Eager to Begin

As time went on, this new Super Large Particle Collider finally completed its straightness test. Its head consists of an Integrated Particle Generator. As the name suggests, Integrated Particle Generator can produce any type of particle—yes, particles that humans can create in a laboratory.

Therefore, it is a comprehensive Particle Collider.

The most well-known Particle Collider are the Hadron Collider, such as Proton Collider, Antiproton Collider, and Proton-Antiproton Collider. These colliders are mainly used to study the properties and interactions of Elementary Particle.

Furthermore, Lepton Collider, such as Electron-Positron Collider, can also be used for lepton collision experiments. This collider is equally capable of handling Heavy Ion Collision, such as Lead Particle collisions.

Each type of ion collision experiment corresponds to a research direction. For example, Heavy Ion Collision experiments are designed to study the extreme energy and temperature conditions simulating the early universe and to investigate the physical behavior under such conditions.

There are also neutron collisions, which primarily study the spin and Magnetic Moment of neutrons. This is an important applied technology in nuclear physics, especially in the study of nuclear reactions and decay. Neutron-Antineutron Collision, on the other hand, focus on the interaction between neutrons and Anti-Neutron, and their physical behavior under high-energy, high-density conditions. This type of research helps humanity better understand the properties of nuclear matter and the evolution of the universe.

That is, the nuclear physics processes at various stages of the universe.

Don't assume that once you've mastered the ultimate Nuclear Fusion reaction Heavy Nuclear Reaction, you no longer need to study the nucleus. The nuclear reactions in the early universe may have had different reaction conditions than those today, and these phenomena are all manifestations of the laws of cosmic physics.

As the most important scientific tool for mankind, this new Particle Collider was designed to be as multifunctional as possible. Otherwise, if we were to lose data on a single type of particle collision, we would be in deep trouble.

This new Particle Collider has a name that doesn't quite sound like a name; scientists call it the Astronomical-Level Particle Collider. The name is very down-to-earth, making it easy to understand what it is—a naming convention that has been in place since humanity first ventured into space. The previous English abbreviations like HLGR and SGHUOB have long been obsolete, as Chinese names are much easier for people to understand than abbreviations.

Today marks the first day that the Astronomical-Level Particle Collider has been put into operation. It will conduct its first collision experiment, Neutron Collision Experiment, an experimental project that was approved a thousand years ago.

Particle collision, as the name suggests, is the process of accelerating particles and then violently colliding them at a target. Once the experiment begins, Astronomical-Level Particle Collider generates a beam of charged particles from a particle generator at the front, which then enters the acceleration system in the middle. Particle collision experiments don't just launch a single particle, but a stream of particles. This is because particles are so small that the probability of a collision is very low; the only way to increase the probability is to increase the number of particles.

Like any other accelerator, this astronomical particle accelerator's acceleration system consists of a series of Electric Field and magnetic fields that accelerate charged particles to high-energy states. This system is the largest component of the entire astronomical particle accelerator, measuring 6,674 Astronomical Unit in length, and is mostly composed of acceleration structures.

It also incorporates a magnet system, primarily used to focus and deflect charged particles so that they can accurately strike the target.

As for why charged particles are accelerated instead of neutrons directly, it's because neutrons are neutral particles and do not carry a charge, so they cannot be accelerated by Electric Field.

Yes, neutrons are neutral particles; they are uncharged. This particle accelerator's acceleration system targets charged particles, making it seem impossible for it to conduct Neutron Collision Experiment. After all, the principles of physics don't allow it, and Electric Field indeed cannot accelerate a neutron beam.

But this is no challenge for scientists.

Because even back in Earth Era, humanity had already mastered methods to accelerate neutrons. While neutrons are indeed uncharged, they can be accelerated indirectly. One method involves using an accelerator to accelerate a proton beam, which then bombards a target material to produce high-energy neutrons, causing them to collide.

However, scientists have calculated that the high-energy neutrons produced by this indirect method are simply insufficient to reach the energy levels required by the Grand Unified Theory, so they have to find another way.

The second method is the indirect acceleration method, which involves indirectly accelerating neutrons by bombarding them with accelerated electrons or photons, turning them into high-energy neutrons, and then colliding them. This method is similar to the first one, but because of the indirect transmission, a lot of energy is lost, making it impossible for the obtained high-energy neutrons to meet the collision energy level requirements.

The third method is the decay method, which uses certain decays to produce high-speed neutrons. Obviously, this method cannot meet the experimental requirements.

Therefore, the method used by this Astronomical-Level Particle Collider is to accelerate neutrons by using charged particles. That is, first, charged particles, such as deuterium nuclei, are accelerated. After the particle stream reaches extremely high speeds, the protons in the deuterium nuclei are separated by a specific electromagnetic field, thereby obtaining a high-energy neutron beam.

The separation device is set in the latter half of the acceleration process. It will be activated only after the detector detects that the acceleration speed of the high-energy particle stream has reached the experimental requirements, thus ensuring that the high-energy neutron beam meets the experimental requirements.

To accelerate the ion beam more efficiently, the entire acceleration system is in a vacuum environment. Connected to the latter half of the acceleration system is the separation system, followed by the collision zone. The collision zone has a very complex structure because it contains a large number of functional devices, such as Cloud Chamber, target materials, primary Particle Detector systems, secondary particle detector systems, flow guide probes, and many other high-tech equipment.

If viewed from outer space, this Astronomical-Level Particle Collider would resemble a long corridor stretching across the dark universe. During preparation, various indicator lights inside flashed like fireflies, while its exterior, except for its two ends, was completely black. Only when the lights of passing Engineering Ship shone upon it could its shimmering silver body be seen.

It is like a long corridor leading to the underworld, a passage to the other side of light, and a road of hope reaching the heavens. Each beam of particles that shoots out is a measure that carries humanity's hope into an accelerated sprint, regardless of whether the result is entering the underworld or entering the Avenue to Heaven.