Fermilab TodayMonday, February 23, 2004  
Calendar
National Engineers Week 2004
Monday, February 23
9:15 a.m. Engineers Week Kickoff - 5th Flr X-Over
2:30 p.m. Theoretical Astrophysics Seminar - Curia II
Speaker: P. Ullio, SISSA
Title: Sypersymmetric Dark Matter as a Clock
3:30 p.m. Director's Coffee Break - 2nd Flr X-Over
4:00 p.m. All Experimenters' Meeting - Curia II
Special Topics: SY 120 Status and MINOS Installation Schedule

Tuesday, February 24
11:00 a.m. Engineering Updates - 8th Flr - Hornets Nest
Dave Pushka, PPD - NuMI Magnet Support Stand Installation
Rod Walton, FESS - A Holistic Approach to Building Design
1:30 p.m. Special Joint Experimental Theoretical Physics Seminar (NOTE DATE, TIME, LOCATION) - Curia II
Speaker: T. Browder, University of Hawaii
Title: Belle Results
3:00 p.m. Special Theoretical Physics Seminar (NOTE DATE, TIME, LOCATION) Theory Conf Rm
Speaker: E. Ponton, Fermilab WH-3NE
Title: Implications of Higher Dimensional Spacetime Symmetries
3:30 p.m. Director's Coffee Break - 2nd Flr X-Over
THERE WILL BE NO ACCELERATOR PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR TODAY

Cafeteria
Monday, February 23
Elbow macaroni tossed with smoke ham and cheddar cheese and baked $3.50
Beef and thai curry stir fry with vegetables over soba noodles $3.50
Assorted gourmet sandwiches and panini $4.75
Grilled chicken sandwich with caramelized onions, mushrooms and swiss cheese with soup or fries $4.75

Eurest Dining Center Weekly Menu
Chez Leon
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DOE's Orbach approves next step for BTeV
BTeV
BTeV spokespersons Sheldon Stone (left), Syracuse University, and Joel Butler, Fermilab. (Click on image for larger version.)
BTeV has the first DOE stamp of approval. Last week Ray Orbach, Director of the Department of Energy's Office of Science, gave Fermilab's BTeV-- or B Physics at the Tevatron--experiment the Critical Decision Zero (CD-0) approval. The decision designates the project, which is listed in the top tier of DOE's 20-year strategic plan, as necessary to accomplish DOE's mission. Two reviews of technology, cost and schedule--project stages CD-1 and CD-2--will take place before construction money can become available with stage CD-3. "The big step was getting the DOE behind the project," said BTeV cospokesperson Sheldon Stone of Syracuse University.

The BTeV detector will occupy the CZero hall on the Main Ring, midway between the CDF and DZero experiments. The massive detector will analyze the decay of B particles, which are composite particles containing bottom quarks. Understanding these particles will shed light on a mystery called CP violation and perhaps explain why the universe contains more matter than antimatter.

BTeV and the competing LHC-B experiment at CERN represent the next generation of B experiments, going beyond the presently operating B factories at SLAC (BaBar experiment) and KEK (Belle experiment). Fermilab's Joel Butler, cospokesperson for the BTeV collaboration, says that BTeV will record many more B's than BaBar, including species of B's that the B factories can't produce at all. At the same time, BTeV expects to have the best technology. "Our whole trigger and data acquisition system is a very big advance over what they [LHC-B] can do," said Stone.

Butler noted the difficulty in getting a project like this started. "You have to convince people that you really know what you're doing." This includes dealing with technical and budgetary constraints. "We're confident that we will surpass all of these hurdles."

Rain, Sleet or Snow - Fermilab Bike Commuters Ride Year-round
Fermilab bike commuters
Some of the year-round Fermilab bike commuters: (left to right) Dave Peterson, Gary Ross, Salah Chaurize, Andreas Jansson and Peter Wilson (Click on image for larger version.)
The Accelerator Division's Dave Peterson uses an alternative fuel vehicle to travel to and from work every day - a vehicle powered by oatmeal. That is the oatmeal that he eats for breakfast every day.

