More than a decade after the discovery of Higgsboson in 2012, global particle physics is preparing for the next leap.
In April, about 200 scientists, engineers and students gathered at the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Research Institute (Fermi Love) for the Higgs Factory – a future Round Corridor Workshop.
The event, co-hosted by Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory, united US researchers along with European vision for the successor of CERN’s large-scale hadron colider (LHC).
The central part of the discussion was the feasibility study of the Future Circular Corridor (FCC), a roadmap for two groundbreaking machines that can redefine understanding of the universe.
What is Higgs Boson?
A Higgs Boson is a basic particle linked to the Higgs field. This is an invisible energy field that is thought to permeate all spaces.
When particles pass through this field, they acquire mass and become important to explain why the Higgs bosons are important, from atomic particles to galaxies.
Without it, the building blocks of space cannot form structures in large quantities.
A two-stage plan to explore Higgs Boson
The feasibility study outlines a two-phase project at CERN.
FCC-EE (Electron-Positron Collider): Designed as a “Higgs Factory,” it generates a huge number of Higgs bosons for in-depth research, allowing scientists to measure their properties with unparalleled accuracy. FCC-HH (High Energy Hadron Collider): A successor that operates with even greater energy, which can directly search for unknown particles and emit light into dark matter.
Since the discovery of Higgs Boson, LHC has investigated its properties, but physicists agree that a more sensitive tool is needed to unlock the rest of the mystery.
Artur Apresyan, a scientist and organizer at Fermilab, emphasized the importance of the initiative.
“It is the most consequential particle physics experimental programme that can be performed by the mid-21st century, with a path to FCC-HH, a high-energy hadron machine, to explore the next energy frontier.”
International collaboration and training venue for the future
The workshop was attended by more than 50 early career scientists. This played a pivotal role in shaping debates on detector technology, accelerator design, software, and physical analysis.
Fermilab Postdoctoral researchers Irene Dutta and Grace Cummings were instrumental in organizing the event, highlighting the importance of the project to the next generation of researchers.
FCC-EE is expected to offer an unparalleled opportunity for practical training with state-of-the-art instrumentation, data analysis and theoretical modeling.
Dutta explained: “This project promises to next generation of researchers with an exceptional training ground where practical experience in new detector technologies, advanced data analysis and innovative theoretical technologies will be built on the current knowledge and expertise of particle accelerators.
“This will help strengthen our long-standing collaboration with CERN and boost the frontier of precision electrowake physics.”
Looking forward to 2045
The European particle physics community plans to recommend the construction of FCC-EE in 2026. If approved, the collaboration could begin by 2028, with the operation beginning around 2045.
The long-term plan envisages a transition to FCC-HH, pushing the boundaries between energy and discovery possibilities into the mid-21st century.
Collider Science’s long history has poised Fermilab to be a central hub for the US contribution to the FCC-EE and FCC-HH programs.
The workshop highlighted that these corridors are not only an opportunity to deepen our understanding of Higgsbosons, but also a bridge to the next major breakthrough in fundamental physics.
As the plan progresses, Higgs Boson, once theoretical concept, remains at the heart of humanity’s quest to understand the deepest secrets of the universe.
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