CERN Began Disconnecting Collider Magnets for Upgrade
CERN has started removing magnet sections at the Large Hadron Collider to prepare for a major luminosity upgrade.
Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Physics
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CERN has begun the process of disconnecting beam-focusing magnets as part of the third long shutdown of the 27 km Large Hadron Collider. This overhaul is designed to replace aging components with more powerful technology.
Why it matters
The upgrade is essential to increase the collider's luminosity, allowing scientists to collect significantly more data from experiments. Replacing the inner triplets, which have been in operation for nearly two decades, is vital for the continued performance of the ATLAS and CMS experiments.
The replacement project involves the installation of 16 cryostats and 28 cryo-assemblies. The new magnets will produce 11.3 tesla fields, providing a 40% strength increase over the current hardware.
The players
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research manages the Large Hadron Collider, the worlds largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
ATLAS
ATLAS is one of the two general-purpose detectors at the Large Hadron Collider designed to observe a wide range of physics processes.
CMS
The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment is a particle detector built to study the products of collisions generated by the Large Hadron Collider.
The details
Teams are currently disassembling sections of the accelerator on both sides of the ATLAS and CMS experiments. The process requires complex mechanical work to remove the original magnets and integrate the new, high-field superconducting assemblies.
Timeline
Original inner triplet magnets were installed between 2005 and 2007.
Work to take apart accelerator sections began on September 7, 2026.
The first connection between magnets was cut the week of September 27, 2026.
The first new quadrupole triplet is expected in the tunnel in early 2029.
Deeper Dive
This magnet replacement represents a key physical milestone in the Large Hadron Collider's high-luminosity upgrade program. The effort aims to push the boundaries of current particle physics research by enabling a massive increase in the volume of data generated during collisions.
The increased luminosity will allow researchers to detect rare particle events that were previously unreachable. This creates the potential for future breakthroughs in understanding the fundamental building blocks of matter.
The takeaway
This long-term maintenance effort ensures the Large Hadron Collider remains a world-class facility for high-energy physics. Readers can expect further technical updates as the new, more powerful quadrupole triplets are eventually installed.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Physics.
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