Superconducting Cable Segment from the Large Hadron Collider

An Authentic Piece of Particle Physics History

Own an extraordinary piece of scientific history: an authentic section of superconducting cable from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

This cable originated from the LHC infrastructure at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, near Geneva, Switzerland. It was part of the superconducting magnet system used during the collider’s early operational period.

The artifact offers a rare opportunity to examine firsthand the specialized engineering required to operate the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.

A Genuine Accelerator Component

This is not a replica. It is a genuine segment of superconducting cable from the LHC magnet system.

Superconducting cables are essential to the powerful electromagnets that guide and focus particle beams as they travel around the collider. Examples of decommissioned accelerator components with this level of historical and technical significance are rarely available to private collectors.

A Certificate of Authenticity and provenance information is included.

Suitable for science collections, educational displays, physics departments, museums, or collectors of historic scientific technology.

About the Cable

This cable was part of the original LHC infrastructure and was used for approximately five years before being replaced during Long Shutdown 1 (2013–2015).

The LHC’s superconducting magnets operate at approximately 1.9 K (−271.3°C), colder than outer space. At these temperatures, the niobium-titanium alloy in the cable becomes superconducting, allowing extremely high electrical currents to flow with effectively no electrical resistance.

Those currents generate the intense magnetic fields required to steer and focus proton beams traveling at nearly the speed of light.

Technical Highlights

• Composed of 36 twisted strands, roll-formed into a keystone-shaped cross section approximately 15.1 mm wide and 1.48 mm thick
• Each strand contains 6,426 filaments of niobium-titanium (NbTi) superconducting alloy
• Individual filaments measure approximately 6 micrometers in diameter
• The superconducting filaments are embedded in a high-purity copper matrix that provides electrical and thermal stability
• The complete LHC superconducting cable system contains an extraordinary total length of microscopic superconducting filaments

Across the LHC, the combined filament length has been estimated at more than 150 million kilometers—enough to span the distance from Earth to the Sun several times.

Display Case

The artifact is presented in a handcrafted oak display box designed to protect the cable while keeping it clearly visible.

Features include:

• Solid oak construction
• Padded interior
• Glass viewing lid
• Dual locking mechanism

About the Large Hadron Collider

The Large Hadron Collider is a 27-kilometer (17-mile) particle accelerator located beneath the France–Switzerland border near Geneva.

It was designed and constructed at CERN through an extensive international scientific collaboration. Thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, universities, and research institutions around the world have contributed to its experiments and operation.

Inside the accelerator, particles are accelerated to extremely high energies and brought into collision so researchers can investigate the fundamental particles and forces that make up the universe.

Among the LHC’s best-known scientific achievements was the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson by the ATLAS and CMS experiments.

Further Reading

For additional technical and historical information:

• CERN: Superconductivity
• LHC Superconducting Cable Details
• LHC Project Report 694
• LHC Closer Look: Superconducting Cables

Provenance Notice

References to CERN and the Large Hadron Collider are provided solely to describe the historical origin, provenance, and scientific context of this artifact.

This product is independently offered and is not produced, licensed, sponsored, approved, or endorsed by CERN. CERN names, marks, and logos remain the property of their respective rights holders.