From DOE, Dec. 11, 2019: Secretary Brouillette served in the U.S. Army and has three decades of experience in both the public and private sector, most recently as the deputy secretary of energy.
Public
Scientists on Fermilab’s MicroBooNE experiment have measured neutrino interactions on argon with unprecedented statistics and precision using data on the resultant muons — in particular, the muon’s momentum and angle. The experiment features the first liquid-argon time projection chamber with the resolution and statistics to carry out such a measurement. Researchers will use the result to improve simulations of neutrino interactions. These improvements are important for neutrino experiments in general, including the Short-Baseline Neutrino program experiments and the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, both hosted by Fermilab.
Scientists at CERN have found a way to learn more about the interior of neutron stars using the Large Hadron Collider. Researchers on the ALICE experiment are uncovering the properties of elusive hyperon particles hypothesized to be found inside neutron stars.
In November, the Chicago Quantum Exchange held a workshop about ethics and societal impacts of artificial intelligence and quantum computing technologies. Participants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, from physicists to sociologists, discussed the implications of technology on society and vice versa and identified critical steps scientists need to take so technology is developed and implemented ethically and responsibly.
The results are out: According to a just-released economic impact study, Fermilab provides substantial benefits for the state of Illinois. It has directly and indirectly generated millions of dollars for Illinois households, businesses and the state. The total annual economic impact in Illinois came to $452 million.
From DOE, Dec. 9, 2019: Fermilab scientist Josh Frieman writes about the search for the nature of dark energy at the national laboratories and how the Office of Science’s High Energy Physics program has been at the vanguard of a number of cosmic surveys.
The year 2019 was a banner one for Albert Einstein: It included the first image of a black hole and the 100th anniversary of the 1919 solar eclipse expeditions that validated his theory of general relativity. Learn more about both, plus topics such as quantum theory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the science (and fiction) of “Game of Thrones” in Symmetry writer Mike Perricone’s annual list of new popular physics books.
From Forbes, Dec. 6, 2019: Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln gives a primer on neutrinos, neutrino oscillation and how studying neutrinos can help scientists explain the observed dominance of matter in the universe. And they’re doing just that with two Fermilab experiments, NOvA and DUNE.
From Time, Dec. 6, 2019: Fermilab scientist Dan Hooper summarizes the current state of the search for dark matter. Scientists can say with great confidence that we understand how and why our universe evolved over the vast majority of its history. From this perspective, the universe looks more comprehensible than ever before. And yet, not all is understood.
From Forbes, Nov. 29, 2019: Books by Fermilab scientist Dan Hooper and Fermilab Office of Education and Public Outreach Head Becky Thompson are selected for this holiday gift guide.