Last week, from October 20 to 24, the headquarters of the Universitat de València’s University–Business Foundation, ADEIT, hosted the 25th edition of the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders. This conference brings together theoretical and experimental physicists, as well as experts in detector and accelerator technology, to advance the development of a high-energy electron–positron linear collider. The event, held in Valencia’s historic city center, gathered around 180 in-person participants, while more than 80 researchers joined the sessions online from different countries. Among the latter were numerous colleagues from the United States, some of whom were forced to cancel their travel plans due to the federal government shutdown in the United States of America.

The meeting was chaired by Drs. Daniel Esperante Pereira and Adrián Irles Quiles (local committee) and Dr. Marcel Vos (program committee), members of the AITANA group at the Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Universitat de València. The committees were completed by a distinguished group of scientists from both Spanish and international institutions. In particular, the Spanish community, organized through the network on future colliders, played a leading role in the organization and definition of the event’s scientific program. This effort strengthens the coordinated contribution of Spanish research groups to the planning of the next major particle physics project involving accelerators, which will follow the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

The conference presented a wealth of new results covering all aspects of the future collider facility — from Standard Model physics and beyond, to innovative detector designs and algorithms, and advanced collider concepts based on novel plasma wakefield acceleration techniques. Specific plenary sessions addressed the sustainability of collider projects and career prospects for early-career researchers. Professor Karl Jakobs, from the University of Freiburg and chair of the ongoing update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics, reported to the audience, while representatives from Japan, China, and the United States reviewed collider proposals from their respective regions. According to Dr. Marcel Vos, CSIC researcher at IFIC and member of the organizing committee, “the most striking announcement was that the CEPC electron–positron collider project has not been included in China’s next five-year plan.” “This will likely compel CERN, the European particle physics center, to make its move in response to the competition,” he explained.

The conference also featured a tribute to two scientists who have made key contributions to linear collider research and to particle and accelerator physics: Michael Peskin, from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States, and Steinar Stapnes, from CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics. Their plenary talks, delivered in the opening and closing sessions, were regarded by many attendees as among the highlights of the conference.

For their part, Dr. Daniel Esperante, CSIC researcher at IFIC, and Dr. Adrián Irles (GenT Fellow of CSIC at IFIC), also co-organizers of the conference, emphasized the role of young researchers and their enthusiasm in promoting and engaging with the development of new technologies and concepts:
“Once again, we have seen the great interest of early-career researchers in cutting-edge instrumentation, both in detectors and accelerators. In particular, the sessions on advanced accelerator technologies were among the most attended and dynamic. The future of the field depends on keeping young researchers motivated and involved in present and future projects where they can take leadership roles,” noted Irles.

The venue’s location in the heart of Valencia, the excellent organization by ADEIT and the local committee, and the perfect autumn weather all contributed to the success of this new edition.

The organizing committee expresses its gratitude to IFIC, CSIC, the Universitat de València, and the Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Project for their support. It also acknowledges the participation of Sergio Pastor Carpi, Deputy Director of IFIC, and Amparo Querol Simón, representing the CSIC Delegation in the Valencian Community, who contributed to the event’s opening with their welcoming remarks.

More information:

AITANA Group website: https://aitanatop.ific.uv.es/aitanatop/ 

Event website: https://agenda.linearcollider.org/event/10594/