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LHC sees high-energy collisions | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The Large Hadron Collider has produced the first record-breaking high-energy particle collisions. | |
Scientists working on the European machine have successfully smashed beams of proton particles together at unprecedented energies. | |
This marks the beginning of work that could lead to the discovery of fundamental new physics. | |
There was cheering and applause in the control room as the first collisions were confirmed. | |
LHC EXPLAINED LHC guide in graphics and video | LHC EXPLAINED LHC guide in graphics and video |
The seven-trillion-electronvolt (TeV) collisions initiate 18-24 months of intensive investigations at the LHC. | |
Scientists hope the study will bring novel insights into the nature of the cosmos and how it came into being. | Scientists hope the study will bring novel insights into the nature of the cosmos and how it came into being. |
But they caution that the data gathered from the sub-atomic impacts will take time to evaluate, and the public should not expect immediate results. | But they caution that the data gathered from the sub-atomic impacts will take time to evaluate, and the public should not expect immediate results. |
"Major discoveries will happen only when we are able to collect billions of events and identify among them the very rare events that could present a new state of matter or new particles," said Guido Tonelli, a spokesman for the CMS detector at the LHC. | "Major discoveries will happen only when we are able to collect billions of events and identify among them the very rare events that could present a new state of matter or new particles," said Guido Tonelli, a spokesman for the CMS detector at the LHC. |
"This is not going to happen tomorrow. It will require months and years of patient work," he told BBC News. | "This is not going to happen tomorrow. It will require months and years of patient work," he told BBC News. |
The LHC is one of the biggest scientific endeavours ever undertaken. | The LHC is one of the biggest scientific endeavours ever undertaken. |
WHAT IS AN ELECTRON VOLT? Charged particles tend to speed up in an electric field, defined as an electric potential - or voltage - spread over a distanceOne electron volt (eV) is the energy gained by a single electron as it accelerates through a potential of one voltIt is a convenient unit of measure for particle accelerators, which speed particles up through much higher electric potentialsThe first accelerators only created bunches of particles with an energy of about a million eV (MeV)The LHC can reach beam energies a million times higher: up to several teraelectronvolts (TeV)This is still only the energy in the motion of a flying mosquitoBut that energy is packed into a comparatively few particles, travelling at more than 99.99% of the speed of light | WHAT IS AN ELECTRON VOLT? Charged particles tend to speed up in an electric field, defined as an electric potential - or voltage - spread over a distanceOne electron volt (eV) is the energy gained by a single electron as it accelerates through a potential of one voltIt is a convenient unit of measure for particle accelerators, which speed particles up through much higher electric potentialsThe first accelerators only created bunches of particles with an energy of about a million eV (MeV)The LHC can reach beam energies a million times higher: up to several teraelectronvolts (TeV)This is still only the energy in the motion of a flying mosquitoBut that energy is packed into a comparatively few particles, travelling at more than 99.99% of the speed of light |
Housed in a 27km-long tunnel under the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, the LHC will collide particles travelling at close to the speed of light. | Housed in a 27km-long tunnel under the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, the LHC will collide particles travelling at close to the speed of light. |
The expectation is that previously unseen phenomena will reveal themselves in the debris. A key objective is to find the much talked-about Higgs boson particle. | The expectation is that previously unseen phenomena will reveal themselves in the debris. A key objective is to find the much talked-about Higgs boson particle. |
This is thought to have a profound role in the structure of the Universe, and would enable scientists to explain why matter has mass - something which, at a fundamental level, they have difficulty doing at present. | This is thought to have a profound role in the structure of the Universe, and would enable scientists to explain why matter has mass - something which, at a fundamental level, they have difficulty doing at present. |
The LHC broke down shortly after its opening in 2008 but, since coming back online late last year, has gradually been ramping up operations. | The LHC broke down shortly after its opening in 2008 but, since coming back online late last year, has gradually been ramping up operations. |
Two proton particle beams have been circling in opposite directions in the magnet-lined tunnels at 3.5 TeV since 19 March. | Two proton particle beams have been circling in opposite directions in the magnet-lined tunnels at 3.5 TeV since 19 March. |
Having established their stability, these beams will now be allowed to cross paths and collide on Tuesday. This 7 TeV event will be the highest energy yet achieved in a particle accelerator. | Having established their stability, these beams will now be allowed to cross paths and collide on Tuesday. This 7 TeV event will be the highest energy yet achieved in a particle accelerator. |
In the coming months, the LHC's four major experiments - its giant detectors Alice, Atlas, CMS and LHCb - will probe the collisions. | In the coming months, the LHC's four major experiments - its giant detectors Alice, Atlas, CMS and LHCb - will probe the collisions. |
"This is new territory," said Professor Tonelli. | "This is new territory," said Professor Tonelli. |
"If you want to discover new particles, you have to produce them; and these new particles are massive. To produce them, you need higher energies. For the first time [on Tuesday], we will be producing particles that have energy 3.5 times higher than the maximum energy achieved so far. | "If you want to discover new particles, you have to produce them; and these new particles are massive. To produce them, you need higher energies. For the first time [on Tuesday], we will be producing particles that have energy 3.5 times higher than the maximum energy achieved so far. |
"This is why we can start the long journey to make major discoveries in identifying a new massive state of matter." | "This is why we can start the long journey to make major discoveries in identifying a new massive state of matter." |
At the end of the 7 TeV (3.5 TeV per beam) experimental period, the LHC will be shut down for maintenance for up to a year. When it re-opens, it will attempt to create 14 TeV events. | At the end of the 7 TeV (3.5 TeV per beam) experimental period, the LHC will be shut down for maintenance for up to a year. When it re-opens, it will attempt to create 14 TeV events. |