Janus
28th February 2007, 23:48
Physicists are preparing the CMS detector and its sister detector, ATLAS, to take data at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, where scientists predict that they will make fundamental discoveries about the universe, using very-high-energy proton collisions. Beyond revealing a new world of unknown particles, the LHC experiments could explain why those particles exist and behave as they do. They could discover the origins of mass, shed light on dark matter, uncover hidden symmetries of the universe, and possibly find extra dimensions of space.
Using a huge gantry crane, custom-built by VSL group, the pre-assembled central piece of the detector, weighing as much as five Jumbo jets (1920 tonnes) is being gently lowered into place. "This is a challenging feat of engineering, as there are just 20 cm of leeway between the detector and the walls of the shaft," said Austin Ball, Technical Coordinator of CMS. "The detector is supported by four massive cables, each with 55 strands and attached to a step-by-step hydraulic jacking system, with sophisticated monitoring and control to ensure the object does not sway or tilt." The entire process is expected to take about ten hours to complete.
The first seven of 15 pieces of the CMS detector have already been lowered, with the first piece arriving in the experimental cavern on 30 November 2006. The giant element being lowered today, which is 16 m tall, 17 m wide and 13 m long, marks the halfway point in the lowering process with the last piece scheduled to make its descent in summer 2007.
CERN at a milestone (http://www.physorg.com/news91884764.html)
Using a huge gantry crane, custom-built by VSL group, the pre-assembled central piece of the detector, weighing as much as five Jumbo jets (1920 tonnes) is being gently lowered into place. "This is a challenging feat of engineering, as there are just 20 cm of leeway between the detector and the walls of the shaft," said Austin Ball, Technical Coordinator of CMS. "The detector is supported by four massive cables, each with 55 strands and attached to a step-by-step hydraulic jacking system, with sophisticated monitoring and control to ensure the object does not sway or tilt." The entire process is expected to take about ten hours to complete.
The first seven of 15 pieces of the CMS detector have already been lowered, with the first piece arriving in the experimental cavern on 30 November 2006. The giant element being lowered today, which is 16 m tall, 17 m wide and 13 m long, marks the halfway point in the lowering process with the last piece scheduled to make its descent in summer 2007.
CERN at a milestone (http://www.physorg.com/news91884764.html)