Photos: The damage that halted the LHC

On Friday, the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) released photos of damage to the Large Hadron Collider, CERN's flagship particle accelerator. The particle accelerator was damaged by a liquid helium leak in September, nine days into an experiment to test fundamental theories of physics by colliding beams of protons inside a 17-mile ring.

(Credit: CERN)

Picture 1, above, shows two of the most severely broken interconnects, which are between the magnets in LHC sectors three and four. The superconducting magnets, used to direct and focus the proton beams in the experiment, are cooled by liquid helium. An electrical fault caused the liquid helium to leak, resulting in a need for repairs that has put the experiment out of action until at least summer 2009.

(Credit: CERN)

Picture 2 shows damage to the support of one of the quadrupole magnets in sectors three to four. The LHC uses quadrupole magnets to focus opposing proton beams, and dipole magnets to keep the beams on their respective paths.

(Credit: CERN)

Picture 3 shows the site of the electrical fault that caused the helium leak. A resistive zone developed in one of the electrical connections, creating an electrical arc that punctured one of the helium enclosures around a magnet, according to an analysis by CERN. The warming helium expanded in the vacuum enclosure of the central subsector of the pipe, damaging the vacuum barriers separating the central subsector from the neighboring subsectors.

Tom Espiner of ZDNet UK reported from London.

[Brad Hansen]

Ah, spell checkers. The damaged magnet type was a "quadrupole magnet," not a "quadruple magnet."
See: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quadrupole

[Jon Skillings]

We've fixed that typo. Thanks for catching it!

[derek_shirtington]

lo-resolution pics = lame

[bjornstar]

It's really a shame that you only link to other articles on CNET and provide no links to other sites for us to get more information.

This is the web not a ******* newspaper.

[Adoc]

Duh? Google, Answers, Yahoo?

[cerninfo]

bjornstar: full report and more information and better pictures. cnet doesn't want you leaving there site for any information.

http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2008/PR17.08E.html

[Jonms83]

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


no really... it's just a matter of time.

[Dalkorian]

Aren't you being a little over dramatic?

Oh wait ...

:-D

[lordmorgul]

I completely agree with bjornstar regarding external links to VALIDATE the information being presented. It is very poor journalism to not document and validate (by references) the information being shared. The lack of external links in fact suggests there is inaccurate and biased information presented here; the self-promotion of only linking their own articles is definitely driving me away from this site.

[marymelonie]

The Cern project is one of the best ideas that we as human beings have come up with... what I dont understand is how can such a small glitch hold the project up so long.... it is a shame.... I wanted this to happen...ok... from my reading... it is because of the electrical output necessary in winter times... well... I look forward to next summer.... lets get it up you guys.....

[martron3000]

D'oh ! I wanted to be sucked into a black hole....so I could come out the other side.
And now I have to wait....lol.

[wiredchicken]

I think they should sell the accelerator and give the money to the auto companies!!!

[AppleSuxLeo]

It`s well known that if the Large Hadron Collides with the cervix , it can be quite painful !

[hugolovepole]

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/08/11/will-the-lhc%E2%80%99s-future-cancel-out-its-past/#more-732

Article claiming that the very creation of the Higgs boson would cause effects which ould ripple backwards through time, and paradoxically cancel out it's own creation. The authors must be loving this...