Revealing the Hidden Nature of Space and Time Charting the Course for Elementary Particle Physics (2006) / Chapter Skim
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1. The Scientific Excitement and Challenges
1. The Scientific Excitement and Challenges
Pages 17-32
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1 The Scientific Excitement and Challenges I n 2005 the world celebrated the International Year of Physics.1 In part, this celebration commemorated the centenary of what has become known as Albert Einstein's "miraculous year" of 1905, when he published four groundbreaking papers that laid a key part of the foundation of modern physics. It also honored other momentous discoveries in physics of the past century, including the development of quantum mechanics and the successful testing of what is known as the Standard Model of elementary particle physics -- advances that have led to a new understanding of nature and to technologies that have profoundly influenced our lives.
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, generated knowledge that found applications throughout the sciences and in technology, and created a base of understanding that has helped remake our world. The field of elementary particle physics (or, simply, "particle physics," which is the term used most often in this report)
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Particle physicists also use results from ground- and space-based telescopes to study the elementary particles and the forces that govern their interactions. This category of experiments highlights the increasing importance of the intersection of particle physics, astronomy, astro physics, and cosmology.
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has galvanized particle physicists from around the world to consider in detail how currently available technologies could be used to address compelling scientific questions beyond the reach of the LHC alone. CHALLENGES TO THE STANDARD MODEL Why is the Terascale so important?
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But new theoretical ideas and experimental results have resulted in extremely promising hypothe ses. The discovery of phenomena unknown to Einstein, such as quarks, dark matter, and dark energy, means that physicists may be on the verge of realizing Einstein's goal.
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Particle physics appears to be on the verge of one of the most exciting periods in its history. The Standard Model provides an excellent and carefully tested description of the subatomic world at the energy levels that currently can be studied in laborato ries.
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When a particle and its antiparticle come together, they are both annihilated and their mass is converted into radiant energy. Experiments using antimatter in highenergy physics laboratories show that the fundamental forces act nearly the same on particles and antiparticles except for small differences that can be explained using the Standard Model.
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Thus, at the start of the 21st century, particle physics experiments, astronomi cal observations, and theoretical developments in both particle physics and cos mology point to exciting new phenomena that are just on the verge of being observed. Combining quantum theory and general relativity, and understanding dark matter and dark energy, will require new ideas and new experiments.
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Before the end of the decade, when it is scheduled to be shut down, the Tevatron will explore the lower reaches of the Terascale and may make important new discoveries about the Higgs boson and the possible existence of new particles predicted in some extensions of the Standard Model. However, the next major set of discoveries is likely to come from a very exciting set of experiments at a new accelerator, the LHC in Geneva, which is scheduled to begin operating in 2007.
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No nation or region can provide all the experimental facilities to meet the full needs and inter ests of its community of particle physicists; as a result, international partnerships of various kinds have been developed to solve this problem.2 THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN PARTICLE PHYSICS For the last 50 years the United States has been at the forefront of particle physics. That leadership position has had an immense impact on this country.
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Technical challenges faced by particle physicists -- such as processing millions of signals quickly, using distributed computers to solve complex problems, and generating electromag netic fields to accelerate and confine charged particles -- have led to many spinoff technologies. Particle physics also has contributed in important ways to mathematics, even as mathematics has been used to understand the theoretical structures describing particles.
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This funding supported the nation's flagship accelerator facilities at the Stanford DOE/Ops DOE/Equip DOE/Const $1,000 NSF/EPP NSF/Const NSF/Centers $900 $800 $700 $600 $M $500 FY2006 $400 $300 $200 $100 $0 FY1995 FY1996 FY1997 FY1998 FY1999 FY2000 FY2001 FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FIGURE 1-4-1 Federal investments in elementary particle physics research at DOE and NSF have remained relatively constant in inflation-adjusted FY2006 dollars. The lower dashed line extends from the FY1995 level of DOE investment to the current levels (projected)
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, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab or FNAL) , Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
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Several of the country's flagship particle physics experiments are scheduled to be shut down within the next few years, and at least one major facility (the accelerator at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California) is being redirected toward other scientific areas.
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The committee has concluded that the price the United States would pay by forfeiting a leadership position in particle physics is too high.4 Leadership in science remains central to the economic and cultural vitality of the United States.5 To fuel the innovation economy of the 21st century, to maintain national security, and to produce the knowledge needed to ensure our well-being in the face of an uncertain and challenging world, the United States needs more than ever to have a strong base of science and technology. A strong scientific enterprise attracts ambitious and talented students to science.
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Chapter 3 discusses the types of experimental facilities, scientific approaches, and devices that will be needed to explore the questions posed in the preceding chapter. In addition, it describes the evolving international framework within which decisions in particle physics must be made.
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