Slovenian experts: CERN a place to learn, grow and be inspired

Slovenia will join CERN as a full member this year as the country's flag is raised at the organisation's headquarters in Meyrin, Switzerland on 10 June. Membership will enable Slovenian researchers to participate more actively in key research projects and thus contribute to raising the global profile of Slovenian science.

Slovenian researchers have been working with CERN for decades. They see it as a place of collaboration and growth.

Slovenians at heart of biggest experiments

"The Slovenian research team has successfully established itself in this top scientific environment, which testifies to our expertise and dedication in the field of particle physics," says Andrej Gorišek from the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) in Ljubljana, who took over on 1 March as chief coordinator of the ATLAS detector at CERN's current flagship instrument, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

At the heart of the detector are proton collisions, which produce new, often unexplored particles that researchers are using to unravel the mysteries of our universe and existence. "My job is to ensure smooth and high-quality data capture during these collisions," Gorišek told the STA.

In 2012, he was also heavily involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Slovenian team of about 20 researchers is today actively involved in upgrading the detector, which will allow the LHC to detect even more collisions and search for rare physical phenomena more efficiently when it is upgraded in the future.

Neža Ribarič, a PhD student in experimental particle physics, also works on the ATLAS experiment, studying the basic building blocks of nature and their interactions. Currently, she is mainly working on writing software to reconstruct particle trajectories in the new detector and on the new computing hardware.

This area is becoming increasingly important, she says, in view of the upcoming upgrade of the LHC, when the number of collisions and the amount of particles detected will be much higher than today. Gorišek estimates that it will allow as many as ten times more proton collisions. It will thus have the potential to open up new areas of research beyond the achievements of the existing LHC.

To efficiently handle such a large number of events, Ribarič says developing methods to reconstruct particle trajectories in real time will be crucial.

"Such an approach will allow a more precise view of what is happening at the time of a particular collision and informed decision-making on which events are of scientific interest and worthy of being stored on disk," she says. Most of the detected collisions do not contain new or interesting physical processes.

Cooperation between researchers and engineers essential

Gorišek says the reliable operation of the detectors requires coordinated work of a large team of experts. The role of engineers is also indispensable to ensure that the research infrastructure operates reliably and safely. "We need to make sure that the technical solutions always support the research objectives," says Miha Dolenc, who works as a technical electronics engineer.

One of the most challenging tasks he faces is the ongoing maintenance of the systems, where rapid response is crucial in the event of a malfunction, especially if the accelerator shuts down. "In case of a breakdown, it is crucial to get the accelerator back up and running as quickly as possible, as this is the only way to prevent the loss of scientifically valuable information," he points out.

Collaboration between engineers and scientists is key to pushing technological and scientific boundaries. "At CERN, it's not enough to just make systems work. They have to work optimally and be ready for the most demanding conditions," he says.

Replacing entire systems because they are outdated or worn out is an interesting challenge and an opportunity for him, as it puts him in touch with state-of-the-art technology and allows him to contribute directly to the development of new solutions.

These will also be needed to develop future detectors for the new Future Circular Collider (FCC), which has a circumference of around 91 kilometres and could succeed the LHC after 2040.

Visitors welcome to CERN

In addition to their research and engineering work, Slovenian scientists at CERN are also involved in activities aimed at the general public. Tadej Novak, a postdoctoral researcher in the SMASH programme at the IJS, is working with CERN researchers to develop artificial intelligence for faster simulation of the detectors used to detect particles.

During his PhD studies, he also became a visitor guide to CERN. "I wanted to learn how to explain my work as simply as possible and at the same time get to know CERN better," he says. Visitors are guided around the organisation by the researchers and engineers themselves, which Novak says gives a more personal touch to the complex science and gives people a better understanding of what is going on there.

Sharing passion for research

CERN brings together researchers and engineers from all over the world. It thus makes for a distinctly multicultural and collaborative environment. "It's amazing how people from different backgrounds work together in tune on the most complex scientific projects here," Gorišek notes.

Similarly, Ribarič sees CERN as a community united by a "shared passion for research". Meeting top experts can be a challenge for young researchers, as there is sometimes a feeling of intruder syndrome. "But it also offers a tremendous opportunity to learn, grow and be inspired," she says.

The ATLAS collaboration, for example, supports these encounters through various initiatives such as mentoring schemes and special programmes where young people get valuable practical advice to kick-start their research journey.

She advises young researchers to persevere, to seek support in communities and mentoring, and to surround themselves with people who encourage them. "It's important not to give up, every step counts," she points out.