Summary Report of Physics Beyond Colliders at CERN

TLDR

The projects aim to address fundamental physics questions similar to those tackled by high‑energy colliders, but using different beams and experimental approaches. The study seeks to exploit CERN’s accelerator complex over the next two decades by developing projects complementary to the LHC and future colliders. After a 2016 workshop, working groups were formed to study identified areas, and the current projects are outlined with their physics motivation, experimental set‑up, and beam/detector technology status. The proposals are contextualized within the global landscape, and their implementation challenges are examined.

Abstract

Physics Beyond Colliders is an exploratory study aimed at exploiting the full scientific potential of CERN's accelerator complex and its scientific infrastructure in the next two decades through projects complementary to the LHC, HL-LHC and other possible future colliders. These projects should target fundamental physics questions that are similar in spirit to those addressed by high-energy colliders, but that require different types of beams and experiments. A kick-off workshop held in September 2016 identified a number of areas of interest and working groups have been set-up to study and develop these directions. All projects currently under consideration are presented including physics motivation, a brief outline of the experimental set-up and the status of the corresponding beam and detector technological studies. The proposals are also put in context of the worldwide landscape and their implementation issues are discussed.