News at work

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes Fermilab for its strong commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining the nation’s veterans.

Since 2010, the African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications has provided education to hundreds of students. The ASP is a three-week summer program for university-level students from across the continent of Africa. Participants learn about nuclear and particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, accelerator physics, high-performance computing, quantum information and more. For some students, it’s the first time they hear about some of these topics.

Quiz time: This week we’re spotlighting news about ADMX and its recent results. But first, join Fermilab News at Work in congratulating Abhishek Bakshi for winning last week’s quiz.

On November 18, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and South Dakota Services Division team held our all-hands meeting following the director’s all-hands in September. Elaine McCluskey, Patrick Weber, and I shared some highlights from and priorities for the division. These are the top five takeaways from that meeting.

What began as an experiment in a nine-ounce cup of water has been developed into a full-scale technology that recently became a finalist for a 2019 R&D 100 Award. Achieving the honor was E-MOP™ — electromagnetic oil spill remediation technology — developed from patents owned by Fermilab. The technology uses materials that are environmentally safe, reusable and natural.

In October, leaders of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment met with a delegation in the country of Georgia to discuss possible collaboration on the experiment’s near-site particle detector at Fermilab.

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment, equipped with a novel light detection technology and water enhancement that distinguish it from other high-energy neutrino experiments, will start taking data next month.

For the last three decades, physicists have patiently waited for the next nearby supernova. Luckily, waiting is no longer the only option.
With an upgrade to the Super-Kamiokande detector, neutrino physicists will gain access to the supernovae of the past.

Quantum mechanics is perhaps the most misunderstood of modern physics topics, with many counterintuitive concepts like cats being both alive and dead and with claims that something doesn’t exist until a human looks at it. In this 10-minute video, Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln boils quantum mechanics down to its essence and demystifies this mystifying theory.

Today Fermilab announces the launch of the Fermilab Quantum Institute, which will bring all of the lab’s quantum science and technology projects under one umbrella. This new enterprise signals Fermilab’s commitment to this burgeoning field, working alongside scientific institutions and industry partners from around the world. The laboratory will use particle physics expertise to kick-start quantum technology for computing, sensors, simulations and communication.

A series of joint NASA and ESA spacewalks four years in the making aims to extend the life of the AMS particle detector. On Nov. 15, astronauts took on a series of tasks ranging in difficulty from zip-tie-cutting to safely launching a piece of equipment into space, all while orbiting the planet at around 5 miles per second. The goal was to fix a component of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an international particle physics experiment, and to extend its study of cosmic rays, dark matter and antimatter for another decade.

The Chicago Wilderness Excellence in Ecological Restoration Award is a recognition of Fermilab’s dedication to protect, restore and maintain its natural areas.