For the first time, a team of scientists has used the orientation of light left over from the early universe to detect gravitational lensing from galaxy clusters – the bending of light around these massive objects. Using gravitational lensing data taken by the South Pole Telescope and the Dark Energy Camera, Fermilab scientist Brad Benson and colleagues have demonstrated a new way to “weigh” galaxy clusters and ultimately shed light on dark matter, dark energy and other mysteries of the cosmos.
From PBS Space Time, Jan. 6, 2020: Why is there something rather than nothing? The answer may be found in the weakest particle in the universe: the neutrino. In this 10-minute video, PBS Space Time host Matt O’Dowd and Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln explore the mysteries of the neutrino and how Fermilab is tackling them. The elusive neutrino may hold powerful secrets, from the unification of the forces of nature to the biggest question of all: Why is there something rather than nothing?
Underneath the vast, frozen landscape of the South Pole lies IceCube, a gigantic observatory dedicated to finding ghostly subatomic particles called neutrinos. Neutrinos stream through Earth from all directions, but they are lightweight, abundant and hardly interact with their surroundings. A forthcoming upgrade to the IceCube detector will provide deeper insights into the elusive particles.
From CNN, Jan. 1, 2020: Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln discusses how Betelgeuse, a star in the constellation Orion and one of the brightest stars in the heavens, has observably dimmed in recent months, a sign that some astronomers interpret as a warning that the star will explode in one of the most powerful and dramatic events in all of the cosmos — a supernova.
From Kane County Chronicle, Dec. 16, 2019: The Commission on Excellence in Ecological Restoration has recognized Fermilab with a Chicago Wilderness Excellence in Ecological Restoration Award. The commission was impressed with the lab’s knowledgeable staff, their work and its dedication to helping protect, restore and maintain one of Chicago Wilderness’s significant natural areas.
Fermilab scientists have reached the lowest temperature ever achieved at Fermilab, testing a refrigerator for the SuperCDMS dark matter experiment. The fridge, which operates at close to absolute zero, is now one step closer toward installation at SNOLAB in Canada.
From Black Hills Pioneer, Dec. 13, 2019: Scientists at Fermilab and the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota are eager to begin collecting data from the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, which is hosted by Fermilab. But before the world’s largest neutrino experiment can begin producing results, more than 800,000 tons of rock will need to be removed from the 4,850-foot level of a former mine to make room for the detectors.
From Gizmodo, Dec. 13, 2019: Fermilab scientist Dan Hooper is quoted in this article on a new paper that says dark matter could be responsible for the mysterious observation of gamma rays in the center of our galaxy.
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, a flagship astronomy and astrophysics project currently under construction on a mountaintop in Chile, will be named for astronomer Vera Rubin, a key figure in the history of the search for dark matter.
The Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers names Fermilab scientist Vladimir Shiltsev an IEEE fellow. The honor is conferred by the IEEE Board of Directors upon a person with an outstanding record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest.