Why CERN Shut Down the Large Hadron Collider Until 2030

The CERN shut down the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to begin an upgrade that will last four years. When it resumes operation in 2030, it will be up to 10 times more powerful than its original design and will allow for experiments with a significantly greater number of particle collisions.

The European organization will dedicate this period to modernizing the largest particle accelerator in the world. The goal is to obtain more data to investigate phenomena such as dark matter, antimatter, and the origin of the universe.

Why CERN shut down the Large Hadron Collider

The Large Hadron Collider ceased operations on Monday, June 29, to begin what is known as Long Shutdown 3 (LS3), the third long-term technical stop since it began operating.

According to CERN, during this process, the accelerator will be transformed into the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HiLumi LHC), a version with luminosity up to ten times higher.

"This is a very important moment. Starting Monday, we will enter a new phase," said Markus Zerlauth, head of the HiLumi LHC project.

What will change when it resumes operation in 2030

The main improvement will be the increase in luminosity, a feature that will allow for many more collisions between particles.

According to CERN, the new system will generate approximately three times more collisions than the current configuration and will multiply the amount of information available to researchers.

This volume of data will allow for more precise studies of already known phenomena and increase the chances of detecting extremely rare events.

What research the new accelerator will enable

One of the main objectives will be to deepen the study of the Higgs boson, discovered in 2012 thanks to the LHC itself.

According to CERN's estimates, the HiLumi LHC will produce around 380 million Higgs bosons during its operational lifetime, compared to the nearly 55 million obtained so far.

Scientists hope that this information will help answer questions that the Standard Model still cannot explain, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

What the upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider will entail

The Long Shutdown 3 will involve one of the largest engineering tasks performed on the accelerator. According to CERN, 1.2 kilometers of magnets and components within the LHC will be dismantled and replaced.

Additionally, dozens of projects will be developed throughout the scientific complex, involving thousands of engineers, physicists, technicians, and specialized personnel.

Jean-Philippe Tock, responsible for coordinating the LS3, described the process as "a huge and complex logistical and engineering challenge."