Past Workshops

The scope of the workshop "Short-distance nuclear structure and PDFs" is to advance our understanding of nucleon-nucleon short-range correlation studies, medium modifications of quark distributions (EMC effect) and the re-examination of the relationship between the two. This includes examining the impact of new data and theory advances. In particular, we plan to emphasize discussion around the following topics: (1) Short-range correlations (SRCs): A-dependence, isospin dependence, momentum dependence, nuclear structure calculations, reaction mechanisms, isolating 3N-SRCs. (2) EMC effect - new data, viable explanations, new observables including spin-dependent, momentum-dependent, and flavor-dependent modification, as well as modification of anti-quarks. (3) EMC-SRC correlation - what can we learn about EMC effect from SRCs and vice-versa? Data on many new nuclei will help significantly flesh out this landscape.

In the spin-1 system, the inclusive structure functions are supplemented by four additional tensor structure functions: b1, b2, b3, and b4. A rich new field of tensor structure measurements awaits exploration. A deeper understanding of tensor structure will help clarify how the gross properties of the nucleus arise from the underlying partons. This provides novel information about gluon contributions, quark angular momentum, and the polarization of the quark sea that is not accessible in spin-1/2 targets. Excellent progress has been made in developing the solid tensor polarized targets necessary for this program, and a wide range of exciting experiments awaits.

The COLMO (Quantum Collapse Models investigated with Particle, Nuclear, Atomic and Macro systems) workshop has the goal to bring together, in a unique dedicated framework in the ideal environment of the ECT*, world-leading experts and young scientists working in the foundations of quantum mechanics (many for the first time at ECT*), towards a better understanding of the collapse models proposed to solve the major open question in quantum physics: the collapse mechanism, also known as the “measurement problem”.

The workshop will focus on the application of machine learning (ML) techniques to problems in lattice quantum field theory (LQFT) with applications in nuclear and particle physics. The research to be highlighted spans a broad range of topics within this subfield, covering exploratory applications across all aspects of LQFT calculations.

The central questions we plan to explore concern the possibility of exploiting condensed matter analog models as experimental tools to understand quantum mechanical aspects of gravitation, such as the behaviour of quantum fields in the vicinity of exotic astrophysical objects such as black holes, particle creation phenomena at the end of cosmological inflation, quantum information aspects related to the information paradox and the entanglement entropy of black holes.

Decays of light mesons offer a vast multitude of opportunities to investigate fundamental physics under the broad theme of symmetries and symmetry breaking, both within the Standard Model and beyond.

It is now a great time for the community to share the recent progress in this emerging field and establish a coherent vision of the outstanding questions to be addressed in the near future in order to fully capitalize on the rapid growth in quantum computing platforms.

The workshop, taking advantage of the resumed LHC operation, as well as of the recently-concluded Snowmass22 exercise and of the Long-Range Plans for Nuclear Physics in the US and Europe, will certainly stimulate extensive discussions on the physics performance of early Run 3 data, the physics opportunities at the HL-LHC, the HL-LHC upgrade challenges and their relevance to heavy ion specific measurements, compelling physics cases at Run 5 and beyond, and foreseen synergies with other collider projects.

This workshop will bring together practitioners of these fields to strengthen existing and explore new synergies between the different approaches. For example, in the past two decades both lattice simulations and functional computations have made substantial qualitative process, but more recently also combined applications are being realized with promising prospects for the future. In addition to the theoretical efforts, several of the experiments mentioned above will be represented at the workshop to connect theoretical results with experimental measusurements.

The effective theory of the Color  Glass Condensate (CGC) has emerged as a successful tool to explain qualitatively and quantitatively semi- hard processes in preceding and current experiments at colliders like DESY, RHIC and LHC.