As CERN turns 70, it searches for ways to finance the next big thing
- October 1, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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As CERN turns 70, it searches for ways to finance the next big thing
Sub :Sci
Sec: Nuclear sector
Context:
- CERN, the world-renowned particle physics lab, faces a significant challenge: securing $17 billion in funding for its next major project, the Future Circular Collider (FCC).
About CERN:
- CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research.
- Founded in 1954, CERN’s main focus is particle physics – the study of the fundamental constituents of matter and the forces between them.
- Location:Geneva, Switzerland (main site), straddling the Franco-Swiss border
- Founded: 1954
- Member States: 23 as of 2024, with several associate and observer states
Major Facilities:
- Large Hadron Collider (LHC):
- The world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator
- 27 km circumference ring located 100m underground
- Capable of colliding protons at energies up to 13 TeV
- ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) and CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid):
- Two large general-purpose detectors used to look for signs of new physics
- A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE):
- Detector specialized for studying heavy-ion collisions
- Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb):
- Detector for studying the slight differences between matter and antimatter
- Other Accelerators:
- Proton Synchrotron (PS)
- Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS)
- Isotope Separator On-Line DEvice (ISOLDE) (for research with radioactive ions)
The Importance of Fundamental Research:
- CERN’s work spans critical areas like dark matter research and cosmic ray effects, offering insights into the universe’s building blocks.
- According to Gianotti, fundamental research drives innovation, and history shows that breakthroughs, like the World Wide Web, stem from such research.
Major Discoveries and Contributions
- Discovery of the Higgs Boson (2012)
- Confirmed the existence of the Higgs field, which gives particles mass
- Creation of Antimatter (1995)
- First creation of anti-hydrogen atoms
- Discovery of W and Z Bosons (1983)
- Confirmed the electroweak theory
- Invention of the World Wide Web (1989)
- Tim Berners-Lee developed the WWW to help scientists share information
- Advancements in Superconducting Magnets
- Crucial for the operation of the LHC and with applications beyond particle physics
Plans for the Future Circular Collider:
- The FCC is set to be a 90-kilometer underground ring beneath France and Switzerland, far larger than the LHC’s 27-kilometer ring.
- A feasibility study will conclude in 2025, and a decision on construction is expected by 2027 or 2028.
Geopolitical Competition in Particle Physics:
- Europe risks losing its leadership in particle physics to China, which has the resources and ambition to build a rival collider.
- Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi highlighted CERN’s leadership as a critical success for the EU in particle physics.
- Should China complete its circular collider first, Europe’s dominance could be jeopardized.
Source: BS