LHC

Plans for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to start smashing its first particles next week have been derailed after it developed a significant fault yesterday. 
The problem with several of the £3.6 billion accelerator’s super-conducting magnets means it will be impossible to stage its first trial collisions next week, and further delays could follow once the damage has been fully assessed. 
While a faulty transformer that had hindered progress for much of the past week has now been replaced, as first reported by The Times, the magnet failure is potentially more serious. It could even take several weeks to resolve, depending on the extent of the damage.
James Gillies, head of communications at CERN, said: “The incident occurred while we were commissioning the final sector, and a lot of helium has leaked into the tunnel. We are investigating now, and we should have a clearer picture over the weekend".

Courtesy: Matthew Chalmers and Mark Henderson of Times Online