A new telescope will take a sequence of snapshots with the world’s largest digital camera, covering the entire visible night sky every few days — and repeating the process for an entire decade. What’s the best way to rapidly and automatically identify and categorize all of the stars, galaxies and other objects captured in these images? Data scientists trained have computers to pick out useful information from these hi-res snapshots of the universe.
For several weeks, a prototype detector for the Fermilab-hosted Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment collected data using beams from CERN’s particle accelerators. The results show a mature technology exceeding all expectations. It’s the culmination of three years of hard work by a global team dedicated to constructing and bringing the new detector online.
From the University of Rochester’s Campus Times, Jan. 23, 2019: A University of Rochester undergraduate working on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment is interested in characterizing neutrinos because of the broad impact the particles may have on the very existence of matter.
From Live Science, Jan. 22, 2019:
Fermilab’s Family Open House is a chance for the whole family to spend an afternoon learning about science in a hands-on way and have fun doing it. This year’s event, running from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10, will feature the Great Neutrino Hunt, live physics demonstrations, a memorial to Leon Lederman, and several activities for kids and their parents to enjoy.
From CNN, Jan. 20, 2019: Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln writes about the science of “Into the Spider-Verse.” “There on the screen was fictional scientific equipment that was clearly inspired by the actual apparatus that my colleagues and I use to try to unlock the mysteries of the universe.”
From WDCB’s First Light, Jan. 20, 2019: This WDCB interview features Fermilab scientists Brenna Flaugher and Tom Diehl talking about the final nights of the Dark Energy Survey.
A pair of 1964 films detailing the construction of Stanford Linear Accelerator Center were recently remastered and are now available for viewing on YouTube. The films provide a fascinating look back at the origins of SLAC and the history of particle physics in the United States. At the time of the production, SLAC was the largest civilian basic science project ever undertaken in the United States.
From Nature, Jan. 23, 2019: Fermilab’s neutrino program is mentioned positively in this editorial about plans for the next circular collider in Europe.
Fermilab’s quantum program includes a number of leading-edge research initiatives that build on the lab’s unique capabilities as the U.S. center for high-energy physics and a leader in quantum physics research. On the tour, researchers discussed quantum technologies for communication, high-energy physics experiments, algorithms and theory, and superconducting qubits hosted in superconducting radio-frequency cavities.