Konstantin Zioutas

Konstantin Zioutas is a Professor at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in the Physics Department (PH) in Geneva, Switzerland. He leads research efforts in dark matter detection, particularly through the CAST (CERN Axion Solar Telescope) experiment and its CAST-CAPP extension.

His research focuses on astroparticle physics with emphasis on:

• Dark matter detection through gravitational focusing effects
• Axion searches using helioscopes and haloscopes
• Planetary relationships in dark matter streams
• Interdisciplinary connections between dark matter and biological phenomena
• Solar and atmospheric anomalies as potential dark matter signatures

Professor Zioutas's recent publications reveal a strong trend toward detecting dark matter through its gravitational interactions with planetary bodies, creating detectable flux enhancements. His work bridges particle physics, astronomy, and even biology, with studies on planetary periodicities in human conception rates and melanoma incidence.

Among his notable achievements is the Engin ARIK award from the Turkish Physical Society in 2021. His work has resulted in 271 publications with over 8,800 citations.

Professor Zioutas actively leads the CAST-CAPP detector project, which has established new upper limits on axion-photon coupling. He has been instrumental in extending CAST's capabilities through different buffer gases to search across various axion mass ranges. His research group investigates both theoretical frameworks and experimental techniques for detecting axions and other dark matter candidates.

The research team explores how the Sun and planets might act as natural lenses for dark matter streams, potentially creating detectable signatures in various terrestrial and solar phenomena that have previously lacked conventional explanations.