Contact
Gwenhaël Wilberts Dewasseige
Position
Academic staff
Address
Centre for Cosmology, Particle Physics and Phenomenology - CP3
Université catholique de Louvain
2, Chemin du Cyclotron - Box L7.01.05
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium
Université catholique de Louvain
2, Chemin du Cyclotron - Box L7.01.05
B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium
Phone
+32 10 47 32 44
Office
UCL member card
Research statement
I am an astroparticle physicist, member of the IceCube and the KM3NeT collaborations. I have mainly focused so far on low-energy (MeV-GeV) neutrinos coming from transient events, such as solar flares, core-collapse supernovae, and compact binary mergers.
My work has three different directions:
- I push the detection limits of each instrument, lowering down the threshold to sub-GeV energies;
- I carry out searches for these low-energy neutrinos, developing new strategies to cope with a significant atmospheric and environmental background inherent to this energy range;
- I convert the obtained limits into constraints on physical parameters of the studied transient sources.
I strongly believe the combination of different messengers, as neutrinos, electromagnetic and gravitational waves, as well as the use of advanced data science tools in joint analyses are the key to unravel the mysteries of our Universe and the high-energy phenomena it contains. This is hence the main direction of my Astroparticle group at CP3.
My work has three different directions:
- I push the detection limits of each instrument, lowering down the threshold to sub-GeV energies;
- I carry out searches for these low-energy neutrinos, developing new strategies to cope with a significant atmospheric and environmental background inherent to this energy range;
- I convert the obtained limits into constraints on physical parameters of the studied transient sources.
I strongly believe the combination of different messengers, as neutrinos, electromagnetic and gravitational waves, as well as the use of advanced data science tools in joint analyses are the key to unravel the mysteries of our Universe and the high-energy phenomena it contains. This is hence the main direction of my Astroparticle group at CP3.
News
* WP leader in ACME, EU INFRA-SERV-01 project
* Invited lecturer at « École de Gif : astronomie multi-messagers », Paris, France
* Wernaers prize from F.R.S.-FNRS for science communication
* Monitor for the EIC Pathfinder project AntiMatter-OTech (Horizon-Europe programme for research and innovation) - 2024-present
* IISN KM3NeT convention - (PI, 220k euros) - 2024-present
* Academic referent for the M.A.R.S. UCLouvain mission
* Reviewer for Horizon-Europe (MSCA fellowship) and NWO - 2022-present
* Reviewer for World Scientific Publishing
* Invited lecturer at « École de Gif : astronomie multi-messagers », Paris, France
* Wernaers prize from F.R.S.-FNRS for science communication
* Monitor for the EIC Pathfinder project AntiMatter-OTech (Horizon-Europe programme for research and innovation) - 2024-present
* IISN KM3NeT convention - (PI, 220k euros) - 2024-present
* Academic referent for the M.A.R.S. UCLouvain mission
* Reviewer for Horizon-Europe (MSCA fellowship) and NWO - 2022-present
* Reviewer for World Scientific Publishing
Teaching
- LPHYS1214: Astronomie et géophysique
- LPHYS1221: Electromagnétisme 1
- LPHYS2221: Astrophysics and astroparticles
- LPHYS2336: Accelerator, astroparticle, and gravitational wave physics
- LPHYS2191: Seminars
- LPHYS2197: Thesis tutorial
- LPHYS1221: Electromagnétisme 1
- LPHYS2221: Astrophysics and astroparticles
- LPHYS2336: Accelerator, astroparticle, and gravitational wave physics
- LPHYS2191: Seminars
- LPHYS2197: Thesis tutorial
People responsibilities
Postdocs
PhD students
Master students
Interns
Mathieu Lamoureux
(FNRS - CR)
(member since March 2022)
During my PhD, I have been working on the T2K neutrino experiment, mostly looking for hypothetical heavy neutrinos using T2K near detector, but also participating to the upgrade of T2K near detector. Then, I obtained a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship in INFN Padova (Italy), where I have been focusing on multi-messenger neutrino astronomy, especially the search for neutrinos in time and spatial coincidence with gravitational waves detected by LIGO/Virgo, using the Super-Kamiokande detector. I spend 10 months as secondment in APC Paris (France) to extend this work to ANTARES telescope. Since I am in Louvain, I am mostly focusing on topics related to multi-messenger astronomy in KM3NeT (GW follow-up, real-time astronomy) and in IceCube (low-energy neutrino selection, service tasks related to supernova monitoring and detection).
