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This site contains news and information about the Large Hadron Collider, a device designed to smash particles together to unlock the secrets of the universe.
What is the Large Hadron Collider?
The Large Hadron Collider, or LHC for short, is the world's most powerful particle accelator. It is essentially a circular tube-like device that is 17 miles, or 27 Kilometres in diamater which is housed more than 50 meters underground in Geneva near the border of Switzerland.
It was built to send particals in opposite directions around the large circular tube at a speeds close to the speed of light, in effort to collide or "smash" particles together in hope of creating new particles for scientific research.
Scientists hope that the findings from their experiments will unlock secrets of the events taking place in the milliseconds following the "big bang", or the creation of the universe.
Why is there so much media coverage on this device?
There is speculation from some segments of the scientific community that suggest the device could cause mini black-holes, that could swallow the earth from the inside out, ending all human existance. So strong are the opinions of the LHC Opposers that they had taken their case to the European High Court in effort to stop the machine.
The scientists behind the LHC say that is nonsense, and if they're lucky they'll create a mini black hole or discover dark matter, but any blackholes created will be so miniscule that there would be no cause for alarm, and would disintegrate almost immediately.
There is some 1700 or more scientists who have been involved in the development of the LHC project, which adds some comfort in knowing that some of the world's best minds support the device.
Quick LHC Facts:
- 27 Kilometres or 17 miles in length
- Between 50 and 175 Metres below the earth's surface
- Over 1700 Scientists involved in the projects
- Project backed by 111 nations.
- Estimated Cost: €64 Billion
- Capable of sending a single proton through the 27KM loop at 99.99% the speed of light, or within 90 milliseconds (.09 of a second).
The status of the LHC device
The LHC Was started for diagnostic tests on August 25th 2008, and successfully sent a particle in one direction on September 10th 2008, and then sent another particle in the opposite direction shortly after.
The simulations were planned to take place over a four day period, but were completed in less that one day, bringing the actual date of colliding the particles together much closer.
The next cycle of the LHC is yet to have a scheduled test date, but is expected to take place in late-September, or early October of 2008. This will see two particles sent in opposite directions around the ring, which will collide the particles 99% the speed of light.
The resulting data created from the collision of the two particles is expected to create over several petabytes of information, and grid computing will be used to analyse this information with over 25,000 computers across the globe crunching numbers to hopefully give us some insight into the creation of the universe.
This is a very exciting project, so be sure to check back at hadron.com.au for more news and information on the Large Hadron Collider.
Large Hadron Collider News
Large Hadron Collider rival Tevatron 'has found Higgs boson'
12 Jul 2010
Rumours are emerging from the rival to the Large Hadron Collider that the Higgs boson, or so-called "God particle", has been found. More
LHC smashes beam collision record
Monday, 28 June 2010
Scientists working on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) say they have moved a step closer to their aim of unlocking the mysteries of the Universe.
"The collider is now generating around 10,000 particle collisions per second, according to physicist Andrei Golutvin." More
Large Hadron Collider: scientists create sound of ‘God particle’
23 Jun 2010
Sounds set to be made by the subatomic ‘God’ particle at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have been simulated by scientists aiming to make the £6bn experiment more accessible. More
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The Large Hadron Collider in Pop Culture
The LHC was featured in the fictional novel, and subsequent movie adaption "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. In the story, Anti-matter created by the Large Hadron Collider is stolen from a facility in CERN, and the hero Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) is given the task to track the thief through Vatican City in an action packed, puzzle filled adventure.
Other pop culture references include a popular youtube video, the "Large Hadron Rap" by Katherine McAlpine, a CERN employee, an the Robert J Sawyer Novel, Flash Forward which also feature themes surrounding the search for Higgs boson "the god particle" at the LHC.
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