As in the previous year, "AG Sfienti & Friends" is the best university sub-team! We managed to cycle nearly 2081 km in three weeks. This is more than 400 km more than last year!
Thanks everyone for their great efforts!
News
Results for Stadtradeln 2026
CRC 1660 Project N01 – Open PhD Position
Fancy studying neutron stars without leaving Earth?
We are recruiting a PhD student in Nuclear Astrophysics. We use accelerator-based experiments to understand the properties of neutron stars and the nuclear reactions that power stars.
Join us in Mainz and work on the nuclear physics behind stars
Open call for applications: June 8 to July 8, 2026
For more information on the application process, please visit
Transverse Asymmetry – The Final Frontier
To boldly measure where no one has measured before...
With our next transverse asymmetry beam time at A1, we go for the final frontier: taking data with a 208Pb target at 210 MeV!
The beam time will run from the 17th of November until the 2nd of December.
Bachelor’s Degree for Felix Heim
Felix Heim has successfully completed his bachelor thesis studying the feasibility of measuring the photodissociation of 6Li in electron scattering with the A1 spectrometer apparatus at MAMI and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.).
In his thesis he estimated the expected event rate of the reaction 6Li(e, e' α)d using the MAGIX simulation framework and studied the properties of the inevitable background due to the target design using the FLUKA simulation software package.
Congratulations to Felix and all the best for his further studies!
Bachelor’s Degree for Florian Manderscheid
Florian Manderscheid successfully completed his bachelor thesis "Feasibility study of 7Li photodissociation as a probe for the radiative capture reaction 6Li(n,γ)7Li" as well as his final exam and was awarded the title of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.).
During his time at AG Sfienti, he computed the neutron capture cross section for 6Li and implemented it in the MAGIX simulation framework to estimate the feasibility of such an experiment with MAGIX at MESA and a precursor at A1.
Congratulations!
Results for Stadtradeln 2025
As last year, the “AG Sfienti & Friends” team once again won the internal university competition with a total of 1609 km cycled in three weeks.
Many thanks to all participants for their great efforts!
Stadtradeln 2025
Over the next three weeks (24.05. to 13.06.2025), every kilometer travelled by bike counts!
AG Sfienti supports the university's efforts for this year's Stadtradeln campaign with a team of seven to promote the use of bicycles in everyday life.
Dr Sobotzik, I presume?
Martin Sobotzik successfully completed his doctoral thesis on Angular Analysis of the B → K*ℓℓ Decay in Long Shutdown 1 Data at Belle II.
In his analysis he is looking for signs of physics beyond the standard model in flavour-changing neutral currents (FCNC) where a B meson decays into a kaon and two leptons. Since this decay can only occurr in loop diagrams, it is heavily suppressed.
He therefore investigated the use of neural networks to select these rare events from Belle II data collected until the Long Shutdown 1. Furthermore, using advanced statistical tools, he could improve the background subtraction compared to the traditional approach of extracting the background shape from simulations, thus decreasing systematic effects.
Congratulations!
Paper on FPGA-based readout system for asymmetry measurements at A1 published
Our paper, drafted and submitted by Anselm Esser, on the newly developed FPGA-based readout system for asymmetry measurements at A1 has been published in NIM A.
Congratulations to everyone involved for their help!
Venia Legendi for Michaela Thiel
“Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.” (Indiana Jones)
Well, we don’t know about fortune, but there is definitely glory...
We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Michaela Thiel on achieving a significant academic milestone: the successful completion of her habilitation. This accomplishment provides evidence of her excellent academic achievements and educational proficiency.
In her work, she is setting out a way to measure the thickness of the neutron skin of heavy nuclei with unrivaled precision. This is not only important for the tiny atomic nuclei on Earth but also for exotic celestial bodies like neutron stars, as the same set of laws of physics apply to both.
As part of the habilitation process, Dr. Thiel delivered a captivating public lecture titled 208Pb and the Last Crusade, in which she presented her latest findings.
Dr. Thiel’s habilitation reflects her exceptional scholarship and her continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding.
Congratulations once again, Dr. Michaela Thiel!