News and Events
The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) proudly celebrates two incredible milestones! Tamador Aldowma and Lutendo Nyadzani PhD
Ms. Tamador Aldowma successfully completed her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Soebur Razzaque. Her research, 鈥淧robing Gamma-Ray Bursts as Possible Cosmological Standard Candles using Machine Learning,鈥� bridges astrophysics and data science, advancing our understanding of the universe鈥檚 most energetic explosions.
Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani also completed his PhD, exploring the evolutionary link between ultra-luminous X-ray sources and gravitational-wave systems, shedding light on the cosmic origins of these powerful events.
CAPP congratulates both Tamador and Lutendo for their dedication, brilliance, and contributions to the field of astrophysics.
CAPP Welcomes聽Ms. Tanima Mondal
We鈥檙e excited to welcome Ms. Tanima Mondal from IIT Kharagpur, India, to CAPP for a three-week research visit starting 26 October 2025!
Tanima is pursuing her Ph.D. in High-Energy Astrophysics, focusing on Gamma-Ray Bursts and their multi-messenger connections with gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos. She is also part of the Hyper-Kamiokande Collaboration, contributing to neutrino physics and machine learning research.
CAPP Welcomes Khusbhoo Sharma from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) India
We鈥檙e excited to welcome Khushboo Sharma (ARIES, India) to CAPP! Her Ph.D. research, under Dr. Jagdish C. Joshi, explores Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), focusing on prompt emission modeling and their potential link to high-energy neutrino production.
CAPP Welcomes Francesco Xotta from 欧美福利100000 of Nova Gorica, Slovenia
CAPP welcomes Professor Gabrijela Zaharijas From The 欧美福利100000 of Nova Gorica, Slovenia
CAPP welcomes Dr. Shajid Haque from the 欧美福利100000 of Cape Town for a Research Visit.
The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics is delighted to welcome Dr. Shajid Haque from the 欧美福利100000 of Cape Town for a research visit on the 8th and 9th of September 2025.
We look forward to engaging discussions and collaborations in the exciting fields of quantum information theory, cosmology, and astrophysics.
the High Energy Astrophysics in Southern Africa (HEASA) 2025 conference are officially open!
Capp is excited to announce that registrations for the High Energy Astrophysics in Southern Africa (HEASA) 2025 conference are officially open! This is your opportunity to be part of one of the most dynamic and collaborative gatherings in high-energy astrophysics across the continent.
Registration Deadline: 1 September 2025
Contact: capp@uj.ac.za
Link to register:
Don鈥檛 miss your chance to engage with leading researchers, present your work, and network with fellow scientists and students from across the region.
Secure your spot today!
Per Arne Sevle Myhr talk on exploring Ultra-High-Energy Neutrinos with KM3NeT
On the 25th of April 2025, Per Arne Sevle Myhr delivered a captivating talk on his research into the ultra-high-energy neutrino observed by KM3NeT.
The talk was introduced by Muphi Ntshatsha. Per explained what neutrinos are and explored the possible origins of the high-energy neutrino detected by KM3NeT 鈥� including active galactic nuclei, galaxy clusters, and gamma-ray bursts.
He also shared insights from his collaborative research with Professor Soebur Razzaque, focusing on how gamma-ray bursts are being used to constrain the extreme physics at play.
The presentation came to life with stunning visuals, videos, and detailed graphs of the KM3NeT detector. It was truly an inspiring and thought-provoking session!
Prof. Razzaque Explores the Future of Neutrino Physics at JUNO!
During his visit to China, Prof. Soebur Razzaque toured the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO)鈥攁 cutting-edge facility designed to revolutionize neutrino research.
Located 700 meters underground, JUNO is a 20-kiloton liquid scintillator detector that will study neutrino oscillations using neutrinos from nearby nuclear power plants. Its high-precision measurements will help determine neutrino mass ordering and advance our understanding of particle physics, astrophysics, and the universe鈥檚 fundamental structure.
Expected to begin operations in mid-2025, JUNO represents a major step in global neutrino research and international collaboration. Huge thanks to the JUNO team for their hospitality and for showcasing their groundbreaking work!
聽Prof. Razzaque Talks Neutrino Astronomy at SYSU!
Whilst visiting Sun Yat-sen 欧美福利100000 (SYSU) in Zhuhai, China, Prof. Razzaque is delivering a colloquium on Neutrino Astronomy: An Overview of Recent Developments.聽 Below Is a poster advertising his talk.
Prof. Razzaque, currently visiting the Sun Yat-sen 欧美福利100000 (SYSU) in Zhuhai, China.
