Jobs – Page 37 of 505

Plasma acceleration under the microscope

A team led by DESY researchers has used a noninvasive technique to measure the energy evolution of an electron bunch inside a laser-plasma accelerator for the first time, opening new possibilities to understand the fundamental mechanisms behind this next-generation accelerator technology.

Laser-driven plasma-wakefield acceleration, which is under study at DESY, SLAC and several other labs worldwide, promises to significantly reduce the size of particle accelerators. The idea is to use a high-power laser to create a plasma in a gas, in which charge displacements generate electric fields of the order 100 GV/m. Such fields can accelerate electron bunches to highly relativistic energies over short distances, outperforming conventional radio-frequency technologies by orders of magnitude. The AWAKE experiment at CERN, meanwhile, is a unique facility for the investigation of proton-driven plasma acceleration, which could enable even higher energies to be reached. Turning the concept of wakefield acceleration into a practical device, on the other hand, is a major challenge.

Turning the concept of wakefield acceleration into a practical device is a major challenge

In order to understand and thus improve the process of laser-plasma acceleration, which lasts for a period of femtoseconds to picoseconds, it is essential to observe as precisely as possible how the properties of the accelerated particles change in the plasma. Publishing their results in December, a team led by DESY’s Simon Bohlen and Kristjan Põder tracked the evolution of the electron beam energy inside a laser-plasma accelerator with high spatial resolution. The feat was performed within a project called PLASMED X, which aims to develop a compact, narrowband and tunable X-ray source for medical imaging.

The team began by splitting the laser beam into two parts: one was used for electron acceleration, while the other was superimposed so that the light could be scattered by the electrons. Using an X-ray detector to measure the energy of Thomson-scattered photons at 20 points over a 400 μm section of the plasma, the team was able to reconstruct the energy evolution of the electrons over most of the accelerator length without disturbing either the electron beam or the acceleration process itself.

“We were able to show in our measurements that the acceleration gradient can change significantly over very short distances,” says Bohlen. “With the new measurement method, we now have direct insight into a plasma acceleration process and can thus investigate the direct influence of different laser parameters or geometries of plasma cells on the acceleration process.”

Gabriella Pálla 1934–2022

Gabriella Pálla, who laid the foundations for the participation of Hungarian groups in CERN experiments, passed away on 11 October 2022 at the age of 88.

Gabriella attended Eötvös Loránd University in 1953, and began her career in nuclear physics in 1958 at the KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics. Her first position was at the atomic physics department under the supervision of Károly Simonyi (on the topic of fast neutron reactions). In the 1970s she received a Humboldt Research Fellowship and worked at the cyclotron at the University of Hamburg, later at Jülich. She received her PhD in 1972 at Eötvös University and gained a DSc titled “Direct reactions and the collective properties of nuclei” in 1987.

In the 1990s Gabriella’s attention turned towards heavy-ion physics. She helped initiate the Buda-TOF project at NA49 and NA61 and later became the Hungarian ALICE representative in the early years of the experiment. She received the Academy Prize in Physics from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1999 and the Simonyi Károly Award in 2010.

Statistics meets gamma-ray astronomy

As a subfield of astroparticle physics, gamma-ray astronomy, investigates many questions rooted in particle physics in an astrophysical context. A prominent example is the search for self-annihilating Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in the Milky Way as a signature of dark matter. Another long-standing problem is finding out where in the universe the cosmic-ray particles detected on Earth are accelerated to PeV energies and beyond.

With the imminent commissioning of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which will comprise more than 100 telescopes located in the northern and southern hemispheres, gamma-ray astronomy is about to enter a new era. This was taken as an opportunity to discuss the statistical methods used to analyze data from Cherenkov telescopes at a dedicated PHYSTAT workshop hosted by the university of Berlin. More than 300 participants, including several statisticians, registered for PHYSTAT-Gamma from 28 to 30 September to discuss concrete statistical problems, find synergies between fields, and set the employed methods in a broader context.

Three main topics were addressed at the meeting across 13 talks and multiple discussion sessions: statistical analysis of data from gamma-ray observatories in a multi-wavelength context, connecting statisticians and gamma-ray astronomers, and astrophysical sources across different wavelengths. Many concrete physical questions in gamma-ray astronomy must be answered in an astrophysical context, which becomes visible only by observing the electromagnetic spectrum. A mutual understanding of the statistical methods and systematic errors is therefore needed. Josh Speagle (University of Toronto) proclaimed a potential ‘datapocalypse’ in the heterogeneity and amount of soon-to-be-expected astronomical data. Similarities between analyses in X- and gamma-ray astronomy gave hope for reducing the data heterogeneity. Further cause for optimism arose from new approaches for combining data from different observatories.

