NP ahead of BBC: Frank and the magic machine, Part II Interview LHC collider, restart 2009, join the Grid Cafe

Interview by phone: SL=solarlife       ( Review  Part I )

OCT-3 GRID goes into test, 7000 scientists linked by desktop

Update Sept-24: NowPublic interview 3 hours ahead of BBC report confirming magnet contact problem;  Quote bottom of page 

FK=Frank machine engineer for the LHC collider Cern swiss    

FK-I built the Accelerator at Cern switzerland. In Europe we have "BASIC SCIENCE", just investigate new fields, in this case of the colliding beams to create finally the conditions after Big Bang; yet we need probably untill april 2009 to fix the problem (James Gillies speaker Cern) of the magnet failure, Helium accident; and increase intensity and energy of the Beam again. We learn how to manage super magnets high energy, 90% of the energy goes into the magnets to accelerate the particles (particle source: Hydrogen protons). The word beam is somehow irritating. we accelerate packages from one magnet to the next (compare magnetic train germany). some knowledge could make it's way into Fusion, especially power magnets.

SL-US science is different ? You worked in California

FK-Yes it is, "APPLIED SCIENCE" needs concrete goals and results, difficult in the case of the collider. US funding is dependant on the results, european not.

SL-You are not working during winter time, to cold ?

FK-No, we save money, electricity in winter is more expensive, we get part from France, where people heating electric. In California it is different,  Electricity most expensive in summer,  Airconditons on. In full action the magic machine, as you say, can consume 50 MW. SL-Wow ! FK-During peak up to 100 MW power.

SL-Someone on TV compared it to the Energy of an Aircraft carrier running at 50 km/h.. (explainer E=m/2 v²) FK-round about, it could be true.

SL-We have to calculate kJoule into Kw? someone at NP will help us, we let it for now! Again the percentage 90% energy into the magnets, 10% into the beam.

SL-Security again, a reader comment Part I says, "My folks don't understand this microworld", makes fear like stem cells.

FK-Can understand, we started accelerators 1950, now we are a big team in particle physics, around 1000 people. We have the "Beam dump" an emergency graphite tube.

It may sound strange, but the energy we use is not sufficient to change anything in the universe. We are looking for the small particles "beyond" the atoms.

SL-and the helium you lost at the accident, 1 Ton can you buy it ?

FK-In total we use 100 tons of Helium, so one ton lost, is not much, we can buy it yes.

However we need one month to warm up the magnets for repair and one month to cool them down again. SL-that's the 2 months delay we hear ? FK-The reason for it, yes. It can be, a problem with the cable connectors to the magnet, we have to check.

SL-Frank how can the Reader participate in the collider experiment?

FK-Yes, there is the computer GRID, or GRID-Cafe. You can have a look to it, or sign in and share your computer power.         http://lhcathome.cern.ch

SL-A private idea about Frank and the magic machine, where is the problem ?

FK-Many Astro physics, particle physics scientists working together for better understanding of Nature. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the individual contributions. We speak English, French and German, a big mix.

SL-Like on NP, thats why we have The FLAG system.

FK: Good idea, I never have seen that, may be we should use it.

SL-I know you prefer the champaign system. (After the first beam going around a bottle of Bollinger champaign was delivered to the machine team, reported by BBC)

SL-What is your private challenge in science ?

FK-You may speculate, only 5% of the Universe are known; 90% dark matter, 5% dark energy.....

SL-What is this? FK-That would be a new Interview......

SL-Frank for all the Readers and writers of NowPublic, I thank you taking the risk to "collide with our opinions". This Interview helps for sure to know better "Frank and the magic machine". Still many questions not answered, but we got to know each other. Frank your are NowPublic !!! enjoy the ride into crowd powered opinion making, so I enjoyed the open Interview with you, thanks also to your family, for keeping you up....

FK-I will get the Internet adress to them, to view me on NP, will be a pleasure. I have to prepare for tomorrow now. A meeting with Satellite scientists, having a need for our knowledge, to many electrons sometimes out there.

SL-Thanks Frank and the Cern team for trusting solarlife, we stay in contact.

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Update Sept-24:

BBC reacted quickly to this article, 3 hours later; the frontpage editors of NP slept, good night; view follow - up BBC

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