From the Director: The Future of Photon Science at SLAC National Accelerator Lab

by Persis Drell

Last week I had the honor of giving the keynote address at the Linac Coherent Light Source–Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource joint annual users' meeting on the future of photon science. Since my background is in particle physics and particle astrophysics, I was a bit nervous to presume to talk to the user community about their field of expertise. However it was fun to give a talk where I could paint a picture of the future of photon science at SLAC National Accelerator Lab, motivated by the scientific goals of the field.

The future of photon science at SLAC is playing out on two very different timelines. For the postdocs and graduate students in the audience, the future is the next 3 years. And as lab director, I also have to be concerned about the future a decade from now. We have opportunities now because visionary individuals had great ideas a decade or more ago. So I also talked about the long-term future of photon science at SLAC and our strategy to deliver both world-leading capabilities to the photon science user community and innovative mission-relevant scientific discoveries for the decades to come. Read more...

We're SLAC for Short

"SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory" can be a bit much to say or write repeatedly, and many people in the lab are unsure what to call us for short. Staying with "SLAC" as the short version of the lab's name, rather than SNAL or some other combination, is straightforward and will save everyone at the lab significant time and money as we adopt the new name.

On first use in a document, the full name SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory should be always be used. Subsequent mentions can simply use "SLAC." More detailed guidelines about use of the name and the new logo are now available on the Communications Web site. New static and animated versions of the logo are also available there, and templates for letterhead and PowerPoint presentations will be posted soon.

B Factory Symposium Monday

Don't forget, the B Factory Symposium starts Monday at Stanford University's Schwab Residential Center, Vidalakis Hall. Come hear talks on a wide range of topics, including a retrospective on bottom, charm and tau physics at PEP-II and BABAR, together with a look forward to the future of heavy flavor physics.

For details and to register, please visit the event Web site.

Word of the Week:
Maxwell's Demon

by Brad Plummer

In an attempt to challenge the second law of thermodynamics, which states that disorder in a system always increases, physicist James Clerk Maxwell conceived of a thought experiment in 1867 in which an imaginary and super-perceptive "demon" serves as a gate keeper between two adjacent vessels. In the experiment, the two vessels contain a gas with an overall uniform temperature, and are connected by a small hole. By opening and closing the hole between the two vessels, the demon—who would monitor the motion of individual molecules—could preferentially allow fast moving molecules to enter one vessel and slow moving molecules to enter the other. The effect would be to raise the temperature of one and lower the temperature of the other, all without adding or subtracting energy from the system otherwise, a direct violation of the second law of thermodynamics.

LCLS Hardware Update

by Brad Plummer

Click for an interactive map of the LCLS.

Highlights this week from the LCLS hardware installation include:

• All 33 undulator girder assemblies are installed, and the beam position monitor waveguide installation is now in progress.

• The Beam Dump large magnet installation is complete.

• The Controls System installation is underway and on schedule.

Events

October 27 (8:30 a.m.)
B Factory Symposium
Oct 28 (12:30 p.m.) Experimental Seminar: Twilight: Results from the Third and Final Phase of SNO

Access (see all)

Announcements
(see all | submit)

Lab Announcements

New Required Computer Course

Community Bulletin Board

Training (see all | register)

Oct 27 (8:00 a.m.) Safety Awareness for R&D

News (submit)

World's Most Brilliant Synchrotron Light Source for Materials Science and Nanotechnology Nanotechnology
Magic Tape: Physicists Discover an Unexpected Source of X-rays Science News

<% Response.AddHeader "Last-modified", getArticleDate() 'Response.AddHeader "Last-modified","Mon, 01 Sep 1997 01:03:33 GMT" 'Monday, December 06, 2010 %>

View online at http://today.slac.stanford.edu/.

From the Director: The Future of Photon Science at SLAC National Accelerator Lab by Persis Drell Last week I had the honor of giving the keynote address at the Linac Coherent Light Source–Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource joint annual users' meeting on the future of photon science. Since my background is in particle physics and particle astrophysics, I was a bit nervous to presume to talk to the user community about their field of expertise. However it was fun to give a talk where I could paint a picture of the future of photon science at SLAC National Accelerator Lab, motivated by the scientific goals of the field. The future of photon science at SLAC is playing out on two very different timelines. For the postdocs and graduate students in the audience, the future is the next 3 years. And as lab director, I also have to be concerned about the future a decade from now. We have opportunities now because visionary individuals had great ideas a decade or more ago. So I also talked about the long-term future of photon science at SLAC and our strategy to deliver both world-leading capabilities to the photon science user community and innovative mission-relevant scientific discoveries for the decades to come. Read more...

We're SLAC for Short "SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory" can be a bit much to say or write repeatedly, and many people in the lab are unsure what to call us for short. Staying with "SLAC" as the short version of the lab's name, rather than SNAL or some other combination, is straightforward and will save everyone at the lab significant time and money as we adopt the new name. On first use in a document, the full name SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory should be always be used. Subsequent mentions can simply use "SLAC." More detailed guidelines about use of the name and the new logo are now available on the Communications Web site. New static and animated versions of the logo are also available there, and templates for letterhead and PowerPoint presentations will be posted soon. B Factory Symposium Monday Don't forget, the B Factory Symposium starts Monday at Stanford University's Schwab Residential Center, Vidalakis Hall. Come hear talks on a wide range of topics, including a retrospective on bottom, charm and tau physics at PEP-II and BABAR, together with a look forward to the future of heavy flavor physics. For details and to register, please visit the event Web site.	Word of the Week: Maxwell's Demon by Brad Plummer In an attempt to challenge the second law of thermodynamics, which states that disorder in a system always increases, physicist James Clerk Maxwell conceived of a thought experiment in 1867 in which an imaginary and super-perceptive "demon" serves as a gate keeper between two adjacent vessels. In the experiment, the two vessels contain a gas with an overall uniform temperature, and are connected by a small hole. By opening and closing the hole between the two vessels, the demon—who would monitor the motion of individual molecules—could preferentially allow fast moving molecules to enter one vessel and slow moving molecules to enter the other. The effect would be to raise the temperature of one and lower the temperature of the other, all without adding or subtracting energy from the system otherwise, a direct violation of the second law of thermodynamics. LCLS Hardware Update by Brad Plummer Click for an interactive map of the LCLS. Highlights this week from the LCLS hardware installation include: • All 33 undulator girder assemblies are installed, and the beam position monitor waveguide installation is now in progress. • The Beam Dump large magnet installation is complete. • The Controls System installation is underway and on schedule.	Events October 27 (8:30 a.m.) B Factory Symposium Oct 28 (12:30 p.m.) Experimental Seminar: Twilight: Results from the Third and Final Phase of SNO Access (see all) Excavation: Loop/South Target Roads Bldg 40 and 84 Parking Lots Closed PEP Ring Road, Alpine Gate Closed Announcements (see all \| submit) Lab Announcements New Required Computer Course Community Bulletin Board Celebrate Archives Month and Win! Cyber Security Awareness Month Training (see all \| register) Oct 27 (8:00 a.m.) Safety Awareness for R&D News (submit) World's Most Brilliant Synchrotron Light Source for Materials Science and Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Magic Tape: Physicists Discover an Unexpected Source of X-rays Science News
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<% Response.AddHeader "Last-modified", getArticleDate() 'Response.AddHeader "Last-modified","Mon, 01 Sep 1997 01:03:33 GMT" 'Monday, December 06, 2010 %> View online at http://today.slac.stanford.edu/.


	Friday - October 24, 2008