WELCOME to the SYNERGIES WORKSHOP

1. WELCOME to the SYNERGIES WORKSHOP Underground Physics Community: Lowest Background Possible needs screening of existing components and development of ultra-pure materials To address these needs we have shielded surface and underground sites for low background counting active R&D on ever more sensitive detectors But we still need: Funding structures to continue this work Expanded facilities to accommodate increasing demand New Ideas

2. How can geology, biology, public health, archaelogy, hydrology, etc…. help us meet these needs? Funding structures to continue this work Expanded facilities to accommodate increasing demand New Ideas An expanded USER COMMUNITY Self-sustaining operation New multi-disciplinary proposals Communication of pre-existing technologies Collaborations on R&D

3. Is this a mutually advantageous conjunction ?? That depends also on what we can do for you… More sensitive detectors could increase reach of dating methods improve detection and identification of trace elements lower dose rates or tracer requirements open new research fields New user facilities could provide cheaper, local sites integrated scheduling better throughput

4. We are hoping to flesh that out in this workshop and to provide the tools to integrate these disparate communities SUMMARY OF THE WORKSHOP AGENDA The current state of the art in underground physics Including multi-purpose sites in Europe and industrial examples A series of talks by researchers in various fields Summarizing the important questions in their field Reviewing current techniques Explaining new specialized technology Envisioning new research directions Current plans for low background sites Concrete steps in the creation of an Integration Websitewhich will link sites to needs in all the various communities

5. PURPOSE Instead of Proceedings, this workshop will create an integration website with links to main research portals. A beta version of the website will be ready for the workshop and time will be set aside for improving it. The website will serve two main purposes: 1. Institutions with at least some capacity to serve users will be featured, along with the detectors, sensitivities and support facilities available. This should bring some order to the diverse array of solutions and provide users with means to schedule their research needs. 2. Diverse research fields will be able to learn from each other and create collaborations based on low radioactivity techniques they may have in common by exploring this site. Links to the workshop talks will be a first step since the talks will be given by representatives of the various disciplines, surveying the ways in which they currently use these techniques and how they might benefit from improved sensitivity in the future.

6. FURTHER SYNERGIES Work here will inform the DUSEL S1 Report. But our purpose differs in the following ways Inherently Multi-site and Multi-agency Immediate need for proposals and collaborations Existing Sites We will work closely with the LRT Initiative and International Integration efforts ANNOUNCEMENT                                                                                                                LRT 2006 2nd Topical Workshop in Low Radioactivity TechniquesSeptember 30 - October 3, 2006 - Aussois, FRANCE