Switerland's Particle Accelerator Breaks, 2 Months to Repair

Fears of the end for the world can be put on hold... for now.The massive particle accelerator in Switzerland has broken. Many feared it would end the world when it was turned on.Now, experts say it will take at least 2 months to repair.

By: Associated Press | Alabama's13.com
Published: September 20, 2008

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GENEVA (AP) - CERN says the damage to its new particle collider was in a different place than a previous transformer failure.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, says the new problem occurred during a test at high electrical current. The incident resulted in a large helium leak into the 17-mile circular tunnel under the Swiss-French border.

A CERN statement said the most likely cause of the problem was a faulty electrical connection between two magnets.

A CERN spokesman says the superconducter apparently stopped and the high current then proved too much for the wire connecting the magnets. He says it will take at least two months to fix the problem.