QCD is the fundamental quantum field theory that describes the strong interactions between particles. It is one of the basic building blocks of the Standard Model of Particle Physics and it is responsible for the formation of nuclear matter. In particular,… Read more QCD at high temperature plays a crucial role in understanding a large number of physical processes spanning from the cosmological evolution of the early universe to the interpretation of the experimental results of heavy ions collisions. Due to asymptotic freedom, one could hope that a perturbative description of the dynamics of the theory becomes possible in the high temperature regime. However, the behaviour of the theory is strongly non- perturbative even at very high temperatures and the lattice is the only theoretical framework in which a first-principles, non-perturbative study is possible. So far, most of the numerical studies on the lattice are restricted to the low temperature regime (T<2 GeV) due to technical limitations. In the present project we overcome those limitations by using a recent strategy - proposed and developed by our group - based on using shifted boundary conditions along the temporal direction. Despite the novelty, that method has already given interesting results in the calculation of the Equation of State of SU(3) Yang-Mills theory and, more recently, in QCD for the calculation of the mesonic non-singlet screening masses projected onto zero Matsubara frequency. The purpose of the present application is to extend the above calculations studying, for the first time, the non-static sector of the mesonic screening masses and the baryonic one over a wide range of temperatures. These quantities are very interesting observables from the phenomenological point of view, since they encode fundamental properties of the plasma. Moreover, if the unreliability of the perturbative results obtained in the static sector of the mesonic screening masses were confirmed in those new sectors, this will make it clear that the dynamics of the plasma cannot be explained by the knowledge that we have from perturbation theory. We plan to investigate the above mentioned screening masses at 8 different values of temperature, approximately from 3 GeV, up to very high temperature, about 80 GeV. In order to perform the continuum limit extrapolation, we will take into account 4 different values of the lattice spacing. For this reason, we request computational resources for a total of 50 Mch.

Our understanding of Nature depends on our ability to validate, with experiments, theoretical predictions for observable quantities. The Standard Model of particles describes three of the four known fundamental forces in Nature and has been extensively tested at collider experiments over the last… Read more decades. Strong interactions are one of its components and are characterized by so-called non-perturbative phenomena. Their low-energy contribution to quantities measurable in experiments can be predicted from first principles by discretizing QCD on a four-dimensional lattice and simulate it with Monte Carlo methods on world-class HPC facilities. To test the Standard Model to unprecedented precision the interplay between strong and electromagnetic forces must be considered, and the goal of this project is the prediction of the so-called isospin-breaking corrections for several phenomenologically relevant quantities, from first principles Lattice QCD+QED simulations. The primary focus is on the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, a promising candidate for unveiling new fundamental phenomena beyond our current understanding, but this project opens the door to the precise assessment of isospin-breaking effects also in hadronic tau decays or meson leptonic decays.

The Standard Model of Particle Physics (SM) explains almost all results of all experiments conducted in laboratories on a huge variety of processes in the electroweak and strong interaction sectors. However, it is widely accepted that the SM cannot be the ultimate… Read more theory of fundamental interactions because it provides no explanation for several phenomena in Nature. The experimental measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment �µ currently shows a discrepancy of about 4 standard deviations from the theoretical expectations of the SM. The largest contribution to the theoretical uncertainty comes from the Hadron Vacuum Polarization (HVP) whose first principles, non-perturbative computation can be performed only by Monte Carlo simulations of lattice QCD. However, state of the art techniques have difficulty to further increase the numerical accuracy, which could only be achieved with unfeasibly large amounts of computer time. This project aims at measuring the HVP with an unprecedented precision, exploiting an innovative and very powerful multi-level algorithm. We expect that our method will become the standard for Monte Carlo studies of correlations functions in lattice QCD; the outcomes of this study will enable a lattice QCD determination of HVP to impact the SM prediction for �µ for the first time

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is the fundamental quantum field theory that describes the strong interactions between particles. Its non- perturbative dynamics can be investigated from first principles only by numerical simulations on the lattice. The behaviour of the theory is unknown for temperatures… Read more above 1-2 GeV due to numerical challenges. This proposal continues a previous one (ID: 2018194651) where, using the theoretical framework based on the formulation of a thermal quantum theory in a moving frame, we are able to explore for the first time and with the accuracy of about 1-2% the thermal properties of QCD up to the Electro-Weak scale. In particular we focus on the Equation of State at zero chemical potential. The present project aims at calculating the renormalization constants of the energy-momentum tensor, concluding the computation started with 2018194651. The data we have collected show that our new method is, by far, more efficient than the state of the art and it will become the standard. The final result of the two parts of the project will be a milestone in the knowledge of the quark-gluon phase of QCD, and it will be of the utmost importance for studying and modeling the evolution of the Early Universe.

One of the most promising directions in contemporary drug discovery research is based on targeting non-native proteins conformations (e.g. so–called cryptic pockets). In particular, authors involved in this proposal have been involved in conceiving and developing a novel paradigm called PPI-FIT (defined below),… Read more which is based on hindering the folding of the target protein. This approach led to the discovery of SM875, a small molecule capable of selectively reducing the cellular levels of the human prion protein (PrP), the substrate of prions, infectious protein aggregates involved in several fatal incurable neurodegenerative diseases. A crucial piece of information required in the hit-to-lead optimization of cryptic pocket drug candidates (including SM875) is the atomic resolution of the structure of the binding pose. In conventional drug discovery efforts, this information could is obtained by X-ray crystallography or NMR experiments. Unfortunately, these techniques cannot provide the structure of unstable protein conformers, even when they are stabilized by the interaction with a small molecule, like SM875 does for PrP, because of their high aggregation propensity. Several recent studies have highlighted the unique advantage of performing protein crystallization in microgravity conditions1. The primary goal of this proposal is to define a roadmap to further develop such a space-based technology to achieve the crystallization of protein non-native conformers, by assaying different experimental protocols. Our experimental setup will be first tested in a pioneering experiment, included in the upcoming SpX27 space mission. The goal of the present proposal is to capitalize on the preliminary results generated by this first mission to further develop this technology, leading to a stable, scalable, and versatile protocol for crystallizing non-native protein conformers in microgravity conditions.

