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Mapping the secrets of the Universe

ATLAS is a particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN (The European Center for Nuclear Research). The ATLAS detector is searching for new discoveries in the head-on collisions of protons of extraordinarily high energy. ATLAS will learn about the basic forces that have shaped our universe since the beginning of time and that will determine its fate. Among the possible unknowns are the origin of mass, extra dimensions of space, microscopic black holes, and evidence for dark matter candidates in the universe.

On July 4th 2012 ATLAS announced the discovery of a Boson which could be the long sought Higgs. In april 2013 further studies on spin and parity confirmed that this is the Higgs Boson.

ATLAS is an international collaboration of about 3000 physicists from all over 40 nation of the world. They came from about 200 universities and laboratories and include about 1000 students. ATLAS is one of the largest collaborative efforts ever attempted in the physical sciences.

Lecce Group is participating in ATLAS since 1994. The group worked for long time on the Resistive Plate Chambers of the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer which are the Muon Trigger Detectors. We first worked to the design of the detector and of the apparatus layout, then in the assembling of the almost 3000 planes forming the whole detector. Then in the testing of 1200 of them locally on a Cosmic Ray Test Stand Station actually used by other groups, on the installation of the chambers on the apparatus in the ATLAS pit and finally on commissioning of the detector to the final state. For many years the Lecce Group also contributed to the Monitoring and Core Software. We participated to the building and commissioning of the Micromegas for the New Small Wheel, a Phase I upgrade.