Fermilab features

The newest exhibit presented by Fermilab scientist Erik Ramberg and the Fermilab Archives gives the viewer a glimpse into the fascinating history of the study of electricity. Since 600 BC, scientists and philosophers have theorized on how electrical charge is transferred from one site to another. In the 18th century, experiments testing these theories took off. In the exhibit, see primary texts and early images of electricity at work.

Rakshya Khatiwada is an experimental astrophysicist at Fermilab working on dark matter searches and quantum science. When she’s not developing the newest detectors to look for dark matter, Khatiwada makes a point to engage with the next generation of scientists through informal lunches, talks and webinars.

The CDF and DZero collaborations at Fermilab announced the discovery of the top quark in 1995, the final undiscovered quark of the six predicted by theory. The biannual prize is given for an outstanding contribution to high-energy and particle physics.

A Fermilab group has found a way to simulate, using a quantum computer, a class of particles that had resisted typical computing methods. Their novel approach opens doors to an area previously closed off to quantum simulation in areas beyond particle physics, thanks to cross-disciplinary inspiration.

Excavating about 800,000 tons of rock a mile underground, bringing it to the surface, and then transporting it to its final resting place is a huge job and part of the LBNF/DUNE project. Creating the infrastructure for that job is a huge amount of work by itself and is going on right now.

Fermilab offers a free public tour every week. Starting May 6, the day and time of that 90-minute Get to Know Fermilab tour will change to Mondays at 1 p.m. The tour will remain free, and no reservation is required.

Fermilab scientists are preparing for future, high-power particle beams with a technological advance inspired by spinning sugar. It’s a new type of target — the material that beams collide with to produce other particles, such as neutrinos. The target is designed to be able to withstand the heat from high-intensity beams, expanding the potential of experiments that use them. Researching this new patent-pending technology already has led to a TechConnect Innovation Award and might have applications in the medical field.

On Feb. 26, a team on Fermilab’s MINERvA neutrino experiment gathered around a computer screen to officially conclude its data acquisition. Even with the data collection over, the work marches on. MINERvA now turns its attention to analyzing the data it has collected over the past nine years of its run.

Astronomers strive to understand the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Take a short journey through the history of astronomy by viewing some of the field’s most influential works, currently on exhibit in the display case in the Fermilab Art Gallery. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

It’s always great when every one of Fermilab’s nine particle accelerators are turned on and provide beam. With the lab again firing on all accelerator-cylinders, we thought it would be a good time to provide a rundown of each of the members of Fermilab’s accelerator complex. Get to know Fermilab’s suite of accelerators and storage rings.