Our current knowledge of the microscopic world is encoded in the so-called Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. This, when combined with the known physical laws of the macrocosm, leads to a unified understanding of our Universe from the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang until now. Unfortunately there are some loopholes in this theory construct: e.g., we do not know the nature of dark matter and we do not know the origin of the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe, which is key to the existence of our world.
As 2nd generation matter particles, charm quarks offer a unique window into the nature of the known physical laws, and are a powerful probe of yet undiscovered physics. Experiments at the LHC, and at electron-positron facilities such as Belle II and BESIII, have already accumulated very large samples of charm hadrons, with even larger data sets foreseen in the near future.
These exciting experimental prospects are to be contrasted with our currently limited understanding of the underlying dynamics of charmed decays and hadronisation. This unfortunate situation clearly inhibits progress in this important subfield of particle physics. Therefore we plan to bring together world leading experts in experimental and theoretical charm physics in a dedicated programme of investigation, in order to explore new directions of progress. By assembling together the relevant representatives of experiment and different schools of theoretical thought (lattice gauge theories, phenomenology and continuum theory) together in one place we will benefit from knowledge transfer between the different disciplines.