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Changes for page Gonzalo Alonso Álvarez

Last modified by Ricardo Julio Rodríguez Fernández on 2026/06/15 18:54
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1 -Manuel Rey Pan
1 +Neutrinos as Open Quantum Systems
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1 -Main.WebHome
1 +SummerFellowships2026.WebHome
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1 -=== Communicating IGFAE Physics to new audiences ===
2 -==== Titor: Manuel Rey Pan ====
3 -==== Supervisor: Manuel Rey Pan
1 +=== Neutrinos as Open Quantum Systems ===
2 +==== Titor: [[Gonzalo>>https://igfae.usc.es/igfae/persoa/cabrera-cordova-cesar-raymundo/695/||target="_blank"]] Alonso Álvarez ====
3 +==== Supervisor: [[Gonzalo>>https://igfae.usc.es/igfae/persoa/cabrera-cordova-cesar-raymundo/695/||target="_blank"]] Alonso Álvarez
4 4  ====
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6 -This project will explore new ways to communicate IGFAE’s strategic research areas—particle/astroparticle/nuclear physics, as well as Quantum IST, to young audiences. The goal will be to analyse the science communication & outreach on video formats, with some case studies (e.g. CERN, Fermilab, DESY, IFT, among others) to identify which formats, narrative structures and resources are more effective to communicate physics in an engaging way, whilst maintaining academic rigour.
6 +Neutrino oscillations provide a natural setting in which to explore how quantum coherence evolves in realistic physical environments. The coherent evolution of neutrino states can persist over macroscopic distances, from terrestrial experiments to astrophysical baselines, making neutrinos an exceptional probe of decoherence and environmental effects.
7 7  
8 -This analysis will be compared with the IGFAE’s social media activity, with the aim of proposing new ideas & approaches to help improve the Institute’s outreach activities in this area, in line with the 2025–2030 Communication Plan.
8 +In the standard description, neutrinos are treated as isolated quantum systems whose flavour evolution is governed by the Schrödinger equation. In many realistic situations, however, particles propagate through complex environments that can induce decoherence and dissipation, requiring a more general framework based on the theory of open quantum systems.
9 +
10 +In this project, the student will learn the density-matrix formalism and apply it to neutrino oscillations. Starting from the standard two-flavour framework, the student will study how environmental effects modify flavour evolution and oscillation probabilities. Applications will be discussed in particle physics and astrophysical settings, such as neutrino propagation in matter and in dense or early-Universe environments.
11 +
12 +The project combines analytical calculations with simple numerical simulations and provides an introduction to modern techniques in quantum theory and their use in fundamental physics. Depending on progress and interest, the methods developed may also be applied to other oscillation phenomena, such as photon–dark-photon or photon–axion mixing, relevant to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model.