The world's biggest atom smasher is 27 kilometers in circumference and it cost $5 billion. But much smaller particle accelerators—perhaps just 1 kilometer long—may be on the horizon, delivering similar energies at a fraction of the cost, according to research published today.

How much does particle accelerator cost?

The Large Hadron Collider cost about $4.75 billion to construct, and took almost a decade before the construction was complete. CERN built the largest atom-smasher, which has a circumference of 17-miles, and while that might sound big - it isn't enough.

Which is the expensive accelerator?

The Large Hadron Collider sequel will cost a whopping $23 billion—and it may not find much. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has approved the beginning stages of the next big particle accelerator. These plans serve as one followup project to the Large Hadron Collider.