CMSexperiment

The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment, or CMS, is one of the six major detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It is a general-purpose detector designed to study a wide range of physics phenomena, from the search for the Higgs boson to exploring extra dimensions and dark matter. CMS is notable for its enormous superconducting solenoid magnet, which gives the experiment its name. This powerful magnet bends the paths of charged particles produced in the LHC collisions, allowing their momentum to be measured.

The detector comprises several layers of sub-detectors, each optimized to identify and measure different aspects of the particles emerging from the collisions. These include tracking detectors to trace the paths of charged particles, calorimeters to measure the energy of electrons, photons, and hadrons, and muon chambers to identify muons. The sheer size and complexity of CMS, weighing approximately 14,000 tonnes and measuring 21 meters long and 15 meters in diameter, highlight the engineering and technological challenges overcome in its construction and operation.

CMS began taking data in 2009 and has since played a pivotal role in major discoveries at the LHC, including the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, a feat achieved in conjunction with the ATLAS experiment. Ongoing research at CMS continues to refine measurements of the Higgs boson's properties and search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The collaborative nature of CMS, involving thousands of scientists and engineers from around the world, is integral to its success.