Particle accelerator interior cern

The interior of CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) reveals a 27 km tunnel equipped with superconducting magnets that accelerate particles to near-light speeds.

About this subject

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, located at CERN on the Franco-Swiss border. Its 27-kilometer circular tunnel lies about 100 meters underground, housing superconducting magnets cooled to 1.9 Kelvin, colder than outer space. These magnets guide beams of protons or heavy ions in opposite directions, colliding them at energies up to 13 trillion electronvolts.

The LHC began operations in 2008 and led to the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, confirming the mechanism that gives mass to fundamental particles. Since then, it has investigated dark matter, antimatter, and the conditions of the early universe. The collisions generate data processed by a global grid of computers at a rate equivalent to 15 petabytes per year.

Interestingly, the LHC tunnel was originally built for its predecessor LEP (Large Electron-Positron collider), which ran from 1989 to 2000. To reach the required energies, proton beams travel around the ring 11,245 times per second, maintained in an ultra-high vacuum similar to the Moon's surface. Safety systems can dump the beam in milliseconds to protect equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the LHC and what is it used for?

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator that collides beams of protons or ions to study fundamental particles. It tests physical theories like the Standard Model and searches for new particles or forces.

How does the LHC accelerate particles to such high speeds?

The LHC uses alternating electric fields in radiofrequency cavities to accelerate particles, while superconducting magnets bend their path inside the ring. The magnets operate at cryogenic temperatures to maintain superconductivity.

Can the LHC create black holes or destroy Earth?

No. Collisions could theoretically create micro black holes that would instantly evaporate via Hawking radiation. Safety studies confirm the LHC is safe, and similar collisions occur naturally in the atmosphere from cosmic rays.