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Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Sept 10, 2008 14:12:48 GMT -5
Scientists have hailed a successful switch-on for an enormous experiment which will recreate the conditions a few moments after the Big Bang. They have now fired two beams of particles called protons around the 27km-long tunnel which houses the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The £5bn machine on the Swiss-French border is designed to smash protons together with cataclysmic force. Scientists hope it will shed light on fundamental questions in physics. The first - clockwise - beam completed its first circuit of the underground tunnel at just before 0930 BST. The second - anti-clockwise - beam successfully circled the ring after 1400 BST The beams have not yet been run continuously. So far, they have been stopped, or "dumped", after just a few circuits. By Wednesday evening, engineers hope to inject clockwise and anti-clockwise protons again, but this time they will "close the orbit", letting the beams run continuously for a few seconds each. Cern has not yet announced when it plans to carry out the first collisions, but the BBC understands that low-energy collisions could happen in the next few days. This will allow engineers to calibrate instruments, but will not produce data of scientific interest. "There it is," project leader Lyn Evans said when the beam completed its lap. There were cheers in the control room when engineers heard of the successful test. We are Going to Go Back in Time QC news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7604293.stm
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Post by bluerose on Sept 30, 2008 13:13:19 GMT -5
The Collider Steve Kroft descends into the Large Hadron Collider some call it the "big bang machine" - that took billions of dollars and 9,000 physicists to build in the hope it will provide valuable insights. www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4484053nTour The Collider Web Exclusive: Scientist Austin Ball and collider spokesman James Gillies give Steve Kroft a tour of the Large Hadron Collider, called by some the "Big Bang machine." www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4484061n
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Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Oct 1, 2008 17:51:37 GMT -5
QC
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