“Vision for the Future of High-Energy Physics” - LHC Recommendations

A major conclusion of the report, “High Energy Physics Advisory Panel’s Subpanel on Vision for the Future of High-Energy Physics,” is that the United States “must collaborate in research that will explore promising new territory on the energy frontier, using accelerators and detectors either within the United States or abroad. At this time, that implies joining with the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).”

The subpanel found that upgraded U.S. accelerators and detectors and a “sufficiently strong and stable operating budget” will ensure American leadership in high energy physics for the next ten to fifteen years. To advance beyond Fermilab’s Tevatron, the subpanel concluded, the United States should look towards collaboration on the LHC. “If approved by the CERN Council, the LHC will define the world energy frontier in high-energy physics beginning approximately ten years from now,” the report states.

Both funding scenarios in the report provide for U.S. collaboration on the LHC (see FYI #80.) Under Budget Scenario A, funding would ramp up from $5-$10 million in FY 1995 to $10-$15 million in FY 1996. This would increase to a steady level of $60 million in FY 1999, for a total expenditure of about $400 million by the end of FY 2003. (A footnote states, “There is nothing magic about the figure of $400M. It is introduced only to indicate the scale of possible total involvement under this budget assumption.”) Much of this money would be used to construct magnets, detectors and other equipment. “This would constitute a serious, effective, and important U.S. investment of great value to both the U.S. and the LHC program itself,” the report concludes.

Under the austere Budget Scenario B, LHC participation also would be possible. The report states, “To join the LHC under a flat budget would require sacrifices to be made with respect to both U.S. involvement in the LHC and the rest of the U.S. particle physics program.” After 1999, LHC collaboration could occur, perhaps with “a small initial commitment” of $5 million per year. The report states, “The level of involvement in the LHC program might be less than that indicated in the budget scenario [A]...which was, in our judgement, already on the lean side of optimal.” Regarding the size of the total U.S. contribution, the report notes, “The overall level of participation in the LHC collaboration would depend upon the state of the national program at that point.”

The report recommends that the Department of Energy and NSF “play a lead role in negotiation and management of collaborations in particle physics,” with “close cooperation” by OSTP and the Departments of State and Commerce. Also included was the recommendation, “The U.S. must establish anew its credibility as a reliable international partner and must be prepared to undertake and honor long-term commitments.”