Astroparticle Physics landscape1
1. Τhe summary of the 2011 APPEC roadmap
Astroparticle physics marks the intersection of astrophysics, particle physics and
cosmology. It addresses fundamental questions: the nature of dark matter and dark
energy; the physics of primordial Universe; the stability of protons; the properties of
neutrinos and their role in cosmic evolution as well as the interior of cosmic processes
as seen with neutrinos; the origin of cosmic rays; the nature of the Universe at extreme
energies and violent cosmic processes as seen with gravitational waves. ApPEC has
published in November 2011 the European roadmap of priorities for large Astroparticle
Physics Infrastructures whose recommendations are summarised below:
• In the category of medium scale projects: the timely completion of the 2nd generation
upgrades of gravitational antennas, as well as the upgrades/constructions towards tonscale detectors for dark matter and double-beta neutrino mass experiments.
• In the category of large-scale projects a high priority is given to the construction of the
Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), and strong support for the first phase of KM3NeT, as
well as R&D towards the definition of the next generation ground-based observatory for
high energy cosmic rays.
• Finally there needs to be coordination with other European/non-European
organizations for the realization of billion-scale projects at the 2020 horizon, in
particular a 50-500 kt scale low-energy neutrino astrophysics/proton-decay detector.
Other projects on this cost scale are dark energy surveys on ground and in space, and –
in a longer perspective – gravitational antennae with cosmological sensitivity on ground
and in space.
2. New discoveries, updated tasks
Since the publication of the roadmap, the years 2012-2014 were rich in discoveries with
major implications for fundamental physics as can be attested by:
1. The discovery 126 GeV Higgs at the LHC collider at CERN consistent with a
supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model, suggesting a spectrum of particles
and dark matter either accessible at the LHC or accessible directly and indirectly by
detectors of astroparticle physics.
2. The precision measurements by Planck of what could be indices of the inflation
parameters plus a rich cosmological program in development attempting to measure
the imprints of the primordial gravitational waves generated at inflation on the
cosmological background.
3. The completion of the measurement of the three neutrino mixing angles and the
program in development for the measurement of the hierarchy of neutrino masses
and the determination of the CP-violation phase providing a plausible mechanism for
the domination of matter of antimatter.
1
This paper includes input from a) the ASPERA/APPEC Roadmap of 2011, b) the January 2013 APPEC
statement for the European Strategy for Particle Physics, c) the June 2014 Scientific Advisory Committee
report to the General Assembly of APPEC, d) the press release of the International Neutrino Meeting
organised by APPEC in June 2014
4. The detection of cosmic neutrinos by IceCube detector at the South Pole,
inaugurating high-energy neutrino astronomy, accompanying thus this of photons of
very high energy inaugurated during the previous decade and giving important
clues for the possibility of astronomy using very high energy cosmic ray charged
particles. All of the above are also related to the imminent increase of sensitivity of
the gravitational wave antennas (ca 2016-2017) giving access for the first time to the
detection of gravitational waves coming from violent events of the Universe. These
events set the stage for a true multi-messenger study of the high energy Universe,
from gravitational waves and neutrinos to very high energy photons and cosmic rays.
These findings consolidate the interdisciplinary link between particle, astroparticle
physics, astrophysics and cosmology; giving thus the possibility for a first time to
formulate a consistent picture of fundamental physics covering a multitude of energy
scales: from the electroweak symmetry breaking scale (Higgs) to this of inflation
(possibly the scale of unification of interactions) passing through other postulated scales
as is for instance the one responsible for dark matter particle phenomena or neutrino
mass and matter-antimatter asymmetry.
The questions therefore of astroparticle , and more generally fundamental, physics
today can be reduced to a few questions:
1. The most crucial issue at the crossroad of high-energy and astroparticle physics
concerns the presence of new elementary particles (and possibly also new
interactions) not included in the particle physics Standard Model and with masses in
the TeV region, i.e. an energy range to be explored directly at the LHC (high-energy
physics), but also, in a complementary way, by several astroparticle means, including
in particular, but not exclusively, the direct and indirect dark matter searches. This is
summarised in the question: How many new physical scales they exist between the
electroweak scale and that of inflation? This question is connected with the
theories of inflation as well as dark matter and energy, but it is also connected with
the better understanding of the neutrino sector and the possibilities of unification of
interactions.
