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| Large Hadron Collider upgrade | |
|---|---|
| Name | Large Hadron Collider upgrade |
| Caption | CERN's accelerator complex including the LHC |
| Location | CERN |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 46.233, 6.055 |
| Established | 2010 |
| Type | Particle accelerator upgrade program |
| Website | CERN |
Large Hadron Collider upgrade The Large Hadron Collider upgrade is a staged modernization and enhancement program at CERN focused on raising collision luminosity, improving detector capabilities, and extending the physics reach of the Large Hadron Collider. The programme coordinates work among institutions such as ATLAS experiment, CMS experiment, LHCb experiment, and ALICE experiment, while interfacing with accelerator laboratories like Fermilab, DESY, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and industry partners in France, Germany, and Italy. It builds on discoveries linked to the Higgs boson and searches for phenomena related to supersymmetry, dark matter, and quantum chromodynamics.
The upgrade responds to scientific imperatives identified by advisory bodies including the European Strategy for Particle Physics and the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel, aiming to increase integrated luminosity to enable precision measurements and rare-process searches. Institutional stakeholders such as INFN, STFC, CNRS, Max Planck Society, and National Science Foundation coordinate funding and technical contributions. Historical precedents influencing design choices include upgrades at Tevatron and planned projects like the Future Circular Collider and the International Linear Collider.
Core infrastructure efforts encompass cryogenic system enhancements, superconducting magnet replacement, and consolidation of injectors within the CERN accelerator complex. Key elements include installation of high-field Nb3Sn quadrupoles developed in collaboration with Oxford University, University of Manchester, University of Geneva, and industrial suppliers in Switzerland and Germany. Surface and underground civil works connect to sites such as Point 1, Point 5, and Point 8 at the Prévessin site and the Meyrin site. Power distribution and radiation shielding upgrades reference standards from ITER and involve companies contracted under procurement rules of European Commission funding frameworks.
Beam dynamics improvements draw on techniques from beam-beam compensation research at KEK and IHEP. The injector chain modernization includes work on the Proton Synchrotron and Super Proton Synchrotron with input from Brookhaven National Laboratory and CEA. New radiofrequency systems, transverse damping, and crab cavities tested with prototypes from EPFL and TU Darmstadt will enable higher bunch intensities and smaller beta* at the interaction points used by ATLAS experiment and CMS experiment. Upgraded collimation and machine protection systems incorporate designs validated at CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso test facilities and experience from RHIC.
Detector programs across ATLAS experiment, CMS experiment, LHCb experiment, and ALICE experiment include new inner trackers, high-granularity calorimeters, and radiation-hard electronics developed with partners such as CEA, INFN, KEK, and DESY. Upgrades to the Trigger system and data acquisition use architectures inspired by ATLAS Trigger and Data Acquisition prototypes and high-performance computing clusters from CERN IT. Photon, muon, and vertex detection subsystems incorporate silicon sensors from manufacturers collaborating with University of Oxford and ETH Zurich, while timing detectors aim for picosecond resolution using techniques advanced at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
Commissioning phases coordinate with long shutdown periods designated LS2 and LS3 and align with timelines in the European Strategy for Particle Physics roadmap. Operations planning involves coordination among control rooms at CERN Control Centre, beam instrumentation groups, and global collaborations that include shifts with personnel from University of California, Berkeley, Imperial College London, and Tsinghua University. Milestones include progressive ramping of beam energy, stepwise luminosity increases, and test runs for crab cavities and new optics; schedules are regularly reviewed by committees such as the LHC Machine Advisory Committee.
The upgrade aims to produce an order-of-magnitude increase in integrated luminosity to improve measurements of the Higgs boson couplings, probe rare decays like Higgs → µµ and Higgs → Zγ, and expand sensitivity to supersymmetry scenarios and dark sector mediators. Enhanced precision will constrain parameters in effective field theories used alongside results from Planck (spacecraft), IceCube, and LIGO Scientific Collaboration. Searches for long-lived particles, lepton-flavor violation, and exotica will leverage upgraded tracking and timing to test models motivated by grand unified theory frameworks and anomalies such as those reported in flavor physics at Belle II and BaBar.
Technical risks include quench protection for higher-field magnets, radiation damage to electronics, and cryogenic system reliability; mitigation draws on experience from LEP decommissioning, SPS operations, and magnet testing campaigns at CERN Magnet Test Facility. Programmatic risks—funding volatility, supply-chain delays, and staffing—are addressed via international memoranda with agencies like European Commission and bilateral agreements with national laboratories including CEA and INFN. Environmental and safety compliance follows protocols from International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines and oversight by bodies such as the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
Category:Particle physics Category:Accelerator upgrades