B-physics Abounds in February

The BaBar detector.

by Heather Rock Woods

February is a busy month for BaBar collaborators. In addition to garnering great data at the Upsilon resonances, the collaboration is hosting the first BaBar Physics Analysis School from February 10-15 at SLAC—just after the International Finance Committee (IFC) came to the lab February 8-9, and just before the next quarterly collaboration meeting, to be held here February 19-23.

"Despite the budget situation's tragic impact on the experiment, the collaboration has remained very strong and committed to the program and the physics analysis of the data in the coming years," said BaBar Spokesman Hassan Jawahery. "This is a beautiful experiment, with a physics program that, in addition to the precision physics from the 4S data, includes the new and exciting opportunities in the data collected at the Upsilon resonances."

When data taking ends, the collaboration made up of members from 74 universities in 10 countries will begin a new phase where the primary focus of the program will be the physics analysis of the data. To prepare new students and postdocs for this phase in the experiment, the BaBar Physics Analysis School will teach analysis techniques, many developed by BaBarians over the years.

The collaboration meeting will focus on reviewing the status of the detector and its preparation for the next phase, the processing of the data and the physics expected from the final run at the Upsilon resonances, as well as readying recent results for winter conferences.

Just before the collaboration meeting, a workshop will be held February 14-16 on design and R&D for a detector for the high luminosity 10³⁶ cm^-2s^-1 SuperB flavor factory under consideration at Frascati, Italy.

Safety Stars

by Matt Cunningham

Contractors recognized by Turner Construction Management for safety awareness on the LCLS Project.
(Click on image for larger version.)

Five-star rating scales are popular among food critics, movie reviewers and now, construction sites.

A group of about 100 construction workers were recognized for following proper safety techniques last week. Nearly 30 workers were singled-out for receiving five or more safety stars. The five-star system is a measure that Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and Turner management have taken to ensure the safety of the workforce, and is part of the continued effort to keep safety at the forefront of workers' minds.

"Incidents and injuries are the result of taking a little chance that you can get away with a hundred times before it finally catches up with you," LCLS Project Manager John Galayda said.

The five-star system seeks to award actions demonstrated in the field. For each safely executed action that roaming managers see, a star is given. After receiving five stars, a worker's name is placed on a plaque and a certificate and gift are awarded at monthly ceremonies.

"This is a way to provide positive reinforcement towards good safety practices," Turner General Superintendent Nick Tyler said.

KIPAC Researcher
Pisin Chen to Direct
New Cosmology Center

by Brad Plummer

Congratulations to physicist Pisin Chen of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) on his recent appointment as inaugural director of a new cosmology center at the National University of Taiwan. Chen will begin his duties leading the new Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA) this October; however he will retain his position at SLAC and will return to continue his research part of the year.

Chen, a theorist who studies dark energy, dark matter and large scale structure formation, has also worked as an experimentalist with the ANITA collaboration to search for evidence of ultra-high energy cosmic-ray generated neutrinos in Antarctica. The ANITA probe came to SLAC in June of 2006 for a series of calibration tests in End Station A using a 10-ton block of ice as a target for the electron beam to simulate neutrinos produced in the Antarctic ice.

The appointment is funded by a private endowment given to the university expressly to bring Chen to Taiwan. He will also hold the title of National Taiwan University C.C. Leung Chair Professor of Cosmology, in honor of the donor, a former classmate of Chen and the co-founder and vice president of the Taiwan-based Quanta Computers Inc. Quanta is one of the world's largest producers of personal computers.

Roger Blandford, Director of KIPAC, says he looks forward to continued institutional collaboration with Chen's new center. "I am very pleased for Pisin and the new institute," Blandford said. "It's a net plus as he will still be very much associated with SLAC and it's another opportunity for us to collaborate with a like-directed institute in another part of the world."

