Micro Cosmª DESY Explores What Binds the Universe Together at Its Core
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MICRO COSMª DESY explores what binds the universe together at its core On the trail of quarks, supersymmetry and extra dimensions – particle physicists at DESY inquire into the very structure of our world. Using large accelerator facilities, supercomputers and leading-edge technology at the limits of the possible, they shed light on the secrets of the universe’s fundamental forces and building blocks. In pursuit of these goals, they work in national and international networks with colleagues from all over the world. Accelerators | Photon Science | Particle Physics Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron A Research Centre of the Helmholtz Association In the heart of the H1 detector at the HERA accelerator ª CONTENTSª DESY Insight starts here 4 DESY is one of the world’s leading accelerator centres for investigating the structure of matter. DESY develops, builds and uses particle accelerators and detectors for photon science and particle physics. TIME Insight into the world of elementary particles 6 TRAVEL Particle physics explores questions that are central to our understanding of the universe: What are we made of? What are the building blocks of our world and what holds them together? How did the universe come into existence and how did it become what it is today? ... WORLD The big mysteries of the universe 8 VIEW In the course of the last century, physicists ventured into ever smaller dimensions. Today, the Standard Model of particle physics very successfully describes the fundamental building blocks of our world and the forces acting between them. Nevertheless, central questions remain unanswered. ... WORLD DESY: An international centre for particle physics 10 RESEARCH All over the world, scientists strive to answer the key questions of the origin and nature of our universe. However, it will only be possible to make headway here if everyone involved joins together in national and international research networks. This networking – across political and cultural borders – enjoys a long tradition at the particle physics research centre DESY. POINTING HERA: The super electron microscope 12 THE WAY The Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator HERA was the largest particle accelerator at DESY and Germany’s largest research instrument. For 15 years, this gigantic super electron microscope provided physicists with the world’s sharpest view of the proton’s interior. ... WORLD LHC: The most powerful accelerator in the world 20 MACHINE In 2008, the world’s largest machine went into operation at the European research centre CERN near Geneva: the Large Hadron Collider LHC, a gigantic particle accelerator ring with a circumference of 26.7 kilometres. At a depth of up to 175 metres below Geneva’s outskirts and the French Jura mountains, protons or heavy ions collide with one another head-on – at the highest energies ever attained in a particle accelerator. ... UNCHARTED ILC: The project for the future of particle physics 30 TERRITORY Whereas the proton accelerator LHC will fling open the door to the terascale for the first time and offer exciting initial insights into this uncharted territory, physicists will only be able to solve the big mysteries of the universe in combination with a second, precision machine – a linear accelerator in which electrons and their antiparticles, positrons, collide at the highest energies. ... LIGHT ALPS: Searching for lightweight particles 38 WEIGHT Researchers at DESY are interested not only in extremely heavy particles, which have to be generated by means of large high-energy accelerators; very light particles at the lower end of the energy scale can also point the way toward unknown physics phenomena. ... SPACE IceCube and CTA: Windows on the universe 40 MESSENGERS The DESY scientists also conduct research in astroparticle physics, a research field that combines methods and questions from astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics. Various kinds of particle from the cosmos constantly reach the Earth – particles that can provide insights into events happening in the depths of the universe. ... THOUGHT Theory: The hunt for the Theory of Everything 46 FACTORY Theoretical particle physics strives to piece together the big picture that underlies the host of experimental findings. Without such theory, the best experiment would be worthless. ... DESYª Insight starts here DESY is one of the world’s leading accelerator centres for investigating the structure of matter. DESY develops, builds and uses particle accelerators and detectors for photon science and particle physics. DESY carries out fundamental research in a range of scientific fields and focuses on three principal areas: º Accelerators: DESY develops, builds and operates large facilities that accelerate particles to extremely high energies. º Photon science: Physicists, chemists, geologists, biologists, medical researchers and material scientists use the special light from DESY’s accelerators to study structures and processes in the microcosm. º Particle physics: Scientists from around the