Gravitational or inertial mass gain in cern ?

AI Thread Summary
Hadrons in the LHC gain mass as they approach relativistic speeds, resulting from the conversion of energy into mass according to E=mc^2. This increase in mass is primarily an increase in inertial mass, rather than active gravitational mass, which is too small to measure accurately. While their energy contributes to active gravitational mass, the gravitational effects of moving masses are complex and not simply a matter of increased mass. The hadrons do not reach the speed of light but come very close, only a few kilometers per hour away. The discussion clarifies that the mass gain is a result of energy conversion during high-energy collisions, not a transformation of existing mass.
Alex_P
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Hi,

I have been reading about CERN for a while and found amazing - amongst many other things - the fact that hadrons in the LHC turn some of their energy to mass after having reached the maximum possible speed. However this statement was not clear enough. I was wondering whether the mass they gained was their Inertial or their Active Gravitational. Do they really get heavier or is it just an increase of their inertia?

Thank you in advance,
Alex
 
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It's real mass. The result of E=mc^2 or m=Ec^-2.
As they approach the speed of light, the affect is enormous.
 
They increase their inertia, that is sure and easy to see. The active gravitational mass is far too small to measure it. According to GR, their energy is a contribution to active gravitational mass (in our lab frame), but the gravitational effect of moving masses is more complicated than a simple increase in mass.
the fact that hadrons in the LHC turn some of their energy to mass
They don't turn something into something else. In collisions, a fraction of their energy is used to create new particles.
after having reached the maximum possible speed
That does not happen, but they are very close to the speed of light (some km/h away from it).
 
Thank you for your replies! You 've both been most informative!

after having reached the maximum possible speed
That does not happen, but they are very close to the speed of light (some km/h away from it).
I meant the hadron's maximum possible speed which is of course less than the speed of light.
 

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