Fermilab features

Scientists working on experiments at the LHC are continually refining our understanding of the fundamental constituents of our universe. Every measurement, every new, uncovered facet of a subatomic particle comes only after a thorough and rigorous analysis of the data. The way they access that data may soon get an upgrade at Fermilab, where CMS collaborators recently installed a new solid-state technology at its computing facility. The technology will complement the standard spinning-disk hard drives that have been the dominant computer storage devices for the last several decades.

All summer long, progress on preparing the Fermilab site for the construction of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility has been proceeding at a healthy clip. Now, as summer winds down, that site prep is nearing completion.

Here’s how physicists calculate g-2, the value that will determine whether the muon is giving us a sign of new physics.

A precise calibration for measurements of electric current has long eluded scientists. Last year, the ampere was redefined based on the charge of a single electron. The next generation of charge-coupled devices, known as skipper CCDs, could provide the sensitivity needed to calibrate the new definition.

Bernstein is overseeing the Fermilab Mu2e experiment as it moves from its construction to installation phase and into a running experiment. A collaboration of nearly 250 scientists at 40 institutions that had to invent technology to get to this point, Mu2e is in an exciting phase, especially for early-career researchers who will not only construct the experiment, but also analyze the data.

The red supergiant Betelgeuse is one of the best candidates for a nearby supernova in the coming decades. The star’s proximity to Earth would present a unique opportunity for studying the physics of supernovae and neutrinos. If Betelgeuse does explode, DUNE will be ready.

A scientist, avid runner and Cajun food cook, Bryan Ramson is helping solve the universe’s mysteries as a member of two Fermilab-hosted neutrino experiments: NOvA and the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. Eager to share the joy of science with others, Ramson is active in physics outreach in the Chicago community.

Fermilab and partners in northern Illinois have established the region as a leader in particle accelerator science and technology. Few places in the world boast such a concentrated effort in particle acceleration research, developing and building cutting-edge particle accelerators, and growing an accelerator-focused workforce.

Fermilab scientists have implemented a cloud-based machine learning framework to handle data from the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Now they can begin to use graph neural networks to boost their pattern recognition abilities in the search for new particles.

Scientists are testing the components and systems for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, hosted by Fermilab, with other liquid-argon particle detectors. One such detector is ICEBERG, which is over 10,000 times smaller than DUNE will be. ICEBERG’s measurements are providing insight for future neutrino experiments.