Europe's CERN laboratory stated on Monday that a major particle accelerator initiative is progressing well, though they cautioned that without approval for funding, China might surpass Europe to become the global frontrunner in physics research.
Should the initiative for the Future CircularCollider (FCC) fail to progress, "Europe faces a significant danger of ceding its dominance in foundational scientific research, particularly within the realm of high-energy particle physics along with associated technologies," warned CERN Director General FabiolaGianotti during an interview withAgenceFrance-Presse.
"There is real competition" from China in particular, she cautioned, adding that the giant FCC "project is absolutely on the good track" and urging states to release the funding needed to move forward.
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Meanwhile, CERN stated that a thorough analysis found no significant technical hurdles for constructing the globe’s largest particle accelerator, despite criticism directed at the “pharaonic” $17 billion initiative.
Following an analysis of approximately 100 distinct scenarios, CERN released the findings of a multi-year investigation into their favored concept on Monday. The proposal entails constructing a roughly 91-kilometer (56-mile) circular tunnel spanning across the French-Swiss border.
With an average depth of 200 metres (660ft), the tunnel would accommodate a particle accelerator that would be more than three times the length of CERN's existing Large Hadron Collider, currently the largest of its kind.
The LHC - a 27-kilometre proton-smashing ring running about 100 metres below ground - has among other things been used to prove the existence of the Higgs boson.
Dubbed the God particle, the Nobel Prize-winning discovery broadened science's understanding of how particles acquire mass.
As the LHC is anticipated to conclude operations around 2041, CERN has been exploring alternatives to enable researchers to continue advancing scientific boundaries.
Gianotti celebrated the success of the feasibility study, emphasizing that "we haven't encountered any major technical obstacles yet."
Others were similarly enthusiastic about the FCC.
Catherine Biscarat from the L2IT laboratory at Toulouse University stated, "To achieve significant advancements in unraveling the origins of the universe and the part played by the Higgs boson, the worldwide scientific community requires an apparatus as potent and versatile as the FCC."
However, not everybody is excited about the massive undertaking, projected to come with a price tag of 15 billion Swiss francs (US$16.9 billion).
The 23 European nations along with Israel, which are members of CERN, must determine by 2028 if they will provide the necessary funding.
However, as the biggest financial backer of CERN, Germany expressed concerns last year regarding the enormous amounts of money involved.
CERN spokesman Arnaud Marsollier tried to allay those concerns, insisting that up to 80 per cent of the FCC's cost "could be covered by the organisation's budget".
Meanwhile, some locals are deeply concerned about the project and the potential effect it may have on their daily lives and sources of income.
Thierry Perrillat, a dairy farmer from Roche-sur-Foron in France, asserted that the proposed collider would consume "five hectares of our farmland."
He said bitterly, 'It’s akin to David versus Goliath,'
The initiative has likewise caused debates amongst researchers.
"As reported by physicist Olivier Cepas from the Neel Institute at the University of Grenoble, the expenses related to finance, ecology, and operations are incredibly high," he stated.
He argued that it would be more beneficial to finance smaller scientific initiatives.
Meanwhile, FCC project engineer Jean-Paul Burnet asserted that the commission’s plans had been “enhanced to minimize their ecological footprint,” through measures such as reducing the count of both wells and surface facilities.
However, environmental organizations in the area remained unconvinced.
In a report, the environmental group Noe21 criticized the "excessive" FCC initiative, highlighting its "skyrocketing energy usage," as well as its detrimental effect on the climate, along with concerns over its expense and magnitude.
The Franco-Swiss group CO-CERNes, comprising organizations like the WWF and Greenpeace, has been hosting informational meetings in local neighborhoods.
During a recent meeting held in Marcellaz, which is close to one of the eight proposed FCC surface locations, organizer Thierry Lemmel informed AFP that the group was sharing details about this "monumental project."
He stated that progress is essential.
However, he questioned whether, considering the current condition of our planet, "we should truly allocate such extensive resources and immense wealth... for this initiative with unpredictable outcomes?"
Out of the approximately 100 individuals present at the Marcellaz gathering, one notable attendee was Kevin Mugnier, who had recently come across information about the FCC initiative.
"He admitted he was quite shocked," fearing his property could be seized.
In Ferney-Voltaire, at one of the seven surface locations slated for development on the French side, Mayor Daniel Raphoz expressed his support for the "mutually beneficial" initiative. He argued that this project would likely boost both job opportunities and energy production.
"CERN's overflow energy will be used to heat the town," he said.
If the FCC is not built here, progress would move elsewhere, he warned.
"It will be happening in China, [marking] European decline."
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The article initially appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), which serves as the premier source for news coverage of China and Asia.
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