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NEWPORT NEWS — A new LOVEwork installation at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility celebrates Virginia’s iconic slogan, “Virginia is the Lovers State,” with a twist: “Virginia is the Science Lovers State.”
The new sign will be on display in time for the institute’s first public opening in six years, scheduled for Saturday.
The letters are 6 to 8 feet tall and over 25 feet wide, according to the facility. The LOVE piece is made from recycled flat aluminum pipes called vacuum chambers that were once used in magnets for a particle accelerator at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.
Jefferson Lab explained that the vacuum chamber arrived at the lab attached to a magnet that was no longer needed in the accelerator that powers Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source. The magnet will be sent to both Jefferson Lab and the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory to be reused in the new Electron Ion Collider, a $1.7 billion nuclear physics facility under construction at Brookhaven. As part of the refurbishment, the vacuum chamber’s piping is being removed from the magnet.
Instead of discarding the chambers, Jefferson Lab scientists, engineers, welders and technicians transformed them into LOVEwork Letters, a STEM education and outreach initiative that saved more than 1,200 pounds of metal from waste, according to the lab.
“We are always looking for opportunities to improve our waste diversion efforts, and material reuse is a key part of our program. The aluminum used in this LOVEwork is a great example of material reuse,” said Aubrey Davie, Jefferson Institute’s sustainability program leader. “Jefferson Institute is committed to innovation and creativity, while also fostering responsibility and environmental care. The LOVEwork sign demonstrates that commitment.”
The Jefferson Institute says the signs are designed to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, ensuring they will stay in place during inclement weather.
“Art has the power to captivate and engage audiences in ways that traditional science communication cannot,” said Lisa Searles-Law, Science Education Manager at Jefferson Laboratory. “Jefferson Laboratory’s LOVEwork provides a unique opportunity to merge art and science. Interactive elements, such as computer activities and QR codes, allow viewers to learn about the origins of each component and their role in the accelerator design, increasing scientific literacy and curiosity.”
This sustainable art will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Jefferson Lab 2024 Open House on June 8 and will be on permanent display at the lab for all to enjoy. It is a continuation of the Virginia LOVEwork series, which was started in 2013 by the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VATC) to promote travel within Virginia.
Open House
The open day on Saturday will run from 9am to 3pm and, according to the institute, will provide an ideal opportunity for the public to explore its world-class research facilities, with access to research areas, demonstrations and a host of exhibits and hands-on activities. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about superconducting materials, supercomputers, particle accelerators, particle detectors, atomic physics research and more.
“It’s been six years since we’ve been able to hold an open house because of the pandemic,” said Lauren Hansen, chief communications officer. “People are really excited to come back and show people what they’re doing. They’re really excited to be able to teach people and show people what they work on a day-to-day basis. There’s a pride of ownership here and the excitement on campus is pretty palpable.”
“We’re really excited about the open house because it gives us an opportunity to share what we do here with students in the area,” Searles-Law said. “Obviously, students come here throughout the year and interact with our staff, but it’s a whole other opportunity for them to actually see and get hands-on experience of what we do here at Jefferson Institute.”
This will be the institute’s 15th public opening in the 40 years since its founding. The opening will see three of the institute’s four experimental halls and the accelerator tunnel, and for the first time, not only the straight parts of the accelerator but also one of its curved parts, the arc, open to the public.
Admission and parking are free. Event parking will open at 8:30 a.m. June 8 at Canon Virginia, 12000 Canon Blvd. in Newport News. Newport News Police will be directing traffic on Canon Boulevard and signs will direct visitors to the event parking lot.
All visitors must park in the Canon parking lot and board a special event bus to Jefferson Lab. Buses will continuously shuttle visitors from the Canon parking lot to Jefferson Lab from 9 AM to 2 PM (approximately a 1-minute bus ride). The last bus will leave the Canon parking lot for the Open House at 2 PM. After 2 PM, buses will only return visitors to the Canon parking lot. Limited public parking for visitors with a handicapped parking permit or license plate will be available at 12000 Jefferson Ave. on the day of the event. To utilize this limited on-site parking, your permit or license plate must be fully visible.
The Jefferson Institute said visitors are welcome to take photos and videos at the event.
For more information on the various activities taking place during the open house, please visit the official website.
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