of cosmological experiments,” says Santiago Ávila, co-lead of the DES Large-Scale Structure working group, who completed his PhD at the Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT), carried out a postdoctoral stay at the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), and is currently a staff scientist at the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"paving-the-way\"\u003ePaving the way\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNext, DES will combine this work with the most recent constraints from other dark energy experiments to investigate alternative gravity and dark energy models. This analysis is also important because it paves the way for the new NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy\u0026rsquo;s Office of Science, to do similar work with its Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The measurements will get tighter and tighter in only a few years,” said Anna Porredon, co-lead of the DES Large Scale Structure working group and senior fellow at the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT) in Madrid. “We have added a significant step in precision, but all these measurements are going to improve much more with new observations from Rubin Observatory and other telescopes. It’s exciting that we will probably have some of the answers about dark energy in the next 10 years.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/12-0330-19D_hu10731571559519794534.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/12-0330-19D_hu797790553027811548.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/12-0330-19D_hu519181528051722024.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/12-0330-19D_hu13678909704320722794.jpg alt=\"DES infographic\" width= 800 height= 532 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003cfigcaption class=\"text-sm tracking-tight -mt-4\"\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e \u0026lt;span class=\u0026quot;ml-4\u0026quot;\u0026gt; Credit: Reidar Hahn, Fermilab\u0026lt;/span\u0026gt;\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dark Energy Survey (DES) is an international collaboration of more than 400 scientists from 25 institutions in seven countries, led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. Fermi Forward Discovery Group manages Fermilab for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor more information about the project, please visit the experiment’s website: \u003ca href=\"https://www.darkenergysurvey.org/es/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://www.darkenergysurvey.org/es/\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpain was the first international partner to join the United States in founding the DES project in 2005 and participates through three institutions: two based in Barcelona—the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC). and the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE)—and one in Madrid, the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), as well as with researchers from the Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT/CSIC-UAM).\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["cosmology"],"label":"highlight","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/","alt":"constelación austral de Lepus","img":"/news/2026/01/22/dark-energy-survey-scientists-release-new-analysis-of-how-the-universe-expands/DES0457-2124-group_hu17134575491264834158.jpg"},{"title":"Plan Complementario de Astrofísica y Física de Altas Energías concludes with final meeting in Santander","date":"November 27, 2025","label":"highlight","tag":null,"summary":"The Plan Complementario de Astrofísica y Física de Altas Energías, coordinated by IFAE under Ramon Miquel, has concluded after three years and more than 39 million euros of joint investment. The final meeting in Santander brought together representatives from national and regional administrations and participating research institutions to review outcomes and discuss future collaboration.","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://plan-complementario-astrohep.ifae.es/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePlan Complementario de Astrofísica y Física de Altas Energías\u003c/a\u003e\n has reached its completion after three years of coordinated work across seven autonomous communities. The programme has been coordinated by the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) and formally closed during a meeting held from 25 to 27 November 2025 at the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander, hosted by the Instituto de Física de Cantabria (IFCA, CSIC–Universidad de Cantabria).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Plan forms part of the Planes Complementarios de I+D+I and is co-governed and co-funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and the autonomous communities of Andalucía, Aragón, Cantabria, Catalunya, Comunidad de Madrid, Comunitat Valenciana and Illes Balears. The programme has mobilised more than 39 million euros, including 22.8 million from MICIU through the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia, with the remaining investment contributed by the participating regional governments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final meeting in Santander brought together representatives from the participating regions and research institutions, as well as delegates from national and regional administrations, including José Ignacio Doncel (Subdirector General de Grandes Instalaciones Científico-Técnicas, MICIU), Jesús Salvador (responsable de los Planes Complementarios, MICIU), Sergio Silva (Consejero de Cantabria) and the directors-general Loreto del Valle (Andalucía), Pilar Gayán (Aragón), Sebastià Massanet (Illes Balears), Teresa Sanchís (Catalunya) and Marina Villegas (Comunidad de Madrid). Institutions presented the main outcomes and confirmed the continuity of collaborative work beyond the end of the programme.