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Have a safe day!
Wednesday, Oct. 5
2 p.m.
LHC Physics Center Topic of the Week Seminar - WH11NE
Speaker: Sanjay Padhi, University of California, San Diego
Title: Is SUSY Still Alive? A CMS Perspective
3:30 p.m.
DIRECTOR'S COFFEE BREAK - 2nd Flr X-Over
4 p.m.
Fermilab Colloquim - One West
Speaker: George Sonneborn, NASA
Title: The James Webb Space Telescope: Science and Mission Status
Thursday, Oct. 6
2:30 p.m.
Theoretical Physics Seminar - Curia II
Speaker: Nathaniel Craig, Institute of Advanced Studies/Rutgers University
Title: (De)constructing a Natural Supersymmetric Standard Model
3:30 p.m.
DIRECTOR'S COFFEE BREAK - 2nd Flr X-Over
4 p.m.
Accelerator Physics and Technology Seminar - One West
Speaker: Valeri Lebedev, Fermilab
Title: Project X Based Muon Factory
Click here for NALCAL,
a weekly calendar with links to additional information.
Upcoming conferences
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Wednesday, Oct. 5
- Breakfast: English muffin sandwich
- Smart cuisine: Cajun-style lentil soup
- Cajun chicken ranch
- Caribbean jerk pork chops
- Chicken parmesan
- Smoked turkey panini w/ pesto mayo
- Assorted sliced pizza
- Chicken alfredo fettuccine
Wilson Hall Cafe Menu |
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Wednesday, Oct. 5
Lunch
-Beef Daube w/ buttered noodles
- Chocolate amaretto cake
Friday, Oct. 7
Dinner
Guest Chef: DAVID CATHEY
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Barbecue ribs
- Cole slaw
- Baked potato
- Apple pie
Chez Leon Menu
Call x3524 to make your reservation.
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Nobel Prize for discovery of accelerating universe; mysterious origin unknown
The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three scientists: Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess. Their observations of distant exploding stars led them to the startling discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. This discovery laid the groundwork for the idea that a mysterious force called dark energy, which makes up 75 percent of the universe – yet has never been detected – is fueling the acceleration.
Perlmutter, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, headed the Supernova Cosmology Project, which began observations in 1988. Schmidt, of the Australian National University, started the High-Z Supernova Search Team in 1994; it was later joined by Riess, of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute, who played a crucial role in the observations.
Between them, the two teams found more than 50 supernovae whose light was weaker than expected – an indication not only that the universe was expanding, as had been expected, but that it was expanding ever faster. The discovery came as a complete surprise, even to the discoverers, and its announcement in 1998 profoundly shook our view of the universe. In 2007, symmetry published a scan of the page of Riess’s logbook with the data and notes that led to his Nobel Prize-winning discovery.
“I’m thrilled for Adam, Brian and Saul and the teams they have led,” said Roger Blandford.
Read more
—Glennda Chui and Kurt Riesselmann
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Retirement celebration for Bob Grant - 1 p.m. today
A farewell celebration will take place today at 1 p.m. for Bob Grant. Come to the second floor crossover for coffee and to say goodbye to Grant, who will retire on Oct. 7.
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John Krider retires - Oct. 7
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 John Krider
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A farewell party for Krider will take place Thursday, Oct. 6 at the SiDet Lab C Kitchen at 3 p.m.
Engineering physicist John Krider joined Fermilab in 1983 under Carlos Hojvat, during the early construction of the Antiproton Source. From his days working with a small team at Indiana University (IU), Krider brought focus, efficiency and flexibility to his work.
“I pretty much had to do a little of everything at IU and was exposed to the full range of activities in designing, building and operating a relatively small experiment,” he said, adding that he even fixed the HVAC and swept the floor. When he began at Fermilab, Krider took on a range of duties, later transferring from the Antiproton Source to the Research Division. “Back then it was just about doing whatever needed to be done.”
Composed under pressure and trusted by his colleagues, Krider accepted the toughest projects, finishing them with little fanfare and finding himself always in high demand.
“People came to him to get stuff done,” longtime colleague Hogan Nguyen said.
Read more
—Brad Hooker
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Disappearance of the frontier itch
From the Chicago Tribune, Oct. 4, 2011
In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the American frontier had closed, raising an important question: Absent the frontier, what would fuel the audacious, inventive and energetic nature of the bold American character?
Arguably, imperialism created the new frontier: the Spanish-American War with the acquisition of Cuba and the Philippines blossomed into the American century. Arguably, imperialism, with America's involvement in Iraq, Iran, Libya and elsewhere, remains America's frontier.
I disagree. America's frontier is and has been intellectual. American science has powered our drive to find new challenges, all the while expanding the frontier of knowledge far beyond geographical limits. That's why the closing of Fermilab's Tevatron particle accelerator on Friday deserves more than passing notice.
Read more
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Self service pay stub:
Worth a second look
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| Meghan Czamanske |
Meghan Czamanske, assistant payroll manager, wrote this week’s column.
If you need to view or update your payroll information, take another look at Fermilab’s improved, web-based Employee Self Service. The service now features a View Paycheck display that shows you a pdf file with all of the information that appears on the hardcopy that you receive at your mail station, including year-to-date information on earnings, taxes and deductions as well as your leave balances at the point in time that the pay period closed. As of August 12, the system archives each pay advice as a pdf file for your secure viewing and, if necessary, printing on a single sheet of paper, suitable for sharing with financial advisors and loan officers. As in the past, you can view your most recent pay information online as soon as payroll has been processed. You can also use the online system for all other payroll services, such as securely updating your direct deposit information, your W-4 tax information and your charitable contributions.
To use the online service, go to the Accounting Department website and click on the link for Employee Self Service on the right side of the page. Please note that the Employee Self Service works best with Internet Explorer.
Read more
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David Ritchie retires - Oct. 7
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 David Ritchie
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There will be a farewell party for David Ritchie on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. on the second floor crossover in Wilson Hall. Cake will be served.
David Ritchie remembers his early days at Fermilab in the summer of 1971. Wilson Hall was a work in progress, and there were monarch butterflies everywhere. Ritchie and his colleagues in the Computing Department worked from their offices in the Village. The big news at the time was an indication of the first circulating beam in the main accelerator ring.
After 40 years in computing, Ritchie will retire from Fermilab on Oct. 7.
“The interesting thing about working for the Computing Sector is that the projects are always changing,” said Ritchie. “The people and the computing have to change in order to incorporate new technology.”
Ritchie, who began his laboratory career writing and debugging computer programs, participated in the evolution from single-use data acquisition systems and stand-alone computers to the Internet and grids.
But despite his interest in technology, much of Ritchie’s work has involved interfacing with staff, visitors and students. Most recently, he headed the Communications and Outreach Group and organized Fermilab’s participation in the annual Supercomputing conference.
Read more
—Marcia Teckenbrock
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ES&H weekly report, Oct. 4
This week's safety report, compiled by the Fermilab ES&H section, includes one incident. A service subcontractor bumped his finger on a car door and was seen in the Medical Office, but did not require first-aid treatment.
Find the full report here. |
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Sunny