topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.44 0.28
DAX 6339.94 0.38
IBEX 30 6543 0.13
CAC 40 3047.94 0.32
FTSE 100 5351.53 0.03
AEX 292.76 0.23
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13154.8 0.36
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4081.2 -0.61
Hang seng 18713.41 0.25
Straits Times 2772.75 -0.24
ISEQ 20 500.94 1.55
You are here: Home News Swiss News Europe's atom-smasher chief signals caution

Swiss News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


26/01/2009Europe's atom-smasher chief signals caution

The new director of the Large Hadron Collider on the Franco-Swiss border will allow outside checks.

GENEVA - The new director of Europe's Big Bang machine signalled in an interview published Sunday that he will be more cautious than his predecessor, following a major breakdown that damaged its multi-billion dollar launch.

The giant atom-smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), broke down only days after being switched on by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in September 2008, causing more than CHF 30 million of repairs (EUR 20 million, USD 26 million).

Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director-general of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, told the Swiss newspaper Sonntag that the bill could even reach CHF 40 million.

Heuer, who succeeded Frenchman Robert Aymar at the beginning of January, said the LHC will be checked by outside experts before any attempt is made to switch the machine back on, probably in July.

"I want to be sure that everything works", said Heuer of the CHF 6 billion particle accelerator that runs through a 27-kilometre tunnel under the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva.

"So I'll also let an external group make additional checks on the accelerator", he added.

The German particle physicist explained that he did not mistrust the 10,000 staff at the organisation and said that it was easier to act with hindsight.

"But when you have been working on something for so long, with time you can become blinded by the system and don't find all the faults", he added.

After more than a decade of work, the first beams were fired down the new accelerator on 10 September 2008 only to break down due to a helium leak from its cooling system nine days later.

Heuer said he would seek less publicity when the LHC, which is designed to help unravel the secrets of the origins of the universe, is switched on again, probably in summer 2009.

"That'll only come when everything is working. I'm a bit more careful in that respect than my predecessor".

The LHC is meant to progressively increase power and Heuer said that he does not want to push for a full energy beam until 2010 at the earliest, after new protection systems are added.

The exact schedule for the experiment is due to be discussed by scientists early February at a meeting in Chamonix, France.

The LHC is the most powerful in a series of atom-smashers at the 20-nation research organisation that helped advance knowledge of particle physics and the workings of the laws of nature since CERN was founded in 1954.

[AFP / Expatica]


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Finding your way in Switzerland

Trekking and Backpacking

Community Noticeboard Switzerland

Let's coach..Saturday.Free.In English.

Finding your way in Switzerland

Chinese Nanny (Ayi) wanted

Finding your way in Switzerland

Need Househelp who prepares Thai food

Student forum Switzerland

@SAP Business Objects Online Training in Netherlands by SAP BOSS

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Residence and work permits in Switzerland

Residence and work permits in Switzerland

How to apply for a residency or work permit in Switzerland for you and your family.

How to rent and buy a house in Switzerland

How to rent and buy a house in Switzerland

Information about renting property and obtaining a mortgage in Switzerland.

Switzerland's healthcare system

Switzerland's healthcare system

Information about the Swiss healthcare system, health insurance, pharmacies and emergency numbers.

Banking in Switzerland

Banking in Switzerland

Explaining Swiss currency, banknotes, credit cards and bureaux de change.