Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Major Resources Support Program

The CPP+ MRS personnel, for whom we request continued support, combined synergistically with comprehensive infrastructure resources at the UofA (Alberta), has enabled the creation of the unique CPP+ national resource. This resource enables and facilitates the effective access of SAP researchers to a number of key international centres, namely: BNL (USA), CERN (Switzerland), JLab (USA), the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (Antarctica), SNOLAB, and TRIUMF. Current  CPP+ projects range from astroparticle physics at SNOLAB, IceCube/IceCube(Upgrade) and P-ONE,  to QCD physics with the SHMS  at JLab. Thence, to Collider physics with ATLAS and MoEDAL  at the LHC  and accelerator physics for the HL-LHC. In order to maximize  accessibility, the CPP+ Resource's Operating Committee (OPCOM) endeavours to provide free, fair  merit driven, access to all SAP researchers. This access is web- based and available primarily via links available on the IPP and CINP websites publicized  at appropriate venues.  Our OPCOM is now actively working with other MRS SAP groups in Canada's SAP community to establish a pan--Canadian board to optimize the management of MRS- funded facilities throughout Canada. This organization would supercede our OPCOM and ensure that the various MRS- funded resources are managed optimally  at the pan--Canadian level. We expect the load on our MRS resource to increase considerably over the next grant cycle. In the collider physics arena  we have continuing ATLAS Upgrade work, - for example, on the ATLAS Forward Proton project and the upgrade of the LUCID lumi-monitor for the HL--LHC. In the case of the MoEDAL experiment we have the development of the Canadian led MoEDAL--MAPP experiment at the LHC,  for LHC's Run-3 and beyond. For the LHC machine itself, there is our upcoming work on the Wire Correction System for the HL--LHC at CERN, to help counter beam--beam effects. There has also been a huge expansion of effort on astroparticle physics in Canada due to the creation of the McDonald Institute, resulting in a major increase in effort in this arena  at Queen's and the partner institutes: Alberta, UBC, Carleton, Laurentian, McGill, Montreal and Toronto, TRIUMF and SNOLAB. Critical new projects in this area, involving our MRS researchers, include:  PICO-500 construction at the UofA, the main location for the inner vessel integration of PICO-500;  the CFI funded DarkSide with significant responsibilities for the acrylic TPC; and,  the  Argo detector development. Another issue increasing the work load of our MRS  resource is the uptick in work due to the end of severe covid related restrictions to our research effort.  To sustain this national CPP+ MRS resource we need to retain support for our engineer (M. Baker), detector technologist (R. Soluk) , and electronics technician (P. Davis). Considering the increased workload described above, we also request a half position for a technologist with electronic and/or mechanical CAD capability.