In pictures: Opening the LHC

This week, technicians opened up the first interconnections between LHC magnets to work on accelerator components inside

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In pictures: Opening the LHC

A technician prizes the thermal insulation plates from an interconnection between LHC magnets (Image: CERN)

This week technicians opened up the first interconnections between magnets on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to work on the accelerator components inside. Above, a technician prizes the thermal insulation plates from an interconnection between LHC magnets. Note the bicycles, which workers use to get around the LHC tunnel.

The aluminium plates are removed in sections.

Once an interconnection is open, technicians can get to work on the accelerator components inside. The man in the centre of the picture has his hands around one of the two LHC beam pipes, through which particles travel when the accelerator is switched on.

All images by Maximilien Brice for CERN.