The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network
Abstract Big Science initiatives like the ATLAS experiment at CERN exemplify the scale and complexity of modern collaborative research. With thousands of scientists and institutions from over 40 countries, ATLAS represents a global effort to uncover fundamental aspects of particle physics. In this w...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | EPJ Data Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00574-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849237729629437952 |
|---|---|
| author | Rubén Rodríguez-Casañ María J. Palazzi Albert Solé-Ribalta Markus Nordberg Agustí Canals Javier Borge-Holthoefer |
| author_facet | Rubén Rodríguez-Casañ María J. Palazzi Albert Solé-Ribalta Markus Nordberg Agustí Canals Javier Borge-Holthoefer |
| author_sort | Rubén Rodríguez-Casañ |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Big Science initiatives like the ATLAS experiment at CERN exemplify the scale and complexity of modern collaborative research. With thousands of scientists and institutions from over 40 countries, ATLAS represents a global effort to uncover fundamental aspects of particle physics. In this work, we investigate the evolving collaboration patterns within ATLAS by constructing and analysing bipartite networks of authors and countries linked to their publications. Through this dual perspective, we uncover structural features such as modularity at the author level, and a clear nested pattern at the country level, each reflecting distinct organizational dynamics: modularity highlights the formation of cohesive working groups, driven by bottom-up interactions and stabilized by institutional continuity. Nestedness, on the other hand, underscores the stratified contributions of nations based on resources and expertise, revealing both strengths and vulnerabilities in the collaboration. Using percolation analysis, we assess the robustness of these patterns to perturbations, finding that modularity ensures resilience to individual turnover, while nestedness reveals fragility to the loss of some key contributors. These findings shed light on the interplay between structural organization and dynamical stability in large-scale collaborations, offering insights for managing and optimizing similar scientific endeavours. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-edcbd7212a614f2e9a3584552ede1328 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2193-1127 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EPJ Data Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-edcbd7212a614f2e9a3584552ede13282025-08-20T04:01:52ZengSpringerOpenEPJ Data Science2193-11272025-07-0114111910.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00574-6The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration networkRubén Rodríguez-Casañ0María J. Palazzi1Albert Solé-Ribalta2Markus Nordberg3Agustí Canals4Javier Borge-Holthoefer5Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaInternet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaInternet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaCERNFaculty of Economics and Business, Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaInternet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaAbstract Big Science initiatives like the ATLAS experiment at CERN exemplify the scale and complexity of modern collaborative research. With thousands of scientists and institutions from over 40 countries, ATLAS represents a global effort to uncover fundamental aspects of particle physics. In this work, we investigate the evolving collaboration patterns within ATLAS by constructing and analysing bipartite networks of authors and countries linked to their publications. Through this dual perspective, we uncover structural features such as modularity at the author level, and a clear nested pattern at the country level, each reflecting distinct organizational dynamics: modularity highlights the formation of cohesive working groups, driven by bottom-up interactions and stabilized by institutional continuity. Nestedness, on the other hand, underscores the stratified contributions of nations based on resources and expertise, revealing both strengths and vulnerabilities in the collaboration. Using percolation analysis, we assess the robustness of these patterns to perturbations, finding that modularity ensures resilience to individual turnover, while nestedness reveals fragility to the loss of some key contributors. These findings shed light on the interplay between structural organization and dynamical stability in large-scale collaborations, offering insights for managing and optimizing similar scientific endeavours.https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00574-6Big scienceCollaboration networksRobustnessFragility |
| spellingShingle | Rubén Rodríguez-Casañ María J. Palazzi Albert Solé-Ribalta Markus Nordberg Agustí Canals Javier Borge-Holthoefer The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network EPJ Data Science Big science Collaboration networks Robustness Fragility |
| title | The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network |
| title_full | The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network |
| title_fullStr | The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network |
| title_full_unstemmed | The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network |
| title_short | The robust-fragile duality of the ATLAS collaboration network |
| title_sort | robust fragile duality of the atlas collaboration network |
| topic | Big science Collaboration networks Robustness Fragility |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00574-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rubenrodriguezcasan therobustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT mariajpalazzi therobustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT albertsoleribalta therobustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT markusnordberg therobustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT agusticanals therobustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT javierborgeholthoefer therobustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT rubenrodriguezcasan robustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT mariajpalazzi robustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT albertsoleribalta robustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT markusnordberg robustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT agusticanals robustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork AT javierborgeholthoefer robustfragiledualityoftheatlascollaborationnetwork |