Along three measurements at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a high energy particle accelerator, we analyze procedures and consequences of exploratory experimentation (EE). While all of these measurements fulfill the requirements of EE: probing new parameter spaces, being void of a target theory and applying a broad range of experimental methods, we identify epistemic differences and suggest a classification of EE. We distinguish classes of EE according to their respective goals: the exploration where an established global theory cannot provide the details of a local phenomenon, exploration of an astonishing discovery and exploration to find a new entity. We find that these classes also differ with respect to the existence of an identifiable target and their impact on the background theory. The characteristics distinguish EE from other kinds of experimentation, even though these different kinds have not yet been systematically studied. The formal rigor and precision of LHC physics facilitates to analyze concept formation in its early state. In particular we emphasize the importance for nil–results for conceptualization and argue that conceptualization can also be achieved from nil–results only.

通过大型强子对撞机 (LHC)（一种高能粒子加速器）的三项测量，我们分析了探索性实验 (EE) 的程序和结果。虽然所有这些测量都满足 EE 的要求：探索新的参数空间、没有目标理论并应用广泛的实验方法，但我们确定了认知差异并建议对 EE 进行分类。我们根据各自的目标区分 EE 的类别：既定全球理论无法提供局部现象细节的探索、惊人发现的探索和寻找新实体的探索。我们发现这些类别在可识别目标的存在及其对背景理论的影响方面也有所不同。这些特征将 EE 与其他类型的实验区分开来，尽管这些不同类型尚未得到系统研究。大型强子对撞机物理的形式严谨性和精确性有助于分析其早期状态的概念形成。我们特别强调零结果对概念化的重要性，并认为概念化也可以仅从零结果实现。