Author Archive: HIP Publicity

HIP NEWS, 9 February 2026

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HIP NEWS, 9 February 2026 

NEW HIP BLOG 

In the latest HIP Blog Nikhilendu Tiwary from Aalto University, the project manager of the HIP AQUES project, explains what his project is about. Read more on AlN-on-Si for quantum emitters and sensors (AQUES) – Engineering specific defect formations

HIP MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Detector Laboratory Steering Board

12.2.2026

Closed session

Steering Group Meeting

18.3.2026

Closed session

MATHEMATICAL-PHYSICS SEMINAR

Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 14:15, Exactum (C124 )

Malin Forsström (Chalmers University of Technology)

“A crash course in lattice gauge theory” 

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/mathematical-physics/seminars-and-workshops

ASTROPHYSICS SEMINAR

Friday 13 February 2026 at 10:15 – 11:15, in A 315 and using Zoom

Jenni Häkkinen (University of Helsinki)

“Stellar cores live long and prosper in cuspy dark matter halos”

Abstract: https://wiki.helsinki.fi/xwiki/bin/view/Astrophysics/Astrophysics%20seminar

COSMOLOGY SEMINAR

Wednesday 18 February 2026 at 14.15 in A315 and using Zoom

Mikael Chala (University of Granada), (Onsite)

”Skyrmions at finite temperature”

Abstract: https://www.hip.fi/cosmoseminars/

COSMOLOGY SEMINAR

Wednesday 25 February 2026 at 14.15 in A315 and using Zoom

Clelia Altomonte (King’s College London), (Onsite)

TBA

Abstract: https://www.hip.fi/cosmoseminars/

MATHEMATICAL-PHYSICS SEMINAR

Wednesday 25 February 2026 at 14:15,  Exactum (C124 )

Zhen-Qing Chen (University of Washington, Seattle)
“Introduction to Dirichlet forms” 

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/mathematical-physics/seminars-and-workshops

HIP SEMINAR

Tuesday 24 March 2026 at 10:15 in A315 and using Zoom

Lotta Jokiniemi (Darmstadt)
TBA

Abstract: https://www.hip.fi/seminars/

HIP SEMINAR

Thursday 26 March 2026 at 10:15 in A315 and using Zoom

Greg Jackson (Nantes)
TBA

Abstract: https://www.hip.fi/seminars/

JOINT ORIENTATION EVENTS FOR NEW STAFF, SPRING 2026

In the Welcome to the University! orientation event, you will gain an overview of the university as an organization and workplace, and learn how to find essential services. The event is aimed at new employees and grant researchers.

(In Finnish) Tervetuloa yliopistoon! Perehdytystilaisuus uudelle henkilöstölle

  • Thursday 5 March 2026 at 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM via Zoom

This is Your University! Orientation Event for New Staff

  • Friday 6 March 2026 at12:00 PM – 1:30 PM via Zoom

Register and read more on Flamma https://flamma.helsinki.fi/s/VOCns

UNISPORT’S VALENTINE’S DAY WEEK 9–15 FEBRUARY

During Valentine’s Day week, 9–15 February, we want to highlight the power of doing things together and to celebrate friendship throughout the week.

Read more about the Valentine’s Day Week programme on the UniSport website.

Flamma https://flamma.helsinki.fi/s/ogUcG

CHANGES TO TRAVEL GRANT AND TRAVEL EXPENSE REPORT PROCESSES FOR NON-EMPLOYEES

Starting in February 2026, travel grants can only be applied for and granted before the trip. A new electronic travel expense report form for non-employees will also be introduced in February.

Read more on Flamma https://flamma.helsinki.fi/s/oBLtt

(In Finnish) THINK OPEN DIGITAALISISTA TUTKIMUSPALVELUISTA JA AVOIMESTA TIETEESTÄ / ABOUT DIGITAL RESEARCH SERVICES AND OPEN SCIENCE

Think Open -blogissa on julkaistu katsaus avoimen tieteen uutisista vuonna 2025. Laaja katsaus sisältää uutisia ja lukuvinkkejä kaikilta avoimen tieteen osa-alueilta. https://blogs.helsinki.fi/thinkopen/vuosikatsaus-2025-uutiset/

COMMUNICATE WITH IMPACT: JOIN OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND IMPACT TRAINING FOR RESEARCHERS IN KUMPULA

Want to make your research more visible to decision-makers, improve your media skills and strengthen your expert profile on social media?

