INFN in the world

INFN undertakes a large part of its research as part of large international collaborations: it participates in experiments in the most prestigious foreign laboratories and research centres; it is present on five continents and has collaborations in dozens of countries. Its strong internationalisation also derives from the global nature of scientific research in the field of fundamental physics, so-called “big science” projects.

Its many international activities include what it does at CERN in Geneva, which is of paramount importance. Italy is one of the founding countries of the European laboratory and, via INFN, is still one of the most active members.
INFN research groups operate at CERN; these include, overall, 1,000 people engaged in all the experiments conducted both with the LHC particle accelerator (CMS, ATLAS, ALICE, LHCb, LHCf, Totem), and with the SPS accelerator (COMPASS), and other CERN scientific projects (like AEgIS).
INFN is also highly involved in experimental activities that take place at other large foreign laboratories and centres, like FERMILAB, SLAC, BNL, and JLAB (United States); PNPI, BINP and JINR (Russia); BEPC2 (China); RIKEN and KEK (Japan); BARC (India), DESY and GSI (Germany); ESRF (France); PSI (Switzerland); ESS (Sweden); and ELI (Romania) etc.

CERN Science Gateway

Aerial shots of Wilson Hall and the Fermilab site (© FERMILAB)

INFN has signed more than 100 agreements for scientific cooperation with research institutes located in 30 countries. For greater and greater coordination of the scientific research activities, each year the Institute’s Executive Committee participates in bilateral meetings with the representatives of the main research institutions in the following countries: China (IHEP), France (CNRS/IN2P3, CEA), United Kingdom (STFC), Russia (JINR, Kurchatov Institute), and United States (DOE, NSF). Given the current international conditions, cooperation and scientific exchange with the Russian institutions have been discontinued. In Jordan, INFN had a leading role supporting and participating in the construction of SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East), the first “supermicroscope” with synchrotron light built in the Middle East. This was made possible by the agreement and funding of a consortium of countries that brought together States involved in conflicts with each other in the name of peace and knowledge.

In Italy, the four National Laboratories of the Institute attract researchers from all over the world every year. INFN promotes and encourages all initiatives aimed at intensifying scientific relationships with foreign institutions and researchers, both through special programmes hosting scholars in Italy, and through the exchange of researchers based on specific conventions and agreements. On average, approximately 500 foreign researchers visit our facilities every year. Those activities carried out in Italy that have a strong international bent include Virgo and KM3NeT. Virgo is located in Cascina, near Pisa. It is an interferometer antenna for researching gravitational waves, a project led in a joint venture with the French institute CNRS IN2P3 and the Dutch institute Nikhef.
KM3NeT is a sub-marine research facility for neutrinos being installed in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. The detectors are cosmic neutrino telescopes composed of arrays of thousands of optical sensors able to see weak Cherenkov light generated by the charged particles produced in collisions of neutrinos with water.  KM3NeT consists of two nodes: ORCA off the coast of Toulon (France) and ARCA off the coast of Portopalo di Capo Passero (Italy).

SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East)

INFN is in charge of building the Italian node that involves the National Laboratories of the South and various divisions of INFN.
Together with numerous research institutions of the largest European countries, INFN is the founder of ApPEC (Astroparticle Physics European Coordination); it is the member of “European Science Foundation” (ESF) in Strasbourg; and it coordinates the European-Indian programme for disseminating GRID in India EU-IndiaGRID2. In addition, INFN has its own representatives on the NuPECC (Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee) experts committee, on the PESC (Physical and Engineering Sciences) scientific committee of ESF, in ICFA (International Committee Future Accelerators), and in ECFA (European Committee Future Accelerators). It is a member of the European Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology (EUROSCIENCE) in Strasbourg; it is a shareholder, together with the CNR (the National Research Council), of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble. In Sweden, it is the Representing Entity for MUR at the ERIC - ESS European Spallation Source research centre, which will host the most powerful neutron source in the world in Lund, collaborating with CNR and Elettra Trieste in the creation of the accelerator machine and beam lines for neutrons.