A hole in the LHC's vacuum bubble safety argument

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LHC Safety Review
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A hole in the LHC's vacuum bubble safety argument

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One of the four specific risks considered in the most recent official safety review for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the possibility that LHC collisions could trigger a transition to a lower-energy vacuum state. The current review by the LHC Safety Assessment Group (LSAG) [2] asserts that this risk was ruled out in the earlier report of the LHC Safety Study Group (LSSG) [1]. The conclusion of the LSAG's report states:

In the case of phenomena, such as vacuum bubble formation via phase transitions or the production of magnetic monopoles, which had already been excluded by the previous report [1], no subsequent development has put these firm conclusions into question.


It should be noted, however, that the LSSG's report considers only the three specific risks of strangelets, black holes, and magnetic monopoles. The LSSG's report includes no mention whatsoever of the possibility of vacuum bubble formation and includes no data relevant to the vacuum bubble safety argument briefly outlined in the LSAG's report.

References

[1] Blaizot J P et al (LSSG), 2003, Report of the LHC Safety Study Group, CERN-2003-001

[2] Ellis J et al (LSAG), 2008, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 35 115004 (arXiv:0806.3414)
An independent look at the safety arguments for the Large Hadron Collider
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FourPart
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A hole in the LHC's vacuum bubble safety argument

Post by FourPart »

I don't have the foggiest idea of what you're talking about. You may have something. It may be another Katsung-esque conspiracy theory hooey, but this certainly seems a very strange maiden post for someone to sign up to the forums with a name that is clearly made for the purposes of a single post.
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