world use accelerators to investigate the fundamental building blocks and forces of the universe. The spectrum of research at DESY is correspondingly diverse – as is the cooperation with partners both national and international. All in all, more than 3000 scientists from 45 countries come to Hamburg each year to work at DESY. DESY facts and figures The research programme is not restricted to the facilities in Hamburg and Zeuthen. Indeed, DESY is closely involved º Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in a number of major international projects, including the º A Research Centre of the Helmholtz Association European XFEL X-ray laser in Hamburg, the Large Hadron º A public funded national research centre Collider LHC in Geneva, the international neutrino telescope º Locations: Hamburg and Zeuthen (Brandenburg) IceCube at the South Pole and the International Linear º Employees: 1900, including 200 in Zeuthen Collider ILC. º Budget: 170 million euros (Hamburg: 154 million; Zeuthen: 16 million) 4 | Particle Physics ª Computer simulation of particle acceleration Accelerators The development of particle accelerators involves special on extremely small space and time scales. To this end, challenges for both humans and machines. Time and again particles are first accelerated and then deflected by means it is necessary to push back the frontiers of science and of large magnetic structures in such a way that they emit a technology. Over 50 years DESY has accumulated vast special form of radiation. experience of accelerator development and is now one of the º The development of increasingly powerful accelerators for world’s leading authorities in this field. DESY focuses on two particle physics research in order to accelerate particles to principal areas of research: ever greater energies and thereby obtain deeper insights º The development of light sources for science with photons into the very heart of matter and the origin of the universe. in order to enable structures and processes to be observed Photon science The intense radiation generated by particle accelerators can the analysis of catalysts and semiconductor crystals. illuminate even smallest details of the microcosm. At DESY º Unique experimental opportunities are provided by the scientists from around the world use this light to investigate new free-electron laser FLASH, which generates extremely the atomic structures and reactions of promising new intense short-wavelength laser pulses. materials and biomolecules that might one day be used to º From 2009, researchers at DESY will have access to the make new drugs. DESY’s unique spectrum of light sources world’s best storage ring-based X-ray radiation source, makes it one of the world’s leading centres for photon PETRA III. science: º The forthcoming X-ray laser European XFEL will complement º The DORIS III particle accelerator provides radiation suitable the unique range of light sources in the Hamburg region. for a whole range of experimental purposes. This includes Particle physics On the trail of quarks, supersymmetry and extra dimensions Hadron Collider LHC in Geneva, which is the world’s most – particle physicists at DESY inquire into the very structure of powerful accelerator, and the forthcoming International our world. Linear Collider ILC. º Using data recorded with the “super electron microscope” º Using the neutrino telescope IceCube at the South Pole, HERA, an underground accelerator six kilometres in DESY researchers and their colleagues gaze into the vast circumference, scientists investigate the structure of the expanses of the cosmos in search of ghost particles from proton and the fundamental forces of nature. space. º Researchers will have unique opportunities to decipher the mysteries of matter, energy, time and space with the Meanwhile scientists in the field of theoretical particle physics next major projects in the field of particle physics, in which are working at DESY to try and piece together the big picture scientists from DESY are also participating: the Large that corroborates the host of experimental findings.ª Particle Physics | 5 TIME TRAVELª Insight into the world of elementary particles Particle physics explores questions that are central to our understanding of the universe: What are we made of? What are the building blocks of our world and what holds them together? How did the universe come into existence and how did it become what it is today? DESY – the German acronym stands for German electron synchrotron – was founded as a national particle physics facility in 1959, in order to make it possible for scientists at German universities to study such questions. Today, DESY is one of the world’s leading research centres in this field. “We study, ‘what binds the universe together at its core’. That’s what makes basic research so fascinating.” 50 years of particle research at DESY Over the last 50 years, the results of particle physics research 2007. The 6.3-kilometre-long super electron microscope have revolutionized our understanding of the world. DESY provided physicists with the world’s sharpest view of the has made major contributions to this progress. The research proton’s interior.