Knowledge from the Big Bang
For long scientist have struggled to answer the question about the origins of the universe. The most popular theory till date – the Big Bang theory states that everything and that means everything including matter, energy and the vast empty space originated at the time of big bang. It is a difficult concept to imagine that this vast space itself did not exist before the big bang, but that is what the theory states. It is often said that life is stranger than fiction and this would be a very good example.
We do not know what triggered the big bang but we have a fair estimate of what happened after a few minutes from the big bang. Space started expanding rapidly. The temperature was really high. First there was a thick soup of matter and energy all mixed and together. Matter is nothing but all the atoms and electrons, that is all the “stuff” that we see around us. While energy is something we experience in the form of electricity or heat. Today these two do not mix and interchange all by themselves. But after a few minutes from the Big Bang these two were together and all mixed up in a thick hot primordial soup. Matter was not structured as we see today but in tiny little pieces. Smaller than atoms, smaller that the atomic nucleus!
As the universe expanded, it cooled. At that time, matter which was in the form of a raw material started building the first nuclei. As the universe cooled further the nuclei started forming bigger and bigger blocks and after about 13.5 billion years we reached where we are today.
The mystery ingredient
It seems that this is a nice way to cook up all that there is around us. But our observations have shown that the above process forms only 4% of the ingredients of our universe. The remaining 96% is missing!
This missing quantity is in the form of Dark Matter (26%) and Dark Energy (70%). These, we cannot see but only detect using indirect techniques. If only we could go back to the Big Bang and see what happened.
CERN and their flamboyant plan
CERN which stands for Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (in French) or European Organization for Nuclear Research (in English) is one of the world’s best particle physics research center. The CERN Laboratory is located at the France-Switzerland border near Geneva.
Scientists at CERN have planned an experiment to recreate the conditions just after the Big Bang. With their experiment they will recreate the primordial soup and watch the formation of the first nuclei. With this they will have answers to how atoms and other building blocks first formed. This will also allow them to see how this raw material resulted in the formation of the mysterious dark matter and dark energy. The experiment will use the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The Large Hadron Collider(LHC)
This is a huge underground instrument which is in the shape of a ring and has a circumference of over 26 kilometers. The temperature of the LHC is as low as 271 degree Celsius below zero (-271 degree Celsius). This giant instrument is as empty as interplanetary space. This is done to avoid gas molecules and other particles interfering with the experiment.
The awesome experiment
The LHC will start accelerating protons inside it using huge superconducting magnets. These protons will travel at 99.99% the speed of light and will go around the 26 kilometer accelerator 11,245 times every second making the LHC the fastest racetrack in the world.
At its fastest, protons will start colliding with one another and will create temperatures over 100 000 times hotter than the heart of the Sun, right inside the accelerator. Thats around 2000 billion degrees (2000 with 9 zeros after that!) This will mimic the early universe. The way it was just after the big bang.
Black holes and the end of the world
A lot of hype has been created by this experiment and many claim that on 10th September 2008 when the accelerator is turned on one or many black holes will be created eating the entire Earth. Scientist at CERN have dismissed these claims saying that the experiment will pose no risk to the Earth. Cosmic ray collision happen frequently in the Earth’s atmosphere. These collisions produce energies in excess of what the LHC will produce. Thus if these collisions were to have destructive effects, the Earth would have ceased to exist long time ago.
Some speculative theories suggest that microscopic black holes may be created due to this experiment but it is the same theories that suggest these black holes would disintegrate immediately. The LHC would not be able to create anything that hasn’t already happened in nature. It will just be in a laboratory for the first time. The continued existence of other stars and the Earth itself rules out the possibility of the LHC creating destructive black holes.
So what to expect
Many people are eying 10th September as the day when a groundbreaking discovery will be made. However on this date the LHC will simply be tested. A stream of particles will be accelerated clockwise. After this round of testing a beam will be sent accelerating anticlockwise around the accelerator. Incidentally the collider has been cooling itself for the past 6 weeks to reach the desired temperature. As per the current schedule it will be on 21st October 2008 that the beams will be fired simultaneously to start the collisions.
It is on this day that nestled deep underground, in the Alps near the lovely Geneva, the world’s most powerful atom-smasher will get down to its main purpose. Of defying nature and re-enacting the Big Bang – the theory that a colossal explosion created our universe.
The circumference of the LHC sketched over an ariel view of French-Swiss countryside. LHC itself is buried deep underground.
Author’s Note:
Due to a technical glich with thier system, the testing has stopped since about mid september. To get the LHC to working temerature will take a long time again and with winter approaching, energy needs to be saved. So the experiment has been put on hold till spring/summer 2009.
Nikhil Pawar
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the big bang theory free streaming
September 1, 2010
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