Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Vision for SLAC Science

Persis S. Drell

Director

SLAC

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

SLAC Mission

* Investigate the structure of matter and how it behaves on multiple timescales, length scales, and energy scales addressing fundamental questions including: – Understanding the basic science of matter– Investigations of materials related to energy and the

environment– Probing the organizing principles of bio-materials and processes– Elucidating the fundamental forces and constituents of the

universe

* We execute the mission through the operation of our user facilities and the scientific programs we support.

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

National Laboratory Role

* Provide technical and scientific leadership* Design, build and operate facilities* Provide unique technical capabilities in management and

construction of large scale projects* Paradigm of user support is shifting

– Photon science user community is changing– Particle physics user community is changing

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Tale of Two Transitions at SLAC

* Major transition of scientific portfolio– Going forward major onsite user facilities operating for photon

science rather than particle physics

* Transition to multi-program environment– We have optimized locally for many years– Transition now to optimizing for the institution as a whole

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Scientific Vision for SLAC

* Strong Photon Science program – World leading on site facilities

* Strong Particle Physics and Astrophysics– Focus on energy frontier and cosmological frontier

* Accelerator science– Core competency of the laboratory– Key tools for discovery in many scientific areas

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Turn-on in 2009: LCLS will be the World’s First X-ray LaserLCLS: Linac Coherent Light Source

FACET

SLAC ACCELERATOR FACILITIESSLAC ACCELERATOR FACILITIES

LCLS

SPEAR 3

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

SLAC Photon Science Future: LCLS

* X-ray Free Electron Laser (LCLS)

– Use the last 1/3 of the SLAC Linac to produce a new kind of light source

– LCLS is currently under construction; will be complete in 2009/10

* X-ray Lasers will open the Ultra-Small and Ultra-Fast Worlds –Realm of LCLS— First Light 2009– 1012 photons/pulse– 800 eV – 9 KeV– 200 fs pulse at commissioning– few * 10 fs within 1-2 years– fully coherent at x-ray wavelengths

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

SLAC Photon Science Future: SSRL and Beyond

* SSRL– X-Rays have opened the Ultra-Small World -- Realm of

SPEAR3 – Operating Now• 1012 photons/sec from high brightness undulator

• 400 eV –40 KeV

• 50 ps pulse

• limited coherence at x-ray wavelengths

– Future: PEP-X

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Particle Physics Today

* The most exciting time scientifically in my career lifetime– Opening of TeV frontier– Mystery of neutrino masses and mixing– Dark Energy– Dark Matter

* Healthy particle physics program very important to US going forward– Priority for SLAC

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

New Paradigm for the US

* The frontier of accelerator based particle physics is off shore for the next decade

* Particle physics will thrive in the next decade– Will the US continue to play a leadership role?

* How can national laboratories help support the user community to be effective participants – At accelerators abroad?– In non accelerator based experiments?

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

SLAC Support for Users Going Forward

* Highest priority for the field is energy frontier– SLAC will support users at LHC

* Exploration of the ‘Dark Universe’– New models of user support by national labs

• GLAST now

• LSST, JDEM future

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Electron Accelerator Science at SLAC

* Core competency of the laboratory– Essential to future science strategy of the lab and the field

* Our future science strategy depends on advances in electron accelerators

* Both Photon Science and Particle Physics rely on advances in electron accelerator science

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Users Organizations Going Forward

* Both photon science and particle physics user communities are changing– BaBar and SSRL users couldn’t be more different– LCLS, LHC, GLAST, LSST users may find they have more

similarities than differences• Opportunities to learn from each other

* Culture for doing science is changing in all fields

Sept. 18, 2008 SLUO 2008 Annual Meeting

Summary

* SLAC is transforming to optimize for its future* Particle physics program high priority for lab going

forward– Strong user support role essential to health and viability of

particle physics at SLAC– Still working to optimize our role for the user community in this

new era