The "Super" LHC

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which was first switched on in September 2008, is the largest particle accelerator ever built. But, like any machine, after a few years of work it will begin to show its age. Physicists and engineers from across the world are already planning a major upgrade, scheduled for the next decade. The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the European Union's chief instrument for funding research over the period 2007 to 2013, is supporting an initial project to assess what changes will need to be made. You can find out more about that project – the Super Large Hadron Collider: Preparatory Phase (SLHC-PP) on these pages.

Why upgrade the LHC?

The Large Hadron Collider won't begin to collect real data until the end of 2009. Why begin to plan the upgrade already?

Securing SLHC-PP funding

Find out more about the funding the EU is providing, and how it will be used to help plan the programme of work at CERN.

The Upgrade work begins

The SLHC-PP team is wasting no time studying and planning for the upgrade. Read more about the various proposed changes.

A Europe-wide project

The EU-funded project is centred at CERN in Geneva, but already a number of European academic institutions are helping the research efforts.