Comments on: A story of the people who shaped Fermilab http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2009/04/21/a-story-of-the-people-who-shaped-fermilab/ extra dimensions of particle physics Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:22:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jerome rosen http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2009/04/21/a-story-of-the-people-who-shaped-fermilab/comment-page-1/#comment-15497 jerome rosen Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:09:04 +0000 http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/?p=3182#comment-15497 Since I am a somewhat crotchety old pedagogue permit me to make a few additions and corrections to the "water on the ropes" tale. Under the leadership of the Great Bob Wilson, aided by his pal and fellow Cornell Professor Boyce McDaniel, NAL went from a suite of offices in Oakbrook to a 300GeV ring in the interval 1968-1972. The funding of 250M$ constructed lab buildings, magnet factory etc. (The original Berkeley design for a 200GeV facility had a price tag of 300M$.) When the ring of a thousand dipoles plus focussing quads was first powered up in 1972 an embarassing number of dipoles failed (the magnet assemblies was perhaps too speedy and some plaster of paris insulated connections shorted). Lab meetings were then held in the old Curia which was in the village (the Hi-rise was not then complete. Wilson addressed the assembled and fairly disheartened staff and spoke of the need for someone to come up with a saving idea, hence the water on the ropes metaphor. In his version there was a cathedral being erected. A critical heavy beam was being hoisted but despite the heroic efforts of the rope pullers, it would not slip into position. At this juncture someone shouted: "pour water on the ropes!" The idea was that the sodden ropes would then shrink. Wilson was fascinated by cathedral builders and often spoke of them- The hi-rise is testimony to this. The cooling ponds that encircle the berm are heat exchangers which are part of the magnet cooling system. The accelerated particles add negligibly to the heat load which was generated by ohmic power dissipation. That original ring is gone and the repacement superconducting ring is a different kettle of fish. Since I am a somewhat crotchety old pedagogue permit me to make a few additions and corrections to the “water on the ropes” tale. Under the leadership of the Great Bob Wilson, aided by his pal and fellow Cornell Professor Boyce McDaniel, NAL went from a suite of offices in Oakbrook to a 300GeV ring in the interval 1968-1972. The funding of 250M$ constructed lab buildings, magnet factory etc. (The original Berkeley design for a 200GeV facility had a price tag of 300M$.)
When the ring of a thousand dipoles plus focussing quads was first powered up in 1972 an embarassing number of dipoles failed (the magnet assemblies was perhaps too speedy and some plaster of paris insulated connections shorted). Lab meetings were then held in the old Curia which was in the village (the Hi-rise was not then complete. Wilson addressed the assembled and fairly disheartened staff and spoke of the need for someone to come up with a saving idea, hence the water on the ropes metaphor. In his version there was a cathedral being erected. A critical heavy beam was being hoisted but despite the heroic efforts of the rope pullers, it would not slip into position. At this juncture someone shouted: “pour water on the ropes!” The idea was that the sodden ropes would then shrink.
Wilson was fascinated by cathedral builders and often spoke of them- The hi-rise is testimony to this.
The cooling ponds that encircle the berm are heat exchangers which are part of the magnet cooling system. The accelerated particles add negligibly to the heat load which was generated by ohmic power dissipation. That original ring is gone and the repacement superconducting ring is a different kettle of fish.

]]> By: greg sellberg http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2009/04/21/a-story-of-the-people-who-shaped-fermilab/comment-page-1/#comment-15454 greg sellberg Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:41:58 +0000 http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/?p=3182#comment-15454 Dr. Wilson's speech, he describes this to the people who "spoke up" to warn of impending crisis, as when the Romans were erecting monuments the crowd was ordered to be silenced so the one man in charge commanding the erection of a monument would be heard. An individual in the crowd noticed the ropes over heating and about to fail, he cried out “water to the ropes.” With the knowledge the Roman guards would enforce the standing order “to be put to the sword”. Dr. Wilsons analogy was if you see a problem speak up. One of his contributions to the sculptures dotting the site is the steel obelisk in the pond in front of Wilson Hall. He called it “Acqua alle Funi,” which in Italian means “water to the ropes.” That phrase was a rallying cry in 16th century Rome when workers raised an obelisk to its vertical height at St. Peter’s Square, using ropes that needed water to work properly. At Fermilab, it became the rallying cry during the final months of construction of the main accelerator ring, which is surrounded by water used to cool magnets heated up by particles pushed to ever faster speeds. Dr. Wilson’s speech, he describes this to the people who “spoke up” to warn of impending crisis, as when the Romans were erecting monuments the crowd was ordered to be silenced so the one man in charge commanding the erection of a monument would be heard. An individual in the crowd noticed the ropes over heating and about to fail, he cried out “water to the ropes.” With the knowledge the Roman guards would enforce the standing order “to be put to the sword”. Dr. Wilsons analogy was if you see a problem speak up.

One of his contributions to the sculptures dotting the site is the steel obelisk in the pond in front of Wilson Hall. He called it “Acqua alle Funi,” which in Italian means “water to the ropes.” That phrase was a rallying cry in 16th century Rome when workers raised an obelisk to its vertical height at St. Peter’s Square, using ropes that needed water to work properly. At Fermilab, it became the rallying cry during the final months of construction of the main accelerator ring, which is surrounded by water used to cool magnets heated up by particles pushed to ever faster speeds.

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