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InvisiblesPlus (InvisiblesPlus)
InvisiblesPlus
Start date: Feb 1, 2016,
End date: Jan 31, 2020
PROJECT
FINISHED
NEUTRINOS (Ns) and DARK MATTER (DM) are the most abundant particles in the universe. Their couplings to ordinary matter are so tenuous that they remained undiscovered -invisible- until very recently. N masses and DM constitute the first evidence ever of physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. The path to build the New Standard Model must confront the fundamental nature of the particles in the invisible sector at large. Furthermore, for each particle there is a mirror image with identical mass and opposite charge(s): its antiparticle. The laws of physics are almost particle-antiparticle symmetric: an asymmetry in Ns and/or DM properties may be the required seed that explains why the universe is made of matter and not antimatter, i.e. how come we are here, a fact unexplained by standard physics. In turn, the unnaturally symmetric behavior of strong interactions points to a new particle, the axion, a superb dark matter candidate. Very timely, an ambitious international experimental search has been launched on Ns, axions, other DM and Higgs physics with major breakthroughs expected soon.InvisiblesPlus will be the first transnational program addressing the N and DM properties at large, their interfaces, and in addition the connections of their particle/antiparticle asymmetries with those of the visible universe. It will also complement, continue and specially extend to a new qualitative realm the knowledge sharing and long-term collaboration of the well-established ITN Invisibles. InvisiblesPlus is ideally suited to the task: i) World leadership in all relevant areas; ii) Multidisciplinarity; iii) Key theorists and experimentalists; iv) XENON, Fermilab, CERN, SuperKamiokande and ADMX participate; iv) Innovative virtual institute; v) Top quality expertise from emerging countries; vi) Outstanding outreach, vii) Excellent junior/senior ratio in secondments; viii) Optimal in gender balance with over 50% female scientists in charge, plus the coordinator.