Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EURO-LABS (EUROpean Laboratories for Accelerator Based Science)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-09-01 bis 2025-02-28
Nuclear and High Energy Physics employ diverse approaches across a wide range of energy scales, for understanding the composition of the Universe and elucidating how the behaviour of its fundamental constituents explain what we observe today. This relies on cutting-edge technologies in accelerators, detectors and test facilities enabling precise measurements, leading to the development of theoretical models for answering key questions. EUROpean Laboratories for Accelerator Based Sciences (EURO-LABS) has brought together for the first time the high and low-energy communities to address the big picture. This amalgamation is enhancing communication and synergies to address various challenges towards world leading endeavours in science and technology and links to society. EURO-LABS is facilitating and increasing access to RIs (including a virtual facility offering theoretical support) across Europe. This support allows a diverse community of users (including a balanced gender representation for each of its sub fields and early career researchers) to conduct high-impact research adhering to the FAIR principles. Young researchers are being trained through hands-on experience, in addition to supporting lectures, at basic and advanced school hosted at various RIs of EURO-LABS.
WP1 handled administrative processes and communications with REA and beneficiaries, and along with the Steering Committee ensured a smooth running of the project. Two in-person annual meetings further strengthened the ties between the communities. In the most recent meeting a new format, having a large focus on the presentation of selected scientific and technological results conducted at the various facilities, was used. Talks on the European Strategy of the three communities highlighted the role of EURO-LABS. All the Deliverables and Milestones have been completed in P2 and are available through open access. Various procedures and strategies to facilitate reallocation or balancing of resources, if required, for Transnational Access were finalized by the Governing Board.
The executed TA projects in WP2 focused on high-priority topics in fundamental nuclear physics and its applications, in alignment with the strategies of the NuPECC Long Range Plan. The outcomes of these efforts are/will be showcased through publications in scientific journals and conference proceedings and talks at various conference. To mention a few examples, there were experiments toward extending the periodic table, the measurement of cross sections and masses relevant to astrophysical process like neutron stars and isotopic abundances and to put stringent limits independent of High Energy Physics on physics beyond the standard model. The service improvement activities undertaken in P2 have a lasting impact on the quality of services provided by several RIs. Notably, the biomedical FLASH project, which tested ultra-high dose rates, stands out as a key example, and another being the optimal use of “travelling” pan European detectors.
Facilities involved in WP3 continue to play a crucial role, serving as unique infrastructures for accelerator technology R&D to drive innovations for the next generation of greener accelerators. Some of the activities were linked to testing and characterization of superconducting cavities for the upgrade of the accelerator at Fermilab, USA, new materials like Si3N4 for the cooling section of a future muon collider and exploration of the vacuum performance of the FCC- hh beam screen to protect the cold superconducting magnets from the direct irradiation of high-energy photons. Work here also addressed direct scientific questions. For the first time the creation of a laboratory analogue to ultra-relativistic blazar-induced pair jets showed that the absence of high energy photons is related to the presence of intervening magnetic fields in the intergalactic plasma of primordial origin. This also connected to the physics performed in WP2.
The majority of the executed TA projects (including service improvements) in WP4 are critical to the successful completion of the HL-LHC project at CERN, which remains the focal point of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP). Other projects are aligned with the ECFA Detector R&D Roadmap, addressing the ESPP medium-term goal of the electron-positron Higgs factory, as well as the long-term objective of the hadron collider at the highest achievable energy. The highlights include the use of extreme fluences of 1 × 10¹⁸ n/cm², to support the development of tracking detectors for the future hadron collider.
The activities in WP5 included the dissemination of EURO-LABS activities and scientific results. In promoting FAIR practices, research data management and new services have been introduced, including a catalogue, authentication, and data access platforms to increase the visibility of experimental datasets, facilitate access and reuse, and foster collaboration among research groups. The Generic Optimization Framework and Frontend tool has been developed and implemented in two RIs, with the goal of enhancing scientific output by automating a part of the accelerator operation tuning of complex detectors (for physics) with a reduction in time needed for this operation from many hours to a few minutes. Another very important aspect is the training of young researchers. Basic and advanced hands-on schools, two of each level, have been organized in P2. These included conducting experiments at various facilities, relevant exposure to detectors and accelerators tuning in small and very large facilities, and Open Science and Data Management.