During my PhD, I have been working on the T2K neutrino experiment, mostly looking for hypothetical heavy neutrinos using T2K near detector, but also participating to the upgrade of T2K near detector. Then, I obtained a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship in INFN Padova (Italy), where I have been focusing on multi-messenger neutrino astronomy, especially the search for neutrinos in time and spatial coincidence with gravitational waves detected by LIGO/Virgo, using the Super-Kamiokande detector. I spend 10 months as secondment in APC Paris (France) to extend this work to ANTARES telescope. Since I am in Louvain, I am mostly focusing on topics related to multi-messenger astronomy in KM3NeT (GW follow-up, real-time astronomy) and in IceCube (low-energy neutrino selection, service tasks related to supernova monitoring and detection).
Christoph Raab
(IISN - IceCube)
(member since June 2023)
Postdoc working on IceCube. My big topic is trying to do realtime astronomy with GeV neutrinos. But I'm generally interested in multi-messenger astronomy.
Postdoc working on IceCube. My big topic is trying to do realtime astronomy with GeV neutrinos. But I'm generally interested in multi-messenger astronomy.
Matthias Vereecken
(member since April 2023)
My research focuses on multi-messenger astronomy, primarily high-energy neutrinos with IceCube and gravitational waves with Virgo. Currently working as part of E-test on Newtonian noise mitigation.
My research focuses on multi-messenger astronomy, primarily high-energy neutrinos with IceCube and gravitational waves with Virgo. Currently working as part of E-test on Newtonian noise mitigation.
PhD students
Eliot Genton
(IISN - IceCube, FNRS - Aspirant FNRS)
(member since September 2023)
Currently working on a GeV to TeV analysis of solar neutrino events using data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in the South Pole, before enlarging this to a multimessenger analysis of the sun,.
Currently working on a GeV to TeV analysis of solar neutrino events using data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in the South Pole, before enlarging this to a multimessenger analysis of the sun,.
Karlijn Kruiswijk
(member since October 2021)
I am a PhD student in astrophysics, and a member in the IceCube collaboration. My PhD thesis is on on low energy (MeV-GeV) neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Burst populations. For this I work on improving the detection and reconstruction of low energy neutrinos, and look at properties of the electromagnetic spectra of Gamma-Ray Bursts to categorize them.
I am a PhD student in astrophysics, and a member in the IceCube collaboration. My PhD thesis is on on low energy (MeV-GeV) neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Burst populations. For this I work on improving the detection and reconstruction of low energy neutrinos, and look at properties of the electromagnetic spectra of Gamma-Ray Bursts to categorize them.
Jonathan Mauro
(Other - Francqui startup grant)
(member since October 2022)
Looking for solar-flares produced neutrinos with KM3NeT :).
Looking for solar-flares produced neutrinos with KM3NeT :).
Emile Moyaux
Building theoretical neutrino energy distributions (NEDs) over a wide energy range for various astrophysical transient events. The final goal of my thesis is to build mock NEDs from these theoretical distributions, which will help us identifying astrophysical sources in both archival and future data.
Building theoretical neutrino energy distributions (NEDs) over a wide energy range for various astrophysical transient events. The final goal of my thesis is to build mock NEDs from these theoretical distributions, which will help us identifying astrophysical sources in both archival and future data.
