General presentation of the laboratory

The Laboratory AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC) is a Joint Research Unit (UMR) created in 2005. APC brings together 80 researchers and faculties, along with 75 engineers, technicians, and administrative staff. Including non-permanent personnel (doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, technical staff on contracts, apprentices, and foreign visitors), approximately 220 people form this structure. APC is overseen by Université Paris Cité (UPCité) and the CNRS, represented by three of its institutes: IN2P3 (the main one), INSU, and INP. The CEA (DSM/IRFU), the Paris Observatory, and CNES also provide oversight for the laboratory.

The laboratory's activities are organized around five scientific teams:

  • Cosmology: Focused on the origin and evolution of the universe, this team engages in research that spans from theory to instrumentation and data analysis. It focuses on two primary observational approaches: large optical and infrared surveys, and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The team contributes to sky surveys from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Euclid space mission and is involved in CMB-related projects such as QUBIC, the Simons Observatory, and LiteBIRD.

  • Gravitation: Specializing in gravitational-wave astronomy using both ground-based and space-based detectors, this team contributes to the development and exploitation of observatories like Advanced Virgo and the space-based LISA. The group also participates in the development of next-generation detectors such as the Einstein Telescope and studies gravitational waves using techniques like pulsar timing arrays with the EPTA and IPTA.

  • High-Energy Astrophysics: Concentrating on violent cosmic phenomena, this team employs a multi-wavelength and multi-messenger approach to study X-rays, gamma rays, high-energy photons, neutrinos, and cosmic rays. Key projects include SVOM, ATHENA, and INTEGRAL for X- and gamma-ray observations, H.E.S.S. and CTA for high-energy photons, KM3NeT for neutrinos, and EUSO for cosmic rays.

  • Particles: Initially focused on neutrino physics (e.g., determining neutrino properties and mass hierarchy), the team has broadened its scope to include direct dark matter searches and studies of the Higgs boson. The group is involved in DUNE and KM3NeT/ORCA for precision neutrino measurements and participates in the DarkSide project for dark matter searches, as well as Higgs boson research through experiments like the ATLAS detector at the LHC and future colliders at CERN, such as the FCC.

  • Theory: This team conducts theoretical and phenomenological research on fundamental interactions, linked to the laboratory’s key themes, as well as more foundational work on gravity, quantum field theory, and string theory. Theoretical researchers collaborate closely with instrument builders and observers.

Since its inception, space science has been a central focus of the APC laboratory. The Pôle Spatial of UPCité is a crucial element of this strategy, providing essential training for students and technical staff.

The scientific teams are supported by technical services, organized into departments based on their engineering expertise (mechanics, electronics and microelectronics, instrumentation, computing, and project quality assessment). Additionally, administrative services are organized into three main areas: finance and budget, human resources, and communication.

Three entities are associated with the laboratory:

  • PCCP (Paris Centre for Cosmological Physics): This center promotes outreach and education activities and fosters interdisciplinary dialogue between art, science, and philosophy, in alignment with APC’s research themes.

  • LabEx UnivEarthS: A laboratory of excellence, UnivEarthS is an interdisciplinary initiative that brings together APC, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), and the AIM (Astrophysics, Instrumentation, and Modeling) laboratory of CEA/Irfu. It aims to study the processes shaping the history and dynamics of Earth and the Universe.

  • ApPEC Functional Centre: The Astroparticle Physics European Consortium (ApPEC) coordinates national research efforts in astroparticle physics across Europe, working with funding agencies, government institutions, and research institutes.

The laboratory houses several technological platforms and facilities:

  • Computing and Data Analysis: Including the high-performance computing cluster DANTE and a multi-messenger online data analysis platform developed with partners.

  • Technological and Instrumental Development: This includes a low-noise facility, a thermally vacuum-insulated chamber, three clean rooms, labs dedicated to photodetection and millimeter wavelengths, a sub-K cryogenic platform for material characterization at low temperatures, and the Concurrent Design Facility, developed within the Pôle Spatial.

APC operates within a dynamic international network. The development of large-scale instruments in the field of astroparticle physics is carried out by large scientific collaborations, which naturally create a global context. This is especially true for space missions, where APC regularly collaborates with ESA, NASA, JAXA, and CNSA.

At the European and international levels, APC has established several partnerships with institutions renowned for their research programs, including:

  • Coordination of Major European Projects: Such as the mobility project CMB-INFLATE and the Astrophysics Centre for Multimessenger Studies in Europe (ACME).

  • Close Partnership with AstroCeNT in Poland

  • Collaborations with International Research Laboratories (IRL) and International Research Centres (IRC), such as the IRL Pierre Binetruy Center, in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, IRL ILANCE, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo and IRC Discovery with the University of Chicago