Professor Dr. Christian Weinheimer
Current affiliations
- Professur für Kernphysik (Prof. Weinheimer)Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 9, 48149 Münster
- Center for Quantum Science, Education and Technology (Q-SET)Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, 48149 Münster
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Research Focus
- Neutrino physics (Nuclear, particle and astroparticle physics): Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment (neutrino mass, 1987-2005), CHORUS (neutrino oscillation, CERN, 1995-1998), AMANDA (neutrino telescope, 1998-2001), KATRIN (neutrino mass, KIT, 2001-)
- Direct search for dark matter (particle physics, astroparticle physics): XENON100 and XENON1T experiment (Untergrundlabor LNGS/Italien, 2009-), DARWIN (2010-)
- Fundamental interactions (Atomic, nuclear and particle physics): WITCH experiment (CERN, 2007-2013), SpecTrap Libelle experiment (GSI, 2007-)
- Development of a TMB-based detector with Cherenkov light and charge readout for positron emission tomography (PET) (together with EIMI/CiM, 2017-) Readout for Positron Emission Tomography
- Hadron spectroscopy (nuclear and hadron physics): CBELSA-TAPS experiment (Bonn, 2001-2004)
Academic Education | |
| 2000 | Habilitation in experimental physics at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universtität Mainz with Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. E.W. Otten, translated title of habilitation: "Search for neutrino masses and oscillations" |
| 11/1989 - 11/1993 | PhD thesis at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hartmut Backe, translated title: "A new upper limit for the rest mass of the electron neutrino from the tritium beta spectrum", grade: summa cum laude |
| 11/1982 - 11/1989 | Study of mathematics and physics at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, intermediate diploma in mathematics with grade "very good", diploma in physics with grade "with distinction". Translated title of diploma thesis: "Test and set up of the detector system of the Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment", supervisor: Prof. Dr. H. Backe |
Work Experience | |
| since 2004 | Professor of Physics (C4/W3, full professor) at the Westfälische Wilmhelms-Universität Münster |
| 2001 - 2004 | Professor for physics (C3, similar to "associate professor") at University of Bonn, Germany |
| 2000 - 2001 | Hochschuldozent (C2, faculty member, like "assistent professor") at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz |
| 1997 - 2000 | Postdoctoral fellow (C1) at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz |
| 1995 - 1996 | CERN fellow at the European particle physics laboratory CERN |
| 1993 - 1994 | Postdoctoral fellow at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz |
| 1989 - 1993 | Research assistant at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz |
Functions and Memberships | |
| since 02/2026 | Member, Specialist section physics , The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina |
| since 01/2025 | Executive Director, Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Münster |
| since 09/2023 | Member, Rectorate Research Council, University of Münster |
| since 01/2023 | Member, Scientific Council DESY, DESY |
| since 2021 | International Advisory Board of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences |
| since 03/2020 | Deputy Spokesperson of the Research Training Group "Strong and Weak Interactions - from Hadrons to Dark Matter", financed through the German Science Foundation DFG (GRK 2149) |
| since 02/2020 | Member of the Euroepan APPEC-SAC (Science Advisory Committee of the Astroparticle Physics European Consortium) |
| since 08/2019 | Member of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) of the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute |
| since 05/2017 | Member of the Interfaculty Centre Cells in Motion (CiM) |
| 09/2025 - 08/2029 | Member, Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute Advisory Board, Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute Advisory Board |
