_version_ 1866912666842300416
author Ahmadova, F.
André, K.
Armesto, N.
Azuelos, G.
Behnke, O.
Boonekamp, M.
Bonvini, M.
Britzger, D.
Brüning, O.
Bud, T. A.
Cooper-Sarkar, A. M.
D'Hondt, J.
D'Onofrio, M.
Fischer, O.
Forthomme, L.
Giuli, F.
Gwenlan, C.
Hammou, E.
Holzer, B.
Khanpour, H.
Klein, U.
Kostka, P.
Lappi, T.
Mäntysaari, H.
Mellado, B.
Newman, P. R.
Olness, F. I.
Osborne, J. A.
Papaphilippou, Y.
Paukkunen, H.
Piotrzkowski, K.
Polini, A.
Rojo, J.
Schott, M.
Schumann, S.
Schwanenberger, C.
Staśto, A. M.
Stocchi, A.
Tentori, S.
Tevio, M.
Wang, C.
Yamazaki, Y.
author_facet Ahmadova, F.
André, K.
Armesto, N.
Azuelos, G.
Behnke, O.
Boonekamp, M.
Bonvini, M.
Britzger, D.
Brüning, O.
Bud, T. A.
Cooper-Sarkar, A. M.
D'Hondt, J.
D'Onofrio, M.
Fischer, O.
Forthomme, L.
Giuli, F.
Gwenlan, C.
Hammou, E.
Holzer, B.
Khanpour, H.
Klein, U.
Kostka, P.
Lappi, T.
Mäntysaari, H.
Mellado, B.
Newman, P. R.
Olness, F. I.
Osborne, J. A.
Papaphilippou, Y.
Paukkunen, H.
Piotrzkowski, K.
Polini, A.
Rojo, J.
Schott, M.
Schumann, S.
Schwanenberger, C.
Staśto, A. M.
Stocchi, A.
Tentori, S.
Tevio, M.
Wang, C.
Yamazaki, Y.
contents The LHeC is the project for delivering electron-nucleon collisions at CERN using the HL-LHC beams. An Energy Recovery Linac in racetrack configuration will provide 50 GeV electrons to achieve centre-of-mass energies around 1 TeV/nucleon and instantaneous luminosities around $10^{34}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$. The LHeC program elaborated in the CDR of 2021 included a phase with concurrent operation of electron-hadron and hadron-hadron collisions, followed by a standalone phase of electron-hadron collisions only. In view of the current HL-LHC schedule, in this paper we have examined the possibilities of a program after the regular HL-LHC program with only electron-proton operation. In this operation mode, the LHeC would serve as an impactful bridge project between major colliders at CERN. The standalone physics program comprises electroweak, Higgs, top-quark, BSM and strong-interaction physics. In addition, it empowers the physics analyses at the HL-LHC by retrofitting measurements and searches with significantly more precise knowledge of the proton structure and $α_s$. The accelerator technology deployed in the Energy Recovery Linac for the LHeC is a major stepping-stone for the performance, cost reduction and training for future colliders. The capital investments in the LHeC electron accelerator can be reused in a cost-efficient way as the injector for the FCC-ee. Finally, data from the LHeC are essential to enable the physics potential of any new high-energy hadron collider. The operational plan of 6 years easily fits in the period between two major colliders at CERN. Similar to the LHeC empowering the HL-LHC physics program, the FCC-eh would be an impactful addition to the FCC physics program.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_17727
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Large Hadron electron Collider as a bridge project for CERN
Ahmadova, F.
André, K.
Armesto, N.
Azuelos, G.
Behnke, O.
Boonekamp, M.
Bonvini, M.
Britzger, D.
Brüning, O.
Bud, T. A.
Cooper-Sarkar, A. M.
D'Hondt, J.
D'Onofrio, M.
Fischer, O.
Forthomme, L.
Giuli, F.
Gwenlan, C.
Hammou, E.
Holzer, B.
Khanpour, H.
Klein, U.
Kostka, P.
Lappi, T.
Mäntysaari, H.
Mellado, B.
Newman, P. R.
Olness, F. I.
Osborne, J. A.
Papaphilippou, Y.
Paukkunen, H.
Piotrzkowski, K.
Polini, A.
Rojo, J.
Schott, M.
Schumann, S.
Schwanenberger, C.
Staśto, A. M.
Stocchi, A.
Tentori, S.
Tevio, M.
Wang, C.
Yamazaki, Y.
High Energy Physics - Experiment
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
The LHeC is the project for delivering electron-nucleon collisions at CERN using the HL-LHC beams. An Energy Recovery Linac in racetrack configuration will provide 50 GeV electrons to achieve centre-of-mass energies around 1 TeV/nucleon and instantaneous luminosities around $10^{34}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$. The LHeC program elaborated in the CDR of 2021 included a phase with concurrent operation of electron-hadron and hadron-hadron collisions, followed by a standalone phase of electron-hadron collisions only. In view of the current HL-LHC schedule, in this paper we have examined the possibilities of a program after the regular HL-LHC program with only electron-proton operation. In this operation mode, the LHeC would serve as an impactful bridge project between major colliders at CERN. The standalone physics program comprises electroweak, Higgs, top-quark, BSM and strong-interaction physics. In addition, it empowers the physics analyses at the HL-LHC by retrofitting measurements and searches with significantly more precise knowledge of the proton structure and $α_s$. The accelerator technology deployed in the Energy Recovery Linac for the LHeC is a major stepping-stone for the performance, cost reduction and training for future colliders. The capital investments in the LHeC electron accelerator can be reused in a cost-efficient way as the injector for the FCC-ee. Finally, data from the LHeC are essential to enable the physics potential of any new high-energy hadron collider. The operational plan of 6 years easily fits in the period between two major colliders at CERN. Similar to the LHeC empowering the HL-LHC physics program, the FCC-eh would be an impactful addition to the FCC physics program.
title The Large Hadron electron Collider as a bridge project for CERN
topic High Energy Physics - Experiment
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.17727