Muon Collider Project and Research Internship Program Awarded Targeted Grants in MPS
An ambitious muon collider project and a nonprofit that supports students in Central America and the Caribbean are the newest recipients of the Simons Foundation’s Targeted Grants in MPS. The grants, awarded by the foundation’s Mathematics & Physical Sciences (MPS) division, provide up to five years of funding in support of high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance.
The two funded projects are:
Muon Colliders: A New Direction in High Energy Physics
Lead PIs: Isobel Ojalvo, Princeton University
Karri DiPetrillo, University of Chicago
Tova Holmes, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
In particle physics, the 10 TeV scale has emerged as the next target in the exploration of the energy frontier. A collider with this center of mass energy is essential to unravel mysteries surrounding the Higgs mechanism, unambiguously discover or exclude long-favored dark matter scenarios, and search for new phenomena in completely new territory. A muon collider is the machine with a chance of reaching this scale in the next few decades and would represent a paradigm shift for the field. This effort aims to advance the experimental design of a muon collider experiment while also fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between accelerator physicists and collider experimentalists. By establishing a model for direct engagement between experimental particle physicists and accelerator experts, it will help strengthen the accelerator physics pipeline.
Central American-Caribbean Bridge in Astrophysics
PI: Anthony Beasley, Associated Universities for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The Central American-Caribbean Bridge in Astrophysics (Cenca Bridge) is an international, award-winning nonprofit organization that provides opportunities to students from Central America and the Caribbean in areas where scientific research is inaccessible or completely absent. Cenca Bridge builds capacity in astronomy in the region and raises awareness among local government funding agencies about the importance of supporting astronomy research. The MPS target grant will support Cenca Bridge’s three-month-long remote internship program, in which each student is connected with research advisors from across the globe and mentors from the student’s country. It will also support programming and professional development workshops, as well as a webinar series in which invited speakers give presentations about their research and academic journey.
