Björn Garbrecht

Professor Björn Garbrecht (born 1977) holds a position at the Department of Physics within the TUM School of Natural Sciences at the Technical University of Munich. He leads the Associate Professorship of Theoretical Physics of the Early Universe, where his research focuses on fundamental questions at the intersection of particle physics and cosmology.

His academic journey began with physics studies in Heidelberg and at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After obtaining his doctorate from Heidelberg in 2005, he conducted postdoctoral research in Manchester, UK, and at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. From 2009 to 2012, he served as an assistant professor at RWTH Aachen before being appointed professor at TUM in 2012.

• Research focuses on particle physics processes in the early universe
• Develops theoretical methods for calculations on dynamics and reactions of elementary particles at very high temperatures
• Specializes in quantum fields in curved spacetimes and expanding universes
• Investigates matter-antimatter asymmetry and density perturbations from inflation
• Works on leptogenesis and baryogenesis mechanisms
• Connects theoretical models with experimental tests of charge-parity violation

Professor Garbrecht's publication record shows consistent scholarly output since 2002, with significant contributions to understanding the early universe. His work increasingly focuses on vacuum transitions during inflation, neutrino physics in relation to leptogenesis, and precision calculations in quantum field theory under extreme conditions. His research bridges the gap between high-energy particle physics and cosmological observations, seeking to explain fundamental properties of our universe from first principles.

As an educator, Professor Garbrecht teaches advanced courses including Special Topics in Quantum Field Theory, Theoretical Physics 3 (Quantum Mechanics), and seminars on Current Topics in Theoretical Physics of the Early Universe for both winter 2024/25 and summer 2025 terms.

He maintains an active research group that develops methods for describing high-energy reactions out of thermal equilibrium and quantum fields in expanding space-times. His work contributes to the Collaborative Research Center 'Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics' (SFB 1258), particularly in areas related to neutrino physics and fundamental questions about the early universe.