Particles from Space Test New Muon Detection System
A "wires view" of a muon tracked by BaBar's new identification system.
See more images
here.
by Heather Rock Woods
The newly installed
muon identification system in the BaBar detector is working beautifully. Taking advantage of naturally occurring cosmic rays, the BaBar team has been testing the new detection system
in preparation for the January start-up.
Earthly cosmic rays come mostly from protons in outer space. When the protons hit the air in our upper atmosphere, the interactions produce a shower of particles, many of which decay to muons that live long enough to reach the Earth's surface and the BaBar detector.
As the image at right shows, the new Limited Streamer Tubes (LSTs) are tracking muons in the outer, hexagonal-shaped layer of the detector. LSTs replaced the original muon system in two of the hexagon's six sextants in 2004. Crews upgraded the remaining four sextants during the current shut-down.
"The straightness of the measured muon track and the lack of missing hits along it indicate that the detectors are working well and have been connected properly," said LST
co-commissioner Mark Convery. Co-commissioner Gianluigi Cibinetto notes that the lack of spurious
hits in the detector promises a clean identification environment for muons
for the rest of the experiment.
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Yemi Adesanya: BMX Champion
by Jennifer Yauck
Yemi Adensanya at the National Bicycle League 2006 California State Championship, where he took first place in his class. (Image courtesy of Flip's Photos. Click on image for larger version.) Sometimes chasing your dreams means going down a long road, but for Yemi Adesanya, it meant going down a dusty, hilly, winding path. Adesanya's dream has always been to compete as a BMX racer.
The systems software developer first got hooked on BMXshort for bicycle moto-cross, the sport of racing a bike over an obstacle-laden dirt trackas a kid growing up in London. But with most BMX tracks located in the suburbs, Adesanya's own experience with the sport was largely limited to practicing jumps and other maneuvers on the street with friends. "I was a city kid, so I never had the opportunity to get into it seriously," he said.
Nonetheless, Adesanya's passion for BMX racing and an itch to compete stuck with him throughout the years. As he began to push into his 30s, however, he wondered if his chance to ride competitively had come and gone. Those doubts quickly vanished when he attended a bike race in Livermore in 2004, and found himself talking with some of the older racers. "They were very encouraging and told me I wouldn't be out of place if I tried racing," he said. Read more...
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Don't Forget: SLAC Holiday Party
by Kelen Tuttle
SLAC's Red and White Holiday Bash takes place tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Don't forget to dress in your most festive attire!
The first 40 people to arrive wearing holiday garb will receive a prize.
Learn more...
New Class of Future Managers Graduates
by Kelen Tuttle
Last Wednesday, 36 SLAC employees graduated from the
Certificate in Supervision program, a nine-class training program that teaches supervisors and managers effective leadership skills. Since the program began in 2001, the lab has awarded 223 certificates to both supervisors and employees interested in finding out more about supervision.
"Good leadership and management are key to the success of any organization," Keith Hodgson said at the awards ceremony, held
at the Stanford Faculty Club. "People
with these skills provide guidance and collectively help move the whole organization forward."
Out of the current graduating class, two each are part of the Director's Directorate, the LCLS Construction Directorate, Particle & Particle Astrophysics, and Photon Science Directorate, and 28 are in Operations Directorate.
A list of this year's graduates can be found
here.
The next series of classes begins on January 11, 2007. Interested employees may sign up for the program
online.
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