LHC Student Resources Online
The LHC: At the Energy Frontier
It is the dawn of a new era in particle physics. Physicists have incorporated decades of observations and results into the Standard Model, a framework for our current understanding of matter. Even and as they continue to refine it, they are aware that it leaves fundamental questions unanswered. To probe the frontier beyond the Standard Model, particle physicists turn to instruments that break the old barriers of energy, precision and intensity. The newest particle physics instruments for the energy frontier are CERN's Large hadron Collider and its detectors.
Physicists look for new science by looking for the unexpected. They publish results explaining claims with evidence from LHC data so that others can put those results to the test. New understandings lead to new fundamental questions and a new world of discovery.
What is dark matter? What happened to antimatter? Are there extra dimensions of spacetime?
While scientific breakthroughs may seem to occur suddenly, Eureka!, in fact years of research are behind discoveries such as the top quark mass, the construction of the Large Hadron Collider or the availability of the World Wide Web.
The resources in this project map provide background information for the next discoveries. Follow along as physicists unravel mysteries of particle physics.
The Standard Model is the current framework for our understanding of matter.
The Standard Model explains much but leaves many unanswered questions.
Physicists designed the LHC to address some of these unanswered questions.
ACCELERATORS
DETECTORS
Particle physics research relies on indirect evidence to support claims.
Scientists check for statistical uncertainties and systematic uncertainties and whether other experiments are able to verify new discoveries.
Track the "journey" as physicists approach new physics.