Report for LASF4RI meeting on Venezuela
A non-exhaustive review of the relevant past and present activities of Venezuela(ns) in Particle Physics and Cosmology with links to external partners
Reina Camacho (LPNHE/CNRS, France)
Arturo Sánchez (Università di Udine, ICTP, INFN, Italy & CERN, Switzerland)
On behalf of many people inside and outside our country interested in supporting this effort
ICTP-SAIFR, São Paulo, Brazil, May 1st 2019
Overview
The Venezuelan case is exceptional. The degradation of scientific production is a known fact.
As many of you are aware, the situation in Venezuela makes it extremely difficult to perform any research and even educational activity currently. But LASF4RI is a long term effort!
Phases of Venezuelan HEP:
Fundamental (theoretical) Research
Large experiments’ collaborations
Small or individual collaborations
Training
&
Capacity Building
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Outline
Making emphasis on those areas where we can contribute to any future project as well as the educational experiences that make us a strong partner on the development and execution of training programs for current and future researchers in the region. Something crucial in any long-term project.
Fundamental (theoretical) Research
Large experiments’ collaborations
Small or individual collaborations
Training
&
Capacity Building
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The Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía (CIDA)
was founded in honour of Francisco J. Duarte in 1975 for promoting observation, investigation, experimentation, theoretical work, and dissemination of research in the field of astronomy. Venezuela's main astronomical observatory is the Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory, located 3600m above sea level in the Venezuelan Andes providing high-level training.
The Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC)
is a research institute and graduate training in Venezuela founded on February 9, 1959 by government decree, has its origins in the Venezuelan Institute of Neurology and Brain Research (IVNIC) which Dr. Humberto Fernandez Moran founded in 1955.
Centro Nacional de Cálculo Científico (CeCalCULA)
is the first supercomputing center in Venezuela. This center develops services and training of personnel in the area of high performance computing and provides the academic and industrial community with highly competitive computer tools and techniques.
IVIC
CIDA
CeCalCULA
Relevant Venezuelan Research Facilities
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Emblematic Research & Training Initiatives with Venezuelan participation
High Energy Latin American European Network (HELEN)
HELEN -and E-planet- were academic cooperation programmes based on a network between universities and institutes from Latin America and Europe, involving laboratories in particle physics (CERN, DESY and the Laboratori del Gran Sasso) and the Pierre Auger Observatory. With 22 universities and research institutions from eight Latin American countries, 16 from six European countries, and CERN. Several dozen of venezuelan students participated in the program, including us! http://www.roma1.infn.it/exp/helen/
Quasar Equatorial Survey Team (QUEST)
QUEST is a joint venture between Yale University, Indiana University, and Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía (CIDA) in Venezuela to photographically survey the sky using a digital camera, an array of 112 charge-coupled devices. It had used the 1.0-metre Schmidt telescope at the Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory in Venezuela.
Latin American Giant Observatory (LAGO)
LAGO is an international project of astrophysics and astroparticles involving several countries of Latin America located at different altitudes from Mexico to Antarctica. It is integrated by interdisciplinary groups of physicists, engineers and students with almost 100 members from 25 academic institutions. It was founded in 2005. http://lagoproject.net
QUEST
HELEN
LAGO
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Big boost to the Venezuelan scientific community
Venezuelans scientific capacity
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Experimental collider physics
ATLAS, CMS, TOTEM
~10 permanent researchers, postdocs and PhDs
Neutrino Physics
DUNE, NOvA
MINERvA
Astronomy
CTIO, SOAR, CIDA
Theoretical Physics
>10 researchers and professors inside and outside the country
Cosmology and gravitation
OzDES, LSST, SkyMapper
Cosmic rays
astroparticles
IceCube, LAGO, Auger, AMANDA, HAWC
Nuclear physics
&
Medical physics
Outreach
Management ATLAS Open Data,
CEVALE2VE
High-qualified Venezuelans scientists work in international collaborations. Some of them are leaders and project managers in fundamental research, detectors’ development and Open Access policies and projects.
Most of them working outside the country and keep links with Venezuelan institutions through training and educational initiatives (with the support of their work institutions!) Check a list of contacts in the backup
Some emblematic Research & Training Initiatives
Centro Virtual de Altos Estudios de Altas Energías (CEVALE2VE)
A virtual research and learning community. Created with the goal of promoting the scientific dissemination, education and research in the field of particle and high energy physics in the Venezuelan and Latin American scientific community. Its vision is in the education and training in fundamental and experimental research to positively influence and stimulate physics student's interest in HEP research. Awareness of opportunities in physics and possible career paths in research. It has been looking to boost policy making working towards formalising the involvement of Venezuela institutions in HEP experiments
ICTP Physics Without Frontiers (ICTP-PWF)
The Latin American section of the ICTP Physics Without Frontiers program is an effort leading by the ICTP, Venezuelan and Colombian researchers. It is an outreach program in a tight relationship with the ATLAS Outreach group at CERN, that look for the dissemination of the HEP field and the career opportunities. It is executed once a year and since the last three years is has been adding countries and cities in South America. With the aim of including more institutions, including some in Central America countries.
