Mu2e

The discovery of the muon originally confounded physicists. Today international experiments are using the previously perplexing particle to gain a new understanding of our world.

The Cavalier Daily, Nov. 20, 2019: University physicists are beginning to make their mark on two multimillion dollar experiments in particle physics by contributing their research analyses to experiments at Fermilab for short: the Mu2e muon experiment and the NOvA neutrino experiment. NOvA is under way, and Mu2e is scheduled to begin in 2023.

From University of Virginia, Nov. 4, 2019: University of Virginia physicists are building major components for one of the largest and most complex physics experiments ever conducted in the United States: a $271 million particle physics project at Fermilab called the Muon-to-electron Conversion Experiment, or Mu2e.

The evolution of one of the most critical components of the Mu2e experiment, the production target, is a testament to the strength of the team putting it together.

These international projects, selected during the process to plan the future of U.S. particle physics, are all set to come online within the next 10 years.

Technicians take on maintenance and upgrades during Fermilab’s annual accelerator shutdown.

A new cryogenic facility provides a place for superconducting magnet tests before the Mu2e detector is assembled.

The forthcoming Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will kidnap muons and trap them in aluminum atoms. But what exactly happens when you shoot a muon at an aluminum foil? While Mu2e is under construction, its scientists are already getting some valuable answers from a smaller accomplice: AlCap.