Supporting major CERN collider exhibition in England!

Collider exhibition made possible with the support of National Instruments, Science & Technology Facilities Council and other partners

The Collider exhibition at the Science Museum, London, which transports visitors into the heart of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), considered one of the greatest scientific experiments of our time is being supported by National Instruments. Open to the public from 13th November 2013, Collider provides a behind-the-scenes look at the famous CERN particle physics laboratory in the first exhibition of its kind, offering visitors the closest experience possible, short of visiting the famous site itself.

NI has long supported fundamental research in areas such as particle physics, fusion and astronomy by providing commercial off-the-shelf tools for measurement and control. CERN uses NI LabVIEW software to control the LHC collimators that are responsible for intercepting misguided or unstable particle beams. This is  how LabVIEW software and PXI hardware control the world’s largest particle accelerator!

“The LHC, the world’s greatest experiment, is the cumulative endeavour of around ten thousand men and women from across the globe,” said Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum. “We are extremely pleased to have the support of NI to celebrate such an important human achievement.”

NI’s mission to equip scientists and engineers with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation and discovery extends into education. By bringing real-world experiences to education, NI aims to inspire students to pursue and succeed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

“By sponsoring the Collider exhibition, NI is supporting its STEM educational initiatives, whilst also celebrating the incredible achievements and discoveries resulting from the Large Hadron Collider,” said Kyle Voosen, Marketing Director, National Instruments UK & Ireland.

Visitors to Collider follow the journey of particle beams as they are injected into the accelerator chain, ramped up to speed and steered around the 27 km tunnel. Visitors are immersed in the highlight of the exhibition—a wrap-around projection taking in both extremes of the scale of the LHC, from an enormous experiment cavern to the very heart of a particle collision.

• The week after the opening of Collider, Dr. Stephen Myers, OBE, the director for accelerators and technology at CERN, will deliver a keynote address at NIDays 2013, a technical conference for engineers, scientists and educators involved in measurement and control, held in Westminster, London. Dr. Myers is responsible for accelerators, including the LHC, and has nearly 40 years of experience at CERN.