The Magnificent Seven: Projects that Will Answer Big Questions About the Cosmos

Monday saw European scientists gather together in Brussels to announce what they are labeling the ‘Magnificent Seven’; seven projects that will answer some of the biggest questions in astroparticle physics. What is dark matter? What is the origin of cosmic rays? What is the role of violent cosmic processes?

"New exciting discoveries lie ahead; it is up to us to take the lead on them in the next decade." says Christian Spiering from DESY – Germany, Chairman of the Roadmap Committee, who have worked for two years to produce this roadmap.

The seven projects are:

* CTA, a large array of Cherenkov Telescopes for detection of cosmic high-energy gamma rays

* KM3NeT, a cubic kilometre-scale neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea

* Ton-scale detectors for dark matter searches

* A ton-scale detector for the determination of the fundamental nature and mass of neutrinos

* A Megaton-scale detector for proton decay's search, neutrino astrophysics & investigation of neutrino properties

* A large array for the detection of charged cosmic rays

* A third-generation underground gravitational antenna

"The timely realization of the Magnificent Seven is a big challenge" says the coordinator of ASPERA Prof. Stavros Katsanevas (IN2P3/CNRS) - France, "But we are confident that none will be killed contrary to what happens in the film, as the European agencies and ApPEC support these priorities and the same also emerge in other continents. It is important that we coordinate and share costs not only inside Europe but on a global scale."

In the opening paragraph of ASPERA’s roadmap – ‘Astroparticle Physics – the European Strategy’ – the authors noted that “Astroparticle Physics is a rapidly growing field of research at the intersection of astrophysics, particle and nuclear physics and cosmology.”

The authors continued, describing their goals; “It addresses questions like the nature of dark matter and dark energy; the stability of protons and the physics of the Big Bang; the properties of neutrinos and their role in cosmic evolution; the interior of the Sun or supernovae as seen with neutrinos; the origin of cosmic rays and the view of the sky at extreme energies; and violent cosmic processes as seen with gravitational waves.”

Posted  by Josh  Hill.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/c-ts092608.php

Comments

[Barrie O'Leary]

"Daily Galaxy," with articles of excellence like this you really do live up to your name. You make me wish we had a fast forward into the future. -BOL

[jer35mx]

It would be nice if one of these european projects were suited to only work in the emptyness of the moon, that would make them to understand and support the position of the Nasa's head chief.

[Downloadic]

I mostly like the project of "A Megaton-scale detector for proton decay's search, neutrino astrophysics & investigation of neutrino properties"...