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 ...
Cute!
Maybe this is what will cause the destruction of Earth on 12/21/12? Just kidding.
Pigeon? It’s underground.
Nice!
Right.... -—> http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/11/05/breaking-large-hadron-collider-shut-down-by-precision-bird-strike/
The old cold solder joint trick, probably soldered by an engineer instead of a technician.
birds! look out for birds from the future!
An . . . . ahem . . . . . thunderclap?
yitbos
Time Tunnel was my favorite childhood TV show of the 60's, soon to be supplanted by Star Trek
Goodbye everyone. See you on the other side!
I bet mouse droppings.
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