What is Cern: Definition and 152 Discussions

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (French: Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire), known as CERN (; French pronunciation: [sɛʁn]; derived from the name Conseil européen pour la recherche nucléaire), is a European research organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, the organization is based in a northwest suburb of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border and has 23 member states. Israel is the only non-European country granted full membership. CERN is an official United Nations Observer.The acronym CERN is also used to refer to the laboratory, which in 2019 had 2,660 scientific, technical, and administrative staff members, and hosted about 12,400 users from institutions in more than 70 countries. In 2016 CERN generated 49 petabytes of data.CERN's main function is to provide the particle accelerators and other infrastructure needed for high-energy physics research – as a result, numerous experiments have been constructed at CERN through international collaborations. CERN is the site of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider. The main site at Meyrin hosts a large computing facility, which is primarily used to store and analyse data from experiments, as well as simulate events. Researchers need remote access to these facilities, so the lab has historically been a major wide area network hub. CERN is also the birthplace of the World Wide Web.

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  1. e2m2a

    Faster than Light Neutrinos at CERN

    Cern has reported they have measured neutrinos going faster than the speed of light. Did they send a light beam as a test case to see any variance in c of the light beam? Also, were two clocks involved in the measurement? One in Switzerland and one in Italy? If so, wouldn’t it be...
  2. P

    CERN Live Webcast of Higgs status on 13 Dec

    Four days later there will be a CERN live broadcast of the seminar discussing the latest result in Higgs search with about 5 inverse femtobarn of data from both CMS and ATLAS. However, it starts at 5am Eastern Time! Do you know whether the video can be watched again in the afternoon?
  3. rhody

    Higgs rumors prior to CERN seminar

    I did a search before posting. Posted yesterday, The Register, Rumours of Higgs sightings precede latest results seminar Form this link correct me if I am wrong, 3.5 sigma would be equal to: and 5 sigma, 233 parts per million would be enough confidence that the Higgs had been cornered...
  4. P

    Is CERN shutting its Higgs Program?

    This is an extremely speculative post. I came to know through a friend of mine, that his professor told him that CERN is going to announce by spring 2012 the closure of all Higgs and Supersymmetry related programs. I do not have any citation for this claim. More knowledgeable people can tell me...
  5. DevilsAvocado

    WOW [Possible] Non-local neutrinos at CERN

    Note: NOT finally confirmed yet! Still, IF true it’s just amazing and the biggest discovery in over 100 years! OPERA experiment reports anomaly in flight time of neutrinos from CERN to Gran Sasso http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2011/PR19.11E.html Measurement of the...
  6. turbo

    CERN team claims measurement of neutrino speed >c

    Edit: Before posting in this thread, we'd like to ask readers to read three things: The https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=414380". Don't forget the section on overly speculative posts. The paper http://arxiv.org/abs/1109.4897" The previous posts in this thread And...
  7. Islam Hassan

    What caused the unexplained Zen events at CERN in 1985?

    CERN "Zen Events" - 1985 Starting from 01:43 in the following video, mysterious CERN "Zen events" are discussed being particle collisions with a distinct unbalanced/off-track dispersion patterns. This programme was filmed in 1985 and the video explains that these collisions could not be...
  8. A

    Is CERN LHC suppose to create matter or simply analyse debris of collision ?

    I read 2 books on CERN's LHC and I'm confused by the different information provided in regards to what exactly will the detectors will be analyzing. In the first book ("Present at creation" author: Mr.Aczel), it is clearly written that after the beams collides, matter (protons) will be...
  9. M

    Advice for a 'Murrican going to CERN

    Title says it all. I'm a grad student in experimental particle research and this summer I'll be lucky enough to go to CERN for the first time. Never been out of the States before. Anything I should know? Questions include but are not limited to, - I need to get a power adapter, right? - Will...
  10. G

    Land Your Dream Job at CERN as a Physics Graduate

    hello there: I am a graduate in physics, but unfortunately in my country there are not many places for me to work so, I was wondeing if I could get a Job in CERN... Can anyone tell me if there are any chances for me to work there? Thanks
  11. C

    What is CERN going to turn up?

    This is a what does the future hold question and its also an opinion based question, although please trying keep the guesses educated at least. I hope it's going to turn up a Higgs Bosun just because its a neat solution, what about you. I am well aware the whole focus is not even remotely...
  12. I

    Project - Quantum Dosimeter (CERN)

    Hey, we are a group of students of the Vienna University of Economics and Business and we are currently working on a project together with CERN. In our course “Idea Generation”, we are trying to identify application fields for the quantum dosimeter, a technology developed by CERN. The...
  13. M

    CERN internship personal statement

    Hello, I am trying to write a personal statement for a summer internship at CERN. The question is: "Explain why you want to p?articipate in this program and describe what you hope to get out of it." Should I be very specific about one thing that interests me? Because there are about...
  14. C

    Summer Research at CERN - Share Your Experience!

