Poland extends connections with CERN
The Cracow Institute of Nuclear Physics (HNINP) signed a collaboration agreement with CERN on 26 June, under which a team of 22 Polish physicists, engineers and technicians will come to CERN to assist with the inspection of LHC assembly work. The team will have the task of inspecting the 1700 interconnections between the LHC magnets. These interconnections have to ensure continuity of the vacuum chamber and the superconducting cable, and the cryogenic, helium supply, main magnet and corrector magnet systems. The Polish scientists will start their inspection work in April 2004.
The Armenian minister for trade and economic development, Karen Chshmaritian, visited CERN on 4 July and toured the ATLAS experimental cavern and assembly hall. He is seen here (centre) in front of a model of ATLAS, together with (from left to right) Aram Kotzinian of JINR, Marzio Nessi from ATLAS, Zohrab Mnatsakanian, Ambassador at the permanent mission of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations in Geneva, Alexei Sissakian, vice-director of JINR, and Peter Jenni, ATLAS spokesman.
India attends first CERN Council meeting as observer
The CERN Council welcomed an Indian delegation to its first meeting on 20 June, following the granting of observer status to India last December. Indian scientists have been working with CERN since the 1960s, a collaboration formalized in a co-operation agreement in 1991 and extended for a further decade in 2001. In the framework of the 1996 protocol signed with the Indian Department of Atomic Energy, India became one of the first non-member states to make significant contributions to the LHC. Indian scientists are also valued members of the ALICE and CMS collaborations, and Indian IT expertise is being put to good use in Grid computing projects through additional protocols signed in 2002. Anil Kakodkar (right), Atomic Energy Commission chairman, who led the delegation is seen here at the meeting with Thettalil Seetharam, minister (disarmament), permanent mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva.
The 9th International Workshop on Polarized Solid Targets and Techniques, jointly organized by the universities of Bochum and Bonn, will be held on 27-29 October at the Physikzentrum in Bad Honnef, Germany. Topics will include the use of polarized solid targets in particle-physics experiments, as well as related aspects in other applications. Details are available at http://poltarg03.ep1.rub.de.
Takeshi Sasaki (centre), president of the University of Tokyo, visited CERN on 29 July when the renewal of the memorandum for the academic exchange agreement between the university and CERN was signed. Sasaki toured the LHC magnet test hall, the ATLAS underground cavern and assembly hall and visited the Antiproton Decelerator (AD) and Computer Centre. He is seen here in the AD experimental area with the spokesman of ASACUSA, Ryogo Hayano of Tokyo (left), and Makoto Fujawara of RIKEN and ATHENA.
Masatoshi Koshiba (left), from the International Centre for Elementary Particle Physics, Tokyo, Japan, and winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Physics, visited CERN on 8 July, where he gave a seminar, and in a less formal moment was photographed with fellow Nobel laureate (1989) Jack Steinberger, from CERN.
Peyrou remembered
I was very sorry to learn that Charles Peyrou has died (CERN Courier June 2003 p25, p33). It would be presumptuous of me to comment on his many contributions to physics, for most were beyond my level of understanding. Rather I would like to share some of the memories I have from the period 1957-1962, when I worked for him as a technician.
Right from the beginning Charles demonstrated an astute judgement of people. He created a team with members from all the participating nations of the period, which worked hard and, at the right times, played well together. He was an excellent communicator and an accomplished linguist. Although occasionally he could present a somewhat severe expression, there was always a timely anecdote not far from the surface. Often, when thinking, he would light up a Gauloise and pace up and down, and having got his ideas in order we would be expected to walk with him to discuss the outcome; at least it kept us fit! Other eccentricities included having meetings in the open air and repairing to the Chalet restaurant for a working lunch and the occasional game of table football (which he was never any good at!).
Charles was always prepared to listen to others' ideas, even if they contradicted his own. However, one had to be prepared to be thoroughly grilled, often to the point of exhaustion. There were many problems to be resolved in cryogenic engineering at that time and although he enjoyed the elegant solution he would usually opt for the most simple. Once the serious business of experimentation started, he would always offer advice, encouragement and support, irrespective of the time, day or night.
Many years after I had left CERN we bumped into each other, almost literally, in San Francisco airport. I recognized him, but would he remember me? He did and we sank a few scotches waiting for our respective flights. There is no doubt my time working for Charles had a beneficial effect on my subsequent career and quality of life, for which I will be forever grateful, and for that he has my heartfelt thanks.
Alan Maybury, Nailsea, UK.
Coloured quarks
I enjoyed reading in the June issue of CERN Courier (p30) that two distinguished theorists, Yoichiro Nambu and Albert Tavkhelidze, shared the Bogoliubov Prize. In the July/August issue (p36) it was noted that another distinguished theorist, Oscar Greenberg celebrated his 70th birthday. Early versions of coloured quarks were proposed by Greenberg, Nambu and Tavkhelidze nearly 40 years ago.
Gabriel Karl, Guelph, Canada.
New Products
CeramTec North America's Ceramaseal Division has launched a new line of differentially pumped viewports for extreme high-vacuum applications. The viewport optics include zinc selenide and Cleartran, and have an antireflective coating and 98% minimum transmission rate. Further information can be found at www.ceramaseal.com.
Singulus Technologies has a new TIMARIS thin-film sputtering system for MRAM (magnetic random access memory) wafers. The first system is equipped to handle 150 and 200 mm wafers, while a second will process 300 mm wafers. For further details contact Bernhard Krause, tel: +49 6181 982 8020.
Thermo Vacuum Generators has announced new magnetic rotary vacuum feedthroughs in its MRD series. The new feedthroughs feature a high torque and high lifetime magnetic coupling, eliminating a key source of leaks and contamination in high-vacuum applications. For further information contact Richard Stratford, tel: +1 408 965 6523, e-mail: richard.stratford@vacgen.com, or see www.thermovacgen.com.
ZBD Displays offers grating-aligned liquid-crystal displays that allow images to be kept on display indefinitely without power or after the power is turned off. The technology also enables complex displays with good contrast, brightness and viewing angle. More details are available at www.zbddisplays.com.
Leybold has opened a new sales and service facility in Shanghai. It is the company's third facility in China, the others being in Guangzhou and Tianjin. For more information contact Christina Steigler, tel: +49 221 347 1261, e-mail: christina.steigler@leyboldvakuum.com.