The Rise of Astroparticle Physics

Alessandro Bettini

Abstract

Astroparticle is a relatively young but broad field of physics. It links particle and nuclear physics, astrophysics and cosmology, in a fruitful cross-fertilisation both of theoretical ideas and experimental techniques. The latter have been transferred, with adaptation, from accelerator-based experiments, such as charged-particles tracking, gamma-ray detectors, calorimeters, cryogenic techniques. The most diverse observatories have been developed, on the Earth’s surface and deep underground, beneath the Oceans and the ice of South Pole, on high-altitude mountain plateaus, and in space, on dedicated satellites and on the International Space Station. In this article the rise of astroparticle physics will be described, on a number of examples, including elements concerning the origin of the name and on the scientific policy actions that guided the process at both community and government levels.

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