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Experiments | CERN Skip to main content CERN Accelerating science Sign in Directory Toggle navigation About CERN At CERN, we probe the fundamental structure of particles that make up everything around us. We do so using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments. Know more Who we are Our Mission Our Governance Our Member States Our History Our People What we do Fundamental research Contribute to society Environmentally responsible research Bring nations together Inspire and educate Fast facts and FAQs Key Achievements Key achievements submenu The Higgs Boson The W boson The Z boson The Large Hadron Collider The Birth of the web Antimatter News Featured news, updates, stories, opinions, announcements CERN Council decides to conclude cooperation ... At CERN News 15 December, 2023 CERN publishes its environment report for 202... Knowledge sharing News 4 December, 2023 Exotic atomic nucleus sheds light on the worl... 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Physics News 10 November, 2023 Latest news News Accelerators At CERN Computing Engineering Experiments Knowledge sharing Physics Events Webcasts CERN Community News and announcements Official communications Events Scientists News Events Press Room Press Room submenu Media News Resources Contact Science Science The research programme at CERN covers topics from kaons to cosmic rays, and from the Standard Model to supersymmetry Know more Physics Antimatter Dark matter The early universe The Higgs boson The Standard Model + More Accelerators CERN's accelerators The Antiproton Decelerator The Large Hadron Collider High-Luminosity LHC + More Engineering Accelerating: radiofrequency cavities Steering and focusing: magnets and superconductivity Circulating: ultra-high vacuum Cooling: cryogenic systems Powering: energy at CERN + More Computing The CERN Data Centre The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid CERN openlab Open source for open science The birth of the web + More Experiments ALICE ATLAS CMS LHCb + More Resources Featured resources CERN Courier Nov/Dec 2023 Courier Physics 1 November, 2023 High-Luminosity LHC images Image Accelerators 20 June, 2018 LHC Facts and Figures Brochure Knowledge sharing 10 May, 2022 See all resources By Topic Accelerators At CERN Computing Engineering Experiments Knowledge sharing Physics By format 360 image Annual report Brochure Bulletin Courier Image Video + More By audience CERN community Educators General public Industry Media Scientists Students + More search E.G. BIRTH OF WEB, LHC PAGE 1, BULLETIN... E.G. BIRTH OF WEB, LHC... Search Search | en enfr Experiments A range of experiments at CERN investigate physics from cosmic rays to supersymmetry (Image: CERN) Experiments A range of experiments at CERN investigate physics from cosmic rays to supersymmetry (Image: CERN) Experiments A range of experiments at CERN investigate physics from cosmic rays to supersymmetry (Image: CERN) Experiments A range of experiments at CERN investigate physics from cosmic rays to supersymmetry (Image: CERN) Experiments A range of experiments at CERN investigate physics from cosmic rays to supersymmetry (Image: CERN) prevnext Diverse experiments at CERN CERN is home to a wide range of experiments. Scientists from institutes all over the world form experimental collaborations to carry out a diverse research programme, ensuring that CERN covers a wealth of topics in physics, from the Standard Model to supersymmetry and from exotic isotopes to cosmic rays. Several collaborations run experiments using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful accelerator in the world. In addition, fixed-target experiments, antimatter experiments and experimental facilities make use of the LHC injector chain. LHC experiments Nine experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) use detectors to analyse the myriad of particles produced by collisions in the accelerator. These experiments are run by collaborations of scientists from institutes all over the world. Each experiment is distinct and characterised by its detectors. The biggest experiments at CERN operate at the Large Hadron Collider, seen here during the installation of the accelerator's dipole magnets (Image: Maximilien Brice/Claudia Marcelloni/CERN)The biggest of these experiments, ATLAS and CMS, use general-purpose detectors to investigate the largest range of physics possible. Having two independently designed detectors is vital for cross-confirmation of any new discoveries made. ALICE and LHCb have detectors specialised for focussing on specific phenomena. These four detectors sit underground in huge caverns on the LHC ring. The smallest experiments on the LHC are TOTEM and LHCf, which focus on "forward particles" – protons or heavy ions that brush past each other rather than meeting head on when the beams collide. TOTEM uses detectors positioned on either side of the CMS interaction point, while LHCf is made up of two detectors which sit along the LHC beamline, at 140 metres either side of the ATLAS collision point. MoEDAL-MAPP uses detectors deployed near LHCb to search for a hypothetical particle called the magnetic monopole. FASER and SND@LHC, the two newest LHC experiments, are situated close to the ATLAS collision point in order to search for light new particles and to study neutrinos. ALICE A Large Ion Collider Experiment ATLAS A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS CMS Compact Muon Solenoid LHCb Large Hadron Collider beauty TOTEM Total, elastic and diffractive cross-section measurement LHCf Large Hadron Collider forward MoEDAL-MAPP Monopole and Exotics Detector at the LHC FASER Forward Search Experiment SND@LHC Scattering and Neutrino Detector at the LHC Fixed-target experiments In “fixed-target” experiments, a beam of accelerated particles is directed at a solid, liquid or gas target, which itself can be part of the detection system.  