Idle thoughts on the LHC

Narj · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:13

One for the physicists out there...

What would theoretically happen if you were to stand in the way of the accellerated particles in the LHC ring? Would they just pass through you or would you be literally turned into human swiss cheese/torn to pieces?

I read this article on Anatoli Bugorski and was surprised to find that his head didn't vapourise.. :confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoli_Bugorski

Amp34 · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:22

I'm guessing it would destroy a lot of cells in your body, possibly causing cancer in a few years.

SlyReaper · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:23

Well it's essentially the same as any other radiation. Most of the particles will pass straight through, but enough will collide directly with atoms in your body. And since these particles have such high energy, expect a great deal of damage manifesting as radiation burns. I would be very surprised if someone could survive being in the LHC's tunnels while it's on.

PGdude · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:25

Uh, with the amount of energy those particles would have, I'd say torn apart, vapourised?

They are moving at nearly the speed of light, after all.

Edit: This post does have exaggeration.

SlyReaper · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:26

PGdude said:
Uh, with the amount of energy those particles would have, I'd say torn apart, vapourised?

They are moving at nearly the speed of light, after all.

So do photons coming from the sun.

SourChipmunk · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:27

SlyReaper said:
I would be very surprised if someone could survive being in the LHC's tunnels while it's on.

Sounds like an upcoming Bond plot.

In reality, it wouldn't do much of anything. 1 TeV has the energy of a small mosquito (so we talking being slammed into by 7 mosquitoes at once). By comparison, a 100w light bulb emits 2.2 Trillion TeV in an hour.

Really, think about the detectors themselves. They're getting slammed by these particles, the aftermath of an explosion! Do you think they get damaged from it?

Disco Boy · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:34

Well they're in a vacuum, so you'd have bigger problems to worry about.

PGdude · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:35

SlyReaper said:
So do photons coming from the sun.

Photons are simply packets of energy (interchangeable with mass at that level, but hey). And I didn't really think anyone would get my mild humour in my post, but oh well

gord · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:35

PianoBasher said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoli_Bugorski

That guy was hit by a beam about 2000 gray. With 1 gray = 1 joule of energy absorption and the LHC having 1.12 microjoules of energy per particle.. I don't think you would die.

Of course, I've just used Wiki to piece this together... so I could be entirely wrong.

Narj · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:36

Disco Boy said:
Well they're in a vacuum, so you'd have bigger problems to worry about.

Oh I can hold my breath for a while, I'll be ok while I test it out!

The only reason I was asking was that I was wondering if we'll ever see the technology advance so much that we get proton guns with mini accellerators on them... pew pew!

Sadly there's no point if it doesn't have the capability to dismantle someone at the sub-atomic level..

Edit: Forgot about the low temperatures... Serious Long-Johns needed...

Jokester · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:36

I heard that you end up being turned into a blue demigod with the power to teleport and bend matter with your mind.

SourChipmunk · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:39

Disco Boy said:
Well they're in a vacuum, so you'd have bigger problems to worry about.

Yes, that and the fact that it is nearly 0 degrees Kelvin in there. Little chilly.

Disco Boy · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:40

PianoBasher said:
Oh I can hold my breath for a while, I'll be ok while I test it out!

The only reason I was asking was that I was wondering if we'll ever see the technology advance so much that we get proton guns with mini accellerators on them... pew pew! Sadly there's no point if it doesn't have the capability to dismantle someone at the sub-atomic level..

Well the particles are tiny compared to the molecules in air, so they'd just collide with them and lose their energy.

dcsarge · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:40

@ Jokester - Really? I'd better book some train tickets

Glaucus · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:43

PGdude said:
Uh, with the amount of energy those particles would have, I'd say torn apart, vapourised?

They are moving at nearly the speed of light, after all.

Edit: This post does have exaggeration.

This does not happen in space, where astronaughts are bombarded by high energy particles. They just pass straight through, as the size of these particles are so tiny they do very little damage.

Disco Boy · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:44

Raist said:
Yes, that and the fact that it is nearly 0 degrees Kelvin in there. Little chilly.

You can't have temperature in a vaccum...

or were you referring to the temperature that they cool the superconducting magnets to?

ElliorR · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:48

Apparently it can cook a Rustlers burger in 50 seconds. 20 seconds faster than my microwave. Still taste **** though.

lord filbuster · 30 Mar 2010 at 18:57

gord said:
That guy was hit by a beam about 2000 gray. With 1 gray = 1 joule of energy absorption and the LHC having 1.12 microjoules of energy per particle.. I don't think you would die.

Of course, I've just used Wiki to piece this together... so I could be entirely wrong.

It doesn't just fire one particle though. It fires trillions of them at once. I reckon it would kill you pretty quickly.

SourChipmunk · 30 Mar 2010 at 19:03

Disco Boy said:
You can't have temperature in a vaccum...

or were you referring to the temperature that they cool the superconducting magnets to?

Touché. Yes, that's what I meant.

I still think it's going to be a Bond plot very soon, though.

Amp34 · 30 Mar 2010 at 19:17

lord filbuster said:
It doesn't just fire one particle though. It fires trillions of them at once. I reckon it would kill you pretty quickly.

It doesn't I don't think. The particle accelerator accelerates only one or two particles and fires them at each other, the bits and pieces of this crash is what is then analysed.