Large Hadron Collider primed to hit record energy levels
Ten years after it discovered the Higgs boson, the world’s biggest particle accelerator is poised to smash together protons at record energy levels at the CERN particle physics laboratory near Geneva, as scientists resume their search for clues to the origins of the universe.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Português
pt
Grande Colisor de Hádrons pronto para bater recordes de energia
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will get back to work on July 5, firing proton beams in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light around its 27-kilometre loop at 13.6 trillion electronvolts (TeV), CERN said on MondayExternal link. The particle accelerator, which has been sitting idle for three years for maintenance, will start its third operational cycle.
Increasing the amount of energy used this time around will provide “greater precision and discovery potential than ever before” and to “collect significantly larger data samples, with data of higher quality than in previous runs,” said CERN, which is located north of Geneva on the French-Swiss border.
The ramping up of the energy and intensity of the beams in the upgraded collider coincides with the tenth anniversary of the LHC’s landmark discovery of the Higgs Boson particle, a long-sought fundamental particle that gives mass to other subatomic components of the universe.
In the third cycle, the LHC is expected to record more collisions of particles than the first two runs combined, allowing for closer examination of the Higgs mechanism and lesser-known physics phenomena.
Among various experiments, scientists hope LHC data will help reveal why matter rather than anti-matter dominates the universe and to uncover the nature of “dark matter” — invisible to all scientific instruments so far developed — which is known to be more plentiful than conventional matter.
The new cycle will also allow for the investigation of quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter that existed in the first 10 microseconds after the Big Bang.
More
More
CERN scientists restart hunt for answers to mysteries of universe
This content was published on
The world’s biggest particle accelerator will be fired up again as scientists resume research into the mysteries of the universe.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
CERN scientists restart hunt for answers to mysteries of universe
This content was published on
The world’s biggest particle accelerator will be fired up again as scientists resume research into the mysteries of the universe.
CERN inspires budding entrepreneurs to think outside the box
This content was published on
Cutting-edge technologies designed for CERN are inspiring the next generation of young entrepreneurs to come up with innovative business ideas.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.