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| Race for 'God particle' heats up | Race for 'God particle' heats up |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Cern is losing ground rapidly in the race to discover the elusive Higgs boson, its American rival claims. | Cern is losing ground rapidly in the race to discover the elusive Higgs boson, its American rival claims. |
| Fermilab say the odds of their Tevatron accelerator finding it first are now 50-50 at worst, and up to 96% at best. | Fermilab say the odds of their Tevatron accelerator finding it first are now 50-50 at worst, and up to 96% at best. |
| Cern's Lyn Evans admitted the accident which will halt the $7bn Large Hadron Collider until September may cost them one of the biggest prizes in physics. | Cern's Lyn Evans admitted the accident which will halt the $7bn Large Hadron Collider until September may cost them one of the biggest prizes in physics. |
| The two rivals are trying to identify the "God Particle" - one of the fundamental particles of matter. | The two rivals are trying to identify the "God Particle" - one of the fundamental particles of matter. |
| Finding the Higgs boson, whose existence has been predicted by theoretical physicists, might help to explain why matter has mass. | Finding the Higgs boson, whose existence has been predicted by theoretical physicists, might help to explain why matter has mass. |
| The chiefs of the world's most powerful atom smashers squared up at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Chicago. | |
| Grand prix | Grand prix |
| Identifying the "God Particle" has been a target for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern) ever since the LHC was first conceived in the early 1980s. | Identifying the "God Particle" has been a target for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern) ever since the LHC was first conceived in the early 1980s. |
| We are increasing data set very quickly. And they [Cern] are feeling the heat Dmitri Denisov, Fermilab | We are increasing data set very quickly. And they [Cern] are feeling the heat Dmitri Denisov, Fermilab |
| At the launch of the LHC near Geneva in September, some scientists predicted the Higgs would be revealed as soon as summer 2009. | At the launch of the LHC near Geneva in September, some scientists predicted the Higgs would be revealed as soon as summer 2009. |
| But just one week later, an accident occurred which will halt experiments at the accelerator for at least 12 months. | But just one week later, an accident occurred which will halt experiments at the accelerator for at least 12 months. |
| Fermilab has taken advantage, cranking up the intensity of research at their Tevatron accelerator in Illinois. | Fermilab has taken advantage, cranking up the intensity of research at their Tevatron accelerator in Illinois. |
| Director Pier Oddone presented the Tevatron's latest data at the AAAS meeting. | Director Pier Oddone presented the Tevatron's latest data at the AAAS meeting. |
| "We now have a very, very good chance that we will see hints of the Higgs before the LHC will," said his Fermilab colleague, Dr Dmitri Denisov. | "We now have a very, very good chance that we will see hints of the Higgs before the LHC will," said his Fermilab colleague, Dr Dmitri Denisov. |
| "I think we have the next two years to find it, based on the start date Lyn Evans has told us. | "I think we have the next two years to find it, based on the start date Lyn Evans has told us. |
| "And by that time we expect to say something very strong. | "And by that time we expect to say something very strong. |
| "The probability of our discovering the Higgs is very good - 90% if it is in the high mass range. | "The probability of our discovering the Higgs is very good - 90% if it is in the high mass range. |
| "And the chances are even higher - 96% - if its mass is around 170GV. | "And the chances are even higher - 96% - if its mass is around 170GV. |
| "In that case we would be talking about seeing hints of the Higgs by this summer." | "In that case we would be talking about seeing hints of the Higgs by this summer." |
| Treasure hunt | Treasure hunt |
| The smaller the mass of the particle, the more difficult and time consuming it will be for Fermilab to detect. | The smaller the mass of the particle, the more difficult and time consuming it will be for Fermilab to detect. |
| The Tevatron is located at Fermilab near Chicago | The Tevatron is located at Fermilab near Chicago |
| But even at the lowest end of the range, the chances are "50% or above", according to Mr Oddone. | But even at the lowest end of the range, the chances are "50% or above", according to Mr Oddone. |
| "Tevatron is running extremely well. We are in the peak of our shape," added Dr Denisov. | "Tevatron is running extremely well. We are in the peak of our shape," added Dr Denisov. |
| "We are increasing data set very quickly. And they are feeling the heat. | "We are increasing data set very quickly. And they are feeling the heat. |
| "Instead of having their usual Christmas break - of two months - they are planning to run all the way through. | "Instead of having their usual Christmas break - of two months - they are planning to run all the way through. |
| "It's a race. Whoever is first is first." | "It's a race. Whoever is first is first." |
| Fermilab estimates that the Tevatron has already picked out about eight collision events which may be hints of the Higgs. | Fermilab estimates that the Tevatron has already picked out about eight collision events which may be hints of the Higgs. |
| But until the number crunching is done, it is not possible to distinguish these from "background noise". | But until the number crunching is done, it is not possible to distinguish these from "background noise". |
| Fired up | Fired up |
| Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Dr Denisov was his counterpart Professor Lyn Evans, LHC project leader. | Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Dr Denisov was his counterpart Professor Lyn Evans, LHC project leader. |
| "The race is on," he told BBC News. | "The race is on," he told BBC News. |
| "The Tevatron is working better than I ever imagined it could. They are accumulating data like mad. | "The Tevatron is working better than I ever imagined it could. They are accumulating data like mad. |
| "The setback with the LHC has given them an extra time window. And they certainly will make the most of it. | "The setback with the LHC has given them an extra time window. And they certainly will make the most of it. |
| "If they do find the Higgs, good luck to them. But I think it's unlikely they will find it before LHC comes on line. They may well be in a position to get a hint of the Higgs but I don't think they'll be in a position to discover it. | "If they do find the Higgs, good luck to them. But I think it's unlikely they will find it before LHC comes on line. They may well be in a position to get a hint of the Higgs but I don't think they'll be in a position to discover it. |
| "And of course, if it's not in the mass range they think it is, they have no chance of discovering it at all. Pier Oddone put the odds at 50-50 but I think it's less than that. | "And of course, if it's not in the mass range they think it is, they have no chance of discovering it at all. Pier Oddone put the odds at 50-50 but I think it's less than that. |
| "In one year, we will be competitive. After that, we will swamp them." | "In one year, we will be competitive. After that, we will swamp them." |
| The competition was healthy for "both parties". Though missing out on the Higgs would be a "sour consolation". | The competition was healthy for "both parties". Though missing out on the Higgs would be a "sour consolation". |
| "The trouble is, the LHC has been sold on being built for the Higgs," said Prof Evans. | "The trouble is, the LHC has been sold on being built for the Higgs," said Prof Evans. |
| "But don't forget, there is also a whole spectrum of physics to be investigated at the LHC which the Tevatron can never do." | "But don't forget, there is also a whole spectrum of physics to be investigated at the LHC which the Tevatron can never do." |