Higgs boson

[chicagojohn]

Two days ago...

As the world waits for CERN scientists to reveal whether they have enough data to claim a true discovery of the elusive particle, physicists at Fermilab have released their own data analysis after combing through 500 trillion collisions created over more than a decade.

"Our data strongly point toward the existence of the Higgs boson, but it will take results from the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe to establish a discovery," said Fermilab's Rob Roser, cospokesperson for the CDF experiment at DOE's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

The final results from the Tevatron indicate that the Higgs particle, if it exists, has a mass between 115 and 135 GeV, or about 130 times the mass of the proton.

They shut down the world's largest proton / antiproton accelerator, the Tevatron, here in Batavia, IL, in September of last year. The USA didn't want to support the construction of the next level. So the CERN did it in Switzerland, and the odd thing is that it's in Geneva, and the city of Geneva here borders on Batavia; Geneva is right next door to the Tevatron, when it was the Tevatron.

Anyway, some variant of the Higgs boson has been announced today from, Geneva; Independence Day here in the US of A.

And since I was posting images of dog poop from the past a few moments ago, I thought I'd go ahead and post a few images I took at Fermilab before they shut the Tevatron down, while the flags were still up.

Wilson Hall was designed by Dr. Wilson based upon the a European cathedral, I think French. The inscription on the obelisk refers to an incident in the 1500's when 1000 men were trying to raise an ancient Egyptian obelisk near St. Peter's church in Rome. People watching were ordered to remain silent under penalty of death.

This went on for many hours and the huge ropes pulled by men and horses began to give way and stretch, and the obelisk started going down. A sailor from Genoa shouted Aqua alle funi! which means "Water to the ropes", a technique sailors know of that will make the ropes taught. That he taught them. So they spared his live and made him a nobleman. However, in retrospect, it wasn't a very intelligent act on his part given the risk-reward analysis.

It may look like a water slide the way I have it positioned, but that is just an obeliskal illusion.... as are the remaining images I took back then all presented here in 72 dpi resolution; five and only five in all, with no smiley faces.


wilson hall at fermilab 72dpi by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr


concrete abstract 1 72spi by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr


concrete abstract 3 72dpi by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr


concrete abstract 6 72dpi by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr

and one from inside Wilson Hall...


Wilson Hall Ceiling 72dpi by ChicagoJohn, on Flickr

[mishlove]

CJ....my, are we (collectively) not obedient units.

Love em all.....and even though # 1 is special, with it's pov, the next 3 geometrically and simply intriguing....I am drawn to # 5 the most.

[BobR]

Dig the abstractness of 2 and 3. Nice captures all!

So maybe they will find the particle that "gives" things mass dubbed "the God particle"? Will that marry the theories of big and small? -General relativity and quantum mechanics...Hmmm.... I dont know but I really enjoy shows on this sort of stuff. Sort of saddened to think we didnt want to support the LHC. Thats one very cool rig they built! Bob

[chicagojohn]

Dig the abstractness of 2 and 3. Nice captures all!

So maybe they will find the particle that "gives" things mass dubbed "the God particle"? Will that marry the theories of big and small? -General relativity and quantum mechanics...Hmmm.... I dont know but I really enjoy shows on this sort of stuff. Sort of saddened to think we didnt want to support the LHC. Thats one very cool rig they built! Bob

That is the idea, BobR; they now say they have demonstrated the existence of that particle; the Higgs boson, or one variety of it at least. The sad thing to me is that there was so very much great work that was done at Fermilab, and they almost had it, and perhaps did have it. But it's just great that it's being done somewhere.

When they shut down the Tevatron, it actually resisted. Just some simple matter of physics, I'm sure, but anthropomorphism being what it is....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44735502.../#.T_YWL_WwX-s

[Ima Hack]

Three and four are just awesome photos, love the arcing lines.

[chicagojohn]

Thanks, Ima Hack. Glad you liked them. Designed by Dr. Wilson; it's an interesting building inside and out.

[mcatald]

Well done John. Nice point of view and composition. I am really liking that third shot.

[chicagojohn]

Thanks mcatald