Billion-Dollar Giant Atom-Smasher Aims to Unravel 95% of the Universe

Scientists at Cern, home to the largest particle accelerator in the world, have introduced a plan for a new, significantly larger collider called the Future Circular Collider (FCC), as reported by the BBC. This ambitious project, estimated to cost around $21 billion, is intended to take physics research to new heights, delving into unexplored realms like dark matter and dark energy, which the current Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been unable to fully investigate.

The proposed FCC would dwarf the LHC in size, boasting a circumference of 91km, triple that of the LHC, and double its depth.

The FCC’s operation is planned in two phases: the first, anticipated to begin in the mid-2040s, will focus on colliding electrons to examine the Higgs particle more closely. The second phase, expected to start in the 2070s, will use more powerful magnets and heavier protons to hunt for previously undiscovered particles.

Key challenges include managing the intense radiation from the higher energies, which necessitates the collider’s increased depth. The advanced magnets needed for the project’s second phase are still in the development stages.

While the LHC achieved a significant milestone in 2012 with the discovery of the Higgs Boson, the FCC aims to explore the vast majority of the universe that remains a mystery, including dark energy and dark matter.

The hefty price tag of the FCC has drawn criticism, with some questioning the wisdom of such an expensive endeavor, especially when compared to the urgent need for investment in addressing climate change. The collider’s design has also sparked internal debates among physicists, with some advocating for linear colliders as a potentially more cost-effective and quicker alternative.

Prof Fabiola Gianotti, Cern’s director general, expressed to the BBC her belief in the FCC’s potential to dramatically enhance our understanding of the universe.

Despite various debates and criticisms, Cern considers the FCC crucial for unraveling the enduring enigmas of the cosmos, marking a significant step forward in scientific discovery.

The proposal for the FCC now awaits the green light from Cern’s 70 member countries, whose collective financial contributions will be vital for bringing this ambitious project to fruition.