Thread: Time and the LHC

As we all know time slows down the closer you get to the speed of light. The LHC speeds matter up to approximately .999 times the speed of light. What effect does time have in this experiment?

I believe it will take approximately 2 weeks to speed the matter up to .999 times the speed of light before the matter can be smashed together. A question to tide those people interested in mathematics over for a bit; I'm not exactly sure the rate at which the matter will speed up but if it takes 2 weeks for the matter to speed up to 99.9% how much time will pass for the matter as opposed to us?

here is the way I have always thought of time and speed. I am sure the real intellects will probably disagree.

This of yourself as that speeding atom. in the direction of travel you are catching up to the speed of light. Therefor what you see (looking backwards) is light that is moving slowly into your sight. if you were to travel at the speed of light you would see the photon of light next to you (traveling with you) as a static image.
because light appears to be slowing or static then your perception of time seems to slow or be static.

To me it is not time that slows but your perception of time that slows (and that being only behind you, not in front of you) in front of you your perception of time would speed up greatly up to 2x speed.

Lorddog

Originally Posted by BumFluff

As we all know time slows down the closer you get to the speed of light. The LHC speeds matter up to approximately .999 times the speed of light. What effect does time have in this experiment?

I believe it will take approximately 2 weeks to speed the matter up to .999 times the speed of light before the matter can be smashed together. A question to tide those people interested in mathematics over for a bit; I'm not exactly sure the rate at which the matter will speed up but if it takes 2 weeks for the matter to speed up to 99.9% how much time will pass for the matter as opposed to us?

I think you misunderstood the "two weeks". This is NOT the time it takes to speed up the protons (I am not sure of the exact time, but I think it is a matter of seconds), but it is the time necessary for the operators to thoroughly test out all the parts of the system before they can start their experiments.

For the protons I'd assume that a very long time would pass for them.

I think we can find out this way:

Using t' = y(Delta)t

and the Lorentz factor:



y = 1 / sqrt of 1 - 2.997894601x10^8 ^2 / 2.99792458x10^8 ^2

y = 0.99999

So if I assume that they stay at 0.999c for a day while they sort everything out.

Then...

0.99999x86,400sec = 86,399.136sec.

This whole calculation seems bumcrum. So if we divide instead...

0.99999/86,400 =1.1574x10^-5secs

Which also seems bumcrum.

Oh just ask Janus or something.

Still, you spelled Lorentz correctly.

Originally Posted by mathman

Originally Posted by BumFluff

As we all know time slows down the closer you get to the speed of light. The LHC speeds matter up to approximately .999 times the speed of light. What effect does time have in this experiment?

I believe it will take approximately 2 weeks to speed the matter up to .999 times the speed of light before the matter can be smashed together. A question to tide those people interested in mathematics over for a bit; I'm not exactly sure the rate at which the matter will speed up but if it takes 2 weeks for the matter to speed up to 99.9% how much time will pass for the matter as opposed to us?

I think you misunderstood the "two weeks". This is NOT the time it takes to speed up the protons (I am not sure of the exact time, but I think it is a matter of seconds), but it is the time necessary for the operators to thoroughly test out all the parts of the system before they can start their experiments.

Ahhhh. Perhaps.

Originally Posted by Ophiolite

Still, you spelled Lorentz correctly.

Yes thats a start.

Originally Posted by lorddog

here is the way I have always thought of time and speed. I am sure the real intellects will probably disagree.

This of yourself as that speeding atom. in the direction of travel you are catching up to the speed of light. Therefor what you see (looking backwards) is light that is moving slowly into your sight. if you were to travel at the speed of light you would see the photon of light next to you (traveling with you) as a static image.
because light appears to be slowing or static then your perception of time seems to slow or be static.

To me it is not time that slows but your perception of time that slows (and that being only behind you, not in front of you) in front of you your perception of time would speed up greatly up to 2x speed.

Lorddog

Yes that's exactly what I would of thought to, plus any other sane person. That's until they proved time dilation with clocks. Fucking mind blowing!