The particle accelerator at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, started again on Sunday, 28, after the regular winter break from the center. Two beams of protons circulating in opposite directions and will gradually accelerate to reach a speed of 7 TeV (teraelectrovoltios) ever achieved before.
Before switching off, the accelerator proton collisions recorded at a rate of 2.36 TeV, which already was a world first. During the weeks it took the shock, the four detectors of the Large Hadron Accelerator (LHC) reported more than one million particle collisions.
Once accelerated to 7 TeV, scientists hope that the LCH produces hundreds of millions of particle collisions at speeds close to light, and recreate the first moments of the universe, just after the Big Bang, 13,700 million years ago .
Also, another challenge is to test empirically the standard theory of physics, based on the Higgs boson. The existence of this particle, which is named after the scientist who predicted 30 years ago its reality, is considered essential to explain why elementary particles have mass and why the masses are so different.
In any case, scientists must be patient, as the analysis of data, and specifically to find the Higgs boson can take several years.
Scientists maintain the accelerator at speeds of 7 TeV, half of its potential, until autumn 2011. After he was put to a pause, he reconfigured and turn back on at a speed of 14 TeV.
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