Major scientific questions

The scientific issues dealt with at the IN2P3 may be summarized in the form of several major scientific questions.

	Is there an ultimate equation for the laws of physics? Where does particle mass, and therefore all the matter from which we are made, come from? What is the physics underlying the structure of the standard Model composed of three families of elementary particles and three interactions? What is the nature and mass of the neutrino, this intangible particle, whose role in the structure and evolution of the Universe is as yet unknown, yet very widespread throughout the Universe? What has become of the antimatter that was present at the very beginning of the Universe?
	What is the structure for the nuclear matter? How are the quarks confined in the atom nuclei? How does nuclear matter behave within the confines of stability?
What is the Universe made of and how does it behave? How did the Universe behave in the past (search for origins)? How did heavy elements form in the Universe? What is dark matter and dark energy, the essential but invisible proportion of our Universe? Where do cosmic rays come from and what are their production and acceleration mechanisms?

Photo captions:

• on the left:
  One of the 32 Atlas electromagnetic calorimeter modules, one of the four experiments that are conducted with future CERN hadron collider (LHC). Atlas is mainly dedicated to research in new physics (Higgs boson, supersymmetry, additional dimensions, etc.) © CNRS/IN2P3
• on the right:
  Cime resonator, the Spiral medium-energy injector cyclotron. Spiral is an item of equipment enabling the production and acceleration of light and moderately heavy nuclei, known as exotic nuclei, which do not exist on Earth. This resonator manages the high acceleration frequency of the Cime cyclotron and thus allows the exotic nuclei to be accelerated. © Ganil, J.M. Enguerrand
• in the centre:
  The four telescopes of the HESS experiment involving the ground-based detection of very-high-energy gamma rays. Located in Namibia, Hess should provide precious information on some of the most violent phenomena in the austral Universe (supernovae, active galactic nuclei, etc.). © Hess collaboration