Accelerating Egyptian particle physics research
Scientists initiated the EENP2 (Europe Egypt network for particle physics) project to enhance the expertise of Egyptian scientists, facilitate access to world-class European particle physics facilities and establish new infrastructure in Egypt. Long-term visits of young and senior Egyptian scientists to European institutions and fostering of international partnerships for joint research was a pillar of the project’s success. Twenty Egyptian scientists spent a total of 64 months at partner facilities, returning to Egypt to pursue scientific objectives. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is operating the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) particle detector at the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The combination provides perhaps the most advanced technology in the world to create and detect new particles. Staff exchange provided Egyptian scientists with the unique opportunity to participate in the CMS experiment. Work focused on creating new configurations for the two gaseous detectors: the gas electron multiplier and the resistive plate chamber. The Physics Department of the Helwan University set up a new gas detector laboratory that serves now as a key training centre for future research in the field. Emphasis was also given to silicon technologies for the CMS inner detector; work proved fundamental for the experiment detector upgrade. The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid is a network of numerous computer centres that together process, store and analyse all the data from the LHC. Implementation of modern computing grid infrastructures at Egyptian universities increased participation in world-class data processing and computing services. Tier 2 and Tier 3 centres were established at several Egyptian universities. The highly successful EENP2 Egypt-Europe personnel exchange programme is fostering Egyptian excellence in particle physics. The knowledge, facilities and partnerships developed within the project will leave a living legacy for Egyptian scientists to evolve for years to come.
Keywords
Particle physics, Egypt, EENP2, Compact Muon Solenoid, Large Hadron Collider, computing grid, gaseous detectors
