Fermilab\'s Tevatron is the world\'s largest proton-antiproton collider.
In today's edition of Fermilab Today, Fermilab Director Pier Oddone announced that the laboratory would extend the run of its flagship particle accelerator by three years if the laboratory could secure additional resources and if Fermilab could minimize the effect that continuing to run the Tevatron would have on other experiments.
The Tevatron, the world's highest-energy proton-antiproton collider, is scheduled to close in September 2011. In August, an international advisory committee recommended Fermilab extend the Tevatron's run. Oddone wrote in today's column that finding supplemental funding would be "absolutely essential for Tevatron operation beyond FY11."
Oddone has requested the Department of Energy grant about $35 million in additional funds to the U.S. particle physics community for each year of the proposed extended run. If DOE could help pay for the extra physics research staff required in the U.S. high-energy physics program, Fermilab would contribute by diverting funds from two of its other large projects, NOvA and Mu2e, during FY12-14.
"Securing additional resources in the present funding climate is a tall order, and it will take some time," Oddone wrote. "It is also important that we at Fermilab take responsibility for providing some of the needed resources out of our own hide."
DOE could say no to this plan at any time, Oddone wrote. A "yes" would not be final until the President signed the Energy and Water Appropriations bill in 2011.
"Although this may appear like a high level of uncertainty, it really is no higher than the usual uncertainty for any proposed new activity," Oddone wrote. "In the meantime we have a serious challenge to continue planning along both our current path and a new path with extended Tevatron running."
