Fermilab’s NOvA neutrino experiment records in its giant particle detector the passage of slippery particles called neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts, antineutrinos. Famously elusive, these particles’ interactions are challenging to capture, requiring the steady accumulation of interaction data to be able to pin down their characteristics. With five years’ worth of data, NOvA is adding to scientists’ understanding of neutrinos’ mass and oscillation behavior.
From Daily Herald, Nov. 4, 2019: Thirty-eight high school students from throughout the suburbs got to participate in hands-on activities and learn from field experts in physics, computer science, and mechanical and electrical engineering.
From University of Virginia, Nov. 4, 2019: University of Virginia physicists are building major components for one of the largest and most complex physics experiments ever conducted in the United States: a $271 million particle physics project at Fermilab called the Muon-to-electron Conversion Experiment, or Mu2e.
Xu’s $2.5 million award will fund the development of technologies used to make superconductors for the next generation of high-energy circular colliders.
From CERN, Nov. 6, 2019: The CERN Council has selected Fabiola Gianotti as the organization’s next director-general, her second term of office. The appointment will be formalized at the December session of the Council, and Gianotti’s new five-year term of office will begin on Jan. 1, 2021. This is the first time in CERN’s history that a director-general has been appointed for a full second term.
From In the Moment, Oct. 31, 2019: In this 42-minute podcast, Fermilab scientist Dan Hooper talks about particles, relativity and the origins of our universe, outlining our growing understanding of the conditions in which our universe began, highlighting what we know about the first few seconds after the Big Bang and how several astronomers and mathematicians throughout history helped us determine that the universe was expanding.
From C2ST TV, Oct. 21, 2019: On Sept. 25, the Chicago Council on Science and Technology hosted a celebration of the life of Fermilab’s second director, Leon Lederman. Fermilab leadership and scientists gave presentations and participated in a panel on Lederman’s sweeping contributions to science and science education. The event is now available on C2ST’s YouTube channel.
The evolution of one of the most critical components of the Mu2e experiment, the production target, is a testament to the strength of the team putting it together.
Test beams generally sit to the side of full-on accelerators, sipping beam and passing it to the reconfigurable spaces housing temporary experiments. Scientists bring pieces of their detectors — sensors, chips, electronics or other material — and blast them with the well-understood beam to see if things work how they expect, and if their software performs as expected. Before a detector component can head to its forever home, it has to pass the test.
From Physics World, Nov. 1, 2019: Many science journalists will be familiar with the work of Reidar Hahn, who is retiring after 32 years as Fermilab’s staff photographer. On Nov. 6, Fermilab’s art gallery is putting on a show of Hahn’s personal work called Collections, which will run until Jan. 3, 2020.