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LHC Has First Collisions After Years of Waiting
An anonymous reader writes "Only four days after the first attempt to send a particle beam around the LHC, we have arrived at the point when all four experiments got their first real collisions from the machine. This was met by celebrations and champagne, as people have been waiting years and years for this moment. It is a testament to the engineering of the machine that collisions were reached already, so few days after restarting. The LHC had already demonstrated ca 10h stable beams, and now also stable beams in both directions at the same time. In the coming weeks, we need only wait for increased intensity and the first attempts at acceleration."
I, for one, welcome our new subatomic overlords.
Scientists point out problems, engineers fix them
altslashdot.org: The future of slashdot.
...when should we throw our end-of-the-world parties?
Attitudes make the difference between Space and Time: we want to MAX our temporal, and MIN our spatial extension.
Is the LHC insured for collisions?
The beams aren't squeezed right now, just centered. You have a higher probability of collisions when they're squeezed (which will be coming up shortly). It was very cool to be in the control room when the first collision took place =)
LAST POST!!!!1
The formula: N(>E) = k(E + 1)^-a
N is impacts per second
E is the impact energy in in GeV
k is ~5,000 particles per steradian per square meter per second
a is about 1.6.
So the ground your feet occupy get a dozen or so such collisions per day, and so on.
I am a science fantasy fan
Despite all the hoopla, all they've really done is cross the streams.
Today the LHC circulated two beams simultaneously for the first time, allowing the operators to test the synchronization of the beams and giving the experiments their first chance to look for proton-proton collisions. With just one bunch of particles circulating in each direction, the beams can be made to cross in up to two places in the ring. From early in the afternoon, the beams were made to cross at points 1 and 5, home to the ATLAS and CMS detectors, both of which were on the look out for collisions. Later, beams crossed at points 2 and 8, ALICE and LHCb.
An important step, sure. But low-speed collisions and beam tuning are not what the LHC is designed to do. It's akin to a pitcher throwing a few warmup pitches - he won't be bringing the heat til he's out on the mound, he's just trying to make sure he shoulder is fucking healed after he blew it out in his first opening game.
By the end of the year we should have some real info about the first useful collisions.
Yes but they aren't high energy collisions.
Thats not the point the world won't end unless the Pee concentration rises above 90%
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
Collision for the next 3 years because something else breaks?
Seems like this thing only ever makes the news because it is broken again in a new and interesting way.
Apparently the future has given up its battle against the LHC. Take that, Nature!
was met by celebrations and champagne
Given the dangers involved and the expenses paid already, I think that was a terrible idea.
I don't understand all this hoopla about why it took so long. When a new machine is brought into our clean room, it usually takes three months before it runs more or less smoothly. The LHC is a bit bigger than our cleanroom and has many more parts. So much more has to be tested, finetuned, etc. before it can even be brought up after a big repair like it had. I think almost two years is a good time in which to do the repair and all that tweaking.
-- Cheers!
Until this happens!? :D
After years of not using a signature, I am going to make one to say the following: Fuck Beta
"The LHC was shut down again today due to an accident involving a champagne cork."
I think what I love most about the LHC and whatnot is that, despite all the incredible and amazing science and technology and innovation and potential for learning behind it, what it really comes down to is just us banging rocks together and watching what happens, just like humans have been doing throughout history. It just happens that this time, the rocks are incredibly tiny and incredibly fast.
Kinda puts it all in perspective, in kind of a cool way, IMO.
ìì!
Some screenshots at the CERN site show GNOME's 'Clearlooks' window manager theme. At least BSOD will not be a source for further delays.
My other signature is a car
Despite the so-called "rivalry" too many science "news" outlets have played up, Fermilab puts it on the front page. Always nice to recall that in the end everyone benefits from this big boy coming online.
Sounds like they should have used a switch instead of a hub. Then there wouldn't be collisions.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
The black holes or universe-ending paradoxes are still a few months off, at least. They are colliding at a paltry 450 GeV, a level we have been able to produce at other colliders for many years. Wake me when they are passing 1 TeV, on their way to 8...
What about the Poop concentration?
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
IT's not at full power yet! and it can fail with a big boom.
I just want to say, you can also contribute your CPU power for LHC calculations, by joining LHC@Home.
I'm in awe of this machine, no other monkey species on this planet has been able to make what those scientists made....
Hurp durp two year old video game reference. i get it. you're so funny.
According to xkcd, he's still three years early.
If life is a waste of time and time is a waste of life, let's all get wasted and have the time of our lives.
But they crossed the beams and the world did not end.
Why even bother posting LHC news on /. anymore. It's just top to bottom black hole and collision jokes. The bottom of the barrel has been scraped, and you guys have worked your way through the wood and there is light peeking through on the other side. No funny can escape from this. These are the same jokes that occur every day in the upper atmosphere at much higher humor levels than we can manage. The universe is actively avoiding the discovery of a funny black hole joke, and will mysteriously break any attempts to discover it.
