In fall 2011, I have designed a model of the ATLAS experiment made entirely of standard LEGO bricks.
It illustrates all details, from the muon and magnet system to the innermost pixel detector and is a great eye-catcher for all generations. Here’s some key features:
about 9500 pieces- roughly 1:50 in scale
(close to scale with the LEGO man) - material cost of about 2000 Euros
(payed by the high energy physics group at the Niels Bohr Institute) - about 1 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m in size
- approximately 33 hours construction time
(spread out over several weekends and after hours) - around 48 hours to build the 3D model
(a one-timer though)
As a follow up to the 1:50 model, I also designed a smaller and cheaper miniature model in LEGO bricks.
Though it does not illustrate all details, the key features of ATLAS are visible. Here’s some key features:
- 560 pieces
- roughly 1:2000 in scale
- material cost of about 75 Euros
- about 22 cm x 11 cm x 11 cm in size
- approximately 90 minutes construction time
- around 7 hours to build the 3D model
(a one-timer though)
More details, images, videos, a media coverage overview and the video construction manual can be found at:
http://www.build-your-own-particle-detector.org/
Thanks a lot to Jørgen Beck Hansen and Peter Rosendahl for some initial thoughts on the model, to the NBI workshop at Rockefeller for the showcase and to the high energy physics group in general for financing this idea.
LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group.