The world's largest proton accelerator takes shape

The European Organization for Nuclear Research, Established in Geneva, decided in February 1971 to build such an accelerator at a cost of 1150 million Swiss francs over an 8-year period. In something over three years the number of persons directly or indirectly employed by this organization (CERN) has risen to around 4700, including around 80 from the Swedish universities of Gothernburg, Lund, and Stockholm, and from research establishments in Uppsala and Studsvik. The project will provide for a maximum proton energy of 400 GeV, an intensity of 10/sup 13/ protons per pulse, and an accelerator step frequency of 200 MHz. The accelerator is located 40 m underground in a circular tunnel with a circumference of 6.9 km. A large assembly hall, laboratory buildings, and research departments were taken into operation in 1973. More than half the accelerator tunnel is already bored out and the steel transport tunnels are blasted out to the extent of 80%.