The 411 - The CERN Super Collider

CERN is planning a much bigger collider in the future

The CERN super collider (LHC) is a scientific machine located near Geneva, Switzerland that was built to help physicists understand the fundamental nature of matter and the universe. At its core, the super collider is a particle accelerator, which means it's a machine that speeds up tiny particles called protons and smashes them into each other.

The protons are contained in a circular tunnel that is 27 kilometers (about 17 miles) in circumference. Inside the tunnel, there are powerful magnets that steer the protons around the circle and make them go faster and faster. Eventually, the protons reach almost the speed of light, and then they are made to collide with each other at very specific points in the tunnel.

When the protons collide, they release a tremendous amount of energy, which is converted into new particles that physicists can study. The particles that are created are extremely small, much smaller than atoms, and they only exist for a very short amount of time. Physicists use special detectors to study these particles and try to understand their properties.

The super collider is important because it allows scientists to study the building blocks of matter and the forces that govern them. By studying the behavior of particles at very high energies, physicists hope to gain a better understanding of the universe and how it works. They are also looking for new particles that could help explain mysteries such as dark matter and dark energy.

The CERN super collider is a complex machine that allows physicists to conduct groundbreaking research in particle physics. It helps us understand the world around us and provides insights into the fundamental nature of matter and energy.

Now in "Tech-speak": Here's a scientific explanation of what the LHC does:

1. Particle Acceleration: The primary function of the LHC is to accelerate subatomic particles to extremely high speeds using powerful electromagnetic fields. The particles accelerated are mostly protons, which are extracted from hydrogen atoms. These protons are sourced from hydrogen gas and then stripped of their electrons, leaving behind a stream of positively charged protons.

2. Acceleration Process: The protons are accelerated in a series of circular accelerator structures, or "rings," within the LHC complex. The main accelerator ring consists of two separate beam pipes, each containing a stream of protons moving in opposite directions. These protons are then accelerated using strong radiofrequency cavities that create electric fields, providing the particles with energy.

3. Collisions: The beams of protons are accelerated to nearly the speed of light, guided by magnetic fields produced by superconducting magnets. These magnets are cooled to extremely low temperatures using liquid helium to maintain their superconducting properties. The protons circulate around the ring multiple times, reaching energies of several teraelectronvolts (TeV).

4. Collision Points: Within the LHC ring, there are several points where the two proton beams are made to cross each other. These points are marked by the locations of particle detectors, such as ATLAS and CMS, which are massive and intricate machines designed to record the various particles produced when protons collide.

5. Particle Interactions: When the high-speed protons from one beam collide with protons from the other beam, the collision energy is converted into the creation of new particles through Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle (E=mc²). These collisions can produce a wide range of particles, some of which may have been extremely rare or never observed before.

6. Search for New Particles and Phenomena: Scientists analyze the data collected from the collisions to study the behaviour of particles and to look for new particles or phenomena that might exist at these extremely high energy levels. This can provide insights into the fundamental nature of matter, the forces that govern particle interactions, and even shed light on the early moments of the universe.

7. Confirmation of Theoretical Predictions: The LHC's discoveries can also help confirm or challenge existing theories in particle physics, such as the Standard Model, which describes the fundamental particles and their interactions. Any deviations from these predictions could indicate the presence of new physics beyond the currently established theories.
   

In summary, the CERN super collider, specifically referring to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), accelerates protons to near the speed of light, collides them at specific points, and studies the resulting particles and interactions to deepen our understanding of the fundamental constituents of the universe and the underlying laws of nature.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model