Physics for sustainability

In scientific communities, and particularly in physics, sustainability is now addressed not only as a phenomenon to be studied but also as a crucial theme to be incorporated into all major future scientific projects, such as the Future Circular Collider (FCC) and the Einstein Telescope (ET), as well as in ongoing research activities.

As early as 2020, the European particle physics community published an update to the European Strategy for Particle Physics. In this document, it was recommended that CERN conduct a feasibility study for the FCC, a gigantic accelerator that could become the successor to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It was also emphasized that “a detailed plan for minimizing environmental impact, energy saving, and reuse should be part of the approval process for any large project.”

In other words, sustainability must be integrated into every large-scale experimental infrastructure and fundamental physics research project. This principle is now widely shared and adopted by the entire scientific community. More generally, CERN has committed to ensuring that every new Laboratory project serves as an example of sustainable research infrastructure, integrating eco-design principles at every stage, from planning and construction to operations and dismantling.

To explore this topic further, you can visit CERN’s page.

The feasibility study for FCC was published last March and consists of a three-volume report, with the third volume specifically dedicated to “Civil Engineering, Implementation, and Sustainability.”

The study envisions projects for a new research infrastructure that will host the next generation of high-performance particle accelerators, aiming to extend the research currently conducted at CERN and to help maintain its leadership in the field. The document explores various accelerator options, combined into a single research infrastructure comprising a 90 km underground tunnel, capable of supporting a robust and diversified physics program with a horizon extending beyond the end of the century.

The environmental feasibility of FCC is analyzed by evaluating aspects ranging from biodiversity preservation to the use of excavated materials, studying more energy-efficient technologies and implementing renewable energy solutions. The study also addresses the project’s energy balance by working on two fronts: improving the efficiency of the superconducting magnet system and exploring new scenarios for sustainable energy consumption, focusing on an energy supply based on a mix of renewable sources. INFN is involved in FCC through complex research and development activities related to the IDEA detector (Innovative Detector for Electron-positron Accelerator), as well as through the study of the infrastructure to be built and the design of the lepton collider.

Another important aspect when discussing sustainability is the use of measurement tools useful for monitoring and control activities. In this context, INFN participates in the research infrastructure Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases ACTRIS, a pan-European initiative that coordinates European scientific observations and research on aerosols, clouds, and trace gases. The Institute is involved through: LABEC (Laboratory of Nuclear Techniques for Environment and Cultural Heritage) of the Florence Division and ChAMBRe (Chamber for Aerosol Modelling and Bio-aerosol Research) of the Genoa Division. Today, these two laboratories are synergistically included within ERIC-ACTRIS, with LABEC hosting the European reference center for elemental characterization of atmospheric particulate matter, and ChAMBRe serving as a “national facility” specialized in studying the biological component and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols—arguably the most elusive pollutant, with significant impacts on both health and climate change.

At LABEC, samples of atmospheric particulate matter are analyzed using ion beams produced by the laboratory’s accelerator. This technique, called Ion Beam Analysis (IBA), allows for rapid, non-destructive, and non-invasive determination of the elemental composition of particulate matter. Alongside IBA measurements, complementary analyses are also performed to reconstruct phenomena such as particulate transport or to identify the sources from which the particles originated. The information obtained from these various nuclear analytical techniques can be effectively combined and synthesized to provide essential insights for developing effective pollution reduction policies and understanding climate change.

In Europe, the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking project was created with the goal of equipping the European community with HPC computers. Thanks to this initiative, three major supercomputers have been funded, among the ten most powerful in the world for civil use: Leonardo in Italy, at the Bologna Technopole Dama; Marenostrum5 in Spain; and Lumi in Finland. Our country has seen an investment of about 5 billion euros from European funds in computing, and Italy is the third country in the world in estimated computing power for civil machines (after the USA in first place and Japan in second).

To address the sustainability challenge of scientific computing, Europe has funded, within the Horizon Europe program, the SPECTRUM. We know that the amount of data collected, shared, and processed in frontier research is expected to increase rapidly over the next decade, leading to unprecedented needs for data processing, simulation, and analysis. In particular, particle physics and radio astronomy are preparing revolutionary tools that will require computing infrastructures with capacities far greater than current ones. In this context, SPECTRUM’s task will be to formulate a Research, Innovation, and Implementation Strategy (SRIDA) that outlines sustainable solutions, both financially and in terms of environmental impact. SPECTRUM brings together leading scientific computing actors and the largest European computing centers. Italy participates through INFN and Cineca which will be supported by the ICSC HPC, Big Data, and Quantum Computing National Research Infrastructure.

Energy saving remains a key point for sustainability, the future of research, and societal progress. At INFN interventions are underway on buildings and facilities to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce consumption, such as the installation of the first large photovoltaic system at the National Laboratory of Frascati. This system, with a peak power of 1.1 MW, will be installed on 15 buildings and will help cover 10% of the electricity consumption for basic activities at LNF. The realization of this project was made possible through a public-private partnership and funding from the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) via the National Research Program (PNR), covering the part financed by the institution.