Inside the Large Hadron Collider

On November 27, 2006, the final superconducting main magnet was delivered to CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – the most ambitious physics experiment ever created.Due to come online in November 2007, the LHC is the world's biggest and most powerful particle accelerator. The giant underground loop of tunnels, magnets and detectors will be capable of replicating conditions just after the Big Bang, helping to answer questions about the nature of matter and the creation of the universe. Left: Electronics intended to carry data out, and instructions in to the core of the CMS particle detector. The detector's silicon-chip core will have about 10 million data channels. John Borland
The ATLAS experiment, which when completed, will at 150 long and 82 feet high be the largest detector at the LHC. It will look for dark matter, the Higgs Boson, and unexpected new physics. John Borland
In September 2005, the giant ATLAS particle detector with its eight toroidal magnets installed. The powerful magnets will bend particles as they pass, allowing scientists to detect their charge. CERN
The first giant magnet was lowered into the ATLAS cavern in October 2004. Construction has been underway since. CERN
The core of the CMS detector, as it is being constructed. Like ATLAS, CMS will be looking for dark matter, the Higgs particle, and genuinely new discoveries. CERN
Elements of the CMS detector are fitted together. When complete, the entire system will weigh 12,500 pounds. CERN
The underground cavern for the CMS detector, in February 2005, before equipment installation began. CERN
Scientists have run simulations of what they expect to see once the collider is operating. This is a simulation of the decay of the Higgs particle in the CMS detector, an event that virtually everybody hopes to see. Image: CERN
Above ground at CERN, the European site where the world's most powerful particle accelerator is being built. John Borland
Tangles of equipment designed to pump cooling liquid helium into the superconducting magnets. John Borland
Looking down the length of The Machine itself. The Large Hadron Collider will form a 27 km ring, which protons will circle about 11,000 times per second. John Borland
Tanks of liquid helium outside the ATLAS experiment. John Borland
Looking down, about 100 meters, into the ATLAS cavern. John Borland
A cap, lined with muon detectors that will be fitted onto the ATLAS detector. John Borland
Inside "The Machine" – the accelerator itself, with conduits for liquid helium, magnets, and protons moving at near the speed of light. John Borland
Superconducting magnets and their cooling equipment. John Borland
When finished, parallel beams of protons will merge here from seperate pipes into a single pipe, before colliding a few meters farther down. John Borland
Looking down the accellerator.
Inside "The Machine" – strips are small magnets that serve as tiny course-correctors while the protons speed around their track. John Borland
CERN's newest building. Most look like 1970s dormitories. John Borland
Shielding surrounding the pipes carrying the proton beams as they enter the CMS experiment. The beams themselves will be about the width of a human hair. John Borland
Muon detectors being assembled for the CMS experiment. John Borland
ALICE's magnets. John Borland
An early hard drive that held about 36 MB. John Borland
CERN's Internet Exchange point. Where the Web started web-ing. John Borland