Fermilab Today

Symmetry: How did you end up at Fermilab?
Lindsay Olson: In March 2014 I had an exhibition of my work at North Park College. Several members of the Fermilab art committee attended my talk. Hearing me speak about one of my residencies, Georgia Schwender, curator of Fermilab's art gallery, invited me to help her establish a pilot residency that would continue Fermilab's tradition of nurturing both art and science.

S: What did you do during your residency?
LO: During a residency, I want to have a full immersion experience. I worked closely with passionate scientists, including Don Lincoln, Sam Zeller and Debbie Harris. I read books and popular science journalism, attended public lectures, and watched videos. This immersive learning is the scaffolding from which I create my art.

S: What's your artistic process like?
LO: I want to make engaging, accessible art about real, complicated science: art that will connect with the public and inspire them to ask their own questions about the nature of reality and the origin of the cosmos. When I converse with a scientist, I glean the key points and translate them in an artistic way. Many artists use oil paint, watercolor and other traditional materials. But when I work, I want to use media to reinforce the message in the art. Everyone uses textiles in their daily lives, so creating work in them felt like a natural choice.

—Chris Patrick

Photo of the Day

Baring branches

nature, fall, autumn, building, Wilson Hall, tree

Everything is fall around Wilson Hall. Photo: Robert Carrara, OCIO

In the News

A particle accelerator the size of a sewing needle

From IEEE Spectrum, Oct. 14, 2015

An international research team has demonstrated a high-performance particle accelerator the size of a 1-millimeter mechanical pencil replacement lead.

Tens of thousands of particle accelerators around the world are used for more than physics research. They are also used to manufacture semiconductors, probe new materials, illuminate too-fast-to-follow chemical reactions, treat cancer, strengthen polymers, sterilize medical devices, and even to make diamonds green and pearls black.

In the News

Tiny terahertz accelerator could rival huge free-electron lasers

From Physics World, Oct. 12, 2015

Physicists in the US, Germany and Canada have built a miniature particle accelerator that uses terahertz radiation instead of radio waves to create pulses of high-energy electrons. A single accelerator module of the prototype is just 1.5 cm long and 1 mm thick, and the technology has the potential to create facilities that are much smaller than current radio-frequency (RF) accelerators. Potential applications include free-electron lasers, whereby the electrons are used to create coherent pulses of X-rays. However, the team cautions that much more work is needed to develop the technology so it can be used in medicine, particle physics and material science.

In Brief

Open enrollment for Fermilab employees begins today

Open enrollment for benefits will take place from Oct. 16-30. Open enrollment is your opportunity to make changes to your benefits coverage for the coming year. Changes made during open enrollment will be effective Jan. 1, 2016. Effective Jan. 1, 2016, Unum will be Fermilab's carrier for life and long-term disability insurance coverage, replacing Cigna. There will be no change to your coverage as a result of this transition. If you are already enrolled in supplemental life insurance, your coverage will continue at the same premium rates that you pay today.

Unum will offer Fermilab employees a one-time open enrollment for employee supplemental and dependent life insurance. If you have not enrolled in life insurance before or wish to increase your coverage, you may enroll up to the "guaranteed issue" amount without answering health-related questions (that is, without providing "evidence of insurability").

Open enrollment informational meetings will be held throughout the two-week enrollment period. Plan to attend a meeting to learn more about the 2016 offerings. The enrollment meeting on Monday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. in One West will be streamed live and recorded.

The Benefits Office and your HR partner are available to answer your questions about open enrollment. Please email benefitsoffice@fnal.gov or call x3395 to make an appointment, or contact your division or section's assigned HR partner.

Milestone

Bob Slazyk retires after 34 years at Fermilab

Bob Slazyk

Accelerator Division Technical Supervisor Bob Slazyk came to Fermilab in 1981. Now, 34 years later, he is retiring.

Before coming to Fermilab, Bob served for four years in the Marine Corps as an aircraft machinist. He rose to the rank of sergeant as he served time in east Asia. He credits learning his leadership skills during this time.

Bob began at Fermilab working in the Magnet Factory. Within a few years, he became the supervisor of the Low-Conductivity Water Group (now the Fluids Group) for the Accelerator Division. Through the years, Bob has helped build and maintain every fluids system within the accelerator complex, including the Tevatron, Main Injector, Booster, Linac and the external beam systems.

"Bob has a special ability and a presence toward solving problems and coming up with 'off the cuff' solutions out in the field," said Maurice Ball, Bob's director supervisor and a Mechanical Support Department engineer. "Given the critical nature of process fluid systems in accelerator operations, Bob made a lasting impact, and he will surely be missed."

The most memorable work for Bob was building the Main Injector low-conductivity water system, one of the most extensive systems he worked on. When the piping was completed, the system passed the usual leak check. However, several weeks later, upon startup of the pumps, several puzzling, pinhole leaks appeared near the new welds. Outside microbiologic and piping experts revealed that the cause of the leaks were microorganisms residing on the welded areas. The resulting colonies of bacteria created corrosion cells that quickly ate away at the susceptible weld metal. The entire system was drained, cleaned, rewelded and then filled with UV-treated, filtered water.

The nearly year-long treatment was effective: The system has been leak-tight and operational for more than 15 years.

To lead the building of the water system and to troubleshoot the source of this unusual problem, Bob had to not only understand process piping, but also become familiar with microorganisms. Certainly, this was a field that he never thought he had to learn about when he came to Fermilab.

"Working at Fermilab has been fascinating! I have learned so much science through years," Bob said, reflecting on his time at the lab. "I never thought I would stay in one place for so long."

A retirement lunch is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Riverview Banquets in Batavia. To sign up for the event, please contact Ruth Becker at x4736 or rbecker@fnal.gov by Monday, Oct. 19. Bob's retirement date is Nov. 11.

—Mayling Wong-Squires and Patrick Hurh, AD