I would like to ask you to participate in a physics study of linear e+e- colliders at Fermilab. The laboratory is interested in assessing the physics capabilities of a linear collider and how they depend on the collider parameters. Three labs (SLAC, KEK, and DESY) have advanced designs for linear colliders with an initial center-of-mass energy of 500 GeV with an upgrade path to an energy of around 1 TeV. Given the likely high cost of such facilities, it is imperative to understand what the LC would contribute to the worldwide high-energy physics program in the LHC era.

The charge for the group will be to deliver a report by September 18, 2000, which should explicitly include:

1. An analysis of the capability for Higgs physics as a function of energy and luminosity. This should include measurement of Higgs boson parameters including couplings and indirect measurements of virtual effects for very massive Higgs bosons.
2. A comparison with the physics capability of the LHC experiments in some well-defined scenarios for physics beyond the standard model.

As you know, SLAC and Fermilab have begun a collaboration on the NLC design. The experience gained from the accelerator collaboration and the physics study should make it possible for the Fermilab community to develop an informed opinion on the merits of proposed accelerators.

The Fermilab physicists who are being asked to start the physics study are Paul Derwent, Andreas Kronfeld, Stephan Lammel, Adam Para, Slawek Tkaczyk, Rick Van Kooten (Indiana U.), and G. P. Yeh. Kronfeld and Tkaczyk will be the coordinators. It is expected and imperative that other people, both from the Lab and the user community, join the study as it develops. The local Fermilab group should also interact with the Worldwide Study of the Physics and Detectors for Future Linear e+e- Colliders.

Sincerely,

Mike Shaevitz