“U.S. Should Bid to Host Next Particle Accelerator, Report Says”
http://www.physorg.com/news65286806.html
To remain globally competitive in particle physics, the United States should seize the opportunity to lead worldwide research efforts that would answer critical questions about the ultimate constituents of matter and the forces that govern them, as well as the composition and evolution of the universe, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council.
Specifically, the United States should participate in major international particle physics projects and announce its desire to be the host country for the next state-of-the-art particle accelerator, said the committee that wrote the report.
Although America has a distinguished history of leadership in particle physics, other nations have increased their investments, threatening the continued distinction of the U.S. program.
For more than half a century, the United States has been a leader in particle physics, but its flagship facilities are now being surpassed by new ones in other countries," said committee chair Harold T. Shapiro, president emeritus and professor of economics and public affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. "Today the U.S. program is at a crossroads. At just the moment when the scientific opportunities are the most exciting, we have no compelling strategic vision for the next stage of our efforts. Our leadership in particle physics either can be sacrificed, or it can be maintained by making a strong commitment to some key new experimental facilities here and thoughtful participation in current and future global efforts."
The U.S. government should support the nation's involvement in both the LHC and the future ILC in conjunction with the newly proposed American Competitiveness Initiative's commitment to strengthen U.S. global leadership through continued technological advances. The government also should announce its strong desire to become the host country for the ILC, the report says. To achieve these two objectives, the particle physics budget needs to be increased by at least 2 percent to 3 percent per year in real terms; doubling the current budget over seven years would enable even more advances…..
….the most important priority for the United States should be a vigorous program of research and development for the future ILC. Expenditures in this area should be significantly expanded, the committee said. Congress should secure at least $500 million over the next five years to enable the nation to substantively participate in the global effort to design and engineer the facility. If a U.S. bid to host the facility is successful, additional resources would be required to construct and operate it. However, those decisions should be made when better cost estimates and initial results from the LHC experimental program are available. By committing to actively participate in the LHC and ILC projects, the United States would ensure that it can reap the benefits of future discoveries and remain a leader in particle physics, the report says.
