Early Tuesday morning, three physicists—James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz—were rewarded for decades seminal contributions to advancing science with a phone call from Stockholm. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos.”
From APS’s Physics, Oct. 3, 2019: Fermilab scientist Brian Nord imagines a future where machines test hypotheses on their own — and considers the challenges ahead as scientists embrace artificial intelligence techniques. Nord has begun applying AI to problems in astronomy, such as identifying unusual astronomical objects known as gravitational lenses. He spoke to Physics about his recent projects and how he thinks AI will change the way researchers do science.
From Sanford Underground Research Facility, Sept. 27, 2019: Several projects are under way at Sanford Underground Research Facility to improve the reliability of the facility’s infrastructure. Crews are improving the facility for its role as the far site for Fermilab’s Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility. The LBNF project recently completed an upgrade of the main ventilation fan for the underground facility.
From UChicago News, Oct. 1, 2019: AI technology is increasingly used to open up new horizons for scientists and researchers. At the University of Chicago, researchers are using it look for supernovae, find new drugs and develop a deeper understanding of Earth’s climate. University of Chicago and Fermilab scientist Brian Nord is partnering exploring a “self-driving telescope:” a framework that could optimize when and where to point telescopes to gather the most interesting data.
Brazilian physicist César Lattes, considered a national hero for his discoveries, paved the way for trailblazing research projects in particle astrophysics across Latin America and beyond.
From Cold Facts, Sept. 17, 2019: Scientists at Fermilabhave achieved the highest magnetic field strength ever recorded for an accelerator steering magnet, setting a world record of 14.1 teslas, with the magnet cooled to 4.5 kelvin or minus 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory held the previous record of 13.8 teslas, achieved at the same temperature, for 11 years.
Latin America has reached a pivotal moment in experimental particle physics and astrophysics research. Throughout the month of October, Symmetry will highlight important places, explain significant milestones, and introduce you to some of the people who have shaped and are continuing to shape particle physics and astrophysics in Latin America.
When LIGO and Virgo detected the echoes that likely came from a collision between a black hole and a neutron star, dozens of physicists began a hunt for the signal’s electromagnetic counterpart.
From Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Sept. 30, 2019: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz strengthens its relationship with Fermilab by joining the Muon g-2 collaboration. Muon g-2 aims at a determination of the muon anomalous magnetic moment with the unprecedented precision of 140 part per billion. This fourfold improvement over the last experiment, performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory more than 15 years ago, will allow to scientists test the resulting more than 3 standard deviation discrepancy between experiment and the prediction of the Standard Model in its current form.
From WDCB’s First Light, Sept. 29, 2019: About one year ago, the scientific community lost a unique and brilliant voice. Leon Lederman was much more than the voice for particle physics and the importance of science, he was a teacher, a champion for education, and by all accounts a charismatic character. In this 15-minute radio piece, First Light host Brian O’Keefe visited with Fermilab scientist Herman White and former Fermilab Education Office Head Marge Bardeen.