Large Hadron Collider; It is the world’s largest, most powerful particle collider and also the world’s largest machine. Large Hadron Collider (LHC), with its English name, was established by the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), on the border of Switzerland and France. The machine, which was built near Geneva, 175 meters deep into the ground, is in a 27-kilometer-long tunnel. The collider allows two protons or neutrons or any hadron to collide with each other. These collisions are used to probe the internal structure of hadrons and to discover new particles. The LHC is also used to gather information about the formation and mysteries of the universe.
The Large Hadron Collider was designed to make important discoveries in the field of particle physics. Particle physics is a science that studies how the smallest components of matter work and interact with each other. The LHC is used to study the internal structure and properties of particles by colliding them at very high speeds and temperatures. It is also used to test the theory of particle physics, called the Standard Model, and to gather information about the formation of the universe.
The Standard Model is a theory that explains how particles and forces work, and work with the LHC is used to test the accuracy of this theory. The collider will also help discover new particles that have not been discovered in the past. For example, the Higgs boson discovered with the LHC was a particle not clearly defined in the Standard Model, and its discovery with the LHC has been recognized as an important discovery in the field of particle physics.
Features of the Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider; It was built between 1998 and 2008 with the participation of 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries. Many scientists and engineers work to carry out research in the project, which is designed to make important discoveries in the field of particle physics. The LHC is the largest particle accelerator in the world in terms of Surface area, and the size of its structure provides the space necessary for accelerating particles. Since the LHC is designed to collide particles at very high speeds, the space required to accelerate the particles is also quite large. Designed to study matter at high temperature and high density, the collider consists of annular tunnels with superconducting magnets inside.
Inside the accelerator, two beams of high-energy particles travel at close to the speed of light before colliding. They are guided around the accelerator ring by a strong magnetic field provided by superconducting electromagnets. This requires cooling the magnets to -271.3°C (a temperature cooler than outer space). Therefore, most of the accelerator is connected to a liquid helium delivery system that cools the magnets, among other supply services. Thousands of different types and sizes of magnets are used to direct the rays around the accelerator. These include 1232 dipole magnets, 15 meters long, that bend the rays, and 392 quadrupole magnets, each 5-7 meters long, which focus the rays.
Just before the collision, another type of magnet is used to “squeeze” the particles together to increase the probability of collision. The particles are so small that the task of colliding them is like firing two needles 10 kilometers apart so precisely that they meet halfway through. As a result of the collision of two particle beams coming from opposite directions and moving at speeds close to the speed of light, new particles emerge and these particles are examined with detectors. The LHC has four large and two small detectors. Detectors weighing between 5 thousand and 14 thousand tons work independently and are used for different purposes.
Studies of the Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider began its first trial run in 2009. These trial runs were made to show that the collider is operational and capable of colliding particles. During their initial work, the processes of accelerating and colliding particles were tested and shown to work correctly. During these trial runs, the working principles of the LHC and how the particles collide were better understood. The collider is still active and trial runs are ongoing. After 3 years of maintenance and repair work, in 2022, the collider’s second round of operation began. In this round of work, the process of colliding particles has been further optimized.
During the work with the LHC, the radiation generated during the collision of the particles and the energy released during the acceleration of the particles are low levels. The radiation and energy generated during the studies remain in the area where the studies are carried out and do not cause any harm to the world. In addition, most of the particles formed during the studies are destroyed at the end of the studies.
CERN, European Center for Nuclear Research
CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) is an organization founded by the European Organization and was established to conduct research in the field of particle physics. CERN was founded in Switzerland and is the world’s largest particle physics research organization. He has set up and used various particle accelerators and colliders to make important discoveries in the field of particle physics, to investigate the internal structure and properties of particles. The most famous particle accelerator and collider established by CERN is the Large Hadron Collider.
CERN conducts research in various branches of science as well as studies in the field of particle physics. For example, research by CERN has also made important discoveries in areas such as computer technology, nanotechnology, materials science and natural resource management. CERN also aims to reflect the discoveries in the field of particle physics to other branches of science by collaborating between various branches of science.
