Large Hadron Collider

Right, well it's been a while since I've studied it, but, I think I'm correct in saying that, it is an exchange particle. When two particles (hadrons in this case) interact, an exchange particle mediates the force, other bosons are W^+ W^- and Z. Exchange particles are particles that are created for a very short space of time, before being destroyed, they are allowed to exist due to the Hesenberg uncertainty principle.

The Higgs Boson explains the difference in mass when a certain interaction takes place. it's the only particle from the standard model that has not yet been observed.
 
invoke said:
So what does it actually do? Sounds very expensive just for some poxy experiment on particles.. in what way will it benefit us?
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Hopefully it'll help us learn more about how the universe works. The knowledge gained from the experiments performed could be useful for any number of things which haven't even been considered yet. We don't know till it's done.

MattandJet said:
whats the probability of this thing going wrong and killing us all ? :P
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Probably more chance of the Earth being obliterated by some meteor so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
 
brocksta said:
They basically make a big tube underground - which passes through both france and switzerland and use electromagnets the size of cars to force particles around the tube in either direction.

Piccy from when i was there:

The magnets force the particles around the tube at close to the speed of light before they are sent into each other.

When they collide they break into loads and loads of pieces. The scientists are recording what pieces - essentially new particles that are created to find new particles - one being gravitons which they believe are the cause of gravity.


That is my understanding however i was there to see their computer infrastructure so im not up on particle physics :p
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Would you die if you stood in the middle when those miniscule particles are shot at each other at high speed? O_O
 
There's a good article on it in the BBC Focus magazine issue #192. I get it on subscription so i don't know when you'll be able to find it in the shops. Excellent read though with some cool facts about it.

EDIT: From the magazine: 'When the LHC is at peak performance, 3000 beams each containing 100 billion protons will whizz around in each direction - storing energy equivalent to a 400-tonne train travelling at 150km/h (90mph). Such a beam could drill a hole through the magnets and put the machine out for months.'

It also says that if it detects a beam straying off course, they redirect it into a block of graphite shielded by 100 tonnes of concrete and steel to act as a 'bullet trap'.
 
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If it was a threat to the Universe then the Aliens that are out there preventing our colonization of space would come down and destroy the LHC.

Obviously
 
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