Marco Scarnera
(RW - FWB incitant UE)
(member since October 2024)
Per Arne Sevle Myhr
(member since September 2023)
I'm working on a novel search for sub-GeV neutrinos from transient astrophysical events using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
I'm working on a novel search for sub-GeV neutrinos from transient astrophysical events using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
Master students
Romain Gorski
Master student studying AGN (Active Galaxy Nuclei) using electromagnetic, neutrinos and gravitational waves data. The main objective is to search for correlations and space-time coincidence between those three. To do so, I make use of computational and data analysis (plus an ounce of machine learning) methods.
Master student studying AGN (Active Galaxy Nuclei) using electromagnetic, neutrinos and gravitational waves data. The main objective is to search for correlations and space-time coincidence between those three. To do so, I make use of computational and data analysis (plus an ounce of machine learning) methods.
Interns
Awards
- Francqui Start-Up Grant - Francqui Foundation and UCLouvain - 2021
- LabEx UnivEarthS exploratory grant for the project LEAK (project leader) - 2020
- Best poster award at the International Cosmic Ray Conference 2019, Madison, Wisconsin - 2019
- Balzan Fellowship, WIPAC, University of Wisconsin-Madison - 2019
- F.R.S - FNRS postdoc (mandat de Chargé de recherches in Belgium, 3 years) - 2019
- Materials-Based Research Grant from the Center for Craft with Donald Fortescue - 2019
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship - 2018-2019
- INFN Postdoctoral fellowship - 2019
- DIM ACAV grant for the LEANOR project - 2019
- Young Speaker Award from the Belgian Physical Society - 2018
- Prize for Science Communication by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium - 2017
- Antarctica Service Medal of the United States of America - 2017
- IceCube Communications Certificate - 2017
- LabEx UnivEarthS exploratory grant for the project LEAK (project leader) - 2020
- Best poster award at the International Cosmic Ray Conference 2019, Madison, Wisconsin - 2019
- Balzan Fellowship, WIPAC, University of Wisconsin-Madison - 2019
- F.R.S - FNRS postdoc (mandat de Chargé de recherches in Belgium, 3 years) - 2019
- Materials-Based Research Grant from the Center for Craft with Donald Fortescue - 2019
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship - 2018-2019
- INFN Postdoctoral fellowship - 2019
- DIM ACAV grant for the LEANOR project - 2019
- Young Speaker Award from the Belgian Physical Society - 2018
- Prize for Science Communication by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium - 2017
- Antarctica Service Medal of the United States of America - 2017
- IceCube Communications Certificate - 2017
Professional activities
- Monitor for the EIC Pathfinder project AntiMatter-OTech (Horizon-Europe programme for research and innovation) - 2024-present
- Reviewer for Horizon-Europe (MSCA fellowship) and NWO - 2022-present
- Co-group leader of the 'Supernova' working group in IceCube (astrophysical neutrinos from MeV to GeV)
- Convener of the 'Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility' working group in IPPOG - 2021-Present
- Belgian representative of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) - 2021-Present
- Member of the KM3NeT Institute Board - 2021-Present
- Member of the IceCube Institute Board - 2021-Present
- Co-chair of the Outreach committee in the KM3NeT Collaboration - 2021-Present
- Co-leader of the WP dedicated to KM3NeT in the REINFORCE (H2020 SwafS) - 2019-2022
- Early Career Representative in the KM3NeT Collaboration - 2019-2021
- Member of the KM3NeT Institute Board as ECS representative - 2019-2021
- Reviewer for European Physical Journal C, Astroparticle Physics Journal - 2018-Present
- Developer and coordinator of the snow-depth measurement system for IceTop - 2016-2019
- Developer and coordinator of a database for gravitational wave-based sub-GeV neutrino search in IceCube - 2016-Present
