Physikerin des Monats - Januar 2025

Female Physicist of the Month - January 2025

"My name is Shayma Wahdan, I am 31 years old and I come from Palestine. I lived and studied in Palestine, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in mathematics, followed by a Master’s degree in physics. In the summer of 2017, I moved to Wuppertal to pursue my PhD in the field of experimental particle physics with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which I successfully completed, and continued afterward as a postdoctoral researcher.”

What was your motivation to study physics?

“Since school, I have been fascinated by physics and how it explains many natural phenomena around us. However, during my university studies, I became particularly drawn to particle physics because it explores the smallest building blocks of matter, at incredibly tiny scales far beyond our everyday experience. By studying these fundamental particles and their interactions, we can deepen our understanding of not just the world around us, but the universe as a whole. Through my research, I hope to make a significant contribution to solving some of the open questions in physics and advancing our knowledge of the universe.”

Why have you chosen BUW to work at?

“As an international student, I was first attracted to BUW during my master studies through a summer student program in particle physics. I got to know about this opportunity through my professor at Birzeit university as it was announced on an announcements list. The collaborative environment and friendly working atmosphere left a strong impression on me. The experimental particle physics group at BUW is not only engaged in many important searches in particle physics, but also contributes significantly to the hardware and construction of the detectors at the LHC, which makes the group particularly strong in this field. This combination of active research and technical contributions is what drew me to this position.”

What is your current research about?

“I am particularly interested in searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The Standard Model is a well-established theory in particle physics that describes the fundamental particles and forces that make up our universe. It includes various particles, such as quarks, which are the building blocks of protons and neutrons found in atomic nuclei.

One type of quark is the top quark, which is the heaviest of all the quarks and plays a crucial role in the behavior of matter at high energies. Understanding the interactions involving top quarks can provide valuable insights into the nature of fundamental forces.

At the LHC, protons are accelerated to velocities close to the speed of light, reaching very high energies. When these protons collide at these high speeds, their constituents, like quarks, interact with each other. The ATLAS experiment is one of the detectors at the LHC that captures the results of these collisions, allowing us to study the particles that are produced.

As part of my research, I focus on analyzing the data from these collisions, collected by the ATLAS detector, to search for Flavor-Changing Neutral Currents (FCNC) processes involving top quarks. The term FCNC refers to processes where a particle changes from one type (or "flavor") of quark to another without changing its electric charge. These processes are extremely rare in the Standard Model. By studying the experimental data, we can compare the observed rates of these interactions with theoretical predictions from the Standard Model and look for any differences that might suggest the existence of new physics which gives the potential to discover something entirely new about the universe.”

Which role do women in physics play for you?

“Women in physics play an equally vital role as men. We contribute to research in all aspects - through our ideas, work, and support. I believe there are no barriers preventing women from joining and making significant contributions to the field. Both CERN and BUW actively promote gender equality with women serving as directors, researchers, group leaders, students, and lecturers. This diversity is crucial, as it brings different perspectives and ideas that drive innovation and enhance problem-solving in research.”

Who is your role model in physics and why?

“My role model is Andrea Helen Knue, a researcher at the Technical University of Dortmund. I admire her enormous contributions to the field of top-quark physics, not only at the research level but also in several leadership positions. As a humble, successful, and kind woman researcher, she truly distinguishes herself in the field.”

Thank you very much for the interview, Shayma!

More information about the experimental particle physics group can be found here.