At Last, Collider Gets Atoms Smashing

Leaked memo just one of many, atom-smashers say

(NEWSER) - The atom-smashers at CERN have quelled rumors that the elusive Higgs boson "God particle" has been found. A leaked internal memo that suggested detectors at the Large Hadron Collider had found signs of the particle caused excitement when it was posted on a science blog, but CERN says nothing has been verified, the Telegraph reports. More»

Proton collision shatters record as scientists cheer

(AP) - The world's largest atom smasher conducted its first experiments at conditions nearing those after the Big Bang today, breaking its own record for high-energy collisions with proton beams crashing into each other at three times more force than ever before. In a milestone for the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider's ambitious bid to reveal details about theoretical particles and microforces, CERN scientists collided the beams and took measurements at a combined energy level of 7 trillion electron volts. More»

Atom-smasher needs months of work to run at full capacity

(NEWSER) - The glitch-plagued Large Hadron Collider will be closing down for a year at the end of 2011 to fix flaws in its construction. The atom-smasher restarted recently after being out of commission for 14 months and will soon accelerate protons to energies of 7 trillion electron volts. It will take a year of work for the machine to reach its full capacity and create collisions at twice that level, a project director tells the BBC. More»

Large Hadron Collider is ready to roll after a year of repairs

(NEWSER) - The Large Hadron Collider is ready to start smashing particles together again, equipment, the laws of nature, and the Almighty permitting. The $9 billion particle accelerator has been fully repaired after a short circuit put it out of action for more than a year, and should be ready to roll come Christmastime. Scientists have begun firing protons around one section, once again eagerly awaiting proof of the existence of the Higgs boson or "God particle," although a few argue that the short circuit may foreshadow further problems, including sabotage—from the future. More»

(NEWSER) - The Large Hadron Collider, the $5-billion, 17-mile experiment seeking answers to the universe’s deepest mysteries, hit a snag within hours of its Sept. 10 launch, but its overseer did not report the malfunction for a week, the Daily Telegraph reports. A 30-ton transformer in the cooling system broke, causing tests to cease just a day after it fired its first proton beam. More»