Scientists at CERN – home to the world's largest particle accelerator – have put forward proposals for a new 'super collider' that it is hoped will help unlock the secrets of 95% of the universe.
The future circular collider (FCC) is envisioned as Giant's successor To the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located in a 17-mile underground tunnel near Geneva, Switzerland – but the new machine is also facing criticism over its £17bn price tag.
The LHC, which began operating in 2008, achieved its first high-energy particle collisions in 2010, and in recent years has received an award for… A series of promotions.
It accelerates subatomic particles to almost the speed of light, before they collide with each other.
The LHC discovered the so-called “God particle” – the Higgs boson – which enabled researchers to better understand where matter gets its mass.
However, scientists are still unable to discover more about the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, which are unknown forces and particles that would allow scientists to gain a better understanding of the universe.
The new proposals come as part of an FCC study being conducted by CERN – the European Organization for Nuclear Research – and will be funded by its member states, including the UK, which are all reviewing the plans.
The FCC, which will begin construction in the 2040s and is more than 56 miles in circumference, aims to “push the energy and density limits of particle colliders” and includes universities and experts from around the world.
Director-General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, Professor Fabiola Gianotti, told BBC News: “It is a tool that will allow humanity to take huge steps forward in answering questions in fundamental physics about our knowledge of the universe.
“To do this, we need a more powerful tool.”
Photo: Reuters
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The price and size of the new device have drawn criticism from other experts.
The UK's former chief science adviser, Professor Sir David King, told the BBC: “When the world faces threats from a climate emergency, wouldn't it be wise to direct this research money towards endeavors to create a manageable future?”
The planet's next supercollider will consume as much energy as “an average-sized city,” according to CERN — but it adds that the FCC will use “only one-sixth of the energy consumed by its more energy-hungry competitors to achieve the same physical goals.” .
It claims the FCC's carbon footprint would be “just 1% of the most polluting alternative.”
