Projects

AGATA

AGATA (Advanced Gamma-ray Tracking Array) is a new generation high-resolution γ-ray spectrometer providing unprecedented Doppler-correction capabilities thanks to a combination of fine detector segmentation, efficient pulse-shape analysis algorithms, and implementation of an innovative γ-ray tracking concept.

ALICE

The ALICE experiment is devoted to the study of nuclear matter under extreme conditions of temperature and density. It is specially designed to test the fundamental theory of the strong interaction, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which predicts the existence of this new state of matter, the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Objectives There are still some open question concerning the formation of our Universe.

Antares, a high energy neutrino telescope

Overview Most of our current knowledge of the Universe comes from the observation of photons. Photons have many advantages as cosmic information carriers: they are copiously produced, they are stable and electrically neutral, they are easy to detect over a wide energy range, and their spectrum carries detailed information about the chemical and physical properties of the source.

Images

ArTeMiS bolometer array

Latest news : Artemis installed on APEX (25 sept. 2013) The Artemis camera has been successfully installed on APEX telescope during the summer 2013. The new camera has already delivered a spectacularly detailed view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula. APEX telescope at 5100 m on Llano Chajnantor in Chile (Credit ESO). The commissioning team that installed ArTeMIS had to battle against extreme weather conditions to complete the task.

Presentation

First Science

Performances

ATLAS

Atlas is one of the general purpose detectors which started operation in 2008 at the the CERN proton collider, to study the Higgs boson. Goals: Unifying the elementary constituants of matter and their interactions. Atlas is one of the two general purpose detectors installed at the LHC which started operation in 2008. Atlas brings experimental physics into new territory. Discovering new processes and particles that change our understanding of energy and matter would be most exciting.

ATLAS-Calorimeter

ATLAS-Muon Spectrometer

ATLAS-Toroid

Experimental means

Collaborations

Life of the experiment

Atlas in numbers

Links and documents

Intellectual production

BABAR

Goal The main goal of the experiment was to perform a complete study of CP violation (CP is the symmetry linking particules and antiparticules) in the system of B mesons. More generally the experiment studied the physics of heavy flavors: mesons and baryons with a b or a c quark and tau leptons.

Experimental technics

News from the experiment

Collaborations

CLIC: CTF3-CALIFES

Objectives The scientific exploitation of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), planned to start operation in 2008 will be the higher priority in high energy physics for the next coming years. In the following step new large instruments will be required to reach a fine characterization of LHC discoveries, and analyse new phenomena around the TeV scale. The energy required (probably a few TeV), will be precised by the first results of the LHC, i.e. about 2010.

Collaborations

Experimental means

CMS

CMS is the detector of one of the 2 multi-purpose experiments out of the 4 experiments located at the LHC at CERN near Geneva. CMS is installed at point 5 in Cessy. Main goals : During the last decades, research in particle physics has made tremendous progress and succeeded in validating the theoretical framework called “Standard Model”.

CMS-solenoid

Experimental means

Science

Intellectual production

Phase 2 upgrades

Collaborations

Life of the experiment

CMS in figures

Links and docs

HERSCHEL

Herschel An Infrared and Sub-millimetre Observatory The Herschel telescope is a scientific space mission developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) dedicated to observing the Universe in the infrared and sub-millimetre ranges (wavelengths between 60 et 670 µm), a window of the electromagnetic spectrum that is still largely unexplored. It measures 9 m in length, 4 m in diameter and will weigh over 3 metric tons upon launch.

ISEULT

The technique of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic tool for research and neuroscience. Its evolution led to instruments for whole body operating at very high field from 0.5 to 1.5 tesla for medical examinations and 3 to 5 tesla for research instruments. Objectives Neurospin project aims to develop a centre with 4 MRI systems: o Clinic Research : MRI 3T and 7T (Siemens) o Pre Clinic Research : MRI 17T, small aperture (Bruker) o Clinic Research : MRI 11.

ITER

Objective The objective of the ITER (« way » in latine) project is to go through the steps still necessary to enable the construction of a prototype producing electricity through nuclear fusion in the years 2050's. Context Research activities in the field of fusion: Started in 1958, the fusion activity in France has been boosted with the construction and the operation of the Tore-Supra tokamak, built in Cadarache between 1983 and 1988.

MEGACAM

Megacam MegaCam A major instrument at the CFHT observatory (Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope) The MegaCam camera was developed for the prime focus of the 3.6m diameter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), on the summit of the Mauna Kea volcano, at an altitude of 4200m on the Big Island of Hawaii (USA).

Megapie

Objectives: Megapie (Megawatt pilot experiment) is an international project having as objectives to design, build, test and decomission the first lead-bismuth liquid spallation target functioning under 1 MW deposited power. This target is used as neutron source. Neutrons are produced by the interaction of high intensity proton beam (590 MeV of energy) on the target.

Experimental means

Mini Inca

Objectives: The objective of the Mini-INCA project is to study minor-actinide transmutation processes in high intensity thermal neutron fluxes, in view of proposing solutions to reduce the radiotoxicity of long-lived nuclear wastes. The fission process is the best way to reduce radiotoxicity and also to use the total amount of energy contain within heavy nuclei.

Experimental means

MINOS

Scientific Issues and Project Framework The MINOS project aims at performing the spectroscopy of very exotic nuclei produced by fragmentation at the radioactive ion beam facilities such as RIKEN or GSI / FAIR. The structure of the targeted atomic nuclei should allow us to bring strong constraints on the nuclear interaction acting between nucleons in the nucleus.

MUSETT

A new segmented silicon-array called MUSETT has been built for the study of heavy elements using the Recoil-Decay-Tagging technique. MUSETT is located at the focal plane of the VAMOS spectrometer at GANIL and is used in conjunction with a gamma-ray array at the target position. This device consists of four 10x10 cm2 Si detectors each, to obtain a total detection area of 40 x 10 cm2.

SPALADIN

Presentation of the project Physics & programmes Spallation reaction study, physics data for nuclear energy Goals of the experiment The measurement in coincidence and in inverse kinematics of the spallation (A+p at 1 GeV per nucleon) reaction in order to study in detail the reaction mechanism.

T2K

T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) is the world leading experiment dedicated to the study of neutrino oscillations over a long distance using µ-neutrino and µ-anti-neutrino beams. Neutrinos exist in three different types (called 'flavours'): νe, νμ and ντ. In the last fifteen to twenty years, several experiments have proven that neutrinos undergo a quantum mechanical phenomenon called 'oscillation', where neutrinos oscillate from one type to another.

Division of systems engineering

Institute of research into the fundamental laws of the Universe