Large Hadron Collider (LHC) press kit
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the most powerful particle accelerator ever built. Based at the European particle physics laboratory CERN, near Geneva in Switzerland, it is the world’s largest laboratory and is dedicated to the pursuit of fundamental science.
The LHC will allow scientists to reproduce the conditions that existed within a billionth of a second after the Big Bang. This is the moment, around 14 billion years ago, when the Universe is believed to have started with an explosion of energy and matter. During this first moment of time the particles and forces that shaped our Universe came into existence.
Scientists will recreate these conditions by colliding beams of high-energy protons or ions (hadrons) at close to the speed of light. This takes place inside the LHC’s 27km circular accelerator 100m below the ground.
Through STFC’s subscription, the UK is one of the biggest investors in CERN and through its membership UK companies can bid for lucrative high-tech contracts. In addition UK scientists, with funding from STFC, have contributed vital hardware, computing and expertise to the LHC.
On 30 March the LHC is hoping to achieve a world-record highest energy of collisions at 7TeV enabling scientists to potentially discover some new particle and nuclear physics for the very first time.
More information
|
LHC factsheet (PDF - 940kB) (link opens in a new window)
|
LHC briefing (PDF - 210kB) (link opens in a new window)
|
LHC questions and answers (PDF - 62kB) (link opens in a new window)
|
Particle physics 'hot topics' (PDF - 180kB) (link opens in a new window)
Page last updated: 14 June 2010
by Karen Lee
