September 30, 2008

Large Hadron Collider


The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator complex, intended to collide opposing beams of protons or lead, two of several types of hadrons, at up to 99.99 percent the speed of light.

The LHC was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and lies underneath the Franco-Swiss border between the Jura Mountains and the Alps near Geneva, Switzerland. It is funded by and built in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories with the intention of testing various predictions of high-energy physics, including the existence of the hypothesized Higgs boson.

On 10 September 2008 the LHC accelerated its first proton streams, only to have operations suspended on 12 September 2008 due to equipment failure. Owing to the already planned winter shutdown, the collider will not be operational again until the spring of 2009.

When in operation, about seven thousand scientists from eighty countries will have access to the LHC. It is theorized that the collider will produce the elusive Higgs boson, the last unobserved particle among those predicted by the Standard Model. The verification of the existence of the Higgs boson would shed light on the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking, through which the particles of the Standard Model are thought to acquire their mass. In addition to the Higgs boson, new particles predicted by possible extensions of the Standard Model might be produced at the LHC. More generally, physicists hope that the LHC will enhance their ability to answer the following questions:
  • Is the Higgs mechanism for generating elementary particle masses in the Standard Model indeed realised in nature? If so, how many Higgs bosons are there, and what are their masses?

  • Are electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force just different manifestations of a single unified force, as predicted by various Grand Unification Theories?

  • Why is gravity so many orders of magnitude weaker than the other three fundamental forces? See also Hierarchy problem.

  • Is Supersymmetry realised in nature, implying that the known Standard Model particles have supersymmetric partners?

  • Will the more precise measurements of the masses and decays of the quarks continue to be mutually consistent within the Standard Model?

  • Why are there apparent violations of the symmetry between matter and antimatter? See also CP-violation.

  • What is the nature of dark matter and dark energy?

  • Are there extra dimensions , as predicted by various models inspired by string theory, and can we detect them?

Of the possible discoveries the LHC might make, only the discovery of the Higgs particle is relatively uncontroversial, but even this is not considered a certainty. Stephen Hawking said in a BBC interview that "I think it will be much more exciting if we don't find the Higgs. That will show something is wrong, and we need to think again. I have a bet of one hundred dollars that we won't find the Higgs." In the same interview Hawking mentions the possibility of finding superpartners and adds that "whatever the LHC finds, or fails to find, the results will tell us a lot about the structure of the universe."

As an ion collider

The LHC physics programme is mainly based on proton–proton collisions. However, shorter running periods, typically one month per year, with heavy-ion collisions are included in the programme. While lighter ions are considered as well, the baseline scheme deals with lead ions. (see A Large Ion Collider Experiment). This will allow an advancement in the experimental programme currently in progress at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The aim of the heavy-ion programme is to provide a window on a state of matter known as Quark-gluon plasma, which characterized the early stage of the life of the Universe.

July 27, 2008

How Fast is The Earth Heating Up?

Much debate in the last five years about the greenhouse effect has centered on interpreting temperature numbers generated at weather stations all over the world. The data from these thermometers are averaged and plotted in attempts to determine just how fast the earth has heated up since the measurements began. There is now no doubt the world is getting warmer. The thermometers show that the world is warmer now than at any time since the measurements started. The year 1990 was the hottest year in the last century. Together with 1991, the years of 1983, 1987, 1988, and 1989, have been measured to be the warmest 6 years in the last hundred years. 1991 was the second warmest year of the past century, perhaps due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo during that year. The ash from the volcano in the upper atmosphere blocks some sunlight to earth, and is expected to generate a temporary two or three year cooling effect. After that time, most ash particles will have settled back to earth, and most scientists expect to see the global warming trend continue.


According to scientists, we can with "99% confidence conclude that current temperatures represent a real warming trend rather than a chance fluctuation over the 30-year period." Most scientists agree that the planet's temperature has risen 0.5 degrees Celsius since 1900, and will continue to increase at an increasing rate. The environment is responding to this warming. For instance, a study of mountain plants in the Alps (Europe), shows that some cold-loving plants are starting to move to higher and cooler altitudes. That is a possible response to increasing temperatures.