- Crew member of the IceCube South Pole summer season - 2016
- Developer and coordinator of the IceCube SFNews alert system for solar flares - 2015-2019
- Reviewer for Horizon-Europe (MSCA fellowship) and NWO - 2022-present
- Co-group leader of the 'Supernova' working group in IceCube (astrophysical neutrinos from MeV to GeV)
- Convener of the 'Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility' working group in IPPOG - 2021-Present
- Belgian representative of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) - 2021-Present
- Member of the KM3NeT Institute Board - 2021-Present
- Member of the IceCube Institute Board - 2021-Present
- Co-chair of the Outreach committee in the KM3NeT Collaboration - 2021-Present
- Co-leader of the WP dedicated to KM3NeT in the REINFORCE (H2020 SwafS) - 2019-2022
- Early Career Representative in the KM3NeT Collaboration - 2019-2021
- Member of the KM3NeT Institute Board as ECS representative - 2019-2021
- Reviewer for European Physical Journal C, Astroparticle Physics Journal - 2018-Present
- Developer and coordinator of the snow-depth measurement system for IceTop - 2016-2019
- Developer and coordinator of a database for gravitational wave-based sub-GeV neutrino search in IceCube - 2016-Present
- Crew member of the IceCube South Pole summer season - 2016
- Developer and coordinator of the IceCube SFNews alert system for solar flares - 2015-2019
Grants
- IISN KM3NeT convention - (PI, 220k euros) - 2024-present
- Hoover Seedfund for collaborating with prof. C.Argüelles at Harvard University (PI, 18k euros) - 2023-present
- Belspo POLAR Grant (PI, 240k euros) - 2023-present
- UCLouvain PI of the REINFORCE SwafS project (20k euros for UCLouvain) - 2022
- IISN IceCube convention - (UCLouvain PI, 265k euros) - 2021-present
- Francqui Start-Up Grant (PI, 200k euros)- Francqui Foundation and UCLouvain - 2021
- LabEx UnivEarthS exploratory grant for the project LEAK (project leader, 16k euros/year) - 2020
- Balzan Fellowship, WIPAC, University of Wisconsin-Madison (declined for personal reasons) - 2019
- F.R.S - FNRS postdoc (mandat de Chargé de recherches in Belgium, 3 years, declined for personal reasons) - 2019
- Materials-Based Research Grant from the Center for Craft with Donald Fortescue - 2019
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship 2018 - 2019
- INFN Postdoctoral fellowship (declined for personal reasons) - 2019
- DIM ACAV grant for the LEANOR project - 2019
- Hoover Seedfund for collaborating with prof. C.Argüelles at Harvard University (PI, 18k euros) - 2023-present
- Belspo POLAR Grant (PI, 240k euros) - 2023-present
- UCLouvain PI of the REINFORCE SwafS project (20k euros for UCLouvain) - 2022
- IISN IceCube convention - (UCLouvain PI, 265k euros) - 2021-present
- Francqui Start-Up Grant (PI, 200k euros)- Francqui Foundation and UCLouvain - 2021
- LabEx UnivEarthS exploratory grant for the project LEAK (project leader, 16k euros/year) - 2020
- Balzan Fellowship, WIPAC, University of Wisconsin-Madison (declined for personal reasons) - 2019
- F.R.S - FNRS postdoc (mandat de Chargé de recherches in Belgium, 3 years, declined for personal reasons) - 2019
- Materials-Based Research Grant from the Center for Craft with Donald Fortescue - 2019
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship 2018 - 2019
- INFN Postdoctoral fellowship (declined for personal reasons) - 2019
- DIM ACAV grant for the LEANOR project - 2019
Projects
Research directions:
Experiments and collaborations:
Active projects
Experiments and collaborations:
Active projects
Multi-messenger studies of astrophysical sources
Giacomo Bruno, Eliot Genton, Karlijn Kruiswijk, Mathieu Lamoureux, Jeff Lazar, Jonathan Mauro, Emile Moyaux, Christoph Raab, Leonardo Ricca, Marco Scarnera, Per Arne Sevle Myhr, Jishnu Suresh, Matthias Vereecken, Gwenhaël Wilberts Dewasseige
This project aims at studying astrophysical phenomena combining different messengers, mainly neutrinos, electromagnetic and gravitational waves.
