HEP Research | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)
Source: https://science.osti.gov/hep/Research
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
HEP Research | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)
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Research
Research supported by the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) is motivated by five
Science Drivers of Particle Physics
:
Use the Higgs Boson as a new tool for discovery
Pursue the physics associated with neutrino mass
Identify the new physics of dark matter
Understand cosmic acceleration: dark energy and inflation
Explore the unknown: new particles, interactions and physical principles
The science drivers provide compelling lines of inquiry that show great promise for discovery. The HEP program enables scientific discovery through a strategy organized along three interrelated frontiers of particle physics. Frontier research is supported by a vibrant theory program and is enabled by Advanced Technology R&D. In addition, investments in accelerator technology are made available to U.S. science and industry through the Accelerator Stewardship program.
HEP Research Subprograms
Energy Frontier
researchers accelerate particles to the highest-energies ever made by humanity and collide them to produce and study the fundamental constituents of matter and the architecture of the universe. Sophisticated detectors, some the size of apartment buildings, observe the newly produced particles, providing insight into the fundamental interactions and the conditions of the early universe.
Intensity Frontier
researchers use a combination of intense particle beams and highly sensitive detectors to make extremely precise measurements of particle properties, study some of the rarest particle interactions predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics, and search for new physics. Although neutrinos are ubiquitous in the universe, they are elusive and require populous beams and vast detectors to observe. Measurements of the mass and other properties of neutrinos may have profound consequences for understanding the evolution of the universe.
Cosmic Frontier
researchers seek to reveal the nature of dark matter and dark energy by using particles from space to explore new phenomena. The highest-energy particles ever observed have come from cosmic sources, and the ancient light from distant galaxies allows the distribution of dark matter to be mapped and perhaps the nature of dark energy to be unraveled. Ultra-sensitive detectors deep underground may glimpse the dark matter wind passing through Earth. Observations of the cosmic frontier reveal a universe far stranger than ever thought possible.
Theoretical and Computational Physics
provide the framework to explain experimental observations and gain a deeper understanding of nature. A thriving theory program is essential to support current experiments and identify new directions for the field. Theoretical physicists take the lead in the interpretation of a broad range of experimental results and synthesize new ideas as they search for deep connections and develop testable models. Advanced computing tools are necessary for designing, operating, and interpreting experiments while performing the computational science and simulations that enable discovery research in the three frontiers.
Advanced Technology R&D
fosters fundamental research into particle acceleration and detection techniques and instrumentation. These in turn provide the enabling technologies and new research methods that can advance scientific knowledge in high energy physics and a broad range of related fields, advancing the DOE’s strategic goals for science.
Accelerator Stewardship
coordinates with accelerator user communities and industrial accelerator providers to develop innovative solutions to critical problems, to the benefit of both the broader user communities and the DOE discovery science community. Accelerators are a workhorse of modern society and are used in medicine, national security, industry, and discovery science.
New Precise Calculation of Nuclear Beta Decays Paves the Way to Uncover Physics Beyond the Standard Model
Theorists identify new effects needed to compute the nuclear beta decay rate with a precision of a few parts in ten thousand.
Belle II Detector Produces World’s Most Precise Measurements of Subatomic Particle Lifetimes
Particle lifetime measurements with early data from the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB accelerator demonstrate the experiment’s high precision.
Contact High Energy Physics
Address
U.S. Department of Energy
SC-25/Germantown Building
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
Phone
Tel(301) 903-3624
Fax(301) 903-2597
Email
Send us a message
sc.hep@science.doe.gov
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HEP Research | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock
(
) or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
Research
Research supported by the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) is motivated by five
Science Drivers of Particle Physics
:
Use the Higgs Boson as a new tool for discovery
Pursue the physics associated with neutrino mass
Identify the new physics of dark matter
Understand cosmic acceleration: dark energy and inflation
Explore the unknown: new particles, interactions and physical principles
The science drivers provide compelling lines of inquiry that show great promise for discovery. The HEP program enables scientific discovery through a strategy organized along three interrelated frontiers of particle physics. Frontier research is supported by a vibrant theory program and is enabled by Advanced Technology R&D. In addition, investments in accelerator technology are made available to U.S. science and industry through the Accelerator Stewardship program.
HEP Research Subprograms
Energy Frontier
researchers accelerate particles to the highest-energies ever made by humanity and collide them to produce and study the fundamental constituents of matter and the architecture of the universe. Sophisticated detectors, some the size of apartment buildings, observe the newly produced particles, providing insight into the fundamental interactions and the conditions of the early universe.
Intensity Frontier
researchers use a combination of intense particle beams and highly sensitive detectors to make extremely precise measurements of particle properties, study some of the rarest particle interactions predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics, and search for new physics. Although neutrinos are ubiquitous in the universe, they are elusive and require populous beams and vast detectors to observe. Measurements of the mass and other properties of neutrinos may have profound consequences for understanding the evolution of the universe.
Cosmic Frontier
researchers seek to reveal the nature of dark matter and dark energy by using particles from space to explore new phenomena. The highest-energy particles ever observed have come from cosmic sources, and the ancient light from distant galaxies allows the distribution of dark matter to be mapped and perhaps the nature of dark energy to be unraveled. Ultra-sensitive detectors deep underground may glimpse the dark matter wind passing through Earth. Observations of the cosmic frontier reveal a universe far stranger than ever thought possible.
Theoretical and Computational Physics
provide the framework to explain experimental observations and gain a deeper understanding of nature. A thriving theory program is essential to support current experiments and identify new directions for the field. Theoretical physicists take the lead in the interpretation of a broad range of experimental results and synthesize new ideas as they search for deep connections and develop testable models. Advanced computing tools are necessary for designing, operating, and interpreting experiments while performing the computational science and simulations that enable discovery research in the three frontiers.
Advanced Technology R&D
fosters fundamental research into particle acceleration and detection techniques and instrumentation. These in turn provide the enabling technologies and new research methods that can advance scientific knowledge in high energy physics and a broad range of related fields, advancing the DOE’s strategic goals for science.
Accelerator Stewardship
coordinates with accelerator user communities and industrial accelerator providers to develop innovative solutions to critical problems, to the benefit of both the broader user communities and the DOE discovery science community. Accelerators are a workhorse of modern society and are used in medicine, national security, industry, and discovery science.
New Precise Calculation of Nuclear Beta Decays Paves the Way to Uncover Physics Beyond the Standard Model
Theorists identify new effects needed to compute the nuclear beta decay rate with a precision of a few parts in ten thousand.
Belle II Detector Produces World’s Most Precise Measurements of Subatomic Particle Lifetimes
Particle lifetime measurements with early data from the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB accelerator demonstrate the experiment’s high precision.
Contact High Energy Physics
Address
U.S. Department of Energy
SC-25/Germantown Building
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
Phone
Tel(301) 903-3624
Fax(301) 903-2597
Send us a message
sc.hep@science.doe.gov
Read more about
Top
Leaving Office of Science
The link you have requested will take you to a website outside the Office of Science.
Please click the following link to continue:
Thank you for visiting our site. We hope your visit was informative and enjoyable.
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