SLAC Today is available online at:
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In this issue:
Action at a Distance: The LCLS Webcam
Profile Today: Paul Kunz - Avoiding High-Energy Collisions
SLAC Physicists: SLUO Wants You

SLAC Today

Wednesday - August 9, 2006

Action at a Distance: The LCLS Webcam

An image from the LCLS webcam during the recent demolition of Building 113.

Construction of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) will soon commence at SLAC, and you can have a bird's eye view of the action without leaving your desk. Perched high atop Building 121, the "LCLS Bird 1" webcam is now serving up streaming video of activities in the research yard. Administrators will zoom and reposition the camera as needed to follow the above-ground activities. With tunneling scheduled to commence in a few short weeks, the view should be interesting.

Viewers must have RealPlayer installed to monitor the stream. (SLAC employees and users can download Real Player here.) To view the stream, click here and follow the instructions.

A second as-yet-unnamed camera will begin streaming video of activities on the Pep Ring Road side of the site within a few months. The purpose of these cameras is to allow SLAC employees and users to keep tabs on LCLS construction without having to go near hazardous areas.

(Weekly Column - Profile)

Paul Kunz: Avoiding High-Energy Collisions

(Image - Paul Kunz)Paul Kunz bought his first BMW in 1971, but didn't join BMW Car Club of America until 1985. He initially joined for maintenance tips—"then I discovered driving events," he says, which includes autocross and drivers' schools on racetracks. "The first time you do either really takes your breath away."

About two years later, Kunz helped the local BMW CCA chapter start a car control clinic. Three times a year, some 60 drivers spend a full day refining their skills under the guidance of Kunz and other volunteer instructors.

Each student's first trip through the exercises is spent in the passenger seat, as an instructor drives the car through the course. "Many students are shocked at how quickly I can drive their car," he says. Then they get a chance to try it themselves with three exercises: collision avoidance, skid pad, and slalom.
Read more...

SLAC Physicists:
SLUO Wants You

The SLAC Users Organization (SLUO) represents physicists who come here from far-flung labs and universities for days, weeks, even years, to do research in particle physics, accelerator physics, and astrophysics. But did you know that physicists who are SLAC employees can also join the organization?

"We wanted to reach out to SLAC employees who do not realize they can benefit from SLUO membership and ask them to join our ranks," said SLUO secretary Bruce Schumm.

SLAC users are automatically signed up for SLUO membership and the mailing list. SLAC employees, however, have to sign up by filling out a short form.

"We have about 1500 members. Members get email updates about once a month on upcoming SLUO talks and meetings," said SLUO chair Abi Soffer.

Once you're a SLUO member, you can nominate others or be nominated for the executive committee. Four new members are elected each year to replace outgoing members. This year's election will be held in September.

SLUO works to ensure SLAC's healthy future as a user facility, facilitate communication between the users and the lab, improve quality of life for users, and advocate for the physical sciences and SLAC's research program.

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