Atoms Colliding in CERN: What Happens?

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SUMMARY

At CERN, specifically in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), protons are accelerated and collided, not atoms. When protons collide, they break down into fundamental particles such as gluons. The outcome of these collisions can vary; while the total energy and mass are conserved, the specific types and numbers of particles produced can differ with each collision. In contrast, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) accelerates and collides nuclei, such as gold, allowing for the study of quark-gluon plasma.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of particle physics concepts, particularly protons and gluons.
  • Familiarity with particle accelerators, specifically the LHC and RHIC.
  • Knowledge of energy-mass equivalence as described by Einstein's theory.
  • Basic principles of high-energy collisions and particle interactions.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the operational principles of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
  • Explore the physics of quark-gluon plasma at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC).
  • Study the conservation laws in particle physics, focusing on energy and momentum.
  • Learn about the types of particles produced in high-energy collisions and their significance.
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Physicists, students of particle physics, and anyone interested in the mechanics of high-energy particle collisions and their implications in understanding the universe.

discord73
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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 particles in the same number? or do the types and number vary as long as the total energy/mas of all the particles are equal to the mass/energy of the 2 original smashed together particles?
 
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discord73 said:
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 particles in the same number? or do the types and number vary as long as the total energy/mas of all the particles are equal to the mass/energy of the 2 original smashed together particles?

Currently at CERN (LHC), they are not smashing atoms, but rather, protons. You cannot accelerate neutral atoms in a particle accelerator.

At RHIC, they accelerate and smash nuclei, such a gold.

There are plenty of threads on what the LHC at CERN are up to in the High Energy Physics forum.

Zz.
 

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