The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC)�North America’s Next�Large Particle Collider

EIC Canada Collaboration (eic-canada.org)

Wouter Deconinck, Michael Gericke, Dave Hornidge, Garth Huber, Tobias Junginger, Oliver Kester, Bob Laxdal, Savino Longo, Juliette Mammei, Zisis Papandreou, Aram Teymurazyan. Supported in part by NSERC SAPPJ-2021-00026, SAPPJ-2023-00041, SAPPJ-2025-00040, CFI JELF 40430, US DOE EIC Project.

What is the Electron-Ion Collider?

• First major collider to be built in North America in the 21st century
• Polarized electrons, 10-20 GeV
• Polarized light ions (p, d, ³He) and unpolarized nuclei → U, 50-250 GeV
• Center-of-mass energy of 28-140 GeV
• High luminosity 𝓛 of 10³³–10³⁴ cm^-2 s^-1
• International facility with estimated cost of about US$2.8B
• EIC community of 1500+ users at ~300 institutions in ~40 countries; ePIC collaboration of ~900 users at 175+ institutions in 25 countries.
• Site: Brookhaven National Lab, NY

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EIC Will Answer Three Big Questions

• How does the mass of the nucleon arise?
• While the Higgs mechanism can explain all of the mass of the electron, it accounts for only a small part of the mass of the proton and neutron
• How does the spin of the nucleon arise?
• Three spin ½ quarks, bound by gluons, each with angular momentum, form a spin ½ proton.
• What are the emergent properties of dense systems of gluons?
• How does nuclear matter behave at extremely high densities found in astrophysical systems?

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Deep-Inelastic Scattering to Probe the Quarks

Key variables x and Q² in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS)

• Four-momentum transfer of virtual photon�Q² = -q² = -(k - k’)² (resolution of our probe)
• Fraction of momentum of struck quark x

Asymmetric reaction (unlike e.g. pp at LHC):

• Electrons in “backward” direction
• Hadrons (π, K,...) in every direction
• Need excellent e^-/π^- separation
• Very different detectors in forward,�barrel, and backward regions

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ePIC Detector Design

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Tracking:

• New 1.7T solenoid
• Si MAPS Tracker
• MPGDs (μRWELL/μMegas)

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PID:

• hpDIRC (BaBar re-use)
• pfRICH (mirrorless)
• dRICH (aerogel/gas)
• AC-LGAD (~30ps TOF)

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Calorimetry:

• Imaging Barrel EMCal
• PbWO4 EMCal in backward �direction
• Finely segmented EMCal+HCal�in forward direction
• Outer HCal (sPHENIX re-use)
• Backwards HCal (tail-catcher)

hadrons

electrons

η=0

5.0m

3.2m

3.5m

5.34m

Milestones in the Electron-Ion Collider Development

• 2022: Formation of the ePIC detector collaboration as EIC project detector
• DPAP advisory panel: ECCE as base design with integration of ATHENA community
• 2022-2024: Development of collaboration charter, elected leadership structure, collaboration policies (code of conduct, conference/talks, publications); structure is now complete and the next spokesperson election is coming up in early 2025.
• 2022-2024: Technical design completion, preparation for CD-2/3 milestones
• 2022: technology selection for few areas where multiple options
• 2023: change control process for detectors, finalization of design parametrization
• 2023: CD-3A milestone achieved (long lead procurement, first tranche)
• 2024: intensive pre-TDR studies, coordinated simulation campaigns, preparation, drafting
• 2024: CD-3B directors’ review, Oct 22-24 (long lead procurement, second tranche)
• 2025: From pre-TDR to full TDR (i.e. FDR) (90% design readiness)
• January 2025: CD-3B review by DOE, milestone achieved by April 2025
• Early 2026: CD-2 review by DOE, project baseline
• Note: subprojects (SP) allow for early partial start of construction
• Early 2027: CD-3 review by DOE, start of construction (all subprojects)

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EIC Canada: Key Accelerator Infrastructure

Superconducting RF Crab Cavities for High-Luminosity Collisions:

• TRIUMF, U. Victoria: design (and construction, CFI IF) of the crab cavities; 394 MHz RF dipole design similar to the LHC Hi-Lumi project; studies of higher-order damping schemes; production infrastructure (CFI IF) for high-purity Nb cavity fabrication at UVic and TRIUMF; research security and intellectual property governed by bilateral iCRADA

EIC Canada: Key ePIC Detector Infrastructure

Barrel Imaging Calorimeter (BIC): end-of-sector boxes for Pb/ScFi layers (ESB):

• U. Regina: technical lead for BIC, design (and construction, CFI IF) of ESBs, fibers testing for CD-3A/B long lead procurement (Luxium v. Kuraray, single- v. double-clad)
• Mt. Allison: HQP on dispatch to U. Regina for fiber and SiPM testing
• U. Manitoba: SiPM testing; ScFi layers: conductive cooling of AstroPIX sensors, ESB: convective water cooling for SiPM thermal stabilization, CFD studies of ESB cooling designs
• High-granularity detector technology built for AI and ML event reconstruction!

