The strong interaction at the frontier of knowledge: fundamental research and applications

Project Information

STRONG-2020

Grant agreement ID: 824093

DOI

10.3030/824093

Project closed

EC signature date 24 May 2019

Start date 1 June 2019

End date 31 July 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Research Infrastructures

Total cost

€ 10 000 000,00

EU contribution

€ 10 000 000,00

Coordinated by

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
France

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - STRONG-2020 (The strong interaction at the frontier of knowledge: fundamental research and applications)

Reporting period: 2022-06-01 to 2024-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The strong interaction is one of the cornerstones of the Standard Model of particle physics, and its experimental and theoretical study attracted an active community of about 2500 researchers in Europe. The STRONG-2020 project brings together many of the leading research groups and infrastructures involved today in the study of the strong interaction in and outside Europe, and also exploits the innovation potential in applied research through the development of detector systems with applications beyond fundamental physics.
The ambition of STRONG-2020 is to provide significant advances in our understanding of the strong interaction through an efficient and coherent synergy of selected experimental, theoretical, and instrumentation Work Packages, combined with world-class accelerator facilities, aiming at solving many fundamental open issues in various key directions. To this end, the project Consortium includes 46 participant institutions, embracing 14 EU States, one International EU Interest Organization (CERN), and one EU candidate country.
Together with host institutions of 20 other countries, without EU funds benefits, the project involves research in 36 countries and is structured in 32 Work Packages: 7 Transnational Access (TA) to leading European infrastructures in hadron physics (2 ESFRI landmarks), 2 Virtual Access and 7 Networking, 14 Joint Research Activities, Management and Coordination, Communication and Outreach.
STRONG-2020 has a lasting and crucial impact by enabling an optimal access to European infrastructures and leading a coherent effort of theoretical and experimental groups towards research objectives that meet the most important open challenges in the physics of strong interaction.
The broad variety of topics tackled in the project creates the bases for multidisciplinary collaborations that stretch well beyond the hadron physics. The strong link with applications and industry has a socioeconomic impact in different aspects and opens possibilities of creating new spin-off companies. The technology of radiation detectors, accelerator science, and computing, currently used in the physics of the strong interaction, have an enormous impact by their applications in medicine, electronics, information technology and, safety, among others. The infrastructures, in cooperation with the associated universities and industrial companies, train highly qualified experts in fields which are of utmost importance to society. STRONG-2020 promoted a series of actions directed towards attracting future generations of scientists.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project was launched on 1 June 2019. During the RP1, the work was progressing in accordance with the plan. The Consortium Agreement was adopted to define the organization of the work.
During RP1 and RP2, the work of many WPs, in particular TAs was impacted by COVID-19 To compensate, at least in part for the accumulated delays, the Consortium requested an extension of 6 months via the Amendment accepted by the Commission.
The severe impact of COVID-19, coupled with the consequences of the energy crisis resulting from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, have further slowed down several WP activities and affected negatively the access provision to the TA infrastructures. These factors have led to the additional delays in the tasks completion. To be able to meet the work plan exposed in the GA and achieve the scientific goals, the Consortium requested and obtained a second extension of the project of 8 months.
The full duration of the project was 62 months. Given the exceptional conditions emerged in the course of the project, some WPs reshaped their work plans and rescheduled some deliverables and milestones. These adjustments were essential to achieve the scientific objectives, ensure the access to the best European infrastructures, enable the funding of young researchers and organize workshops and conferences for dissemination of the results.
STRONG-2020 constitutes an essential step to advance the fundamental science to deepen the understanding of strong interaction and its manifestations, the area of hadron structure, the study of exotic hadrons, the use of hadron physics methods and hadronic corrections for precision tests of the Standard Model. The project played a key role in advancing related technologies fostering innovations that extended beyond the field of hadron physics.
Despite many difficulties linked to the pandemics and geopolitical challenges, the STRONG-2020 Consortium has successfully completed its scientific program, and often, the achievements went far beyond the expectations. With the support of the project, about 500 publications were produced, and more than 120 workshops and conferences were organized. Many young scientists had the opportunity to join the project. In total 40 postdoctoral researchers, 22 Ph.D. students and 3 engineer contracts were supported by the funds of STRONG-2020.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The research in the field of the strong interaction addresses fundamental questions, such as the nature of confinement, the origin of exotic hadronic states and the properties of hot and dense nuclear matter. Those studies will have a deep impact on the searches beyond the standard model, in astrophysics and strongly coupled systems in particle and condensed matter physics.
STRONG-2020 led a coherent effort of theoretical and experimental groups complemented with challenging high-technology developments in instrumentation and industrial applications.
Beyond its contributions to fundamental science, STRONG-2020 played a key role in advancing related technologies. One of the most notable technological achievements was the development of advanced detector systems, which are essential for the experimental physics. The technological innovations extended beyond hadron physics, with applications in fields such as medical imaging, industry, and information technology. For example, detector technologies developed through the project have been adapted for use in medical imaging devices, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, which are employed to make cancer and other disease diagnoses. This transfer of technology from fundamental research to applied fields is a testament to the broader societal impact of STRONG-2020.
From the very beginning, the project was leading a coherent effort of theoretical and experimental groups, complemented with challenging high-technology developments in instrumentation and industrial applications. Thus, the project has not only advanced our understanding of the strong interaction but also laid the groundwork for future possible discoveries in hadron physics. The technological innovations developed through STRONG-2020 will continue to benefit other fields, particularly in medical imaging, industry, and information technology, demonstrating the broader societal impact of the project.
STRONG-2020 allowed European scientists to stay at the forefront of the physics of the strong interaction providing a platform for unprecedented collaboration and scientific achievements. The activities of the project will have an impact on the involvement of the European laboratories in the future hadron physics programs in Europe and worldwide. Its impact will continue to be felt across the field of hadron physics and beyond.

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