Description
The Future Circular Collider (FCC) is CERN’s proposed next flagship particle physics facility. With a circumference of 91 km, it would first host an electron-positron collider with centre‑of‑mass energies from 90 to 365 GeV, enabling detailed studies of W, Z, Higgs, and top quark physics. The same tunnel offers an upgrade path to a future hadron collider, with energies around 100 TeV.
The recent FCC feasibility study has established the technical viability and physics case for the project, and work is now intensifying toward a go/no‑go decision in 2028. Realising the FCC poses major challenges. The accelerator design is exceedingly demanding, with complexities including the specialised beam optics required to achieve very high luminosities, and careful management of the extreme synchrotron radiation load. The particle physics challenges are no less severe, requiring order-of-magnitude improvements to theoretical predictions and advanced analytical techniques to fully exploit the data that the FCC will provide.
At the same time, the FCC offers unprecedented opportunities. From accelerating cavities and magnet designs to software and computing infrastructure, every aspect of the facility demands innovation. By pushing both the energy and intensity frontiers, the FCC will deliver high‑precision measurements that can probe potential deviations from the Standard Model, and Australia is well placed to contribute to and benefit from this effort.
The University of Melbourne has recently joined the FCC collaboration, and there is substantial scope for broader Australian involvement in accelerator design, theory, phenomenology and analysis. This contribution will outline the FCC roadmap, highlight key open questions, and identify areas where engagement from the Australian physics community could have high impact.
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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