Home / Science / New CERN Head Backs Massive Machine Upgrade
New CERN Head Backs Massive Machine Upgrade
1 Jan
Summary
- Mark Thomson will lead CERN, overseeing LHC upgrades.
- A proposed Future Circular Collider (FCC) is planned.
- FCC would be a 91km tunnel, costing billions.
As the new director-general of CERN, Mark Thomson begins his tenure on January 1, 2026, focusing on significant upgrades to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The existing LHC will undergo a temporary shutdown starting in June 2026 for a high-luminosity enhancement, aiming to increase collision rates tenfold and improve data collection for analyzing fundamental particles and their interactions.
Thomson's leadership will also be defined by the crucial decision-making process for the proposed Future Circular Collider (FCC). This colossal successor to the LHC, envisioned as a 91km tunnel, aims to push the boundaries of physics by colliding particles at significantly higher energies than the current machine.
The FCC project, however, faces substantial financial and scientific challenges. With an estimated cost of 15 billion Swiss francs for its initial phase, international collaboration and funding beyond CERN's member states will be essential. The project's timeline includes a potential electron-positron collision phase in the late 2040s, followed by a proton-proton collider in the 2070s, all while seeking answers to profound cosmic mysteries.
