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Large Hadron Collider ready to restart
The Telegraph ^ | 11/17/2009

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.

"It

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hadroncollider; lhc; physics; scientists
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To: newheart

Cute!


21 posted on 11/17/2009 4:16:25 PM PST by DallasDeb (USAFA '06 Mom)
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To: Psycho_Bunny

Maybe this is what will cause the destruction of Earth on 12/21/12? Just kidding.


22 posted on 11/17/2009 4:17:09 PM PST by DallasDeb (USAFA '06 Mom)
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To: cranked

Pigeon? It’s underground.


23 posted on 11/17/2009 4:17:45 PM PST by DallasDeb (USAFA '06 Mom)
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To: newheart

Nice!


24 posted on 11/17/2009 4:20:42 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: bruinbirdman
I predict that Project Tick Tock (currently up and running in the mid to late 1960's) will be sending another team into their future (our present) to throw another monkey wrench into this Hadron monstrosity:
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25 posted on 11/17/2009 4:20:55 PM PST by mkjessup
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To: DallasDeb

Right.... -—> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/05/breaking-large-hadron-collider-shut-down-by-precision-bird-strike/


26 posted on 11/17/2009 4:23:17 PM PST by cranked
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To: bruinbirdman
But nine days later a single electrical splice overheated because it had been badly soldered, and disaster struck.

The old cold solder joint trick, probably soldered by an engineer instead of a technician.

27 posted on 11/17/2009 4:26:40 PM PST by The Cajun (Mind numbed robot , ditto-head, Hannitized, Levinite)
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To: bruinbirdman

birds! look out for birds from the future!


28 posted on 11/17/2009 4:27:26 PM PST by GeronL (http://tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com .... I am a rogue nobody. One of millions.)
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To: LibWhacker
"In which form will the future put the kibosh on the whole thing this time?"

An . . . . ahem . . . . . thunderclap?

yitbos

29 posted on 11/17/2009 4:29:27 PM PST by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds.")
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To: mkjessup
Now was that a cool soundstage set or what? :)

Time Tunnel was my favorite childhood TV show of the 60's, soon to be supplanted by Star Trek

30 posted on 11/17/2009 4:48:52 PM PST by Mr_Moonlight
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To: bruinbirdman

Goodbye everyone. See you on the other side!


31 posted on 11/17/2009 4:53:08 PM PST by Rebelbase (End Jihad: Weaponize Pork.)
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To: LibWhacker

I bet mouse droppings.


32 posted on 11/17/2009 4:58:10 PM PST by razorback-bert (We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.)
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To: Mr_Moonlight
Time Tunnel was my favorite childhood TV show of the 60's

It was one of mine too, and I found it poetic that James Darren (played 'Tony' on TT) ended up portraying the holograph 'Vic Fontaine' on Star Trek Deep Space 9, he not only aged well but his voice is truly of Vegas quality and he's a classy guy too:
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33 posted on 11/17/2009 7:51:39 PM PST by mkjessup
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