Astroparticle and Cosmology Laboratory

The Astroparticle and Cosmology (APC) laboratory in Paris gathers researchers (experimentalists, theorists and observers) working in different areas including high-energy astrophysics, cosmology, gravitation, and neutrino physics.[1]

AstroParticle and Cosmology laboratory
AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC)
TypeMixed Research Unit (UMR)
Established2005 (2005)
DirectorAntoine Kouchner
Academic staff
157
Administrative staff
14
31
Location
Paris
,
France
CampusParis Rive Gauche (location)
AffiliationsParis Diderot University, CNRS, CEA, Paris Observatory
Websitewww.apc.univ-paris7.fr/APC_CS/

The institute was founded in January 2005 [2][3] and soon moved to new campus of Paris Diderot University in the Paris Rive Gauche area.

The laboratory is a "Mixed Research Unit" in French terminology, funded by Paris Diderot University, the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (represented by three of its Institutes: mainly IN2P3, but also INSU and INP), the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, and the Paris Observatory.

The first director of the laboratory was Pierre Binetruy (2005-2013). From January 2014 until December 2017 the director was Stavros Katsanevas, followed by Sotiris Loucatos, and Antoine Kouchner (since July 2018).

Research activities

Cosmology

This group, headed by Kenneth Ganga, includes two main areas of research:

  1. Experimental investigation of the cosmic microwave background, including attempts to detect CMB polarization B-modes, which could provide support for the theory of Inflation. Researchers were involved in the Planck space mission[4] and are now active in the QUBIC experiment,[5] the Simons Observatory, and the LiteBIRD satellite.
  2. Cosmological analysis of large spectroscopic and imaging surveys for the determination of constraints on the nature of dark energy. Researchers are involved in the wide-field observatories aimed at understanding the nature of dark energy: the large field Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey[6] telescope, LSST[7] and the Euclid space mission[8]

High-energy astrophysics

Research carried out by this group, headed by Anne Lemière, aims at understanding the violent phenomena of the universe (mostly within compact stars, neutron stars, or black holes). The group is engaged in many international projects with telescopes or instruments detecting photons, cosmic rays, or neutrinos. For the observation of

  1. gamma rays, it is involved in the INTEGRAL observatory,[9] the High Energy Stereoscopic System,[10] the Cherenkov Telescope Array,[11] and the Space Variable Objects Monitor[12]
  2. cosmic rays of ultra-high energy, it is involved in JEM-EUSO[13]
  3. neutrinos, it is involved in the ANTARES[14] and KM3NeT projects[15] collaborations
  4. X-rays, it was involved in the space mission Hitomi[16]

Neutrinos

The research carried out by this group, headed by Davide Franco, is dedicated to understanding neutrino properties is one of the laboratories' main activities. Researchers are involved in studies of the phenomenon of oscillation (Borexino, Double Chooz)[17][18] and on future projects addressing the measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy with atmospheric neutrinos with the deep-sea water Cherenkov telescope Orca[19] and the long-baseline neutrino oscillation project Laguna-LBNO.[20]

Gravitation

This core research of this group led by Stanislas Babak is the direct detection of gravitational waves. The group is involved in both ground-based (Virgo interferometer)[21] and space-based (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna and its precursor LISA Pathfinder) instruments.[22]

Theory

This group, headed by Dmitri Semikoz, covers the research topics of the laboratory from a theoretical perspective. It also carries out work on other areas of fundamental physics.

Organization

The staff of the laboratory consists of 75 permanent researchers and over 60 engineers, technicians, and administrative personnel, plus about 125 non-permanent employees (PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, visitors). In addition, the Paris Center for Cosmological Physics directed by George Smoot is also part of the laboratory[23] and one of the three functional centres of the Astroparticle Physics European Consortium is based here.[24]

An "International Associated Laboratory" in astroparticle physics was launched in September 2007. It associates the APC laboratory with the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (Stanford University).[25]

Evaluation

The laboratory has been evaluated twice by the AERES: in 2008[26] and in 2013.[1] In the latter evaluation, the lab won excellent scores (A or A+ in all criteria).

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References
  1. AERES report on unit (PDF) (Report). 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  2. "Astroparticle physics and cosmology laboratory opens in Paris". CERN Courier. CERN. January 2005. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  3. "A Successful Interaction". Magazine Observatoire de Paris. No. 1. Observatoire de Paris. March–May 2005. p. 7. Retrieved 13 January 2014. Created the 1st January 2005, APC is managed, other than by the Paris Diderot University, by the CNRS 1, the CEA 2 and the Observatoire de Paris.
  4. "The Planck Satellite website". Prof.planck.fr. 3 April 2009. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  5. "[ QUBIC website ]". Prof.qubic.fr. 3 April 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  6. "SDSS-III Institutions - SDSS-III". Sdss3.org. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Euclid Consortium | A space mission to map the Dark Universe". Euclid-ec.org. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  9. "ESA Science & Technology: INTEGRAL reveals new facets of the Vela pulsar wind nebula". Sci.esa.int. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  10. "H.E.S.S. - The High Energy Stereoscopic System". Mpi-hd.mpg.de. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  11. "Members of the CTA Consortium". Portal.cta-observatory.org. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  12. "Télescope ECLAIRs". www.svom.fr. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "ANTARES collaboration". Antares.in2p3.fr. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  15. "Opens a new window on our universe". KM3NeT. 27 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
  16. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. Paolo Saggese. "Borexino Experiment Official Web Site". Borex.lngs.infn.it. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  18. "Double Chooz Web Page". Doublechooz.in2p3.fr. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  19. http://www.apc.univ-paris7.fr/Downloads/antares/Antoine/ORCA_Status_281112.pdf%5B%5D
  20. https://indico.cern.ch/getFile.py/access?contribId=10&resId=0&materialId=slides&confId=285170
  21. "Virgo collaboration data base". Pub3.ego-gw.it. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  22. "LISA - LISA Pathfinder - Collaboration". Lisa.aei-hannover.de. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  23. "[ The PCCP website ]". Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. "Astroparticle Physics Labs Join Forces". CNRS International Magazine. No. 8. October 2007.
  26. Rapport du comité d'experts (PDF) (Report) (in French). 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.

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