Atom smasher seeks discoveries into dark matter

GENEVA - Operators of the world's largest atom smasher hope to provide first discoveries about the elusive nature of dark matter later this year.

The director of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, says the Large Hadron Collider will be ramped up to half-power this month. That will still be three times more energy than the world record CERN set in 2009.

Rolf-Dieter Heuer says the collider will then be able to penetrate the makeup of the atom much better than it its nearest competitor at Fermilab outside Chicago.

Heuer said Monday the discoveries could reach this year into dark matter, representing 25 per cent of the universe. Standard physics only deals with the 5 per cent of the universe comprised by visible matter.

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  This May 31, 2007 file photo, shows a view of the LHC (large hadron collider) in its tunnel at CERN (European particle physics laboratory) near Geneva, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini, File)

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  In this Sept. 10, 2008 file photo, a European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) scientist controls a computer screen showing traces on Atlas experiment of the first protons injected in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during its switch on operation at the Cern's press center near Geneva, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini, Pool, File)