| 01/2021 - 12/2026 | Scientific Member, Senate and Grants Committee for Collaborative Research Centers of the German Research Foundation (DFG), German Research Foundation (DFG) |
| 01/2024 - 12/2025 | Co-chair of the Collaboration Board of the XENON Collaboration, Collaboration Board, XENON Collaboration |
| 2001 - 2022 | Co-Spokesperson, Collaboration of an international experiment, International KATRIN Collaboration |
| 05/2019 - 11/2022 | Chair, DESY, Chair of the Astroparticle Physics Committee (APC) of DESY |
| 10/2016 - 09/2022 | Executive Director, Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Münster |
| 04/2015 - 04/2021 | Advisory Board of the section "Particle Physics" of the German Physical Society (DPG) |
| 09/2015 - 02/2020 | Spokesperson of the Research Training Group "Strong and Weak Interactions - from Hadrons to Dark Matter", financed through the German Science Foundation DFG (GRK 2149) |
| 09/2013 - 09/2019 | Member of the Scientific Committee's of the Italien underground laboratory LNGS (Gran Sasso National Laboratory) |
| 2017 - 05/2019 | Member of the Physics Review Committee (PRC) of DESY |
| 11/2012 - 05/2019 | Chair of Scientific Council of the Cluster of Excellence PRISMA (Precision Physics, Fundamental Interactions and Structure of Matter) of Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz |
| 2005 - 03/2019 | Chair (2013-2019), elected member (2010-2019), representative of the committee for hadron and nuclear physics KHuK in KAT (2005-, Elected committee of the astroparticle phycists working in akademia in Germany, Committee for astroparticle physics KAT (Chair 2013-2019) |
| 2012 - 2016 | Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft "309 - Particles, nuclei and fields" |
| 11/2014 - 11/2016 | Dean of the Department of Physics of WWU |
| 11/2012 - 10/2014 | Deputy Dean of the Department of Physics of the WWU |
| 2006 - 2013 | Co-organizer of the yearly workshop "Arbeitstreffen Kernphysik" in Schleching |
| 2005 - 2013 | Chair of the working team "school physics" of the faculty for physics of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster |
| 2011 - 2012 | Scientific Advisory Board of the Max-Planck-Institut for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg |
| 2007 - 2012 | Managing Director, Institute for Nuclear Physics, University of Münster |
| 2005 - 2012 | Committee for hadron and nuclear physics KHuK (elected member: 2005-2010, 2010-2012 the representative of the committee for astroparticle physics KAT in KHuK) |
| 2010 - 2011 | Chair of the organisation committee of the spring meeting of the German Physical Society DPG at Münster with the divisions "hadron and nuclear physics" and "didactics of physics" |
| 2006 - 2011 | Committee of the German Ministery for Education and Research "Hadron and nuclear physics", 2009 - 2011 vice chair |
| 2008 - 2010 | Chair of the board of the internatinal graduate school FANTOM (Fundamental and Applied Nuclear and aTOMic physics) |
| 2005 - 2010 | Committee of the German Federal Ministery for Education and Research "Ground-based astrophysics and astroparticle physics" |
| 2007 - 2008 | Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft "309 - Particles, nuclei and fields) |
Appointments | |
| 2004 | Offer to a Professorship for Physics (C4) , University of Münster (accepted) |
| 2001 | Offer to a Professorship for Physics, University of Washington |
| 2001 | Offer to a Professorship for physics (C3) , University of Bonn |
Publications
Schulte, P.; Wenz, D.; Althueser, L.; Braun, R.; Hannen, V.; Huhmann, C.; Koke, D.; Lin, Y.-T.; Unkhoff, P.; Weinheimer, C. (2026) In: European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields, 86(5), 488-488. doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-15739-4 Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed | Published | |
Aprile, E.; others (2026) In: Physical Review C, 113(4), 044303-044303. doi:10.1103/b3r7-6ff4 Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed | Published | |
Aprile, E.; others (2026) In: Physical Review Letters, 136(12), 120201-120201. doi:10.1103/2jm3-4976 Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed | Published | |
