There China is preparing to build the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), destined to become the largest particle accelerator in the world. This imposing project It involves the construction of a 100-kilometer-long tunnel, exceeding the European Future Circular Collider (FCC) project in terms of size and timescales.
The CEPC works could start as early as 2027 and should last about 10 yearswith an estimated cost of just over 5 billions of dollars. The FCC, on the other hand, plans to build a 91-kilometer tunnel between France And Swiss starting from 2033, for a cost of over 16 billions of dollars. So, the Chinese project is faster and cheaper compared to the European one.
According to the journal Nature, the Chinese government will decide next year whether to approve the proposal, which includes a technical design report already published on June 3, 2024.
The aim of the cepc
Inside the giant underground tunnel, CEPC will collide electrons and positrons at extraordinarily high energies. This will generate millions of Higgs bosons, fundamental particles that give mass to all other particles. The large number of Higgs bosons produced will allow scientists to study this particle in greater detail than ever before, providing answers about how the universe evolved and the nature of dark matter.
The challenges and opportunities China will face
Many components needed for the CEPC are already being tested at other Chinese facilities. Frank Zimmermanphysicist at CERN Genevabelieves that Chinese researchers have accumulated more experience than their colleagues at CERN in this field.
However, the project may face difficulties in raising international funding due to tensions geopolitics current. Also the European project The FCC is facing similar problems, with Germany declaring it will not pay its share, posing a significant obstacle.
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