Posted on 11/17/2009 3:46:41 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Scientists have repaired the world's largest atom smasher and plan by this weekend to restart the fault-ridden Large Hadron Collider.
The 'Big Bang' machine was launched with great fanfare last year before its spectacular failure from a bad electrical connection.
This time the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, is taking a cautious approach with the super-sophisticated equipment, said James Gillies, a spokesman. It cost about $10 billion, with contributions from many governments and universities around the world.
Scientists expect to send beams of protons around the 27-kilometer (17-mile) circular tunnel housing the Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, but they have refrained from setting a date. That stands in stark contrast with the hype of the September 10, 2008, launch, when the startup was televised globally.
Some scientists blamed the failure nine days later on keeping to that schedule because the problem section had yet to be fully tested.
The first day of last year's launch went unusually well: Beams of protons were quickly sent in both directions, happily surprising many of the scientists around the world used to delays and problems with such superconducting equipment.
But nine days later a single electrical splice overheated because it had been badly soldered, and disaster struck. Fifty-three of 1,624 large superconducting magnets - some of them 15 meters (50 feet) long - were damaged and had to be replaced.
An electric arc punctured the container holding the liquid helium used to keep the collider at a temperature colder than outer space for maximum efficiency. Six tons of helium leaked out, overpowering the relief valves and adding to the damage.
CERN had to clean "soot-like dust" from the firehose-size pipes meant to contain an extreme vacuum so that nothing would obstruct the proton beams passing through.
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(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
:)
Blackholes!!!!ohnoes!!!!!!!
Watch a pigeon wreak havoc on this $10+ billion dollar monstrosity.
Okay, we’ve been there, done that with the exploding magnets and bird droppings. In which form will the future put the kibosh on the whole thing this time?
Ha! And here we were worrying about Obama’s health care plan.
It appears we’d better be worrying about whether there’ll even be an Earth when thay get that thing cranked up.
“The Superconducting Super Collider being built in Texas would have been bigger than the LHC, but in 1993 the U.S. Congress canceled it after costs soared and questions were raised about its scientific value. “
Way to go Clinton. So much had already been spent on it, and almost immediately he killed it. Thanks for setting us back 20-30 years in progress, and also for letting the euros take the prize. Thanks!
Well, not yet anyway.
Ha Ha
Look at our current President and the wrong is right mainstream mentality these days and ask again.
“Six tons of helium leaked out...”
Do you think everyone was talking funny that day?
"Don't turn it on yet! I think I left my sandwich in one of the magnetic containment thingies. I just can't remember which one."
Physics is waaaaaay out of my league. But even I recognize that this is exciting. I’ve always said, once one of these things get rolling, no telling where we can go from an energy standpoint—hopefully something simple to replace the need for fossil fuels—not that I’m against fossil fuels—but it would be nice for leftists to not be able to tell us how to live!
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