CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has begun replacing key components of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) as part of an upgrade aimed at increasing its scientific output. The upgrade focuses on replacing the LHC's inner triplets—critical groups of magnets that help focus particle beams before collisions—with newer, more powerful superconducting magnets. These new magnets will generate magnetic fields about 40% stronger than the current ones, allowing for tighter focusing of particle beams. This improvement will lead to a significant increase in the number of collisions, providing physicists with more data to explore the fundamental structure of the universe.
The LHC, a 27-kilometer ring located near Geneva, Switzerland, uses a variety of magnets to guide and control the high-energy particle beams that travel within it. Different types of magnets, such as dipoles, quadrupoles, and others, each play a specific role in steering and focusing the beams. The inner triplets, consisting of three quadrupole magnets, are positioned near the four main experiments—ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb. Their primary function is to compress the particle beams just before collisions occur. The tighter the beams are focused, the higher the likelihood of collisions, which increases the collider’s luminosity. Luminosity refers to the rate at which collisions happen, and a higher luminosity means more data for scientists to study.
A key part of the High-Luminosity LHC (HiLumi LHC) project involves replacing the current inner triplets with advanced superconducting magnets. This work is happening during the third long shutdown (LS3), a scheduled period for maintenance and upgrades. Recently, CERN teams completed the first major step in the process by cutting the first magnet interconnection, officially starting the replacement. CERN Director-General Mark Thomson visited the ATLAS experiment site to mark the milestone, highlighting the significance of the upgrade.
The new magnets are the result of extensive research and development. Unlike the niobium-titanium superconducting coils currently in use, the upgraded magnets use niobium-tin, which allows for stronger magnetic fields—up to 11.3 tesla. These new magnets will be installed near the ATLAS and CMS experiments, where the increased collision rate will be most beneficial. The ALICE and LHCb experiments, which focus on different types of research, will not require the same level of luminosity increase, so their existing magnets will remain in place. However, they will still benefit from the overall improvements in the LHC's performance.
Since September 7, CERN teams have been dismantling sections of the collider near the ATLAS and CMS experiments. The goal is to remove 28 superconducting magnets, including the inner triplets, which are scheduled for replacement. This marks the end of an era for hardware that has been part of the LHC since its construction in the mid-2000s. The current inner triplets, installed between 2005 and 2007, have operated for nearly two decades. They will now be replaced by a new generation of magnets, offering even greater power and precision for future discoveries.
CERN Begins Upgrading Large Hadron Collider's Magnets for Increased Luminosity
AI-rewritten from original reportingHow it works
cernlhcmagnetshigh-luminosityphysicsupgrade



