www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=13047
failure of one of the transformers that cooled the collider. Without its cooling, researchers could no longer operate the tunnel -- repairs were the only option. Within a week, the transformer was replaced and hopes were high that firing would recommence.
extended to 5-6 months, with researchers saying the collider will not be online until the spring. Located on the Swiss-French border, the collider's repairs will likely be slowed by snowfall and weather. The LHC is scheduled to shut down each year in mid-November due to these concerns. It is expected that the repairs will not be complete before the shutdown. The bad news was announced by spokesman James Gillies of the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It will take several weeks just to warm up the damaged area from near absolute zero. After repairs are complete, a month of rechilling will be neccessary. The collider is expected to be fully operational and ready for testing by then. Mr Gillies described the developments, stating, "They're going to have to open up and really investigate what went on there. So that's going to be two or three weeks before we can put out something that we're sure of. We are not going to be done with this before the winter shutdown, so there will be no more beam in the LHC this year."
These individuals fear that the reactor could spell doom for the world with such particles as micro black-holes, despite the fact that the same theory that predicts micro-black holes, predicts they would evaporate almost instantly.
amanojaku on 9/24/2008 10:15:06 PM , Rating: 2 How can the Flying Spaghetti Monster throw wenches when he's too busy handling his noodley appendage while watching the Big Bang?
foolsgambit11 on 9/24/2008 3:33:12 PM , Rating: 2 Every article on the LHC thus far has mentioned that it's on (or more frequently 'near', despite the confusion that word generates) the French-Swiss border. But this article is the first one where it was actually essential to the story to include that information.
hellokeith on 9/24/2008 5:13:23 PM , Rating: 1 The upside Jason is that if global warming ever kicks into high gear, they won't have to shut down the LHC during the winter due to snow cover.
Jesus Christ on 9/24/2008 10:28:09 AM , Rating: 2 Be gracious, for my father has given you the most precious of gifts; Use this time to realize your life's true potential and capitalize on it.
hnic17 on 9/24/2008 2:21:03 PM , Rating: 2 don't worry jeebus, if the world falls apart b/c of this thing, at least we won't have to worry about the $700 billion that congress is going to want from us in taxes to bail out the banks.
Fnoob on 9/25/2008 9:41:27 AM , Rating: 2 No worries about the bailout. We can look forward to a day when our inflation rate exceeds Zimbawe's - where they have a one TRILLION dollar bill that used to buy a loaf of bread yesterday, but today it's just not enough... Can you get Zimbawe currency in the US at a currency exchange? Methinks it would be neat to have a stack of those Trillion dollar bills.
ionoxx on 9/24/2008 12:01:29 PM , Rating: 2 I doubt it would be the end of the universe if something went wrong with the LHC. We'd tare the universe a new space hole and the earth would be destroyed, but hey, they only thing that worries me is the lineup at the Pearly Gates.
YesButCanYouSellItonLateNightTV on 9/24/2008 3:56:06 PM , Rating: 2 I don't understand what everyone is so upset about,,, a few more black hos shouldn't be the end of the world, no matter how long they hang around, or?
PrinceGaz on 9/24/2008 7:05:09 PM , Rating: 2 Although less likely than it creating micro black-holes which don't dissipate (because Hawking radiation turns out to be a flase theory), or strange-matter; if the LHC triggers a quantum wave-function collapse, it will destroy the entire universe as we know it. So yes, the LHC could potentially destroy not just the Earth and nearby objects, but the entire universe.
mattclary on 9/24/2008 9:13:21 AM , Rating: 5 quote: With winter fast approaching, the downtime has been extended to 5-6 months, with researchers saying the reactor will not be online until the spring.
rcc on 9/24/2008 10:58:37 AM , Rating: 4 OK, I meant to ask this after the initial article. And, I realize that electronics may have changed from "my time". I can see it powering refrigeration units, but every transformer I've seen generates heat.
Oregonian2 on 9/24/2008 12:01:21 PM , Rating: 2 quote: Located on the Swiss-French border, the collider's repairs will likely be slowed by snowfall and weather. The snow is too cold, have to wait until the warmth of spring?
RjBass on 9/24/2008 12:29:57 PM , Rating: 2 I think it's more the fact that getting supplies and personal to the site in the winter months is much harder to accomplish then in the spring and summer.
One more interesting theory is about Quetzalcoatl, 2012 and the way he travels through time. There's a maian inscription about him and his travel method dating from the 9th century i think.
Regs on 9/24/2008 9:40:37 AM , Rating: 2 The ones that wrote all those letters with death threats, warnings, concerns, suicide bombings... Therefore I will like to postpone the end of the world until some time next year.
eddyz on 9/24/2008 12:45:54 PM , Rating: 2 OK - transformers and melted wires were supplying immense power to the electromagnets that are used to center the proton beam and curve it around the loop. Why they associate the transformer with cooling I have no idea. Cooling is attained by boiling liquid helium (coldest substance on earth). The only mechanical systems dealing with the helium cooling are pumps/compressors that conserve the helium supply by returning the gaseous helium to a liquid state.
eddyz on 9/24/2008 12:53:25 PM , Rating: 2 One more thing - the magnets themselves didn't fail. The design had an engineering flaw that made it through more than one review including engineers outside of Fermi.
Farfignewton on 9/24/2008 11:18:03 PM , Rating: 2 Isn't somewhat traditional to say something inspiring when doing something of this magnitude? What should they announce on the loudspeaker before pushing "start" on this thing?
PJ44 on 9/24/2008 11:51:52 PM , Rating: 2 Small mass = small energy = small effect. For there to be danger we would have to have been wrong on the whole theory of physics - possible but not likley.
pauldovi on 9/24/2008 10:42:36 AM , Rating: -1 I thought it was rather humorous the superiority European were claiming over the United States for their collider.
Bateluer on 9/24/2008 10:48:07 AM , Rating: 5 I'm certain FermiLab went through its own growing pains, and LHC is several times larger. Any massive endeavor like this will experience problems.
It is having severe funding problems as it has pretty much been forsaken by Congress, who are allotting it less than it needs to stay operational. Its on life-support thanks to private grants, but I'd hardly call it a world standard. I'm not discounting the great advances discovered at Fermilab, just commenting on the sad state of apathy towards particle physics in the US FermiLab has had it share of repairs and issues, the difference is it does not operate at near absolute zero. Additionally, one of the failures that cause CERN construction to take so long was the catastrophic failure of magnets designed by FermiLab last March. Making comments about xxx nation being better than xxxx based on these developments is pure stupidity. It may be guided by CERN, but a quick look at the LHC staff, construction, and funding tells you this is an INTERNATIONAL effort. The weight of its success or failure is as much on the US as the rest of international community.
jtemplin on 9/24/2008 11:28:10 AM , Rating: 5 Mick, I read the first sentence and just knew it was wrong. FermiLab may be our most powerful but not every particle accelerator is miles long.
jtemplin on 9/24/2008 11:28:24 AM , Rating: 1 Mick, I read the first sentence and just knew it was wrong. FermiLab may be our most powerful but not every particle accelerator is miles long.
Samdog on 9/24/2008 5:52:01 PM , Rating: 1 Why do we Americans feel so threatened by alleged European superiority? b...
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