French and US Agencies Take First Step to Collaborate on Electron-Ion Collider
Summary
“The Statement of Interest we signed today describes our reinforced cooperation in accelerator and detector science and technology, paving the way towards the construction of the Electron-Ion Collider. A sophisticated detector will capture snapshots of these collisions to reveal how the particles and forces at the heart of atomic nuclei build up the structure and properties of everything we see in the universe today—from stars to planets to people. In October, the U.S. Nuclear Science Advisory Committee recommended “the expeditious completion of the EIC as the highest priority for facility construction” in its 2023 Long Range Plan. In addition, CEA physicists are currently collaborating with Jefferson Lab on preliminary designs for a superconducting solenoid magnet that would form the core of the EIC detector. “The realization of the EIC’s ambitious scientific goals will not only help advance the field of nuclear physics, but also the research technologies that lead to applications that are beneficial to society.” The EIC will significantly advance accelerator and particle detector technology with potential benefits for many other fields important for economic development and improving quality of life: • New medical isotopes and particle beam approaches for diagnosing and treating cancer • Artificial intelligence and other computational tools for simulating climate change, tracking global pandemics, and protecting national security • Accelerator advances for making and testing computer chips, studying proteins and therapeutic drugs, designing better batteries, and more • Hundreds of highly skilled jobs and training for a future tech-savvy workforce The $1.7–2.8 billion EIC project is well into the planning stages at Brookhaven Lab.