Colloquium

Raw date	Event date	Title	Speakers	Host	Summary	Links
20230104	Jan. 4, 2023	No colloquium
20230111	Jan. 11, 2023	Space Observatories for the Highest Energy Cosmic Particles: POEMMA & EUSO-SPB	Angela V Olinto, University of Chicago	Chris Stoughton	What are the mysterious sources of the most energetic particles ever observed? What astrophysical sources produce very energetic neutrinos? How do particles interact at extreme energies? Building on the progress achieved by the ground-based observations we are developing space and sub-orbital missions to answer these questions. The Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) on a super pressure balloon (SPB) is designed to detect ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) from above. EUSO-SPB1 flew in 2017 with a fluorescence telescope. Buit to observe both fluorescence and Cherenkov from UHECRs and neutrinos, EUSO-SPB2 is on its way to Wanaka, New Zealand for launch in April 2023. These sub-orbital missions lead to POEMMA (the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) a space mission designed to discover the sources of UHECRs and to observe neutrinos above tens of PeV from energetic transient events. POEMMA will open new Multi-Messenger windows onto the most energetic events in the Universe, enabling the study of new astrophysics and particle physics at these extreme energies.	Video
20230118	Jan. 18, 2023	Postponed/no colloquium	Adam Anderson, Fermilab	Chris Stoughton	Measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) have been fundamental in establishing the cosmological standard model, ΛCDM, which describes the evolution of the universe from the earliest moments to the present day. Upcoming measurements with increasingly powerful cameras are now poised to search for physics beyond the standard model, including new particles that could leave an imprint in the pattern of the CMB. I will review the physics we can learn from these new CMB surveys and present the upcoming CMB-S4 project to which Fermilab is a major contributor.
20230125	Jan. 25, 2023	Accelerator Directorate's Robotics Initiative	Mayling Wong-Squires, Fermilab	Chris Stoughton	The mission of the Accelerator Directorate’s (AD) Robotics Initiative is to develop and operate robotic platforms to enhance personnel safety and increase efficiency of accelerator operations. The use of robots in accelerator enclosures and near targets can empower personnel to accomplish tasks too hazardous or difficult for humans alone.  We are a multi-disciplinary team with widely-ranging expertise and experience from different AD departments and other parts of the lab. We routinely support summer interns through Fermilab’s internship programs and collaborate with university students.  We present recent accomplishments and current projects.	Video
20230201	Feb. 1, 2023	Using anti-Neutrinos for precision measurements on free protons at MINERvA	Tejin Cai, University of Rochester and York University	Chris Stoughton	Antineutrino scattering on free protons (or neutrino scattering off free neutrons) gives a unique measurement of neutron and proton structure and is a building block for predicting neutrino scattering on more complex nuclei.  Previous measurements have had to rely on scattering neutrinos off deuterium and then correct for nuclear effects, or use low intensity anti-neutrino beams. In this talk MINERvA will present the first high statistics cross section measurement of the charged current elastic process νμp → μ+n using the plastic scintillator (CH). The carbon background is significantly reduced and constrained with minimal model dependency using the kinematics of the reconstructed neutrons.  The result can be directly compared with lattice QCD computations, and to electron scattering off free protons	Video
20230208	Feb. 8, 2023	The Edge of Tomorrow: Real-time Artificial Intelligence for Science	Nhan Tran, Fermilab	Chris Stoughton	Pursuing answers to fundamental questions about our nature requires searches for the ultra-rare, very subtle, and the inspection of nature at extremely fine spatial and temporal scales. Cutting-edge experiments are often confronted with massive amounts of very rich data on which Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques provide powerful insights. To accelerate scientific discovery, enabling powerful AI algorithms across the data processing continuum, as close to sensor front-ends as possible, is becoming increasingly valuable. To deploy AI in these challenging scientific environments, we require robust and efficient learning and usable and accessible tool flows for optimized training and implementation across a broad range of scientific domains. This talk will introduce the motivations and requirements for real-time AI applications for physics and connections to broader science and industry applications, the development of modern techniques for deploying them into our experiments, and open research questions and challenges.	Video
20230215	Feb. 15, 2023	Exploring the Universe with Cosmic Surveys	Alex Drlica-Wagner, Fermilab	Chris Stoughton	Cosmic surveys use observations of stars and galaxies to help ascertain the fundamental laws that govern the Universe. Over the last several decades, cosmic surveys using large optical and near-infrared telescopes, advanced digital cameras, and intricate spectroscopic instruments have revolutionized our understanding of the Universe. Measurements of the cosmic expansion history and the growth of cosmic structure have been shown to be sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model, including the nature of dark energy, the properties of dark matter, the mass of neutrinos, and the initial conditions of the Universe (e.g., inflation). I will summarize some recent results from cosmic surveys and discuss the exciting future on the horizon.	Video
20230222	Feb. 22, 2023	LBNF/DUNE: the Science, the Experiment, the Facility	Sam Zeller, Fermilab		Fermilab and the worldwide particle physics community are in the process of launching the most ambitious and exciting accelerator-based neutrino program in the world. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) enabled by the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is the flagship neutrino program in the U.S. that is bringing the world together to perform cutting edge neutrino physics. LBNF/DUNE will include intense wideband beams of neutrinos and antineutrinos, massive liquid argon detectors positioned 800 miles away and a mile underground in South Dakota, as well as innovative near detectors that will precisely characterize the neutrinos closer to their source at Fermilab. Nothing quite like this exists any place else in the world. This talk will provide an overview and status of this endeavor with a focus on the physics we hope to uncover and the technological advances making this possible.
20230301	March 1, 2023	The Engineering & Commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope	Charlie Atkinson, Northrop Grumman	Chris Stoughton	“The Engineering & Commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope” will describe the history of JWST from the very early days, all the way through final integration and test, launch, and commissioning and will provide the viewers with insight into what it took to put the Observatory together.
20230308	March 8, 2023	Science at Jefferson Laboratory: The amazing world of quarks and gluons	David Dean, Jefferson Lab	Chris Stoughton	Nuclei make up 99% of the mass in the visible universe, and all but the lightest nuclei are produced in cataclysmic stellar events such as supernova explosions and neutron star mergers. Every proton (and neutron) within all nuclei is governed by QCD, the theory of quarks, gluons, and their interactions. Understanding the amazing world inside... More »
20230315	March 15, 2023	Energy Research at Idaho National Laboratory: Nuclear energy and integrated energy systems for the nation’s low-carbon energy future	Marianne Walck, Idaho National Lab	Chris Stoughton	As the nation moves toward a new paradigm for the low-carbon energy system of the future, the role of nuclear energy is at a turning point.  The future system requires an integrated approach that uses all available sources to produce electricity, fuels, and heat for the full spectrum of applications, including commercial uses, buildings, and... More »
20230322	March 22, 2023	Open