Aalbers, J.; others (2026) In: European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields, 86(3), 312-312. doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-15161-2 Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed | Published | |
Liebisch, Tara Cubel; Kaufmann, Peter; Schnatz, Harald; Naegele-Jackson, Susanne; Kronjäger, Jochen; Blaum, Klaus; Kück, Stefan; Meschede, Dieter; Schiller, Stephan; Agazzi, Laura; Alighanbari, Soroosh; Ankerhold, Joachim; Astakhov, Georgy V.; Barz, Stefanie; Baumann, Ingo; Baumgart, Rainer; Becher, Christoph; Bekker, Hendrik; Benson, Oliver; Bianco, Paolo; Bieber, Ronald; Bloch, Immanuel; Blumröder, Ulrike; Bockholt, Rainer; Bouman, Johannes; Braxmaier, Claus; Brehm, Enrico; Bruss, Dagmar; Budker, Dmitry; Bungartz, Hans-Joachim; Busley, Erik; Crespo López-Urrutia, José R.; Denz, Cornelia; Deppe, Christian; Dietl, Guido; Ding, Fei; Eickermann, Thomas; Elsen, Florian; Ertmer, Wolfgang; Filipp, Stefan; Fischer, Marc; Flury, Jakob; Fröhlich, Thomas; Furthner, Johann; Gerhardt, Ilia; Giering, Kay Uwe; Glingener, Christoph; Grießer, Helmut; Grimm, Rüdiger; Grimm, Christian; Gritsch, Andreas; Hack, Fritz; Hänsch, Theodor; Halfmann, Thomas; Hanemann, Andreas; Harlacher, Daniel; Hegemann, Niklas; Heindel, Tobias; Heinkelmann, Robert; Hellmich, Luis; Hildmann, Thomas; Hock, David; Höfling, Sven; Höft, Bruno; Hofmann, Harald; Holleczek, Peter; Holzwarth, Ronald; Hommel, Wolfgang; Hühn, Thomas; Hugentobler, Urs; Hunger, David; Huntemann, Nils; Issever, Cigdem; Jelezko, Fedor; Jöns, Klaus; Johann, Tim; Jousset, Philippe; Jungbluth, Bernd; Kärtner, Franz; Kankel, Jonas; Kaufmann, Heike; Khabi, Dmitry; Kissinger, Thomas; Klempt, Carsten; Klügel, Thomas; Kniggendorf, Ann-Kathrin; Kodet, Jan; Konrad, Uwe; Kopp, Joachim; Kramer, Michael; Kremling, Stefan; Krist, Michael; Krutzik, Markus; Kwasniok, Sascha; Leifels, Yvonne; Leuchs, Gerd; Lisdat, Christian; Litvinov, Yuri; Lochter, Manfred; van Loock, Peter; Lüsse, Paul; Manske, Eberhard; Mehlstäubler, Tanja; Michler, Peter; Micke, Peter; Migura, Martin; Müller, Jürgen; Nörtershäuser, Wilfried; Pachnicke, Stephan; Paffrath, Ralf; Peik, Ekkehard; Pempe, Wolfgang; Peters, Achim; Pfeifer, Thomas; Piester, Dirk; Pohl, Randolf; Rasel, Ernst Maria; Reiser, Helmut; Reiserer, Andreas; Rieck, Manfred; Riehle, Fritz; Ritter, Stephan; Rogge, Norbert; Ruiz Ben, Esther; Kozhiparambil Sajith, Lakshmi Priya; Sanchez, Laura; Schäfer, Vera; Schaefer, Wolfgang; Schieferdecker, Nick; Schmidt, Piet; Schnabel, Roman; Schön, Steffen; Schreiber, Ulli; Schuck, Carsten; Schuh, Harald; Schulz, Henrik; Schulz-Zander, Julius; Schwanke, Ullrich; Seifert, Jean-Pierre; Sengstock, Klaus; Shafak, Kemal; Silberhorn, Christine; Smorra, Christian; Spethmann, Nicolas; Steiert, Jonathan; Stellmer, Simon; Sterr, Uwe; Stöhlker, Thomas; Stuhler, Jürgen; Sturm, Sven; Thirolf, Peter G.; Tobeck, Christian; Udem, Thomas; Ulmer, Stefan; Vasilyan, Suren; Vincent, Asha; Vogl, Tobias; Vogl, Raimund; Walther, Thomas; Weinfurter, Harald; Weinheimer, Christian; von der Wense, Lars; Wickenbrock, Arne; Wörner, Lisa; Wolf, Fabian; Worm, Steven; Yang, Yang; Zimmermann, Matthias; Zopf, Michael (2026) In: European Physical Journal - Special Topics, 235, 3353-3353. doi:10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02451-3 Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed | Published |
Projects
Duration: 16/10/2026 - 17/10/2026 Funded by: Sparkasse Münsterland Ost Type of project: Scientific Event | |
Duration: 18/10/2024 - 19/10/2024 Funded by: Universitätsgesellschaft Münster e.V. Type of project: Scientific Event | |
Duration: 01/07/2023 - 30/06/2026 | 2nd Funding period Funded by: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space Type of project: Participation in federally funded joint project | |
Duration: 01/07/2023 - 30/06/2026 | 6th Funding period Funded by: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space Type of project: Participation in federally funded joint project | |
Duration: 01/11/2022 - 31/10/2027 Funded by: EC Horizon Europe - ERC Advanced Grant Type of project: EU-project hosted at University of Münster |
Talks
| Direct neutrino mass search with the KATRIN experiment and beyond Weinheimer, Christian (18/09/2026) International School of Nuclear Physics, Erice Type of talk: scientific Talk | |