2. How the particles and fields of these new energy scales influence the genesis,
formation and destruction of cosmic structures? This question is related with the
multi-messenger studies of high energy photons, neutrinos, high-energy charged
particles and gravitational waves.
If one attempts to chart the future discoveries and corresponding theories that will be
tested one could expect in the next decade or two:

Large theoretical and experimental progress in the dark matter quest, reaching close
to the parameter limits of current theories.

The study with precision of the inflation potential, and of the parameters of the
equation of state of dark energy.

The understanding of the neutrino sector and its cosmological role

The opening of the new astronomies (neutrinos, gravitational waves and cosmic
rays)

Hopefully the first clues of unification of interactions (e.g. through proton decay)
2. Towards a new landscape and roadmap
Based on the above new indices the APPEC General Assembly (GA) asked its Scientific
Advisory Committee (SAC) to produce by the end of 2014 a resource-aware update of
the roadmap of the research infrastructures. The preliminary SAC findings, updated with
more recent developments (US P5 report, globalisation of the neutrino effort) are
reported below. The final text will be ready by the end of 2014. The relevant research
infrastructures are presented in three sections: High energy Universe, Neutrino physics
and Cosmology.
3.1 High Energy Universe
Cosmic fluxes with energies per particle in the range of 1010 eV up to 1020 eV are
observed for protons and nuclei, for photons and – very recently – for neutrinos. The
localisation of sources and investigation of production mechanisms of these particles –
which to a large extent are unknown yet – are priority aims of the high energy
observatories. Important scientific synergies are expected by improved multimessenger observations which will cover not only the high energy messengers but also
the radio-, IR-, visible, UV- and X-ray-photons, as well as gravitational waves.
3.1.1 HIGH ENERGY PHOTONS
Ground-based Gamma-ray Astronomy is one of the most advanced disciplines of
Astroparticle Physics with major objectives like detection for Dark Matter, search for
evidence of violation of the Lorentz Invariance, probes of extreme environments
characterized by huge gravitational and magnetic fields, relativistic shocks, highly
turbulent plasma. At the same time, it addresses an impressively broad range of topics of
modern astrophysics: from compact objects like pulsars and accreting stellar mass black
holes to giant jets and lobes of radio galaxies and galaxy clusters, the largest
gravitationally bound structures in the Universe. Gamma-rays are unique cosmological
messengers containing information about the intergalactic IR-OPT-UV radiation and
magnetic fields.
The aim of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the full realization of the great
potential of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays as powerful
multifunctional tools for exploration of most extreme phenomena in the Universe
through study of temporal, spectral and morphological properties of sources of high and
very high energy gamma-rays.
With two planned arrays to be located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, CTA
will cover the entire sky. Regarding the performance, CTA has two major objectives: (i)
one order of magnitude improvement of the flux sensitivity (compared to the current
detectors) in the standard energy interval from 0.1 TeV to 10 TeV, and (ii) an aggressive
extension of the energy domain in both directions - down to < 30 GeV and beyond
100~TeV.
CTA, with its large, medium and small size telescope sub-arrays, will explore the entire
sky, and operate as an open access observatory. The telescope designs are essentially
completed, and the advanced prototyping is underway. While the feasibility of the
telescope construction is very high, the controlling of large number telescopes and the
handling of huge datasets are two major challenges. The construction approval is
expected by mid-2015. After a phase of pre-production the main construction period
starts in 2018, with plans for early operation of partial arrays. The latest estimate of the
investment cost is 200 M€.
3.1.2 HIGH ENERGY NEUTRINOS
The scientific objectives of neutrino telescopes are (i) the investigation of high-energy
cosmic neutrino fluxes, also and in particular in the multi-messenger context, (ii) the
identification and investigation of cosmic hadron accelerators and (iii) the investigation
of neutrino properties.
The cubic-kilometre sized IceCube experiment in the deep ice of the South Pole is
completed since 2010 and is taking data. The recently reported detection of a cosmic
neutrino signal by IceCube establishes a major breakthrough of the field.
