Fermilab, 1965-1990: A Case Study in the Emergence of Big Science

Lillian Hoddeson博士和Catherine Westfall博士正在进行一项初步研究，通过对费米国家加速器实验室(Fermilab)过去25年的关键历史考察，探索美国物理学中的“大科学”的工作原理。费米国家加速器实验室是世界上能量最高的粒子加速器的基地。他们的最终希望是检查像费米实验室这样的机构对设备和实验的规模、范围和成本增加的科学研究的影响；大型工作团队和长时间尺度导致的实验研究的变化；政治和政府控制的影响、设施的“用户”导向、地理集中和计算机化。根据这项初步研究，他们将对整个项目中的主要问题进行初步的全面分析，并进行三项具体研究：(1)关于费米实验室的建设和早期研究计划；(2)关于SSC的影响；以及(3)关于对撞机探测器设施(CDF)“实验”的历史。Hoddeson博士将专注于大型加速器和探测器设计的技术方面，包括400GeV同步加速器、1000GeV Tevatron、CDF探测器和SSC，以及1980年后的实验计划以及SSC对费米实验室和高能物理的影响。韦斯特福尔博士将更多地讲述费米实验室的政治和技术起源、400GeV机器的建造、早期实验计划(1971-80年)以及SSC的建立。这项研究应该会大大提高我们对大科学在当今物理学中的运作和影响的理解。

Dr. Lillian Hoddeson and Dr. Catherine Westfall are undertaking a pilot study to explore the workings of "big science" in American physics through a critical historical examination of the last 25 years of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), the base of the world's highest energy particle accelerator. Their ultimate hope is to examine the effects of institutions like Fermilab on scientific research of increased size, scope, and cost of facilities and experiments; the changes in experimental research resulting from large working teams and long time-scales; the influence of politics and government control, "user" orientation of facilities, geographical concentration and computerization. Under this pilot study, they will produce an initial overall analysis of the major issues in the full-length project and three specific studies: (1) on the construction and early research program at Fermilab; (2) on the impact of the SSC; and (3) on the history of the Collider-Detector Facility (CDF) "experiment." Dr. Hoddeson will focus on technical aspects of the designing of large accelerators and detectors, including the 400 GeV syncrotron, the 1000 GeV Tevatron, the CDF detector, and the SSC, as well as the experimental program after 1980 and the impact on Fermilab and high energy physics of the SSC. Dr. Westfall will deal more with the political and technical origins of Fermilab, construction of the 400 GeV machine, the early experimental program (1971-80) and the establishment of the SSC. This study should greatly enhance our understanding of the operation and impact of big science in physics today.