MTU helping uncover ‘secrets of universe’ in world's largest experiment

With Ireland now an associate member of Cern — the European organisation for nuclear research — Munster Technological University (MTU) has become the first Irish institution to take a direct role in the world’s largest scientific experiment.

As part of a global effort to uncover the fundamental secrets of the universe, MTU is now playing a leading role in the world’s most powerful scientific machine, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Last year, MTU became Ireland’s first technical associate institute to join the Atlas Collaboration, one of the LHC’s flagship experiments that helped discover the Higgs boson particle in 2012.

Of the 246 organisations worldwide analysing Cern-Atlas data, only 17 are technical associate institutes, placing MTU among a select group of institutes worldwide.

MTU’s contribution to Cern is focused on engineering critical systems for the Atlas detector as it prepares for the upcoming ‘high luminosity’ phase of the LHC.

MTU senior researcher Dr Manuel Caballero, and his team are building and testing the electrical panels and cables that will deliver power to the upgraded detectors, where every component must function to avoid disrupting experiments involving scientists across the world.

Lecturer Paddy McGowan and his team at MTU are designing the delicate mechanical supports that will hold thousands of sensors, along with the cooling pipes and cables, all operating under extreme conditions deep underground.

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, MTU described the work as about more than engineering.

“This is about giving Irish staff, students, and industry the chance to be part of one of humanity’s greatest scientific quests,” he said.

Dr Seán McSweeney, dean of engineering, serves as the deputy lead, with support from the Nimbus Research Centre and MTU’s Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering.

Atlas spokesperson and Cern physicist Andreas Hoecker, welcomed 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,” he said.

“MTU is the first Irish research institution to join Atlas, marking an exciting milestone.”