Realistic initial timeline for LHC

[JustinLevy]

What is a realistic timeline for the LHC initial experiments?
ie. with a machine this massive and complicated, how long does it take experimenters to get to know the detector and backgrounds (I've heard many a theorist complain about how the experimentalists still don't use next-to-leading-order calculations that have been around for years, and that they probably won't be able to get away with this anymore when the LHC gets going).

Am I right to assume their first detector experiments with actual beam collisions (instead of cosmic ray data) will be just to 'rediscover' electroweak physics data?

All mainstream media reports make it sound like they flip a switch and they'll start looking for the Higgs. This clearly can not be the case.

I guess my question comes down to something like this: Let's, for the sake of discussion, say that there is a standard model Higgs and it is currently just below threshold at the Tevatron. How long before the LHC would be ready to actually look for this Higgs? And then how long before it had enough statistics to surpass the Tevatron?

(For comparision, how long after the Tevatron startup before they were able to start confidently investigating new physics?)

 

[Vanadium 50]

Well, the first LHC paper was accepted for publication a few hours ago. This was based on pilot collisions 8 days ago.

But in general, you're right - the experiments will be working on SM physics early on, until they accumulate enough data to make searches sensible. This is a few months in the most favorable cases and more than a year in the less favorable cases.

 

[sir-pinski]

The initial timeline for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments has been a subject of much debate and speculation. While the LHC is a massive and complex machine, it has been designed and built with precision and efficiency in mind. Therefore, it is expected that the initial experiments will be able to start collecting data within a few months of the first beam collisions.

However, it is important to note that the experimenters will need some time to get to know the detector and understand the backgrounds. This process may take anywhere from a few months to a year, depending on the complexity of the data and the experience of the experimenters. It is also worth mentioning that the LHC experiments will have access to a vast amount of data from previous experiments, such as the Tevatron, which will help them in their understanding of the detector and its capabilities.

In terms of the Higgs boson, it is difficult to predict a specific timeline for its discovery at the LHC. However, it is expected that the initial experiments with actual beam collisions will focus on rediscovering the electroweak physics data, as you mentioned. This will help the experimenters to calibrate and validate their data before moving on to the more complex searches for new physics, such as the Higgs boson.

If we assume that there is a standard model Higgs boson just below threshold at the Tevatron, it is likely that the LHC will be ready to start looking for it within the first year of operation. However, it may take several years before enough statistics are collected to surpass the Tevatron. This timeline will also depend on the energy and luminosity of the LHC, which may be gradually increased over time.

For comparison, it took the Tevatron several years to start confidently investigating new physics after its startup. This was due to the need for careful calibration and understanding of the detector, as well as the gradual increase in energy and luminosity. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect a similar timeline for the LHC experiments.

In conclusion, while the LHC is a complex machine, it has been designed to be efficient and precise. Therefore, it is expected that the initial experiments will start collecting data within a few months of the first beam collisions. However, it may take some time for the experimenters to fully understand the detector and its capabilities before moving on to more complex searches, such as the Higgs boson.