Vincenzo Vagnoni from the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN, Bologna) begins tomorrow his three-year tenure as LHCb spokesperson. He takes over from Chris Parkes from the University of Manchester. Patrick Robbe from Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis Irène Joliot-Curie – IJCLab (CNRS/IN2P3 and University of Paris-Saclay) and Ulrich Uwer from Heidelberg University are new deputy-spokespersons succeeding Matteo Palutan from INFN e Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati.
Vincenzo, Patrick and Ulrich (from left to right above) will lead LHCb through the essential period to demonstrate the excellence of the new detector and to finalize the project for the future improvements.
Recently, the original LHCb experiment was replaced by a largely new detector. This was constructed to enable an expanded physics programme through an operation at a factor five higher instantaneous luminosity and through higher efficiencies with a innovative fully software trigger and the reading out of the whole detector at the LHC bunch crossing frequency of 40 MHz. This new detector, known as Upgrade I, will increase the beauty and charm particle data sample for many channels by an order of magnitude, and is now starting its physics data taking period.
In parallel, members of the collaboration are preparing a futher upgrade, Upgrade II, for which the Framework Technical Design Report was approved last year. This experiment will fully exploit the flavour physics potential of the HL-LHC to further increase the data set and expand the physics programme, profiting from increased sensitivity to identify possible signs of New Physics effects.
Chris and Matteo – thank you for your excellent coordination in the past three years.
Vincenzo, Patrick and Ulrich – good luck.