13.3 Future accelerators and experiments

Particle physics is pushing the boundaries of technology and knowledge. Future accelerators like the FCC and ILC promise to unlock secrets of the universe, from dark matter to the Higgs boson. These ambitious projects require international collaboration and cutting-edge innovations.

Advanced detectors, AI-powered data analysis, and global partnerships are driving progress. From picosecond timing to 16 Tesla magnets, new tech is enabling deeper exploration of fundamental physics. These efforts may revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos.

Future particle accelerators

Next-generation collider proposals

Top images from around the web for Next-generation collider proposals

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  What is the Higgs boson and why is it important? | Clamor World View original

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  CERN’s Future Circular Collider • scientia.global View original

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  The ATLAS experiment at CERN | UCL Science blog View original

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  What is the Higgs boson and why is it important? | Clamor World View original

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  CERN’s Future Circular Collider • scientia.global View original

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Top images from around the web for Next-generation collider proposals

• 

  What is the Higgs boson and why is it important? | Clamor World View original

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  CERN’s Future Circular Collider • scientia.global View original

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  The ATLAS experiment at CERN | UCL Science blog View original

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  What is the Higgs boson and why is it important? | Clamor World View original

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  CERN’s Future Circular Collider • scientia.global View original

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• Future Circular Collider (FCC) proposed post-LHC particle accelerator at CERN designed to achieve collision energies of 100 TeV
  • Significantly surpasses current capabilities
  • Enables precise measurements of Higgs boson properties
  • Allows exploration of dark matter candidates
  • Facilitates investigation of physics beyond the Standard Model
• International Linear Collider (ILC) proposed electron-positron collider offering complementary research to hadron colliders
  • Provides cleaner collision environments for precision measurements
  • Utilizes polarized beams for detailed studies of electroweak interactions
  • Enhances potential discoveries of new particles

Technological advancements and challenges

• Advanced accelerator technologies crucial for realizing future facilities
  • High-field superconducting magnets (16-20 Tesla for FCC)
  • Novel acceleration techniques (plasma wakefield acceleration)
• Significant technological advancements required
  • Financial investments often in billions of dollars
  • Long-term planning spanning decades from conception to operation
• Key questions addressed by future accelerators
  • Nature of dark matter (WIMP candidates, axions)
  • Matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe
  • Hierarchy problem in particle physics

Goals of particle physics experiments

High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) upgrade

• Aims to increase luminosity by factor of 5-7 compared to LHC's design value
• Enables more precise measurements of rare processes and Higgs boson properties
  • Production of up to 15 million Higgs bosons per year (compared to 3 million in entire LHC Run 2)
  • Detailed studies of Higgs couplings and rare decay modes ($H \rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$, $H \rightarrow Z\gamma$)
• Searches for dark matter candidates (WIMP-like particles)
• Exploration of supersymmetry at higher mass scales (squarks, gluinos up to 3-4 TeV)
• Investigation of electroweak phase transition nature (first-order vs. second-order)

Precision measurements and new physics exploration

• Probing the energy frontier for potential new particle discoveries
  • Extended reach for heavy resonances ($Z'$, $W'$)
  • Composite Higgs models
• Indirect revelation of new physics effects at energy scales beyond direct reach
  • Precision measurements of top quark properties
  • Rare B meson decays ($B_s \rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$)
• Significant upgrades to accelerator complex and detector systems
  • New inner tracking detectors
  • Upgraded trigger and data acquisition systems

Advanced detector technologies

Tracking and calorimetry advancements

• Advanced silicon tracking detectors with improved capabilities
  • Enhanced spatial resolution ($<10 \mu m$)
  • Increased radiation hardness ($>1000 fb^{-1}$)
  • Crucial for precise vertex reconstruction and track measurements in high-luminosity environments
• Novel calorimeter technologies for improved performance
  • Highly granular sampling calorimeters (Silicon-tungsten ECAL)
  • Enhanced energy resolution ($<10\%/\sqrt{E}$ for electrons)
  • Improved particle identification capabilities ($e/\pi$ separation)

Timing and photon detection innovations

• Time-of-flight systems with picosecond-level timing resolution
  • Better event reconstruction in high-luminosity colliders
  • Pile-up mitigation (up to 200 interactions per bunch crossing)
• Advanced photon detectors for enhanced subsystem performance
  • Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for calorimetry and PET applications
  • Large-area picosecond photodetectors (LAPPDs) for neutrino experiments
• Superconducting magnets with higher field strengths
  • More compact and powerful spectrometer systems (up to 16 Tesla for FCC)
  • Precise momentum measurements ($\delta p/p < 0.1\%$ for 100 GeV tracks)

Data acquisition and analysis technologies

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques for improved data handling
  • Real-time event selection (trigger-level analysis)
  • Advanced reconstruction algorithms (graph neural networks for particle tracking)
  • Sophisticated data analysis methods (boosted decision trees for signal-background discrimination)
• Radiation-hard electronics and data acquisition systems
  • Operation in extreme environments close to interaction points (up to 1000 Mrad)
  • High-bandwidth readout systems (Tbps data rates)

International collaboration in particle physics

Resource pooling and expertise sharing

• Pooling of financial resources enables construction of large-scale facilities
  • Costs often exceeding $10 billion for future colliders
  • Prohibitively expensive for a single country
• Collaborative efforts bring together diverse expertise
  • Various institutions and countries contribute specialized knowledge
  • Fosters innovation in complex scientific and engineering challenges (superconducting magnet technology, advanced detector concepts)

Global partnerships and knowledge transfer

• Promotion of knowledge transfer and capacity building
  • Particularly benefits emerging scientific communities in developing countries
  • Training programs and workshops (CERN schools, Fermilab internships)
• Sharing of unique facilities and experimental data
  • Maximizes scientific output and impact of investments
  • Open access data policies (CERN Open Data Portal)
• Diplomatic tools for international cooperation
  • Promotes understanding beyond scientific community
  • Examples include SESAME synchrotron in Middle East, bringing together diverse nations

Standardization and career opportunities

• Development of standardized protocols and best practices
  • Data management (common file formats, metadata standards)
  • Analysis techniques (statistical methods, software tools)
  • Publication processes (INSPIRE database, arXiv preprint server)
• Enhanced reproducibility and reliability of scientific results
  • Cross-collaboration validation of results
  • Open-source analysis preservation (REANA platform)
• Global talent pool necessitated by scale and complexity of projects
  • International mobility for scientists and engineers
  • Career opportunities across multiple countries and institutions (postdoctoral positions, staff scientist roles)