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How the Moon Affects LHC Operations

Posted by Soulskill on from the werewolves-loose-at-cern dept.

New submitter NervousWreck writes "Physicists report that tidal conditions are affecting the hardware at the LHC. 'This effect has been known since the LEP days, the Large Electron Positron collider, the LHC predecessor. The LHC reuses the same circular tunnel as LEP. Twenty some years ago, it then came as a surprise that, given the 27 km circumference of the accelerator, the gravitational force exerted by the moon on one side is not the same as the one felt at the opposite side, creating a small distortion of the tunnel. Since the moon’s effect is very small, only large bodies like oceans feel its effect in the form of tides. But the LHC is such a sensitive apparatus, it can detect the minute deformations created by the small differences in the gravitational force across its diameter.'"

3 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. A different headline would be better... by tlambert · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "LHC Experiment discovers gravity; Higgs Boson still missing, presumed dead."

    -- Terry

  2. Re:how strange... by Hatta · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The crazy thing is that most of those incredibly smart people doing those amazing things are just as stupid as the rest of us in other ways.

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  3. Protip to submitter... by bogie · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Don't assume everyone knows what "LHC" stands for.

    --
    If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch