The LHC will enable the study of proton-proton and ion-ion collisions. The existing chain of injectors (LINAC, booster, PS, SPS) will provide the necessary particles.<P> The LHC superconducting magnets will generate the highest magnetic fields ever reached in an accelerator of this scale. The dipoles and quadrupoles will be interconnected so as to form a continuous cryogenic "pipe" installed in the 27 km-long LEP/LHC tunnel with its separate cryoline. The superconducting RF accelerating cavities, along with the beam cleaning and beam dump systems, will complete the machine.

The LHC will use the latest technologies on an enormous scale. 8000 superconducting magnets will keep the beams on track. The entire 27 km ring will be cooled by 700 000 litres of liquid helium to a temperature of -271 degrees Celsius , making the LHC the world's largest superconducting installation. Conventional superconducting wire will form the magnet coils, while high-temperature superconductors will carry a total of 2 300 000 amperes from the power supplies into the magnet cryostat