I want to buy a snowglobe with a miniature blackhole in it.
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
Uh, yeah, about that. We're kind of swamped up here with all the new souls looking to get in, so we've decided to fast track certain predominantly Godless groups to eternal damnation. You're now stuck at work.
Forever.
Respectfully yours,
The Archon V2.0
Trainee mortal/immortal liason, New Media Department, Heaven.
....are you implying that, if you zoom out from the solar system, out farther and farther, we actually happen to be on the Joker's chin in the 60's Batman TV show?
What he said.
Except with black holes! And hookers! In fact, forget about the collisions...
I give it two weeks, tops.
But low-speed collisions and beam tuning are not what the LHC is designed to do.
You do realize that even at the injection energy the speed of the protons is 99.99978% of the speed of light in vacuum and at full energy the speed of the protons has only increased to 99.9999991%? The collisions are both equally high speed thanks to relativity: what is interesting is the collision energy.
They are colliding at a paltry 450 GeV, a level we have been able to produce at other colliders for many years.
If the Pee concentration is that high, you obviously need to drink more water.
...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
I must say, I am disappointed.
If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
Given that the LHC is under the French/Swiss border, I was wondering what import/export paperwork the CERN operators need to fill in (and tariffs to pay) every time the beam travels from one country to another .... :-)
Will it blend?
It gripped her hand gently. 'Regret is for humans,' it said.
Well, given the current depression, I think a big boom would be more than welcome. I didn't know that the LHC experiments have such a direct effect on our economy, though.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
we're still two years away from Dec 21st 2012
I applaud your math skills, good sir!
Experience teaches only the teachable. -AH
Ha! I knew it! Those hadrons aren't so large after all!
I'm just a lowly software developer who works for companies that can't see beyond the next six quarters. I find it completely awe inspiring to see such an immensely complex project come together through the efforts of thousands of dedicated smart people who, in many cases, have devoted literally their entire adult lives, decades, towards this moment. Of course, this is just the beginning...
All of the evidence for this is out in the open, on the 'Net and on the TV, for all to see. Yet scientists still don't garner a fraction of the respect afforded to people that play "catch" for a living. That makes me sad.
this time take care that no bird will drop bread into it, no snail will walk over its pathways, no clown will juggle near it, or no other absurd coincidence will impossibly happen to it to delay it ...
Read radical news here
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Actually if this thing makes black holes, they'll evaporate via Hawking radiation anyway, so calling them "white holes" might be okay.
I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
IMMA FIRIN MAH HADRON
Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
Actually he just copped the lyrics from the Amiga Tribute by Eric Schwartz. Its a cute video, though WTF it has to do with the LHC is beyond me. They ain't running Amigas on that sucker, are they?
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
he won't be bringing the heat til he's out on the mound, he's just trying to make sure he shoulder is fucking healed
From someone whose handle is "sexconker", I have to wonder on which mound you have injured your shoulder...
Obligatory Red Dwarf:
CAT: So, what is it?
KRYTEN: I've never seen one before -- no one has -- but I'm guessing it's a white hole.
RIMMER: A _white_ hole?
KRYTEN: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the universe: a white hole returns it.
LISTER: So, that thing's spewing time back into the universe? (He dons his fur-lined hat.)
KRYTEN: Precisely. That's why we're experiencing these curious time phenomena on board.
CAT: So, what is it?
KRYTEN: I've never seen one before -- no one has -- but I'm guessing it's a white hole.
RIMMER: A _white_ hole?
KRYTEN: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the universe: a white hole returns it.
LISTER: (Minus the hat.) So, that thing's spewing time back into the universe? (He dons his fur-lined hat, again.)
KRYTEN: Precisely. That's why we're experiencing these curious time phenomena on board.
LISTER: What time phenomena?
KRYTEN: Like just then, when time repeated itself.
CAT: So, what is it?
Homonyms are fun!
You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
You haven't seen my hadron.
it’s PROVEN that god does not exist, and can by definition not exist.
Saddly, by definition, religious nuts won't let a mere proof stop them.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
3 years and less than one month..
which is totally what she said
But... that's tomorrow!
After all those accidents and mishaps, now they got a collision? They have some rotten luck.
So...when does the Pope die and CERN sends for a Harvard Professor?
Take a look at THIS: http://cmsdoc.cern.ch/cms/performance/FirstBeam/pictures221109/CollisionEvent.png Collision detection in the CMS.
There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!
I'll give it 10 days before another incident shuts it down for a year.
True for large values of "two"
3.05143958 × 10^-28 womprats.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
SHOOP DA WHOOP!!!
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
No. Even parallel universes don't allow you to break their laws of nature.
FTFY ;)
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Windows 7 release panties - what does that have to do with this ? And where do you get them by the way?
Hurp durp link to xkcd comic. i get it. you're so clever.