Our university has strengthened its international standing by contributing to a globally impactful scientific study in high-energy and neutrino physics. Members of the ERU Erciyes Neutrino Research Group (ENRG), working in collaboration with the United States’ leading high-energy particle physics laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), published an article in Nature, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, as part of the NOvA experiment.

A critical study shedding light on the mysteries of the universe, titled “Joint Neutrino Oscillation Analysis from the T2K and NOvA Experiments,” combines data from two major international neutrino experiments: T2K in Japan and NOvA in the United States. This publication presents some of the most precise results to date on neutrino oscillation parameters.

Neutrinos, known as “ghost particles,” are fundamental particles with mass that can pass through matter almost completely unaffected. By examining how neutrinos change identities (transform from one type to another) as they travel, the study reveals their properties with high precision.

These findings are of great importance for scientists seeking to understand why the universe is dominated by matter and to uncover the origins of the matter–antimatter asymmetry.

Tangible Success of an Internationally Award-Winning Project

This achievement, which includes Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emrah Tıraş, Dr. Saleh Abubakar, and Burcu Kirezli Özdemir from our university, is no coincidence.

The study represents the most concrete and highest-impact scientific output of the long- standing collaboration between ERU and Fermilab in the U.S., a project that was awarded the “International Collaboration Award” by the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) in 2022.

ERU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Altun congratulated the members of the Erciyes Neutrino Research Group for their remarkable achievement, emphasizing that the university will continue its commitment to supporting projects that enhance its international influence in science.

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