The Large Hadron Collider with my own eyes. Part 4

In the final part, I want to talk about what usually remains behind the scenes, but is a direct part of the creation and use of the equipment on which the discoveries are made.

First part here

Second part here
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Third part here

Part 4. Workshops and laboratories



During the open day at CERN, visitors could see the places where equipment is being built and debugged, various detectors, and also visit laboratories. The basis of all, of course, is the accelerator technique.



and various detectors



It can be seen as the detector of individual particles, based on CMOS technology, monitors cosmic radiation in real time



Having passed further, we get to workshops where a large number of various specific equipment is created.



Here, for example, the proton separator, which is intended for use in the accelerator



And this is another zagulina, the purpose of which I did not understand



In general, I must say that the workshops are equipped with the most modern machines, although there are also quite ancient ones (visible in the background)



Modern machines are used for automatic precision machining of parts without human intervention. For example, this high-tech machine grinds the bust of a double hero for installation in his homeland.



Since some equipment must operate in a vacuum, it is tested in such a chamber.



Let's go further to the largest building in CERN - the place where the most important part of the collider is built and tested - elementary particle detectors



Here the staff staged a small exhibition. Here, for example, a real beryllium target for protons



And this is a quad magnet



It should be added that the staff conduct excursions and explain to ordinary citizens the physical principles of each exhibit.



I'm not sure that people understand the essence of the matter, but everyone is still interested



This is a particle detector consisting of a set of planes bent into an accordion



And this is a prototype of a detector containing a multitude of wires that create a magnetic field. This detector is then filled with gas. When a particle gets into such a detector, the gas is ionized and the ions drift under the influence of an electric current to the walls of the detector, where they are recorded. Knowing the magnitude of the electric field, you can determine the trajectory of a charged particle



I must say that in this building you can simultaneously debug a lot of different equipment. In order not to interfere with each other, these concrete blocks are laid.



You can see a lot of measuring devices



Look at the cryogenic laboratory. As is known, for the operation of superconducting magnets a temperature close to absolute zero is necessary. Liquid helium is used for cooling. With the use of helium (and partially liquid nitrogen) a real presentation was arranged in this laboratory.



Here, for example, sorcerers-scientists forced to fly a piece of a magnet



And this is generally a phenomenon that, according to the leaders, even most physicists did not see with their own eyes, let alone ordinary people, superfluid helium. Yes, not every day you see a purely quantum effect.



Passing into the next building you can see the synchrocyclotron. True, he no longer works.



These remote controls are well known from the old films about physicists, when this profession was still honored in our country



This is me against the background of the synchrocyclotron



This is where my stay at the open door at CERN came to an end. I also visited this futuristic building, where a film was shown on several screens (like a circular motion picture film at VDNKh, who remembers) about the origin of the universe and how the Large Hadron Collider helps in studying nature at the most fundamental level.



I would also like to add a few words from myself. From my point of view, organizing such an event as an open day cost a lot of money and a lot of effort by the staff, and I take off my hat and stand applauding the organizers. This is an example of how science should show what it does and why it is necessary to spend so much money on the study of nature. I hope our scientists take note of this. In addition, today less and less young people choose physics as their future profession, and such events like nothing else can inspire them to study the most interesting science of nature.