SMOG(2) at LHCb: a space experiment and a bowling alley

by Chiara Lucarelli (CERN)

Monday 20 Apr 2026, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Zurich

BSP 626 (EPFL)

Among the experiments operating at the LHC at CERN, the LHCb experiment has the unique capability to inject gas into the accelerator beam-pipe and operate as the highest-energy fixed-target experiment to date. Initially developed for precise luminosity measurements, since 2015 it has allowed the development of a wide physics programme, covering a previously unexplored phase-space region and energy range and providing unique inputs to several research fields, such as the nucleon structure, heavy-ion physics and astrophysics. Building on the experience of Run 2 with noble gases, the upgraded SMOG2 system—featuring a storage cell and an improved gas injection system—now enables higher luminosities and a wider range of target species, as well as routinely simultaneous acquisition of beam–gas and beam–beam collisions, effectively transforming LHCb into a bridge between collider and fixed-target physics. In this talk, the technical aspects and physics prospects of the LHCb fixed-target programme will be discussed, with a particular focus on recent and planned measurements of interest for cosmic ray physics and on the newly opened opportunity for nuclear imaging at LHCb.

LPHEseminar.pdf