Big Bang atom smasher starts speeding proton beams

[oberliner]

Source: AP

GENEVA — A spokesman says the world's largest atom smasher has used its accelerator for the first time to speed up the proton beams in an initial test of its ability to reach much higher energy later.

James Gillies says the new step in the startup phase indicated continued smooth operation of the Large Hadron Collider since repairs following a spectacular collapse last year.

Gillies said Tuesday the energy of the proton beam was increased to 540 from 450 billion electron volts, still a long way from the power that will be needed for new discoveries into the makeup of the universe and matter.

He said it was a step on the way to 1.2 trillion electron volts which will make the LHC the most powerful collider in the world, replacing Fermilab's Tevatron near Chicago.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iJmp23Noi9381yIwpkUu7FWjS8lgD9C5PV9G1

[Xenotime]

1. What's the point?

[NYC Liberal]

2. A basic overview...

Quote

Physicists hope that the LHC will help answer the most fundamental questions in physics, questions concerning the basic laws governing the interactions and forces among the elementary objects, the deep structure of space and time, especially regarding the intersection of quantum mechanics and general relativity, where current theories and knowledge are unclear or break down altogether. These issues include, at least:

*Is the Higgs mechanism for generating elementary particle masses via electroweak symmetry breaking indeed realised in nature?<13> It is anticipated that the collider will either demonstrate or rule out the existence of the elusive Higgs boson(s), completing the Standard Model.

*Is supersymmetry, an extension of the Standard Model and Poincaré symmetry, realised in nature, implying that all known particles have supersymmetric partners? These may clear up the mystery of dark matter.

*Are there extra dimensions, as predicted by various models inspired by string theory, and can we detect them?

*Are electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force just different manifestations of a single unified force, as predicted by various Grand Unification Theories?
*Why is gravity so many orders of magnitude weaker than the other three fundamental forces? See also Hierarchy problem.
*Are there additional sources of quark flavour violation beyond those already predicted within the Standard Model?
*Why are there apparent violations of the symmetry between matter and antimatter? See also CP violation.
*What is the nature of dark energy?
*What was the nature of the quark-gluon plasma in the early universe? This will be investigated by ion collisions in ALICE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider#Purpose

[Beetwasher]

5. *Giggle* He Said Hadron

n/t

[dd20045]

3. to show how the universe was created

they are trying to recreate the big bang in a machine...im sure the church is loving this as it would discredit the "god" theory

[prestonPjr21]

10. You actually believe that?

Men forcing particles around a big underground tube will enforce the big bang theory? Let me know when they do...:nuke:

[RedCloud]

4. To turn it into a weapon eventually. Perhaps to be used on Arab populations.

I am snarly as hell today, sorry.

[Posteritatis]

7. I wish I could tell for sure whether or not people who say things like this are serious

It's increasingly difficult on DU these days, though. ;P

[On the Road]

13. Some Properties of Subatomic Particles

are not able to be directly observed because the particles only appear in isolation for a fraction of a second as the result of extremely high-energy collisions. That's why they build accelerators -- to whip certain kinds of particles around in opposite directions, smash them into each other, and study the paths taken by particles after collisions.

Generating enough energy to "dislodge" particles is a huge limitation on experiments. String theory, for example, may never be proved or disproved because the energies needed to observe the strings directly are so astronomically high.

The particle that is now observable as a result of this collider is the Higgs boson, of which Wikipedia says:

The Higgs boson is the only Standard Model particle that has not been observed. Experimental detection of the Higgs boson would help explain the origin of mass in the universe. The Higgs boson would explain the difference between the massless photon, which mediates electromagnetism and the massive W and Z bosons, which mediate the weak force. If the Higgs boson exists, it is an integral and pervasive component of the material world.

If it's observed as predicted, it won't be a revolution so much as a confirmation of the Standard Model. But that in itself is a big thing. And there are always surprises.

[Blue_Tires]

6. divide by zero?

[-..__...]

8. Projected date for full start-up...

12/21/12 :smoke:

[prestonPjr21]

11. Awesome!!!

Way to go!:toast:

[Earth_First]

9. ...and the world has not ended?! n/t

[tabasco]

12. Wow.

That's a lot of volts.

[oberliner]

14. And they are just getting started

Hold on to your hats!