---

Nuclear Physics

Answer

The UK is a member state of CERN, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council has responsibility for the funding of the UK's membership subscription. Most of the activities at CERN are currently directed towards building the large hadron collider (LHC), and the experiments for it, which are due to start operation later this year. A major part of the UK's CERN subscription relates to spending on the LHC.The total cost of the LHC facility, which comprises the underground tunnel, the machines which fire the beams of particles, and the people and resources needed to build and operate it, is estimated to be 4.7 BN CHF. The costs of the four LHC experiments, which are not considered part of the LHC, are not included in this figure.The following table illustrates CERN's spending on the LHC for 2004-07 and the planned expenditure in the next three financial years in millions of Swiss Francs. It also shows the UK contribution for 2004-07, and the estimated UK contributions in the next three years, to the LHC project itself, and to university groups in the UK involved in the project. The expenditure on the LHC is projected to fall as the construction nears completion.

	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
LHC expenditure (MCHF)	1,236	1,276	1,131	854	732	668	653
UK contribution (MCHF)	220	245	196	149	128	117	114
UK contribution (£million)	101	110	88	70	60	54	53
Support within the UK through grants to institutions (£ million)	24	21	21	26	26	28	23
Total UK contribution (£ million)	125	131	109	96	86	82	76

The objective of the LHC project is to improve our knowledge of how the universe around us works, in particular by shedding light on the nature of fundamental particles and the forces that govern them.Commissioning of the LHC is now proceeding according to schedule. Two of the eight sectors have been cooled to operating temperature and one of these two sectors has been commissioned to the full energy value required. Three other sectors have commenced the cool down process. Both injection lines (through which the particles will be fired) have been tested successfully and commissioning has begun of the complex electronics needed to handle the beams. All four detectors are completing installation and the LHC circular tunnel is on schedule for sealing in March/April 2008 with experiments expected to commence in July 2008.UK university groups are involved in each of the four collaborations that are building the experiments (known as ATLAS, CMS, LHCb and ALICE) and have played key roles in the construction of each detector.It is expected that the groups involved in constructing the experiments will continue to work on the programmes, enabling them to fully utilise the data each detector acquires. Funding for the university and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory staff involved in the physics programme (with associated costs and the UK contribution to maintenance of the detectors) will be provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) at a level set by peer review—taking into account STFC's strategic objectives and the financial resources available.CERN issues tenders for a wide range of goods and services, from computing and electronics to cleaning. UK companies can compete for this work and in 2006 (the last year for which figures are available) UK companies won approximately 28MCHF in contracts from CERN. STFC provides links and support to UK companies wishing to bid for work at CERN through the activities of its Business Opportunities Manager and information made available on its website.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

472 c417-8W; 182770

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Particle accelerators

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk