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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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1 posted on 11/17/2009 3:46:41 PM PST by bruinbirdman
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To: bruinbirdman

:)


2 posted on 11/17/2009 3:48:24 PM PST by allmost
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To: bruinbirdman

Blackholes!!!!ohnoes!!!!!!!


3 posted on 11/17/2009 3:50:45 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (ALSO SPRACH ZEROTHUSTRA)
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To: bruinbirdman

Hope it goes better than last time.

http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html


4 posted on 11/17/2009 3:54:38 PM PST by newheart ("It will keep the government out of your health care decisions..." Barack Obama, July 23, 2009)
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To: bruinbirdman

Watch a pigeon wreak havoc on this $10+ billion dollar monstrosity.


5 posted on 11/17/2009 3:55:13 PM PST by cranked
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To: bruinbirdman

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?


6 posted on 11/17/2009 3:55:41 PM PST by LibWhacker (America awake!)
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To: bruinbirdman
Another pigeon was sent out this December to drop a bagel into the works this weekend.
7 posted on 11/17/2009 3:55:41 PM PST by Deaf Smith
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To: bruinbirdman

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.


8 posted on 11/17/2009 3:56:36 PM PST by moovova (More coffee please...make it a double.)
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To: bruinbirdman
Has the LHC destroyed the Earth?
9 posted on 11/17/2009 3:57:16 PM PST by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good WOMAN (Sgt. Kimberly Munley) with a gun)
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To: bruinbirdman

“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!


10 posted on 11/17/2009 3:57:40 PM PST by Tolsti2
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To: bruinbirdman
Has the Large Hadron Collider destroyed the world yet?
11 posted on 11/17/2009 3:58:20 PM PST by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good WOMAN (Sgt. Kimberly Munley) with a gun)
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To: justlurking

Well, not yet anyway.


12 posted on 11/17/2009 3:59:39 PM PST by behzinlea
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To: newheart

Ha Ha


13 posted on 11/17/2009 3:59:49 PM PST by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: justlurking

Look at our current President and the wrong is right mainstream mentality these days and ask again.


14 posted on 11/17/2009 4:00:11 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (The man who said "there's no such thing as a stupid question" has never talked to Helen Thomas.)
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To: bruinbirdman
Large Hadron Collider 'Being Sabotaged from the Future'
15 posted on 11/17/2009 4:03:34 PM PST by LibWhacker (America awake!)
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To: bruinbirdman

“Six tons of helium leaked out...”

Do you think everyone was talking funny that day?


16 posted on 11/17/2009 4:04:28 PM PST by swatbuznik
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To: bruinbirdman

"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."

17 posted on 11/17/2009 4:08:45 PM PST by 6SJ7 (atlasShruggedInd: ON)
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To: bruinbirdman
The Philadelphia experiment — on a global scale.
18 posted on 11/17/2009 4:11:03 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: bruinbirdman
It doesn't work. A little bird from the future told me.
19 posted on 11/17/2009 4:13:54 PM PST by BallyBill (Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
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To: bruinbirdman

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!


20 posted on 11/17/2009 4:15:39 PM PST by DallasDeb (USAFA '06 Mom)
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