Well … I guess that’s the kind of feelings books writers have when they try to start a new story – you’ve so much to tell, but you don’t know really how to start. As you can see, I think the best is to write about that feeling. And I’m kind in the right mood now, so …
Good evening everyone !
This is my first post on the Quantum Diaries blogs I discovered one year ago during quiet times of my summer internship at the LPC in Clermont-Ferrand. It was actually my first contact with particle physics (I didn’t study particle physics until my fifth year of physics) and with the computing part behind of all that stuff. I have to say that it was a little bit tricky at the beginning but I love that part and learn a lot of things. This particle physics work was also a great experience which confirmed my will to work in that thrilling field.
I also learn that such a site exists to show how the life of physicists (and young apprentices ones) is. I am very proud to have the opportunity to be part of it with the precious help of Chris Knight. I would like to thank him with this post.
I also have to apologized to my first readers because I wanted to be able to write this post sooner… In fact, there were a lot of troubles in the DZero control room this evening during my shifts (we will talk about shifts later in the blog). The weather remains very warm since two days now in Chicago and we have still 32°C outside at 11:37pm. Our detector doesn’t seem to like this and it caused some cooling problems (humidity didn’t help too). So, hard times – yes ! – but very interesting parts because I learn a lot of things about the detector and how all of these parts ruled each other with the help of a fantastic crew of the DZero detector.
In front of the High Rise or Wilson Hall building with a french inspiration architecture.
One month ago, I was in an Air France airplane to move to Chicago, from Paris. It was the first time I was traveling so far and the jetlag was a very nice experience (even If I didn’t feel it when I arrived. I hope it will be the case when I’ll come back to Paris). My PhD advisor send me at Fermilab before I officially start my PhD because, as a lot of you know, the TeVatron will stop this year, at the end of september. It’s a great opportunity for me to see how all of this stuff work and how are recorded the data I used in the lab since I began my internship
It’s also a great human adventure. Of course, I didn’t used to talk so often in english in France. Even in my housing, I talk in english with my friend who works in the same lab as me, in Saclay ! You also meet new people, from the same experiment sometimes, and very often during the shifts. This cultural mix is also a great opportunity to learn more from these people from other countries – I very like this.
Of course, it’s also a great time for me to discover the US or, at least, a great part of it in Chicago. I’ll certainly post more details about this city in few days. I really think that I’m walking in Gotham City streets during the week-end and it’s very pleasant ! But behind the movies’ cliché, there’s also a great history and stories which came with this wonderful city.
Perhaps you’ve get the right feeling I have while writing to you from Fermilab, perhaps you have understand that It’s a great adventure for me, perhaps you’ve also understand that I really enjoy my job right now and perhaps you like this first post. Anyway, I want to thank you a lot for reading this and I’ll try to get more experience with you, by this blog’s way, to know more about all of you and of course, more about particle physics.
