Events

Antimatter Photographic Emulsion Technique

March 30, 2015 Arts

I met Dr. Michael Doser while at CERN for my research stay. Michael is studying antimatter and has some exciting projects going on that allow you to participate. Ever wondered what happens when you drop antimatter? The AEGIS experiment at CERN needs your help to analyze experimental results to figure out how antimatter is affected by gravity. Just join the dots to reconstruct particle tracks and your contribution could be included in an upcoming scientific publication. Just drop him a line at aegis@antihydrogen.com if you would like to help.

What I found fascinating was the technique they have developed to photograph antimatter particles. It’s a wonderful blend of old and new technologies. Check out this video from the documentary, Subatomic. This is the fifth episode in the series The Invisible Photograph, made in collaboration with Arts@ CERN for the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pennsylvania, US. The film draws parallels between concepts and technologies in particle detection and photography.

Also stay tuned for a new Kickstarter campaign to come out of CERN. The kickstarter project by Michael will be visible soon via http://projectantimatter.org but also via the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/projectantimatter.

Thank you Sponsors!

March 30, 2015 Arts, exhibits

 

To all the sponsors that have supported the Havana Biennial project so far….Thank you!!! We still need to raise $5600 to reach our goal so please share.

UNM CFA Office of the Dean
ATLAS Experiment at CERN
Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Republic of Austria
STEMarts Lab
Sube, Inc.
The Paseo
Social Media Workgroup
Americorps VISTA
OMAi GmbH
Josh and Kate Comfort
Mary H. Burns
Andrea Szekeres
Barney and Ursula Berkowitz
Matt Thomas and Richard Spera
Anita McKeown

Mark Speight

Shelli Bergmann

 

Presenting at CERN Library

March 11, 2015 Arts

 

The CERN library hosts regular presentations by scientists, educators and visiting artists, etc.I have been invited to talk about the work I am doing as part of my research stay through the ATLAS Experiment at CERN. Thanks to Annette Holtkamp for inviting me and organizing this. Here is the link to the CERN library post.

I have been walking past these rows of filing cabinets that sit outside the library all week and finally found a minute to peek inside one of the drawers to see what was inside. I thought someone might scold me for doing so. I found thousands of scientific papers that date back to 1954 when CERN was formed. Papers in all languages. Lovely little manuscripts. Some only a few pages and others like manuscripts. Many with wonderful diagrams and drawings and of course, formulas. Formulas that to me are like hieroglyphics and as always, draw me in to this world. I plan to open a different drawer every time I walk by.

Great Animation on Higgs-Boson/Higgs Field

March 9, 2015 41 Arts

This short animation “The basics of the Higgs-Boson”, by David Barney of the CMS collaboration and Steven Goldfarb of the ATLAS collaboration, really helps to grasp the Higgs-Boson and Higgs Field concept. Animation by Jeanette Nørgaard for TED-Ed (link is external)

UNM International Practicum: Havana Biennial

March 8, 2015 40 Arts

There is another exciting dimension to my participation in the Havana Biennial 2015. Thanks to the support of UNM Albuquerque Fine Arts Department, Dean Kymberly Pinder, Chair Mary Tsiongas and Professor Andrea Polli, a course has been created that will allow four selected graduate students to be a part of the creative team that will go to Havana for the install and opening.  Abbey Hepner, Adrian Pijoan, Cristine Posner, and Julianne Aguilar will be assisting with photo/video documenting, blog, article writing, and social media management, mounting the installation, the youth workshop and final projection intervention on opening night. Congrats to these students for being selected. I am thrilled to have them on the team.

Day One at ATLAS Experiment

March 5, 2015 Arts

 

After checking in, orientation and the constant stream of information provided by my guide, Dr. Steven Goldfarb, I sat for a crash course on the basics of the Standard Model of Physics. Special thanks to the simplicity and gentle patience of physicist Peter Watkins. In this 2 hour chat we gleamed into the basic particles that make up the universe-fermions and bosons, the four forces, dark matter, dark energy, antimatter, Higgs field and the Higgs-Boson particle, uncertainty principle and super symmetry, and reviewed some basic math! Absorbing it all now. The CERN website has some great educational material for beginners like me http://home.web.cern.ch/students-educators