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ENERGY RESOLUTION

POSITION RESOLUTION

EIC Canada: Key ePIC Physics Studies

• How does the mass of the nucleon arise?
• Meson (π^±, K^±) form factors as a probe of emergent mass generation in hadrons, enabled by high luminosity (up to 5 particle final states) and far-forward detectors (identification in ZDC)
• U. Regina: completed studies with p(e, e′π⁺n) event generator; extension to p(e, e′K⁺Y)
• Heavy and light quark spectroscopy to determine how the strong degrees of freedom of quarks and gluons manifest themselves in the spectrum of hadronic states
• U. Regina: completed optimization of ePIC tracker with AI; developing Z_c⁺ → J/ψπ⁺, with J/ψ detection in the Barrel Imaging Calorimeter
• How does the spin of the nucleon arise?
• Electroweak processes and tests of the Standard Model through violation of fundamental symmetries, including measurements of interference structure functions F^γ,γZ,Z_1,2,3 and g^γ,γZ,Z_1,4,5
• U. Manitoba: ongoing studies of ePIC sensitivity to charged-lepton flavor violation (leptoquark searches); studies of systematic uncertainties in structure functions, requiring high luminosity and polarization; event selection with AI

Hadronic physics

Hadronic physics

Fundamental symmetries

ePIC: An International Collaboration

With Canadians in leadership roles!

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Notes:

• MtA formally accepted in ePIC in May 2025
• EIC Latin America workshop (May 2025) to result in expansion into South America

Institutions:

Collaborators:

Streaming Computing: Canadian Digital Leadership

Distributed streaming computing, centered around four tiers:

• Echelon 0: ePIC Experiment (BNL)
• Echelon 1: Two host Labs (US)
• Echelon 2: Globally distributed processing/storage data centers, includes HPC and HTC resources, targeting AI/ML/Q integration
• Echelon 3: Home institute computing

Challenge: data streams to E2 autonomously and in real-time.

EIC Canada co-leads integration of Echelon 2 testbeds through DRAC efforts:

• Shared DRAC effort (0.4 FTE); growing DRAC resource allocations (~30% of global ePIC computing needs satisfied through Canadian resources)

EIC Canada: Scope and Budget Planning

Infrastructure (CFI IF):

• Superconducting RF Crab Cavities and Barrel Imaging Calorimeter Readout Electronics (under review): TPC: $31.7M; CFI IF contribution $5.3M
• Five multi-institutional partners contributing envelope/in-kind on the order of $1-2M
• Integrated in EIC project and ePIC collaboration leadership structure
• Increases Canadian competitiveness in superconducting RF and SiPM readout
• Using NSERC MRS resources at U. Alberta for BIC electronics design

Operations (NSERC SAPPJ):

• Design (2020 to 2026): ~8 HQP/year the last 4 years, grown to ~$400k/year (in 2 year grant cycles), ~400 PI-hours/month for 11 PIs (excl. synergies)
• Construction (2026 to 2030): ~15 HQP/year, ~$600k/year budget
• Data taking (2031 and beyond): ~21 HQP/year, ~$900k/year budget, ~800 PI-hours/month for ~21 PIs

EIC in the Vision for Canadian Subatomic Physics

• The Electron-Ion Collider will uniquely address three profound questions about nucleons and how they are assembled to form the nuclei of atom
• How does the mass of the nucleon arise?
• How does the spin of the nucleon arise?
• What are the emergent properties of dense systems of gluons?
• The Electron-Ion Collider will enable groundbreaking discoveries across a multidisciplinary subatomic physics research portfolio.
• Canadian involvement will enhance the global recognition of Canada’s contributions to discovery research.
• The Electron-Ion Collider will lead to major international collaboration in research, technology, and innovation
• Canadian subatomic physics community is uniquely positioned to contribute to a more competitive Canada in discovery and innovation.

There is room for you in the broad physics program of the Electron-Ion Collider!

