Ten years after the discovery of the Higgs-boson particle, the CERN (“Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire,” or European Council for Nuclear Research) particle accelerator in Geneva is being fired up for another round of research. The machine was shut down for three years as scientists modified the system to be more precise and efficient, the Financial Times wrote.
Particle colliders work by using magnets to catapult protons or electrons at high speeds. When two of these fast-moving particles collide, the resulting explosion is observed within fractions of a second. Although groundbreaking discoveries are rare, research with these machines helps better medical, security, and consumer products. However, this research comes at a cost as the CERN accelerator cost $4.75 billion to develop, and new plans outline an accelerator that could cost as much as $23 billion.
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is the biggest in the world, consisting of a tube of powerful magnets stretching almost 17 miles underground. Since its first test run in 2008, the collider has been a marvel of complex engineering. Its most notable discovery was the Higgs-boson particle, which was announced to the world in July 2012.
The fundamentals behind the Higgs-boson particle is enough to make even the most experienced researchers dizzy. In simple terms, the particle explains many concepts in physics that previously baffled scientists. The Higgs-boson validates the Standard Model of physics by insinuating that there is an invisible field in the universe supplying other particles with mass.
Despite only beginning its “Run 3” phase days before, researchers at CERN have announced promising signs that new discoveries are coming. Due to the accelerator being upgraded to shoot particles together even faster, new “exotic” particles have been found, Bloomberg reports. These could give scientists insight into how molecules are bound together. Above all, researchers are grateful that the “Run 3” set off to a smooth start and is ready for more exciting breakthroughs to come.
