APC colloquium

Colloquium APC: "LHCb SMOG: a Fixed Target program at the CERNLarge Hadron Collider"

The LHCb experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has the unique capability to function simultaneously as both a collider experiment and the highest-energy fixed-target experiment ever created. By injecting gas into the LHC beam pipe near the LHCb interaction point while proton or ion beams are circulating, fixed target proton-nucleus (pA) and nucleus-nucleus (AB) collisions are produced in an interesting and little-explored kinematic phase space. The ability to inject multiple gas species enables the collection of various pA and AB datasets of relevance to fields ranging from astroparticle physics to heavy-ion and QCD physics. In this talk, I will discuss recent results from the successful fixed-target program at LHCb, known as SMOG, during the LHC Run 2. I will also discuss the current status and performance of LHCb’s fixed-target upgrade for Run 3, SMOG2.

Colloquium APC: "Forging the Future of CERN: a view from the Council"

The Council of CERN is responsible for formulating the scientific and financial policy of CERN. It does this with strong coordination with the CERN Director General and Management.

I will describe how the CERN Council reaches its decision in general and the process this year that had led to initiating the Fourth European Strategy Group for Particle Physics.

Radio Supernova remnants: Echoes of stellar explosions

Supernova remnants (SNRs), the relics of stellar explosions, are among the most significant sources of non-thermal radio emission in the universe. As the shock fronts created by the supernova expand, they compress and distort the ambient matter and magnetic fields, producing energetic particles via diffusive shock acceleration. This talk undertakes a journey to uncover the multifaceted nature of SNRs through the lens of radio astronomy.

Astrophysical Tau Neutrinos and Other Recent Results from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

Neutrinos are very reticent fundamental particles. Tau neutrinos make electron and muon neutrinos look positively gregarious.  The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole has sensitivity to all three active neutrino flavors over an energy scale spanning six orders of magnitude.  We report on recent results from the experiment, including the first high-significance measurement of the most energetic tau neutrino candidates ever observed.
APC colloquium