CERN Accelerating science

PROBES: Probes of new physics and technological advancements from particle and gravitational wave physics 

PROBES will explore elusive aspects of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics and the Standard Model of Cosmology (SMC) and search for new physics exploiting particle accelerators and gravitational wave (GW) interferometers. Several low-energy aspects of quark-gluon interactions still remain a challenge, like the mechanism of color confinement, which accounts for 99% of the mass of standard matter of the Universe, and the equation of state (EoS) of ultradense matter, fundamental for the study of compact stars. Joint EM-GW-neutrino observations could probe astrophysical sources and constrain physics under extreme conditions of electromagnetic and gravitational fields. The collaboration with world-class laboratories in US and Asia will open new career prospects for the participants.

Coordinator: INFN, Italy

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Marzio Nessi

Full costs of the project: 2 M€ 

EU funding: 2 M€

EU funding for CERN: 73 k€

1 July 2021 - 30 June 2025

Implementation and application of the new generation of pseudo-random number generators based on Kolmogorov-Anosov K-systems

MIXMAX aims to develop and test a new class of pseudorandom number generators, with the strongest mathematical underpinnings coming from the theory of Ergodic systems, for use in Monte-Carlo simulations.

Coordinator: Demokritos, Greece

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Lorenzo Moneta

Full costs of the project: 360 k€

EU funding:  252 k€

EU funding for CERN: 18 k€

1 January 2015 - 31 December 2018

InvisiblesPlus

InvisiblesPlus is addressing the neutrinos and dark matter properties at large, their interfaces and the connections of their particle/antiparticle asymmetries with those of the visible universe. The project, coordinated by the Autonomous University of Madrid, will also complement, continue and extend the knowledge sharing and collaboration of the ITN Invisibles project. 

Coordinator: UAM, Spain

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Marzio Nessi

Full costs of the project: 2.3 M€ 

EU funding: 2 M€ 

EU funding for CERN: 130 k€ 

1 February 2016 - 31 January 2020

INTENSE: particle physics experiments at the high intensity frontier, from new physics to spin-offs. A cooperative Europe - United States - Japan effort

INTENSE promotes the collaboration among European, US and Japanese researchers involved in the most important particle physics research projects at the high intensity frontier. The observation of neutrino oscillations established a picture consistent with the mixing of three neutrino flavors with three mass eigenstates and small mass differences. Various key parameters of this oscillation measurements provide, if measured with high precision, new physics observables. Experimental anomalies point to the presence of sterile neutrino states participating in the mixing and not coupling to fermions. Lepton mixings and massive neutrinos offer a gateway to deviations from the Standard Model in the lepton sector including Charged Lepton Flavor Violation (CLFV). 

A new generation of modern and large neutrino detectors open new frontiers in the search for proton decay and understanding of the dynamics of super novae explosions.

INTENSE also promotes multidisciplinary collaboration through “muography” which uses cosmic-ray muons to image the interior of large targets, including volcanoes, glaciers and archaeological sites.

Coordinator: University of Pisa, Italy

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Marzio Nessi

Full costs of the project:2.1 M€

EU funding:  2.1 M€

EU funding for CERN: 83 k€

1 January 2019 - 31 December 2022

INTELUM: International and intersectoral mobility to develop advanced scintillating and Cerenkov fibre based detectors for the future high luminosity large hadron collider

Currently, new concepts are being considered for hadron and jet calorimetry in high energy physics experiments, in order to improve the energy resolution of these detectors by a factor of at least two. This is a prerequisite for future studies at the high luminosity, large hadron collider as well as at future electron and proton colliders. Amongst the few concepts being proposed, scintillating and Čerenkov fibres are considered very promising candidates.The INTELUM project will be a 4 year project funding international, industry-academia exchanges to develop micro-pulling-down crystal growth and other new types of fibre technology. This new fibre production technology has the potential to enable fast, low-cost, manufacture of heavy crystal scintillating fibres.

Coordinator: CERN, Switzerland

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Etiennette Auffray Hillemanns

Full costs of the project: 1 M€ 

EU funding: 922 k€ 

EU funding for CERN: 252 k€ 

1 March 2015 - 28 February 2019

FEST: Future Experiments seek Smart Technologies

A gas electron multiplier (GEM) is a type of gaseous ionisation detector used in particle physics. GEMs are one of the class of micropattern gaseous detectors, which includes micromegas and other technologies. Future detectors need improved production techniques to facilitate their industrialisation for other non-academic applications like security and medical imaging applications. The EU-funded FEST project will develop techniques for better production yield and reduced construction time, allowing also for a significant cost reduction. It will also perform Monte Carlo simulations of future experiments that will improve and update event generators to the new experimental scenarios.

Coordinator: INFN, Italy

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Rui de Oliveira

Full costs of the project: 2.1 M€ 

EU funding: 2.1 M€

EU funding for CERN: 5 k€

1 January 2020 - 31 December 2023

E-JADE: Europe – Japan Accelerator Development Exchange Programme

E-JADE aims to support staff exchange between European and Japanese institutions (KEK and University of Tokyo) in the area of future accelerators for particle physics. The goal is to progress on the design, R&D and prototyping of the future accelerator facilities, providing results on the timescale of the European Strategy update in 2018-2019 and providing input to the Japanese development projects in this area.

Coordinator: CERN, Switzerland

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Steinar Stapnes

Full costs of the project: 1.6 M€ 

EU funding: 1.6 M€ 

EU funding for CERN: 580 k€

1 January 2015 - 31 December 2018

Smart Sensor Technologies and Training for Radiation Enhanced Applications and Measurements

STREAM is a 4-year multi-site training network that aims at career development of Early Stage Researchers on scientific design, construction manufacturing and of advanced radiation instrumentation. STREAM targets the development of innovative radiation-hard, smart CMOS sensor technologies for scientific and industrial applications.

Coordinator: CERN, Switzerland

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Heinz Pernegger

Full costs of the project: 3.8 M€

EU funding: 3.8 M€ 

EU funding for CERN: 707 k€

1 January 2016 - 31 December 2019

RADSAGA: RADiation and Reliability Challenges for Electronics used in Space, for Aviation, at Ground and at Accelerators

RADSAGA brings together industry, universities, laboratories and test-facilities to train young engineers, bachelors & masters in all aspects related to electronics which is exposed to radiation within the four major application areas: Space, Aviation, Ground and Accelerators where a fast moving field of technology development requires a change of paradigm in terms of radiation qualification of critical electronic components and systems.

Coordinator: CERN, Switzerland

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Markus Brugger

Full costs of the project: 3.9 M€

EU funding: 3.9 M€ 

EU funding for CERN: 724 k€

1 March 2017 - 28 February 2021 

OMA - Optimization of Medical Accelerators

OMA  joins universities, research centers and clinical facilities with industry partners to address the challenges in designing and optimizing cancer treatment facilities using radio therapy, in numerical simulations for the development of advanced treatment schemes, and in beam imaging and treatment monitoring. The proposed R&D program ranges from life sciences (oncology, cell and micro biology and medical imaging), physics and accelerator sciences, mathematics and IT, to engineering and it is hence ideally suited for an innovative training of early stage researchers.

Coordinator: UNILIV, United Kingdom

Scientist in Charge from CERN: 
Steve Myers

Full costs of the project: 3.8 M€

EU funding: 3.8 M€ 

EU funding for CERN: 265 k€

1 February 2016 - 31 January 2020