Japan wants to build the world's largest machine

The Japanese government will discuss the project to build the International Linear Accelerator, a machine that will help scientists learn dark matter, with experts on June 21.

>>> Announced plans to build the world's largest machine

ILC is a necessary addition to the large particle accelerator (LHC) of the European Atomic Energy Research Organization. The LHC helps physicists validate the existence of a Higgs particle - a particle that gives mass to matter, and ILC becomes a "Higgs particle factory . " With ILC physicists will be able to answer many basic questions about the universe.

Japan is considered one of the most suitable countries for building the ILC. The Japanese Cabinet will discuss with the project experts on June 21. The Japanese government hopes to select a location for the meeting and will officially announce its intention to build the ILC in July, the Nikkei reported.

Illustrated International Linear Accelerator. (Photo: Guardian)

A hilly area in Iwate Prefecture and an area stretching from Fukuoka and Saga Prefecture are considered as the ideal locations for the machine to be located.

The ILC project is about the size of the International Space Station project. Building the ILC in Japan means for the first time that it plays a central role in an international research project. According to the calculations by the Japan Productivity Center, the project will generate an economic impact of 45 trillion yen (over US $ 470 billion) over the next 30 years. ILC construction costs are more than $ 8 billion and can generate 530,000 jobs.

The International Linear Accelerator (ILC) will consist of two linear accelerators located opposite each other along a tunnel. The length of the tunnel is about 26km. Two machines have the ability to project 10 billion electrons and positrons (electrons that are opposite to electrons) at nearly the speed of light. Two electrons and positrons collide 14,000 times per second at a power level of 500 billion electron-volts (eV).

The collision between two particle fluxes allows physicists to observe heavier particles before they decay, and to simulate the universe immediately after the Big Bang (birth of the universe). Because physicists can use electrons and positrons, tests in ILC will allow for a more visible Higgs field view than the LHC.