In the Mediterranean Sea, the smaller ANTARES detector has proven the feasibility of a
deep-sea neutrino telescope. The next-generation KM3NeT telescope has completed its
R&D phase in the two sites of Toulouse (France) and Capo Passero (Italy) and is
preparing a 3-stage construction at sites in France, Italy and Greece. The first KM3NeT
construction phase is fully funded and will proceed in 2014-2016. As a next step,
KM3NeT is preparing an intermediate stage, KM3NeT Phase-1.5, dedicated to the
investigation of the IceCube signal with a complementary field of view and different
systematics. This detector will require additional 50 to 60 Mio Euro of funds and could
be implemented in 2016-2019. The future of the field targets neutrino telescopes with
about ten times higher sensitivity. Design considerations have been started for a highenergy extension of IceCube which is expected to be roughly in the sensitivity range of
the final KM3NeT detector configuration (Phase-2). The cost for the KM3NeT Phase-2
project is 140-170 MEUR in addition to Phase-1.5; construction could start in 2020,
contingent on availability of funding.
3.1.3 HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS
The priority project for high-energy cosmic ray physics (CR) is the Pierre Auger
Observatory, where the major objective is the study of the origin of highest energy CRs –
localization of their production sites and understanding of the nature of extreme particle
accelerators in the Universe.
The Pierre Auger Observatory is the largest and most sensitive surface array in the
world and has a substantial European involvement. The main achievements, after six
years of highly effective operation include (i) precise measurements of the energy
spectrum from 3·1017 eV to 1020 eV with a clear evidence of two spectral features – a
noticeable hardening of the spectrum around the `ankle´ at 5·1018 eV, and a significant
suppression of the flux around 5·1019 eV; (ii) evidence of increasingly heavier mass
composition above the ankle; (iii) meaningful upper limits on the fluxes of EeV
neutrinos and gamma-rays; as well as contribution to Particle Physics by determination
of proton-proton cross section. However, to give an answer to the origin of the flux
suppression an improved mass sensitivity with high statistics at the GZK energy domain
is necessary. The Auger collaboration plans for the period of 2014-16 include continued
operation and a detector upgrade in a cost scale of 12-14 M€ with a >60% contribution
from Europe. Principal questions to be addressed with the Auger upgrade are: (i)
“proton astronomy” (identification of sources); (ii) the origin of the flux suppression
above 5·1019 eV (GZK cut-off versus acceleration limit); (iii) hadronic multi-particle
production √𝑠>7 TeV, well beyond the LHC domain.
On a longer term, the global cosmic-ray community is working towards next-generation
observatories. These efforts include the development of new detection technologies
including the radio detection techniques on ground (AugerNext), as well as fluorescence
light observation of air-showers from space (JEM-EUSO). In the lower energy range
there are, beside the low-energy extensions of the Pierre Auger Observatory, a couple of
experiments with partly minor but important European contributions (IceTop,
TUNKA/TAIGA, LHAASO) with potential of further involvements of European expertise.
3.1.4 GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
The upgrades of the first generation interferometers have been fully funded and are
underway in the Advanced LIGO (facilities in the US), Advanced Virgo (facility near Pisa,
Italy), and GEO-HF (facility in Germany) projects, with commissioning of these second
generation instruments to start in 2014 and 2015. The sensitivity is expected to ramp up
rapidly and the first detections are expected soon afterwards. The capabilities for
observation will increase in the future by adding KAGRA in Japan and perhaps LIGOIndia (IndIGO) to the network. In parallel the astronomy community is pursuing pulsar
timing array measurements.
The direct detection of gravitational waves, expected in the first years of operation of
the advanced detectors (2016-2020), is expected to open a new observational window
on the Universe that will complement the investigations based on optical telescopes,
cosmic rays and neutrino detection. The effort is large but the potential achievement is
tremendously important; for this reason a renewed effort of all the institutions already
involved in the realization of the advanced detectors is encouraged and a larger and
more coordinated engagement of the institutions that are marginally involved in the
common effort in Europe.
ASPERA's November 2011 roadmap identified Einstein Telescope as a third generation
detector whose design should be pursued, as well as the importance of complementary
low-frequency gravitational wave detectors in space. With the selection in November
2013 of "the Gravitational Universe" as the theme for ESA's L3 mission (launch 2034),
Europe has decided to consolidate its worldwide leadership in space-based gravitational
wave detection.
