CERN Courier: November 2001
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Experts share news of radiofrequency progress
Superconducting technology is becoming the standard route for supplying power to high-energy particle beams. The latest specialist workshop, which was held in Japan, provided a valuable window on progress.
Astroparticle physicists gain increased support
Understanding what happens in the largest objects of the universe in terms of interactions between the smallest particles of matter might seem a tall order, but funding agencies see that, as well as addressing the most fundamental problems of the universe at large, astroparticle physics also has immense appeal. In this article we take a look at the astroparticle scene in Germany, one of CERN's largest member states.
Experiment boosts the idea of a nuclear halo
The availability of relatively copious sources of antiprotons has stimulated the study of "exotic" atoms, in which a negatively charged antiproton replaces an orbital atomic electron. When they approach the nucleus these antiprotons feel the nuclear force and can be used to probe nuclear forces and structure. A new result from CERN underlines the existence of an outer nuclear "halo" composed mainly of neutrons.
Cornell makes plans to alter its course
Cornell University in New York managed for a long time to keep pace with major national laboratories. Experiments at Cornell provided many important contributions to the physics of B-mesons - particles containing the fifth "b" quark. With the commissioning of new "B- factories", Cornell's physics is set to change direction.
HERMES searches for the nucleon's missing spin
While the proton and the neutron are made up of quarks and gluons, the spin of the proton or the neutron is difficult to reconcile with the spins of quark and gluon components. For more than a decade, physicists have struggled to solve this puzzle.
Report urges scientists to secure their records
A new report underlines the importance of keeping scientific records to safeguard our scientific heritage. Once an experiment is complete, its responsibilities are not over.