Eight Clusters of Excellence

The existence of dark matter and the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe are prime examples of how incomplete our understanding of the natural world remains. While the Standard Model allows precise description of nearly all measurements in particle physics, comprehending the structure of matter in the sub-atomic realm remains a forefront research aim in fundamental physics. The question explored is: Where might new fundamental physical phenomena be hiding?

Some of the most interesting measurements made in recent years involve the interplay between strong (“color”) and weak (“flavor”) interaction. Researchers in the newly approved Cluster of Excellence aim to shed light on this interplay through closely interlocking theoretical and experimental work. In doing so, they are focusing on the physics of quarks and how these fundamental building blocks of matter form complex bonding states. The project also aims to investigate the properties of the Higgs boson particle and continue the search for the axion. The masses of the six known quarks span several orders of magnitude, thus the experimental infrastructure required to study them ranges from the ELSA particle accelerator in Bonn for lower-energy experiments to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva for maximum-energy experiments, where the Higgs boson can be studied.

Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Jochen Dingfelder, Elementary Particle Physics, Institute of Physics, University of Bonn; Speaker for the Research and Technology Center for Detector Physics

Universities involved:
University of Bonn, TU Dortmund University, University of Siegen

Institutions involved:

Forschungszentrum Jülich

The structure and development of the universe are controlled by countless phenomena that take place on very different time scales, from fractions of a second to billions of years. Run jointly with the University of Cologne, the newly approved Cluster of Excellence links astrophysical processes through a combination of observations with new instruments, theory, innovative simulation and data science methods and laboratory astrophysics. The goal is to fully describe the time evolution of matter and energy flow. The Cluster Initiative is an internationally recognized world-class hub, particularly in the field of radio astronomy, based on four pillars: (1) the designing of state-of-the-art detectors and instruments for international telescopes, (2) management of large-scale observation programs, (3) operation of a world-class astrophysics lab and (4) simulation of the dynamic evolution of planets, stars and galaxies through high-performance computing.

Speakers:
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Walch-Gassner, Astrophysics, University of Cologne
Prof. Dr. Cristiano Porciani, Astrophysics, University of Bonn

Universities involved:
University of Cologne, University of Bonn

Institutions involved:
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn
Forschungszentrum Jülich
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Bonn

The ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy Cluster of Excellence is concerned with societal and technological challenges of urgent importance, including global financial crises, increasing inequality, political polarization, digitalization and climate change. Some 150 economists and scholars from related disciplines are developing innovative approaches for market and political analysis to better meet these challenges. Their research focuses on the human element—people’s beliefs, expectations and sense of justice, in other words: all key factors for better understanding markets and identifying sound recommendations for shaping markets and policy measures. In the second funding phase, researchers in the Cluster of Excellence will be focusing more specifically on the conditions necessary for societal acceptance of policy measures.

Universities involved:
University of Bonn, University of Cologne

Institutions involved:
Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn

The Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM) was founded in 2006 as the first-ever Cluster of Excellence for mathematics in Germany. It has evolved into an internationally significant center for mathematical research and teaching and for academic dialogue. The HCM produces a host of world-renowned award winners every year. Its research interests range from pure and applied mathematics and questions of economics through to interdisciplinary projects involving colleagues from fields such as materials research and the life sciences.

Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Valentin Blomer, Mathematical Institute, University of Bonn

Institutions involved:
Max Planck Institute for Mathematics

ImmunoSensation has done much to advance our understanding of the immune system ever since it was established in 2012. It involves over 80 research groups from the fields of immunology, neuroscience, system biology, bioinformatics, mathematics and clinical research working closely together. Through their joint efforts, they have made a major contribution to the identification and characterization of key innate immune system sensors, decoded new immune activation mechanisms and elevated the concept of immune sensing to international prominence. Essentially, this views the immune system as an immune sensory system—as a “sensory organ,” in other words. Renamed ImmunoSensation3, for the funding period starting in 2026, the cluster will be utilizing these foundations to tackle the next scientific challenge on its agenda: to conduct systematic research into immune diversity, i.e. the structural, functional and dynamic variety present in the immune system.

Speaker:
Prof. Gunther Hartmann, MD, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn

Institutions involved:
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)

Quantum computers lie at the heart of the ML4Q Cluster of Excellence, which was founded in 2019 by the University of Bonn, the University of Cologne and RWTH Aachen University together with Forschungszentrum Jülich. The cluster aims to lay the foundations for new computer and network architectures that are based on the principles of quantum mechanics and are more powerful than conventional computers. To this end, it works to analyze and optimize the quantum materials required to create various qubit platforms such as semiconductor qubits, superconducting qubits, topological qubits and Rydberg atoms. The cluster’s researchers are also devising algorithms for fault-tolerant quantum computing and strategies for quantum error correction.

Speaker:
Prof. Yoichi Ando, Solid State Physics, University of Cologne

Speaker in Bonn:
Prof. Dr. Simon Stellmer, Quantum Metrology, University of Bonn

Universities involved:
University of Cologne, University of Bonn, RWTH Aachen University

Other institutions involved:
Forschungszentrum Jülich