Supplementary plan for astrophysics and high-energy physics

Project title

Advanced technologies for the exploration of the universe and its components.

General data

Program:
Transformation and Resiliency Recovery Plan and Aragon Funds

Reference:
Astrophysics and High Energy Physics Supplementary Plan Agreement.

Date of resolution:
07/ 10/ 2022

Date of execution:
01/01/2022-29/09/2025

Program and objectives

The main objective of this program is to reinforce the presence and leadership of Aragon in various international projects in Astrophysics and High Energy Physics aimed at advancing, among other aspects, our understanding of dark matter and dark energy, with a particular emphasis not only on the scientific part but also on its more technological aspects.

All this through the participation of scientists and technologists from Aragonese R&D&I centers in several lines of action (LAs) jointly defined within the framework of the National Complementary Plan for Astrophysics and High Energy Physics, in coordination with the autonomous communities of Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia and the Valencian Community. Specifically:

• LA1: Development of state-of-the-art instrumentation for future nuclear and particle physics experiments
• LA2: Development of state-of-the-art astrophysical instrumentation for ICTS, ESFRI projects in astronomy and space missions.
• LA4: Large astronomical mappings
• LA5: Direct searches for dark matter
• LA8: Computing, big data and artificial intelligence

In particular, with regard to the budget of the Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón, its activities are focused on action lines LA1 and LA5, specifically:

• L1.A1: Development of electronic instrumentation for pixel and time-based detectors based on LGAD and 3D sensors with industrial applications
• L5.A1: Integration of the ultra-low background detection line of the BabyIAXO axion helioscope, and study of the extension of the physics case to Dark Matter axion detection.
• L5.A2: Implementation of improvements in energy threshold and background noise of the TREX-DM experiment to search for low mass WIMPs in the LSC.

In each of these sublines, the Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón has different objectives, which are perfectly defined and delimited.

• Develop electronic instrumentation for future generation pixel and temporal detectors based on LGAD and 3D technologies.
• Implement new integration strategies for background reduction of Micromegas detectors for BabyIAXO, based on analysis of the electrical/electronic architecture of the data acquisition system (DAQ) and EMC criteria.
• Electromagnetically characterize at the LSC the site where the TREX-DM experiment is relocated and estimate its interactions with BabyIAXO.

Participating entities

• University of Zaragoza
• Center for the Study of the Physics of the Cosmos Foundation
• Aragon Institute of Technology

Budget

Total project budget:
4.461.537 €

Total ITA budget:
229.886,15 €

Financing

Total project grant:
2.900.000 €

Total financing ITA:
149.425,25 €

The rest is co-financed by Aragón:
This action is co-financed under the Complementary Plan for Astrophysics and High Energy Physics Agreement:

65% by the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, framed within the “Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – Financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU” and the rest is co-financed by funds from the Autonomous Community of Aragon.
Expenditures allocated to MRR projects are financed at a rate of 100%.