The Future Circular Collider could be operational by the mid-2040s. Credit: PIXELRISE / CERNThe Large Hadron Collider (LHC) remains one of the pinnacles of scientific and technological innovation, but physicists believe theres room for improvement. And after years of research and development, an international team led by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has released a blueprint detailing plans for the particle accelerators successorand its size puts the Large in Large Hadron Collider to shame.Since inaugural operations began in 2008, the LHC has allowed researchers to probe some of the universes most profound and mysterious forces. But investigating the deepest questions of modern physics requires a lot of time, energy, and space. The machines logistics are nearly incomprehensible without a degree in quantum physics, but its underlying mechanisms are relatively simple: basically, the LHC consists of a precise network of extremely powerful magnets that rush subatomic particles through a 17-mile-wide circular tunnel buried roughly 574 feet underneath the French-Swiss border near Geneva. The particles then smash into one another at nearly the speed of light, producing conditions approximating some of the universes most powerful interactions.The Future Circular Collider would have a diameter of over 56 miles, compared to the Large Hadron Colliders 17-mile diameter. Credit: CERN In 2013, for example, LHC experiments helped to finally complete the Standard Model of Physics after confirming the existence of the Higgs boson aka God particle. Long theorized but never documented, the Higgs boson helps explain how the very first matter coalesced in the moments after the Big Bang.But even the LHCs capabilities have their limits. At a certain point, any future discoveries would require an even larger particle acceleratorwhich is exactly what CERN hopes to accomplish with a Future Circular Collider (FCC).Ultimately what we would like to do is a collider which will come up with 10 times more energy than what we have today, CERN spokesman Arnaud Marsollier told the Associated Press. When you have more energy, then you can create particles that are heavier.CERN shared its FCC feasibility study findings on March 29 after spending a decade investigating at least 100 scenarios. According to the studys accompanying announcement, experts have settled on a plan that balances physics objectives, geology, civil engineering, technical infrastructure, territorial and environmental dimensions, R&D needs for the accelerators and detectors, socioeconomic benefits, and cost. And that plan requires the construction of an underground facility that would dwarf the LHC.At nearly 56.5 miles across, the FCC would be more than three times the LHCs size while including eight surface laboratory sites overseeing four ongoing experiments. The tunnel itself would be about 16 ft in diameter (compared to the LHC tunnels 12 ft width), and will be buried at an average depth of 656 ft. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.CERNs Feasibility Study Report outlines two possible stages for the FCC. The first, an electron-positron collider, would serve as a Higgs, electroweak, and top-quark factory running at different center-of-mass energies. The second stage involves a proton-proton collider capable of generating an unprecedented collision energy of about 100 tera-electronvolts (TeV).The FCC isnt a done deal yet, however. The estimated $16 billion project still requires an independent review, followed by a collective decision from CERNs two dozen member countries in 2028. The FCC will also essentially be a multigenerational project, if greenlit. Researchers estimate the facility wouldnt begin its first operations until the mid-2040s, with a second phase beginning around 2070.Discoveries made during FCC experiments would likely be well worth the wait, and influence far more than just theoretical physics. According to CERN, particle accelerators like the LHC and FCC can contribute to advances in superconducting materials for medical uses, fusion energy research, electricity transmission, as well as many other areas.