CERN unveils plans for the Future Circular Collider, a 91-km underground ring aiming for 100 TeV collisions to explore new physics and the Higgs boson.
CERN proposes new particle accelerator
CERN has proposed the Future Circular Collider (FCC), a massive underground ring nearly 91 kilometers in length, designed to collide protons at 100 TeV—far higher than the current Large Hadron Collider's 13-14 TeV. The project has been approved by CERN's governing body and aims to deepen understanding of fundamental physics, especially around the Higgs boson and possible new physics beyond the standard model.FCC will operate in two phases
The FCC will be built in two stages: the first, called FCC-ee, will focus on electron-positron collisions, followed by FCC-hh, which will use proton-proton collisions. The transition to the higher-energy phase is expected to occur in the 2040s. This phased approach allows for detailed preparation and infrastructure development before the more complex proton collisions begin.FCC-ee phase has high cost
The initial FCC-ee phase is estimated to cost 15.3 billion Swiss francs. The collider will be constructed beneath the Franco-Swiss border, with access shafts digging as deep as 400 meters. The same tunnel system will host both the FCC-ee and FCC-hh phases, optimizing the use of space and resources.Local concerns and ongoing upgrades
The project has sparked public discussions in France and Switzerland, with some calling for more transparency from officials. Meanwhile, the current Large Hadron Collider is undergoing a technical pause before its Long Shutdown 3, which will lead to the development of the high-luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). This upgraded version will have up to ten times the capacity of the current LHC, continuing its research for several more years.
