ISOLDE: view of the installation 1992 A view of the ISOLDE installation PHOTOLAB

Aerial view of CERN and the surrounding region 1991 Three rings are visible, the smaller shows the underground position of the PS, the middle ring is the SPS with a circumference of 7 km and the largest ring (27 km) is that of the former LEP accelerator with part of Lake Geneva in the background. PHOTOLAB

Aerial view of CERN 1987 Aerial view of the CERN site just outside Geneva, with the Jura mountains in the background. The large circle shows the line of the LEP tunnel, 27 km in circumference, the small circle shows the SPS tunnel, 7 km in circumference. The crossed line indicates the the border between France and Switzerland. PHOTOLAB

Aerial view of part of the CERN site in winter 1979 Aerial view of part of the CERN site in winter, Geneva, the Saleve mountain and Mont Blanc can be seen in the background PHOTOLAB

Big Bang 1991 Diagram outlining the critical stages of evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present. PHOTOLAB

CMS central barrel yoke 2002 The CMS experiment at CERN will use a massive solenoid housed within this return yoke, which will weigh 12 500 tonnes when completed. Magnetic fields generated within this structure will reach levels greater than any other magnet of this kind and will store enough energy to melt 18 tonnes of gold. Within the yoke is positioned the external vacuum chamber into which the solenoid will be placed. PHOTOLAB

Layout of the ALICE detector 2003 This computer-simulated view of the ALICE detector shows the framework that will be used to hold the detector in place. Located within the huge solenoid used for the previous L3 experiment at LEP, which closed in 2000, the new LHC experiment will observe the collisions of lead nuclei. It is hoped that these collisions will produce a new state of matter known as 'quark-gluon plasma' that may not have existed since the Big Bang. PHOTOLAB

Layout of the ALICE detector 2003 The ALICE experiment will study the collisions of beams of lead nuclei in an attempt to produce a new state of matter known as 'quark-gluon plasma'. The barrel of the detector will be housed in the solenoid that once contained the L3 experiment when LEP was in operation at CERN, between 1989 and 2000. Outside of the solenoid, a dipole magnet will bend the path of charged particles called muons, allowing their momenta to be measured. PHOTOLAB

The four main LHC experiments 1999 This diagram shows the locations of the four main experiments (ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb) that will take place at the LHC. Located between 50 m and 150 m underground, huge caverns have been excavated to house the giant detectors. The SPS, the final link in the pre-acceleration chain, and its connection tunnels to the LHC are also shown. PHOTOLAB

Aerial view of Point 5 (CMS) in Cessy (France) 1999 Aerial view of the surface buildings at Cessy, France for the CMS experiment at CERN's LHC collider. The experiement will be 80 meters below ground. PHOTOLAB

Aerial view of Point 1 (ATLAS) 1999 Aerial view of the surface building for the ATLAS experiment at CERN's LHC collider. The experiement will be assembled in a huge cavern 100 metres underground. CERN's main site is visible in the background. PHOTOLAB

The scale of the LHC 2001 The area under which the tunnel for CERN's LHC can be found is shown near to Geneva and lac Leman. The French Alps with Mont Blanc can be seen in the background. PHOTOLAB

Accelerators chain of CERN : operating and approved projects 2001 PHOTOLAB