Cosmic Ray Physics: Research on galactic cosmic rays has a long tradition at the LPSC. At the laboratory, this research is organized into two research teams: AMS-CREAM and AUGER. The first team studies high-energy cosmic rays, which originate primarily from the galaxy. The research aims to understand the processes of cosmic ray production and propagation, and to study certain components of cosmic rays—for example, to probe the presence of dark matter in the galaxy via the particles produced during their annihilation. The objective of AMS-02 (installed on the International Space Station since May 2011) is to provide a “definitive” measurement of the composition of cosmic rays in the energy range between approximately 100 MeV and 1 TeV. The LPSC was involved in the design and construction of the Cherenkov imager. The group provided an independent measurement (from the standard analysis) of the positron fraction using the low-energy RICH and plays a leading role in measuring proton and helium fluxes in AMS. Its objective is to measure fluxes between 1 TeV and 1 PeV. Analysis of the measurements taken during the flights has allowed us to reconstruct the fluxes of B, C, N, and O nuclei and the B/C ratio in cosmic rays. The AMS and CREAM experiments cover complementary energy ranges.

AUGER is an experiment that provides access to ultra-high-energy cosmic rays beyond the PeV scale by studying the showers resulting from the interaction of primary particles with the layers of the atmosphere. The team has focused in particular on measuring ultra-high-energy neutrino fluxes, providing constraints on cosmic ray production mechanisms (cosmogenic neutrinos, GZK neutrinos, etc.), as well as on the study and modeling of hadronic interactions. Finally, the group has conducted R&D on radio detection of atmospheric showers in the MHz to GHz range (AREA, EASIER), as a possible alternative or complement to observations by ground-based detectors (Cherenkov tanks and fluorescence detectors). It is now focusing on determining the nature of primary particles as part of a detector upgrade in which the laboratory is playing an active role in the electronics.

In support of this experimental research, a phenomenological study has been developed on cosmic ray propagation models and the interpretation of X-ray source catalogs in terms of dark matter profiles, which benefits all of these projects.

Observational Cosmology: The LSST project is a telescope that, starting in 2021, will enable the creation of a 3D map of the Universe with unparalleled depth and precision. The vast catalog of several billion distant galaxies observed by the telescope will enable an unprecedented study of our Universe and provide crucial information for cosmology. The study of baryonic oscillations, for example, will lead to a better understanding of dark energy, which accounts for 70% of the energy density of our Universe. The LSST team at the LPSC is involved in reconstructing the photometric redshifts of galaxies, which are a crucial component of the telescope’s analysis. It is also responsible for the instrumental aspects of setting up a camera calibration bench (CCOB) and constructing the camera’s filter changer (mechanical and electronic components).

Study of the Cosmic Microwave Background: The LPSC’s PLANCK/NIKA group was heavily involved in the construction of PLANCK’s HFI instrument and its data acquisition electronics. This involvement enabled the group to play a major role in the analysis and interpretation of the data, leading to the publication of maps at various frequencies. The group’s analysis activities focused on studies of gravitational lensing effects, foreground emissions, and systematic biases related to CMB polarization. The Planck publications will go down in history; they have shed new light on the early universe and have placed strong constraints on cosmological models. The future of Cosmic Microwave Background research in the millimeter range relies on detector arrays to increase the instruments’ sensitivity for measuring B-modes in polarization and to achieve high angular resolution for a detailed study of galaxy clusters via the SZ effect and of the era of reionization of the universe.In this context, cameras based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) can play a major role, and the team has been engaged for several years in R&D related to the development of this technology and its adaptation for space use, with a view to the future CMB satellite, which could be the subject of an ESA “M”-class mission by 2030. In the meantime, the team has focused on building the complete electronics for a KID array used on the IRAM telescope. This project, which involved the construction and operation of a dual-band (140 and 240 GHz) KID array camera (5,000 detectors), enables intensity and polarization observations in the millimeter waveband at the IRAM telescope. The team has taken the lead in conducting the NIKA2 program on the study of large-scale structures via the SZ effect, a campaign set to begin in 2016 and run for a period of five years.

Direct Detection of Dark Matter: The laboratory’s MIMAC team has been involved for 10 years in developing an innovative method for detecting dark matter, taking advantage of the solar system’s motion around the galactic center through the dark matter halo. This involves the development of a very low-pressure TPC that allows for the reconstruction of both the energy and the direction of the nuclear recoil involved when the dark matter candidate interacts with the detector’s gaseous medium. The team has designed and built several prototypes of this detector (mechanical and electronic) and has demonstrated, with remarkable success, the detection principle, the reconstruction of the track and the energy involved, as well as the scope of the constraints in the phenomenological interpretation of the results. This team is organized as an international collaboration with the goal of developing a 1 m³ demonstrator, the first essential step toward a larger-scale experiment.

Neutrino Physics: In 2011, the discovery of a bias in the calculations of reactor antineutrino fluxes triggered a reanalysis of short-distance (10–100 m) reactor experiments. The result is an average deficit of 7% in the number of detected neutrinos compared to the new predictions. This “reactor neutrino anomaly” could be explained by the existence of a new state of the neutrino, known as a sterile neutrino. If confirmed, the existence of this particle would be a major discovery, with significant implications for particle physics and cosmology. STEREO provides a measurement with a precision of 10 m from the compact core of the ILL research reactor, which has been in operation since September 2016. The LPSC team is responsible for simulating the experiment, the entire electronics and data acquisition system, the cosmic muon veto detector, and the light-injection calibration system.