Prof. Razzaque, Director of CAPP, is currently visiting Sun Yat-sen 欧美福利100000 (SYSU) in Zhuhai, China! As the Principal Investigator for South Africa in a joint BRICS astronomy grant with Prof. Lili Yang of SYSU, he continues to strengthen global research collaborations.
Discovery of an ultra high energy neutrino
Per Arne Sevle Myhr. Visiting Research Associate.
We鈥檙e thrilled to welcome Per Arne Sevle Myhr to CAPP for the next three months! Currently pursuing his PhD in neutrino astronomy at Universit茅 catholique de Louvain, Per is involved in cutting-edge research with the IceCube and KM3NeT experiments.
Dr. Jagdish Joshi. Visiting Research Associate.
Here at CAPP we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Jagdish this February 2025! During his visit, he will collaborate with CAPP members on groundbreaking research in gamma-ray burst astrophysics, analyzing and modeling multiwavelength data from space- and ground-based telescopes.
Ms. Dimakatso Maheso Graduates with Masters in Physics with Distinction
Ms. Dimakatso Maheso, under the supervision of Prof. Soebur Razzaque, has graduated with a master鈥檚 in physics, receiving a distinction for her dissertation. Congratulations Dimakatso, we eagerly anticipate the remarkable achievements you will accomplish in the future!
CAPP Team Building Lunch 2024
The CAPP team hosted their final team-building lunch for the year on August 20th, 2024, at Pizza e Vino in Melville. This gathering was also a special send-off for our Research Administrator, Ms. Anna Larmuth, who will be leaving at the end of September to further her career. We were also
honoured to have Ms. Salmoli Ghosh as our guest speaker. The afternoon was filled with engaging conversations and camaraderie, making it a memorable occasion for all.
Salmoli Ghosh seminar talk on further understanding radio emissions from radio quiet, active galactic nuclei.
on the 21st of August 2024, Salmoli Ghosh presented her talk in which she delved into the mysterious radio emissions of radio-quiet AGNs, revealing how radio-polarimetric imaging uncovered kpc-scale radio structures in Seyfert and LINER galaxies. She shared her discoveries of bent jets, magnetic fields, and AGN feedback through VLA observations. Additionally, she provided valuable insights into the power of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in capturing these cosmic phenomena.
Ms. Salmoli Ghosh Seminar talk on Further understanding Radio emission from radio-quiet (RQ) active galactic nuclei (AGN)
Salmoli is a 2nd year PhD student at the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), working with Prof. Preeti Kharb.聽
On the 21st of August 2024 She will be presenting a seminar talk,聽 exploring the mysterious radio emissions of radio-quiet AGNs, and revealing how radio-polarimetric imaging uncovers kpc-scale radio structures in Seyfert and LINER galaxies. The seminar talk will go into bent jets, magnetic fields, and AGN feedback through VLA observations. She will also be providing insights into the power of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope.
Dr. Ann Njeri’s talk addressing education and gender disparity in rural areas of Kenya and Uganda.
Dr. Njeri’s powerful session on education and mentorship left us all inspired. Her program, “Elimisha Msichana Elimisha Jamii” (EMEJA), is making waves in rural Kenya and Uganda by addressing gender disparity and promoting equality in education among young schoolgirls. Through astronomy outreach, mentorship, and STEM workshops, EMEJA tackles critical socio-economic issues like early marriages, teenage pregnancies, and poverty. Dr. Njeri’s dedication to empowering these communities is truly commendable.
Dr. Gopolang’s latest talk dives into innovative strategies for detecting dark matter beyond the elusive WIMPs.
On the 29th of July 2024 Dr. Gopolang’s held his latest talk which dived into innovative strategies for detecting dark matter beyond the elusive WIMPs. He spoke about future discoveries of dark matter and how new approaches and cutting-edge experiments are bringing us closer to unravelling the mysteries of dark matter.
Mr. Luyanda Mazwi Graduates with a Master’s in Physics with Distinction
Mr. Luyanda Mazwi, under the supervision of Prof. Soebur Razzaque, has graduated with a Masters in Physics, receiving a distinction for his dissertation. Congratulations Luyanda, we eagerly anticipate the remarkable achievements you will accomplish in the future!
Outreach Talk: Dr. Ann Njeri
Dr. Njeri is a Post Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in Extragalactic Astrophysics at Newcastle 欧美福利100000. She is currently working on the Quasar Feedback Survey, using radio observations from various facilities to understand how quasars influence their host galaxies.
In addition to her research, Dr. Njeri is passionate about education and mentorship. She founded and leads the program 鈥淓limisha Msichana Elimisha Jamii, EMEJA鈥� (Swahili for 鈥淓ducate a Girl, Educate the Entire Community鈥�). This mentorship program addresses gender disparity and promotes equality in education among young schoolgirls in rural areas of Kenya and Uganda. The program also tackles socio-economic issues like early marriages, teenage pregnancies, and poverty through astronomy outreach programs, mentorship, and STEM workshops.
