Prof. Buson's Research Group

Multi-messenger astrophysics, high-energy time-domain astrophysics

Group Focus

We study multi-messenger and time-domain astrophysics, with a particular focus on high-energy gamma-ray transients and variable sources. Our research aims to understand the physical processes driving activity in active galactic nuclei (AGN) and to investigate the origin of astrophysical neutrinos. To address these questions, our group combines state-of-the-art theoretical models with broad multiwavelength observations of AGN and data from major multimessenger facilities, including the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the ANTARES/KM3NeT Neutrino Telescopes.

The group is based at the University of Würzburg, at the Chair for Astronomy, and at DESY in Zeuthen (Germany). It is primarily supported by the ERC Starting Grant awarded to Prof. Buson in 2020 for the project MessMapp. Several additional research projects are also ongoing. The project HadroPrint (PI: Prof. Buson), starting in 2027 with support from the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, German Aerospace Center), aims to investigate the X-ray properties of AGN in connection with neutrinos. In addition, in 2027, the new project Jet Physics Across the Multimessenger Spectrum (PI: Prof. Buson), supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) within the DFG Research Unit Relativistic Jets, will investigate the real-time domain and neutrino astrophysics. The team is actively involved in several NASA missions and collaborations, including the Fermi-LAT Collaboration and the forthcoming COSI gamma-ray space telescope. We are also active members of the KM3NeT Collaboration.

Sara
Sara Buson

    Professor

    Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg
    and DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    I am an astrophysicist working in multi-messenger astrophysics with strong focus on high-energy and astro-particle physics. I have been the convener of the Active Galactic Nuclei working group and time-doamin group of the Fermi-LAT Collaboration. Since 2018 I am a junior Professor at the Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik at the Julius-Maximilians Universitat Würzburg (DE).

Massimiliano
Massimiliano Lincetto

    PostDoc

    DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    I completed my PhD at the CPPM of Marseille working on low-energy supernova neutrino detection with the KM3NeT neutrino telescope. Then I moved to the Ruhr-University Bochum, working on high energy neutrino searches from optical transients with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and on the development of the IceCube realtime infrastructure. As part of the Messmapp group, I investigate the the blazar-neutrino connection.

Margot
Margot Boughelilba

    PostDoc

    DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    After focusing on radio galaxies during my PhD, I am now investigating their more powerful cousins, the blazars, with the aim of understanding a bit more what processes take place in their core and how we can explain how we observe them.

Dmitri
Dmitri Prokhorov

    PostDoc

    Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg

Black Hole

    My expertise is in gamma-ray astronomy and X-ray polarimetry. I worked on Fermi-LAT data since 2010, H.E.S.S. data since 2014, IXPE data since its launch and now on variabilities of blazars using Fermi-LAT data.

Ale
Alessandra Azzollini

    PhD Student

    DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    I am a PhD student mostly interested in data analysis of the multi-wavelength properties of astrophysical objects. In particular, I am specialised in optical and UV spectroscopy of AGN and novae, to understand their inner nature.

Jose Josè Maria Sanchez Zaballa

    PhD Student

    Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg; DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    I am a PhD student working on the analysis of IceCube data, as well as on the analysis of X-ray data from several missions. I find joy in sharing knowledge, and my passion lies in understanding how things work. My aim is to simplify complex concepts and foster appreciation for the wonders of nature by inspiring others to look at the world in a unique way.

Leo
Leonard Pfeiffer

    PhD Student

    Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg

Black Hole

    I finished my master mostly working on AGN data in a multi-wavelength context. For my thesis I analyzed an extragalactic neutrino candidates for which I tried to find a physical model that fits the observation. Now I am expanding this work to a greater number of sources.

Andrea
Andrea Adelfio

    PhD student

    Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg; DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    As a PhD student in the group, my research focuses AGN in a multimessenger context, combining data from different observatories. I am expanding my expertise on AGN coronae, their X-ray emission, and their connection to neutrino emission. I hold a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Trieste and have experience in multimessenger astronomy and gamma-ray and neutrino data analysis.

Annette
Annette Bremer

    Master Student

    Julius-Maximilians Universität Würzburg

Black Hole

    I am a Master student working on a framework to investigate IceCube Observatory neutrino data. For my Master Thesis, I study the contribution of a point source population to the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux using data from the IceCube Observatory, publicly released. I also engage in outreach activities.



Bachelor Students

Fabian
Reich Fabian

    Bachelor Student

    Technische Universität Berlin; DESY, Zeuthen

Black Hole

    I am a Bachelor Student working on gamma-ray variability properties of blazars and gravitationally lensed systems.

Emilie
Emilie Kobsar

    Bachelor Student

Black Hole

    I am a Bachelor Student working on alternative point spread functions to improve the performance of IceCubePy.

David
David Hajatpour

    Bachelor Student

Black Hole

    I am a Bachelor Student analyzing blazars in the dataset of eROSITA.



Former Members

  • Raniere de Menezes

    Former PostDoc

  • Vardan Baghmanyan

    Former PostDoc

  • Gaëtan Fichet de Clairfontaine

    Former PostDoc

  • Eleonora Barbano

    Former PhD Student

  • Margherita De Toma

    Former Master Student

  • Kalyani Chaitnya Kumar Mehta

    Former Master Student

  • Lenz Oswald

    Former Master Student

  • Francesca Zanetti

    Former Master Student

  • Kilian Fischer

    Former Bachelor Student