The goats are back at the Lab, so it must be summer. It is also the time to welcome nine summer interns who are working with teams across the Division.
There was much to celebrate since the last newsletter. It was a pleasure to join, together with several NSD members, the flag raising ceremony to celebrate Pride Month. An important reminder of our commitment to fostering a workplace culture where everyone feels welcome and valued. We also celebrate several NSD members who were recognized for their outstanding work. Congratulations to Wick Haxton, Erich Leistenschneider, Gabriel Orebi Gann, and Xin-Nian Wang on their respective well deserved awards (see Fragment for more details).
On the science side, we can celebrate the breakthrough by our Heavy Element team, who in collaboration with their international partners succeeded to produce two events of Element 116 (livermorium) by bombarding a plutonium target with a titanium-50 beam at the 88-Inch Cyclotron. Based on the measured production rate the search for new Element 120 using titanium beam seems feasible.
In this issue of the NSD Newsletter we are featuring recent physics results from ALICE, led by NSD scientists, that investigate the coherent photoproduction of pairs of kaons in ultra-peripheral collisions (UPCs) of relativistic lead nuclei, which for the first time gave access to the photon-kaon coupling strength. We also learn about a remarkable measurement of the 71Ge half-life, which rules out potential explanation of the so-called “gallium anomaly”, leaving the door open for potentially more physics beyond-the-standard model in the neutrino sector. Another exciting development we learn about, is how machine learning methods, automation, and robotics are being used for nuclear safeguards applications. Finally, the GRETA project has achieved another major milestone by safely completing the challenging move of the main mechanical structures from the 88-Inch high bay to the laboratory ‘K-area’ space in the basement level of Bldg. 88 where the final assembly, systems integration and testing will take place. The move was a real team effort of the LBNL riggers with support of the 88-Inch mechanical crew. Congratulations. The pictures in this issue of the newsletter only tell part of the story.
Overall, it is fantastic to see the progress and celebrate these achievements, the recognition of our people, and the commitment to the lab’s stewardship values and IDEA principles. Wishing everyone an enjoyable summer.
Sincerely,
