With Prof. Dr. Dr. Livia Ludhova, PRISMA++ gains an outstanding expert in the field of low-energy neutrino physics. Since September 2024, she has been working as a professor of Experimental Neutrino Physics at the JGU and brings her extensive experience to the research of the cluster of excellence PRISMA++. At the same time, she heads the neutrino research group at FAIR Forschung NRW of the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research. The group was founded in November 2015, when Livia Ludhova became a W2 professor at the Physical Institute III B of RWTH Aachen and received a grant from the Helmholtz Recruitment Initiative. At that time, she and her group were working at IKP-2, Helmholtz research center Jülich.
Livia Ludhova was born in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 1973, where she received an M.Sc. and a doctorate in geology as well as an M.Sc. in physics. She then moved to Fribourg, Switzerland, where she completed her doctorate in experimental physics in the field of muonic hydrogen Spectroscopy.
The Borexino experiment
From 2005 to 2015, she worked at INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) in Milan, Italy, where she was heavily involved in the Borexino experiment. “It was a pioneering experiment in the Italian Gran Sasso underground laboratory that detected solar neutrinos and geoneutrinos. The Borexino experiment made a significant contribution to the precise characterization of energy production in the sun, performed a comprehensive Spectroscopy of solar neutrinos, and enabled the first observation of the CNO fusion cycle,” explains Livia Ludhova. For this achievement, the collaboration was awarded the prestigious Giuseppe and Vanna Cocconi Prize of the European Physical Society in 2021. As Physics coordinator of Borexino, Livia Ludhova played a key role in the scientific direction of the experiment.
Juno – Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory
Since 2014, she has also been involved in the international JUNO project in southern China. This project will enable completely new precision measurements of neutrino oscillations using a 20,000-ton liquid scintillator detector. “My entire group of almost ten people is now focusing on JUNO, in particular on the analysis of the first data and on the commissioning of the detector while it is being filled with liquid scintillator.” JUNO will also be a major astrophysical observatory and has the potential to improve Borexino measurements of solar and geoneutrinos. As a member of the Executive Committee, Livia Ludhova brings her extensive expertise to the strategic development of the experiment.
Recognition for excellence in science and international grant in Slovakia
On January 11, 2025, Livia Ludhova was awarded the Order of Ľudovít Štúr, 2nd Class, Civil Division, by the President of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava for her exceptional contributions to the development of the Slovak Republic in the field of science and technology, as well as for her outstanding efforts to promote the good reputation of the Slovak Republic abroad.
Neutrinos in the Particle Physics of the JGU
For Livia Ludhova, JGU is the perfect location. She has worked with Prof. Wurm for many years on both the Borexino and JUNO projects. She will also be able to reconnect with her former co-worker Prof. Randolf Pohl, with whom she worked on the proton radius puzzle at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland when he was a postdoctoral researcher and she was a PhD student. Last but not least, she is looking forward to the scientific exchange with the large neutrino group at JGU.
With her many years of experience, Livia Ludhova has specialized in the investigation of neutrino properties with large-volume liquid scintillator detectors. Their research focuses on solar neutrinos, geoneutrinos, reactor neutrinos and atmospheric neutrinos. “Neutrinos are fascinating from the perspective of Particle Physics, as their tiny mass, weak interactions and unique properties challenge our understanding of the fundamental building blocks of nature. They also serve as cosmic messengers in astrophysics, carrying valuable information from distant and extreme environments such as the Sun’s core, the Earth’s deep mantle or supernovae,” she explains. Livia Ludhova strengthens research in the PRISMA++ cluster of excellence and contributes to the further development of physics in Mainz as an international center for fundamental interactions. Her excellent scientific expertise is an asset to JGU and the entire Particle Physics research community.
In her free time, Livia Ludhova enjoys traveling and documentary photography. She has already visited 82 countries. Her most unconventional destinations were a sailing trip to Antarctica and a recent trip to the Sahara Desert in Chad.
