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| CERN Accelerators and Beams | |
|---|---|
| Name | CERN Accelerators and Beams |
| Caption | Particle accelerators at CERN |
| Established | 1954 |
| Location | Meyrin, Switzerland |
| Type | Research facility |
| Owner | European Organization for Nuclear Research |
CERN Accelerators and Beams is the organization unit at European Organization for Nuclear Research responsible for design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the laboratory's particle accelerators and beamlines that serve experiments such as ATLAS experiment, CMS experiment, LHCb experiment and ALICE experiment. It integrates expertise drawn from collaborations with institutions including CERN, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, DESY, and Brookhaven National Laboratory to deliver beams used by projects like ISOLDE, n_TOF, and CAST experiment.
The unit coordinates accelerator operations across sites linked to the Large Hadron Collider, the Super Proton Synchrotron, the Proton Synchrotron, and injector chains that include the LINAC4 and legacy LEP infrastructure, supporting experiments such as ATLAS experiment, CMS experiment, LHCb experiment, ALICE experiment, and fixed‑target programmes like NA61/SHINE and COMPASS experiment. Management interfaces with bodies such as the CERN Council, the European Commission, the European Strategy for Particle Physics, and partner laboratories including Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), KEK, and TRIUMF for long‑term planning and upgrade programmes like High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider and Future Circular Collider studies.
The accelerator complex is organised as a chain: low‑energy injectors such as LINAC4 feed the Proton Synchrotron Booster and Proton Synchrotron, which in turn inject beams into the Super Proton Synchrotron and finally into the Large Hadron Collider ring with transfer lines linking to experimental areas like Point 1 ATLAS experiment and Point 5 CMS experiment. The layout includes specialised beamlines for secondary beams used by facilities such as ISOLDE, n_TOF, SPS North Area experiments including NA61/SHINE and COMPASS experiment, and dedicated extraction systems serving programmes like AWAKE experiment and test beams for CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso. Coordination involves interfaces with CERN Meyrin site, Prévessin site, and regional infrastructure managed under agreements with Geneva and the French Republic.
Major accelerator facilities include the Large Hadron Collider ring hosting ATLAS experiment, CMS experiment, LHCb experiment, and ALICE experiment; the Super Proton Synchrotron serving as injector and as a synchrotron for fixed‑target experiments like NA62 experiment and COMPASS experiment; and injector linacs such as LINAC4 and PSB. Secondary‑beam and target facilities include ISOLDE for radioactive ion beams, n_TOF for neutron time‑of‑flight studies, and CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso projects that partnered with OPERA experiment and ICARUS. Technology testbeds and novel experiments hosted include AWAKE experiment for plasma wakefield acceleration, cryogenic projects linked to Wendelstein 7-X collaborations, and detector test beams used by consortia from Imperial College London, Université de Genève, University of Oxford, and CERN member states.
CERN’s accelerators employ superconducting magnet technology developed alongside programmes at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and KEK, RF systems including cavities derived from work at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and DESY, vacuum and cryogenic engineering comparable to projects at ITER and LHCb experiment support groups, and beam instrumentation evolved with contributions from Paul Scherrer Institute and TRIUMF. Key components comprise radiofrequency cavities, superconducting dipoles and quadrupoles, beam position monitors, collimators, kicker magnets, and cryogenic refrigerators sourced from industrial partners and coordinated through collaborations like EuCARD and EuroCirCol.
Beams delivered cover protons, heavy ions (for ALICE experiment), electrons and positrons (for injector studies), antiprotons (historically for experiments such as UA1 and UA2), and radioactive ions for ISOLDE. Operational modes include high‑luminosity runs for ATLAS experiment and CMS experiment, fixed‑target physics for SPS North Area experiments, test‑beam campaigns for detector R&D with institutions like CERN Openlab, and machine development periods coordinated with the Accelerator Controls and operations groups. Beam parameters span energies from tens of MeV in injectors to multiple TeV in the Large Hadron Collider and intensities tailored for experiments such as NA62 experiment and n_TOF.
Safety and controls integrate systems such as the CERN Safety Policy framework, accelerator control systems developed with partners like EPFL and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and radiation protection supervised under the Geneva cantonal authorities and international standards from organisations like International Atomic Energy Agency. Critical systems include beam interlocks, access control to experimental caverns like those hosting ATLAS experiment and CMS experiment, shielding and collimation developed with industrial partners, and environmental monitoring coordinated with CERN Medical Service and national regulators.
Research programmes focus on luminosity upgrades for the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider, feasibility studies for the Future Circular Collider in collaboration with European Strategy for Particle Physics committees, advanced accelerator concepts including plasma wakefield initiatives with AWAKE experiment partners, and synergies with neutrino projects connected to CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso and global networks including DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande. Upgrade work involves magnet R&D with Fermilab and KEK, superconducting RF developments with DESY, and industry partnerships under frameworks like Horizon Europe and bilateral agreements with member states and institutes such as CNRS, INFN, and STFC.