The second day of PHYSTAT-Gamma focused on building connections between statisticians and gamma-ray astronomers. Eric Feigelson (Penn State) gave an overview of astrostatistics, followed by deeper discussions of Bayesian methods in astronomy by Tom Loredo (Cornell) and techniques for fitting astrophysical models to data with bootstrap methods by Jogesh Babu (Penn State). The session concluded with an overview of statistical methods for the analysis of astronomical time series by Jeff Scargle (NASA).

The final day centered on the problem of how to match astrophysical sources across different wavelengths. CTA is expected to detect gamma rays from more than 1000 sources. Identifying the correct counterparts at other wavelengths will be essential to study the astrophysical context of the gamma-ray emission. Applying Bayesian methods, Tamas Budavari (Johns Hopkins) discussed the current state of the problem from a statistical point of view, followed by in-depth talks and discussions among experts from X-ray, gamma-ray, and radio astronomy.

Topics across all sessions were the treatment of systematic errors and the formats for exchanging data between experiments. Technical considerations appear to dominate the definition of data formats in astronomy currently. However, for example, as Fisher famously showed with the introduction of sufficiency, statistical aspects can help to find useful representations of data and might also be considered in the definition of future data formats.

PHYSTAT-gamma was only the first attempt to discuss statistical aspects of gamma-ray astronomy. For example, the LHCf experiment at CERN will help to improve the prediction of the gamma-ray flux, which is expected from astrophysical hadron colliders and measured by gamma-ray observatories like CTA. However, modeling uncertainties from particle physics must be treated appropriately to improve the constraints on astrophysical processes. The discussion of this and many further topics is planned for follow-up meetings.

Fundamental symmetries and interactions at PSI

The triennial workshop “Physics of fundamental Symmetries and Interactions – PSI2022” took place for the sixth time at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) in Switzerland from 17 to 22 October, bringing the worldwide fundamental symmetries community together. More than 190 participants including some 70 young scientists welcomed the close communication of an in-person meeting built around 35 invited and 25 contributed talks.

A central goal of the meeting series is to deepen relations between disciplines and scientists. This year, exceptionally, participants connected with the FIPs workshop at CERN on the second day of the conference, due to the common topics discussed.

With PSI’s leading high-intensity muon and pion beams, many topics in muon physics and lepton-flavour violation were highlighted. These covered rare muon decays (μ → e + γ, μ → 3e) and muon conversion (μ → e), muonic atoms and proton structure, and muon capture. Presentations covered complementary experimental efforts at J-PARC, Fermilab and PSI. The status of the muon g-2 measurement was reviewed from an experimental and theoretical perspective, where lattice-QCD calculations from 2021 and 2022 have intensified discussions around the tension with Standard Model expectations.

Fundamental physics using cold and ultracold neutrons was a second cornerstone of the programme. Searches for a neutron electric dipole moment (EDM) were discussed in contributions by collaborations from TRIUMF, LANL, SNS, ILL and PSI, complemented by presentations on searches for EDMs in atomic and molecular systems. Along with new results from neutron-beta-decay measurements, the puzzle of the neutron lifetime keeps the community busy, with improving “bottle” and “beam” measurements presently differing by more than 5 standard deviations. Several talks highlighted possible explanations via neutron oscillations into sterile or mirror states.

The current status of direct neutrino-mass measurements and future outlook down into the meV range was covered together with updates on searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay. An overview of the hunt for the unknown at the dark-matter frontier was presented together with new limits and plans from various searches. Ultraprecise atomic clocks were discussed allowing checks of general relativity and the Standard Model, and for searches beyond established theories. The final session covered the latest results from antiproton and antihydrogen experiments at CERN, demonstrating the outstanding precision achieved in CPT tests with these probes. The workshop was a great success and participants look forward to reconvening at PSI2025.

Higgs hunting in Paris

higgs_hunting_2022 — New analyses to study the Higgs boson in more detail were discussed from both theoretical and experimental side. Credit: L Fayard

The 12^th Higgs Hunting workshop, which took place in Paris and Orsay from 12 to14 September, presented an overview of recent and new results in Higgs-boson physics. The results painted an increasingly detailed picture of Higgs-boson properties, thanks to the many analyses now reporting results based on the full LHC Run 2 dataset, with an integrated luminosity of about 140 fb^-1. Searches for phenomena beyond the Standard Model (BSM) were also presented.