    Hello again! Has anyone applied to CERN's summer program, or, had undergraduate research experience at CERN, or, know anyone who has? If so, would you like to share that experience? I can only imagine how awesome that experience would be! Thanks!
  15. L

    Comp Sci Drawing a graph using C++ / ROOT (CERN)

    Homework Statement Im having difficulty drawing a specific graph. I am not entirely sure how to explain my question/ the graph i need to draw so i think the best way is to provide a bit of my code and explain using it the graph using it... the code below gives a read out of the energy...
  16. G

    CERN scientists eye parallel universe breakthrough

    Interesting news. Thoughts?
  17. R

    Relativity at cern - deflection

    obviously an electron will change path when passing through a field could anyone point me to an equation which suggests how much electrons change path by - i guess it depends on mass, velocity (maybe in the form of momentum for the relativistic case I am think of?), field strength and the...
  18. H

    How Will Discoveries at CERN Influence Religious Perspectives on Cosmology?

    This is a homework assignment, thus the category, although it may not look like many of the other posts in this part of the forum. My assignment is to write a paper about Cern. I'd like to answer the following questions: Main question: How will Cern alter our understanding of the universe and...
  19. D

    Atoms Colliding in CERN: What Happens?

    What happens to the atoms when they collide in CERN? They break down into their smaller parts I believe like glueons and other pieces, but do they stay that way or do they then recombine or what? Also do the same atoms, like 2 gold atoms, when smashed together always produce they same...
  20. rhody

    Atlas Experiment: CERN Video, link: All LHC Experiment docs

    First, the assembly, time lapsed of course... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVrUR_SOykk&feature=related" This is a blow up of the Transition Radiation, Semi-conductor and Pixel Detectors, innermost Atlas detectors. Description of layers of detectors and what each one is...
  21. diogenesNY

    Perpetual Journalism - CERN in the news

    Dateline March 31, 2010 Once again, the popular press serves up a pig's breakfast: From Reuters: CERN goes back to the beginning [headline] Physicists smashed subatomic particles into each other with record energy yesterday, creating thousands of mini-Big Bangs like the primeval...
  22. DevilsAvocado

    CERN and Switzerland Prevail: Celebrating a Historical Moment!

    This is a historical moment – CERN and Switzerland did not turn into a Black Hole! :biggrin: Here are some pictures and video from the event: The two beams getting aligned for collision...
  23. H

    Seeking Guidance on Schengen Visa Application for US Student Visiting CERN

    Hi all, Sorry for posting it here, but i believed i might get the right guidance if i asked group of physicist... I am an Indian national, studying in US, this summer i am visiting CERN for my research on a short term basis(2.5months). Exploring the swiss consulate website for bunch of...
  24. M

    How Much Does a Cern Scientist Earn Annually?

    Roughly how much does a Cern physicist or other scientist make each year?
  25. rhody

    What is the CERN Antiproton Decelerator and why is it important?

    FYI From the CERN site today: You will need the latest Real Player to play it. http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/42560"
  26. P

    Going to CERN in December can anybody help?

    hey guys. I'm getting together with some friends in Switzerland in December. We thought it would be cool to see CERN and maybe catch a glimpse of the LHC. does anyone have any idea how we could go about this?
  27. Vanadium 50

    LHC Re-establishes Circulating Beams at CERN

    Last night the LHC re-established circulating beams. CERN has issued a http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2009/PR16.09E.html" .
  28. jim mcnamara

    Bird Causes CERN Atom Smasher Shutdown

    From the CNN: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/06/baguette-toting-bird-stalls-atom-smasher/ I hadn't heard about this except from here. Story: A piece of bread got into some external electronic equipment and caused a problem. It is thought a bird did it. I find it odd that the LHC...
  29. seouldavid

    Lectures on Quantum Chromodynamics from CERN

    This contains many links to physics video lectures on quantum chromodynamics (QCD) from CERN - introduction to QCD, QCD and collider physics, QCD Phenomenology etc. http://www.infocobuild.com/education/audio-video-courses/physics/qcd-cern.html
  30. J

    ART+Science @ CERN Physics Lab

    Hi Everyone, I am an American mural artist currently working on public project at CERN in Geneva. I am painting a mural that will portray the ATLAS detector. Here is the website with several proposals for the project. http://atlasmural.wordpress.com/2009/ I am traveling to Geneva next...
  31. marcus

    Relaxed informative Witten interview of June 18 at Cern

    For general pubic so the language is entirely nontechnical. Don't expect a lot but you might be glad you watched just for general perspective. http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/1184753 Brief. Witten gave a talk at CERN not long ago and the slides are available online. It had an interesting title...
  32. V

    Austria To Leave CERN - Find Out More!

