Downed Hadron Collider faces $21M in repairs

18.11.2008
Fixing problems at the world's largest particle collider won't come cheap.

James Gillies, a spokesman for the , which runs the , said in an email to Computerworld today that officials are still working on repair plans -- and a budget. So far, he added, it appears that it will cost upwards of US$21 million to get the collider operational again.

Late in September, disclosed that a had knocked the collider offline till next spring.

The problems came shortly after the run on Sept. 10, when a particle beam shot fully around the 17-mile, underground vacuum-sealed tube. After that, another beam was shot around the tube going in the opposite direction.

That test was top be a precursor to the smashing of two beams in the tube, an action researchers expect will recreate conditions in the universe just moments after its conception, giving scientists the chance to answer one of humanity's oldest questions: ?

Before the wiring problem, the collision test was expected to take place this fall. Now, it has been pushed back until at least next spring. In the last few days, online reports have surfaced saying that the collider may be down till at least June. Gillies would not confirm or deny those reports, nor would he say exactly what fixes will be needed.