CAPP at UJ

The Centre for Astro-Particle physics (CAPP) successfully hosted a Theoretical Astrophysics Workshop on March 30th, 2026. The workshop was specially designed for the University of Johannesburg (UJ) physics undergraduate students.

The session opened with a welcome address by Prof. Buyi Sondezi, HOD of the UJ Department of Physics, and Dr. Paul Molefe (Director of the UJ Soweto Science Centre). Following the opening, workshop organiser Dr. Lutendo Nyadzani delivered a talk highlighting the diverse career and research opportunities within the field of astrophysics. CAPP PDRFs, Dr. Khushboo Dixit and Dr. Tamador Aldowma also contributed brief presentations, sharing their expertise with the students.

Mr. Luyanda Mazwi (workshop organiser) delivered the practical component of the day, guiding the students through some hands-on experience solving a basic astrophysics problem using Python programming. This workshop served as both a skill-building opportunity as well as serving as a key outreach effort to inspire students and highlight opportunities within the field.

AFAS 2026

Members of the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) recently participated in the 2026 African Astronomical Society Conference (AfAS 2026) held in Kasane, Botswana. The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) is a Pan-African professional society dedicated to building a globally competitive and collaborative astronomy community across the continent while promoting the advancement of astronomy and human capacity development in Africa.

The conference brought together researchers from across Africa and the world, providing an important platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and showcasing the continent’s growing contributions to astronomy and space science.

At the conference:

Mr. Mfuphi Ntshatsha presented a poster titled “Contribution of Compton-supported cascade emissions to broadband SEDs of γ-ray bright AGN.”

Mrs. Thando Kekana presented a poster titled “Continuum radio emission predominantly traces star-formation in radio-quiet active galactic nuclei.”

Dr. Tamador Aldwoma presented an online outreach talk titled “Astronomy Outreach in Sudan: A Current Overview.”

We are proud to see CAPP researchers contributing to and representing the African astronomy community at this important continental gathering. 🌌

🎓 Celebrating Two New PhDs at CAPP!

The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) in the Department of Physics proudly congratulates Dr. Tamador Aldowma and Dr. Lutendo Nyadzani on the successful completion of their PhD degrees under the supervision of Professor Soebur Razzaque.

Dr. Lutendo Nyadzani’s research focused on exploring the evolutionary link between ultra-luminous X-ray sources and gravitational-wave systems, providing important insights into the cosmic origins of some of the most powerful events in the universe.

Dr. Tamador Aldowma’s research, “Probing Gamma-Ray Bursts as Possible Cosmological Standard Candles using Machine Learning,” bridges astrophysics and data science. Her work advances our understanding of gamma-ray bursts, the universe’s most energetic explosions, and explores how they can be used to study the expansion of the distant universe.

The CAPP group is incredibly proud of these remarkable achievements and looks forward to the continued impact of their contributions to astrophysics. 🌌✨

GravitationalWaves GammaRayBursts

🎓 Celebrating Two New PhDs at CAPP!

The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) in the Department of Physics proudly congratulates Dr. Tamador Aldowma and Dr. Lutendo Nyadzani on the successful completion of their PhD degrees under the supervision of Professor Soebur Razzaque.

Dr. Lutendo Nyadzani’s research focused on exploring the evolutionary link between ultra-luminous X-ray sources and gravitational-wave systems, providing important insights into the cosmic origins of some of the most powerful events in the universe.

Dr. Tamador Aldowma’s research, “Probing Gamma-Ray Bursts as Possible Cosmological Standard Candles using Machine Learning,” bridges astrophysics and data science. Her work advances our understanding of gamma-ray bursts, the universe’s most energetic explosions, and explores how they can be used to study the expansion of the distant universe.

The CAPP group is incredibly proud of these remarkable achievements and looks forward to the continued impact of their contributions to astrophysics. 🌌✨

🚀 New Publication Alert

We present a detailed multiwavelength study of GRB 230204B, one of the most energetic gamma-ray bursts observed, with an energy release of ~2.2 × 10⁵⁴ erg.

Discovered with a bright, rapidly fading afterglow by the GROWTH-India Telescope, this burst shows both thermal and nonthermal emission components consistent with the fireball model.

Our analysis reveals a highly energetic, narrowly directed jet expanding into a wind-like environment, pointing to a massive star progenitor, and provides new insights into how prompt and afterglow emissions are connected within the broader GRB population.

🎓 Welcoming a New MSc Student to CAPP

The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) is pleased to welcome Ms. Mogkadi Ramavhuya, an MSc Physics candidate at the University of Johannesburg, specializing in the classification of ultraluminous X-ray sources.

