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Article: CERN particle accelerator "on ice" for the winter.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Swiss News
- Article date:
- November 1, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Swiss News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The world's most powerful particle accelerator will be off-line until early spring, following a mechanical failure that occurred shortly after its successful September start up at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
CERN, home to the Geneva-based laboratory for particle physics, said its Large Hadron Collider (LHC)--a tool designed to help physicists discover the origins of the universe--needs to be warmed back up to room temperature before repairs can be made. Prior to going back online, the LHC must be cooled back down to 1.9 degrees above absolute zero, or -271[degrees]C--colder than outer space. Then, CERN ...