Please notice that deadline for following trainings is approaching.

  • Register by 2, March: “How does research-based knowledge benefit society and reach decision-makers?”
  • Registration by 3 March: “Your research on social media: How to communicate it effectively”

Read more on Flamma https://flamma.helsinki.fi/s/MALII

REGISTRATION IS OPEN: PHYSICS DAYS 2026 

Physics Days 2026 takes place March 4-6, 2026, at Aalto University’s campus in Otaniemi, Espoo. The theme of the 2026 edition is “fostering resonance“.

Get tickets here: https://www.lyyti.in/_Physics_Days_2026

Tickets start at 300 euros for students and 410 euros for Finnish Physical society members.  Final registration day is February 15, 2026.

Read more here: https://events.aalto.fi/en/3X3IKxA7/physics-days-2026-4a3bQtWcmv/overview

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation

The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation accepts grant applications every day of the year. There are no separate application times.

https://jaes.fi/en/applying-for-donation-2

Finnish Academy of Science and Letters: Mathematics Fund

There are no fixed dates for applying to the Mathematics Fund. There are no fixed dates for applying to the Mathematics Fund. Applications should be sent to the chairman of the trustees, Tuomo Kuusi (tuomo.kuusi ät helsinki.fi).

https://www.acadsci.fi/en/scholarships-and-prizes/scholarships/mathematics-fund.html

(In Finnish) Marjatta ja Eino Kollin Säätiö

Säätiön tehtävänä on tukea tieteellistä sekä soveltavaa tutkimusta ja kehitystyötä myöntämällä apurahoja hankkeiden toteuttajille. Säätiö tarjoaa mahdollisuuksia yksittäisille tutkijoille ja kehittäjille sekä tutkimus-/ kehittäjäryhmille. Haasteena on ruokkia nimenomaan sellaista kehitystä, jolla olisi elinympäristömme kannalta positiivista vaikutusta pitkällä tähtäimellä. Apurahojen hakuaika on jatkuva.

https://www.kollinsaatio.com

(På svenska) Svenska tekniska vetenskapsakademien i Finland (STV)

Akademien utdelar stipendier för verksamhet vars syfte sammanfaller med Akademiens. Stipendier kan beviljas enskild sökande med avlagd akademisk slutexamen. Stipendier kan sökas kontinuerligt under året och beslut görs kvartalsvis.

Stipendier till stöd för vetenskapen

Stipendier i första hand för kortare forskningsvistelser

Forskarstipendier

Inter-Country Travel Grant

Invite U.S. Fulbright scholars, teachers, professionals and advanced PhD students to Finland. Fulbrighters need to be on their Fulbright grant period during the Inter-Country visit (a maximum of 1-week visit).

Please note that the application needs to be sent to the Fulbright Finland Foundation six weeks before the planned visit.

Application period: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis

https://www.fulbright.fi/fi/node/577#forinstitutions

(In Finnish) Emil Aaltosen säätiö

Emil Aaltosen Säätiö myöntää apurahoja suomenkielisten tutkijoiden tieteelliseen tutkimustyöhön tieteenalasta riippumatta. Erityisesti pyritään tukemaan väitöskirjatyötä tekeviä tutkijoita ja tohtoreita heidän jatkotutkimustyössään.

  • Henkilökohtaiset apurahat
  • Projektiapurahat

Hakuaika vuosittain 15.1. – 15.2.

https://emilaaltonen.fi/apurahan-hakeminen

(På svenska) Waldemar von Frenckells stiftelse

Stiftelsens ändamål är att genom stipendier, belöningar och understöd åt enskilda finska medborgare eller i Finland verksamma samfund, föreningar och institutioner befordra vetenskaplig forskning samt belöna medborgerlig, fosterländsk och/eller kulturell gärning och att understöda socialt eller vetenskapligt inriktad verksamhet.

Ansökningar riktade till stiftelsen indelas i två huvudkategorier, “Vetenskapliga” och “Allmänna”, vilka behandlas av två skilda beredningsnämnder inom stiftelsen. Forskningsunderstöd beviljas enbart för postgradual forskning. Ansökningstiden utgår årligen den 15 mars.

