(Photo Maarit Kytöharju)

Professor Aleksi Vuorinen, Director of the Theory Programme at the Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP), will lead one of Finland’s newly appointed Centres of Excellence in Research for the 2026–2033 period.

The Research Council of Finland has selected 11 new Centres of Excellence (CoEs) that represent the highest level of scientific ambition and collaboration in the country. Vuorinen’s CoE, focusing on neutron-star physics, explores the behaviour of strongly interacting matter under extreme conditions—linking fundamental theory to the astrophysical phenomena observed in the universe.

HIP warmly congratulates Professor Vuorinen and all new CoE teams for this significant achievement advancing Finnish research excellence.

Read more:

• Research Council of Finland press release
• University of Helsinki news article

(Created with AI, reviewed by a human)

The Annual Report 2024 has been published.

Please see the online version Here.

(image: breakthroughprize.org)

“Geneva, 7 April 2025. This weekend, the ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN were honoured with the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation. The prize is awarded to the four collaborations, which unite thousands of researchers from more than 70 countries, and concerns the papers authored based on LHC Run-2 data up to July 2024. It was received by the spokespersons who led the collaborations during that time.”

More information

https://breakthroughprize.org/Laureates/1/P1

https://cms-info.web.cern.ch/2025-breakthrough-prize/ (login required)

Here are some links to the newspaper articles related to the visit:
(The articles are behind a paywall, but some of them can also be found in the print editions of the newspapers.)

Paradoksi: Epäterveellinen saaste viilentää ilmastoa – Nyt tutkitaan, miten kosminen säteily vaikuttaa aerosolien syntyyn

Törmäys voi tapahtua 1,8 miljardia kertaa sekunnissa – Yli 100 suomalaista yrittää työkseen ratkaista maailmankaikkeuden salaisuutta

Maailman suurimmassa hiukkaskiihdyttimessä pyörii alle 0,000 000 01 g ainetta 27 km ympyrässä – Cernissä työskentelevät suomalaiset kertovat, miten kaiken aineen saloja selvitetään

Maailmankaikkeuden ensimmäistä 0,0001 sekuntia tutkiva Alice on datahirmu

Cernin radioaktiivisimmassa paikassa on tehty 1 500 raskasta isotooppia 74 eri alkuaineesta – Hyödyttää myös syöpähoitoja

Maailman suurin hiukkaskiihdytin pyörittää ainetta 27 km:n ympyrässä – Cernin suomalaiset kertovat, miten kolmivuorotyössä etsitään ”jotain viitettä meidän ymmärrykseen ulkopuolisesta fysiikasta”

Hulluja nuo hiukkasfyysikot – suunnitteilla on sata kilometriä pitkä kiihdytin

(Synopsis generated by AI and checked by human)
A study led by researchers at the University of Helsinki, including members of the Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP), has revealed a new mechanism for atmospheric particle formation, particularly relevant to the upper troposphere over tropical rainforests. The study, published in Nature, focuses on isoprene, an abundant hydrocarbon emitted primarily by vegetation. While isoprene’s role in particle formation was previously thought to be insignificant, the research demonstrates its ability to drive rapid particle formation under upper-tropospheric conditions.
The study involved experiments conducted in the CLOUD chamber at CERN, where researchers investigated the formation of new particles from isoprene under conditions mimicking the upper troposphere, including temperatures below -30°C. The researchers explored the influence of various factors, such as temperature, the presence of trace acids, and nitrogen oxides, on the process. Their findings suggest that the synergistic interaction between IP-OOMs and trace atmospheric acids plays a crucial role in driving particle formation in these environments.

For more information

Shen, J., Russell, D.M., DeVivo, J. et al. New particle formation from isoprene under upper-tropospheric conditions. Nature 636, 115–123 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08196-0

Rainforest emissions linked with new particle formation at high altitudes (University of Helsinki)

Helsinki Institute of Physics, CLOUD project

(photo J.Aaltonen / HIP)

“The Helsinki Institute of Physics was created in 1996 by merging three institutes in two universities. The form of governance, as a joint institute of two universities, was new in Finland. The main motivation for the new organization was the scope of the activity at CERN, of which Finland became a member in 1991. The purpose was to exploit the opportunities brought by CERN membership in the field of science and technology as efficiently as possible by combining the resources …”

You can find the ebook at hip.fi/about-us/ and hip.fi/publications/

(featured image’s background is generated by ChatGPT, and Mikko’s portrait is a photo by Anniina Sjöblom)

Synopsis (ChatGPT generated)

The Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP) celebrates the remarkable achievements of Mikko Seppälä, whose award-winning work has brought new insights to the field of particle physics. In collaboration with leading research institutes worldwide, Seppälä and HIP researchers have advanced our understanding of fundamental particles and forces. This article highlights Seppälä’s contributions to experimental and theoretical physics, reflecting HIP’s commitment to scientific innovation. His work not only deepens our grasp of the universe’s building blocks but also reinforces HIP’s position as a leader in global research and discovery.

More Information

Mikko Seppälä wrote his bachelor’s thesis as a summer job – and won an international award

Helsingin yliopiston opiskelijan kandidaatin tutkielma palkittiin maailman parhaana (YLE)

The featured photo is from the original post (Image: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick)

“When neutron stars collide, they likely create the densest form of matter in the present-day Universe. Through an innovative use of two theoretical methods, researchers have now gained a more detailed understanding of how such quark matter behaves under the extreme conditions produced in these violent events.”

See the original post at: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/space/neutron-star-mergers-illuminate-mysteries-quark-matter

The Annual Report 2023 has been published.

Please see the online version Here.

“Professor Kari Rummukainen’s ERC-funded research in the field of cosmology investigates the early stages of the universe with the help of gravitational waves.”

More details: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/mathematics-and-science/eu25m-erc-advanced-grants-awarded-two-university-helsinki-researchers

(photo Juha Aaltonen, aspect ratio adjusted using AI extension)