What Happened to Large Hadron Collider?
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator, built by CERN to explore the fundamental constituents of matter and forces. After its groundbreaking discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, the LHC continues its operational runs, currently in Run 3, which is extended until July 2026, before undergoing a major upgrade to become the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC).
Quick Answer
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is currently in its third operational period, known as Run 3, which has been extended until July 2026. Following this, it will enter a multi-year Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) for extensive upgrades to transform it into the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). The HL-LHC is anticipated to begin operations in June 2030, aiming to increase collision rates tenfold and enable more precise studies of fundamental particles, including the Higgs boson, and search for new phenomena.
đź“ŠKey Facts
đź“…Complete Timeline15 events
Construction of the LHC
The Large Hadron Collider was built by CERN in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundreds of institutions across more than 100 countries.
First Beam Circulated
The LHC successfully circulated its first proton beam, marking the official start of its operation.
Major Incident and Delay
A faulty electrical connection led to a magnet quench, causing significant damage and delaying full operation for 14 months.
LHC Restarts and Becomes World's Highest-Energy Accelerator
The LHC resumed operations and, by November 30, achieved 1.18 TeV per beam, surpassing the Tevatron's record.
First 7 TeV Collisions
The LHC set a new record for high-energy collisions by colliding proton beams at a combined energy level of 7 TeV.
Higgs Boson Discovery Announced
CERN announced the observation of a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson, a monumental discovery in particle physics.
Long Shutdown 1 (LS1) Begins
The LHC entered its first long shutdown period for maintenance and upgrades, including preparing for higher energy operations.
LHC Restarts for Run 2 at 13 TeV
After LS1, the LHC restarted operations, achieving a new record collision energy of 13 TeV for its second run.
Long Shutdown 2 (LS2) Begins
The LHC entered its second long shutdown for further maintenance and upgrades, preparing for Run 3 and future high-luminosity operations.
Run 3 Physics Season Officially Commences
After LS2, the LHC officially began its third physics data-taking period, colliding protons at an unprecedented energy of 13.6 TeV.
CERN Revises LHC Schedule
CERN announced that Run 3 would be extended until July 2026, delaying the start of Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) and the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) to June 2030.
Future Circular Collider (FCC) Feasibility Study Report Delivered
The FCC Feasibility Study, investigating the technical and financial viability of a successor collider to the LHC, delivered its report.
CERN Receives $1 Billion in Private Donations for FCC
CERN announced a significant private donation towards the construction of the Future Circular Collider, marking a new funding model for major projects.
Cryogenic Tests Begin for High-Luminosity LHC Upgrade
CERN initiated cryogenic cooldown tests for its full-scale test facility, a crucial step in validating new components for the HL-LHC.
Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) Expected to Begin
Run 3 is scheduled to conclude, and the LHC will enter LS3 for the installation of High-Luminosity LHC components and other upgrades.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), situated in a 27-kilometer (17-mile) tunnel beneath the France–Switzerland border, was constructed by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008. Its primary purpose was to collide protons and heavy ions at unprecedented energies to recreate conditions akin to the early universe, allowing scientists to investigate fundamental particles and forces. The project, costing approximately 4.6 billion Swiss francs for the accelerator, was a monumental international collaboration involving over 10,000 scientists from more than 100 countries.
Initial operations began on September 10, 2008, but a significant magnet quench incident shortly after led to a 14-month delay. The LHC officially commenced its first operational run (Run 1) in 2009, quickly becoming the world's highest-energy particle accelerator. A pivotal moment arrived on July 4, 2012, with the announcement of the discovery of a particle consistent with the Higgs boson, a finding that confirmed a cornerstone of the Standard Model of particle physics and earned Peter Higgs and François Englert the Nobel Prize.
Following Run 1, the LHC underwent its first Long Shutdown (LS1) from 2013 to 2015 for maintenance and upgrades, increasing its collision energy to 13 TeV for Run 2. Another extensive shutdown, LS2, took place from 2018 to 2022, preparing the machine for its third run. Run 3 officially began its physics season on July 5, 2022, at a new maximum collision energy of 13.6 TeV. This run was initially projected to conclude in December 2025.
As of March 1, 2026, the LHC is actively operating in Run 3. However, CERN revised its schedule in October 2024, extending Run 3 until July 2026. This extension delays the start of Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) to July 2026, which is now expected to last longer than initially planned to accommodate extensive upgrades. LS3 is a critical phase for the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) project, which aims to increase the integrated luminosity by a factor of 10 compared to the original design, allowing for a tenfold increase in collision data. Recent developments in February 2026 include the launch of cryogenic tests for the HL-LHC upgrade, a decisive step towards its implementation. The HL-LHC is now scheduled to become operational in June 2030, promising to further our understanding of the Higgs boson and potentially uncover new physics beyond the Standard Model.
Looking further into the future, CERN is also developing designs for a successor, the Future Circular Collider (FCC), which could have a circumference of 90.7 km and reach collision energies of 100 TeV, potentially starting operations in the late 2040s. The FCC Feasibility Study report was delivered in March 2025, and in January 2026, CERN received $1 billion in private donations towards its construction, marking a significant milestone for future particle physics research.