| Direct determination of the neutrino mass in the laboratory: status and perspectives Weinheimer, Christian (09/09/2026) 112° Congresso Nazionale of Societá Italiana di Fisica, Florenz Type of talk: scientific Talk | |
| Direct neutrino mass search with the KATRIN experiment and beyond
Weinheimer, Christian (22/05/2026) CENPA Seminar, University of Washington, Seattle Type of talk: scientific Talk | |
| Purification of xenon for the next generation of xenon experiments
Weinheimer, Christian (21/05/2026) International Workshop on the Application of Noble Gas Xenon to Science and Technology XeSAT 2026, Vancouver Type of talk: scientific Talk | |
| Unravelling the secrets of the universe: novel sensitivities through quantum technologies and machine learning Weinheimer, Christian (29/04/2026) Symposium on Frontier of Nano-Science - From Quantum Science to Nanophotonics, Precision Chemistry and Biomolecular…, Universität Münster Type of talk: scientific Talk |
Prizes
| Teaching Prize 2026 Awarded by: Physics Student Council, UNiversity of Münster Award given to: Weinheimer, Christian Announced at: 09/07/2026 | Date of awarding: 09/07/2026 Type of distinction: Research award or other distinction | |
| Appointment as Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Awarded by: German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Award given to: Weinheimer, Christian Announced at: 01/02/2026 | Date of awarding: 01/02/2026 Type of distinction: Research award or other distinction | |
| ERC Advanced Grant Awarded by: European Research Council (ERC) Award given to: Weinheimer, Christian Announced at: 26/04/2022 | Date of awarding: 15/04/2022 Type of distinction: Research award or other distinction | |
| Helmholtz Award 2001 Awarded by: Helmoltz-Fonds, Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany Award given to: Bonn, Jochen; Weinheimer, Christian; Hell, Stefan W.; Klar, Thomas A. Announced at: 01/01/2001 | Date of awarding: 01/01/2001 Type of distinction: Research award or other distinction | |
| Dissertation Award 1993 Awarded by: Association of the Friends of the University of Mainz e.V. Award given to: Dr. Weinheimer, Christian Date of awarding: 01/01/1993 Type of distinction: Research award or other distinction |
Doctorates
| Extending the Nuclear Recoil Calibration Down to the Single-Photon Level for the XENONnT Experiment Candidate: Jakob, Johanna | Supervisors: Weinheimer, Christian | Reviewers: Weinheimer, Christian; Andronic, Anton Period of time: 01/07/2021 - 21/07/2026 Doctoral examination procedure finished at: Doctoral examination procedure at University of Münster | |
| A Machine Learning Method for Delayed Coincidence Reconstruction in XENONnT: Solar Neutrino Capture on 136Xe and 85Kr Assay Candidate: ??? | Supervisors: Weinheimer, Christian | Reviewers: Weinheimer, Christian; Kappes, Alexander Period of time: 01/06/2020 - 17/07/2026 Doctoral examination procedure finished at: Doctoral examination procedure at University of Münster | |
| Measurement of the Nuclear Transition Energies of 83mKr for Tritium Q Value Determination at KATRIN Candidate: Böttcher, Matthias | Supervisors: Weinheimer, Christian | Reviewers: Weinheimer, Christian; Andronic, Anton Period of time: 01/03/2021 - 15/09/2025 Doctoral examination procedure finished at: Doctoral examination procedure at University of Münster | |
| Determination of the Energy-dependent Energy-loss Function and Sensitivity Improvements for the KATRIN Experiment Candidate: Sonja Schneidewind | Supervisors: Weinheimer, Christian | Reviewers: Weinheimer, Christian; Andronic, Anton; Baudis, Laura Period of time: 01/07/2020 - 05/09/2025 Doctoral examination procedure finished at: Doctoral examination procedure at University of Münster | |
| Development of a soft X-ray spectrometer for fluorescence photons emitted during laser cooling at SIS100 and of a fast high voltage divider for CRYRING@ESR Candidate: Ueberholz, Ken | Supervisors: Weinheimer, Christian; Hannen, Volker | Reviewers: Weinheimer, Christian; Kappes, Alexander Period of time: 01/06/2020 - 05/09/2025 Doctoral examination procedure finished at: Doctoral examination procedure at University of Münster |