This project is the culmination
of more than 25 years of concerted international efforts, with funding and
research from Europe, Asia and the Americas. Over 300 universities and
laboratories have taken part. It originated as a series of three separate
collider proposals – the Next Linear Collider (NLC), the Global Linear Collider
(GLC) and the tera_electron_volt Energy Superconducting Linear Accelerator
(TESLA) – all of which were combined into the International Linear Collider
(ILC).
Located in Europe, the ILC is
the successor to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), building
upon the work already done by that machine. Although its collisions are less
powerful, it offers far more precise measurements. It also gives off less
electromagnetic radiation. The ILC consists of two opposite-facing linear
accelerators, together stretching 31 km (19.3 miles), that hurl particles and
anti-particles towards each other at close to the speed of light.* Along with the linear accelerators,
the facility contains two dampening rings, with a circumference of 6.7 km (4.2
miles). Energy levels of the collisions are initially 500
billion-electron-volts (GeV), but are soon upgraded to a
trillion-electron-volts (TeV).
The extreme precision and exact
recordings offered by the ILC help to reveal some of the deepest mysteries of
the universe. Some experiments are concerned with extra-dimensional physics and
super symmetric particles, while others provide research into dark matter.* Originally planned for completion in
2019, the ILC faced considerable delays due to funding, technical issues and
international agreements. It is finally ready by 2026.
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