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/pc_astrohep_closing_meeting_hu12385874671495861436.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/pc_astrohep_closing_meeting_hu9079044985821312870.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/pc_astrohep_closing_meeting_hu4903989352213815356.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/pc_astrohep_closing_meeting_hu15304818912564612621.jpg alt=\"\" width= 800 height= 600 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIFAE researchers Lluïsa Maria Mir, Giulio Luccheta, Thorsten Lux, Elizabeth González (PIC), Jorge Carretero (PIC), Stefano Terzo and Ramon Miquel attended the meeting and contributed talks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"about-the-plan-complementario-de-astrofísica-y-física-de-altas-energías\"\u003eAbout the Plan Complementario de Astrofísica y Física de Altas Energías\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the theme “Tecnologías avanzadas para la exploración del Universo y sus componentes,” the Plan has strengthened national capabilities in astrophysics and high-energy physics through eight coordinated lines of action. These include instrumentation for future particle and nuclear experiments, infrastructures for astrophysics and gravitational waves, large-scale astronomical surveys, neutrino research, direct dark-matter searches, space missions with small satellites, and advances in computing, big data and artificial intelligence. The programme has supported the development of new prototypes and infrastructures, reinforced data-processing capacity and consolidated a national network with long-term continuity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe coordinated action has generated measurable results, including the recruitment of 284 professionals, the creation of six patents, 44 collaborations with industry and the establishment of one spin-off. The initiative has also promoted scientific outreach, training activities and stronger links between research, education and society.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Plan Complementario de Astrofísica y Física de Altas Energías is co-funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the participating autonomous communities and the European Union – NextGenerationEU, within the framework of the Planes Complementarios de I+D+I.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/logos_hu10325829765152600542.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/logos_hu5047179675667617332.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/logos_hu2762370672147983512.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/logos_hu983194353284689668.jpg alt=\"\" width= 800 height= 655 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n","group":[""],"label":"highlight","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2025/11/27/plan-complementario-de-astrofisica-y-fisica-de-altas-energias-concludes-with-final-meeting-in-santander/pc_astrohep_closing_meeting_hu4590722122463069939.jpg"},{"title":"T2K and NOvA publish first joint analysis in Nature","date":"October 22, 2025","label":"highlight","tag":null,"summary":"The T2K and NOvA experiments have jointly achieved the most precise measurement of neutrino mass differences to date, marking a major step toward revealing CP symmetry violation and the origin of the matter–antimatter asymmetry in the universe.","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe T2K experiment in Japan and the NOvA experiment in the United States have joined forces for the first time to produce a joint analysis of their data, published in Nature. Both are long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments using accelerator-produced beams, and by combining their complementary baselines and energy ranges, they achieved the most precise measurements to date of neutrino oscillation parameters. The joint analysis reduces the uncertainty in the differences between neutrino masses to below 2%, providing an important step toward understanding CP symmetry violation in neutrinos and, ultimately, the origin of the matter–antimatter asymmetry in the universe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collaboration between two of the world’s leading neutrino experiments demonstrates how shared goals can transform scientific competition into collective progress. The analysis combines ten years of T2K data (2010–2020) and six years of NOvA data (2014–2020), marking a milestone in global neutrino research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"why-neutrinos-matter\"\u003eWhy neutrinos matter\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the universe began, matter and antimatter should have existed in equal quantities. Their mutual annihilation would have left behind only radiation — yet the universe today is filled with matter. Understanding how matter gained the upper hand remains one of the biggest open questions in physics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeutrinos, among the most abundant yet elusive particles in the cosmos, may hold the answer. These particles can change type — or flavor — as they travel, a process known as neutrino oscillation. Studying how neutrinos and antineutrinos oscillate differently could reveal signs of CP violation, shedding light on why the universe favors matter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"two-different-experiments-with-common-goals\"\u003eTwo different experiments with common goals\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eT2K and NOvA are both long-baseline experiments, sending beams of neutrinos across hundreds of kilometers to measure how they change.