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15 RECOMMANDATIONS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS


A panel of scientists, known as the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5), has recommended that the United States allocate funding for significant advancements in high-energy physics across five key areas. The foremost project is the Cosmic Microwave Background–Stage 4 (CMB-S4), consisting of an array of 12 radio telescopes in Chile's Atacama Desert and the South Pole. CMB-S4 aims to investigate indirect evidence of processes occurring immediately after the Big Bang, providing insights into speculative aspects of early universe physics.

The other priorities include experiments on neutrinos, both cosmic and laboratory-produced; the construction of the largest dark-matter detector; and active participation in an international particle collider for studying the Higgs boson. The P5 emphasizes the need for the United States to demonstrate the feasibility of two novel particle accelerators, reflecting grassroots interest in the particle-physics community.

Additionally, the P5 supports smaller-scale projects but strongly recommends continuous funding for ongoing or under-construction experiments, such as the Large Hadron Collider's first major upgrade. The P5's recommendations, derived from proposals presented at the Snowmass conference, undergo a consensus-forming process, historically lending credibility to the community's requests.

The CMB-S4 project seeks to study radiation generated approximately 380,000 years post-Big Bang, aiming to detect gravitational wave patterns in the cosmic microwave background's polarization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) involves expanding an already-underway experiment to enhance its scientific potential, despite previous delays and cost overruns.

The report also highlights the pursuit of a new particle accelerator to explore Higgs bosons and advocates for intensified efforts to detect dark matter using a scaled-up detector. IceCube-Gen2, an upgraded version of the IceCube observatory, is endorsed to monitor a larger volume of ice and advance neutrino research.

The panel recommends exploring a collider for muons, particles similar to electrons but much more massive, and calls for increased research on plasma-based electron acceleration and advanced magnets for conventional colliders. The report sends a message to CERN, urging consideration of various collider options rather than restricting to a larger version of the existing Large Hadron Collider. [1]

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Figure 54 - CMB-S4 site in Chile - credits Debra Kellner

References

[1]  Big Bang Observatory tops wish  list for big US physics projects. Nature 624, 231-233 (2023)

References

[1] Wikipedia

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