Plans for an international particle research facility that could require a 40km long tunnel have moved closer to realisation with the announcement that the approach to be used has been agreed.
The International Linear Collider (ILC) is acknowledged to be the next major project for particle physics. At an international scientific conference in Beijing the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA) announced that superconducting technology option would be used for the collider, the so-called “cold” version. Sub-committee, the International Technology Recommendation Panel (pictured), held meetings in Europe, Asia and the United States, receiving “presentations and input from all of the world’s particle physics laboratories” before making their recommendation.
Scientists now have to develop the technical design of the project. One option calls for a 40km tunnel, whereas another requires a 30km tunnel, this is just for the collider, the facility may also require a parallel tunnel for the apparatus and there will be ancillary service and access tunnels. The alignment precision required for the equipment installation is roughly half a millimetre.
A truly international effort is required as no single country could finance such an installation. Although no site has yet been chosen, Germany, Japan and the United States are thought to be lead contenders for its location. With research into the technology ongoing, a decision on whether to proceed with construction of the ILC could still be some years away.