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eT2K sends neutrinos 295 km from the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) in Tokai to the Super-Kamiokande detector, a huge underground tank of ultrapure water in Kamioka.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNOvA sends a similar beam 810 km from Fermilab, near Chicago, to a 14,000-ton liquid-scintillator detector in Ash River, Minnesota.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause the two experiments use different energies, baselines, and detector technologies, combining their data allows researchers to disentangle effects that each experiment alone cannot isolate. Together they probe how neutrinos change as they propagate, offering new insights into the ordering of neutrino masses and possible CP violation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/10/22/t2k-and-nova-publish-first-joint-analysis-in-nature/novat2kgraphic_hu10309228406829692128.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/10/22/t2k-and-nova-publish-first-joint-analysis-in-nature/novat2kgraphic_hu2764890341240407660.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/10/22/t2k-and-nova-publish-first-joint-analysis-in-nature/novat2kgraphic_hu10793094276637551164.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2025/10/22/t2k-and-nova-publish-first-joint-analysis-in-nature/novat2kgraphic_hu16425409462934047009.jpg alt=\"Mapa de T2K y NOvA\" width= 800 height= 415 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003cfigcaption class=\"text-sm tracking-tight -mt-4\"\u003e\n    T2K en Japón y NOvA en Estados Unidos son experimentos de larga línea de base: ambos envían un haz intenso de neutrinos que atraviesa un detector cercano, próximo a la fuente de neutrinos, y un detector lejano situado a cientos de kilómetros. Ambos experimentos comparan los datos registrados en cada detector para aprender sobre el comportamiento y las propiedades de los neutrinos.\n     \u003cspan class=\"ml-4\"\u003e Credit: Colaboraciones T2K y NOvA\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"key-findings-of-the-t2knova-study\"\u003eKey findings of the T2K–NOvA study\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeutrinos exist in three flavors — electron, muon, and tau — but their masses are mixtures of three “mass states.” Determining which mass state is the lightest, known as the neutrino mass ordering, is one of the key open questions in particle physics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe new T2K–NOvA analysis does not yet favor one mass ordering over the other. However, if the ordering is later confirmed to be inverted, the results would provide evidence that neutrinos violate CP symmetry — a discovery with profound implications for why the universe contains matter at all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study also provides the most precise value yet of the mass-squared difference (Δm²₃₂), a fundamental quantity governing neutrino oscillations, with an uncertainty below 2%. This level of precision strengthens comparisons across different experiments and helps refine the overall theory of neutrino mixing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"next-steps\"\u003eNext steps\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth collaborations continue to collect new data and are preparing updates to the joint analysis. The work has deepened the mutual understanding of each experiment’s design, challenges, and analysis techniques.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eT2K and NOvA are currently the world’s only operating long-baseline neutrino experiments, paving the way for next-generation facilities such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) in the U.S. and Hyper-Kamiokande in Japan. With longer baselines, higher beam intensities, and more sensitive detectors, these experiments are expected to deliver definitive answers about neutrino mass ordering and CP violation.\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["neutrinos"],"label":"highlight","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2025/10/22/t2k-and-nova-publish-first-joint-analysis-in-nature/","alt":null,"img":"/news/2025/10/22/t2k-and-nova-publish-first-joint-analysis-in-nature/SK_high_res_hu15222450478321786985.JPG"},{"title":"IFAE-led GUEST mission concept advances in ESA’s 2025 Call for Missions","date":"October 15, 2025","label":"highlight","tag":null,"summary":"The GUEST mission concept, led by IFAE researcher Diego Blas, has been selected by ESA to advance toward development as a pioneering satellite mission to detect microhertz gravitational waves.","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), a CERCA research center located on the campus of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), announces that GUEST (Gravitational Universe Exploration with Satellite Tracking), a mission concept led by Diego Blas (IFAE), has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to proceed to the next phase of evaluation in the 2025 Call for Missions (Fast/F-class).