LHC reaches temperatures colder than outer space

April 11, 2007 The first sector of CERN ’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to be cooled down has reached a temperature of 1.9 K (-271°C) - colder than deep outer space! Although just one-eighth of the LHC ring, this sector is the world’s largest superconducting installation. The entire 27-kilometre LHC ring needs to be cooled down to this temperature in order for the superconducting magnets that guide and focus the proton beams to remain in a superconductive state. Such a state allows the current to flow without resistance, creating a dense, powerful magnetic field in relatively small magnets. Guiding the two proton beams as they travel at nearly the speed of light, curving around the accelerator ring and focusing them at the collision points is no easy task. A total of 1650 main magnets need to be operated in a superconductive state, which presents a huge technical challenge.

« Back to LHC reaches temperatures colder than outer space