Large Hadron Collider Set To Launch In September
Posted on: Thursday, 7 August 2008, 16:05 CDT
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced on Thursday that the world's most powerful particle accelerator, aimed at unlocking secrets of the universe, is expected to launch on September 10.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), housed in an underground tunnel 27 kilometers (17 miles) in circumference, will recreate conditions just after the Big Bang—which many scientists believe gave birth to the universe.
The LHC will collide two beams of particles at close to the speed of light.
"The first attempt to circulate a beam in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be made on September 10," the Geneva-based CERN said in a statement.
It is expected to instantiate a new frontier of physics, producing beams with seven times more energy than any previous machine.
However, scientists say starting it up is a complex process.
The LHC has eight sectors that must be cooled to their operating temperature of minus 271 degrees Celsius (minus 456 degrees Fahrenheit), colder than outer space. So far, this phase is reaching a successful conclusion but electrical testing must follow.
LHC project leader Lyn Evans likened it to finishing a marathon with a sprint. "It's been a long haul and we're all eager to get the LHC research program underway."
The experiment is expected to help explain fundamental questions such as how particles acquire mass. Scientists will also probe the mysterious dark matter of the universe and investigate why there is more matter than antimatter.
A spokesman for the project said some 10,000 scientists from around the world have worked on the complex 10 billion Swiss franc ($9.5 billion) apparatus since construction began in 1994.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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User Comments (2)
| 2. |
Posted by maggie on 09/07/2008, 08:10 i hope we all live to see this |
| 1. |
Posted by Marius on 08/10/2008, 16:16 waiting the results.... |
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