Neutrinos made several November debuts at Fermilab. What else did?
Neutrinos are the least understood particles in the Standard Model of particle physics.
November 1971: First neutrinos detected
In early 1971, NAL Director Robert R. Wilson told the lab’s Users’ Organization that “one of the first aims of experiments on the NAL accelerator system will be the detection of a neutrino. I feel that we then will be in business to do experiments on our accelerator.” Later that year, neutrinos were detected at Fermilab for the first time by E-21, an experiment named “Neutrino Physics at Very High Energies” run by a Caltech group.
In early 1971, NAL Director Robert R. Wilson told the lab’s Users’ Organization that “one of the first aims of experiments on the NAL accelerator system will be the detection of a neutrino. I feel that we then will be in business to do experiments on our accelerator.” Later that year, neutrinos were detected at Fermilab for the first time by E-21, an experiment named “Neutrino Physics at Very High Energies” run by a Caltech group.
MicroBooNE’s first detection of a neutrino event took place in 2015.
Nov. 2, 2015: MicroBooNE detects first neutrinos
On Nov. 2, 2015, MicroBooNE announced that it had detected neutrinos generated by the Fermilab accelerators for the first time. MicroBooNE uses a 170-ton liquid-argon time projection chamber on Fermilab’s Booster neutrino beamline. The detector is part of a phased program moving towards the construction of a much larger time projection chamber detector for DUNE.
On Nov. 2, 2015, MicroBooNE announced that it had detected neutrinos generated by the Fermilab accelerators for the first time. MicroBooNE uses a 170-ton liquid-argon time projection chamber on Fermilab’s Booster neutrino beamline. The detector is part of a phased program moving towards the construction of a much larger time projection chamber detector for DUNE.
The landmark buildings of the early laboratory’s experimental areas are clockwise from left: Proton Pagoda, Meson Lab and Geodesic Dome.
Nov. 3, 1972: Activation of experimental areas completed
When it was constructed, the lab had four experimental areas: the Internal Target Area, the Neutrino Area, the Meson Area and the Proton Area. The Internal Target Area was located in the Main Ring. The other three experimental areas each ultimately had a distinctive building: the Geodesic Dome in the Neutrino Area, the Meson Lab (designed by Wilson) in the Meson Area and the Proton Pagoda in the Proton Area. On Nov. 3, 1972, the accelerator sent a beam of protons down the Proton Area experimental line. This marked the complete activation of the experimental areas (the other three were already online).
When it was constructed, the lab had four experimental areas: the Internal Target Area, the Neutrino Area, the Meson Area and the Proton Area. The Internal Target Area was located in the Main Ring. The other three experimental areas each ultimately had a distinctive building: the Geodesic Dome in the Neutrino Area, the Meson Lab (designed by Wilson) in the Meson Area and the Proton Pagoda in the Proton Area. On Nov. 3, 1972, the accelerator sent a beam of protons down the Proton Area experimental line. This marked the complete activation of the experimental areas (the other three were already online).
The NOvA far detector saw first neutrinos in 2013.
Nov. 12, 2013: NOvA far detector detects first neutrinos
The NOvA far detector is constructed from PVC and filled with a scintillating liquid that gives off light when a neutrino interacts with it. It detected its first neutrino sent from Fermilab on Nov. 12, 2013.
The NOvA far detector is constructed from PVC and filled with a scintillating liquid that gives off light when a neutrino interacts with it. It detected its first neutrino sent from Fermilab on Nov. 12, 2013.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs a bill.
Nov. 21, 1967: First funds for construction
On Nov. 21, 1967, at the 89th Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an appropriations bill authorizing the first funds for the construction of the National Accelerator Laboratory, $7.3 million.
On Nov. 21, 1967, at the 89th Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an appropriations bill authorizing the first funds for the construction of the National Accelerator Laboratory, $7.3 million.
The global neutrino physics community is coming together to develop a leading-edge, dual-site experiment for neutrino science called the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), hosted at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. The facility required for this experiment, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF), will comprise the world’s highest-intensity neutrino beam at Fermilab and the infrastructure necessary to support massive cryogenic detectors installed deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility 1,300 kilometers away in Lead, South Dakota, as well as detectors at Fermilab.
Scientists from more than 175 institutions in 31 countries make up the DUNE scientific collaboration, which is conducting R&D and designing the experiment’s massive detectors. Two large prototype liquid-argon detectors (called ProtoDUNEs) are under construction at CERN and will be tested with that lab’s particle beam in the fall of 2018. And a high-level science and technology agreement was recently signed with the United Kingdom that supports participation by that country in LBNF/DUNE.
In parallel, Fermilab and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science have been working with international partners to develop and execute agreements that pave the way towards greater scientific collaboration, from the exchange of personnel to the joint design and delivery of components for accelerators and detectors.
In October 2016, Fermilab signed an agreement with the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence in Particle Physics at the Terascale, a consortium of four universities. Since then, agreements that establish joint interest and activities in particle physics research have been signed by Fermilab with additional institutions including the Federal University of ABC in Brazil, the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany, the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of Colima in Mexico. A student exchange program was also established with the Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular in Spain.
And the pace of the development of new partnerships continues to increase. Two agreements were recently signed in the same week: The first on Oct. 17 between Fermilab and Canada’s York University establishing a joint faculty position; and the second on Oct. 19 with France’s Institute for Nuclear and Particle Physics, part of the country’s National Center for Scientific Research.
As construction continues for the laboratory’s Short-Baseline Neutrino program and ramps up for LBNF/DUNE, keep an eye on Fermilab’s website and Twitter feed for news of even more international agreements toward joint research in neutrino science.