Highlights included new results from CMS on decays of Higgs bosons to b quarks and to invisible final states, and a new limit from ATLAS on lepton-flavour violating decays of the Higgs boson. Events with two Higgs bosons in the final state were used to set limits on interactions involving three Higgs bosons and between two Higgs bosons and two weak vector bosons. All the results remain compatible with Standard Model expectations, except for a small number of intriguing tensions in some BSM searches, such as small excesses in a search for heavier partners of the Higgs boson decaying to W-boson pairs and in a search for resonances produced alongside a Z boson and decaying to a pair of Higgs bosons. These deviations from theory will be followed up by ATLAS and CMS in further analyses using Run 2 and Run 3 data.

This year’s workshop was special as the event marked the tenth anniversary of the Higgs-boson discovery in 2012. Two historical talks given by the former ATLAS and CMS spokespersons Peter Jenni (University of Freiburg & CERN) and Jim Virdee (Imperial College) highlighted the long-term efforts that laid the foundation for the Higgs-boson discovery in 2012.

The workshop also hosted an in-depth discussion on future accelerators and related detector R&D. It focused on future efforts in Europe, the US and Latin America, and featured presentations by Karl Jakobs (University of Freiburg and chair of the European Committee for Future Accelerators), Meenashi Narain (Brwon University and convener of the energy frontier group of the Snowmass process), Maria-Teresa Tova (National University of La Plata) and representative for the Latin American strategy effort) and Emmanuel Perez (CERN), who discussed recent improvements in physics analyses at future colliders.

Recent theory developments were also extensively covered, in particular recent developments in higher-order computations by Michael Spira (PSI), which highlighted the agreement between experimental results and predictions. A review of recent theory progress towards future colliders was also presented by Gauthier Durieux (CERN), while Carlos Wagner (Enrico Fermi Institute, & Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics) discussed the new-physics that can be explored via precise measurements of Higgs-boson couplings. Finally, a “vision” presentation by Marcela Carena (Fermilab) highlighted new opportunities for the study of electroweak baryogenesis in relation to Higgs-boson measurements.

Many experimental sessions were held regarding recent results on a wide variety of topics, some which will be relevant in upcoming Run 3 measurements. This includes measurements related to potential CP-violating effects in the Higgs sector, as well as effective field theories (EFTs). This latter topic allows a general description of deviations from Standard Model predictions in Higgs-boson measurements and beyond, and much improved measurements in this direction are expected in Run 3. The search for Higgs-boson pair production was also an important focus at the Paris meeting. The latest Run 2 analyses showed greatly improved sensitivity compared to earlier rounds, and further improvements are expected in Run 3. While sensitivity to the Standard Model signal is not expected until the High-Luminosity LHC, these searches should set strong constraints on BSM effects in the Higgs sector.

Concluding talks were given by Fabio Maltoni (Louvain) and Giacinto Piacquadio (Stony Brook), and the next Higgs Hunting workshop will be held in Orsay and Paris from 11 to 13 September 2023.

Back to the Swamp

Since its first revolution in the 1980s, string theory has been proposed as a framework to unify all known interactions in nature. As such, it is a perfect candidate to embed the standard models of particle physics and cosmology into a consistent theory of quantum gravity. Over the past decades, the quest to recover both models as low-energy effective field theories (EFTs) of string theory has led to many surprising results, and to the notion of a “landscape” of string solutions reproducing many key features of the universe.

Initially, the vast number of solutions led to the impression that any quantum field theory could be obtained as an EFT of string theory, hindering the predictive power of the theory. In fact, recent developments have shown that quite the opposite is true: many respectable-looking field theories become inconsistent when coupled to quantum gravity and can never be obtained as EFTs of string theory. This set is known as the “swampland” of quantum field theories. The task of the swampland programme is to determine the structure and boundaries of the swampland, and from there extract the predictive power of string theory. Over the past few years, deep connections between the swampland and a fundamental understanding of open questions in high-energy physics ranging from the hierarchy of fundamental scales to the origin and fate of the universe, have emerged.

