CERN HL-LHC
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| CERN HL-LHC | |
|---|---|
| Name | HL-LHC |
| Location | CERN, Meyrin, Geneva |
| Status | Upgrading |
| Cost | ~€1.2 billion (upgrade) |
| Start | 2014 |
| Expected completion | 2027 |
| Partners | CERN; European Investment Bank; ATLAS; CMS; LHCb; ALICE |
CERN HL-LHC
The High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider upgrade at CERN transforms the Large Hadron Collider complex near Geneva by enhancing luminosity for precision studies of the Higgs boson, searches for supersymmetry, and rare processes. The project links major collaborations including ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, and ALICE with industrial partners such as ASML, Siemens, Thales, and research institutions like Fermilab and DESY.
Overview
The HL-LHC is an upgrade program to increase instantaneous luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider by a factor of about ten, enabling extended data taking for experiments such as ATLAS and CMS and complementary measurements by LHCb and ALICE. It integrates advances from accelerator R&D carried out at facilities including PS, SPS, BNL, KEK, and SLAC. Governance involves entities like the European Commission funding frameworks, the European Investment Bank, and national agencies such as CNRS, INFN, STFC, and NSF.
Goals and Physics Objectives
Primary objectives emphasize precision studies of the Higgs boson, including self-coupling and rare decay channels, alongside intensified searches for beyond-Standard-Model phenomena like supersymmetry, dark matter, and extra dimensions. The program supports measurements relevant to the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa matrix via flavor physics at LHCb and heavy-ion physics at ALICE, advancing connections to theory work by groups around Steven Weinberg-era frameworks and modern calculations from collaborations such as CERN Theory Department and institutions like Perimeter Institute. The dataset aims to refine inputs for global fits used by projects including Global Electroweak Fit and initiatives tied to the Particle Data Group.
Technical Design and Upgrades
Design upgrades center on new high-field superconducting magnets using niobium-tin technology, cryogenic enhancements, and advanced radio-frequency systems similar to developments at European XFEL and ITER components. Beam dynamics improvements adopt concepts from the Achromatic Telescopic Squeeze (ATS) scheme and crab cavity technologies pioneered in testbeds hosted by KEK and Cornell University. Instrumentation upgrades parallel detector work at CERN Detector Technology Group and electronics developments influenced by ESA-style radiation-hard design practices.
Accelerator Components and Systems
Key components include new magnets such as quadrupole magnets with niobium-tin coils, novel crab cavities, upgraded radio-frequency cavities, robust beam collimation systems, and enhanced injection and extraction hardware. Controls and diagnostics leverage work from EPICS-adopting facilities and timing systems derived from White Rabbit initiatives. Power supply systems incorporate industrial expertise from firms like ABB and cryogenic plants evolve from designs used at LEP and ISOLDE.
Civil Engineering and Infrastructure
Civil works include new caverns, service galleries, and surface buildings near interaction points around Point 1 and Point 5 at the LHC ring, drawing on tunneling experience from projects such as Gotthard Base Tunnel and Channel Tunnel. Geotechnical studies referenced earlier projects at the Jura Mountains and environmental assessments coordinated with the Canton of Geneva guide construction practices. Utilities upgrades engage regional partners including SIG and logistics follow models from major installations like CERN Meyrin site expansions.
Project Timeline and Status
The HL-LHC project followed preparatory R&D from 2014 through 2020, with major component production and installation phases scheduled across the mid-2020s and commissioning in the later 2020s to provide physics runs through the 2030s. Milestones align with shutdown periods of the LHC such as Long Shutdown 3, coordinated with experiment upgrade schedules for ATLAS and CMS. Deliverables and timelines reference reviews by advisory bodies like the European Strategy for Particle Physics and panels including the Council for Science and Technology-style committees convened at CERN.
Collaboration, Management, and Costs
Management structure combines CERN project offices, international consortia, and funding agencies from member states such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, and Switzerland, and associates like Russia and Japan. Collaborations include experimental consortia ATLAS Collaboration, CMS Collaboration, LHCb Collaboration, and ALICE Collaboration, with industrial contracts awarded to global suppliers such as Ansaldo Energia and Hitachi. Cost management draws on public funding models from the European Union research framework and national contributions coordinated through memoranda similar to those used by ISOLDE and CERN Accelerator School partnerships.