3.2
NEUTRINO PHYSICS
Neutrinos play a fundamental and special role in particle physics, astrophysics and
cosmology. Indeed, the neutrino masses present the only evidence of physics beyond the
particle Physics Standard Model while it is a key parameter of the Standard Model of
Cosmology. In this sector a decade of revolutionary experiments have unravelled a new
flavour sector starting with the discovery of oscillations by SuperKamiokande, Kamland
and SNO until the more recent discovery of the last neutrino mixing angle θ13 by T2K
and the reactor experiments (Daya Bay, Reno, Double CHOOZ). In this context, the
international agencies and laboratory director gathered at the International Meeting
on Large Neutrino Infrastructures organised by APPEC in Paris (23-24 June 2014)
agreed that the understanding of the neutrino sector is a worldwide priority promising
physics beyond the Standard Model in a unified theoretical framework that goes from
the Electroweak Scale to the highest energy scales. They issued recommendations on
two sectors: the one attempting to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, CP violation
and number of neutrinos and the one attempting to determine the absolute neutrino
masses as well as its nature (Majorana or Dirac).
3.2.1 Measuring the neutrino mass hierarchy, CP violation and number of neutrinos
The study of the neutrino mass hierarchy and of CP violation will most certainly require
a new large scale long baseline project for the next decade.
The agencies (DOE, INFN, CNRS, CEA, STFC, CERN,IHEP(China), INO(India),
CFI(Canada)) and laboratory directors (CERN, Fermilab, JPARC, SNOLAB, LSM) gathered
at the APPEC meeting mentioned above welcomed the recent approval by the CERN
council of the medium-term CERN plan, consistent with the European Strategy
document, including the hosting of a neutrino platform at CERN for R&D and
prototyping for the next generation of neutrino detectors, as the main CERN investment
to the development of a worldwide program. They also welcomed the proposed
upgrade of the J-PARC beam and the proposal to construct Hyper-Kamiokande, a
megaton scale water Cherenkov detector with large international participation in
Kamioka. They supported the vision of the HEPAP/P5 report to host an international
facility (“Long Baselnine Neutrino Facility”, LBNF) for short and long-baseline neutrino
oscillations at Fermilab, where internationally driven collaborations are encouraged to
propose a program optimised in baseline and detector technology. They finally invited
the neutrino scientific community to develop urgently a coherent international program
which exploits the above opportunities.
This international agency and scientific
community meeting was followed by a “neutrino summit” at Fermilab, where a large
part of the community decided to submit a Letter of Intent to Fermilab along the above
lines.
Europe has since long invested into the use of the argon technique for the detection of
the neutrino beams from accelerators, in particular with a 600-ton liquid argon detector
(ICARUS) in the Gran Sasso laboratory studying neutrinos coming from CERN (CNGS
project). Furthermore, the LAGUNA-LBNO collaboration has recently completed its
detailed engineering design reports, including construction plans, timescales and costs
for the Pyhäsalmi mine in Finland. This work has benefited from two EU funded design
studies with 14 M€. The next step includes a sizeable demonstrator at CERN, LBNODEMO (WA105) with 300t, to be built and operated in 2015-2018. Its goal is to
demonstrate the feasibility of the double phase Liquid Argon technology and to study
the calorimetric response with a charged particle beam. Beyond this, the collaboration
discusses with their US colleagues (collaboration LBNE) along the lines of the LBNF
project as discussed above. A European participation is also expected in the
HypeKamioka (HK) program. Both the LBNF (US) and HK (Japan), have a rich and
complementary astroparticle program which goes from supernova detection to the
proton lifetime. Final decisions for both programs are expected in the 2017-2018
timescale. In the longer term, there is a proposed design study using ESS, the European
Spallation Source in Sweden.
In the reactor related domain, there is a small European participation to the approved
JUNO experiment located in China, whose goal is to determine the mass hierarchy by
using reactor neutrinos while also performing precision measurement of oscillation
parameters, studies of supernova neutrinos, geo-neutrinos, solar and atmospheric
neutrinos.
The neutrino mass hierarchy will also be measured through atmospheric neutrinos in
INO a 50 kton magnetized iron detector in India and through the proposed upgrades of
the neutrino observatory ICECUBE (PINGU) and the projected KM3Net (ORCA).
Furthermore, the situation concerning the "neutrino anomalies" needs to be clarified.
This will be addressed by the neutrino short baseline program mentioned above and by
smaller scale endeavours putting neutrino sources near the detector.
3.2.2 DOUBLE AND SINGLE BETA DECAY FOR NEUTRINO MASS AND NATURE
Current-generation experiments on neutrino-less double beta decay will approach halflife sensitivities of about 1026 years in about 3-5 years from now, approximately one
order of magnitude more stringent than present limits. Assuming that the process is
mediated by the mass mechanism, this corresponds to sensitivities on the effective
Majorana neutrino mass barely reaching 50 meV, at the onset of the inverted hierarchy
region of neutrino masses.
