Editor’s note: The following press release was posted by CERN on February 23, 2026.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory developed and shipped five cryoassemblies containing niobium-tin magnets for use in the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider upgrade at CERN. The newly developed and tested magnets will focus the beam at the CMS and ATLAS interaction points, increasing the number of collisions for the experiments tenfold in the HiLumi era.
Fermilab will deliver five additional cryoassemblies by mid-2027. The innovative magnet system is an important element in the major upgrade that will transform the Large Hadron Collider into the HiLumi LHC. Fermilab’s leadership and participation in the upgrade demonstrate the lab’s commitment to its ongoing collaboration with CERN and other Department of Energy national laboratories.
CERN has reached a crucial milestone in the advancement of the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HiLumi LHC) project with the start of the cryogenic cooldown to 1.9 K (-271.3 °C) of its 95-metre-long test stand – a full-scale replica of the innovative equipment that will transform the LHC in the coming years. The test stand is designed to validate the novel magnet system (the inner triplet beam-focusing magnets) and its complex infrastructure, which is a key element in a major upgrade of the LHC that is set to enter operation in 2030.
This summer will mark the start of a four-year-long intensive work period (Long Shutdown 3 – LS3) to transform the LHC into the HiLumi LHC—a groundbreaking accelerator that will usher in a new era for high-energy physics. The HiLumi LHC will increase by a factor of ten the number of particle collisions (called “luminosity”), vastly increasing the volume of physics data available for researchers. This leap forward will allow physicists to explore the behaviour of the Higgs boson and other elementary particles with unprecedented precision and to uncover rare new phenomena that might reveal themselves.
“I don’t think it is possible to overstate the importance and excitement of the High-Luminosity LHC, which is the largest project undertaken by CERN for the past 20 years,” explains Mark Thomson, CERN Director-General. “Coupled with advanced new data tools and upgraded detectors, it will allow us to understand for the first time how the Higgs boson interacts with itself – a key measurement that will shed light on the first instants and possible fate of the Universe. The HiLumi LHC will also explore uncharted territory and could reveal something completely new and unexpected. That’s the whole point of exploring the unknown: you don’t know what’s out there.”
Many of the technologies developed for the HiLumi LHC – such as superconducting crab cavities that tilt the particle beams before they collide, crystal collimators designed to remove errant particles, and high-temperature superconducting electrical transfer lines to power the HiLumi magnets as efficiently as possible – have never been used in a proton accelerator before. Among these new key technologies, the inner triplet beam-focusing magnets are made of a superconducting compound based on niobium and tin (Nb3Sn), enabling magnetic fields higher than those achieved with the current LHC niobium–titanium (NbTi) magnets. These new magnets will be deployed on both sides of the ATLAS and CMS experiments, alongside new cryogenic, powering, protection and alignment systems, and will operate at a temperature of 1.9 K (-271.3 °C), just like the LHC magnets.
To ensure seamless integration, CERN has built, in an above-ground test hall, a full-scale test stand called the Inner Triplet String (IT String), which mirrors the underground configuration.
“All the systems have already been tested individually. The goal of the IT String is to validate their integration and their collective performance under operational conditions,” explains Oliver Brüning, CERN Director for Accelerators and Technology. “The connection and operation of all the equipment in the IT String give us a chance to optimise our procedures before the actual installation in the tunnel, so that we will be prepared and ready for an efficient and smooth installation.”
The large LHC experiments ATLAS and CMS will also undergo a major upgrade to enable them to harness the full scientific potential of the HiLumi LHC collisions – work that is being carried out in close coordination with hundreds of institutes worldwide. Additionally, the entire accelerator complex and associated experiments will benefit from improvements, solidifying CERN’s leadership in high-energy physics.
The HiLumi LHC project is led by CERN with the support of an international collaboration of almost 50 institutes in more than 20 countries – the vast majority located in Europe. In addition to the funding provided by CERN Member States and Associate Member States, the project received special contributions from Italy, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Serbia and Pakistan, and from several non-Member States such as the United States, Japan, Canada and China.
The cooldown of the HiLumi LHC test string, which is achieved using a sophisticated liquid- helium refrigeration and distribution system, is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Anadi Canepa, a senior scientist at Fermilab, has begun work as the new spokesperson of the CMS collaboration. Having served as the deputy spokesperson since 2024, she takes over from Gautier Hamel de Monchenault, becoming the latest leader of the approximately 6,000-member international collaboration at the forefront of particle physics at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
Canepa brings a distinguished record of scientific leadership and technical expertise to the role. Her career spans more than two decades across three major collider experiments: CDF, ATLAS and CMS.
The CMS experiment is one of the two general-purpose detectors at the LHC, designed to explore a wide range of physics phenomena — from the Higgs boson to searches for new particles and forces.
