On hadron colliders, dark matter and black holes

[torstan]

Well the particles themselves are travelling in a vacuum so they shouldn't create any noise. However the electromagnetic currents that are used to accelerate them in the radio frequecy cavities are likely to cause stresses on the machine that will create noise. However any noise is lost energy, as well as repetitive stress, so I'm guessing that they have minimised it as much as they can. Interesting note about the frequency though. I love the fact that the LHC should sound like 's'.

[torstan]

Update, the first particles should go round the ring on the 10th of September. That's the official date released by CERN. No collisions that day I expect but hopefully closely following it. So it looks like I might get my wedding in before we definitely don't end the world.

[Badger]

congrats on the move and job and all that.... travel safe and hurry up with the maps you know we all can't wait for your next big map

[RPMiller]

Looks like all systems are a go: http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-217914.html

[Badger]

Looks like all systems are a go: http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-217914.html

"I got a baaad feeling about this..."

First star wars quote has been noted @ 1:20 pm Sep 2, 08

[Valarian]

Any Black Holes or rips in the space-time continuum yet?

[torstan]

Not yet, but then they just* sent a small bunch of protons a hop skip and a jump around the ring - 3km of a possible 27km. No collisions yet. The test was done to see whether the little ring (the SPS) could throw a bunch of protons into the bigger ring without the bigger ring fumbling the catch. Now think how much difficulty the American relay teams had doing this stuff last week (yes, the Brits screwed it up too, but I can't say I expected much more...) and this one has to be done with sub-microsecond precision. That was definitely a non-trivial manoeuvre and they deserve a lot of credit for managing it first time.

It'll be interesting to track the large number of 'End of the World!' stories as a function of how close we get to the LHC start next week (note that there will be no collisions for a while, and they will be low energy when they start).

Here's my first contribution:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...d-halt-it.html

If you get any, post them here.

*For a given value of 'just'

[RPMiller]

Here's my first contribution:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...d-halt-it.html

So do whack jobs like that get stripped of their scientist badge or anything? I mean I have to think that everything you've pointed out thus far is in the scientific norm and can't understand how anyone calling themselves a scientist wouldn't know this stuff. Maybe I'm missing something?

[Morshwan]

I am living not so far from the Hadron collider. When they will launch the first test, I will try to post here to tell you how dark is the black hole ;-)

[Robbie]

I had to do it...again...this one is animated