A journey to the heart of the LHC

This chapter provides a summary of the most important design parameters of the LHC, and it gives an introduction to the layout and the optics for the different beam energies. Based on this, the luminosity reach of LHC is discussed, together with the most important performance limits encountered during Run 1, like space charge in the injectors, beam-beam interaction effects and the electron-cloud effect. Aspects of the LHC operation and the careful staged approach to final luminosity production are described. Proton-proton and ion-ion commissioning and operation are documented, as are other, more exotic ways of running the LHC, e.g. as an ion-proton collider. The chapter finishes by looking into the future of high-energy hadron colliders, covering the high-luminosity LHC upgrade and the “Future Circular Colliders” of 100 km circumference.