July 26, 2008

India Gets First Hybrid Car

Honda Siel Cars India, is the first company to offer a hybrid car in India.The Civic hybrid for India gets the same powertrain as everywhere else, including a 1.3L four cylinder with the i-VTEC variable valve timing system and the integrated motor assist (IMA) system.

The IMA has an electric motor that can't really drive the vehicle independently of the engine. When driving at a moderate, constant speed, the fuel can be shutoff to all four cylinders allowing the motor to propel the car while still turning the engine over. The car when being driven at 40-50 km per hour, operates only on the battery offering maximum fuel efficiency. According to the company, the fuel efficiency of Civic Hybrid is in the range of 19-23 km a per litre when measured with the existing petrol based model, that offers approximately 15 km per litre. It was launched in 1997 in US & Japan, Toyota and Honda are the only companies selling "mass-market" hybrids in the world.


Honda said that the Civic Hybrid would cost Rs 21.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The import duty on a completely built unit (CBU) is 104 per cent. The company will import the CBU from Japan, where it produces the hybrid car for its global markets. However, it is also exploring alternatives through which it can import the engines and parts and bring the car as a semi-knocked down unit.The company said that it did not expect to sell high volumes, but wanted to make a statement of its technology and commitment to the environment. Honda has imported around 130 units and expects to sell around 300 during the year.

In a major boost to eco-friendly hybrid cars, the government is planning to slash excise and customs duties on such vehicles. The move aims at encouraging the use of alternative sources of fuel. At present, Honda Civic is the only hybrid version in the country. Several other manufacturers like Mahindra and Tatas are planning to join the race soon. As per the proposal mooted by the Department of Heavy Industries, excise duty on such cars should be reduced to 12% from existing 14%. It has also demanded a reduction in customs duty which is over 100% on such imports.
Next in line is the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car, Honda's FCX Clarity ...(In next post).

July 24, 2008

Senator Barack Obama Support Al Gore's movement against Global Warming

"For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It's a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer." This statement was issued by Senator Barack Obama on July 17,2008 on his website(www.barackobama.com).

The Best Speech during No-Confidence Motion on July 22nd :

To me this 2 day special session of parliament on 21st and 22nd of July will be remembered for a long time for the speeches and the controversy it had.All the television new channel were trying their level best to increase their TRP ratings by giving the update in a filmy style.

On one side we had the best speech by Omar Abdullah so far keeping in mind the elections in J&K in the next few months,and on the other side we had witnessed the most shocking incident involving 3 MP's from the opposition creating a filmi climax to the no confidence vote by showing bundles of currency.

That day also was important for Rahul Gandhi as he was successful in giving his speech in the House with some opposition by the BSP MP's. I would rate Lalu's speech as second almost the best on that day and the third would be Rahul Gandhi's speech.

This special session also saw the emergence of Singh is King (Mr. Manmohan Singh as a politician) and I hope that the congress would pitch him as PM candidate im the coming elections.Let's be optimistic about the reforms being implemented in the right (not Left's) way.

July 19, 2008

G8 Summit : 50% Reduction of Global Emissions by 2050.

In what was being hailed as a historic move, Group of Eight leaders meeting in Japan agreed Tuesday to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In a statement, G8 leaders said they would "consider and adopt" the goal of achieving "at least a 50 percent reduction of global emissions by 2050." G8 leaders said they wanted to work with the nearly 200 nations involved in UN climate change talks to meet the 2050 goal.
US has stauchly argued that any agreement without the participation of emerging powers such as India and China will be meaningless and has refused to set any ambitious mid or long -term goal for itself without commitment from developing nations as well.
But critics were adamant that the G8 leaders had in fact failed by not specifying targets for 2020, merely postponing the problem to future generations.

July 2, 2008

What are Greenhouse Gases ?

WHAT IS THE "GREENHOUSE EFFECT" ALL ABOUT ?