Ansökningsblanketter, mm: Virve Valkama  e-post: virve.valkama(at)nordea.com

http://www.foundationweb.net/frenckell/index.html

Sakari Alhopuro Foundation

The Foundation provides grants to researchers with doctoral degrees, i.e. to persons whose dissertation has been accepted by the faculty and who have received a degree certificate. The research may be multidisciplinary, and the grant emphasis areas are determined annually.

Application period: 1.2.-28.2.2026

https://www.sakarialhopuronsaatio.fi/en/grants/science-grants.html

(In Finnish) Tieteellisten seurojen julkaisutoiminta ja kansainvälinen toiminta

TSV välittää opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriöltä saatavan valtionavustuksen kansainvälisten konferenssien ja kansallisten seminaarien järjestämiseen. Etusijalla ovat kansainvälisten tieteellisten järjestöjen toistuvat konferenssit, joita suomalaiset omalla vuorollaan järjestävät Suomessa.

Hakuaika: 1.-28.2.2026

https://www.tsv.fi/fi/avustukset/kansainvaliset-konferenssit-ja-kansalliset-seminaarit

The Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (TSV)

Priority is given to recurring non-profit conferences of international scientific organizations that are organized in Finland by Finnish hosts in turn. Exceptions are conferences and seminars organized in connection with Finland’s cultural and scientific institutes.

The annual application period is 1.-28.2.2026

https://www.tsv.fi/en/grants/state-subsidy-organizing-international-conferences-and-national-seminars

KUMPULA WELLBEING GROUP’S WIKI PAGES

The Kumpula Physics Work Wellbeing group developed wiki pages gathering e.g., information for new employees, and links to the most important information on Flamma. Please visit the pages and link to your bookmarks!

Please note, that the wiki-pages are in the middle of a platform migration!

https://wiki.helsinki.fi/xwiki/bin/view/WellBeing/Home%20of%20WellBeing

Breakthrough in Nuclear Magnetism at CERN’s ISOLDE

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(photo: “Using high-resolution laser spectroscopy, the researchers were able to observe, for example, the Bohr–Weisskopf effect, where the molecule’s energy levels shift slightly due to the internal magnetic structure of the nucleus.”. Credit University of Jyväskylä)

Scientists at CERN’s ISOLDE facility have, for the first time, observed how magnetism is distributed within an atomic nucleus using high-resolution molecular measurements — a result that opens new avenues in nuclear and molecular physics. Our member university, the University of Jyväskylä, participated in this international research team, reflecting the impact of our ISOLDE project collaboration in advancing fundamental physics. The original post includes images and details of the technique and findings.

Read the full original post here:
https://www.jyu.fi/en/news/university-of-jyvaskyla-part-of-breakthrough-nuclear-magnetism-measured-in-a-new-way

ERC Consolidator Grant Awarded to Strong-Interaction Theorist

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(photo: University of Helsinki with AI-enhanced background)

University of Helsinki researcher Risto Paatelainen, based at Kumpula Campus Physicum and contributing to our Phases of Strongly Interacting Matter Theory Programme, has received a prestigious €2 million ERC Consolidator Grant to advance theoretical understanding of matter under extreme densities, including quark matter in neutron stars. This significant funding underscores our collaboration in cutting-edge strong-interaction physics research within the HIP network.

Read the full original post here:
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/life-sciences/esteemed-eu-grants-worth-eu2-million-go-five-university-helsinki-researchers

ISOLDE: Ion recycling opens the way to research into the heaviest elements

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(photo: “Staff scientist Mikael Reponen from the University of Jyväskylä has participated in the research”. Credit University of Jyväskylä)

“Researchers at the ISOLDE facility at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) have developed a measurement method based on a combination of an electrostatic trap and lasers, which may help to determine the chemical properties of the rarest and least known elements.”

University of Jyväskylä physicist Mikael Reponen is actively involved in this work as part of our ISOLDE project collaboration, underscoring HIP’s engagement in cutting-edge nuclear and atomic physics research.

Read the full University of Jyväskylä post here:

https://www.jyu.fi/en/news/ion-recycling-opens-the-way-to-research-into-the-heaviest-elements

HIP Programme Director Aleksi Vuorinen to lead new Centre of Excellence in Research

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(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:

(Created with AI, reviewed by a human)

The CMS Collaboration has been awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

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(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)

Finnish journalists visited CERN in December: several newspaper articles have already been published, with more to come.

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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

Nature: New particle formation from isoprene under upper-tropospheric conditions

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(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

Helsinki Institute of Physics – The First 20 Years by Mikko Sainio

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(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/