Agreement with CERN gives Brazil access to world’s largest particle accelerator

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The agreement signed on Thursday, March 3, made Brazil an associate member of the European Center for Particle Physics (CERN), giving Brazilian scientists access to the world’s largest particle accelerator, Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said.

Once the agreement is ratified, Brazilian scientists will be able to access the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a circular tunnel 27 kilometers in diameter built on the outskirts of Geneva to investigate the most elementary particles of nature and which is considered the largest physics research tool in the world.

“Once the National Congress ratifies the agreement, Brazil will be the third non-European country to be part of this exclusive group of science and technology producers. CERN is currently made up of 23 member countries and seven associate members,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted.

The note assures that the agreement recognizes the “excellence” of Brazilian science and offers Brazil a new status by allowing the country’s researchers and companies access to the Large High-Luminosity Hadron Collider (LHC) and other CERN tools.

The agreement making Brazil a new associate member of CERN was signed on Thursday, March 3, in Geneva by the Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology, astronaut Marcos Pontes, and CERN director Fabiola Gianotti.

The agreement also allows Brazil to participate in the tenders of the world’s largest laboratory for high-energy and particle physics research, which reach 500 million dollars per year.

“The partnership will also facilitate the development of applied technologies in new materials, industry 4.0, aerospace and health isotopes, among others, and will thus contribute to economic development through technological innovation, as well as to the creation of new markets and highly qualified jobs,” the note adds.

Brazil’s association with the European Organization will require the country to commit to an annual contribution equivalent to 10% of what full members pay.

Brazil officially requested its admission as an associate member of CERN in December 2010 and since then has been working on the project submitted for consideration by the institution, with the participation of scientists from the Brazilian Physics Society, the Brazilian Physics Research Center, and the National Center for Energy and Materials Research.

As an associate member, Brazil will be able to send scientists to carry out studies at CERN laboratories. Each researcher will be able to stay in Europe for five years and will then have to return to apply their knowledge in Brazil.

CERN is the most important nuclear and particle physics laboratory globally, created in 1954 in Geneva (Switzerland). Its mission is to provide a unique range of particle accelerators for research in different areas.

With information from EFE