Charge for the American Linear Collider Physics Group
The American Linear Collider Physics Group has been created to
establish and manage a process that leads to a forefront
experimental program at a high-energy electron-positron linear
collider (LC). To be successful, this process must demonstrate
that such a physics program can, with a high level of confidence,
be carried out within a reasonable time frame and within a
reasonable budget. Given the strong international interest in this physics,
the ALCPG's role should be understood as the North American part of
a larger global effort. The ALCPG should maintain strong ties
to other groups with similar goals around the world.
The ALCPG has several main tasks, all of which will be performed
in the working groups (WGs).
(1) The WGs should describe the essential elements of an LC physics
program. From this broad program, the ALCPG should pick a
representative set of critical physics measurements for detailed
study and full simulation. This set of measurements should
be reviewed from time to time to determine whether it
should be enlarged or otherwise modified.
A preliminary definition of this physics program should be an early
milestone in the schedule.
(2) The ALCPG should coordinate the efforts of the WGs
to establish a comprehensive set of detector and
accelerator requirements to carry out the critical physics
measurements. In practice, this work will require close collaboration
between the working groups focusing on physics issues,
the detector design, and the detector/accelerator interface.
Issues related to machine parameters and how they
affect the detector and the physics program need
particular attention. The ALCPG should work closely with
the accelerator community to investigate all significant issues.
These requirements could be defined in the context of
some particular initial detector concept, but they should be
as generic as possible to allow for consideration of
competing detector technologies. The requirements should be
justified with specific reference to the critical physics
measurements or to the experimental environment.
The completion of a detector requirements document represents
one milestone.
(3) The WGs should evaluate a reasonable range of
detector options using a set of well documented,
common simulation tools. Both alternative detector
technologies and different configurations for a
specific technology should be compared in detail,
and the tradeoffs in performance and cost should be
documented. Finally, the ALCPG should produce
a design for at least one detector that can carry
out the program of critical physics measurements.
The detector design and the analysis of its ability
to accomplish the critical physics program should
be documented in detail.
The production of this document represents another milestone.
(4) Given that these detector/physics studies are likely
to lead to questions that can be answered only with
R&D, the ALCPG should help to formulate a process by
which R&D proposals can be evaluated. However, since funding
for such proposals would be provided largely
by government agencies with their own reviewing
processes, the (limited) role of the ALCPG in this process
needs to be worked out in conjunction with the funding agencies.
(5) Given the importance of documentation, the ALCPG
should establish a documentation system as early
as possible. It is anticipated that significant
support will be required to establish and maintain
this system.
(6) The ALCPG should establish a set of milestones
and a schedule for accomplishing these tasks.
A regular set of meetings should be planned to
provide a structure for presenting results and
for improving cooperation.
(7) The ALCPG should encourage and facilitate the participation
of interested groups in the process of planning the
experimental program.
