Experts prepare for 'experiment'

Glasgow University will host the major conference

Hundreds of leading physicists are gathering in Glasgow to prepare for the world's biggest scientific experiment.

The scientists will go to Glasgow University to contribute to a particle physics experiment designed to explore the nature of the universe.

The ATLAS detector, located near Geneva, will recreate conditions immediately after the Big Bang.

An overview week will be held from 9 to 13 July in the Bute Hall to help scientists prepare for the experiment.

ATLAS is a particle physics experiment designed to explore the fundamental nature of matter.

One of the largest collaborative efforts ever attempted in the physical sciences, 1,900 physicists from 164 universities and laboratories in 35 countries around the world are participating in the ATLAS experiment.

It is estimated that the conference will boost the city's economy by about £1m.

After ten years of hard work designing and building ATLAS it is great to see it coming together Dr Craig Buttar Glasgow University

Email, web pages, phone calls and video conferencing keep the scientists in touch but face to face meetings, such as the ATLAS overview week, are vital to the success of the massive project.

It is the first time the overview week has been held in the UK and marks Glasgow University's significant contribution to the experiment and the centenary year of one of Britain's most famous physicists, Lord Kelvin.

The city was chosen ahead of competition from Ann Arbor in Michigan, Toronto and Vancouver.

Dr Craig Buttar of Glasgow University's department of physics, said: "After ten years of hard work designing and building ATLAS it is great to see it coming together."

One of the founder members of the ATLAS collaboration, Glasgow University has constructed much of the hardware to be used in the experiment.