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CERN inaugurates the LHC
Geneva, 21 October 2008. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin and French Prime Minister François Fillon were joined at CERN today by science ministers from CERN’s Member States and around the world to inaugurate the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most complex scientific instrument.
CERN releases analysis of LHC incident
Geneva, 16 October 2008. Investigations at CERN following a large helium leak into sector 3-4 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel have confirmed that cause of the incident was a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator’s magnets. This resulted in mechanical damage and release of helium from the magnet cold mass into the tunnel.
CERN openlab boosts the performance of LHC computing
The LHC Grid Fest, held last Friday at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, and at several sites around the world, commemorated the readiness of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). At full capacity, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest particle accelerator, is expected to produce more than 15 million Gigabytes of data each year. Hundreds of millions of subatomic particles will collide each second, presenting a massive data challenge. The mission of the WLCG is to build and maintain the data storage and analysis infrastructure for this immense flow of data, thus helping physicists open new frontiers in our understanding of the Universe. This ambitious project connects and combines the IT power of more than 140 computer centres in 33 countries.
Let the number-crunching begin: the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid celebrates first data
Geneva, 3 October 2008. Today, three weeks after the first particle beams were injected into the Large Hadron Collider - the world’s largest particle accelerator - the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid celebrates the start of its crucial data challenge: the analysis and management of more than 15 million Gigabytes of data every year, to be produced from the hundreds of millions of subatomic collisions expected inside the LHC every second. This data-handling feat marks an essential stage in the process of enabling researchers to discover new physics.
LHC to be inaugurated on 21 October 2008
Geneva, 2 October 2008. Following the successful circulation of first beam in the LHC on 10 September, the world’s largest and most complex scientific instrument will be officially inaugurated at CERN on 21 October 2008. Representatives of the governments of CERN’s Member and Observer States and other participating nations have been invited.
EPS celebrates 40th Anniversary
Geneva, 26 September 2008. Exactly 40 years ago today, the European Physical Society (EPS) was founded at CERN to promote physics in Europe. Today, the EPS represents over 100,000 physicists from 40 national member societies, thus reaching well beyond the geographical area covered by the European-Union. Maciej Kolwas, EPS President elect, stated that not only is physics the basis of much of today’s technology, it was indeed at the forefront of building a united Europe and remains an integral part of human culture.
LHC re-start scheduled for 2009
Geneva, 23 September 2008. Investigations at CERN following a large helium leak into sector 3-4 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) tunnel have indicated that the most likely cause of the incident was a faulty electrical connection between two of the accelerator’s magnets. Before a full understanding of the incident can be established, however, the sector has to be brought to room temperature and the magnets involved opened up for inspection. This will take three to four weeks. Full details of this investigation will be made available once it is complete.
Incident in LHC sector 3-4
Geneva, 20 September 2008. During commissioning (without beam) of the final LHC sector (sector 3-4) at high current for operation at 5 TeV, an incident occurred at mid-day on Friday 19 September resulting in a large helium leak into the tunnel.
First beam in the LHC - accelerating science
Geneva, 10 September 2008. The first beam in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN was successfully steered around the full 27 kilometres of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator at 10h28 this morning. This historic event marks a key moment in the transition from over two decades of preparation to a new era of scientific discovery.
» Read the Press Release
» LHC Safety information
CERN reiterates safety of LHC on eve of first beam
Geneva, 5 September 2008. A report published today in the peer reviewed Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics provides comprehensive evidence that safety fears about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are unfounded. The LHC is CERN’s new flagship research facility. As the world’s highest energy particle accelerator, it is poised to provide new insights into the mysteries of our universe.
» Read the Press Release
» LHC Safety information