The study of fundamental interactions and the constituents of matter is part of a worldwide research effort involving a host of different large-scale facilities that have either started data taking or will start operation in the course of the next decade. PRISMA+ scientists take part in many of them. They are devoted to making substantial contributions to answering a number of central open questions in the field:
- Do new particles or new forces beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics exist?
- What is the origin of particle masses?
- Why does the Universe contain more matter than anti-matter?
- What is the nature of the dark components of the Universe?
To provide answers to these questions, research at PRISMA+ comprises five main interconnected research areas. The common goal of these individual sections of PRISMA+ is to study fundamental forces and symmetries, exploring their connections with the existence of new particles, the internal structure of ordinary (luminous) matter, and the nature of dark matter as well as its interactions with the visible sector.
At JGU the hallmark of research on fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions is the broad variety of complementary methods that are employed to provide answers to these questions, among them:
- accelerator-based experiments
- neutrino telescopes and dark matter experiments
- precision spectroscopy and magnetometry, as well as experiments using atom and ion traps
- reactor-based experiments with cold and ultra-cold neutrons
- theoretical precision calculations and model building
PRISMA+ can draw upon the local existing expertise in numerical methods and high-performance computing as well as extensive experience in the design and operation of large experimental and accelerator facilities.