1
The accelerator environment
Kilometres of tunnel. Electrons accelerated to almost the speed of light to study the universe.
~27 kmcircumference
~TeVenergy
Ultra-highvacuum
One electron.
Two worlds.
One story.
ElectronTrail shows how the same electron links the world's largest machines to the screen in your living room. Accelerated, steered and turned into light, it reveals the universe at CERN and paints a picture in a CRT.
◎ Interactive guide · for the curious of every age
1PARTICLE
In accelerators, electrons are produced and sped up.
2CURRENT
In wires, electrons flow as electric current.
3BEAM
In a CRT, electrons are focused and deflected.
4IMAGE
On the phosphor screen, electrons turn into light.
What connects the two worlds
The same laws of physics govern electrons everywhere.
Charge
The electron carries a negative charge, the basis of every electrical phenomenon.
Acceleration
Electric fields give electrons energy and speed, from eV to TeV.
Field steering
Magnetic fields shape and precisely guide the electron's path.
Light on phosphor
When electrons hit phosphor, their energy turns into visible light.
Follow the electron's path
One continuous path. Four connected stages.
Particle physics
Electrons are produced and accelerated to enormous energies in machines like CERN.
Explore stage 1 →
Electric current
Billions of electrons flow through conductors, powering the devices around us.
Explore stage 2 →
Electron beam
Inside a CRT, electrons are focused and deflected across the whole screen.
Explore stage 3 →
Image on screen
Every flash is electrons hitting phosphor, the picture forms pixel by pixel.
Explore stage 4 →Interactive modules
Go deeper, hands-on simulations and clear explanations.
Accelerator basics
See how electrons are produced and accelerated in particle accelerators.
Open module →
The flow of current
Trace the motion of electrons in the circuits that power everyday devices.
Open module →
Inside the picture tube
The electron gun, deflection coils and the image scanning process.
Open module →
Waveforms and signals
Understand the video signal and how information rides a carrier wave.
Open module →
Analog versus digital
Compare a continuous signal with a stream of bits and see the difference.
Open module →
From antenna to image
The TV signal's path, from waves in the air to pixels on screen.
Open module →Same physics, different scale
From the largest machines on Earth to the screen in your home.
The same principles
- Electrons are accelerated by an electric field.
- Magnetic fields guide and focus the path.
- Deflectors steer the electrons into precise patterns.
- Measurement reveals information about the world.
4
CRT television
Centimetres of glass. Electrons accelerated by thousands of volts to create an image.
~40 cmdiagonal
~kVvoltage
Highvacuum
The scale changes, the physics stays the same.
The same laws that drive discovery at the largest scale also work inside the screen in your home.