CERN’s East Experimental Area: A New Modern Physics Facility

CERN’s East Area has hosted a variety of fixed-target experiments since the 1950s, using four beamlines from the Proton Synchrotron (PS). Over the past 4 years, the experimental area - CERN’s second largest - has undergone a complete makeover. New instrumentation and beamline configuration have improved the precision of data collection, and new magnets and power convertors have drastically reduced the area’s energy consumption. This article will summarize the major challenges encountered for the design of the renovated beamlines and for the preparation and test of the components. The infrastructure was carefully fitted resulting in a very smooth beam commissioning, the details of which will also be presented along with the restart of physics in the second half of 2021. With the return of the beams in the accelerator complex, the East Area’s experiments have taken physics measurements again and the facility’s central role in the modern physics landscape has been restored.