AMBER - A Strong-Interaction Facility at CERN

AMBER (NA66) is a fixed-target facility at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron designed to investigate fundamental open questions in hadron physics. It features a versatile, high-performance spectrometer setup combined with a unique variety of high-intensity beams, ranging from muons to protons, pions, and kaons. The approved first phase of the experiment includes the measurement of the antiproton production cross-section in pp, pd, and p-He collisions, which is an essential input for indirect dark matter searches. It also includes the precise measurement of the proton charge radius using high-energy muons, investigations of meson structure and the emergence of hadron mass via Drell-Yan reactions and charmonium production using a pion beam.

In this talk, I will outline the physics motivations and methodologies behind the various AMBER measurements and their anticipated scientific impact. I will present the first results from the antiproton-production measurements, as well as the current status of preparations for future measurements, particularly the proton radius measurement. I will also discuss plans for the second phase of AMBER, which will focus on measurements with a high-intensity kaon beam after 2030.