Canepa’s selection comes at a pivotal moment for CMS, as the collaboration prepares for the High-Luminosity LHC, which will increase the particle collision rate by a factor up to five.
As the LHC enters this next chapter, CMS will undergo major transformations. The Phase-2 upgrade, currently underway, includes a complete overhaul of key detector systems.
These enhancements will enable CMS to maintain its precision and performance while unlocking new opportunities for discovery and a deeper understanding of the fundamental structure of the universe.
“I’m honored to serve this high-caliber collaboration as we bring the LHC program to fruition and upgrade the CMS detector for the HL-LHC era,” said Canepa. “CMS at the HL-LHC will push the boundaries of our understanding of matter and energy.”
Since joining CMS in 2015, Canepa has led several critical efforts, including the coordination of beam and system tests for the Outer Tracker and management of the U.S. electronics project for the HL-LHC upgrade. She served as head of the Fermilab CMS department for six years and held strategic roles at the lab, including director of Users Facilities and Experiments and scientific secretary of the Fermilab Physics Advisory Committee. In 2025, she was also named an American Physical Society Fellow.
“Her deep expertise and unwavering commitment to collaboration will be essential as CMS enters a transformative era with the High-Luminosity LHC.”
Director of Fermilab Norbert Holtkamp
Her research focuses on Higgs physics, searches for physics beyond the Standard Model, and the development of advanced trigger and tracking systems. She has authored numerous influential publications and has served on international committees, including as chair of the Division of Particles and Fields of the Canadian Physical Society.
“I extend my sincere congratulations to Anadi Canepa on her selection for this important leadership role with CMS,” said Norbert Holtkamp, director of Fermilab. “Her deep expertise and unwavering commitment to collaboration will be essential as CMS enters a transformative era with the High-Luminosity LHC.”
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. Fermi Forward Discovery Group manages Fermilab for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on social media.
The American Physical Society recently honored six researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory with awards for their outstanding contributions to their scientific fields.
Founded in 1899, APS is a professional organization representing more than 50,000 members worldwide and is dedicated to advancing physics research, science policy, education and public engagement. Each year, APS bestows a broad range of prizes, awards and medals to recognize exceptional achievements across the physics community — from early-career scientists to leading established researchers.
APS honors at Fermilab were awarded to:
Joel Butler — W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics
Joel Butler, a distinguished scientist at Fermilab and former spokesperson for the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, has received the American Physical Society’s 2026 Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics. The Panofsky Prize, awarded annually, recognizes and encourages outstanding achievements in experimental particle physics, and nominations are open to scientists worldwide. According to APS, Butler received the prize for wide-ranging scientific, technical and strategic contributions to particle physics; exceptional leadership in fixed-target quark-flavor experiments at Fermilab; and his contributions to collider physics at the Large Hadron Collider.
Elena Pinetti — Henry Primakoff Award for Early-Career Particle Physics
Elena Pinetti, a postdoctoral researcher at Fermilab, has received the APS 2026 Henry Primakoff Award for Early-Career Particle Physics for “original ideas and innovative research in the study of particle dark matter, compact astrophysical objects, high-energy astrophysical sources and cosmic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum.” Pinetti’s research focuses on searching for dark matter in the universe using a multimessenger approach.
APS Fellows
Four Fermilab scientists were named 2025 APS Fellows. Fellowship is an elite distinction awarded each year to no more than one-half of 1% of current APS members. The APS Fellowship program recognizes members who have made advances in physics through original research and publication or made significant, innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology. The full listing of fellows may be viewed on the APS website.
Anadi Canepa — Division of Particles and Fields Fellowship
“For pioneering roles in searches for supersymmetric particles; for outstanding leadership at TRIUMF and Fermilab and on the CDF, ATLAS and CMS collaborations, including the CMS tracker upgrade for the High-Luminosity LHC and future collider opportunities; and for broad public engagement.”
Victor Daniel Elvira — Forum on International Physics Fellowship
“For work on understanding and using jet final states, exploring quantum chromodynamics and physics beyond the Standard Model; for software processes — especially in GEANT4 and AI and machine learning — that aids global high-energy physics research; and for fostering international software and computing collaborations …”
Matthew Toups — Division of Particles and Fields Fellowship
“For wide-ranging and significant contributions to the MicroBooNE experiment, from construction and commissioning of the detector through to the publication of a large body of first-of-their-kind neutrino physics results with liquid-argon time projection chambers.”
Herman White — Forum on Physics and Society Fellowship
“For inspiring leadership and advocacy for physics, science education and communication with policy makers, governments and the public; and for outstanding contributions to several areas of high-energy physics.”
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. Fermi Forward Discovery Group manages Fermilab for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on social media.