KYUDAI NEWS KYUSHU UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MAGAZINE Spring 2013 No.24

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A geological survey for construction of the ILC has begun in the Sefuri Mountains, and the head of the international design team visited the site in January, 2012. Prior to the foundation of the experimental particle-physics laboratory, Kyushu University had been promoting the ILC and basic science by establishing the Conference for Advanced Basic Science and next-generation Accelerator with Saga University, Fukuoka Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, and the Kyushu Economic Federation. As part of the geological survey for the ILC, Fukuoka and Saga Prefectures financed aerial photo interpretation and a surface geological survey in fiscal year 2011. Moreover, with the Government of Japan’s third supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2011, Kyushu University is performing a full-scale geological survey including a boring investigation International Linear Collider (ILC)The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments will continue with further enhancements, and many new discoveries are expected. In addition, the International Linear Collider (ILC) has been proposed, which is a next-generation accelerator for colliding electrons with positrons (i.e., the antiparticle of the electron) (*3). Because electrons emit synchrotron radiation and lose energy when their path is bent, a limit is imposed on the energy that can be achieved by a circular accelerator. Linear accelerators may overcome this limitation by accelerating particles in a straight line before colliding them. Although the collision energy of the ILC is smaller than that of the LHC, it can take advantage of the fact that the electron has no substructure (the electron is an elementary particle); therefore, all energy is used for reactions and cleaner signals with fewer background events can be obtained. The ILC will mass produce the new particle discovered at the LHC and precisely measure its properties (i.e., it will operate as a Higgs factory), thereby revealing the physics behind this new particle. We also expect to discover new particles with the ILC that are difficult to find with the LHC. The design of the ILC is a collaborative effort involving teams from Asia, Europe, and North America, and the Technical Design Report was delivered in December, 2012. Based on the current situation, Japan is considered most likely to be chosen as the host country. The ILC will be 30 to 50 km long and will be constructed in an underground tunnel (its length determines the energy attainable). Despite its size, the electron beam must be controlled with nanometer precision, so it must be built on solid ground to reduce vibration. Two candidate sites can offer such solid ground and have municipal governments that are willing to partake in the project: the Kitakami Mountains in the Iwate Prefecture and the Sefuri Mountains across the border of Fukuoka and the Saga Prefectures. Kyudai News No.2419ILC international design team visiting Sefuri MountainsSefuri Mountains area map*3 Conceptual diagram of the International Linear ColliderParticle Physics Research at Kyushu UniversityA new body for research and education in particle physics

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