For the past two and half years, Peterson has ridden his bike to work from his home in Geneva, which is seven miles away. "I figured that I have saved many gallons of gasoline and many dollars not having to go to the gym," Peterson said. A large number of local Fermilab employees ride their bikes to the lab in the warmer months of the year, but Peterson is one among a few who ride year-round. Forget about the rain and cold; the real challenge that Peterson faces during Chicago's winter months is riding through the snow. Peterson explained that Roads & Grounds plows Fermilab's bike paths, but this isn't the case outside of the lab. "The first few hours after snowfall are easy to ride, but it becomes difficult when the snow gets packed down," he said.

So Peterson did what any engineer/bike enthusiast would do; he built a plow out of plywood, steel and wheels that attaches to the back of his bike. "I started coming up with various plows about two years ago," Peterson said. "I started doing it just for me, but it became a lot more than that when you realize it's helping other people get out in the snow too."
read more

Dave Peterson
Dave Peterson rides through the snow with the plow he built dragging behind. (Click on image for larger version.)
Director's Corner
Hazard Communication
hazard
NFPA diamond used
to identify hazards
In 1983, the Federal Government established the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. This standard is designed to protect employees who use hazardous materials on the job. The Hazard Communication Standard, also known as the "Right-to-Know" Standard, states that companies that produce and use hazardous materials must provide their employees with information and training on the proper handling and use of the material. Manufacturers must determine the materials hazards and communicate them through the label on the container and on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

As your employer, Fermilab must develop a written HazCom program, maintain MSDSs for your use, and provide you training on the standard and the hazardous materials you work with.

As an employee, you have the right to know about the hazardous materials used in your work area and the potential effects of these materials on your safety and health. You must read the labels and MSDSs, identify hazards before starting a job, participate in training, and follow instructions and warnings.

Every employee at Fermilab has been trained in Hazard Communication during New Employee Orientation. A refresher is available online.

Have a great day and let's work safely all week!
Safety Tip of the Week Archive

Accelerator Update
February 18 - February 20
- During this period Operations established one store. That store along with an already existing store provided approximately 37 hours and 3 minutes of luminosity to the experiments.
- Store 3245 set a new luminosity record with 63.25E30.
- Booster suffered LCW tunnel leak.
- Recycler is storing antiprotons and could provide them for the next store.

View the current accelerator update
View the Tevatron Luminosity Charts

In the News
From the Kane County Chronicle, February 20, 2004
Geneva man clears the way
By Dan Chanzit
GENEVA — It takes more than a little snowfall to stop David Peterson from peddling his bicycle to work.

The 44-year-old Geneva resident pulls a homemade snowplow behind his bike to ensure his return trip from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia will be easier.

Peterson, an electrical engineer, built his plow of plywood, steel and wheels. The contraption, which cost about $20, folds up behind the rear wheel of his bicycle.
Read more

Announcements
Fermilab Engineers Week Activities
Don't forget to sign up for the Engineers Week Finale Luncheon by Wednesday, February 25. The deadline to sign up for the golf ball challenge is also February 25. Send an email to e-week@fnal.gov to reserve your place for the luncheon. More information and a full schedule for Engineers Week can be found online.

Upcoming classes
Feb. 24 - Access 2000 Advanced
March 2 - Excel 2000 Intermediate
March 16 - Cascading Style Sheets
March 17 & 18 - Dreamweaver XM
April 13 - Access 2000 Intro
April 27 & 29 - Authoring Tech Reports Using MS Word
more information

Budker Seminar Tomorrow
There will be a Budker Seminar on Tuesday, February 24 at 6:00 pm in the Users' Center Music Room. Xiaobiao Huang will present "Lattice Modeling and Beam Diagnosis for the Booster."

Children's Summer Day Camp Registration
Registration for the Children's Summer Day Camp will begin March 1. Registrations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on March 30. A lottery drawing for admittance into the program will be conducted on March 31. Notices will be sent out that day. More information and a registration form for the Day Camp is available online.

Scottish Country Dancing
Scottish Country Dancing will be held, exceptionally, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, instead of the usual Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m., at the Geneva American Legion Post. Newcomers are always welcome. Info at 630-584-0825 or 630-840-8194 or folkdance@fnal.gov. The normal schedule of Tuesdays will resume next week, for the foreseeable future.

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