Project description
New hidden particles and forces could redefine particle physics
The standard model of particle physics, while successful, cannot explain major mysteries such as neutrino masses, dark matter, or the imbalance of matter and antimatter in the universe. Scientists are now exploring the dark sectors – a new realm of physics involving low-mass particles and interactions beyond the standard model. The next five years will offer unique research opportunities as new experiments with unprecedented sensitivity (such as the SBN, ProtoDUNE and NA64) will search for dark sectors. The ERC-funded DarkSHunt project aims to uncover evidence of these hidden particles, focusing on heavy neutral leptons, dark photons and sub-GeV dark matter. Combining experimental data with theoretical advances and new cosmological observations, DarkSHunt could advance our understanding of fundamental particles and interactions.
Objective
There is incontrovertible evidence that the Standard Model is not the ultimate theory of particles and interactions: it cannot explain neutrino masses, dark matter, our own existence (i.e. the Universe baryon asymmetry). A New Standard Theory must exist.
The key question is: what is the new physics scale? In the past decades, a formidable effort took place to explore the TeV scale, culminating in the LHC experiments, but no evidence of new physics has been found.
A change of paradigm may be required. New physics at low masses, the so-called dark sectors, offers a viable alternative. Their theoretical study and experimental searches are blooming.
The next 5 years offer a unique window of opportunity. New experiments will be taking data opening the possibility to search for dark sectors with unprecedented sensitivity and novel strategies: from the SBN programme, to ProtoDUNE, NA64, KM3Net, complemented by beam-dump, collider, sub-GeV dark matter, high energy neutrinos and gravitational wave searches.
DarkSHunt ultimate aim is to exploit this opportunity to uncover hints (or evidence) of Dark Sectors, collaborating directly with leading experimentalists to perform dedicated analysis. It will focus on the most promising experimental strategies to search for heavy neutral leptons, dark photons, sub-GeV dark matter. It will adopt a phenomenological approach, necessary to combine information from diverse experiments, and will complement it with theoretical and astroparticle/cosmological considerations.
It will focus specifically on rich (i.e. non-minimal) dark sectors at the GeV scale. Thanks to their multiple particles and interactions, they have strong theoretical motivation, can explain the 2023 discovery of nanoHertz gravitational waves and have nearly-unexplored phenomenology.
If DarkSHunt achieves its ultimate goal, it would have a groundbreaking impact on our understanding of fundamental particles and interactions, paving the way to new research directions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics neutrinos
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics leptons
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics particle accelerator
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
40126 Bologna
Italy
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