The Large Hadron Collider - World\'s Most Powerful Microscope

Abstract

International researchers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in Geneva, Switzerland, will soon embark on one of science\'s greatest adventures. With its very high energy, previously seen only in cosmic rays, the particle collider will probe the inner structure of matter at distances ten times smaller than any previous experiments. The LHC will address many of the mysteries surrounding the smallest particles of matter. It may also pierce secrets that the Universe has hidden since the early stages of the Big Bang, such as the nature of dark matter and the origin of matter itself. This will be the largest scientific experiment ever attempted and the complex international efforts to bring the 27km-long machine to life, including Canada’s involvement, will also be explained. CERN, Large Hadron Collider, particle accelerator, nature of matter, atoms, protons, neutrons, quarks, neutrino, dark matter, fundamental forces, structure of matter, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, gravitational force, snolab, standard model, mass, quantum theory of gravity, higgs boson, supersymmetry, anti-matter, origin of mass, Alice, atlas, CMS, CA-NET