From: cleoabram
Particle physics is a field of science dedicated to understanding the fundamental fabric of the universe [07:45:00]. This involves continuously dividing matter until reaching elementary particles, which are the indivisible building blocks of our universe [07:53:00].
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located on the border between France and Switzerland, is the largest science experiment ever built [00:00:00]. It consists of a 27 km long tunnel, over 100 meters underground [00:00:04]. Inside, two pipes are kept colder and emptier than outer space, through which particles smaller than atoms are fired in opposite directions [00:00:16]. These particles are accelerated to nearly the speed of light before they are smashed together [00:00:26]. This colossal underground particle smasher took thousands of people from over a hundred countries, $5 billion, and over 30 years to plan and build [00:00:37].
The LHC is part of CERN, the world’s biggest and most famous physics lab [01:37:00]. The collisions occur within massive detectors like the Atlas detector [02:02:00]. While the detector is huge, the actual collision point is tiny [03:09:00]. The beam pipes, roughly the diameter of an orange, use thousands of magnets to squeeze the particles into a space the width of a human hair [03:15:00]. Protons, which are like grains of salt compared to the width of a human hair (if the hair were the size of the Earth), are what scientists send flying through this machine [04:22:00].
To ensure collisions, scientists fire 100 billion protons in bunches in each direction [05:10:00]. Despite this, only about 50 or 60 collisions occur per crossing on average [05:23:00]. This process is repeated 30 million times per second, involving approximately 3,000 bunches, each with over 100 billion protons [05:32:00].
The purpose of these collisions is to glimpse what might have happened near the beginning of our universe, the Big Bang [06:29:00]. The enormous energy released from these high-speed proton collisions can turn into physical mass, potentially forming mysterious or unknown particles [06:48:00]. These transient particles then decay into everyday particles, which are detected by sensors [07:14:00]. Scientists then reverse-engineer the collision event to deduce the properties of the fleeting mystery particles [07:22:00].
The Standard Model
The Standard Model is a mathematical framework that describes how the world around us works [08:17:00]. It accounts for many known elementary particles, such as electrons and photons [07:57:00]. This model is the culmination of brilliant minds, complex math, and decades of experimental validation [08:07:00]. It allows for a deep understanding of the universe’s origins, composition, and future [08:23:00].
The Higgs Boson
A key prediction of the Standard Model was the existence of a mystery particle, the Higgs Boson, also sensationally known as the “God Particle” [08:38:00]. The Standard Model suggested this particle was of vital importance to universal existence because it would confirm an underlying field that gives other particles mass [08:52:00]. Understanding the Higgs Boson would help explain “why stuff exists” [09:10:00].
To detect the Higgs Boson, enough energy was needed in one place to create it, which could be achieved by smashing two protons together at nearly the speed of light [09:28:00]. This was a primary reason for building the Large Hadron Collider [09:34:00].
After construction, thousands of scientists spent two years collecting data, finally announcing the reliable creation of the Higgs Boson [09:41:00]. The proof of its existence appeared as a “bump on a chart,” indicating more particles were produced at a specific energy level, thus confirming the mathematical prediction [10:07:00]. While this confirmation didn’t immediately change everyday life, it validated humanity’s scientific approach and provided a foundational building block for future discoveries and technologies [10:35:00]. The LHC has also shaped our understanding of how elementary particles interact and combine, continuously testing existing theories [11:22:00].
Future Research and Challenges
Despite the successes of the LHC, scientists argue that its learning potential may be reaching a limit, and significant unknowns about the universe remain [11:41:00]. One major unanswered question is the nature of dark matter [12:01:00]. Dark matter, which accounts for 27% of our universe, is known to exist because it gravitationally impacts visible matter, such as the bending of light around galaxies, even though it doesn’t emit anything we can see [12:12:00].
The Future Circular Collider (FCC)
To address these deeper questions, some scientists propose building a much larger collider [11:51:00]. This proposed machine, tentatively named the Future Circular Collider (FCC), would be a 100 km loop, significantly larger than the LHC’s 27 km [12:50:00]. CERN estimates its cost to be roughly $17 billion [12:56:00].
However, not everyone agrees on the value of this investment. Some argue that the LHC has not met all expectations, and predictions suggest that even the FCC might not possess enough energy to produce truly novel particles [13:06:00]. Despite the uncertainties, proponents emphasize that fundamental research often yields unexpected discoveries and applications [13:20:00]. Other ideas for future colliders include a muon collider, a linear collider, and a powerful collider proposed in China [14:06:00].
Broader Impact and the Philosophy of Pure Research
The pure scientific research conducted at CERN has already led to numerous unexpected advancements that have impacted the world, including:
- New cancer treatments [13:32:00]
- Improved medical imaging [13:32:00]
- More efficient electric cars [13:32:00]
- More sensitive radiation detectors for space applications [13:37:00]
- The World Wide Web, initially developed as a communication tool for scientists [13:43:00]
The development of fundamental knowledge is essential because it forms the basis for all applied research [14:42:00]. Just as elementary education is crucial for higher learning, fundamental physics research is the “kindergarten” of scientific understanding [14:52:00]. Investing in this type of research reflects humanity’s innate drive to learn, understand its place in the universe, and build a better future [15:16:00].