Relaunched UCT CERN Research Centre to host public lecture

The New Lecture Theatre (NLT) will host the relaunch of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) CERN Research Centre on 24 November. The event will be marked by a public lecture.

Titled “Journey to the Origin of Matter and Universe”, the lecture will centre around particle physics, with a special focus on the Large Hadron Collider.

The event features guest speaker, Dr Andreas Hoecker, the spokesperson of the A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS (ATLAS) experiment at CERN, who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in elementary particle physics. With a background in physics and a PhD from Orsay, France, Dr Hoecker has been a key member of CERN since 2005.

The research at CERN explores the theory of the Quark–Gluon Plasma, a unique state of matter that existed moments after the Big Bang. It also delves into the properties of the Quark/Higgs boson using the ATLAS experiment.

With the appointment of Dr James Keaveney as the new director in 2023, the CERN Research Centre continues to push boundaries and expand its horizons.

The lecture will be followed by a meet-and-greet and a poster session, providing an opportunity to interact with postgraduate researchers. Light refreshments will be served.

Date: 24 November

Time: 17:30

Venue: New Lecture Theatre

RSVP: uct-cern@uct.ac.za by 20 November

Visit the UCT CERN Research Centre's official website for further information.