CLAF / MCTI High-Level Seminar
“Opportunities for the Latin-American Participation and Cooperation in Astroparticle Physics and the SWGO Project"
20 April 2023, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
PRESS RELEASE PDF HERE
The Latin American Center for Physics (CLAF) was founded in 1962 and last year celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. Among the initiatives to take stock of these six decades of contributions to the promotion and development of physics in the Latin American continent, was the creation of the Astroparticle Physics Unit, to support CLAF in actions targeted specifically towards this field of scientific investigation.
For over seventy years, since the implementation of the first international cosmic ray observatory in South America, at Mount Chacaltaya, in Bolivia, Astroparticle Physics has been a vivid and active field of research throughout Latin America, often at the forefront of science. It has therefore contributed extensively to the fostering of international cooperation in science and technology at the international level, for the benefit of all countries in the region. At the same time, it is continually looking at future perspectives, for the next research questions and scientific discoveries.
This High-Level Seminar jointly convened by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil, aims to drive the debate on the role of Astroparticle Physics, as a frontier field of physics research and technology, in fostering regional development. The Seminar represents a unique opportunity for the Latin American community to address the future of the field in the continent, and the global cooperation leading up to the next major experiment to the installed at the Andes: the Southern Wide-Field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO). Launched in 2019, the SWGO Project has completed the third of its five years of Research & Development, and as it approaches the definitive milestone of site selection and detector technology definition, it is a fitting time to explore the regional and international coordination towards its realization as a truly Latin American experiment.
The seminar intends to facilitate constructive dialogue between policy-makers and key stakeholders from different sectors of government, academia, and industry, among others, to address broader perspectives and opportunities of participation and cooperation in Astro-particle Physics and the future SWGO project.
It represents therefore an opportunity to provide guidance and recommendations, which will shape and position future activities in the field as a driver of scientific development, innovation, and socio-economic impact for Latin America.
Going forward, the Astroparticle Physics Unit of CLAF will seek to continue supporting and stimulating exchanges between the various relevant stakeholders towards these goals.