LHC World Largest Vacuum Systems Being Commissioned at CERN

Abstract

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with its 26.7 km of circumference and three different vacuum systems for the beams and insulation vacuum for magnets and liquid helium transfer lines, will have the world's largest vacuum system operating over a wide range of pressures and employing an impressive array of vacuum technologies. This system is composed by 54 km of UHV vacuum for the circulating beams and 50 km of insulation vacuum. Over the 54 km of UHV beam vacuum, 48 km of this are at cryogenic temperature (1.9 K). The remaining 6 km of beam vacuum containing the insertions for “cleaning” the proton beams, radiofrequency cavities for accelerating the protons as well as beam-monitoring equipment is at ambient temperature and uses non-evaporable getter (NEG) coatings. The noble gases and methane is pumped out by 780 ion pumps. Pressure readings are provided by 170 Bayard-Alpert gauges and 1084 gauges (Pirani and cold cathode Penning). The cryogenic insulation vacuums while technically less demanding, impress by their size (50 km) and volume (15000 m3). Once roughed using mechanical pumps, the vacuum relies on the cryopumping which allows reaching pressure in the 10-4 Pa range.