What is a hadron collider?

A hadron collider is a particle accelerator that collides hadrons, such as protons and neutrons.

A hadron collider is a type of particle accelerator that is used to study the fundamental building blocks of matter. It works by accelerating beams of particles, such as protons or heavy ions, to very high speeds using electromagnetic fields. These beams are then directed into collision with each other, creating a shower of subatomic particles that can be analysed by detectors.

The most famous hadron collider is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located at CERN in Switzerland. The LHC is the largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world, with a circumference of 27 kilometres. It is used to study the properties of the Higgs boson, the particle responsible for giving other particles mass, as well as to search for new particles and phenomena beyond the Standard Model of particle physics.

Hadron colliders are important tools for physicists because they allow us to study the properties of subatomic particles and the forces that govern their behaviour. By colliding particles at high energies, we can recreate the conditions that existed in the early universe and study the behaviour of matter and energy in extreme environments. This research has important implications for our understanding of the universe and could lead to new technologies and applications in fields such as medicine and energy.