Lefebvre at the Large Hadron Collider. Photo: contributedby Tara Sharpe
UVic physics professor Dr. Michel Lefebvre sat down with The Ring to answer some questions about the start-up of the biggest science experiment in the world. On Sept. 10, beams of protons were sent around a 27-km underground tunnel at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, and some day soon, the subatomic collisions will teach us invaluable lessons about the beginnings of the universe and push through new frontiers in particle physics.
What is UVic’s role in this international experiment?
The UVic-ATLAS group participated in the design and construction of the ATLAS detector located in the circular tunnel. It acts like a giant eye or camera to record the debris of protons forced to collide. The UVic-ATLAS team is also helping to develop the massive computer network that will reconstruct this amazing subatomic action in 3-D form for detailed analysis.
What will you see?
We will be turning on the most powerful microscope in the world, and we’ll be able to view—through thousands of gigabytes of computer data streaming from ATLAS per year—the very fabric of space. From the energy of the collisions, new types of particle and anti-particle can be produced from the vacuum. Without getting too technical, the study of such particles will tell us how physical laws govern our universe.
What is the motivation behind this experiment?
Curiosity-based research is arguably the most noble activity of the human race. It’s natural to be curious and fascinated by the unknown. With ATLAS, we want to boldly explore where no one has looked before and improve our knowledge of the universe we live in.
Why was the experiment shut down temporarily?
This is pioneer science, and so there will be some challenges as part of the discoveries. On Sept. 19, there was an electrical connection failure between two magnets in the tunnel, and part of the magnets now has to be warmed up again so the fault can be fixed. Then the magnets will be cooled back down to their operating temperature, even colder than outer space, and this takes time.
In awaiting the next round of particle beams, Lefebvre is joined by the rest of the UVic ATLAS group composed of more than 25 students, scientists and associates, including UVic adjunct professor and ATLAS-Canada spokesperson Dr. Rob McPherson and Drs. Justin Albert, Alan Astbury, Richard Keeler, Bob Kowalewski and Randall Sobie.
To learn more, check out the UVic ATLAS website https://particle.phys.uvic.ca/atlas/.
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