MTU Makes History as First Irish Institution to Join World's Largest Scientific Experiment at CERN
Cork's MTU makes history as first Irish institution to join CERN's Large Hadron Collider research, helping unlock the secrets of the universe.
Munster Technological University has achieved a milestone for Irish science, becoming the first institution in Ireland to play a direct role in CERN's groundbreaking research into the fundamental nature of the universe.
The Cork-based university is now part of the ATLAS Collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, following Ireland's confirmation as an Associate Member of CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.
MTU secured its place last year as Ireland's first Technical Associate Institute within the ATLAS experiment, the same project that discovered the Higgs boson particle in 2012. Of 246 organisations worldwide analysing CERN-ATLAS data, only 17 hold Technical Associate Institute status, placing MTU in exceptionally select company.
The university's role focuses on engineering critical systems for the ATLAS detector as it prepares for the upcoming High-Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider. This upgrade will dramatically increase the collision rate of particles, generating unprecedented amounts of data for scientists to study.
Dr. Manuel Caballero, Senior Researcher at MTU, and his team are building and testing the electrical panels and cables that will power the upgraded detectors. Every component must function flawlessly to avoid disrupting experiments involving scientists from across the globe.
Meanwhile, lecturer Paddy McGowan and his team are designing the delicate mechanical supports that will hold thousands of sensors, along with cooling pipes and cables, all operating under extreme conditions deep underground at CERN's facility near Geneva. MTU is also contributing to the design of the core cooling system for these detectors.
Dr. Niall Smith, Head of Research and CERN-ATLAS lead at MTU, said:
"This is about giving Irish staff, students, and industry the chance to be part of one of humanity's greatest scientific quests."
Dr. Seán McSweeney, Dean of Engineering, serves as deputy lead for the project, with support from the Nimbus Research Centre and the Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering.
Andreas Hoecker, ATLAS Spokesperson and CERN physicist, said:
"We are thrilled to welcome Munster Technological University to the international ATLAS Collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. MTU's innovative engineering expertise will be a tremendous asset as we prepare for the high-luminosity phase of the LHC. MTU is the first Irish research institution to join ATLAS, marking an exciting milestone."
Through this work, Irish engineers and researchers at MTU are helping build the tools that may one day explain dark matter, the origins of the universe, and fundamental questions about existence itself. The collaboration is also inspiring the next generation of Irish scientists and engineers to pursue careers at the cutting edge of global research.
The first batch of patch panels, crucial components for routing experimental data, has already been successfully delivered to CERN after stringent testing. Once installed deep underground, these components cannot be easily accessed, making reliability and performance testing absolutely critical.
More information about CERN's work is available at https://home.cern/.
