Today was our first day at Fermilab! We began the day by taking a tour of the visually stunning Wilson Hall, where we started out with a brief introduction to Fermilab's history and purpose.

Next, we went up to the 15th floor, where we could see Fermilab's various facilities. We learned about the Standard Model, and were introduced to the four functioning accelerators (the radio frequency quadrupole, linear accelerator (Linac), booster ring, and main injector), as well as the decommissioned Tevatron, which was once the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator. After CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) came online, Fermilab shifted from a focus on high energy physics to one on neutrinos and muons, becoming the "neutrino capital of the world." We then discussed one ongoing muon experiment (the Muon g-2 experiment) and one in the works (the Mu2e experiment). Next, we learned about how Fermilab creates neutrino beams, and how particles are detected using scintillating plastics. We were then able to visit the proton source, the Linac, and the control center, and subsequently broke for lunch in the Fermilab cafeteria.

Following our meal, we had a Q&A session with Fermilab physicist Dr. Don Lincoln, where we explored current theories of physics beyond the Standard Model. We then broke into groups, and visited sites around the Fermilab campus.

We traveled 100 meters underground to visit the MINOS, MINERvA, and NOvA detectors. These are experiments that endeavor to study neutrino oscillation, and are near detectors for long baseline experiments.

We also visited D-0, which is a facility on the decommissioned Tevatron accelerator. D-0 was a high energy detection device meant to sense products of proton-antiproton annihilation. We had the opportunity to go into the tunnel housing the Tevatron ring in which particles were accelerated.  

Part of the group was able to explore a cryogenic facility. There was one building containing a pair of testing cavities (these were closed cement structures). One was for testing a radio frequency accelerator tester, while the other was for testing cryomodules to be used at a Stanford particle accelerator. The other building at the cryogenic facility was a cyclotron that was still under construction, and to be finished in 2019.

In addition to scientific places of interest, we also saw a bison herd in an enclosure on the Fermilab campus! Fermilab has always tried to preserve the local environment, and has worked to restore the tallgrass prairie on their campus that once covered Illinois.

After returning to the hotel for a short break, we went to Portillo's for dinner. We then met with our Finnish counterparts with similar research topics to go over our research. We are excited to return to Fermilab again tomorrow!

Don't forget to check out the gallery for more pictures!