I recently came across an article that was about the particle accelerator that realized a small big bang. (The Latest News 30/03/2010)
It said that the scientists in Geneva had succeeded in realizing a “mini big bang”.
My question now is why they speak of a mini-big bang and then why they compare this collision to the Big Bang. And what insight would these observations give us then/now on the origin of the universe.
Thanks in advance,
Answer
It is completely wrong to label the collisions at CERN as a mini big bang. A collision in the new particle accelerator releases a large amount of energy, but what is “big”?
There is no such thing as “big” or “small” in science, only “greater than” and “less than”.
Is 100 euros a large amount? If a child of 14 suddenly receives 100 euros more pocket money per month, that may be a very large surcharge, and 100 euros is therefore large. But if you want to buy a house and the seller says “I will pay 100 euros for you….” then you will laugh about it. Two different reactions, although both are about the same 100 euros.
The same is true for that “big” energy. In the world of elementary particles that energy is great, but not at all in our macroscopic world. I once calculated that if two mosquitoes collide head-on in your bedroom, the energy is a factor of 100 greater than that of the collision in the particle accelerator. A collision in the particle accelerator does indeed release energy from which particles and antiparticles are created, but that is not nearly enough to cause a big bang that would destroy the entire earth.
Answered by
prof.dr. Paul Hellings
Department of Mathematics, Fac. IIW, KU Leuven
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/
.