Machine Protection for the Large Hadron Collider and Beyond

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is the most powerful particle accelerator ever constructed. It enables the study of the fundamental structure of matter by providing proton-proton collisions at the unprecedented energy of 6.8 TeV per beam. It delivers an instantaneous luminosity exceeding 2×1034 cm−2s−1 at its two general-purpose detectors, ATLAS and CMS. During high-intensity operation, the LHC now routinely stores energies of 430 MJ per beam—well beyond its original design specifications.
Given the high energies stored in both its particle beams and superconducting magnet circuits, the LHC requires a sophisticated machine protection system. This presentation will outline the key challenges and describe the main elements of the LHC machine protection system. Examples of relevant beam loss scenarios, including interactions between the particle beam and dust contaminants, will be presented. Finally, an outlook for future high-intensity colliders will be given.