The workshop Back to the Swamp, held at Instituto de Física Teórica UAM/CSIC in Madrid from 26 to 28 September, gathered leading experts in the field to discuss recent progress in our understanding of the swampland, as well as its implications for particle physics and cosmology. In the spirit of the two previous conferences Vistas over the Swampland and Navigating the Swampland, also hosted at IFT, the meeting featured 22 scientific talks and attracted about 100 participants.

The swampland programme has led to a series of conjectures that have sparked debate about how to connect string theory with the observed universe, especially with models of early-universe cosmology. This was reflected with several talks on the subject, ranging from new scrutiny of current proposals to obtain de Sitter vacua, which might not be consistently constructed in quantum gravity, new candidates for quintessence models that introduce a scalar field to explain the observed accelerated expansion of the universe, and scenarios where dark matter is composed of primordial black holes. Several talks covered the implications of the programme for particle physics and quantum field theories in general. Topics included axion-based proposals to solve the strong-CP problem from the viewpoint of quantum gravity, as well as how axion physics and approximate symmetries can link swampland ideas with experiment and how the mathematical concept of “tameness” could describe those quantum field theories that are compatible with quantum gravity. Progress on the proposal to characterize large field distances and field-dependent weak couplings as emergent concepts, general bounds on supersymmetric quantum field theories from consistency of axionic string worldsheet theories, and several proposals on how dispersive bound and the boostrap programme are also relevant for swampland ideas. Finally, several talks covered more formal topics, such as a sharpened formulation of the distance conjecture, new tests of the tower weak gravity conjecture, the discovery of new corners in the string theory landscape, and arguments in favour of and against Euclidean wormholes.

The new results demonstrated the intense activity in the field and highlighted several current aspects of the swampland programme. It is clear that the different proposals and conjectures driving the programme have sharpened and become more interconnected. Each year, the programme attracts more scientists working in different specialities of string theory, and proposals to connect the swampland with experiment take a larger fraction of the efforts.

Chasing feebly interacting particles at CERN

What is the origin of neutrino masses and oscillations? What is the nature of Dark Matter? What mechanism generated matter-antimatter-asymmetry? What drove the inflation of our Universe and provides an explanation to Dark Energy? What is the origin of the hierarchy of scales? These are outstanding questions in particle physics that still require an answer.

So far, the experimental effort has been driven by theoretical arguments that favoured the existence of new particles with relatively large couplings to the Standard Model (SM) and masses commensurate the mass of the Higgs boson. Searching for these particles has been one of the main goals of the physics programme of the LHC. However, several beyond-the-SM theories predict the existence of light (sub-GeV) particles, which interact very weakly with the SM fields. Such feebly interacting particles (FIPs) can provide elegant explanations to several unresolved problems in modern physics. Furthermore, searching for them requires specific and distinct techniques, creating new experimental challenges along with innovative theoretical efforts.

FIPs are currently one of the most debated and discussed topics in fundamental physics and were recommended by the 2020 update of the European strategy for particle physics as a compelling field to explore in the next decade. The FIPs 2022 workshop held at CERN from 17 to 21 October was the second in a series dedicated to the physics of FIPs, attracted 320 experts from collider, beam-dump and fixed-target experiments, as well as from the astroparticle, cosmology, axion and dark-matter communities gathered to discuss the progress in experimental searches and new developments in underlying theoretical models.

The main goal of the workshop was to create a base for a multi-disciplinary and interconnected approach. The breadth of open questions in particle physics and their deep interconnection requires a diversified research programme with different experimental approaches and techniques, together with a strong and focused theoretical involvement. In particular, FIPs 2022, which is strongly linked with the Physics Beyond Colliders initiative at CERN, aimed at shaping the FIPs programme in Europe. Topics under discussion include the impact that FIPs might have in stellar evolution, Λ_CDMcosmological-model parameters, indirect dark-matter detection, neutrino physics, gravitational-wave physics and AMO (atoms-molecular-optical) physics. This is in addition to searches currently performed at colliders and extracted beam lines worldwide.

The main sessions were organised around three main themes: light dark matter in particle and astroparticle physics and cosmology; ultra-light FIPs and their connection with cosmology and astrophysics; and heavy neutral leptons and their connection with neutrino physics. In addition, young researchers in the field presented and discussed their work in the “new ideas” sessions.

