UoH physics scientists contribute to award-winning CERN experiment
Scientists from the University of Hyderabad have contributed to an international physics experiment at CERN that has just won one of the world’s most prestigious science honours — the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
Hyderabad:Scientists from the University of Hyderabad have contributed to an international physics experiment at CERN that has just won one of the world’s most prestigious science honours — the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
The compact muon solenoid (CMS) experiment, part of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, has been recognised for its groundbreaking work in exploring the deepest structures of matter and the forces that govern the universe.
Among the international team were researchers from the University of Hyderabad, led by Dr Bhawna Gomber of CASEST, School of Physics, who played a key role in both data analysis and advanced detector technology.
The Breakthrough Prize, often referred to as the “Oscars of Science,” was awarded to the teams behind the CMS and ATLAS experiments for their long-standing contributions to particle physics, including the discovery of the Higgs Boson in 2012.
The award also recognises continuing work in exploring unknown realms of physics, including dark matter, extra dimensions, and new kinds of particles — areas where Dr Gomber’s group is particularly active.
Her research team has been contributing in two major directions — experimental searches for physics beyond the Standard Model and the development of detector firmware for the High-Luminosity upgrade of the LHC.
In recent months, her doctoral students Bisnupriya Sahu and Shriniketan Acharya presented results from their dark matter searches at the 59th Rencontres de Moriond conference, one of the most respected annual gatherings in particle physics. Their studies involved looking for unusual events such as single photon production accompanied by missing energy — possible signs of dark matter.
In parallel, PhD student Piyush Kumar was recognised with a CMS Achievement Award in June 2024 for his work on firmware algorithms and hardware for the CMS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger upgrade, part of a major detector enhancement in preparation for the LHC’s next phase of high-luminosity operations.
“We are thrilled to see our years of effort recognised as part of this global milestone,” said Dr Gomber. “It’s a proud moment not just for our team, but for the Indian scientific community as a whole.”
India is one of several non-European nations actively involved at CERN, and Dr Gomber’s group is among a growing number of Indian researchers contributing to experiments at the frontiers of science.