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGUEST proposes to detect gravitational waves in the microhertz (μHz) band by using laser ranging between two or more geocentric satellites placed in orbits engineered to resonate with passing gravitational waves. This approach opens a new frequency window in the gravitational-wave spectrum—between the millihertz range targeted by LISA and the nanohertz regime probed by pulsar-timing arrays—enabling unique observations of sources such as massive black-hole binaries and potential cosmological backgrounds. The scientific method builds on work developed by \u003ca href=\"https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.101103?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eBlas and Alexander C. Jenkins in 2021–2022\u003c/a\u003e\n.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"my-4\"\u003e\u003cpicture\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/10/15/ifae-led-guest-mission-concept-advances-in-esas-2025-call-for-missions/GUEST_artist_hu6946362215491630236.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(min-width:768px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/10/15/ifae-led-guest-mission-concept-advances-in-esas-2025-call-for-missions/GUEST_artist_hu718161431743266768.jpg\"\u003e\u003csource media=\"(max-width:767px)\" srcset=\"/news/2025/10/15/ifae-led-guest-mission-concept-advances-in-esas-2025-call-for-missions/GUEST_artist_hu2245284007781977169.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"w-full rounded-lg\" src=/news/2025/10/15/ifae-led-guest-mission-concept-advances-in-esas-2025-call-for-missions/GUEST_artist_hu12095586366586922632.jpg alt=\"Vista artística de GUEST\" width= 800 height= 705 loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\n\u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003cfigcaption class=\"text-sm tracking-tight -mt-4\"\u003e\n    Impresión artística del concepto de misión GUEST, que propone detectar ondas gravitacionales mediante técnicas de telemetría láser entre satélites geocéntricos.\n     \u003cspan class=\"ml-4\"\u003e Credit: Eve Barlier\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/figcaption\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiego Blas, ICREA Research Professor at IFAE, serves as Principal Investigator (PI) of GUEST. Together with Alex Jenkins (Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge), he pioneered the theoretical framework for detecting gravitational waves through satellite orbital dynamics. Blas now leads the mission’s scientific coordination within a rapidly expanding international collaboration.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe GUEST consortium brings together more than forty scientists from across Europe and beyond. In Spain, in addition to IFAE, the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) play major roles. The IGN’s Yebes Observatory contributes expertise in satellite laser ranging, a technique essential to the project’s detection method. The consortium also includes industrial partners such as GMV and OHB, world leaders in space technology, who provide key expertise for the mission’s design and implementation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith a proposed ESA budget of 125 million euros, GUEST fits within the framework of “Fast” (F-class) missions, designed to deliver innovative space science at moderate cost and within shorter development timescales.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"a-new-window-on-the-gravitational-wave-sky\"\u003eA new window on the gravitational-wave sky\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGravitational-wave astronomy has expanded rapidly since the first direct detection in 2015 by the LIGO interferometers, inaugurating a new way to observe the Universe. By targeting the μHz band, GUEST would explore signals inaccessible to current facilities, complementing further current observations by the LVK collaboration centered around 100 Hz, and the future \u003ca href=\"https://einsteintelescope.eu/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eEinstein Telescope gravitational wave observatory\u003c/a\u003e\n, both with strong IFAE involvement. Also at IFAE, the \u003ca href=\"/news/2024/11/05/gravnet-a-global-network-for-the-search-for-high-frequency-gravitational-waves-receives-erc-synergy-grant-2024/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eGravNet collaboration\u003c/a\u003e\n aims at covering the high frequency regime, with signals over 10 kHz,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA main goal of the GW community is to have the broader and most precise frequency coverage in the near future to unveil all the potential from the GW Universe.  GUEST has the chance to play a leading role for the band where several astrophysical and fundamental sources may be lingering, and do it in very short time scale (before 2035).\u003c/p\u003e\n","group":["theory"],"label":"highlight","hascontent":true,"link":"/news/2025/10/15/ifae-led-guest-mission-concept-advances-in-esas-2025-call-for-missions/","alt":"Vista artística de GUEST","img":"/news/2025/10/15/ifae-led-guest-mission-concept-advances-in-esas-2025-call-for-missions/GUEST_artist_hu8397193021932717729.jpg"}]}