![]() In 1958, an experiment at the Synchrocyclotron discovered a rare pion decay that spread CERN’s name around the world. DIRAC, which is now analysing data, is investigating the strong force between quarks.ĬERN’s experimental programme has consisted of hundreds of experiments spanning decades.Īmong these were pioneering experiments for electroweak physics, a branch of physics that unifies the electromagnetic and weak fundamental forces. The CLOUD experiment uses beams from the Proton Synchrotron (PS) to investigate a possible link between cosmic rays and cloud formation. UA9 is investigating how crystals could help to steer particle beams in high-energy colliders. NA65 studies the production of tau neutrinos. NA64 is looking for new particles that would mediate an unknown interaction between visible matter and dark matter. NA63 directs beams of electrons and positrons onto a variety of targets to study radiation processes in strong electromagnetic fields. NA62 uses protons from the SPS to study rare decays of kaons. NA61/SHINE studies a phase transition between hadrons and quark-gluon plasma, and conducts measurements for experiments involving cosmic rays and long-baseline neutrino oscillations. The SPS also feeds the North Area (NA), which houses a number of experiments. In “fixed-target” experiments, a beam of accelerated particles is directed at a solid, liquid or gas target, which itself can be part of the detection system.ĬOMPASS, which looks at the structure of hadrons – particles made of quarks – uses beams from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). FASER and the two newest LHC experiments, are situated close to the ATLAS collision point in order to search for light new particles and to study neutrinos. MoEDAL-MAPP uses detectors deployed near LHCb to search for a hypothetical particle called the magnetic monopole. TOTEM uses detectors positioned on either side of the CMS interaction point, while LHCf is made up of two detectors which sit along the LHC beamline, at 140 metres either side of the ATLAS collision point. The smallest experiments on the LHC are TOTEM and LHCf, which focus on "forward particles" – protons or heavy ions that brush past each other rather than meeting head on when the beams collide. These four detectors sit underground in huge caverns on the LHC ring. ALICE and LHCb have detectors specialised for focussing on specific phenomena. Having two independently designed detectors is vital for cross-confirmation of any new discoveries made. The biggest of these experiments, ATLAS and CMS, use general-purpose detectors to investigate the largest range of physics possible. The biggest experiments at CERN operate at the Large Hadron Collider, seen here during the installation of the accelerator's dipole magnets (Image: Maximilien Brice/Claudia Marcelloni/CERN) Each experiment is distinct and characterised by its detectors. These experiments are run by collaborations of scientists from institutes all over the world. ![]() Nine experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) use detectors to analyse the myriad of particles produced by collisions in the accelerator.
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