Forward Physics Facility |
Experiments | Physics Beyond Standard Model | QCD | Neutrino Physics | Astroparticle Physics | Timeline and Cost |
The FPF is well aligned with the 2020 European Strategy Update's first recommendation that ``the full physics potential of the LHC and the HL-LHC...should be exploited.'' To fully exploit the far-forward physics opportunities, many of which will disappear for several decades if not explored at the FPF, the FPF should be available for as much of the HL-LHC era as possible. The FPF requires no modifications to the LHC, and all of the planned experiments are relatively small, inexpensive, and fast to construct. A very preliminary costing for the FPF has yielded estimates of 25 MCHF for the construction of the new shaft and cavern and 15 MCHF for all necessary services. To this must be added the cost of the individual experiments. A possible timeline is for the FPF to be built during Long Shutdown 3 from 2026-28, the support services and experiments to be installed starting in 2029, and the experiments to begin taking data not long after the beginning of Run 4. Such a timeline is guaranteed to produce exciting physics results through studies of very high energy neutrinos, QCD, and other SM topics, and will additionally enhance the LHC's potential for groundbreaking discoveries that will clarify the path forward for decades to come. |