A new schedule for operation of the LHC is out. It has sector tests of injection into the LHC starting the evening of Feb. 17, circulating beams again around Feb. 22, about 6 weeks for beam commissioning, then physics starting April 5. On October 18 the LHC would be stopped for two weeks to set up ion beams, which would then run for four weeks, with an end-of-year stop starting Nov. 29.
Last year there there was an estimate of about 10 days to establish collisions at 3.5 TeV/beam, but the latest estimate is more conservative, about 25 days. So, at the earliest, probably about March 4, more likely around March 19. Complicating the matter is CERN’s plan to have first collisions broadcast worldwide on LHC First Physics Day, which is supposed to be a mid-week day announced a week in advance. So, the beam commissioning team is going to have to first get to the point where collisions are possible, then spend the next week of work being very careful to avoid stray collisions that one of the experiments might pick up and someone might blog about…
CMS collaboration members were asked for their best estimates of when first collisions would occur, with results plotted here. Lots of optimists voted for around March 1, the date that got the most votes was April 1.
“…the date that got the most votes was April 1.”
Clearly some CMS members have a good sense of humor.
They will be able to spend that week doing something useful at lower energy such as increasing the number of bunches
“On October 18 the LHC would be stopped for two weeks to set up ion beams, which would then run for four weeks, with an end-of-year stop starting Nov. 29.”
Is it known at what energy the ion beam run will be conducted?