EIC Canada Recommendations to SAP Community

• The research direction “From quarks and gluons to nuclei” should include Canadian participation in the construction and exploitation of the Electron-Ion Collider and its primary ePIC detector, as a flagship project.
• The broad physics outcomes of the Electron-Ion Collider present opportunities for engagement from many fields in subatomic physics research.
• In large international collaborations, the Canadian subatomic physics community has a unique responsibility to ensure that the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion are promoted, in particular where other collaborators are unable to do so.
• Highly qualified personnel supported by project funding continue to be compensated at insufficient levels. An increase in the subatomic physics envelope associated with a concerted effort at increasing student stipends would ensure that we can compensate students at the levels they deserve.
• Predictable CFI Innovation Fund timelines are essential to allow planning for submissions in the context of large international collaborations.

EIC Schedule (May 2025)

Proposal for EIC Science Program in the First Years

Year - 1

Start with Phase 1 EIC

New Capability:

Commission electron polarization in parallel

Run:

10 GeV electrons on 115 GeV/u heavy ion beams (Ru or Cu) Physics:

gives world-wide new data on nPDFs and a first look on saturation

Year - 2

Start with Phase 1 EIC

Commission electron polarization in parallel

New Capability:

Commission hadron polarization in parallel

Run:

10 GeV electrons on 130 GeV/u Deuterium

Physics:

• gives world-wide new data 🡪 critical baseline for nPDFs and saturation
• free vs. bound proton structure

Run:

Last weeks 10 GeV electrons and 130 GeV polarized protons

Physics:

first look to 3d imaging of the proton

Year - 3

Start with Phase 1 EIC

Commission electron polarization in parallel

Commission hadron polarization in parallel

New Capability:

Commission running with hadron spin rotators

Run:

10 GeV electrons on 130 GeV transverse polarized protons

Physics:

3d imaging of the proton / mass of the nucleon

Run:

Last weeks switch to longitudinal proton polarization

Physics:

first look helicity structure of the proton – unravel quark, gluon and orbital angular contributions

Year - 4

Start with Phase 1 EIC

Commission electron polarization in parallel

Commission hadron polarization in parallel

Commission running with hadron spin rotators

New Capability:

Commission hadron accelerator to operate with not centered orbits

Run:

10 GeV electrons on 250 GeV transverse and longitudinal polarized protons

Physics:

• 3d imaging of the proton

at low x

• helicity structure of the proton – unravel quark, gluon and orbital angular contributions

Year - 5

Start with Phase 1 EIC

Commission electron polarization in parallel

Commission hadron polarization in parallel

Commission running with hadron spin rotators

Commission hadron accelerator to operate with not centered orbits

Run:

10 GeV electrons on 166 GeV transverse and longitudinal polarized He-3

Physics:

• 3d imaging of the nucleons 🡪 flavor separation
• helicity structure of the nucleon– unravel helicities for different quark flavors
• first look to nuclear binding

Time to install additional ESR RF and HSR PS to

reach design Current and max. Energies

Topic of April 2025 Early Science Workshop with theory community

• CFI IF: Production of crab cavities to allow the EIC to achieve its full luminosity potential (TPC $10.7M)
• Visibility of key contribution to large international project

Superconducting Radiofrequency (SRF)

for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC)

W. Deconinck, O. Kester, and team

U. Manitoba, U. Victoria, U. Regina, Mt. Allison U. & TRIUMF

• CFI IF: Production and installation end-of-sector boxes
• CFI IF: TPC ~$2M (EIC Canada component only, $20M TPC for BIC)
• Visibility of key contribution to large international collaboration

Barrel Imaging Calorimeter (BIC)

for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC)

Zisis Papandreou and team

U. Regina, U. Manitoba, Mt. Allison U.

with Argonne National Lab, et al.

Silicon pixels

Optical fibers

EIC Sub-Projects

• SP0: global
• work performed to date, CD-3A, CD-3B, Project Office, etc. (also includes pre-ops)
• SP1: accelerator rings
• all scope that if one adds an interaction region insert provides hadron beams and if one also adds an electron injector allows collisions.
• SP2: integrated interaction region section
• scope that includes section with IR magnets (SP2A) and the ePIC detector (SP2B).
• SP3: electron injector
• scope that delivers 5-10 GeV electron beams to the electron storage ring and allows a non-invasive 18 GeV enhancement; completion allows start of EIC science during commissioning.
• SP4: full capability
• scope that delivers mission need and allows full execution of the NSAC/NAS science.

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