Atlas

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is under construction at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland and in all the many countries participating in this world wide effort. Its goal is to explore the fundamental nature of matter and the basic forces that shape our universe. ATLAS is the largest collaborative effort ever attempted in the physical sciences. There are 2000 physicists participating from more than 150 universities and laboratories in 34 countries.     In the 27 kilometre circular underground tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider protons will be accelerated in opposite directions to the largest energies achieved. The energy of each of the proton beams will reach 7 TeV. The collision energy of 14 TeV will be manifested in the large number of particles produced in the collisions. The aim is to explore the fundamental processes and to produce some of the hitherto unknown particles, like the Higgs particle.  The first collisions are expected to occur in 2006. At that time the 45 metre long and 22 meter tall ATLAS detector- one of the most elaborate particle physics experiments ever designed - will be mounted and installed in the proton accelerator deep underground. The experiment will then start probing the mysteries of the particle world at energies typical of the early universe.  ATLAS  ATLAS Education and Outreach  For the first time has a large world-wide experiment formed an education and outreach committee with the aim to make particle physics understandable to a larger audience. One of the main aims is to facilitate for the collaboration members to give talks at schools or to the general public about particle physics in general and the ATLAS experiment in particular. We have produced several brochures and an ATLAS video, which has received several awards. Atlas outreach committee   _____________________________________________________________