Particle physics enters new phase as CERN switches off Large Hadron Collider for high-luminosity upgrade

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN near Geneva was shut down on June 29 to begin a transformation into the High-Luminosity LHC, according to Science News. The shutdown marks the end of the accelerator’s final physics run before a multiyear upgrade project that is expected to have the new collider operational in 2030.

Science News reported that the upgraded collider will help physicists investigate mysteries surrounding the Higgs boson, dark matter, and other fundamental physics questions. The outlet described the moment as “marking the end of an era for the current configuration of the famous particle accelerator.” The shutdown signals a deliberate pause in data collection as CERN prepares to push the boundaries of particle physics even further.

Hacker News added that the LHC’s shutdown begins Long Shutdown 3 (LS3), a major maintenance and upgrade program to prepare for the High-Luminosity LHC, or HiLumi LHC. “The LHC has been operational since September 2008, pushing the frontiers of science,” the outlet noted. That decade and a half of operations has yielded landmark discoveries, including the Higgs boson, and now sets the stage for an even more powerful machine.

The High-Luminosity LHC aims to increase the collision rate by a factor of five to ten, allowing physicists to study rare processes and search for signs of new physics with unprecedented precision. Both outlets emphasized that while the LHC is switched off, the work to unlock deeper questions about the universe is just beginning.