You can read her article titled 鈥楬elping more girls complete basic education in Kenya鈥� here:
Seminar Talk: Dr. Gopolang Mohlabeng
Dr. Gopolang Mohlabeng, an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser 欧美福利100000, specialises in theoretical astroparticle physics and cosmology. His research spans a wide array of topics in new physics beyond the standard model of particle physics, with a particular focus on unraveling the mysteries of dark matter.
Dr. Mohlabeng’s seminar talk titled ‘New Directions for Discovering Dark Matter Beyond the Weak Scale’ discusses novel theoretical directions and search strategies for detecting dark matter beyond the Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) paradigm.
Professor Mirjana Povics talk on the role of astronomy making the world a better place.
On the 21st of June Professor Mirjana hosted an outreach talk on the role that astronomy has in making the world a better place. She touched on subjects involving the mental health implications that many researchers face, specifically rethinking astronomy in conflict contexts and war anxiety.
Outreach Talk: Prof. Mirjana Povi膰
Prof. Mirjana Povi膰 is a Serbian-Spanish astrophysicist, working as an assistant professor at the Space Science and Geospatial Institute in Ethiopia, an associate researcher at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia in Spain, and an honorary lecturer at Mbarara 欧美福利100000 of Science and Technology in Uganda. She obtained her PhD in astrophysics in 2010 from the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (Spain). Her main research interests include galaxy formation and evolution, particularly nuclear activity in galaxies, star formation, morphological classification of galaxies, and galaxy clusters.
Her outreach talk aims to give more visibility to the challenges we face when conducting research and teaching astronomy in conflict contexts. It also serves as a reminder that, in such contexts, astronomy must be used more than ever to constantly transmit the message that we all live under the same sky and to promote peace-building through science and its peaceful applications.
CAPP Journal Club
The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) is launching its very own Journal Club. This platform will give students the opportunity to share insights and ideas on new articles relevant to their work or recent scientific breakthroughs in the field of astrophysics.
Additionally, these sessions will provide a chance for participants to give weekly updates on their research progress. The aim is to facilitate advice exchange on research challenges, share ideas on current or potential projects鈥攊ncluding collaborative ones鈥攁nd stay updated with the latest advancements in the astrophysics research field.
Mr. Thabo Msiza Passed His Masters With Distinction
Mr. Thabo Msiza, under the supervision of Prof. Soebur Razzaque, has graduated with a Masters in Physics, receiving a distinction for his dissertation. In his own words, a brief overview of his dissertation can be found below:
My dissertation focused on utilizing a beyond the Standard Model (BSM) framework, specifically the revamped Babu-Ma-Valle model (Revamped BMV model), to obtain improved constraints on the poorly determined neutrino oscillation parameters of 未_{CP} and 胃_{23}. To achieve this, I analyzed long-baseline neutrino experimental data from NOvA (NuMI Off-axis ve Appearance) and T2K (Tokai to Kamioka). These ongoing experiments are well-suited to provide precise measurements for these challenging parameters. The results of my analysis indicated an improvement in the constraint on 胃_{23} from the NOvA experiment. However, there were no significant changes in the constraints for 未_{CP}. The results from T2K did not provide any new constraints, but it is worth noting that this may change as new data becomes available every few years.
Mr. Luyanda Mazwi mentioned in the ‘Citizen Maverick’
Mr. Luyanda Mazwi, a Master’s Student, has been in the spotlight in the ‘Maverick Citizen’ for his creation of a portable cooling system made entirely of recycled plastic that does not require electricity. This innovative design showcases his exceptional skills and provides street vendors with a practical solution to prevent their produce from spoiling within a day. Mr. Mazwi’s pioneering design is a testament to his ingenuity and unwavering determination to make a positive impact on society.
Mr. Mazwi boldly orchestrated and financed an evening of music and poetry, driven by a pure desire to inquire if anyone possesses a 3D printer with potential to aid in the development of his product. His noble goal is to share the intellectual property, enabling anyone to construct and market these innovative cooling systems.
If you can help Mr. Luyanda Mazwi gain access to a 3D printer that can print over 260 degrees Celsius and is not PTFE lined, please email info@theactionists.co.za.
Visit by Noble Lauriet in Physics 2022
Prof. Soebur Razzaque was invited to the High Commission of Canada in Pretoria where Dr. Arthur McDonald, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2015, was a guest speaker.
Science@UJ Series 2022
Professor Soebur Razzaque, Director at the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP), on聽 as part of the Science@UJ series.
