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CERN particle accelerator "on ice" for the winter.

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The world's most powerful particle accelerator will be off-line until early spring, following a mechanical failure that occurred shortly after its successful September start up at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

CERN, home to the Geneva-based laboratory for particle physics, said its Large Hadron Collider (LHC)--a tool designed to help physicists discover the origins of the universe--needs to be warmed back up to room temperature before repairs can be made. Prior to going back online, the LHC must be cooled back down to 1.9 degrees above absolute zero, or -271[degrees]C--colder than outer space. Then, CERN will shut down for an annually scheduled winter maintenance period.

The lab typically operates from spring through fall when public demand for electricity is low. During any given period, the lab consumes approximately the same amount of power as all of the households located in Canton Geneva.

The disruption in LHC operations is a "psychological blow", said CERN Director General Robert Aymar.

"Nevertheless, the success of the LHC's first operation ... is testimony to years of painstaking preparation and the skill of the teams...

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