Authentic LHC Superconducting Cable — Real CERN Particle Physics Artifact

Authentic Superconducting Cable from CERN's Large Hadron Collider

A genuine segment of superconducting cable decommissioned from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN — the most powerful particle accelerator ever built. This cable was part of the LHC's dipole magnet system and was in active operation for approximately five years before being retired during Long Shutdown 1 (2013–2015). A Certificate of Authenticity is included.

In over a decade of sourcing science artifacts, we have never encountered an LHC component made available to private collectors. This is a singular acquisition opportunity.

Technical Specifications

• Cable type: Rutherford-style keystoned superconducting cable
• Cross section: 15.1 mm wide, 1.48 mm average thickness
• Strand count: 36 twisted strands
• Filaments per strand: 6,426 filaments of niobium-titanium (NbTi) superconducting alloy
• Filament diameter: 6 micrometers — approximately 10× thinner than a human hair
• Matrix material: High-purity oxygen-free copper for stability and current sharing
• Operating temperature: 1.9 K (−271.3°C), near absolute zero
• Function: Carried high-current, zero-resistance electrical flow to generate the magnetic fields steering protons to near light-speed

The total filament length across all LHC cables exceeds 150 million kilometers — enough to travel from Earth to the Sun and back five times.

Display Case

Presented in a museum-grade, handcrafted solid oak display box featuring a glass viewing lid, padded interior, and dual locking mechanism — built to protect and exhibit the artifact at the highest standard.

Provenance

Sourced directly from CERN. The LHC operates beneath the France–Switzerland border in a 27 km ring and was built through collaboration among over 10,000 scientists from more than 100 countries. Its most celebrated discovery: the Higgs boson, confirmed in 2012.

Ideal for science museums, university physics departments, institutional collections, and serious private collectors.