Some of our readers not plugged-in to the everyday scene of physics at the high energy frontier might be confused remembering that we promised you some bad-ass proton collision action somewhere around 14 February, which was over a month ago, and realizing that, indeed, the beloved 7 TeV data is still nowhere to be found.  In fact, the media has been so focused on the 1-year shutdown expected for the LHC in 2012 (and seriously, it’s not because of the Mayan calendar…) that no one has really posed the obvious question: “Umm, hey… wasn’t there supposed to be stuff happening already this year?”

Have no fear, friends.  Your friendly LHC scientists are simply making sure they are working with a well-oiled machine, and these kinds of delays are completely normal.  January and February were used for commissioning the machine at low current, and further developing the Quench Protection System (QPS); here’s a nice article by SymmetryBreaking giving some more information about the LHC’s QPS.  Having a robust protection against accidents such as the one in September 2008 is clearly a high priority.  Beam was re-introduced to the LHC a few weeks ago, and the progress is steadily imrpvoing, however carefully the technicians are working.

Tonight is a special night, however.  For the first time in 2010, we are witnessing the LHC dry-ramping* to the current which corresponds to a 3.5 TeV proton energy; this is the target energy for collisions in the 2010-2011 run.  Of course, live coverage is brought to you by OP Vistars.  In case you missed it, here’s a snapshot in the early stage of the ramp.

(*Dry-ramping implies the current in the magnets of the LHC are being ramped up, but that there is no proton beam circulating at the time.)

Dry Ramp

Kick the tires and light the fires.

We here at CERN Love are as giddy as schoolgirls about this.