Being a moderately successful YouTuber has its perks, like getting invited to fascinating places. Earlier this year, I had the chance to visit CERN, and it was an experience I couldn’t pass up. I quickly booked a flight to Geneva and embarked on a journey to explore one of the most significant scientific facilities in the world.
During my visit, I explored several key areas of CERN, including one of the detectors, the control center, the data center, and the magnet factory. CERN’s campus is a sprawling complex with numerous buildings and underground tunnels that straddle the border between Switzerland and France. The facility is home to multiple particle accelerators, with the most famous being the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This massive ring accelerates two beams of protons in opposite directions, setting the stage for groundbreaking experiments.
The LHC features four major detectors located at points where the proton beams intersect. When protons collide, energy transforms into matter, creating massive particles that decay into various subatomic particles. These detectors, equipped with gas panels, electronics, and magnets, track every particle resulting from these collisions.
I had the privilege of seeing the Atlas detector, which played a pivotal role in the discovery of the Higgs boson. Another significant detector is the CMS. There are also detectors like Alice, which studies lead atom collisions, and LHCb, which focuses on beauty particles. Witnessing the Atlas detector up close was awe-inspiring, especially given the importance of the Higgs boson discovery in physics.
The sheer size and complexity of the detectors at CERN are astounding. These structures are intricately designed with advanced technology, including electronics, detection panels, pipes, wires, and giant magnets. All these components must work seamlessly to track every decay product from proton-proton collisions. It’s a true marvel of engineering.
Next, I visited the control center, where large circles of computers and monitors display the status of various LHC components. During my visit, it was relatively quiet as experiments were not running. The team was focused on upgrading the luminosity of the beams to increase the number of collisions per second. The goal is to achieve five times the collision rate and ten times the recorded data, providing more insights into the Higgs boson.
Although the Higgs boson has been discovered, scientists are eager to study it further. By analyzing the decay processes of the Higgs boson, researchers can test the Standard Model of particle physics. While the Standard Model is highly accurate, physicists are searching for phenomena that might deviate from it, as it doesn’t explain everything, such as dark matter and the matter-antimatter imbalance.
After lunch, I toured the data center, where they process the enormous amounts of data generated by the detectors. The data center is vast and warm, handling an astounding volume of information. When the beams are active, there are 600 million collisions per second, each producing a shower of particles detected by the instruments. Most collisions are not significant, so the system discards the majority of the data, retaining only about one in 10,000 collisions for storage. Even with this filtering, the output is still an impressive 100 gigabytes per second.
To put this into perspective, the data generated in a CERN experiment would fill a four-terabyte hard drive in just 40 seconds. They run these experiments for years, resulting in staggering amounts of data. After further analysis, they filter out an additional 99% of the data, leaving them with 280 petabytes of disk storage, equivalent to 280,000 terabytes. For permanent storage, they utilize an additional 340 petabytes on magnetic tape, which is an effective method for storing large datasets. They also distribute data to institutions worldwide for further analysis.
Finally, I visited the magnet factory. In the LHC, protons travel at 99.9999991% the speed of light, necessitating extremely strong magnets to guide them and prevent collisions with the collider’s walls. They also use powerful magnets to focus the beams just before they intersect, which is crucial for increasing the likelihood of significant collision events. These magnets are constructed from superconductors cooled with liquid helium, and the factory is responsible for producing and training these magnets to achieve high magnetic fields.
Overall, my visit to CERN was an incredible experience, and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to show me around. If you’re interested in visiting CERN, they occasionally hold open days where you can explore some of the facilities. You can find more information on their website.
If you’re curious about the science behind CERN’s projects, I recommend checking out a series of videos by another creator that delve into the luminosity upgrade and other topics.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you found this article informative and engaging. Don’t forget to stay curious and keep exploring the wonders of science!
Explore CERN’s facilities through a virtual tour. Visit the Large Hadron Collider, the control center, and the data center. Pay attention to the engineering marvels and the scientific processes involved. Reflect on how these components contribute to groundbreaking discoveries in particle physics.
Engage in a simulation of particle collisions. Use software to simulate proton-proton collisions and observe the resulting subatomic particles. Analyze the data to understand the significance of these collisions and their role in testing the Standard Model of particle physics.
Participate in a workshop focused on analyzing CERN’s data. Learn about the methods used to filter and store data from the detectors. Work with sample datasets to practice extracting meaningful insights and discuss the challenges of handling such massive volumes of information.
Take part in a design challenge to create a model of a particle detector. Consider the components needed, such as detection panels, electronics, and magnets. Present your design to the class, explaining how it would function within a particle accelerator like the LHC.
Join a seminar discussing the discovery of the Higgs boson and its implications for physics. Debate the current understanding of the Higgs field and its role in the universe. Explore the ongoing research at CERN aimed at uncovering new physics beyond the Standard Model.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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One interesting aspect of being a moderately successful YouTuber is that I occasionally receive invitations to fascinating places. Earlier this year, I was invited to visit CERN, and I was thrilled! I quickly booked a flight to Geneva and had the opportunity to explore the facility.
During my visit, I saw one of the detectors, the control center, the data center, and the magnet factory. Let me share what I experienced at CERN. The campus consists of various buildings and numerous tunnels located underground, straddling the border of Switzerland and France. There are multiple loops for accelerating particles, but the most renowned and largest is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This is a large ring where two proton beams circulate in opposite directions.
