Storage Rings and Colliders

Figure 18.7: Schematic model of a particle-antiparticle collider. The particles and antiparticles are injected into the storage rings shown and are made to go in a circle by magnetic fields. The beams cross at two points and apparatus is set up around these points to observe the products of collisions.

An alternate way to create interesting collisions is to crash particles and antiparticles of the same energy into each other. This is done via a storage ring, as shown in figure 18.7. A set of magnets forces particles and antiparticles (which have opposite charges) to move in opposing circles within a high vacuum. The circles are slightly offset so that the beams cross at only two points. Collisions occur at these points and are observed by various types of experimental equipment.

An alternate type of collider has two storage rings which intersect at only one point. This type of system can be used to collide particles of the same type together, e. g., protons colliding with protons.