What is the universe made of? How did it come about, and how come we exist? Scientists have no clear answers to these questions. But that could soon change. One of the world’s most renowned nuclear research organizations – CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) in Geneva – is currently building the largest particle accelerator in the world: The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) is a machine that can simulate the “Big Bang”. Researchers use the term Big Bang to describe the beginning of the universe, when matter was created by the interplay of elementary particles and energy. The LHC will be able to create conditions similar to those thought to have occurred only a few moments after the Big Bang, and therefore may help clear up the still unsolved questions. The researchers are entering new territory with this unprecedented scientific experiment and hope to obtain key findings about the origin of the universe. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta has supplied two special high-alloy stainless steels for the two billion euro project. They are capable of meeting the extremely high demands imposed by the 27 kilometer circular tunnel that has been built over a period of roughly ten years 100 meters beneath the Jura Mountains, crossing the border between Switzerland and France twice. The preparations for the tests have already begun and the commissioning of the LHC is scheduled for mid September, the official inauguration for October.
The ring main is made of Nirosta 4307 stainless steel, a chrome-nickel steel (X2 Cr Ni 18-9) which remains tough and resistant to cracking even at very low temperatures. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta supplied 450 tons of this material to the stainless steel fabricator Butting, who used it to manufacture approximately 120 kilometers of pipe in four different sizes. Jörg Pollmann, a member of the Butting sales team: “This scientific project was a particular challenge, but one we enjoyed meeting. The material from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta was the perfect choice for this premium pipe.”
The protons have reached their highest energy level: The two particle streams cross in the four
LHC detectors and collide, releasing unprecedented particle energies at a level which would be impossible with a rigid target. At the four collision points the huge detectors measure the new particles created during the collision and their properties. These are then filtered and analyzed. The particle beams circulate for around ten hours with decreasing intensity before new beams are injected and accelerated. “We don’t know whether we will be able to confirm existing theories with these experiments,” says Professor Rossi. “But even if something totally unexpected emerges, that too would push our knowledge forward.” The scientists from the 20 member countries of CERN hope the unique machine and the experiments will provide deeper insights into the fundamental building blocks of the universe.