Super Proton Synchrotron
The Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) is a particle accelerator located at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN. It was built to accelerate protons and heavy ions to high energies, reaching up to 450 GeV. The SPS plays a crucial role in preparing particles for experiments in larger colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
Operational since 1976, the SPS is a circular accelerator that uses magnetic fields to keep particles on a defined path. It has contributed significantly to various discoveries in particle physics, including the discovery of the W and Z bosons, which are fundamental particles responsible for weak nuclear interactions.