In Europe, the projects with this potential are CUORE, GERDA-2, NEXT, SuperNEMO and
searches based on scintillating bolometers (LUCIFER and LUMINEU).
At the
international level, EXO-200, KamLAND-Zen, SNO+ and MAJORANA have similar
sensitivity ranges. Only two of these searches are taking data in an almost final
configuration (EXO-200 and KamLAND-Zen), and in Europe GERDA-2 and CUORE will
presumably be the first to start measurements within about one year.
The next-generation experiments, which need a long preparation and are expected to
take data from 2020. They aim at fully covering the inverted hierarchy band with about
1 ton of isotope and close-to-zero background. Due to the high enrichment cost (in the
20 – 80 M€ range), it is unlikely that there will be more than one next-generation
experiment in Europe. Two may be possible with an important American or in general
extra-European participation. The next two-three years will be crucial to define the
technology of these future searches; essential indications will come from the
performance – especially the background levels – achieved by current-generation
projects.
The agencies and laboratory directors gathered at the APPEC meeting of June 2014
agreed that there is a rich physics program in development both for single beta and
neutrino-less double beta decay measurements currently probing the quasi-degenerate
region of neutrino masses. The next ambitious goal for double-beta decay is the
coverage in sensitivity of the inverted mass-hierarchy region; achieving this goal will
require large enrichment of isotopes and ton scale detectors, boosting the scale of the
experiments and therefore demanding international collaborations for their
construction. The agencies urged the underground laboratory directors to prepare the
ground for an international evaluation in 2-3 years time leading to a selection of the
most promising technologies for the next generation detectors worldwide.
3.3
COSMOLOGY
3.3.1 DARK MATTER
About 85% of the matter in our universe is believed to be a new form of matter which
we call dark, because it neither emits nor absorbs electromagnetic radiation. Dark
matter is assumed to consist of one or more types of new particles, which interact only
very weakly with normal matter. Direct detection experiments look for dark matter
interactions in the laboratory, operating ultra-low background and low-threshold
detectors deep underground.
Existing direct dark matter searches have reached unprecedented sensitivities in a wide
mass range for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), probing WIMP-nucleon
cross sections below 10-45 cm2 at particle masses around 40 GeV. European groups are
currently involved in a broad range of experiments, based on technologies such as
scintillating crystal detectors (ANAIS, DAMA/LIBRA), cryogenic solid-state detectors
(CRESST and EDELWEISS), liquefied noble gas detectors (ArDM, DarkSide-50, DEAP,
LUX, XENON100, XENON1T), superheated droplet detectors (SIMPLE), as well as
directional detectors (DMTPC, DRIFT, MiMAC).
At present, the highest sensitivity on the WIMP scattering cross section in the mass
range ~ 6 GeV - 100 TeV is reached by experiments using liquid xenon, namely LUX and
XENON100. A ton-scale xenon detector, XENON1T, which is fully funded and under
construction at LNGS, aims to reach cross sections around 10-47 cm2. Fist results from
ton-scale argon detectors such as ArDM and DEAP, as well as from DarkSide-50, which
used argon depleted in 39-Ar, are expected within this and next year.
In parallel in the US, DOE and NSF have revealed the two "second generation" directdetection dark-matter (non-axion) experiments that they will support, following the
Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel's (P5) recommendations. The agencies'
programme will include the Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search-SNOLAB (SuperCDMS)
and the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ).
Strong coordination at the European level exists for sub-K cryogenic detectors (CRESST
+ EDELWEISS and other groups => EURECA, which might foresee a common experiment
with SuperCDMS at SNOLAB) and for noble liquids (ArDM, DarkSide, XENON + new
groups => DARWIN, most likely to be located at LNGS). While EURECA/SuperCDMS can
competitively probe the mass range below 10 GeV, a 20t/30t Xe/Ar detector such as
DARWIN aims to probe the experimentally accessible parameter range for masses above
10 GeV, until the neutrino background will start to dominate the measured recoil
spectra. The construction of such third-generation (G3-level) direct dark matter
detection experiments will cost around 50 MEuro, and they are expected so start taking
data from 2022 onwards.
