The CAS Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics was set up to study cosmic rays over sixty years ago, in 1951, two years after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China.

In 1997, it was upgraded to be the Open Laboratory of Cosmic Rays, and became one of IHEP’s major research centers. In 2002, it was renamed the Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics. Over its long history, many famous physicists, such as Prof. Gan-Chang Wang, Prof. Wen-Yu Zhang, and Prof. Jian Xiao, have served as directors of the Laboratory.

Currently, there are about 180 staff scientists and engineers, and more than 100 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars working with the Laboratory. Their research focuses mainly on cosmic ray physics, astrophysics, neutrino physics and dark matter physics.

As one of China’s advanced research centers, the Laboratory has taken up a leading position in instrumentation, observations, data analysis methodology and interpretation as well as in theoretical physics and astrophysics. Its ongoing experiments cover a wide range of projects, from high altitude mountains to earth orbit and into deep space.

Major ongoing experiments and research topics in which the Laboratory is involved are:

• Yangbajing cosmic ray and gamma-ray experiments: ARGO (China-Italy collaboration) and AS-Gamma (China-Japan collaboration)
• R&D for the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) Project
• Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) satellite mission
• Space Variable Object Monitor (SVOM) satellite mission (China-France collaboration)
• The POLAR experiment aboard China’s Spacelab (China-Europe collaboration)
• DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE)
• X-ray Timing and Polarization satellite (XTP)
• High Energy cosmic Radiation Detection facility (HERD)
• AMS International Space Station experiment
• CMS particle physics experiment at CERN
• Daya Bay neutrino experiment (China-US collaboration)
• High Energy Astrophysics: neutron stars and black holes, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and supernova remnants, active galactic nuclei, galaxy evolution, cluster of galaxies, cosmology, etc.
• Cosmic ray physics: cosmic ray acceleration and propagation, dark matter, cosmology, hadron physics, etc.
• Ali CMB project for Inflationary Gravitational Waves

The Directors of the Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics are:

Director:　Prof. Shuang-Nan Zhang

Deputy Director: Prof. Li-Ming Song

　　　　　　　　 Prof. Zhen Cao

Contact Us:

Academic Secretary: Dr. Qian-Qing Yin, 88236208, yinqq@ihep.ac.cn

Administrative Secretary: Ms. Yue Sun, 88236208, sunyue@ihep.ac.cn