Zero to 99% of the speed of light or what is a Particle Accelerator?

You opened this because either you have a nerdy side or just need a life. (Unless you're Vic or Sam in which case we KNOW its because you don't have a ... I mean, in which case we know they open all threads as part of their moderator responsibilities)

What is a particle accelerator? Well a few of us will be taking a run out to Brookhaven National Laboratory to find out. The lab is on eastern LI (exit 68 on the LIE) We are going this Sunday morning August 21, 2005

This link will tell you more about RHIC the lab's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (particle accelerator) and the lab itself.

http://www.bnl.gov/rhic/

I did this tour in 2004 with my son and it is awesome enough that I want to go back. Suffice it to say that anybody above the age of 7 who either:
- finds physics interesting (no aptitude for physics necessary)
- likes things that don't have admission charges (yes Sam it doesn't cost anything)
- or just wants to see where Yale, MIT, Princeton, Columiba U., Harvard, and a few other universities invest their research dollars and scholars' internships,

will be impressed. This is a very unique opportunity to see inside the gates of a research faciity and a nice drive out east at the same time.

We will be getting there around 10:00 am.

 

Sam,

Any interest in coming out with us? I think your son would find this place interesting and you might as well.

Andy