COMPASS, which looks at the structure of hadrons – particles made of quarks – uses beams from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). The SPS also feeds the North Area (NA), which houses a number of experiments. NA61/SHINE studies a phase transition between hadrons and quark-gluon plasma, and conducts measurements for experiments involving cosmic rays and long-baseline neutrino oscillations. NA62 uses protons from the SPS to study rare decays of kaons. NA63 directs beams of electrons and positrons onto a variety of targets to study radiation processes in strong electromagnetic fields. NA64 is looking for new particles that would mediate an unknown interaction between visible matter and dark matter. NA65 studies the production of tau neutrinos. UA9 is investigating how crystals could help to steer particle beams in high-energy colliders. The CLOUD experiment uses beams from the Proton Synchrotron (PS) to investigate a possible link between cosmic rays and cloud formation. DIRAC, which is now analysing data, is investigating the strong force between quarks. COMPASS Common Muon and Proton Apparatus for Structure and Spectroscopy NA61/SHINE SPS Heavy Ion and Neutrino Experiment NA62 North area experiment 62 CLOUD Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets NA63 North area experiment 63 NA64 North area experiment 64 NA65 North area experiment 65 UA9 Crystal Antimatter experiments Currently the Antiproton Decelerator and ELENA serve several experiments that are studying antimatter and its properties: AEGIS, ALPHA, ASACUSA, BASE and GBAR. PUMA is designed to carry antiprotons to ISOLDE. Earlier experiments (ATHENA, ATRAP and ACE) are now completed. AEGIS Antihydrogen Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy ALPHA Antihydrogen Laser PHysics Apparatus ASACUSA Atomic Spectroscopy And Collisions Using Slow Antiprotons BASE Baryon Antibaryon Symmetry Experiment GBAR Gravitational Behaviour of Antimatter at Rest PUMA antiProton Unstable Matter Annihilation Experimental facilities Experimental facilities at CERN include ISOLDE, MEDICIS, the neutron time-of-flight facility (n_TOF) and the CERN Neutrino Platform. ISOLDE Isotope mass Separator On-Line facility MEDICIS n_TOF Neutron time-of-flight facility CERN Neutrino Platform Non-accelerator experiments Not all experiments rely on CERN’s accelerator complex. AMS, for example, is a CERN-recognised experiment located on the International Space Station, which has its control centre at CERN. The CAST and OSQAR experiments are both looking for hypothetical dark matter particles called axions. AMS Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer CAST CERN Axion Solar Telescope OSQAR Optical Search for QED Vacuum Bifringence, Axions and Photon Regeneration Past experiments CERN’s experimental programme has consisted of hundreds of experiments spanning decades. Among these were pioneering experiments for electroweak physics, a branch of physics that unifies the electromagnetic and weak fundamental forces. In 1958, an experiment at the Synchrocyclotron discovered a rare pion decay that spread CERN’s name around the world. Then in 1973, the Gargamelle bubble chamber presented first direct evidence of the weak neutral current. Ten years later, CERN physicists working on the UA1 and UA2 detectors announced the discovery of the W boson in January and Z boson in June – the two carriers of the electroweak force. Two key scientists behind the discoveries – Carlo Rubbia and Simon van der Meer – received the Nobel prize in physics in 1984. From 1989, the Large Electron-Positron collider (LEP) enabled the ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL experiments to put the Standard Model of particle physics on a strong experimental basis. In 2000, LEP made way for the construction of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the same tunnel. CERN’s huge contributions to electroweak physics are just some of the highlights of the experiments over the years. This website uses cookies that are either necessary or that measure website performance.Privacy policyCookie documentationSettingsAccept only necessaryAccept all Follow Us v J W M 1 Find us Contact us Getting here   CERN Esplanade des Particules 1 P.O. Box 1211 Geneva 23 Switzerland CERN & You Doing business with CERN Knowledge transfer CERN's neighbours CERN & Society Foundation Partnerships Alumni General Information Careers Visits Privacy policy Cookies Consent Management Copyright  © 2024 CERN