Large Hadron Collider Shuts Down Until 2030 for Major Upgrade

Upgrading the Large Hadron Collider

According to НВ — Техно: On July 1 at 2:30 PM, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was powered down for an upgrade to its High-Luminosity version (HiLumi LHC), with the next restart scheduled for 2030. This enhancement aims to boost the collider's sensitivity, dramatically increasing the rate of particle collisions. This shutdown marks the third long-term pause in the collider's history, officially called 'Long Shutdown 3' (LS3).

Once upgraded, the revamped collider will be roughly ten times more sensitive than its original design, and the frequency of particle collisions will increase by about threefold. Engineers plan to dismantle and replace 1.2 kilometers of magnets and other internal components with new equipment. Thousands of engineers, physicists, technicians, and support staff will participate in dozens of related projects across the entire scientific complex.

As Markus Zerlauth noted, 'With the system shut down, the scientific community is entering an entirely new phase.'

The upgraded collider aims to generate approximately 380 million Higgs bosons, compared to the 55 million already produced so far. The first successful proton collisions occurred in 2009, and the Higgs boson was discovered in 2012. The final version of the accelerator is expected to operate until the end of its service life in the 2040s, after which it will be replaced by entirely new, even more powerful equipment.

'This is a massive and complex logistical and engineering project,' stated Jean-Philippe Tock.

Expectations and Opportunities

The LHC upgrade offers 'a unique opportunity to explore the Universe at a new level,' as emphasized by Mark Thomson. Consequently, the scientific community hopes to push the boundaries of our understanding of the Universe, particularly in the study of dark matter.

This upgrade represents a critical milestone for particle physics and could significantly reshape our grasp of the Universe's fundamental aspects. The collider's increased sensitivity will enable scientists to investigate new physical phenomena and make discoveries previously out of reach. It also underscores the importance of international collaboration in scientific research, as specialists from around the globe are involved in the upgrade, reflecting collective efforts to answer fundamental questions about the nature of matter and energy.