Dark energy studies top astronomy and astrophysics priorities

High-energy physics interests are ranked highly in the decadal study of astronomy and astrophysics priorities released by a National Research Council committee today. The top-ranked projects in "New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics" include studies of dark energy and dark matter although a strong emphasis on extra-solar planet astronomy pushed some high-energy physics further down the list.

Topping the list for large-scale ground-based projects is LSST, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which would image over half the sky every three nights. Its 8.4-meter telescope in Chile will create a 3D map of the universe, locating dark matter and characterizing the properties of dark energy. You can read more about LSST and the search for dark energy in a symmetry feature illustrated by Roz Chast, the largest digital camera ever created, and the work needed to store all the data LSST will collect.

The large-scale space-based list is led by a newly named project WFIRST, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope. It will use three different techniques to explore dark energy from space with the big advantage that it can see deep into the infrared spectrum. That is important for observing the most distant supernovae, a key component in understanding dark energy. The design of WFIRST is based on one of the proposed designs for the Joint Dark Energy Mission between NASA and the US Department of Energy, but those proposals had been put on ice until this report came out. WFIRST adds some extra capabilities to the JDEM "Omega" proposal, including a search for extra-solar planets.

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New FAQ about Fermilab's performance review process

WDRS launched a website on June 30 to provide employees with the tools and information they need to successfully complete the performance review process. Below are some questions and answers recently posted to the website's Q&A section.

Q. It seems that as each employee in a unit becomes more skilled, the performance-expectation bar rises. Doesn't this eventually make everyone average?

A. If you look closely at the performance rating definitions, you will be unable to find "average". "Commendable", which holds the third or middle spot in the performance review, is defined as: Good, solid performance. Fulfills all position requirements and goals and may, on occasion, generate results above those expected of the position. That definition implies much more than an average performance level or an average employee.

Q. Isn't a "2" rating (Fully Competent) the same as a "D", and isn't that basically saying the employee is below average when compared to others at Fermilab?

A. The performance review process isn't the same as the academic grading scale. Employees should pay attention to the wording of the performance rating definitions and how those definitions relate to the body of work completed.

Read more frequently asked questions and answers.

The people's pulsar

From Science News, Aug. 13, 2010

Volunteer computing project discovers neutron star

Devil schmevil. Idle computers are doing scientists' work, helping researchers make all kinds of advances in fields from epidemiology to nanoscience to mathematics. Now home computers crunching away in Iowa and Germany have helped astronomers discover a neutron star known as a pulsar, a research team reports online August 12 in Science.

The discovery is another example of how programs downloaded to home and office computers can help analyze mountains of data, says physicist Francois Grey, coordinator of the Citizen Cyberscience Centre, a partnership of CERN, the University of Geneva and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Enabled by the sophistication of modern web browsers and graphics technologies, plus huge increases in home Internet bandwidth, these volunteer computing projects contribute time and wattage that can add up to power greater than that of a supercomputer.

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