eRD6 HOMEWORK TK Hemmick for eRD6

QUESTIONS Assuming success of the EIC in the LRP: How do you see you efforts in the next two years? What are your plans towards a transition to a possible collaboration and what role will your R&D group play? The tracking consortium was formed in the very first round of EIC R&D funding and represents people with a diverse set of backgrounds and skills. A defining aspect of our approach has been the singular focus on the EIC rather than on any favorite detector technology. During these past few years, we have formed the close partnerships and mutual respect necessary for long term success in a massive project like the EIC.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR EFFORTS IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS? Our ongoing efforts will provide the information necessary to define detailed initial technology preferences for EIC tracking as well as proof-of-principle prototypes. Some of our efforts are likely choices (planar forward trackers, standard barrel TPC) while others are more speculative: TPC with HBD: Is the additional eID truly necessary? CF4 RICH: Is the targeted momentum range too high?. Furthermore, we should orient the general tracking R&D studies more specifically toward the needs of the EIC physics program, continually keeping the R&D program in step with the changes to machine parameters. Our recent collaborative efforts with other funded R&D projects, demonstrate that our group can form the nucleus of a forward tracker subproject within a wider tracking project within an even wider EIC detector collaboration.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TOWARDS A TRANSITION TO A POSSIBLE COLLABORATION AND WHAT ROLE WILL YOUR R&D GROUP PLAY? This question has not yet been discussed among our group sufficiently to form a consensus opinion. So I will answer it with only my personal opinion. TK Hemmick’s personal opinion: I believe that overwhelmingly our membership is dedicated to EIC and continuing to work together. I believe that although our particular R&D group is likely to remain unified in a common future, we're not enough to form a collaboration alone. Just among the R&D efforts there are already multiple strong efforts and cross-fertilization of ideas both in the form of hardware (have you seen how many proposals contain the name Woody?) and common links through simulations (who hasn't worked with Kiselev?). That said, I believe that even the entirety of participants in the R&D program is still not broad enough as there are other stake-holders in what will become our common future. The question is nonetheless VERY well taken and I thank the committee for the almost subtle hint. Following success of the EIC in the LRP, some group has got to step up and get moving on the concrete realization of our dreams. Figuratively speaking: "We've (EIC R&D) gotta throw a party with the entire field invited, and I'm (Tracking Consortium++) buying the beer." I believe that we will do exactly that.