FIPs 2022 aimed not only to explore new answers to the unresolved questions in fundamental physics, but to analyse the technical challenges and necessary infrastructure and collaborative networks required to answer them. Indeed, no single experiment or laboratory would be able by itself to cover the large parameter space in terms of masses and couplings that FIPs models suggest. Synergy and complementarity among a great variety of experimental facilities are therefore paramount, calling for a deep collaboration across many laboratories and cross-fertilisation among different communities and experimental techniques. We believe that a network of interconnected laboratories can become a sustainable, flexible and efficient way of addressing the particle physics questions in the next millennium.

The next appointment for the community is the retreat/school “FIPs in the ALPs” to be held in Les Houches from 15 to 19 May 2023, to be followed by the next edition of the FIPs workshop at CERN in autumn 2024.

Remembering the W discovery

A W event recorded by UA1 in 1982 — **Striking** A W event recorded by UA1 in late 1982, with a high transverse-momentum electron (pink arrow) and only soft particles in opposite directions to it, as expected if an undetected neutrino balances the electron’s transverse momentum. Credit: CERN-EX-69576-1

When the W and Z bosons were predicted in the mid-to-late 1960s, their masses were not known. Experimentalists therefore had no idea what energy they needed to produce them. That changed in 1973, when Gargamelle discovered neutral-current neutrino interactions and measured the cross-section ratio between neutral- and charged-current interactions. This ratio provided the first direct determination of the weak mixing angle, which, via the electroweak theory, predicted the W-boson mass to lie between 60 and 80 GeV, and the Z mass between 75 and 95 GeV – at least twice the energy of the leading accelerators of the day.

By then, the world’s first hadron collider – the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR) at CERN – was working well. Kjell Johnsen proposed a new superconducting ISR in the same tunnel, capable of reaching 240 GeV. A study group was formed. Then, in 1976, Carlo Rubbia, David Cline and Peter McIntyre suggested adding an antiproton source to a conventional 400 GeV proton accelerator, either at Fermilab or at CERN, to transform it into a pp collider. The problem was that the antiprotons had to be accumulated
and cooled if the target luminosity (10²⁹ cm^–2s^–1, providing about one Z event per day) was to be reached. Two methods were proposed: stochastic cooling by Simon van der Meer at CERN and electron cooling by Gersh Budker in Novosibirsk.

CERN Director-General John Adams wasn’t too happy that as soon as the SPS had been built, physicists wanted to convert it into a pp collider. But he accepted the suggestion, and the idea of a superconducting ISR was abandoned. Following the Initial Cooling Experiment, which showed that the luminosity target was achievable with stochastic cooling, the SppS was approved in May 1978 and the construction of the Antiproton Accumulator (AA) by van der Meer and collaborators began. Around that time, the design of the UA1 experiment was also approved.

A group of us proposed a second, simpler experiment in another interaction region (UA2), but it was put on hold for financial reasons. Then, at the end of 1978, Sam Ting proposed an experiment to go in the same place. His idea was to surround the beam with heavy material so that everything would be absorbed except for muons, making it good at identifying Z → μ⁺μ^– but far from good for W bosons decaying to a muon and a neutrino. In a tense atmosphere, Ting’s proposal was turned down and ours was approved.

First sightings

The first low-intensity pp collisions arrived in late 1981. In December 1982 the luminosity reached a sufficient level, and by the following month UA1 had recorded six W candidates and UA2 four. The background was minimal; there was nothing else we could think of that would produce such events. Carlo presented the UA1 events and Pierre Darriulat the UA2 ones at a workshop in Rome on 12–14 January 1983. On 20 January, Carlo announced the W discovery at a CERN seminar, and the next day I presented the UA2 results, confirming UA1. In UA2 we never discussed priority, because we all knew that it was Carlo who had made the whole project possible.

Luigi Di Lella was UA2 spokesperson from 1986 to 1990. Credit: CERN

The same philosophy guided the discovery of the Z boson. UA2 had recorded a candidate Z → e⁺e^– event in December 1982, also presented by Pierre at the Rome workshop. One electron was perfectly clear, whereas the other had produced a shower with many tracks. I had shown the event to Jack Steinberger, who strongly suggested we publish immediately; however, we decided to wait for the first “golden” event with both electrons unambiguously identified. Then, one night in May 1983, UA1 found a Z. As with ours, only one electron satisfied all electron-identification criteria, but Carlo used the event to announce a discovery. The UA1 results (based on four Z → e⁺e^– events and one Z → μ⁺μ^–) were published that July, followed by the UA2 results (based on eight Z → e⁺e^– events, including the 1982 one) a month later.

