By Andrew Johnson
Sunday, 21 September 2008
EPA
The Large Hardon Collider, which was launched in Switzerland on 10 September, could unravel the secrets of the universe
The secrets of the Big Bang will have to remain secret a little longer. The Large Hadron Collider, which took 20 years to build and cost £3.6bn, will not be able to unravel the mysteries of the universe for at least another two months, scientists announced yesterday. The machine – a 17-mile circuit of super-cooled magnets deep beneath the borders of France and Switzerland – had to be shut down when temperatures rose by about 100C, causing a leak of a ton of liquid helium into the tunnel. Scientists had hoped that the problem could be resolved quickly but yesterday announced that the project – beset by problems during its construction– will be further delayed.
James Gilles, a spokesman for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern), said: "It's too early to say precisely what happened, but it seems to be a faulty electrical connection between two magnets that stopped superconducting, melted and led to a mechanical failure and let the helium out."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...ay-937001.html