Input
450 GeV proton bunches from SPS
Stage 5 of 5
LHC
The Large Hadron Collider stores two opposing proton beams in a 27 km ring and drives collisions at four main interaction points where major detectors observe debris.
Process
Superconducting magnetic steering, collision timing, synchronized crossing
Output
High-energy collisions for detector science
Energy
up to several TeV per beam
Interactive simulator
How the beam moves through this stage.
Beam life, optics, and detector timing are simplified to one visible crossing sequence.
Preparing simulator
Particleproton
Energyup to several TeV per beam
Beam formatbunch
Scale note
27 km ring with tunnel-level scale
Key terms
RF cavity, Synchrotron, and Superconducting magnet.
What happens, in order
- 01Input450 GeV proton bunches from SPS
- 02ProcessSuperconducting magnetic steering, collision timing, synchronized crossing
- 03OutputHigh-energy collisions for detector science
Key terms: RF cavity, Synchrotron, and Superconducting magnet.
Quick facts
- Ring length
- about 27 km
- Magnets
- Superconducting dipoles and quadrupoles
- Collision points
- ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, LHCb
- Current model
- Single train crossing events
scale map
Record sources
What anchors this machine page.
- 01
CERN Large Hadron Collider
https://home.cern/science/accelerators/large-hadron-collider/Official public overview used for LHC scale, collider role, multi-TeV beam context, and the current LHC experiment roster.
- 02
CERN Accelerator Complex overview
https://home.cern/science/accelerators/Official public summary used for accelerator principles, beamline framing, and the CERN accelerator network.
Next · Detector families
From collisions to the experiments that photograph them.
The LHC delivers collisions. The science comes from what the detectors catch next. Open any of the four flagship experiments.
Guided tour
Guided learning path
A four-step arc: follow the beam, see the aftermath, compare with spacetime signals, then test your intuition.
- 01 · You are here
Follow the beam
Start with the injector chain so the rest of the site follows a physical sequence.
Open - 02 · Next
See the collision aftermath
See which detectors catch which particles after a collision.
Open - 03 · Next
Compare with spacetime signals
Switch to gravitational waves: tune mass, distance, and noise to find the signal.
Open - 04 · Next
Test your intuition
Short quizzes on accelerator ordering, detector choice, and signal tuning.
Open