The SppS ran until 1990, when it became clear that Fermilab’s Tevatron was going to put us out of business. In 1984–1985 the energy was increased from 546 to 630 GeV and in 1986 another ring was added to the AA, increasing the luminosity 10-fold. Following the 1984 Nobel prize to Rubbia and van der Meer, UA1 embarked on an ambitious new electromagnetic calorimeter that never quite worked. UA2 went on to make a precise measurement of the ratio m_W/m_Z, which, along with the first precise measurement of m_Z at LEP, enabled us to determine the W mass with 0.5% precision and, via radiative corrections, to predict the mass of the top quark (160⁺⁵⁰_–60 GeV) several years before the Tevatron discovered it.

Times have certainly changed since then, but the powerful interplay between theory, experiment and machine builders remains essential for progress in particle physics.

CERN, CHUV and THERYQ join forces for FLASH

In November, CERN signed an agreement with the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and medical-technology firm THERYQ to develop a novel “FLASH” radiotherapy device. The device – the first of its kind and based on CERN technology – will use very high-energy electrons (VHEEs) to treat cancers that are resistant to conventional treatments, with reduced side effects. Currently, around one third of cancers are resistant to conventional radiation therapy.

VHEE FLASH technology has several advantages in addition to being capable of reaching deep-seated tumours. For example, high-energy electrons can be focused and oriented in a way that is almost impossible with X-rays, and radiotherapy devices based on electron accelerator technology will be more compact and less expensive than current proton-based therapy devices.

FLASH radiotherapy has produced impressive results in pre-clinical animal studies at CHUV, while THERYQ, a spinoff of PMB-ALCEN, in partnership with CHUV, has been developing the technique since the beginning of 2013. CERN has responded to the challenge of producing a high dose of very-high-energy electrons in less than 100 milliseconds, as required for FLASH radiotherapy, by designing a unique accelerator based on CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) technology. The device will include a compact linear accelerator, to be manufactured by THERYQ, and use VHEE beams with energies between 100 and 200 MeV, allowing all types of cancers up to a depth of 20 cm to be treated using the FLASH technique. It is expected to be operational within two years, with the first clinical trials planned for 2025.

The new tripartite agreement between CERN, CHUV and THERYQ covers the development, planning, regulatory compliance and construction of the world’s first radiotherapy device capable of treating large, deep-seated tumours using the FLASH technique. “FLASH therapy embodies the spirit of innovation that drives us in this field,” explains Philippe Eckert, director general of CHUV. “Eager to offer the most effective techniques to patients, we have joined forces with a world-class research centre and a cutting-edge industrial partner to solve a medical, physical and technical problem and find innovative solutions to fight cancer.”

CERN and Airbus collaboration aims high

Superconducting rare-earth barium copper oxide — **Hot stuff** CERN’s superconducting rare-earth barium copper oxide (also referred to as REBCO) power-transmission cable, used to study the feasibility of high-temperature superconductivity for aircraft. Credit: CERN

On 1 December, CERN and Airbus UpNext, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus, launched a collaboration to explore the use of superconducting technologies in the electrical distribution systems of future hydrogen-powered aircraft. The partnership will bring together CERN’s expertise in superconducting technologies for particle accelerators and Airbus UpNext’s capabilities in aircraft design and manufacturing to develop a demonstrator known as SCALE (Super-Conductor for Aviation with Low Emissions).

Superconducting technologies could drastically reduce the weight of next-generation aircraft and increase their efficiency. If its expected performances and reliability objectives are achieved, the CERN–Airbus collaboration could reach the ambitious target of flying a fully integrated prototype within the next decade, says the firm. The joint initiative seeks to develop and test in laboratory conditions, an optimised generic superconductor cryogenic (~500 kW) powertrain by the end of 2025. SCALE will be designed, constructed and tested by CERN using Airbus UpNext specifications and CERN technology. It will consist of a DC link (cable and cryostat) with two current leads, and a cooling system based on gaseous helium.

“Partnering with a leading research institute like CERN, which has brought the world some of the most important findings in fundamental physics, will help to push the boundaries of research in clean aerospace as we work to make sustainable aviation a reality,” said Sandra Bour-Schaeffer, CEO of Airbus UpNext. “We are already developing a superconductivity demonstrator called ASCEND (Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertrain Demonstrator) to study the feasibility of this technology for electrically powered and hybrid aircraft. Combining knowledge obtained from our demonstrator and CERN’s unique capabilities in the field of superconductors makes for a natural partnership.”

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First sightings