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| CERN Linear Collider | |
|---|---|
| Name | CERN Linear Collider |
| Location | Geneva, France–Switzerland border |
| Status | Proposed |
| Participants | CERN, IHEP, DESY, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, KEK, INFN |
CERN Linear Collider is a proposed high-energy linear electron–positron accelerator concept intended to complement and extend the physics reach of circular colliders such as the Large Hadron Collider and successor projects like the Future Circular Collider. It aims to provide precision measurements of the Higgs boson, top quark, and electroweak sector by colliding leptons at tunable center-of-mass energies. The project concept has attracted international interest from laboratories and universities including CERN, DESY, KEK, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and national institutes across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
The CERN Linear Collider proposal envisions a straight-line accelerator delivering high-luminosity collisions between electrons and positrons. Drawing on experience from facilities such as LEP, SLC, and the proposed International Linear Collider, the design emphasizes precision measurements and low-background environments for studies of the Higgs boson, W boson, Z boson, and top quark. The collider is positioned as a complement to circular machines like the LHC and future concepts such as the Future Circular Collider and the Compact Linear Collider program. Strategic stakeholders include CERN Council, national funding bodies such as the European Commission and agencies like the U.S. Department of Energy and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
The technical baseline builds on superconducting radio-frequency cavities developed for the International Linear Collider and X-band technologies advanced by the Compact Linear Collider study. Key systems include high-gradient accelerating structures, polarized electron and positron sources influenced by work at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and KEK, damping rings informed by DAΦNE and SPEAR3 operations, and beam-delivery systems benefiting from SLC experience. Innovations under consideration involve cryomodules similar to those at XFEL and CEBAF, high-power klystrons and modulators comparable to systems at DESY and Fermilab, and final-focus optics leveraging R&D from ATF2 and B-factory efforts. Integration challenges require coordination with geotechnical studies near Geneva and civil engineering lessons from LHC tunnel construction.
The research program prioritizes precision Higgs boson couplings, including measurements of decay channels observed at ATLAS and CMS, and searches for rare processes suggested by theories such as supersymmetry explored at LEP and Tevatron. Detailed top-quark mass and electroweak parameter determinations would refine inputs to global fits involving results from LEP, SLC, and LHC data analyses. The collider would enable sensitive probes of beyond-Standard-Model scenarios referenced in literature from CERN Theory Division, flavor anomalies reported by LHCb and Belle II, and dark-sector searches analogous to experiments like NA62 and SHINE. Synergies with neutrino programs at CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso and precision muon studies at Muon g-2 projects are anticipated.
Candidate siting focuses on the Geneva region, utilizing established infrastructure associated with CERN and proximity to transport hubs such as Geneva Airport. Civil works would draw on precedents from the LHC tunnel, with cross-border coordination between France and Switzerland authorities. Laboratory support would leverage campus facilities similar to those at CERN Meyrin site, cryogenic plants modeled on CERN Cryolab installations, and power distribution lessons from large-scale projects including ITER and ESS. Environmental and regulatory engagement would mirror prior processes undertaken for LEP and LHC expansions.
The concept emerged from long-term strategic planning at CERN following the discovery of the Higgs boson at LHC and global discussions around linear collider options such as the International Linear Collider and Compact Linear Collider. It builds upon R&D programs hosted by DESY, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, KEK, and European consortia including EUDET and Eurocircolo initiatives. Feasibility studies have referenced earlier accelerator projects like SLC and design reports from ILC Technical Design Report and CLIC Conceptual Design Report. Decision points depend on community input from advisory bodies such as the European Strategy for Particle Physics and reviews by panels including the Scientific Policy Committee.
Governance structures would likely follow models used by CERN and international collaborations such as LIGO, involving in-kind contributions from institutes like INFN, IHEP, and national laboratories including Fermilab. Funding discussions involve multilateral negotiation with entities such as the European Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, and Japanese ministries. Collaboration frameworks would integrate university groups across Oxford University, University of Geneva, MIT, University of Tokyo, and national labs engaged in accelerator physics, detector R&D, and theoretical interpretation, coordinated through committees similar to ILC International Committee and CERN Council.
Critiques focus on cost and prioritization relative to projects like the Future Circular Collider and national science priorities debated by bodies including European Strategy Group and parliamentary committees in France and Switzerland. Technical risks include high-gradient attainment proven by CLIC studies, positron-source polarization challenges addressed at KEK, and reliability concerns paralleled in early SLC operations. Environmental impact, cross-border permitting, and local community engagement echo controversies experienced during LHC siting. Cost–benefit analyses reference precedent reviews from the ILC and funding negotiations among agencies such as DOE and JSPS.