The Complementary Plan for Astrophysics and High Energy Physics presented in Barcelona

On February 9, 2023, the Complementary Plan for Astrophysics and High Energy Physics was presented in Barcelona. This is a strategic program whose objective is to develop advanced technologies for the exploration of the Universe and its components and which is integrated into the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Government of Spain. The Institut de Physics d’Altes Energies (IFAE) leads the project, which will last until September 2025.

The event took place at the Faculty of Sciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), with the presence of the Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant; the Minister of Research and Universities of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Joaquim Nadal; the rector of the UAB Javier Lafuente; the director of the IFAE, Eugenio Coccia, the scientific coordinator of the Complementary Plan for Astrophysics and High Energy Physics, Ramon Miquel, and the representatives of the other six autonomous communities involved.

With a budget of more than 39 million euros, seven autonomous communities will work together on this plan, co-governed and co-financed by the autonomous communities themselves, with the main objective of making a qualitative leap in Spanish participation in the next generation of projects international leaders in astrophysics and high-energy physics, with a particular emphasis on the most technological aspects.

The Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, Andalusia, Cantabria, the Valencian Community, Aragon, the Balearic Islands and the Community of Madrid participate. The Institut de Physics d’ALtes Energies (IFAE) has been chosen to coordinate this fund.

Councilor Nadal has shown in his speech the satisfaction of the Government that this complementary plan is led from Catalonia and launched from the IFAE.

Minister Diana Morant has highlighted the role of the state’s research centers in scientific production in astrophysics and high-energy physics.

Advanced technologies for the exploration of the Universe and its components

The astrophysics and high-energy physics program of the Plan Complementario focuses on the study of the origin and subsequent evolution of the universe, integrating two complementary scientific areas: astrophysics, which is responsible for study of the structures of the cosmos, and high energy physics, which studies the basic components of matter.

Ramon Miquel, scientific coordinator of the Complementary Plan, valued the fact that the program combines astrophysics and high-energy physics, two disciplines that share objectives, and has thanked the commitment to basic science. “Without basic science there is no applied science, since there is nothing to apply”, he said.

The program focuses specifically on the most technological aspects and has outlined priority lines of action focused, among others, on the development of cutting-edge instrumentation for future experiments in particle and nuclear physics and astrophysics; gravitational wave experiments and large astronomical mapping projects. Study subjects such as dark matter and neutrino physics are also prioritized, without forgetting more technological areas such as the development of minisatellites or applications in computing and artificial intelligence.