Having completed both her undergraduate and Honours degrees at UJ, Ms. Ramavhuya has developed a strong foundation in Applied Mathematics and Physics. With a natural curiosity for investigative storytelling, she approaches her research as a form of scientific detective work, using machine learning and mathematical modelling to explore and understand the complex interactions between high-energy X-ray sources and their host galaxies.

CAPP looks forward to supporting her research journey and celebrating her contributions to the field of high-energy astrophysics. 🚀

📢 New Publication Alert

Using upper limits from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the latest study investigates what neutrino non-detections can reveal about gamma-ray burst jet physics.

Focusing on GRB 221009A and GRB 240825A, Scientists examine multiple emission scenarios, including internal shock and photospheric models, to constrain baryon loading, microphysical parameters (ϵₑ, ϵᴮ), and dissipation radii.

The results show that IceCube’s TeV–PeV limits already place meaningful constraints on GRB emission models, demonstrating the growing power of neutrino astronomy in probing the physics of extreme cosmic explosions.

Read Full Article Here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2602.12837

🚀 New Publication Alert

Following the landmark detection of GRB 221009A above 13 TeV by Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory, This latest study explores how often similar ultra-bright GRBs could be detected by current and next-generation ground-based observatories.

Using two emission scenarios and accounting for cosmological effects and EBL absorption, scientists estimate detection rates for LHAASO, Large Array of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (LACT), and Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO). Results indicate promising detection prospects, particularly for SWGO, reinforcing the importance of very-high-energy follow-up of bright GRBs.

This work strengthens the case that VHE emission (≳100 GeV) may be a common feature of luminous gamma-ray bursts and highlights the growing role of ground-based gamma-ray astronomy in the multi-messenger era.

https://inspirehep.net/literature/3125576

📢 New Publication Alert!

Gamma-ray bursts are among the most powerful explosions in the Universe, and they may help us measure its expansion more precisely.

In the latest study, scientists have refined key GRB energy correlations using joint spectral analysis of 37 bursts observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Fermi Large Area Telescope, incorporating the LAT Low-Energy (LLE) technique (2008–2024).

By revisiting the Amati relation and Yonetoku relation, this work reduces uncertainties in peak energy and spectral parameters, strengthening GRBs as cosmological probes and improving constraints on fundamental cosmological parameters.

🔭 Read the full paper to explore how high-energy astrophysics is helping map the distant

https://inspirehep.net/literature/3071329Universe.

First Edition of 2026

We are excited to announce the release of the first CAPP Newsletter of the year! 🚀

Volume 30 captures the highlights of the past quarter, including new research publications, international conference representation that continue to strengthen our impact in astro-particle physics.

As we begin a new year of discovery and collaboration, this edition reflects the momentum and excellence driving CAPP forward.

📬 Read, share, and stay updated with the latest from our research community.

Link in Bio or
https://uj.rocketseed.net/public/messages/view-online/Rq87RleWGQryU5Z3/Gfi8bgh0gF21LBgH

UJScience

🔬 CAPP at Stellenbosch University Workshop, November 2025

The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics was represented by Mr. Luyanda Mazwi at the workshop “Dynamical Systems: Theory, Modelling, and AI,” held from 19–21 November 2025 at Stellenbosch University.

The workshop brought together researchers and students to explore modern approaches to dynamical systems, highlighting the growing synergy between classical analytical methods and machine learning and AI techniques for modelling complex physical systems.

Mr. Mazwi contributed to the program with a talk titled:

🔹 “Quantum Circuit Complexity of Neutrino Flavor Oscillation,”
where he presented insights at the intersection of neutrino physics, quantum information, and dynamical systems.

CAPP is proud to see its research represented in interdisciplinary forums that bridge fundamental physics and emerging computational methods, fostering collaboration and innovation across fields.

🌍 CAPP Representation at IIT Jodhpur, December 2025 🇮🇳

The Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) was proudly represented by Dr. Khushboo Dixit at a conference hosted by the High Energy Physics and Astrophysics Group, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur. held from 10–12 December 2025 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

Dr. Dixit delivered a contributed talk titled:
🔹 “Active Galactic Nuclei Neutrinos as a Window into Dark Matter Distributions,”

exploring how high-energy neutrinos from AGN can be used to probe the distribution and nature of dark matter, at the intersection of astro-particle physics and cosmology.

📸 Pictured in the post: Dr. Khushboo Dixit with Dr. Reetanjali Moharana, Associate Professor at IIT Jodhpur and a former postdoctoral researcher at CAPP, highlighting the strong and continued academic ties between institutions and collaborators.

The conference brought together researchers working on compact stars, pulsars, gravitational waves, and high-energy cosmic phenomena, underscoring IIT Jodhpur’s growing role as a centre for astrophysics research.

CAPP is proud of Dr. Dixit’s contribution and continued international engagement in advancing neutrino and astro-particle physics.