At first glance, the premises might look like any scientific laboratory.
Measuring instruments, computer screens, clean room... But when the gaze lingers on the walls, the crevices of the rock appear, similar to those of a cave.
And for good reason: the Modane Underground Laboratory (LSM) is located in the heart of a mountain.
It is built at a depth of 1700 m, under the tip of Fréjus, a 2900 m summit which marks the border between France and Italy.
It is in this rock setting, which is accessed by taking the Fréjus tunnel, that scientists have been working since 1983 to unravel the mysteries of the composition of the Universe.
But before accessing the laboratory - the deepest in Europe -, the researchers who work here on a daily basis must strictly respect the security protocol.
“
We note on a table how many people go to the lab, if we ever lose contact ,
”
explains Guillaume Warot, engineer…
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