This project aims at studying astrophysical phenomena combining different messengers, mainly neutrinos, electromagnetic and gravitational waves.
Neutrino physics and astrophysics
Eliot Genton, Karlijn Kruiswijk, Mathieu Lamoureux, Jeff Lazar, Vincent Lemaitre, Emile Moyaux, Christoph Raab, Leonardo Ricca, Marco Scarnera, Per Arne Sevle Myhr, Matthias Vereecken, Gwenhaël Wilberts Dewasseige
This project gathers researchers studying neutrino physics and astrophysics.
This project gathers researchers studying neutrino physics and astrophysics.
Neutrinos from astrophysical transient sources
Eliot Genton, Karlijn Kruiswijk, Mathieu Lamoureux, Jeff Lazar, Jonathan Mauro, Emile Moyaux, Christoph Raab, Leonardo Ricca, Marco Scarnera, Per Arne Sevle Myhr, Matthias Vereecken, Gwenhaël Wilberts Dewasseige
This project aims at optimising neutrino telescopes, especially the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and KM3NeT, to detect GeV and sub-GeV astrophysical neutrinos. The instruments are then used to search for low-energy neutrinos from transient sources, such as solar flares, compact binary mergers, or gamma-ray bursts.
This project aims at optimising neutrino telescopes, especially the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and KM3NeT, to detect GeV and sub-GeV astrophysical neutrinos. The instruments are then used to search for low-energy neutrinos from transient sources, such as solar flares, compact binary mergers, or gamma-ray bursts.
Previous positions
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellow, Astroparticule et Cosmologie Laboratoire (APC), Université de Paris, France - 2019-2021
- DIMACAV postdoc researcher, Astroparticule et Cosmologie Laboratoire (APC), CNRS - 2018-2019
- DIMACAV postdoc researcher, Astroparticule et Cosmologie Laboratoire (APC), CNRS - 2018-2019
Publications in IRMP
All my publications on Inspire
Number of publications as IRMP member: 6
Last 5 publications
More publications
Number of publications as IRMP member: 6
Last 5 publications
2024
IRMP-CP3-24-35: Citizen science, accessibility, art & science, critical thinking, policy and engagement: thoughts and lessons learned from the REINFORCE experience
Stylianos Angelidakis, Theodore Avgitas, Emmanouil Chaniotakis, Johanna Casado, Paschal Coyle, Gwenhaël de Wasseige, Francesco Di Renzo, Claudia Magdalena Fabian, Dimitrios Fassouliotis, Francesco Fidecaro, Beatriz Garcia, Gary Hemming, Christine Kourkoumelis, Rémy Le Breton, Jacques Marteau, Francesco Mureddu, Vincenzo Napolano, Francesco Osimanti, Enzo Oukacha, Maria Panagopoulou, James Pearson, Massimiliano Razzano, Sofoklis Sotiriou, Stephen Serjeant, Francesca Spagnuolo, Elisabeth Unterfrauner & Stylianos Vourakis
[Journal] [Full text]
Refereed paper. November 15.
[Journal] [Full text]
Refereed paper. November 15.
2023
IRMP-CP3-23-60: Searching for sub-populations within the gamma-ray solar flares catalog: a graph-based clustering analysis
IRMP-CP3-23-48: The classification and categorisation of gamma ray bursts with machine learning techniques for neutrino detection
Kruiswijk, Karlijn and de Wasseige, Gwenha\"el
[Abstract] [PDF] [Local file] [Journal] [Full text]
Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023)
Contribution to proceedings. August 25.
[Abstract] [PDF] [Local file] [Journal] [Full text]
Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023)
Contribution to proceedings. August 25.
IRMP-CP3-23-45: First results of low-energy neutrino follow-ups of Run O4 compact binary mergers with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory
The IceCube Collaboration
[Abstract] [PDF] [Local file] [Journal] [Full text]
Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023)
Contribution to proceedings. August 24.
[Abstract] [PDF] [Local file] [Journal] [Full text]
Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023)
Contribution to proceedings. August 24.
