Hi-phi July 2008 Issue Number 174

In this issue,

1. Priorities for European Astroparticle Physics Workshop - Brussels 29-30 September 2008
2. For your CERN diary - recruitment deadlines
3. Reminder - MICE Oversight Committee open session
4. European Particle Physics Outreach Group
5. The LHC at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition and Oxford Trust.

1. Priorities for European Astroparticle Physics Workshop - Brussels 29-30 September 2008

The ASPERA ERANET is developing a Roadmap for the future in Europe of Astroparticle Physics and on the 29 and 30 September in Brussels the Roadmap and priorities for European Astroparticle Physics large infrastructures will be presented and compared with neighbouring field priorities in Europe (Astrophysics, ESA, ESO, CERN) and the European ESFRI Roadmap for large infrastructures.

For more information and to register for the workshop visit aspera website (link opens in a new window) Registrations close on 1st September.

For your CERN diary - recruitment deadlines

During the long summer days, take a look at CERN’s recruitment web site and consider your next move – there isn’t a better time to be going to CERN as the LHC starts up, and there are plenty of exciting opportunities for physicists, engineers and computer scientists right now!

Forthcoming application deadlines:

• Technical Students (6 to 12 months) : 7 August
• Doctoral Students (up to 3 years) : 7 August
• Fellowships (up to 2 years) : 8 September
• Marie Curie Actions (up to 3 years) : various dates (see CERN’s recruitment web site)

Use the recruitment web site to apply at CERN's website (link opens in a new window) – you will also find details of each of the programmes. 

3. Reminder - MICE Oversight Committee open session

The MICE Oversight Committee will take place at RAL on 21 and 22 July 2008.

You are invited to an Open Session to be held over two half days, both of which will take place in the Pickavance Lecture Theatre. The first day will commence at 13.30 on 21 July and the second day will begin at 9.00 on 22 July 2008.

The programme will be as follows:

DAY 1 - 21 July 2008 at 13.30 (the session is expected to last approximately 4 hours)

Session 1 - Review of UKNF/MICE Programme

1. Introduction
2. The International Design Studies and conceptual-design activities
3. MICE
4. Front-end test stand
5. Target Studies
6. Cavity development
   
   Session 2 - International Context
   
   
7. EMMA
8. Muon Collider: opportunities and synergies
9. European R&D programme
10. NFMCC R&D programme
11. Asian R&D programme

DAY 2 - 22 July 2008 at 9.00 (the session is expected to last approximately 2 hours)

Session 3 - Status of MICE Phase II

1. MICE Phase II overview
2. Focus-coil module: status report
3. Liquid-hydrogen absorber: status report
4. RF cavity/coupling-coil module: status report
5. MICE Hall, infrastructure, and integration

European Particle Physics Outreach Group

The 22nd meeting of the European Particle Physics Outreach Group took place in Prague on the 18 and 19 April 2008. Pete Watkins and Ray Mathias attended as UK representatives.

The agenda and presentations (link opens in a new window) are available.

International Masterclasses

Much of the meeting was taken up with presentations and discussions on International Masterclasses and from which emerged the following recommendations:

The International Masterclass video conference is a very important element of the Masterclasses. Problems continue, but the technical quality is constantly improving. The admission tests should be continued.

It is important to automate the collection of the results from the exercises to give more time to for discussion during the video conference.

The students’ connection to the scientific environment at CERN could be improved if it were possible to transmit video from the CERN Central Control Room, ATLAS Control Room or other experiments.

It was noted it is difficult to appreciate humour when English is not your first language and the EVO audio quality is not perfect.

If there are two moderators, it is tempting for them to talk to each other. Moderators should always try to address the participants.

In the US Masterclasses the moderators did not answer all the questions from the participants, but sent some to other participants. This seemed to stimulate discussion between the participating groups.

Outreach activities

Pete Watkins and Ray Mathias reported on progress with the UK LHC Communications Strategy.

Thomas Zoufal (DESY) reported that Germany has just put in place a significant 5-year public engagement programme on the LHC.

CERN has negotiated sponsorship, of 2MChF, for the development of a permanent science exhibit in the ‘Globe’. They have also issued a call for tenders to designers, for a European travelling exhibition – in partnership with Ecsite (a European umbrella organization for Science Centres and Museums).

Selection committee for next chair person

James Gillies and Erik Johansson were selected to be the selection committee for the next chair person. Erik Johansson will stand down at the next EPPOG meeting.

Next meeting

The next meeting will take place at CERN 3-4 October 2008.

The LHC at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition and Oxford Trust.

Thank you to all of the community who volunteered to staff the ‘Back to the Big Bang? At the Large Hadron Collider’ exhibit, at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition. There was a very positive response and I am pleased to say that a rota of 25 particle physicists staffed the exhibit over the four days it was at the Royal Society. The feedback received from physicists working on the exhibit, Royal Society staff and visitors was that the exhibit was very successful. There are pictures of the exhibit and a description of its contents (link opens in a new window).

The exhibit will be at the Cutting Edge, Science Oxford from the 21stth July – 29th August 2008.

Dr Ray Mathias
UK LHC Communications Manager