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!!Workshop on Observatory Synergies for Astroparticle Physics and Geoscience
!11-12 February 2019, Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris
!!Summary and Outlook
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On February, 11-12 2019 the European Alliance for Earth Sciences – GEO.8, the
Astroparticle Physics European Consortium – APPEC and the Academia Europaea organized
the Workshop on Observatory Synergies for Astroparticle Physics and Geoscience at the
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) ([https://indico.in2p3.fr/event/18287])
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More than 60 scientists and representatives of funding agencies and companies from
11 European countries gathered together. The aim was to discuss the scientific and technical
overlapping topics of the two communities and to promote a common strategy for the future.
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It is also important to note that in the framework of the EU-funded ASPERA ERANET,
precursor of APPEC, three workshops in the period 2011-2012 had been organized and a
brochure had been prepared ([http://www.appec.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/from_the_geosphere_to_the_cosmos.pdf]) in
order to address and develop synergies between astroparticle physicists and geoscientists.
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At IPGP, many overlapping aspects concerning science, technology/methodology and
societal impacts have been identified. Some of the highlights are mentioned in the following.
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Neutrinos covering a broad energy spectrum and detected by different astroparticle
underground, underwater and under-ice observatories have the potential to additionally give
precious information about the Earth’s mantle and core.
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Cosmic ray muons, are a very promising tool to complement to geophysical imaging
techniques such as gravimetry to investigate underground structures, with many applications
ranging from volcano monitoring to archaeology and underground structure prospection.
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Methodologies developed in the context of gravitational wave research, e.g. for the
monitoring of micro-seismic noise and/or stronger seismic incidents can have applications
ranging from Earthquake Early Warning systems to the monitoring and risk evaluation of large
civil infrastructures. Inversely, geoscientific techniques and algorithms realized for subsoil
mapping and assessment of the seismic noise have a return to gravitational wave
environmental noise hunting issues.
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Ocean imaging is another example of measurements that geoscientists and deep
ocean neutrino observatories commonly perform, e.g. through the deployment of acoustic
sensors. They can give precious information on seismic activity as well as hints about
biological formations and the behavior of deep ocean life.
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More generally, astroparticle physicists and geoscientists working with underground
or underwater facilities/instrumentation can reveal with unprecedented detail the
characteristics and the geological role of “deep-life” in Earth or Ocean.
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An overview of recent discoveries on life in the deep Earth attracted much attention
and confirmed the needs of investigations in extreme environment.
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On the technical front, the innovations concerning large distributed seismic and
gravimetry networks based on very new technologies have an impact on both sides of the
astro-geo-synergy. A common interest arose thus on the recent developments using optical
fibers as distributed acoustic or strain sensors monitoring large areas as well as means of
implementation of precise timing and synchronization.
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Last but not least, a geoscience observatory in preparation, the Krafla Magma Testbed
(KMT, www.kmt.is) was presented as an example of a possible locus of development of
synergies around a large infrastructure.
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In the discussion that followed the presentation of the above characteristic but certainly
not exhaustive list of synergies, the gathered agencies and leading scientists decided to
pursue and enhance the work along the following lines:
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__i. __The sustainable institution of yearly meetings on these common topics of synergy,
eventually opening them to the global community. The effort to implicate ESFRI and Other
World Class (OWC) infrastructures, from both fields in order to assess synergies has to
be enhanced. The participants demanded therefore that next meetings could be
organized close to large infrastructures of either field. The European Gravitational
Observatory (EGO), host of the VIRGO gravitational-wave detector close to Pisa, in Italy,
will thus be the location of the next workshop in 2020. It was also recommended to involve
already existing overlapping communities, such as the geoneutrino one, already engaged
in the organization of conferences and summer schools on shared topics.
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__ii.__ The common future demands concerning computing and IT technology, already the
subject of COST actions (e.g. COST CA17135 on Machine Learning in Geoscience and
Gravitational Waves) have not been deeply treated in the workshop in Paris but should be
considered in the near future and included in a dedicated event and/or in the planned
conference of 2020.
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__iii.__ In order to realize ambitious collective projects, the APPEC and GEO.8 representatives
recommended to summarize the shared demands and aims in a roadmap for the
upcoming years. An ''ad hoc'' working group for the preparation of this document will be
soon established. The different funding agencies and organizations involved in APPEC,
GEO.8, EGU and AGU – the European and American Geoscience Unions, could be then
more easily engaged in joint activities involving for instance the realization of large
infrastructures such as those proposed by the KMT Consortium.
iv. Concerning the consortia links, the Chair of the Executive Board of GEO.8 will be invited
to the General Assembly meetings of APPEC as an observer and vice-versa.
v. The Earth and Cosmic Sciences section of the Academia Europaea can provide the
framework for further discussing and exploring synergies between astroparticle physicists
and geoscientists.
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__vi.__ Last but not least, the EU framework programs Horizon 2020 and the future Horizon
Europe are an opportunity to finance joint activities in different categories e.g. FET, ERC
synergy, MSCA- COFUND/ ITN/ RISE, without excluding possible options in the pillars
Industrial Leadership and Societal Challenges, and the respective successors in FP9.
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This document is signed by the organizing team, the representative of Academia
Europaea, the chair of APPEC and the Executive Secretary of GEO.8: Michel Diament, Stavros
Katsanevas, Francesca Moglia, [Paolo Papale|Member/Papale_Paolo], Teresa Montaruli and Alexander Rudloff.
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Download the [document|AP&G_Conclusions_and_outlook.pdf]
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