Events

February 12: (12:30 p.m.) Experimental Seminar: Precision predictions for inclusive B-decays

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Latest Supercomputer Calculations Support the Six-Quark Theory Brookhaven National Lab
New Cosmic Theory Unites Dark Forces Space.com
Scientists Alter Speed-of-light Beam United Press International

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B-physics Abounds in February The BaBar detector. by Heather Rock Woods February is a busy month for BaBar collaborators. In addition to garnering great data at the Upsilon resonances, the collaboration is hosting the first BaBar Physics Analysis School from February 10-15 at SLAC—just after the International Finance Committee (IFC) came to the lab February 8-9, and just before the next quarterly collaboration meeting, to be held here February 19-23. "Despite the budget situation's tragic impact on the experiment, the collaboration has remained very strong and committed to the program and the physics analysis of the data in the coming years," said BaBar Spokesman Hassan Jawahery. "This is a beautiful experiment, with a physics program that, in addition to the precision physics from the 4S data, includes the new and exciting opportunities in the data collected at the Upsilon resonances." When data taking ends, the collaboration made up of members from 74 universities in 10 countries will begin a new phase where the primary focus of the program will be the physics analysis of the data. To prepare new students and postdocs for this phase in the experiment, the BaBar Physics Analysis School will teach analysis techniques, many developed by BaBarians over the years. The collaboration meeting will focus on reviewing the status of the detector and its preparation for the next phase, the processing of the data and the physics expected from the final run at the Upsilon resonances, as well as readying recent results for winter conferences. Just before the collaboration meeting, a workshop will be held February 14-16 on design and R&D for a detector for the high luminosity 10³⁶ cm^-2s^-1 SuperB flavor factory under consideration at Frascati, Italy.

Safety Stars by Matt Cunningham Contractors recognized by Turner Construction Management for safety awareness on the LCLS Project. (Click on image for larger version.) Five-star rating scales are popular among food critics, movie reviewers and now, construction sites. A group of about 100 construction workers were recognized for following proper safety techniques last week. Nearly 30 workers were singled-out for receiving five or more safety stars. The five-star system is a measure that Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and Turner management have taken to ensure the safety of the workforce, and is part of the continued effort to keep safety at the forefront of workers' minds. "Incidents and injuries are the result of taking a little chance that you can get away with a hundred times before it finally catches up with you," LCLS Project Manager John Galayda said. The five-star system seeks to award actions demonstrated in the field. For each safely executed action that roaming managers see, a star is given. After receiving five stars, a worker's name is placed on a plaque and a certificate and gift are awarded at monthly ceremonies. "This is a way to provide positive reinforcement towards good safety practices," Turner General Superintendent Nick Tyler said.	KIPAC Researcher Pisin Chen to Direct New Cosmology Center by Brad Plummer Congratulations to physicist Pisin Chen of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) on his recent appointment as inaugural director of a new cosmology center at the National University of Taiwan. Chen will begin his duties leading the new Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA) this October; however he will retain his position at SLAC and will return to continue his research part of the year. Chen, a theorist who studies dark energy, dark matter and large scale structure formation, has also worked as an experimentalist with the ANITA collaboration to search for evidence of ultra-high energy cosmic-ray generated neutrinos in Antarctica. The ANITA probe came to SLAC in June of 2006 for a series of calibration tests in End Station A using a 10-ton block of ice as a target for the electron beam to simulate neutrinos produced in the Antarctic ice. The appointment is funded by a private endowment given to the university expressly to bring Chen to Taiwan. He will also hold the title of National Taiwan University C.C. Leung Chair Professor of Cosmology, in honor of the donor, a former classmate of Chen and the co-founder and vice president of the Taiwan-based Quanta Computers Inc. Quanta is one of the world's largest producers of personal computers. Roger Blandford, Director of KIPAC, says he looks forward to continued institutional collaboration with Chen's new center. "I am very pleased for Pisin and the new institute," Blandford said. "It's a net plus as he will still be very much associated with SLAC and it's another opportunity for us to collaborate with a like-directed institute in another part of the world."	Events February 12: (12:30 p.m.) Experimental Seminar: Precision predictions for inclusive B-decays Access (see all) Alpine Gate & PEP Ring Road closed Gates 17 & 30 open 24-7 Research Yard bisected Announcements (see all \| submit) Lab Announcements Learning & Development Class Offerings - Stanford Campus Community Bulletin Board Stanford University Faculty and Staff Help Center Mike Moore: "Is the US Provoking an Arms Race in Space?" (Oakland, Feb. 12) Funeral services planned for Arnold L. Eldredge February WorkLife Workshop Total eclipse of the moon, Feb. 20 News (see all \| submit) Latest Supercomputer Calculations Support the Six-Quark Theory Brookhaven National Lab New Cosmic Theory Unites Dark Forces Space.com Scientists Alter Speed-of-light Beam United Press International
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	Tuesday - February 12, 2008