P5 report is good news for Sanford Lab
A new report from the particle physics community released May 23 provides strong support for science programs envisioned for the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Sanford Lab). The report, developed by the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5), outlines the 10-year strategic plan for high-energy physics in the United States.
Among other things, the P5 recommends a U.S. particle physics program that includes research into neutrinos and dark matter, both of which are being researched at Sanford Lab.
?It?s clear the particle physics community is making a strong commitment to these programs, and we?re expecting the report will play a key role in the federal government funding process for years to come,? said Mike Headley, Executive Director of Sanford Lab.
Specific P5 recommendations include:
? Proceed immediately with a broad Generation 2 (G2) dark matter program at significantly increased funding levels than previously proposed.
? Pursue Generation 3 (G3) dark matter experiments as part of an international program with the United States hosting at least one of the G3 experiments.
? The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) should be reformulated as a broader international effort hosted by Fermilab near Chicago, Ill., and called the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF).
Planning for the G2 dark matter experiment at Sanford Lab already is under way. The Large Underground Xenon (LUX), a Generation 1 experiment, consists of a detector filled with one-third of a ton of liquid xenon in a 72,000-gallon tank of ultra-pure water. One potential G2 experiment, the LUX-ZEPLIN, or LZ, would consist of 10 tons of xenon inside the same tank used by LUX. LZ currently is competing with other G2 experiments for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation (NSF) funding.
The LBNF would be the highest priority large-scale experiment in the time frame after the United States completes its commitments to the Large Hadron Collider. Additionally, P5 recommends the LBNF include a large 40kT liquid argon neutrino detector to achieve a broad suite of physics goals.
?Overall, the report is great news for Sanford Lab?s science programs,? said Kevin Lesko, Sanford Underground Research Facility Operations Head at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ?These programs all need the facilities Sanford Lab has made available to the science community?a dedicated, deep underground facility.?
P5 panel reports to the federal High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP), which formally advises both the DOE Office of Science and the NSF on support of particle physics.
For more information on the P5 Report, go to: http://www.usparticlephysics.org/p5/