The executed TA projects in WP2 focused on high-priority topics in fundamental nuclear physics and its applications, in alignment with the strategies of the NuPECC Long Range Plan. The outcomes of these efforts are/will be showcased through publications in scientific journals and conference proceedings and talks at various conference. To mention a few examples, there were experiments toward extending the periodic table, the measurement of cross sections and masses relevant to astrophysical process like neutron stars and isotopic abundances and to put stringent limits independent of High Energy Physics on physics beyond the standard model. The service improvement activities undertaken in P2 have a lasting impact on the quality of services provided by several RIs. Notably, the biomedical FLASH project, which tested ultra-high dose rates, stands out as a key example, and another being the optimal use of “travelling” pan European detectors.
Facilities involved in WP3 continue to play a crucial role, serving as unique infrastructures for accelerator technology R&D to drive innovations for the next generation of greener accelerators. Some of the activities were linked to testing and characterization of superconducting cavities for the upgrade of the accelerator at Fermilab, USA, new materials like Si3N4 for the cooling section of a future muon collider and exploration of the vacuum performance of the FCC- hh beam screen to protect the cold superconducting magnets from the direct irradiation of high-energy photons. Work here also addressed direct scientific questions. For the first time the creation of a laboratory analogue to ultra-relativistic blazar-induced pair jets showed that the absence of high energy photons is related to the presence of intervening magnetic fields in the intergalactic plasma of primordial origin. This also connected to the physics performed in WP2.
The majority of the executed TA projects (including service improvements) in WP4 are critical to the successful completion of the HL-LHC project at CERN, which remains the focal point of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP). Other projects are aligned with the ECFA Detector R&D Roadmap, addressing the ESPP medium-term goal of the electron-positron Higgs factory, as well as the long-term objective of the hadron collider at the highest achievable energy. The highlights include the use of extreme fluences of 1 × 10¹⁸ n/cm², to support the development of tracking detectors for the future hadron collider.
The activities in WP5 included the dissemination of EURO-LABS activities and scientific results. In promoting FAIR practices, research data management and new services have been introduced, including a catalogue, authentication, and data access platforms to increase the visibility of experimental datasets, facilitate access and reuse, and foster collaboration among research groups. The Generic Optimization Framework and Frontend tool has been developed and implemented in two RIs, with the goal of enhancing scientific output by automating a part of the accelerator operation tuning of complex detectors (for physics) with a reduction in time needed for this operation from many hours to a few minutes. Another very important aspect is the training of young researchers. Basic and advanced hands-on schools, two of each level, have been organized in P2. These included conducting experiments at various facilities, relevant exposure to detectors and accelerators tuning in small and very large facilities, and Open Science and Data Management.
The various state-of-the-art activities of EURO-LABS contribute in part to various goals of United Nations development, for e.g. in the Program good health contributions, through the FLASH therapy for cancer treatment; Quality education, through training and science popularization at advanced facilities to develop the next generation of high level scientists and attracting students to STEM; Gender equality, focussing and working on steps to improve the fraction of women in science; Clean water, by characterizing the presence of contamination using nuclear techniques; Affordable and clean energy, through studies of materials for longer lasting components and measurements of reactions relevant to fission and fusion reactors; Innovation, in the design and creating stage of detectors and accelerators which need development of technologies that have a direct contribution to society, for e.g. in health. The development of innovative methods like machine learning algorithms for accelerator beam control and optimization, and for the management of ion sources in laser-driven accelerators, has started and is actively continuing. The focus has also been on the development of open tools and platforms. These tools can be adapted for the use at various accelerators, some of these are used for minimizing the time for beam tuning, and contribute to the reduction of the Carbon footprint.