Comments on: Is the moon full? Just ask the LHC operators http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/ Thoughts on work and life from particle physicists from around the world. Thu, 16 May 2013 16:14:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Paul http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-74079 Paul Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:08:47 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-74079 I’d hardly describe a 7% variation as “rather fixed”.

]]> By: BannedFromBAUT http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-73964 BannedFromBAUT Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:30:55 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-73964 Apologies. Incomplete question.
Something about this tidal distortion issue provoked a thought that if the distortions can be compensated-out by software, could the resulting bias signal be incorporated into a gravity wave detection scheme?

]]> By: BannedFromBAUT http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-73323 BannedFromBAUT Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:43:07 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-73323 According to the article, tidal forces distort the geometry of the LHC sufficiently to require operator intervention. Do these tidal forces also disturb the proton orbits?

]]> By: Pauline Gagnon http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-72738 Pauline Gagnon Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:46:21 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-72738 Thanks to everybody who criticized or offered clearer explanations. I have inserted an addendum in the blog to clarify the most ambiguous points.

]]> By: David Hollebon http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-72515 David Hollebon Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:10:40 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-72515 A fine example of careful scientific observation of small effects. Just the kind of article which inspires the young to take an interest in science.

]]> By: Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-72075 Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) Sat, 09 Jun 2012 23:07:08 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-72075 Hi- Love this blog! But I must point something out: it’s not the Moon’s phase that’s the main effect, it’s the location in the sky. The tides across the LHC tunnel’s diameter will be largest when the Moon is in the plane of the tunnel; that is, when it’s rising. It’ll be minimized when it’s at the highest point it gets in the sky (if it were overhead, the tidal force across the circle would be zero or close to it).

When the Moon is full, its tides are added to those from the Sun, which are about half as strong. That may be what the operator was talking about. But this happens when the Moon is new as well! At that time it’s aligned with the Sun, and their tides add constructively. I wonder if this effect is noticeably larger when the Moon is at perigee as well; tides are strongest then.

If you find out more, please email me! I’d love to write about this for my blog. :)

]]> By: william http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-72048 william Sat, 09 Jun 2012 18:46:13 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-72048 Why is the effect largest when the moon s full? Surely that’s just to do with how much of the moon’s lit surface is visible from our point of view?

]]> By: Frederick Wagner http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-72005 Frederick Wagner Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:28:42 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-72005 Good Day from Canada

Why would only the “full” moon affect the LHC?

Would it not be twice per day like the ocean tides?

Very curious
Fred Wagner
Brockville, Ontario, Canada

]]> By: DC Whitworth http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71980 DC Whitworth Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:08:53 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71980 I know I’m being picky but this article implies that the gravitational effect of the moon on the earth varies with its phase which isn’t the case.

]]> By: Rob Baston http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71951 Rob Baston Sat, 09 Jun 2012 08:15:40 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71951 Marvellous — so the LHC also detects that the Weyl tensor is not zero near Geneva when the moon is full! Seriously, how measurable is the effect? Is it enough to detect variations from Newtonian gravity or not?

]]> By: Cliff http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71908 Cliff Sat, 09 Jun 2012 04:34:46 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71908 Perhaps a little explanation is in order as to why it is worse when there is a full moon.

It would seem to me to be worst when the moon is closest. at new moon phase, and at noon in the day time.

]]> By: Bill Broadley http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71889 Bill Broadley Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:04:38 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71889 Seems like it’s most likely to be the moon position relative to the LHC and not the amount of light bouncing off the moon. So isn’t it mostly that the moon is overhead, not that it’s full (or not)?

]]> By: Steve http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71883 Steve Sat, 09 Jun 2012 02:03:45 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71883 A full moon isn’t any closer to the Earth than during the other phases. Sometimes a full moon coincides with the closest approach to the Earth and sometimes it doesn’t.

]]> By: Tibs http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71872 Tibs Fri, 08 Jun 2012 23:59:40 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71872 What?

“Full” means we’re seeing the fully lit side of the moon. A more well-lit moon does not mean that it exhibits more gravitational pull.

]]> By: J http://www.quantumdiaries.org/2012/06/07/is-the-moon-full-just-ask-the-lhc-operators/#comment-71832 J Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:05:00 +0000 http://www.quantumdiaries.org/?p=22843#comment-71832 Why does the phase of the moon change the strength of the effect?

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