White Paper #1: Fundamental Physics

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics and General Relativity (GR) are the two pillars of our current understanding of Nature. Both theories have been probed individually with ever increasing precision and are consistent with nearly all experimental observations. However, they fail to explain dark matter, dark energy, or the imbalance between matter and anti-matter in the universe. Yet, dark matter and dark energy represent 95% of the energy content of our universe while known matter (atoms, molecules) amounts to only 5%. Today, dark matter and dark energy have an unknown origin and there is a great deal of experimental and theoretical activity to solve this puzzle. In summary, the clustering of large-scale structure and the accelerated behaviour of cosmic fluid could be addressed whether finding out new (unknown) forms of matter or assuming that gravity behaves in different ways at infrared scales. Furthermore, the lack of a self-consistent theory of Quantum Gravity prevents the unification of SM and GR at ultraviolet scales. This is one of the biggest challenges that theoretical physics is facing today. String theory or loop quantum gravity are good candidates to solve this puzzle and interestingly both of them foresee violations of the Einstein's Equivalence Principle. With that respect the Einstein's Equivalence Principle assumes a central role in the search for a quantum theory of gravity. The open problems in fundamental physics investigated in this white paper are: (i) Validity of the Einstein's Equivalence Principle; (ii) Origin and nature of dark matter and dark energy; (iii) Decoherence and collapse models in quantum mechanics; (iv) Quantum many-body physics. They will be addressed from different research corners and with different experimental methods: (i) Ultracold atoms; (ii) High stability and accuracy atomic clocks; (iii) Matter-wave interferometry; (iv) Classical and quantum links. The cosmos is a particularly attractive laboratory as it provides particles (cosmic rays) or objects (black holes, neutron stars) which are not produced in manmade laboratories. Space is also an excellent environment for high precision physics as the absence of atmosphere or drag-free satellites provide unique observation opportunities. For instance the MICROSCOPE mission has taken advantage of extremely long free-fall conditions in Earth orbit to set the record in testing the Equivalence Principle beyond what has been possible on Earth. Large velocity, velocity variations and large variation of the gravitational potential are accessible on board a spacecraft, thus providing wide signals for testing GR. Finally, the huge free propagation distances available in space provide very long baselines to test the spacetime metric with high performance links both classical and quantum

Cold atoms in space: community workshop summary and proposed road-map

We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies

Cold atoms in space: community workshop summary and proposed road-map

We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies.publishedVersio

Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry:Workshop Summary

This document presents a summary of the 2023 Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry Workshop hosted by CERN. The workshop brought together experts from around the world to discuss the exciting developments in large-scale atom interferometer (AI) prototypes and their potential for detecting ultralight dark matter and gravitational waves. The primary objective of the workshop was to lay the groundwork for an international TVLBAI proto-collaboration. This collaboration aims to unite researchers from different institutions to strategize and secure funding for terrestrial large-scale AI projects. The ultimate goal is to create a roadmap detailing the design and technology choices for one or more km-scale detectors, which will be operational in the mid-2030s. The key sections of this report present the physics case and technical challenges, together with a comprehensive overview of the discussions at the workshop together with the main conclusions

Cold atoms in space: community workshop summary and proposed road-map

We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies

The Role of Thermal Water in Chronic Skin Diseases Management: A Review of the Literature

The benefits of thermal water in different diseases have been known since ancient times. Over the past decades, a re-assessment of the use of mineral water for the treatment of several pathologic conditions has taken place around the world. Today, water therapy is being practiced in many countries that have a variety of mineral springs considerably different in their hydrogeologic origin, temperature, and chemical composition. Thermal water and balneotherapy offer several advantages: this approach needs no chemicals or potentially harmful drugs; there are almost no side effects during and after treatment, and there is a low risk to the patient's general health and well-being. However, it is difficult to evaluate the efficacy of this therapeutic approach in clinical practice due to the complexity of molecular mechanisms underlying its efficacy. Here we review the current knowledge of the chemical, immunological, and microbiological basis for therapeutic effects of thermal water with a specific focus on chronic inflammatory skin diseases. We also describe recent evidence of the major dermatologic diseases that are frequently treated by balneotherapy with a remarkable rate of success. Moreover, we discuss the potential role of balneotherapy either alone or as a complement to conventional medical treatments

La Depressione nell'Adulto con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico ad alto funzionamento: Prevalenza, Fattori di Rischio, e Trattamenti: una revisione sistematica

Questo studio esplora la connessione tra il Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico (ASD) di livello 1 in assenza di disabilità cognitiva e la depressione negli adulti. Gli adulti con ASD hanno un rischio 4 volte maggiore rispetto alla popolazione generale di sviluppare depressione, a causa di fattori come deficit nella Teoria della Mente, isolamento sociale, disturbi del sonno e ideazione suicidaria. Mentre alcune terapie cognitivo-comportamentali e quella basata sulla mindfulness possono aiutare, le sfide diagnostiche e la sensibilità ai farmaci complicano la gestione. L'obiettivo di questa revisione sistematica è (1) valutare in che misura è diffusa la sintomatologia depressiva tra gli adulti con autismo ad alto funzionamento e (2) identificare i fattori di rischio e protettivi specifici associati allo sviluppo della depressione negli adulti con autismo ad alto funzionamento. Metodi: Questa revisione sistematica, in linea con le linee guida PRISMA, ha analizzato la comorbilità della depressione negli adulti con autismo ad alto funzionamento; alla fine della revisione sono stati inclusi 18 articoli nell’analisi. Discussioni: Gli adulti con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico (ASD) hanno un alto rischio di depressione. La depressione può essere influenzata dai tratti autistici, complicando il quadro. Alcuni fattori di rischio includono le difficoltà nelle funzioni esecutive, problemi di Teoria della Mente e riconoscimento facciale, isolamento sociale e difficoltà sociali, disturbi del sonno e un rischio aumentato di suicidio. Sono necessarie ulteriori ricerche per comprendere i fattori protettivi e i trattamenti efficaci per la depressione in individui con ASD