What will the LHC find?

[freeztar]

Discuss!

[freeztar]

Ok, I'll start. I voted for Higgs and CP violation (Baryogenesis). Both of these choices are not really based on my scientific understanding, but rather my hopes. :)

 

Perhaps we can collectively come up with guestimations of the probability of each being found. ;)

[Jay-qu]

If it doesnt find the Higgs it 'should' according to theory find some higgs like particle in that energy range that can help account for the prediction of the Higgs having such a mass.

 

Selections 2 and 3 I think no, because of "The moon is still there" argument. The moon (and our atmosphere) is bombarded by high energy cosmic rays many orders of magnitude more energetic than what the LHC will reach - and the moon has survived without being sucked into a blackhole.

 

By magnetic monopoles I suppose you mean topological defects in general. These flow from a nice theory of symmetry breaking, that we also use to get us mass via the Higgs mechanism. While I cant guess if we will find them - it would be very nice (aesthetically) to find the universe obeys these theories that we have.

 

Supersymmetry is one of the harder ones to guess. This is beyond the standard model.. while we know the standard model isnt the be-all and end all, [personal speculation with no backup] I dont think that supersymmetry is a step in the right direction[/personal speculation with no backup] I dont know what the lowest mass-energy sparticle is postulated to be, so its hard to say if (assuming susy is correct) the LHC is powerful enough to see any such superpartner. String theories require super symmetries to get fermions, so again it would be nice to find sparticles ;).

 

Extra Dimensions.. well I dont think we could get conclusive evidence that extra dimensions are at play, but if they exist we may see some 'this indicates/could be explained by the presence of extra dimensions'. Its just that these are so hard to probe directly, it wouldnt be a clear cut discovery.

 

C-parity, the symmetry between particles and antiparticles. I thought that the weak force already violated this symmetry.. EDIT::1980 nobel prize in physics was for the discovery of CP violation in neutral kaons: CP-violation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But I guess that doesnt mean that the LHC cant see it.. I just think that because they aren't directly looking for it, they wont find it.

 

Another Universe.. anybodies guess. But as with extra dimensions, it wont be something that is clear and conclusive.

 

Fish - perhaps only in the sandwiches of the scientists and engineers working long hours over the coming months. And a big thankyou to them for bringing us this information (when it eventually gets to us)

 

So I havent really said anything new or hesitated much of a guess of what will or wont be seen, but I have being reading a lot about this lately and it was nice to right some things down.

[Moontanman]

I really don't know what they'll find but i am intensely interested in what they find. If it's fish I hope they are from another universe and I can keep some in my aquarium!

[freeztar]

If it doesnt find the Higgs it 'should' according to theory find some higgs like particle in that energy range that can help account for the prediction of the Higgs having such a mass.

 

And if it doesn't?

Selections 2 and 3 I think no, because of "The moon is still there" argument. The moon (and our atmosphere) is bombarded by high energy cosmic rays many orders of magnitude more energetic than what the LHC will reach - and the moon has survived without being sucked into a blackhole.

;)

C-parity, the symmetry between particles and antiparticles. I thought that the weak force already violated this symmetry.. EDIT::1980 nobel prize in physics was for the discovery of CP violation in neutral kaons: CP-violation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But I guess that doesnt mean that the LHC cant see it.. I just think that because they aren't directly looking for it, they wont find it.

 

Sorry, I should have specified the strong force.

[freeztar]

Hmmm...I realized that I should have left an option for "nothing". Editing now...

[DougF]

Well I think they will find the Higgs Boson or Nothing, :)

 

and if they find nothing, they need to look at the LHC. ;)

[modest]

It would be funny if Fermilab finds itself a Higgs a few days before the LHC does :phones:

 

I think they will find the Higgs with the LHC or at least some particle filling the role of the Higgs. There almost has to be such a particle. Electroweak symmetry is broken by something. It seems very likely the LHC will find it.

 

Even more guaranteed to be found is... something unexpected. Every time we crawl up the energy scale we find something new and interesting. :shrug:

 

~modest

[Moontanman]

Invaders from the future! That's what the LHC will find!

 

Temporal hiccough

 

FINALLY, our correspondent who chooses to be known as Grimble Gromble feels he may already be experiencing disturbances in the flow of time prior to the switching on of the Large Hadron Collider, which some have speculated may result in an influx of time travellers (5 April). The other day he purchased a six-pack of Walker's Worcester-sauce-flavoured crisps which proclaimed: "NEW, IT'S BACK!".

 

From issue 2669 of New Scientist magazine, 13 August 2008, page 72