Physicists from the University of Roma Tor Vergata are among the researchers worldwide honored with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, awarded to the ATLAS Collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) alongside LHC experiments ALICE, CMS, and LHCb. The prize was awarded for their “detailed measurements of Higgs boson properties confirming the symmetry-breaking mechanism of mass generation, the discovery of new strongly interacting particles, the study of rare processes and matter-antimatter asymmetry, and the exploration of nature at the shortest distances and most extreme conditions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider”.
ATLAS is one of the largest and most complex scientific instruments ever built. As a general-purpose particle detector measuring over 40 meters in length and around 25 meters in height, it was designed to investigate the fundamental building blocks of matter and the forces governing our universe. Its cutting-edge systems track particles produced in particle collisions at unprecedented energies, enabling discoveries like the Higgs boson and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model.
The Breakthrough Prize highlights the ATLAS Collaboration’s significant contributions to particle physics, including detailed measurements of Higgs boson properties, studies of rare processes and matter-antimatter asymmetry, and exploring nature under extreme conditions.
“The Breakthrough Prize is a testament to the dedication and ingenuity of the ATLAS Collaboration and our colleagues across the LHC experiments,” said ATLAS Spokesperson Stephane Willocq. "This prize recognizes the collective vision and monumental effort of thousands of ATLAS collaborators worldwide.”
“I am extremely proud to see the extraordinary accomplishments of the LHC collaborations honored with this prestigious Prize,” said Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General of CERN. “It is a beautiful recognition of the collective efforts, dedication, competence, and hard work of thousands of people from all over the world who contribute daily to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.”
University of Roma Tor Vergata has been at the forefront of ATLAS research since the year 1990, contributing to:
- Construction and operation of the RPC muon chambers with the front-end electronics, critical for the muon trigger and muon detection
- Development of b-quark and c-quark identification through muon decays, enabling top quark mass and heavy-quark properties measurement
- Leadership in b-physics, top quark, muon performance analysis, and event modeling groups,shaping the experiment's scientific direction
"Our team's work on the construction of the RPC chambers for the muon spectrometer and the heavy quark physics analyses exemplifies the innovation driving ATLAS forward," said Prof. Paolo Camarri, Anna Di Ciaccio, and Prof. Lucio Cerrito, Director of the Physics Department at the University of Roma Tor Vergata."This recognition affirms the impact of our contributions and inspires us to continue exploring the universe’s most fundamental questions."
While the ATLAS Collaboration celebrates the recognition of the Breakthrough Prize, its focus remains firmly on the future. The LHC's third operation period is underway, and preparations for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade are advancing rapidly. University Tor Vergata's team of physicists and technicians is deeply involved in preparing ATLAS for its next chapter. They are leading the development and construction of BI-RPC muon stations for the High-luminosity LHC, increasing collision rates tenfold when it begins operation in 2030.
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