#	Pagina
attuale pagina	/open-h2020/projects/200226/results.html

Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - InvisiblesPlus (InvisiblesPlus)

Teaser

Summary

NEUTRINOS (Ns) and DARK MATTER (DM) are the most abundant particles in the universe. Their couplings to ordinary matter are so tenuous that they remained undiscovered -invisible- until very recently. N masses and DM constitute the first evidence ever of physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. The path to build the New Standard Model must confront the fundamental nature of the particles in the invisible sector at large. Furthermore, for each particle there is a mirror image with identical mass and opposite charge(s): its antiparticle. The laws of physics are almost particle-antiparticle symmetric: an asymmetry in Ns and/or DM properties may be the required seed that explains why the universe is made of matter and not antimatter.
InvisiblesPlus is the first transnational program addressing the N and DM properties at large, their interfaces, and in addition the connections of their particle/antiparticle asymmetries with those of the visible universe. It also complements, continues and specially extends to a new qualitative realm the knowledge sharing and long-term collaboration of the well-established ITN Invisibles. The public engagement is also focused on the societal impact of research, showing that investments in science imply technological innovations which are essential not only for science but also for the benefit of society at large. The main deliverable of InÎ½isiblesPlus is the scientific results that will improve our understanding of the most abundant particles in the universe, that is, neutrinos and DM. A complementary search is that of the origin of the mass of ordinary particles, at the heart of the LHC and other hadronic enterprises. The world-wide collaborations among the leaders in the field planned within RISE constitute the best warranty that the results obtained are of high quality and constitute a significant step ahead in this quest. The strong dissemination strategy of the project aims at increasing the impact of these scientific results. The project is organised around the physics of neutrinos and DM, with focus on the determination of their parameters and properties, and also on the crucial question of the identity of those particles and antiparticles and their different behaviour beyond what stems from their opposite charges (technically dubbed â€œCP violationâ€). A third special WP is dedicated to the fundamental symmetries of nature while the fourth research WP will develop the complementarity between neutrino and DM physics.

Work performed

The scientific progress of the project has been excellent. The network is producing a large number of scientific publications (248) in the area of neutrino physics and dark matter. These are, or will be, published in high impact journals in the field. Secondments are key to achieve the scientific goals of the project. In addition to developing already established collaborations for the task of InvisiblesPlus, they foster new scientific exchanges and new collaborations. Several new projects are stemming out of secondments. Word-leading laboratories are associated to the network. It is very important for all our ESRs and ERs working on neutrino/DM phenomenology (and experiments) to be able to spend some time in these facilities, as it allows the direct interaction between theorists and experimentalists, leading to novel ideas and more reliable and detailed phenomenological studies. The secondments have contributed so far rather uniformly for all Work Packages. The balance between EU vs non-EU based secondments is crucial for the broad physics programme of the network. Good progress has been achieved towards the objectives to all WPs. WP1 Neutrinos, several secondments at Fermilab and CERN have been essential to establish the links to the DUNE projects and the CERN Neutrino Platform. WP2 Dark Matter, secondments at the Korea Institute for Advance Studies and the HEP Chinese Academy of Sciences have led to fruitful collaboration on various topics. WP3, BSM and the fundamental C, P, T Symmetries with secondments at the CNRS, INFN, U. of Berkeley and CERN have resulted in collaborations on these topics and in WP4 Interfaces with secondments at CNRS, INFN, U. of Tokyo, U. Southampton and U. Washington. InvisiblesPlus has a rich outreach plan aimed at ensuring a first rate public projection of the network expertise, its results and breakthroughs. Specific actions have been identified in a coherent program which aims at reaching a wide and varied public, raising its awareness to the research conducted by the project and its societal impact, and contributing to policy making at a critical decision time. The Invisibles16 Workshop was organized by INFN in Padova in September 2016 with 115 participants from 22 countries. The Invisibles17 Workshop was organized by UZH and took place in June 2017 at the University of Zurich with 161 participants from 28 countries.

Final results

Among the building blocks of the Universe, Neutrinos (Ns) and Dark Matter states (DM) are the most abundant of particles, yet they remained unnoticed -invisible- for a long time because of their tenuous couplings to the ordinary matter that we are composed of. Neutrinos are the best messengers of the dark sectors of the universe (dark matter and dark energy), as their interactions are not obscured by strong or electromagnetic forces. Most of the matter in the Universe seems to be neutral, does not interact with light and therefore is called â€œdarkâ€. It is likely that neutrinos constitute only a fraction of dark matter. The nature of the bulk of the dark matter and its interactions, other than gravity, remains unknown, even though energetically dark matter adds to more than 20% of the universe. The discovery of neutrino oscillations and of DM cannot be explained within the Standard Model of particle physics (SM); they constitute the first clues of particle physics beyond the SM (BSM), awaiting to be revealed. Understanding the laws of physics accounting for neutrinos and DM is one of the major and most pressing unsolved questions in science today. Secondments play also a very important role in enhancing the scientific standing and international visibility of the ESR and more junior ERs in the network. In addition to being exposed to a new research environment and to starting new scientific collaborations, the researchers give seminars at the hosting institutions; they are mentored by additional senior scientists and attend many activities not available at their sending node. This results in an enhanced scientific growth of the ESRs and ERs but also in tangible impact on their careers. In science, women represent a small fraction of researchers and moreover that fraction decreases with the seniority, with only few women at the professor level in Europe and worldwide. InvisiblesPlus provides key scientific and complementary skills, international visibility, and collaborative links required to pursue a successful career in science or industry. Indeed, attention is devoted to fostering a stronger participation in science also of less-represented groups: in particular, the high-quality institutional partners from developing and emergent countries will be an excellent asset for it.The outreach activities carried out and planned are strengthening this aspect by making sure those women and less represented groups in the specific environment are involved in the activities and have high visibility.