The MiSS project targets transformative progress in the emerging field of distributed quantum sensing exploiting multi-mode microwave squeezing. The final goal is to realise a robust and scalable technology for microwave squeezing and generation of nonclassical microwave radiation based on superconducting… Read more (meta)materials. The three specific objectives of the MiSS project are: 1) Technological innovation, investigating new material and scalable microfabrication approaches to optimise the building blocks to produce Travelling Wave Parametric Amplifiers-based squeezers; 2) Metrology protocols, developing dedicated cryogenic measurement protocols to accurately evaluate the radiation quantumness, opening the way to standardisation; 3) Realisation of a prototype for real world applications, developing a system with scalability potential for distributed quantum sensing in the microwave regime. A use-case dedicated to multi-parameter sensing for material characterisation will be targeted. The outcomes of this project will pave the way towards real exploitation of quantum-enhanced sensing techniques in the microwave regime. The MiSS consortium brings together a unique set of expertise in design, materials, metrology, fabrication, cryogenic characterisation and commercialisation to be able to deliver on this ambitious goal.

We are on the verge of the next big breakthrough in gravitational wave (GW) astronomy: namely the detection of a nano-Hz GW signal with Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs). Within the next few years nano-Hz GWs will be established as a completely… Read more new window on our Universe, unlocking an unprecedented opportunity to unveil its secrets. The signal is anticipated to come from a cosmic population of supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), which are a fundamental, yet observationally missing, piece in the process of structure formation and galaxy evolution. However, alternative Early Universe origins, including backgrounds arising from inflation or phase transitions, cannot be dismissed a priori. To exploit the scientific breakthrough potential of this new window we need an innovative, robust framework to build our way forward in uncharted territory. A framework that allows us to establish the nature of the nano-Hz GW signal and understand its implications for astrophysics and cosmology. PINGU is this framework; it is a concerted multimessenger project for connecting the GW and electromagnetic (EM) Universe in a novel way. On the one hand, it will leverage on the 15-year long expertise of the PI in PTA observations, data analysis and signal characterization to pin down the properties of the nano-Hz GW signal and characterize its features. On the other hand, it will exploit the most powerful all sky survey and state of the art galaxy formation models to construct a live nano-Hz GW map of our Universe and match it with the upcoming results of PTA observations. This will allow us to exploit the full potential of the nano-Hz GW sky, including: i) establishing the origin of the GW signal and probe its astrophysical nature, ii) gain unprecedented insights into the formation and evolution of SMBHBs and their role in galaxy formation, iii) identify SMBHBs and map their distribution in the Universe, iv) enable, for the first time, multimessenger astronomy in the nano-Hz GW band

Extracting the polarisation of electroweak (EW) bosons from Large-Hadron-Collider (LHC) data represents a crucial step towards a deep understanding of the electroweak-symmetry-breaking (EWSB) mechanism realised in nature. Therefore, an accurate and realistic theoretical modelling is needed for polarised-boson production and decay in… Read more relevant LHC processes. In order to improve the current theoretical accuracy for polarised-bosons processes and to enable direct comparisons with experimental data, this research aims at the inclusion of higher-order corrections in the strong and EW couplings through a matching of fixed-order predictions to parton-shower programs. This will be carried out within the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, as well as in the presence of beyond-the-SM effects, allowing for broad phenomenological investigations of the EWSB and fostering the development of polarisation taggers (also using modern machine-learning techniques) that will be beneficial for upcoming LHC analyses.

I will enable groundbreaking results for cosmology and fundamental physics, thanks to a novel method for measuring the angle of the polarization plane of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons with unprecedented accuracy. Existing and planned CMB polarimeters looking for primordial B-mode… Read more signals need an independent, experimental method for systematics control on the absolute polarization orientation. The lack of such a method limits the accuracy of the detection of inflationary gravitational waves, the efficiency in removing polarized foregrounds, the constraining power on the neutrino sector through measurements of gravitational lensing of the CMB, the possibility of detecting Cosmic Birefringence, and the ability to measure primordial magnetic fields. My 5-year project will dramatically improve instrumental accuracy by means of artificial calibration sources flying on aerial drones and tethered balloons, within sight of the most advanced ground CMB telescopes, operating at high-elevation angles and far-field distances. The calibrators will make use of linearly-polarized microwave emitters optimally coupled to the Simons Observatory (SO) polarization-sensitive detectors, the world-leading CMB project for the next years. The orientation of the source polarization plane will be registered to absolute celestial coordinates by star cameras and ground photogrammetry with arcminute accuracy. POLOCALC will take advantage of my leading role in SO, and will operate from its site in the Atacama Desert in Chile. This project will become a pivot for the field: any existing or future instrument in Atacama will be able to observe my novel polarization calibrator, and future projects will intercalibrate their detectors with the resulting calibrated observations of sky sources. POLOCALC will produce the first experimentally-calibrated data of the polarization angle of the CMB and its contaminants, allowing existing and future CMB polarimeters to fully mine the cosmic sky.