Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ASYMMETRY (Essential Asymmetries of Nature)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2024-12-31
The symmetries identified in Nature, explicit or hidden, are at the root of our knowledge in depth of its fundamental laws. Nevertheless, observed asymmetries –departures from that exact pattern-are at the very heart of its beauty and of the explanation of how the visible Universe came to be, and what we are made of. Well known examples include the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe and the violation of parity and charge conjugation observed in particle physics. ASYMMETRY focuses on the deep understanding of those asymmetries and also on revealing the new fundamental (a)symmetries yet to be discovered in the invisible or elusive sector, made of dark matter and neutrinos. The team is strongly focused on this quest within a multidisciplinary approach: leading an ambitious experimental program in neutrino physics (SuperKamiokande) and in dark matter searches (XENON), as well as a theoretical program that aims at connecting the asymmetries known and those to be discovered with the big open questions in our understanding of the Universe.
This endeavor requires collaboration across continents that can bring complementary expertise. The consortium consists of 7 academic institutions from 4 EU Member States and 2 more from Switzerland and UK, as well as 11 world-leading scientific institutions in US, Japan and Brasil. 301 person-months visits of researchers from Europe to US (Fermilab, MIT, San Diego, LBNL Berkeley), Japan (UTokyo) and Brasil (USao Paolo) are planned. 45 person-months visits of researchers from Third Country Partners (IPM Iran), EAIFR in Afria and Peru (PUCP) complete our secondment plan. The project involves close to hundred experienced researchers and about 50 PhD students. The collaboration and interaction among the research teams will be further reinforced through the ASYMMETRY Virtual Institute, and an annual workshop.
This endeavor requires collaboration across continents that can bring complementary expertise. The consortium consists of 7 academic institutions from 4 EU Member States and 2 more from Switzerland and UK, as well as 11 world-leading scientific institutions in US, Japan and Brasil. 301 person-months visits of researchers from Europe to US (Fermilab, MIT, San Diego, LBNL Berkeley), Japan (UTokyo) and Brasil (USao Paolo) are planned. 45 person-months visits of researchers from Third Country Partners (IPM Iran), EAIFR in Afria and Peru (PUCP) complete our secondment plan. The project involves close to hundred experienced researchers and about 50 PhD students. The collaboration and interaction among the research teams will be further reinforced through the ASYMMETRY Virtual Institute, and an annual workshop.
Good progress has been achieved towards the planned objectives. The network has produced a relevant number of scientific publications that are being published in high impact journals in the field. The balance between EU vs non-EU based secondments was crucial.
In Neutrino Physcs, the expertise provided by the participants covers all aspects of the field (neutrino oscillations, neutrinoless double beta decay, non-standard neutrino interactions, models of neutrino masses and mixing, neutrino astrophysics and cosmology, CP violation). Important progress has been achieved by the experimental teams in the commissioning of the NEXT neutrinoless double beta decay experiment and the preparation for the next generation LEGEND experiment. A highly influential result is the update of the global analysis of neutrino data NuFit-6.0 which includes the latest results published by the leading neutrino oscillation collaborations T2K and NoVA, with important implications for the determination of the neutrino mass ordering and the violation of CP in neutrino oscillations.
In Dark Matter searches, participants bring complementary knowledge on the different DM candidates from the theoretical point of view (the standard WIMPs or feebly/very weakly interacting like sterile neutrinos, or axions) as well as regarding the means to detect them exploiting existing and future experiments. Major results have been achieved regarding direct dark matter searches by the XENON experiment and the design of the next generation detector DARWIN/LXZD. Interesting results have also been presented by the team regarding the phenomenology of feably interacting dark matter models.
Beyond the Standard Model scenarios are explored from the perspective of revealing new (a)symmetries to understand neutrino masses and DM. Participants include experts on collider searches, effective field theory and model building. Several important results have been obtained by members of the network on colliders signatures of neutrino mass models, as well as axion-like particles.
The activities on Interfaces and Symmetries aim at arriving at a New Standard Model by exploring the interplay of sectors traditionally studied separately, e.g. neutrinos, dark matter. Various results have been obtained regarding the interplay of neutrino masses, dark matter and the baryon asymmetry, and the connection between axion-like particles and the strong CP problem.
The Managerial objectives of the network have also progressed as planned.
Finally the Dissemination, Communication and Outreach activities have included two major international events: the Invisibles23 Workshop organized by DESY in Göttingen from August 28th to September 1st, 2023, and the Invisibles 24 Workshop organized by UNIBO in Bologna, Italy from July 1st to July 5th, 2024. Both events were a great success.
In Neutrino Physcs, the expertise provided by the participants covers all aspects of the field (neutrino oscillations, neutrinoless double beta decay, non-standard neutrino interactions, models of neutrino masses and mixing, neutrino astrophysics and cosmology, CP violation). Important progress has been achieved by the experimental teams in the commissioning of the NEXT neutrinoless double beta decay experiment and the preparation for the next generation LEGEND experiment. A highly influential result is the update of the global analysis of neutrino data NuFit-6.0 which includes the latest results published by the leading neutrino oscillation collaborations T2K and NoVA, with important implications for the determination of the neutrino mass ordering and the violation of CP in neutrino oscillations.
In Dark Matter searches, participants bring complementary knowledge on the different DM candidates from the theoretical point of view (the standard WIMPs or feebly/very weakly interacting like sterile neutrinos, or axions) as well as regarding the means to detect them exploiting existing and future experiments. Major results have been achieved regarding direct dark matter searches by the XENON experiment and the design of the next generation detector DARWIN/LXZD. Interesting results have also been presented by the team regarding the phenomenology of feably interacting dark matter models.
Beyond the Standard Model scenarios are explored from the perspective of revealing new (a)symmetries to understand neutrino masses and DM. Participants include experts on collider searches, effective field theory and model building. Several important results have been obtained by members of the network on colliders signatures of neutrino mass models, as well as axion-like particles.
The activities on Interfaces and Symmetries aim at arriving at a New Standard Model by exploring the interplay of sectors traditionally studied separately, e.g. neutrinos, dark matter. Various results have been obtained regarding the interplay of neutrino masses, dark matter and the baryon asymmetry, and the connection between axion-like particles and the strong CP problem.
The Managerial objectives of the network have also progressed as planned.
Finally the Dissemination, Communication and Outreach activities have included two major international events: the Invisibles23 Workshop organized by DESY in Göttingen from August 28th to September 1st, 2023, and the Invisibles 24 Workshop organized by UNIBO in Bologna, Italy from July 1st to July 5th, 2024. Both events were a great success.
The partners of ASYMMETRY have been chosen to enhance the synergies and the complementarities in different aspects. They complement one another not only in the scientific topics, but also in the approach to the questions, either theoretical or experimental, as well as the affiliation to the academic or laboratory sectors. The workshops serve to provide an arena to present the research done in the project as well as the latest international results and increase the knowledge transfer also beyond the network by hosting external leading scientists as invited speakers also increase the visibility of the PhD students and postdocs giving them the chance to present their research. Each workshop has an associated outreach event making sure that women and less represented groups in the specific environment are involved in the activities and give them high visibility. The participants of ASYMMETRY come from different nations in four continents. This undoubtedly add to the richness of the views and perspectives of the network. The cultural awareness brought by the interactions during the secondments and the many networking activities is strongly contributing to the growth of individuals and their perception of the world.