Award

Julia Tjus Appointed to Swedish Academy of Sciences

A great honor for Professor Julia Tjus (Chair of Theoretical Physics, specializing in plasma astroparticle physics). On January 21, 2026, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) officially accepted her as an international member of the physics class. The election took place on January 14. In addition to Tjus, the KVA accepted eight other new members.

Only 175 seats for international members

The Swedish Academy of Sciences has only 175 seats for international members, all of whom are elected for life. A seat therefore only becomes vacant when an international member dies. “Personally, I consider this a very special distinction and honor,” says Julia Tjus happily. “Apart from the fact that the chance of being accepted is minimal, it also offers the opportunity to help shape things like the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics.”

Julia Tjus has been chair of theoretical physics, specializing in plasma astroparticle physics, at Ruhr University Bochum since 2013. She is also an associate researcher at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2025. Since 2015, Tjus has been director of the Ruhr Astroparticle and Plasma Physics Center (RAPP Center), established by the University Alliance Ruhr; since 2022 she has been spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center 1491.

Interface between particle physics, plasma physics, and astrophysics

The researcher works at the interface between particle physics, plasma physics, and astrophysics. Her work involves theoretical models that aim to understand high-energy phenomena in the universe. Such phenomena are found in active galactic nuclei, starburst galaxies, and merging black holes, where particles are accelerated to high energies and produce cosmic rays, high-energy neutrinos, and gamma rays.

Part of Julia Tjus’ research is related to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, where she works with theoretical models and the interpretation of observations of neutrinos, gamma rays, and cosmic rays to investigate what astrophysical sources might be behind the observed signals. This research contributes to a better understanding of how the most energetic particles in the universe are created, how they are transported through space, and how extreme astrophysical environments influence their properties.