Discovery Mondays - Gases: more to them than meets the eye!

We generally tend to think that if a space is empty there is nothing in it. However, did you know that at the Earth's surface there are 25 million million million (10¹⁸) molecules of gas in every cubic centimetre of atmosphere?

At CERN, gases are put to multiple uses. They are used to protect, to cool and also to detect particles... Suffice it to say that gases play a vital role at CERN. Why does the air supply to the accelerator tunnel 100 metres below the surface have to be treated and what treatment techniques are used? What are the different types of apparatus that enable you to breathe in confined spaces? How are gases used as a detection medium in the particle detectors? How are vacuums made? To find out the answers, step on the gas and join us for the next Discovery Monday!

This Discovery Monday will be taking place as part of the World Year of Physics, as its theme is closely associated with one of the three articles published by Einstein in 1905, his 'annus mirabilis'. The event will be conducted in French.