High-energy physics panel to reflect on field’s progress; DOE science programs see boosts under House proposal

Fermilab scientist Erik Ramberg and the Fermilab Archives present a new exhibit, “From Amber to Electrons: A Study of Electricity,” as part of their series on the history of physics in print. The exhibit can be viewed in the glass display case in the Fermilab Art Gallery through the end of June. The gallery is located on the second floor of Fermilab’s Wilson Hall and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The exhibit showcases printed publications, an image, and an object that reflect scientific and conceptual understandings of electricity, from Ben Franklin’s famous kite and key experiment in 1752 to J. J. Thomson’s discovery at the end of the 19^th century that electrical currents were made of particles called electrons.

Thales of Miletus was arguably the world’s first scientist and the best scientist of the ancient world. In 600 BC he investigated static electricity. He learned that when amber is rubbed by fur, the amber can move small particles around without touching them. The word for amber in Greek is “elektron.” Thales’s natural philosophy was based on the idea that water is the fundamental ingredient of the world, and he presumed that electricity was some unique form of fluid.

From the ancient investigators to now, we have learned that the electron is only one of the three fundamental charged leptons — the electron, muon and tau. Each of the leptons can produce a “current.” Why are there three generations and not 10? Why is the mass of the electron so small? These are questions scientists are still trying to answer.

This exhibit was designed by Valerie Higgins, Karin Kemp and Erik Ramberg. Exhibited items are from Erik Ramberg’s collection.

What could be better than spending a fun-filled day outdoors and learning about natural science at the same time?

For the 11th year in a row, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is inviting families, scout troops and other youth groups to attend the Family Outdoor Fair on Sunday, June 9, from 1-4 p.m. The fair takes place outside the Lederman Science Center and highlights the plant and animal life found on the 6,800-acre Fermilab site in Batavia.

More than a dozen outdoor activities are planned for the fair, including a prairie scavenger hunt and a visit with Fermilab’s herd of bison. Kids can test whether they can run as fast as a bison, can sweep for insects and pond critters, and thanks to the Naperville Astronomical Association, can safely get a long look at the sun.

Once again, the Northern Illinois Raptor Rehabilitation and Education Center, along with local raptor trainers, will be on hand with live hawks, falcons and owls, as well as a collection of bird bones, feathers and hunting gear for children to enjoy.

“As a National Environmental Research Park, Fermilab studies our many ecosystems which include the amazing plants and animals that make our natural sites unique,” said Maureen Hix of the Fermilab Office of Education and Public Outreach. “We want kids and parents to connect with this nature through hands-on opportunities, to discover the wonder and value that nature provides us. We hope they will transfer this experience to their own back yards!”

Of course, their back yards probably aren’t quite as vast as Fermilab’s. More than 1,000 acres of the laboratory site is restored natural prairie and restoration continues in woodland and wetland areas as well. This is part of Fermilab’s mission through the U.S. Department of Energy as a National Environmental Research Park.

The Family Outdoor Fair is geared for first through seventh grade students. The fair is free, and will take place rain or shine. Members of the media are welcome to attend. No registration is required. For more information, call 630-840-5588 or email edreg@fnal.gov.

The Fermilab Outdoor Fair is supported by Fermilab Friends for Science Education.

Fermilab is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, Fermilab is located near Chicago, Illinois, and operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance, LLC. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on Twitter at @Fermilab.

The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://energy.gov/science.

How long have you been with Fermilab?

I’ve been here a couple times actually, but I’ve been in this particular position nine months or so. Before I got my current position, during my undergraduate, in 2007, I was one of the Fermilab summer interns. After that, I came back from 2008 to 2009 and got to continue that work. Then I went to graduate school and worked at the University of Washington in Seattle for a bit as a postdoctoral researcher. As it turns out, I got to come back and work here again at the end of July 2018.

What is your role here at Fermilab?

I lead the detector development for the Axion Dark Matter eXperiment—ADMX for short. We recently finished fabricating this new detector for the upcoming run, which is very exciting. I’m also managing the electronics branch of ADMX. The other project I’m working on involves developing qubit-based quantum sensors. The idea is that qubits could potentially be developed into future generations of dark matter detectors.

What about your job makes it easy to get up in the morning?

I like to think of the bigger picture when I am buried in everyday work and lose sight of why I am doing what I am doing. I’m lucky because we’re in an exciting time regarding ADMX. We are actually the leading experiment for axion searches in the world. On any given day, we could discover an axion. Plus, ever since I was little, it was my dream to be a physicist, and here I am working on exactly what I always wanted to. I sometimes have to stop and remind myself how lucky I am to be living my childhood dream.

What do you like most about working at Fermilab?

I really like how Fermilab puts a strong emphasis on wellness and well-being. They offer these yoga and Pilates classes. I actually took a couple of those last year, which was awesome. It also has plenty of fun events happening throughout the year that everyone is encouraged to take part in. It honestly just feels like a community that you don’t necessarily get elsewhere.

When you’re not searching for axions, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I have a puppy, Tulu. She’s just a year old. I really like playing with her. We try to take walks whenever the weather allows it. I also really like trying out different foods with my partner when he’s in town. I try to reach out to young people to discuss various career-related issues, whenever I have time. I organize lunches that we informally call “Women in Science.” These include postdocs and graduate students who discuss topics pertinent to academic women. Those types of informal talks are really fun. In addition, I enjoy advising students outside the United States regarding undergraduate and graduate school applications, scholarships and available opportunities in a scientific career. I also give talks on physics through webinars to people outside the United States, usually in Nepal, since I grew up there.

To learn more about ADMX’s search for dark matter, watch this 3-minute YouTube video.

 

The European Physical Society has awarded the CDF and DZero collaborations at the Department of Energy’s Fermilab with the 2019 European Physical Society High Energy and Particle Physics Prize “for the discovery of the top quark and the detailed measurement of its properties.”

EPS awards the prize every two years to one or more persons or to collaborations for an outstanding contribution to high-energy and particle physics in an experimental, theoretical or technological area.

The CDF and DZero collaborations used the Tevatron particle collider at Fermilab to gather the data for their discovery. The two collaborations, each comprising hundreds of scientists from around the world, jointly announced the discovery of the top quark in 1995, the final undiscovered quark of the six predicted by theory. Since then CDF and DZero scientists have measured the top quark’s mass and properties to high precision using the full data sets from the upgraded Tevatron collider.

Learn more about the top quark and other key discoveries at Fermilab.