It's time to circle a particle beam through the Large Hadron Collider

William Atkins
Tuesday, 02 September 2008 21:39

Science - Energy

The energy level of 450 GeV is being used because that is the energy capacity of the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), which began its operational life in the mid-1970s.

On September 10th, protons will start in the proton synchrotron (PS), which is the first major particle accelerator CERN built (late 1950s). Its energy capacity is 1.4 GeV.

The protons will then be injected into the super proton synchrotron (SPS), which will then inject them into the LHC at an energy level of 450 GeV.

Energy increases at each stage, up to the capacity of that particular accelerator. When they enter the main ring of the LHC the protons will not be accelerated any further.

This single-beam injection will simply test the alignment and fine-tuning of the system (the magnets and other equipment).

Eventually, scientists hope to use the LHC to collide high-energy protons in order to generate theoretical particles (such as the elusive Higgs boson).

Scientists are trying, also, to learn more about the mass of particles (such as: Why do they even have mass? and What is the process/field/particle/other explanation that gives them mass?), gain evidence that existing theories are true (or possibly false, such as the Standard Model of particle physics), and even provide information to possibly formulate new theories of physical laws.

We'll all find out in the upcoming several years as to what LCH tells us about the universe and the physical laws that govern its existence.