Gallery: LHC’s biggest collision yet
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Scientists celebrate after successfully smashing protons operating at 3.5 trillion electron volts (TeV) into each other creating an energy level of 7 TeVs in the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. It was the highest energy level reached yet reached by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. For more, read Larry Dignan’s Smartplanet blog.
The purpose of the project is to to probe the nature of dark matter, antimatter, an elusive particle called the Higgs boson, and how they fit into the history of the universe.
The ultimate goal of the experiment is to crash protons with an energy level of 7 TeV each creating an energy level of 14 TeV.
Credit: Heinz Pernegger; Doris Burckhart
A poster for the event depicts the two proton beams set to collide.
Scientists monitoring the experiemnt.
Two beams.
Tense moments in the control room.
Watching the monitors.
Quite a few more monitors to watch.
Tracking the collision.
The underground control room.
The control room’s getting quite crowded.
Tracking the collisions at 7 TeV.
Monitoring the experiment closely.
Status screen of the accelerator. Stabilizing the beams at 3.5 TeV.
Success!