It is important to understand and discuss the significance of global warming. Global warming is also known as the "Greenhouse effect". The "Greenhouse Earth" is surrounded by a shield of atmospheric gases, rather than a glass or a plastic cover. The air that makes up our atmosphere consists primarily of nitrogen and oxygen molecules (N2 at 78% and O2 at 21%). A large number of "trace gases" make up the remainder of air's composition. Many of these, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the so called "greenhouse" gases. If you have ever felt the piercing cold of the clear winter night sky and wondered why you feel warmer on a cloudy winter night, you have experienced the atmospheric greenhouse effect firsthand. Physics tell us that any object warmer than absolute zero will radiate energy. Cooler objects emit longer waves (in the infrared region) while hotter ones radiate shorter wavelengths. Our sun, powered by its hot, nuclear fusion reaction, produces radiant energy in the visible and ultraviolet regions with relatively short wavelengths. Of the sunlight that strikes the earth, about 70% is absorbed by the planet and its atmosphere, while the other 30% is immediately reflected. If the earth did not re-radiate most of this newly absorbed energy back into space the world would continue to get warmer. Instead, an energy balance is maintained.

The earth is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) warmer than it would be if it did not have the atmospheric blanket of greenhouse gases and clouds around it. Clouds and greenhouse gases keep the earth warm. Once warmed, their molecules then radiate a portion of this heat energy back to earth, creating more warming on the surface of our planet. It is this radiation which causes atmospheric gases to move back to earth that scientists call the "greenhouse effect". Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas generated by man's burning of fossil fuels and the forests is responsible for about half the greenhouse gas warming. Other gases (CFCs, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone) are responsible for the rest. Increases in all these gases are due to mankind's explosive population growth over the last century, and increased industrial expansion.



Approximately 80% of atmospheric CO2 increases are due to man's use of fossil fuels: oil, coal, and gas. These petroleum-based energy sources first came into use with the burning of coal during Since 1945 petroleum consumption has increased dramatically, due in large part to increased usage of automobiles worldwide, and the substitution of mechanized farm machinery for animal power. "Mankind is in the process of conducting a major, unintentional experiment, that of feeding back into the atmosphere in a short space of geological time the fossils fuels that have slowly accumulated over the past 500 million years."

June 24, 2008

How to stop Global Warming ?

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING:

There are several things which you can do directly after reading . However, some of the actions which we all have to take will slightly decrease your present standards of living.

First, since the largest portion of electricity is produced by burning coal, we should try to cut-down on our demand for electricity. Coal combustion creates the largest amount of CO2 per energy unit of any fossil fuel. Coal and oil together represent 80% of the fuel supply used to generate electricity. Here are few things you can do ...
  • Decrease the use of electricity,every kilowatt-hour of electricity saved keeps 1.5 to 2 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere.Turn off electronic devices when you are not using them.
  • Install an energy efficient thermostat, with a day and night timer
  • Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer.Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of CO2 a year with this simple adjustment.
  • Plant trees,a single tree can absorb 1 ton of CO2 over its life time.
  • Switch to Renewable Energy,such as Solar,Wind and Biomass.
  • Use less hot water (showers & washing), instead use solar water heaters.
  • Switch to fuel efficient cars,if possible Green Technology ( Hybrid & Hydrogen Cars ).Keeping your tyres(tires) inflated properly can improve the fuel efficiency by more than 3%.
  • Use public transport system (mass transit) or share a ride with your colleagues (coworkers) or classmates.
  • Reduce waste,recycle more,you can save 2,400 pounds of CO2 per year by recycling just half of your household waste.

Spread the word,encourage your friends to follow the above mentioned things and make this planet a better place to live in.

June 15, 2008

"Global Warming and Climate Changes " Do we know the truth ?


Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans. Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising since the mid-twentieth century, and its projected continuation.

The average global air temperature near the Earth's surface increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the hundred years ending in 2005. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (man-made) greenhouse gas concentrations" via an enhanced greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950 and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by at least thirty scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. While individual scientists have voiced disagreement with some findings of the IPCC, the overwhelming majority of scientists working on climate change agree with the IPCC's main conclusions.

