European particle science post-Higgs
Recently CERN had its biggest success in history when thelong-sought Higgs boson was discovered: a discovery that will setdirection for particle physics for years to come. Now the field isat a turning point, a clear long-term European strategy has to bedeveloped.
Long term Strategy
500 particle physicists meeting in Krakow this week have beendebating the long-term future of their field at the CERN CouncilOpen Symposium on the European Strategy for Particle Physics.”Particle physics has always been a long-term, internationallycoordinated endeavor”, said chair of the strategy group, TatsuyaNakada.
“With the increasing size and complexity of our experimentalfacilities, this is more true now than ever, and a clear Europeanstrategy, integrated into the broader global picture, isessential”. Michel Spiro president of the CERN Council adds:”Europe’s competitiveness depends critically on the strength of itsscience base, and particle physics not only forms part of thatbase, but also nourishes other areas of scientific endeavor”.
Defining Europe’s role
“The European strategy for particle physics is a sign of theglobal nature of particle physics”, said CERN Director-General RolfHeuer. “It ensures that Europe’s resources are deployed in anoptimal and responsible way, and integrated into a global visionfor our field”.
A regular exchange of information among the three regions inparticle science: the Americas, Asia and Europe is coordinated bythe International Committee for Future Accelerators. The updatedEuropean strategy will embody Europe’s contribution to this globalapproach to the exploration of the fundamental nature ofmatter.
