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.
Many staff know the Fermilab Test Beam Facility as that building with the roof made of arched half pipes, but how much do we know about what goes on under that roof?
The new Fermilab Test Beam Facility website has recently been released. Check out the updated site. The website offers an improved interface for users, hosting detailed information about using the test beams. Visit the site to learn all about Fermilab’s world-class detector test facility.