Directional detectors are currently working on R&D to demonstrate the required track
angular reconstruction at low energy thresholds in 1m3 modules, which would be the
basic detector unit for building up massive detectors. Different readout strategies are
employed by each group, and none have yet demonstrated both the required angular
reconstruction and low energy threshold. However there is global coordination of this
R&D through the CYGNUS meetings, which aim to converge on a technology choice for a
larger detector on a timescale of a few years when the 1m3 R&D efforts are complete.
There is consensus in the broader dark matter community that a directional detector is
the next step to establish the astrophysical original after a dark matter direct detection
signal is confirmed.
In the US, the P5 panel recommends one or more third-generation (G3) direct detection
experiments, the technology of which will be guided by the results of G2 detectors, in a
global complementary approach. APPEC proposes to establish a committee that would
help guide the European dark matter community to decide on the technology for a thirdgeneration (G3) direct detection experiment (timescale 2017-2018).
3.3.2 DARK ENERGY
If dark matter forms the 85% of the matter of the Universe, dark energy forms the 70%
of the combined energy-matter density of the Universe. The determination of the
parameters of its equation of state is a worldwide priority. While Europe was leading till
recently in the large ground surveys for dark energy (SNLS), the US took the lead on the
ground, through large galaxy surveys, either photometric, as DES and LSST, or
spectroscopic, as BOSS and DESI. The large ground survey of the future is clearly LSST
(first light 2021) and will have a rich legacy program and measure with unprecedented
precision the dark energy equation of state parameters as well as those of the mass of
the neutrino. France has been involved in LSST since 2007, and has important
responsibilities in the construction of the LSST camera. Many other European physicists
and astronomers are interested in joining LSST. At this time, the only way to join is by
contributing to the running costs with $20k per senior scientist and year for the 10
years of intended operation, 2022-2032.
On the other hand, Europe will have the leadership on dark-energy studies from space
once the Euclid ESA mission is launched in 2020 and similar precision and
complementary discovery potential with LSST.
3.3.3 CMB
The field of CMB physics is depending on the results of the ESA Planck mission as well as
the first results of ground experiments detecting B-modes.
Whereas Europe has a leadership in space with the Planck mission and prospects for a
new ESA mission in the context of the call for the next medium (M4) mission of the
Cosmic Vision programme, due most probably this year (for a foreseen launch in 2026),
US has a clear leadership on ground, as is attested by the plethora of experiments
currently taking data (ACTPol, BICEP, POLARBEAR at present, SPIDER, IBEX, AdvACT,
POLARBEARII, in the future). In Europe, the three existing projects are: QUBIC using
bolometric interferometry (France, Italy, UK, Ireland with US and China), the LSPE
balloon (mostly Italy, with UK and US), and the QIJOTE project (Spain, UK). All these
projects aim at measuring the ratio of tensor to scalar fluctuations at the level of a few
percent. In the US the recent P5 panel in the US has strengthened the prospects for
financing a unique Stage IV experiments in the years 2020-2025, aiming a tensor to
scalar ratio of order one per mil, as well as unprecedented precision on the mass of light
neutrinos, and the effective number of neutrinos.
3. Summary and key decision points
With the currently funded program, a few major clarifications of our world picture
related to astroparticle, particle physics and cosmology are expected in the five to ten
years to come. Key among them are the first detection of gravitational waves, the better
understanding of the neutrino and dark energy sector, the development of neutrino
astronomy, large progress in the dark matter studies bringing us close to the predicted
parameter limits of our current theories, possibly advances in the determination of the
inflation parameters.
In the domain of large infrastructures the next five years will see the deployment of CTA.
The dark energy program on ground (LSST) and space (EUCLID) has also been funded
and is in the process of realisation.
Furthermore, in the next two to three years Europe will need to take a decision on a) the
construction of the phase 1.5 of of KM3Net, b) a European-led dark matter multi-ton
experiment c) the construction of large neutrino detector or a major investment as a
contribution to a long baseline program in US or Japan, d) a ton-scale neutrino mass
detector (double beta decay technique) and e) a major contribution on ground and/or
space to the cosmology program probing the parameters of inflation.
Even further in the future, and provided there is a gravitational wave detection in the
next few years, Europe could start preparing the next generation gravitational wave
ground detector (Einstein Telescope).
Last but not least, the above program has many complementary aspects to the space
program in development by ESA (EUCLID, ATHENA, eLISA, possible a cosmology
mission in M4)