CERNEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research

TopicsFoundingOrganizationThe acceleratorExperimentsPractical applicationsVideo?

History – How did it all start?Founded in 1954Unites scientists from all across EuropeAlso for sharing costsNo military functionLocation: Geneva12 founding members: Belgium, Denmark, France,

the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia

GoalsResearch: Seeking and finding answers to

questions about the Universe Technology: Advancing the frontiers of

technologyCollaborating: Bringing nations together

through scienceEducation: Training the scientists of

tomorrow

Organization – truly internationalMembers Finances12 member states8 observer statesbut many more

participants…

2600 full time employees8000 scientist and

engineers580 universities85 nationalities100 languages

Member fees paid by member states

Contributions proportional to the GDP

Most significant: Germany, France, UK

2011 total budget:1075.6 million CHF 250 billion HUF

The accelerator

Geneva

PS1959 (628 m)

SPS1976 (7 km)

LHC2007 (27 km)

Experiments

DetectorsATLAS CMSA Toroidal LHC

ApparatusGeneral purpose

detectorLooking for signs of new

physicsOrigins of mass and

extra dimension

Compact Muon SolenoiGeneral purpose

detectorLooks for the Higgs

bosonNature of dark matter

DetectorsALICE LHCbA Large Ion Collider

ExperimentQuark-gluon plasma

A fluid form of matterExisted shortly after the

Big BangHeavy ion collisions

Large Hadron Collider beauty

What happened to the missing antimatter?

Some questionsDoes the Higgs boson exist? – Is the Standard

Model correct or are the Higgsless alternatives right?

Supersymmetry: do all particles have supersymmetric partners?

String theory: are there extra dimensions?What is the nature of the dark matter?What is the nature and what are the

properties of the quark-gluon plasma?

Why do we need it? –Practical applicationsGoal: understand the

worldLong-term

investmentWithout

fundamental research there is no innovation

WEBGRIDPET: positron-

emission tomography

Cancer treatments

Questions?

Thank you for your attention!