Tevatron's doctors keep the machine running well

Tevatron mechanical support team members during the 2009 shutdown: Top, from left: Earl Shaffer, Sabina Aponte, Bill Dymond and James Williams. Bottom, from left: Derek Plant and Jerry Szabo.

The mechanical technicians in the Tevatron's mechanical support group aren't doctors. But they play some at work, caring for the Tevatron.

"You're working long hours and the list of things to do is endless," said Sali Sylejmani, an employee in the mechanical support group. "It is like starting a surgery, you open the system and it needs to be closed up."

On a hot summer day during the recent shutdown, a pressure indicator showed a possible leak in one of the Tevatron magnets. The team, made of five permanent members and a handful of other specialized technicians, carried several tons of diagnostic equipment into tight quarters underground. They used it to check for leaks in each problem area in the sector until they found and repaired the leak. Repairs can include replacing something small, such as a bad seal, or replacing a magnet, which could take up to two or three shifts.

"What we do is not easy," said Derek Plant, mechanical technician. "We have to pay close attention to many variables."

Often, the process for finding a leak or a malfunctioning or broken piece of equipment takes a unique instinct and mechanical aptitude, said McCormick, supervisor for the Tevatron's mechanical support group.

The stressful work and long hours creates camaraderie. The team members joke with each other, but they also know about each others' families and more.

"It takes a very special group of people with good communication and a good demeanor," Plant said.

That openness also translates into a team with a good safety record. Each day for the team begins over coffee, where they go over any pertinent information.

"During coffee, we relay information, talk about the previous day and any safety issues. We'll review the safety procedures and make sure that we have the tools and equipment we need," McCormick said.

When the machine breaks, the team often turns their lives upside down to make repairs.

"Without that type of dedication, it would be impossible to get the work done," McCormick said. "These team members really give a lot to keep the Tevatron operating well."

-- Rhianna Wisniewski

These technicians also worked diligently as part of the Mechanical Support Group during the shutdown. From left: Daniel Assell, TD senior technician, Irina Kubantseva, PPD senior technician, and Sali Sylejmani, AD senior technician and lead technician for the warm straight vacuum work in the Tevatron.

Dark Energy Survey collaboration meets at SLAC

From SLAC Today, Dec. 1, 2009

Ninety-five percent of the universe is made of something mysterious and "dark," according to the standard cosmological model. And while a portion of that darkness-dark matter-may soon be better understood through experiments in deep underground mines and at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, most of it-dark energy-remains almost entirely inexplicable.

An international collaboration of researchers seeks to change that through the Dark Energy Survey. More than 100 DES collaborators are meeting at SLAC this week to discuss how they will map dark energy, the mysterious force that seems to accelerate the universe's expansion, to reveal why the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate.

"Dark energy is one of the biggest puzzles in physics and the Dark Energy Survey will explore new territory with four independent measurements," said Kavli Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology researcher Risa Wechsler, who chairs the science program for this week's collaboration meeting.

Read more

"The Night Before Christmas Carol" performance Saturday

Actor David zum Brunnen performs as Charles Dickens and 17 Dickensian characters in "The Night Before Christmas Carol", which will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at Fermilab.

If you've read or watched performances of "A Christmas Carol," you've met Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and three Christmas ghosts. Now meet Charles Dickens, the man behind the novel, in a one-man performance at Fermilab Saturday.

"The Night Before Christmas Carol" will give audiences a historically accurate and humorous glimpse into the life of Charles Dickens in 1843 on the night before he dreamed up his world-famous novel. Renowned Dickens scholar and playwright Elliot Angel wrote the play, which is appropriate for the entire family.

The 90-minute performance, which is part of the Fermilab Arts Series, begins at 8 p.m. Saturday in Ramsey Auditorium.

Tickets are $18 for general audiences and $9 for ages 18 and under. To purchase tickets call (630) 840-ARTS (2787), or go to the Box Office, temporarily located on the 15th Floor of Wilson Hall weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More information is available here.