    Austria to leave CERN ??! I got an e-mail concerning the recent decision of the Austrian minister of research that he wants to withdraw Austria from CERN, the particle laboratory. More information here: http://sos.teilchen.at/index.html
  33. S

    Exploring CERN: Simplifying the Higgs Boson for Non-Physicists

    I am currently writing a talk on CERN that is aimed at non-physicists, however I am finding it difficult to try and explain the higgs boson in language that is easy to understand. Even I, as a physics student, find it difficult. Could someone try and explain it to me please or link me to a...
  34. V

    Discussing the Future of CERN and Particle Physics in General

    Where do you see Particle Physics/CERN heading in the next 50-100 years? What will come after the LHC? What research will come after the completion of the ATLAS, ALICE, CMS, and LHCb experiments? How will the discovery of the Higgs Boson impact research in other areas of physics, both...
  35. P

    CERN Experiment: Unveiling the Mysteries of Infinite Mass and Light

    Hello ! I don't have questions about this experiment, i have read here on the forum and saw manny posts questions and answers but none close to my thinkings. I have read about CERN experiment and know about it for very long time ago since it started before i born. Now there are about 5000...
  36. B

    First time using CERN libraries - help

    I am starting a new particle physics class that requires us to use the CERN program libraries (http://cernlib.web.cern.ch/cernlib/" ). I've been to the website and am quite lost. I don't know what files I need to get from the website, or how to implement them into a program. It's been about...
  37. A

    Why is CERN better known than ITER?

    I find it surprising that whilst the average person will know about CERN, due to its heavy coverage in the news and media, only very few people will have heard of ITER. This seems strange because ITER will probably have a much greater effect upon the average person's life than anything that may...
  38. L

    CERN, Chris Morris, Brian Cox

    Chris Morris talks to Professor Brian Cox about the LHC at CERN: http://www.cernpodcast.com/?p=43 I thought i'd post this since it's (obviously) interesting and nice to see a bunch of crackin' British comedians and the like going over to CERN
  39. G

    Can anyone give an approximation as to when CERN starts testing?

    Can anyone give an approximation as to when CERN starts testing?
  40. marcus

    New search tool combines CERN and SLAC-Stanford Spires

    It is called "INSPIRE" and here is a sample search http://hep-inspire.net/search?as=1&m1=a&p1=quantum+cosmology&f1=keyword&op1=a&m2=a&p2=2006-%3E2007&f2=year&op2=a&m3=a&p3=&f3=&action_search=Search&sf=&so=d&rm=citation&rg=25&sc=0&of=hb what this does is look for papers with the keyword...
  41. G

    Cern LHC Experiments: Date of Higgs Particle Search

    Does anyone know specific dates on when the first experiments (particularly thos involving finding the Higgsparticle) will start in the LCH?
  42. P

    Your Thoughts on Black Hole Production at CERN

    I'm interested in hearing from the experts (practicing physicists and teachers) here about what you think of the possibility of an artificial black hole being created at CERN and, specifically, if you think it possible the black hole could interact with surrounding matter and pose a danger to...
  43. R

    CERN: Accelerating Particles to 99.99% Speed of Light

    Please correct me where I'm wrong, Our solar system is moving around our galaxy at 250km/s and CERN can accelerate a particle to 99.99% the speed of light. If you are observing a particle going 99.99% of c from outside our galaxy and it happens to be moving the same direction of our solar...
  44. C

    Measuring Particle Speed at CERN: A Physicist's Guide

    does anybody know how scientists and physicists at places such as CERN determine the speeds of the particles that they accelerate to nearly the speed of light? basically, what is their technique for determing the speed of the particles?
  45. jal

    CERN: Creating New Particles with 6 Quarks?

    Would CERN produce enough energy to be able to produce a new particle made up of 6 quarks? Some might call it a heavy proton or a heavy neutron. When it broke up would it make two protons or two neutrons or one of each? Or something else? jal
  46. jal

    Name the Baby Elephant: Vote Now at CERN

    After CERN has finished analyzing the data we will end up with the birth of a baby elephant. We need to give it a name. Here is my entry (a S-imple compromise) This baby will be A S-imple S-symmetrically S-tructured S-pacetime which has a Quantum Minimum length S-tructure which has been...
  47. P

    Possible Dangers of the CERN LHC Experiment

    2000 odd Tonnes of Magnet has just been installed into the new CERN LHC complex. Not being a Quantum Physicist can one of you clever chaps tell me what would happen if "we ventured into realms long regarded as those of speculative science fiction -- multiple universes, parallel worlds...
  48. A

    Decision Time: CERN or Georgia Tech's Nanotech Program?

    My research advisor is telling me to go to CERN this summer, however I applied and was accepted to the Georgia Tech Nanotech program. I heard the Georgia Tech Nanotech program is one of the best, is that true. What do you guys think I should do? CERN or GT?
  49. CarlB

    Seasonal Neutrinos at Cern Courier

    Okay, I admit that I laughed out loud when I saw this title at the Cern Courier, but it wasn't laughter at the observation being wrong... Are neutrinos seasonal? http://www.cerncourier.com/main/article/39/1/6 Carl
  50. D

    Any advice for visiting CERN? What's it like?

    I'm starting a fellowship at Northwestern this year, and they've offered to take me to Switzerland to work at CERN for the summer. Anyone here been there? What's it like? Anything I should know about the food/accomodations/people/whatever?
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