To strengthen the cooperation of the Baltic States with the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) and promote the exchange of information on the latest scientific research in particle physics and accelerator technologies in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, the third CERN Baltic Conference «3rd CERN Baltic Conference (CBC2023)» will take place at Riga Technical University on October 9-11, 2023. The event will be held in the Moon conference room. Scientists, industry representatives, and decision makers from all three Baltic countries will participate.
Experimental high-energy particle physics and accelerator technologies are among the most prominent areas of science in the world. The conference is designed to cover the entire spectrum of physics, engineering, computing technology, research, industry, and decision-making processes, in which Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia all cooperate with CERN.
The development of important new medical technologies – such as diagnostics and cancer treatment – will be discussed as well.
On the first day, RTU rector Tālis Juhna, representatives of the executive authorities of all three countries and CERN will speak, and then the reports and discussions will be devoted to the cooperation of the industry of the Baltic countries with CERN.
CERN’s Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) Alise Pīka-Ozola will also give a speech. The ILO is tasked with the coordination of the cooperation between CERN and companies, as well as to support the opportunities of Latvian innovative companies to cooperate more closely with CERN in the field of technology transfer.
Cooperation with CERN is important for entrepreneurs from the Baltic States who offer goods and services of local origin, as they can participate in procurement organized by CERN, and increase their research and development capacity by working with one of the most important scientific laboratories in the world.
The second day of the conference will be devoted to physics - both theoretical research and experimental measurements, and questions about the work of detectors and their improvement will also be addressed. Valts Krūmiņš (LU), who works with the Antihydrogen Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy (AEgIS) and Andris Potrebko (RTU), will both read papers that day.
The final day will be dedicated to issues of medical physics and accelerator technology. RTU PhD student Kristaps Paļskis and Latvian University young scientist Edgars Mamis will present their research and detail the technologies and innovative methods offered by CERN for more effective cancer treatment.
A group of RTU scientists will also present innovations created together with international partners: for the first time in history, using additive manufacturing technology, a prototype of a particle accelerator component made of one piece of pure copper, printed with 3D technology that is intended for use in medicine and industry.
Participants will get acquainted with the work of new doctoral students and students of other study levels - Antra Gaile, Conrado Munoz Diaz, and Dace Osīte will present poster papers about their research working in the CMS experiment, while Luca Piacentini, Lazar Nikitovič, Viesturs Lācis, and Dainis Irbe – will explain their particle accelerator research.
«The conference demonstrates the growth of the science of particle physics and accelerator technology in the Baltics, especially in Latvia, because in a few years, thanks to the active support of the Latvian government, we have grown our capacity in this field of science and increased the number of Latvian scientists working at CERN,» said Kārlis Dreimanis, director of the Institute of Particle Physics and Accelerator Technologies of the Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry.
«We are happy for our new generation - students and pupils who develop their scientific works in fields related to CERN, because this is how young scientists grow, who will ensure Latvia's cooperation with CERN in the future.»
Latvia has been an associate member of CERN since August 2, 2021, and the Latvian government has decided that the country should become a full CERN member within the next few years. This will open even wider opportunities for cooperation with CERN for scientists, students, and entrepreneurs, allowing Latvia to become a full-fledged member of the global particle physics family and a creator of new scientific directions.
To implement this goal, the national research program «High-energy physics and accelerator technologies» has been operating for several years to strengthen Latvia’s scientific community and research capacities in the field of high-energy particle physics and accelerator technologies. Dr. Dreimanis has emphasized that the creation of the RTU Institute of Particle Physics and Accelerator Technologies also plays a major role in strengthening the scientific capacity, as the institute has taken a leading role in the development of the relevant scientific direction in Latvia, promoting cooperation between universities and scientific institutes and with CERN.
The integration of the Baltic States in CERN is viewed on a broader scale – the whole of the Baltics. The CERN Baltic Group was established in 2018, the purpose of which is to coordinate the work between the Baltic States and CERN. All the Baltic countries currently have CERN associate member status but have started the path to full participation in this most important scientific center in Europe.
The conference is organized by the CERN Baltic Group. The first CERN Baltic States Conference, organized by Estonia, took place in 2021 and showed that the universities and scientific institutions of the Baltic States can work in partnership with CERN as not only a part of the CERN Baltic Group, but in a much broader way. The second conference was held in Lithuania, and it is now Latvia's turn to organize the third conference. The event is organized by the RTU Particle Physics and Accelerator Technology Center in cooperation with the CERN National Contact Point in Latvia.