An instructor from the BSCS delivers information and materials to the education leaders from Fermilab and Argonne. Photo: Reidar Hahn
For the first time, the Fermilab Office of Education and Public Outreach hosted a series of a new kind of professional development workshop — one where teachers played the roles not only of educator, but also student and curriculum designer. The events were aimed at providing new knowledge, tools and techniques for educators passionate about spreading STEM fields.
In total, 14 people attended the first workshop on Oct. 10, which was developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, or BSCS, a nonprofit organization focused on science teaching and learning. Participants included education program leaders from both the Fermilab Education Office and Argonne National Laboratory, along with teachers who serve as instructors for Fermilab teacher workshops.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop,” said Milton Harris, teacher at Clarendon Hills Middle School and program instructor at the Fermilab Beauty & Charm program, an activity-based science program for middle schoolers. “What I liked most was the focus on transformative teaching and learning as it relates to the NGSS.”
NGSS, or Next Generation Science Standards, is a multistate agreement to provide a benchmark for science education in schools.
The first of four sessions focused on developing and using models — one of the eight NGSS science and engineering practices.
During the workshop, representatives embedded participants in the workshop from multiple angles.
Attendees of the workshop collaborate and get involved in the activities on Oct. 10. Photo: Reidar Hahn
“The presenter really made us think about and envision what this would look like from the perspective of a student, a teacher and a professional development provider,” Harris said.
This first session was also designed to provide a platform for the attendees to discuss NGSS practices, as well as strategies for the most effective professional development. Further sessions were delivered each day of the week, until Oct. 13.
“The workshop was a unique opportunity for us to bring together our teacher leaders and our educational program leaders,” said Susan Dahl of the Fermilab Office of Education and co-organizer of the events. “They are experiencing NGSS learning as both a learner and as a teacher and, in doing so, can consider how they as professional development planners and providers can develop experiences for the teachers in our workshops and the students on our field trips.”
The experience for Fermilab’s teacher leaders was funded by the Fermilab Friends for Science Education, a not-for-profit organization that supports science education programs at Fermilab.
Fermilab’s Office of Education provides educational resources and support to a wide array of audiences, from the public to teachers to laboratory staff, in the pursuit of developing the STEM workforce and stimulating science literacy. Working with external institutes also engenders successful professional development.
“By including our education colleagues from Argonne, we can establish potential relationships between our areas of expertise,” Dahl said, “and see possibilities to work together to complement our work.”
Editor’s note: This release was issued by the international Interactions Collaboration, a group of science communicators representing the world’s particle physics laboratories. Fermilab is a member of this collaboration and is sponsoring several Dark Matter Day events.
The world will soon be celebrating the hunt for the universe’s most elusive matter in a series of Dark Matter Day (www.darkmatterday.com) events planned in over a dozen countries.
The events, planned on and around the formally recognized day on Oct. 31, 2017, will engage the public in discussions about dark matter, which together with dark energy makes up about 95 percent of the mass and energy in our universe. Although we know through its gravitational effects that dark matter greatly dwarfs the visible matter in our universe, we know little about it.
How can I get involved?
Universities, institutions, science centers and individuals have already announced Dark Matter Day-themed events in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and in the U.K. and U.S., with more events on the way. There are also several online events planned if you can’t be there in person.
- View the full events list, a country-sorted list, or a list of online or virtual events.
- There still time to organize your own event. Check out our Event Starter Kit.
- Also, you can help promote dark matter day to your friends, colleagues, and social network. Join an online campaign (via Thunderclap) to get the word out about Dark Matter Day, and use #darkmatterday in your social posts.
What is dark matter?
Dark matter explains how galaxies spin at a faster-than-expected rate without coming apart. Scientists know from these and other space observations that there is “missing” mass — something we can’t see — that makes up an estimated 95 percent of the total mass and energy of the universe. So a big part of the universe is largely unknown to us.
Finding out what dark matter is made of is a pressing pursuit in physics. We don’t yet know if it’s composed of undiscovered particles or whether it requires some other change in our understanding of the universe’s laws of physics. A host of innovative experiments are searching for the source of dark matter using different types of tools, such as mile-deep detectors, powerful particle beams, and space-based and ground-based telescopes.
Why is there a day dedicated to dark matter?
Revealing dark matter’s true nature will tell us a lot about the origins, evolution and overall structure in the universe and will reshape our understanding of physics.
Dark Matter Day events are intended to educate the public about the importance of learning all we can about dark matter to develop a fuller picture of the unseen universe. Focusing more brain power and scientific resources on dark matter’s mysteries could lead to new ideas and new discoveries.
Who is behind Dark Matter Day?
This first-ever Dark Matter Day campaign was conceived by the Interactions Collaboration, a group of science communicators representing the world’s particle physics laboratories. The collaboration also runs the www.darkmatterday.com website as a resource for people who want to host or attend local Dark Matter Day events.
Need more help?
Members of the Interactions Collaboration want you to be a part of Dark Matter Day. Please send an email to darkmatterday@interactions.org with any questions, comments or suggestions.
For a press contact in your region visit: http://www.darkmatterday.com/contacts
The Interactions Collaboration (Interactions.org) seeks to support the international science of particle physics and to set visible footprints for peaceful collaboration across all borders. The www.darkmatter.com website was developed and is jointly maintained by the Interactions Collaboration, whose members represent the world’s particle physics laboratories and institutions in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, with funding provided by science funding agencies from many nations.