Latin American Alliance for Capacity building in Advance (LA-CONGA) Physics Initiative
The primary objective of this proposal is to modernise the educational platform in eight Latin American targets higher education institutions (HEI) from the Andean region using HEP as a model. It relies on the development of innovative e-learning platform, based on low-cost open-access tools, and flexible nano modules. Strengthening the relations among the target HEI's.
PWF
CEVALE2VE
LA-CONGA
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5th “IPP” + 4th PWF-LA program
The call was opened in social media, reaching a broader group of institutions and students. We are currently running the course. And the PWF program is already proposed for evaluation.
2019
4th “IPP” + 3rd PWF-LA program
The course had a lower participation but those students that reached the end, continue their path into HEP studies. At the same time, the PWF program visited Uruguay and Argentina too.
2018
2nd “IPP” course + alliance with ICTP
Different instructors and more students joined to the classes. While another modus operandi was implemented. The CEVALE2VE group joined the ICTP-PWF program.
2016
1st “Introduction to Particle Physics”
The course, called “Introducción a la Física de Partículas” or “Introduction to Particle Physics” goes official. Venezuelans and Colombians students are present.
2015
CEVALE2VE created as outreach project
Venezuelans researchers working in international collaborations (CMS, ATLAS, ISOLDE, TOTEM, PICSEL,...) together with researchers and professors in Venezuela created a set of seminars and design a particle physics “course”.
2014
Centro Virtual de Altos Estudios de Altas Energías (Venezuelan chapter, CEVALE2VE)
3rd “IPP” course + 2nd PWF-LA program
Students from Peru joined the course, and a second round-trip to Latin America strength the network and opened the opportunity to get visibility in the region.
2017
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ICTP Physics Without Frontiers program (ICTP-PWF) in Latin America
2017
The 2nd edition of the PWF-LA
Three countries visited: Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Peruvian students started to follow the CEVALE2VE course
2018
The 3rd edition of the PWF-LA
Four countries visited: Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and Venezuela. In 2019 we plan to add Ecuador!
2015
First conversations with the ICTP
Venezuelans and Colombians researchers starts to coordinate a pilot project for their countries
2016
The 1st edition of the PWF-LA
The first edition took place in six institutions in five cities in Colombia and Venezuela
Latin American Alliance for Capacity building in Advanced (LA-CONGA) Physics Initiative
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The participating institutions
In Latin-America
- Colombia: Universidad Antonio Nariño (Bogota) and Universidad Industrial de Santander (Bucaramanga)
- Ecuador: Universidad Yachay Tech (Ibarra) and San Francisco de Quito (Quito)
- Peru: Universidad San Marcos and Universidad Nacional Industrial (Lima)
- Venezuela: Universidad Central de Venezuela and Universidad Simón Bolívar (Caracas)
In Europe
- University Paris Diderot
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS, France)
- University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse)
- Technische Universität (Dresden)
- International Centre for Theoretical Physics ICTP (Trieste)
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY (Hamburg)
- Conseil européen pour la recherche nucléaire CERN (Geneve)
Summary
The Venezuelan case is exceptional. The degradation of scientific production is a known fact.
However, Venezuelans researchers in relevant positions worldwide together with local and multilateral institutions -and many Latin American colleagues!- continue to design and produce scientific projects and professional networks. Also successfully execute and co-coordinate programs in the region and in their respective associated institutions that make us a relevant addition to any scientific Latin American effort in HEP and Cosmology.
Besides the current issues, we are aware that we will pass by a period of (re)build our scientific expertise in sync with the region, this is why we bet for more training-related programs, including those that support university educators in physics, like the so-called “BrainGain Venezuela” program already funded by the ICTP and soon-to-open call for applications.
Fundamental (theoretical) Research
Large experiments’ collaborations
Small or individual collaborations
Trainings
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With the input of people associated to institutions like
And many others ...
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Backup
13
Some Venezuelans in international collaborations
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Theoretical Physics
Experimental collider physics
ATLAS @LHC
CMS@LHC
Some Venezuelans in international collaborations
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Neutrino physics
Cosmic rays/astroparticles
Cosmology and gravitation
Astronomy
Nuclear physics
Medical physics
Nature indexes (2017-2018)
Overall
Physical Sciences
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CEVALE2VE publications
ATLAS Outreach
ATLAS Experiment at CERN / Open Data Project Manager
May 2016 - PRESENT, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Responsible, manager of team and resources, architect and developer of the complete ATLAS Open Data project for the ATLAS Experiment at CERN
The technical Supervisor of two PhD students for their Qualifications’ tasks.
Main platform: http://opendata.atlas.cern
Other References
ATL-CB-PUB-2015-001 - https://cds.cern.ch/record/2002139
ATL-OREACH-PUB-2016-001 - https://cds.cern.ch/record/2203649
ATL-OREACH-PUB-2018-001 - https://cds.cern.ch/record/2624572
ATL-COM-OREACH-2019-002 - https://cds.cern.ch/record/2664887
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European associated partners
Programme countries and affiliated institutions
Latin-american and US associated partners
Partner countries institutions
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