Hadron collider
| Intersecting Storage Rings | CERN, 1971–1984 |
|---|---|
| Super Proton Synchrotron | CERN, 1981–1984 |
| ISABELLE | BNL, cancelled in 1983 |
| Tevatron | Fermilab, 1987–2011 |
| Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider | BNL, 2000–present |
| Superconducting Super Collider | Cancelled in 1993 |
| Large Hadron Collider | CERN, 2009–present |
| Very Large Hadron Collider | Theoretical |
A hadron collider is a very large particle accelerator built to test the predictions of various theories in particle physics, high-energy physics or nuclear physics by colliding hadrons. A hadron collider uses underground tunnels to accelerate, store, and collide two particle beams.
Only a few hadron colliders have been built. These are:
- Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR), European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), in operation 1971-1984.
- Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), CERN, used as a hadron collider 1981-1984.
- Tevatron, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), in operation 1983-2011.
- Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), Brookhaven National Laboratory, in operation since 2000.
- Large Hadron Collider (LHC), CERN, in operation since 2008.