What if you were hit by
the LHC proton beam?
"How would the cells of my body react if they were hit
by the proton beam from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider,
where the beam travels at a speed close to that of light?"PARTICLE PHYSICS The proton
beam from CERN's Large Hadron Collider
delivers extremely high-energy particle
radiation, but the beam is also very narrow
and focused. A person standing completely
still would probably have a hole cut right
through, because the cells would disappear
where the beam hits. A person that moved
through the ray would be cut in two, as if
sliced by a Star Wars lightsaber.
However, we know you could survive a
proton beam microhole, because someone
already has. In 1978, Russian scientist
Anatoli Bugorski was working on his PhD
in particle physics when he discovered a
problem with the U-70 particle accelerator.As he was trying to find the error, he
accidentally put his head in front of the
beam and was hit. Subsequently, Bugorski
talked about a light pulse "more powerful
than a thousand Suns”. Now, Bugorski has a
bald spot on his forehead where the beam
hit, and one of his ears is deaf. The left side
of his face is paralysed due to nerve injury –
the paralysis prevents wrinkles, and so the
left side seems younger than the right one.
Bugorski also suffers from mild epilepsy.
Mind you, CERN's LHC proton beam is
now almost 100 times more powerful than
the U-70, which in 1978 was the most
powerful accelerator in the world with an
energy level of 70 GeV (giga electron volts).PARTICLE PHYSICS
SHU
TTE
RST
OCK
Proton beams have
the same effect
as radioactivity
Proton beams share characteristics
with radioactive radiation, and are
used as cancer therapy. Too much
radiation can be harmful. Doses are
measured in millisieverts (mSv).mSvX-
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In 1978, Anatoli Bugorski was hit by a
proton beam which paralysed the left
side of his face. But he survived.