"Flurry of ideas" ties together ANL, Fermilab and UChicago

The fourth Argonne-Fermilab-UChicago collaboration meeting brought together more than 70 scientists.

More than 70 scientists gathered at Fermilab at the end of June for the fourth meeting of the Argonne-Fermilab- UChicago collaboration. The group reviewed the progress made in joint accelerator R&D projects and discussed possibilities for future collaborative work.

Started in 2006 by Fermilab and Argonne, the meetings initially focused on accelerator R&D for the International Linear Collider and, more recently, Project X and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). While these projects still represent the main focus of the collaboration, a series of research grants provided by the University of Chicago has led to joint projects in other research areas as well.

“The focus of the collaboration has expanded significantly,” said Fermilab Deputy Director Young-Kee Kim. “This year, there are more than ten proposals. Six of them include all three institutions.”

Proposals for new joint projects include the development of new detector electronics, the production of better superconducting cavities and a survey on the public understanding of particle physics and its applications.

“It’s really heartening to see this flurry of ideas that tie together these three institutions,” Fermilab Director Pier Oddone said. “We have had outstanding support through the community.”

Argonne Director Robert Rosner expressed his appreciation for the help that Fermilab has provided with regard to the proposed FRIB project.

“I’m incredible satisfied to see this collaboration,” Rosner said. “I’m extremely pleased about all the help we get.”

Harry Davis, University of Chicago, gave an update on the UC Executive Education Program. Last September, 40 employees from Argonne and Fermilab participated in this leadership program. A second group of employees began taking the course in May.

“To develop leadership skills is not a quick fix,” Davis said. “Leaders have to look at the world in different ways. I hope that the participants in this program come away with ideas that are not common to the laboratories.”

For more information on the collaboration and the proposed research projects, visit this Web site.

-- Kurt Riesselmann

Laboratory releases Physics Advisory Committee report

The Fermilab Physics Advisory Committee (PAC) met in Naperville, Illinois, from June 17 through 20 for its summer retreat to review aspects of the Fermilab science program.

As noted by Pier Oddone in his Director's Corner on Tuesday, the emphasis of the meeting was on what research program could best be achieved in the context of focusing the laboratory's resources on the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) roadmap.

The charge to the Committee and its comments and recommendations are now available via links from the PAC Web page.

The PAC is a major source of advice to the director about the future direction of Fermilab's experiments and programs. Ever since Fermilab's early days, the PAC's recommendations and comments have offered insight into opportunities and issues important to members of the laboratory community.

The PAC is composed of senior scientists from universities and high-energy physics laboratories in the U.S. and abroad. "The theorists and experimentalists on the Committee offer both breadth of vision and depth of experience," said PAC Secretary Jeffrey Appel. "The combined wisdom of the members is greater than the sum of its parts."

A New Name for SLAC

From SLAC Today,
July 9, 2008

The U.S. Department of Energy has asked the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center to work with them in renaming SLAC. Director Persis Drell has been informing employees of the coming change during her recent meetings with laboratory work groups.

Discussing the proposed name change, Persis said, "SLAC has a long, illustrious history and the name evokes that history. However, our stakeholders have suggested that the name is also no longer fully representative of the laboratory with its increased involvement in photon science and particle astrophysics in addition to our particle physics program." She emphasizes that changing the name of the laboratory in no way diminishes the historical achievements of which the SLAC community is proud. Rather, she says, this as an opportunity to create a new name that better reflects the broader laboratory SLAC is evolving into.

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