IRMP-CP3-23-44: Probing neutrino emission at GeV energies from astrophysical transient events with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory
The IceCube Collaboration
[Abstract] [PDF] [Local file] [Journal] [Full text]
Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023).
Contribution to proceedings. August 24.
[Abstract] [PDF] [Local file] [Journal] [Full text]
Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023).
Contribution to proceedings. August 24.
More publications
Organization of scientific meetings
- Convener of the 'Outreach and Diversity' session at EPS-HEP 2023, Hamburg, Germany
- Convener of the ‘Outreach’ session at ICRC 2023, Nagoya, Japan
- Convener of the ‘Neutrino’ session at TeVPA 2023, Napoli, Italy
- Initiator and organiser of the symposium ‘A Decade of Discoveries in High Energy Physics’ (200+ participants) and the associated outreach event (700+ participants), March 2023, Town Hall Brussels, Belgium
- Member of the SOC, Town Hall KM3NeT meeting planned for May 2022, Catania, Italy
- Member of the International Advisory Committee, First Pan-African Astroparticle and Collider Physics Workshop, planned for March 2022 (online)
- Co-chair, Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos in the Multi-Messenger Era 350 + attendees, Paris, France (online) - 2021
- Member of the SOC, Town Hall KM3NeT meeting 60 + attendees, Marseille, France - 2019
- Co-organizer, Gravitational Waves: The Discovery and Outlook 100 + attendees, Brussels, Belgium - 2016
- Convener of the ‘Outreach’ session at ICRC 2023, Nagoya, Japan
- Convener of the ‘Neutrino’ session at TeVPA 2023, Napoli, Italy
- Initiator and organiser of the symposium ‘A Decade of Discoveries in High Energy Physics’ (200+ participants) and the associated outreach event (700+ participants), March 2023, Town Hall Brussels, Belgium
- Member of the SOC, Town Hall KM3NeT meeting planned for May 2022, Catania, Italy
- Member of the International Advisory Committee, First Pan-African Astroparticle and Collider Physics Workshop, planned for March 2022 (online)
- Co-chair, Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos in the Multi-Messenger Era 350 + attendees, Paris, France (online) - 2021
- Member of the SOC, Town Hall KM3NeT meeting 60 + attendees, Marseille, France - 2019
- Co-organizer, Gravitational Waves: The Discovery and Outlook 100 + attendees, Brussels, Belgium - 2016
Outreach and Education
I am passionate about science communication. I am especially interested in developing large-scale outreach programs that can reach a broad audience and trigger science discussion within families and friends. I have for example designed a experiment contest that was asking the participants to develop an experiment that would have a different result in Belgium and at the South Pole. This effort was awarded the annual prize for science communication by the Belgian Academy for Science and Arts in 2017. More recently, I designed and organised on behalf of the KM3NeT Collaboration a drawing contest. The participants had to draw a neutrino. More than 500 drawings from 16 different countries.
I am also interested in science and art projects. I collaborate with Donald Fortescue, PhD in Art and professor at the Californian College of the Arts in San Francisco. Together we are searching for more inclusive ways to present scientific data that can optimize the scientific output and reach a larger fraction of the population. A concrete example of our collaboration can be seen online (http://www.donaldfortescue.com/video#/axis-mundi/).
I also engage in citizen science. I designed, within the EU REINFORCE Consortium an activity on the Zooniverse platform that proposes to participants to classify bioluminescence signatures recorded with KM3NeT.
I am also interested in science and art projects. I collaborate with Donald Fortescue, PhD in Art and professor at the Californian College of the Arts in San Francisco. Together we are searching for more inclusive ways to present scientific data that can optimize the scientific output and reach a larger fraction of the population. A concrete example of our collaboration can be seen online (http://www.donaldfortescue.com/video#/axis-mundi/).
I also engage in citizen science. I designed, within the EU REINFORCE Consortium an activity on the Zooniverse platform that proposes to participants to classify bioluminescence signatures recorded with KM3NeT.