Reactor Physics: The research area focused on nuclear reactors is led by the largest group at the LPSC in terms of staff. This group’s activities are conducted within the framework of the CNRS’s Interdisciplinary Mission (MI) and as part of European programs. They focus on three main types of systems with distinct strategic objectives: accelerator-driven systems (ADS), intended for the transmutation of certain current nuclear wastes; solid-fuel reactors for current light-water reactor technologies (PWR, CANDU), intended to facilitate the transition to a new generation of reactors, potentially using a new thorium cycle as an alternative to the traditionally used uranium cycle; finally, liquid-fuel reactors (MSFR), which feature innovative technology and are one of the six candidates under study for the fourth generation of reactors listed by the GEN IV International Forum. These latter types of reactors involve the use of a new fuel based on the thorium-uranium-233 cycle. The group’s activities are based on the development of simulation and reactor modeling tools, as well as studies of deployment scenarios for the corresponding fleets. At the laboratory, these activities are conducted at the GENEPI2 neutron platform and the FFFER nuclear chemistry platform. The group’s composition—two-thirds of whom are faculty researchers (from Grenoble INP and UGA)—ensures a very close and beneficial connection with the academic community.

Medical Applications Physics: The Medical Applications Physics team has undergone significant restructuring in recent years. It is now organized around three scientific projects: the first involves the development and construction of a beam profiler used in X-ray radiotherapy sessions. The final prototype is currently undergoing validation, and this work will lead to commercialization in the coming years. The second focus area involves the development of research on Accelerator-Based Neutron Capture Therapy (ABNCT), a technique based on the use of an intense (epi-)thermal neutron beam to irradiate boron-containing molecules or metallic nanoparticles that have been previously injected into the patient. Once attached to tumor cells, these particles act to amplify the dose delivered locally. In the laboratory, the project focuses on key aspects of this technique, namely the design of targets for producing the high-intensity neutron beam and the precise measurement of the neutron flux exiting the target and moderator assemblies. The third research area concerns the development of a beam monitor for hadron therapy, based on polycrystalline diamond technology, whose properties enable the creation of a fast, radiation-resistant detector. The third research area focuses on the development of a beam monitor for hadron therapy, based on (polycrystalline) diamond technology, whose properties enable the creation of a fast, radiation-resistant detector. These three research areas fall within the scope of the GDR MI2B and, more broadly, within the framework of activities supported by the PRIMES Labex. They benefit from the expertise of researchers from other teams who work closely with the medical physics applications team on these projects.

Accelerators and Ion Sources: The Accelerators and Ion Sources division is a major asset of the LPSC and enjoys a high profile. Closely linked to IN2P3’s major projects, its activities are carried out in collaboration with laboratories in the Grenoble area (LNCMI, Néel, ILL) and have resulted in various forms of value creation, including the provision of expertise and the delivery of high-tech solutions and know-how. The team makes a significant contribution to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of SPIRAL2. For Phase 1, the department is responsible for the design, construction, and testing of high-intensity multicharged ion sources. One of the laboratory’s areas of expertise is the development of Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion sources. The LPSC has taken charge of the construction and testing of the low-energy heavy-ion beamline, in collaboration with GANIL, IRFU (CEA), and IPHC. For Phase 2, the department is responsible for the design, construction, and testing of the charge booster (multi-ionization of radioactive ions for acceleration). The development of ECR ion sources also benefits from an R&D program (60 GHz). The ion sources and accelerators teams are involved in the SPIRAL2 project, for which the group was responsible for the design and fabrication of power couplers for superconducting RF cavities. At the same time, the group has been heavily involved in research on intense pulsed neutron generators as part of the nuclear reactors group’s activities. In particular, it is one of the key players in the GUINEVERE project, focusing on the acceleration and coupling of this type of neutron source to a reactor (VENUS), as part of research on accelerator-driven reactors. Finally, the team continues to develop expertise in future high-intensity non-pulsed proton injectors as part of the MYRRHA program.

Plasma and Materials: Research topics fall within the field of plasma and related technologies, ranging from fundamental research to industrial application. This primarily involves high-frequency plasmas (from 352 MHz to 2.45 GHz) covering a pressure range from very low pressure (magnetized plasmas) up to about 10 Torr (non-magnetized plasmas). From a fundamental perspective, research focuses on the interaction and coupling of electromagnetic waves with plasma, the mechanisms for the selective production of charged or chemically active species, and the interaction of plasma with surfaces. With regard to technological and applied aspects, the focus is, on the one hand, on the development of new generations of plasma sources for specific applications capable of meeting industrial requirements (processes requiring uniformity over large surfaces and/or high speed) and, on the other hand, on the development of processes for synthesizing innovative functional materials. Although these activities are closely intertwined, they can be grouped into three research areas: Physics and Engineering of Plasma Sources; Energy Processes; and Detector Processes.