CERN Accelerating science

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CERN Accelerating science

June 2013 Issue

Editorial - June 2013

by Philippe Bloch

Did you say “shutdown” ?

Since mid-February, all accelerators and experiments  are shutdown for a well-deserved period of consolidation and improvements.  The restart of the Booster and PS is foreseen by mid 2014, the SPS mid-October 2014 and the LHC early 2015. However shutdown does not mean a break, quite the opposite, and all experimental halls are the focus of an intense activity – probably more intense than during data taking periods.

Interview with Peter Jenni

by Panos Charitos

An interview with Peter Jenni, former spokesperson of the ATLAS Experiments about the challenges and the most pleasing moments following a long-standing career in HEP. 

Entretien avec Peter Jenni

by Panos Charitos

Peter Jenni a commencé très jeune à s’intéresser à la physique. Il avait toujours aimé lire des textes de vulgarisation sur le sujet, même s’il n’avait pas été très motivé par son professeur de physique du secondaire. Il lui sembla naturel d'opter pour des études de physique, en se concentrant sur la physique expérimentale ainsi que l'astronomie et les mathématiques. Il devait obtenir ainsi une licence à l’Université de Berne, avant d'entreprendre un doctorat à l'École polytechnique fédérale de Zurich.

The CLOUD Experiment

by Jasper Kirkby, on behalf of the CLOUD Collaboration

​Jasper Kirkby, CLOUD spokesperson, gives an overview of the CLOUD experiment after four years operation at the CERN PS. 

SPS shutdown sends test beam research to DESY

by Sophie Redford & Dominik Dannheim

Members of the CERN LCD group traveled to DESY, Hamburg to test data acquisition methods for a Timepix pixel detector.

Frank Close, author of The Infinity Puzzle, talks about the story of the men whose breakthroughs led to the discovery of the Higgs boson and reflects on the fascinating history of particle physics.

ISOLDE has recently published a series of papers in Nature and Nature communication.

 Luis Álvarez-Gaumé and John Ellis discussed the history of the Higgs mechanism

Julien Lesgourgues and Jan Hamann, members of the Planck collaboration and Leonardo Senatore, a very active researcher in theoretical cosmology share their thoughts on the Planck released data and their implications. 

Planck mission releases first cosmology results

by Panos Charitos

ESA's Planck satellite has been surveying the microwave and submillimetre sky since August 2009. After 15.5 months of continuous observation, the collaboration recently published the first cosmological results of this mission.

A workshop that aims to explore the implications of the first cosmological data release from Planck and ignite scientific exchanges in the light of these results.

PH-DT activities in 2012

by Mar Capeans

The PH Detector Technology (DT) group recently published its Annual Report where key activities throughout 2012 are described, as well as a wider description of how the group is organized and interacts with the experimental community.

PH-DT is currently involved in two R&D projects  The RD50 “Radiation hard semiconductor devices for high luminosity colliders” and the RD51 Collaboration "Development of Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors Technologies" both in detector technology areas where the group has traditionally been a key player. 

M.Moll and L.Ropelewski, spokespersons of RD50 and RD51 respectively, describe the achievements of the two research collaborations. 

 

The RD50 Collaboration “Radiation hard semiconductor devices for high luminosity colliders” was formed in 2001 in view of the first luminosity upgrade scenarios for the LHC. Michael Moll discusses some of the RD50's highlights and achievements. 

The RD51 collaboration activities are transversely organized in seven Working Groups (WG) that cover all relevant topics of MPGD-related R&D. In this article, Leszek Ropelewski and Maxim Titov highlight some of the Collaboration's achievements.

Medipix presented at TEDx@CERN

by Michael Campbell

On May 3rd CERN hosted the TEDx@CERN event. Among the speakers was Dr. Becky Parker 'You're Never Too Young To Be a Research Scientist'. Becky and her students have been in contact with the ESE-based Medipix team for the last seven  years.

The new proton & mixed-field Irradiation facility at CERN PS

by Federico Ravotti and Maurice Glaser

The PH and EN departments are joining forces for the Upgrafe of the proton and mixed-field irradiation facilities in the PS East Area. The contruction has now started. Federico Ravotti and Maurice Glaser give an overview of the project. 

SFT group participation in EPLANET project

by Panos Charitos

In 2012 SFT organised two visits by SFT staff members to Larin-America in order to develop a series of tutorials and give basic training in concurrent programming.

CERN opens its doors to the general public September 28th - 29th. Many laboratories and points of interest will be open while visitors will be able to go down into the underground areas of the LHC, including the spectacular caverns where the experiments are housed...

 

Let's talk science: Hangout with CERN

by Achintya Rao

CERN has been a leader in science outreach for years and has launched a new program on social media called Hangout with CERN. Perhaps one of the most creative new tools for interactive, global public science outreach. Learn more and join us in one of the next hangouts!

An interactive workshop organised by the CERN Diversity Programme designed to creatively explore the meaning of diversity and share your experience of working with differences at CERN

Gerardus 't Hooft discussed how two apparently conflicting observations on Superstring Theory can be reconcilded...

Ernst Messerschmid discussed the wide range of scientific or technological objectives that transform space to an international scientific laboratory...

Julien Lesgourgues presented a summary of the new Planck results on CMB anisotropies and highlighted their cosmological implications...