High-energy particle colliders enable the systematic, direct and conclusive exploration of short-distance fundamental physics laws. Point-like particles such as electrons and muons are particularly suited for this purpose because their collision energy is entirely available to produce short-distance reactions. Unlike electrons, muons are sufficiently heavy to be accelerated in a ring without limitation from synchrotron radiation, allowing to envisage a muon collider energy of 10 TeV or more with a reasonably compact footprint. A coordinated global effort is underway to establish the technological feasibility of such very high energy muon collider.
The novel theoretical and experimental environment offered by high-energy muon collisions entails unique opportunities to advance knowledge of fundamental physics in the search for new phenomena, as well as unique challenges. Studying these opportunities and addressing these challenges will require and produce innovative and exciting research in theoretical as well as experimental physics, on top of paving the way towards a muon collider.
François Brun, Matthias Saimpert