Climate model projections summarized by the IPCC indicate that average global surface temperature will likely rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the twenty-first century. This range of values results from the use of differing scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions as well as models with differing climate sensitivity. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming and sea level rise are expected to continue for more than a thousand years even if greenhouse gas levels are stabilized. The delay in reaching equilibrium is a result of the large heat capacity of the oceans. Increasing global temperature will cause sea level to rise, and is expected to increase the intensity of extreme weather events and to change the amount and pattern of precipitation. Other effects of global warming include changes in agricultural yields, trade routes, glacier retreat, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.Remaining scientific uncertainties include the amount of warming expected in the future, and how warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe.

Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but there is ongoing political and public debate worldwide regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences.

The Kyoto Protocol, which requires the industrialised countries to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), came into force today. India ratified the protocol in 2002. The industrialised countries would need to accelerate the introduction of renewables to meet these requirements, as well as reduce energy consumption by promoting efficiency of energy end use, and enhance the absorption of carbon dioxide through greater afforestation. Under the protocol, the developed countries are required to reduce emissions of GHGs by an average of 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. This protocol was adopted in 1997 by the countries that ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The Convention seeks to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would minimise interference with the climate system.

One of the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, known as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), establishes a framework within which the industrialised countries can meet a part of their carbon dioxide emissions reduction requirements by purchasing Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from India and other developing countries. These CERs are generated through an international process that continuously monitors and verifies that clean energy projects in developing countries are indeed leading to lower carbon dioxide emissions than would occur otherwise. The price of the CERs is market determined, and is expected to rise as the demand for CERs increases with the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The current price of CERs is about $6 for a tonne of carbon dioxide emission reductions, which is about $1 more than it was one year ago. Most assessments predict that this price would rise to about $8 to $10 in about three to five years.

This is because these projects collect the methane generated in landfills and burn it to produce electricity. By reducing emissions of methane, which is 20 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, the project secures significant additional source of revenue. This increase makes it profitable for private investors to collect garbage and manage landfills — which could have a major impact on the management of solid waste in our cities

FOREST DESTRUCTION CREATES MORE HEAT:

Trees play a unique role in the global carbon cycle. They are the largest land-based natural mechanism for removing CO2 from the air. (CO2 is also removed by the oceans and ocean organisms.)
Trees are able to store a large amount of CO2 in their structures. An acre of forest will absorb about 10 times the CO2 amount absorbed by an acre of crop land or grassland. One tree absorbs about 13 pounds of CO2 per year, and each one acre of forest absorbs about 2.8 tons of CO2. However, when trees are burned, the carbon locked in the structure is released into the air in the form of CO2. Today, the shrinking world forests are not able to absorb all the CO2 created by human beings while burning fossil fuels. Everyday over 5500 acres of rain forest are destroyed, and over 50 million acres are destroyed every year. Global CO2 levels rise approximately 0.4 percent each year, to levels not experienced on this planet for millions of years. Planting more trees and reducing timber cuts world-wide will help restore the imbalance, and perhaps buy time as ways are found to reduce world greenhouse gas emissions.

POPULATION GROWTH CONTRIBUTES TO GLOBAL WARMING:

The intellectual powers that we enjoy has enabled us to make effective use of technology and thereby changed the environment. Technology is partly responsible for explosive population growth and responsible for the resulting damage to Earth's resources. The industrial revolution caused a rapid increase in the Population growth, as oil and gas fuels were exploited for our use. There is a clear link between the problems of global warming and overpopulation, as increases in CO2 levels follows growth in population. Presently, we have too many people on Earth, who are using technologies that are destructive for the Earth. We cannot continue to grow, and make use of limited natural resources.

In my opninion, everyone should see the movie " An Inconvenient Truth " presented by former US Vice President Al Gore and directed by David Guggenheim ,the documentary won Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature and for Best Original Song. Perhaps this would awaken the generation next to save Planet Earth....Better late than never......
Go Daddy Deal of the Week: Get Deluxe Online File Folder® for the Economy plan price! Offer expires 2/21/12.