Friday, Feb. 20, 2015
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Have a safe day!

Friday, Feb. 20

2 p.m.
All-computing all-hands meeting - CDF Big Room

3:30 p.m.
Director's Coffee Break - WH2XO

4 p.m.
Joint Experimental-Theoretical Physics Seminar - One West
Speaker: Stephen Parke, Fermilab
Title: What We Really Know About the Neutrino Mixing Matrix

Monday, Feb. 23

2 p.m.
Particle Astrophysics Seminar - Curia II
Speaker: Abigail Vieregg, University of Chicago
Title: Probing the Ultra-High Energy Universe with the Greenland Neutrino Observatory

3:30 p.m.
Director's Coffee Break - WH2XO

4 p.m.
All Experimenters' Meeting - Curia II
Special Topics: Muon g-2, COUPP/PICO

Visit the labwide calendar to view Fermilab events

Weather
Weather Snow likely
21°/19°

Extended forecast
Weather at Fermilab

Current Flag Status

Flags at full staff

Wilson Hall Cafe

Friday, Feb. 20

- Breakfast: big country breakfast
- Breakfast: chorizo and egg burrito
- Pepper and eggs sandwich
- Chana masala
- Beer-battered fish
- Honey mustard ham and Swiss
- Taco salad
- Tomato basil bisque
- Texas-style chili
- Assorted pizza by the slice

Wilson Hall Cafe menu

Chez Leon

Friday, Feb. 20
Dinner
Closed

Wednesday, Feb. 25
Lunch
- Vegetable stir fry
- Pineapple coconut banana upside-down cake

Chez Leon menu
Call x3524 to make your reservation.

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From symmetry

Ten unusual detector materials

The past century has generated some creative ideas for tracking particles. Image: Sandbox Studio

Hans had been waiting in the darkened room for 45 minutes. It was a dull part of his day, but acclimating his eyes was a necessary part of his experiment — counting faint sparkles of light caused by alpha particles deflecting off a thin metal foil.

The experiment was part of a series organized by Ernest Rutherford in 1908, and it led to the discovery of the atomic nucleus. Rutherford's assistant, physicist Hans Geiger, would share credit for the discovery.

Their experiment was particle physics in its infancy.

Studying particle physics requires revealing the smallest bits of matter. This work might involve hurling billions of accelerated particles at a target and watching for the flash of energy that results from the crash. It might involve setting up a detector to wait for particles created in nature to pass through.

Over the years, electronics and mainframe computers have taken over Rutherford and Geiger's painstaking particle-counting duties. And physicists have used a host of materials other than foil to lure those particles — including hard-to-catch neutrinos — into view.

Read more

Troy Rummler

Death

In memoriam: Michael Gerardi

Michael Gerardi

Fermilab retiree Michael A. Gerardi passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Michael began working at Fermilab in the Proton Department in September 1979. He later became the radiation safety officer for the Research Division Proton Experimental Areas. In 1997 he transferred to the Accelerator Division, serving as the division's radiation safety officer until his retirement in October 2011. Even in retirement Michael continued to assist with Fermilab's radiation safety program as a retired guest scientist.

"In the early 1980s, as the Tevatron fixed-target program developed, Mike played a key role in achieving the success of that program," said Fermilab scientist Don Cossairt of the ESH&Q Section. "He was always available to innovate safe radiological work practices, often at odd hours and on weekends. His dedication is still well-remembered. Mike also had a sense of humor that helped to overcome the bumps in the road."

He was also known for being reliable.

"Mike's responsibilities were serious, but he was never far from a smile," said Bill Higgins, AD radiation physicist. "He was my supervisor for 18 years. Mike gave me some of his tremendous knowledge, and he gave me some wisdom, too. He'd remind us that in rad safety we're here to help people get their work done, not slow them down."

Mike loved his job and always told me it was because of the people he worked with. I miss the many philosophical discussions we had on how to address emerging radiation safety challenges. Mike was a good friend that I will sincerely miss.

Michael's internment will be private.

John Anderson Jr., Accelerator Division senior safety officer

In the News

The problem with dark matter

From Cosmos, Feb. 16, 2015

Let me begin by telling you that dark matter is real. The evidence is overwhelming. Without dark matter stars would escape their galaxies and galaxy clusters would come unbound. Unfortunately the same clues that assure us that dark matter is real make it maddeningly hard to detect. As far as we can tell, dark matter doesn't interact at all with electromagnetic radiation — so no emission of light, no absorption, and no scattering.

Read more

In Brief

All-hands meeting video and slides are now online

On Feb. 17, Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer led an all-hands meeting to discuss the current state of the laboratory. A video of the talk and the presentation slides are now available in the online archive.

Construction Update

Beamline enclosure construction on Muon Campus

The MC-1 Building looms in the background as construction materials are delivered to the foundation of the Mu2e beamline. Photo: Tom Gibbs, ESH&Q

The ongoing conventional construction activity at the muon area these days involves its beamline enclosure.

This enclosure will serve as the housing for extracted beam from the Delivery Ring to both the Muon g-2 and Mu2e experiments. The enclosure replicates the many other beamline enclosures on site, housing beamline magnets, low-conductivity water used for cooling magnets, and power and control cables.

The enclosure will be buried under an earth berm, providing the required shielding to the outside. The earthwork, which includes the excavation and backfill as well as the concrete that forms the floor, walls and roof of the enclosure, is the major cost driver for the enclosure.

Tom Lackowski

This overview photo, taken from the top of Wilson Hall, shows construction progress on the muon area. Photo: Marty Murphy, AD
Photo of the Day

How deer you are

A deer stands on the Main Injector berm at sunset. Photo: Denton Morris, AD
Announcements

Fermilab Natural Areas presents Hawk Talk - Feb. 21

No on-site prescription safety eyewear - Feb. 25

School's Day Out - Feb. 27

English country dancing at Kuhn Barn - March 1

NALWO Puerto Rican cooking demo - March 9

Deadline for on-site housing requests for summer 2015 - March 9

URA Thesis Award competition deadline - March 20

Managing Conflict on March 24

Getting paid the greener way - get paperless pay stubs

Microsoft Office 2013 ebooks

Fermi Singers seek new members in New Year

Yoga signup due soon

Pilates registration

Need cash for college? Abri is awarding two $1,000 scholarships

Scottish country dancing Tuesday evenings at Kuhn Barn

International folk dancing Thursday evenings at Kuhn Barn

Indoor soccer

Open gym basketball for gym members