The LHC features four major detectors positioned at the points where the proton streams intersect. When the protons collide, energy is converted into matter, creating massive particles that subsequently decay into a variety of subatomic particles. These detectors are composed of numerous gas panels that detect particle passage, along with extensive electronics and magnets. Their purpose is to track every particle resulting from a collision.
I had the chance to see the Atlas detector, which played a crucial role in the discovery of the Higgs boson, alongside another detector called CMS. There are additional detectors, such as Alice, which investigates the collisions of lead atoms, and LHCb, which studies beauty particles. Witnessing the Atlas detector in person was incredible, especially considering the significance of the Higgs boson discovery in the realm of physics. I felt fortunate to see it up close.
What struck me was not only the sheer size of the detector but also the density of its components. There are many large structures in the world, but few are as intricately designed with advanced technology. The electronics, detection panels, pipes, wires, and giant magnets all need to function together flawlessly. Any malfunction could hinder the ability to account for every decay product from a proton-proton collision. It was truly a marvel of engineering.
Next, I visited the control center, which housed several large circles of computers and monitors displaying the status of various components of the LHC. It was quite quiet during my visit since they were not running experiments at that time; they were focused on upgrading the luminosity of the beams to increase the number of collisions per second. The goal is to achieve five times the collision rate and ten times the amount of recorded data. This upgrade aims to provide more statistical insights into the Higgs boson.
While they have already discovered the Higgs boson, scientists are eager to study it further. When a Higgs boson is created, it can decay into various particles. By measuring the probabilities of these decay processes, researchers can test the validity of the Standard Model of particle physics. Interestingly, the Standard Model is an exceptionally accurate description of fundamental physics, but physicists are searching for phenomena that might deviate from it, as there are aspects of the universe it cannot explain, such as dark matter and the imbalance between matter and antimatter.
When the beams are operational and experiments are running, the control center is bustling with activity. However, during my visit, it was relatively quiet as everyone was either working on upgrades or analyzing the vast amounts of data already collected. I noticed a wall of champagne bottles, each representing a major discovery, including the specific bottle opened upon the discovery of the Higgs boson.
After lunch, I toured the computer center, where they process the enormous amounts of data generated by the detectors. The data center was vast and warm, handling an astounding volume of information. When the beams are active, there are 600 million collisions per second, each producing a shower of particles detected by the instruments. Most of these collisions are not significant, so the system discards the majority of the data, retaining only about one in 10,000 collisions for storage. Even with this filtering, the output is still an impressive 100 gigabytes per second.
To put this into perspective, the data generated in a CERN experiment would fill a four-terabyte hard drive in just 40 seconds. They run these experiments for years, resulting in staggering amounts of data. After further analysis, they filter out an additional 99% of the data, leaving them with 280 petabytes of disk storage, which is equivalent to 280,000 terabytes. For permanent storage, they utilize an additional 340 petabytes on magnetic tape, which is an effective method for storing large datasets. They also distribute data to institutions worldwide for further analysis.
I also had the opportunity to see the computer created by Tim Berners-Lee, which was instrumental in the development of the World Wide Web and the first web browser.
Finally, I visited the magnet factory. In the LHC, protons travel at 99.9999991% the speed of light, necessitating extremely strong magnets to guide them and prevent collisions with the collider’s walls. They also use powerful magnets to focus the beams just before they intersect, which is crucial for increasing the likelihood of significant collision events. These magnets are constructed from superconductors cooled with liquid helium, and the factory is responsible for producing and training these magnets to achieve high magnetic fields.
Overall, my visit to CERN was an incredible experience, and I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who took the time to show me around. If you’re interested in visiting CERN, they occasionally hold open days where you can explore some of the facilities. You can find more information on their website.
If you’re curious about the science behind CERN’s projects, I recommend checking out a series of videos by another creator that delve into the luminosity upgrade and other topics.
It’s been a while since my last upload, but I have been working on some projects behind the scenes. Moving forward, I plan to release one video per month, along with occasional bonus content. If you’d like to support my mission to explain science, there are various ways to do so, including my online store where I sell posters and other items.
Thank you for watching, and I hope to see you in the next video! Don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated.
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing informal language and any potentially inappropriate expressions.
CERN – The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known for its large-scale experiments in particle physics. – Researchers at CERN are conducting experiments to explore the fundamental forces of nature.
Physics – The natural science that studies matter, its motion, and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. – The principles of physics are essential for understanding the mechanics of how machines operate.
Engineering – The application of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. – Engineering students often use physics to solve complex problems in their projects.
Particles – Small localized objects to which can be ascribed several physical or chemical properties such as volume, density, or mass. – In particle physics, scientists study the interactions of subatomic particles.
Collisions – Events where two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time. – High-energy collisions in particle accelerators help physicists discover new particles.
Detectors – Devices used in physics experiments to track and identify particles. – The detectors at the Large Hadron Collider are crucial for analyzing particle collisions.
Data – Information collected during experiments or observations, often used for analysis and forming conclusions. – The data from the experiment provided new insights into quantum mechanics.
Magnets – Objects that produce a magnetic field, which attracts ferrous objects and affects charged particles. – Superconducting magnets are used in accelerators to steer and focus particle beams.
Protons – Subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom, with a positive electric charge. – Protons are accelerated to near-light speeds in the Large Hadron Collider for collision experiments.
Luminosity – A measure of the number of particles that can be produced in a collider, related to the brightness of the particle beam. – Increasing the luminosity of the collider allows for more precise measurements of rare particle interactions.
