World-class Sanford Lab supports local education, economy

BY CONSTANCE WALTER

The Sanford Underground Research Facility (Sanford Lab), located at the former Homestake gold mine in Lead, S.D., is the deepest underground laboratory in the United States. The lab hosts several competitive, worldleading physics experiments nearly a mile underground; touches the lives of thousands of students and teachers every year; and has a huge impact on the regional economy.

Homestake Mining Co. closed the mine in 2003 and donated the property three years later to South Dakota for use as an underground laboratory. That same year, philanthropist T. Denny Sanford donated $70 million and the state legislature committed $40 million to the project. The state also received a $10 million HUD grant to rehabilitate Homestake mine. Current funding for Sanford Lab operations comes from the U.S. Department of Energy.

World-Leading Research

Physics research is not new to Sanford Lab. In the mid-1960s, nuclear chemist Ray Davis installed a detector at the 4850 Level to research neutrinos. His experiment earned Davis a share of the 2002 Nobel Prize in physics.

Today, the Davis Campus on the 4850 Level houses two major experiments: the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment, which is searching for dark matter; and the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR (MJD) experiment, which is looking for a rare form of radioactive decay. LUX has published an analysis of their first data set, which has made a big impact in the race to detect dark matter. The first data from the MJD experiment is expected in early 2015.

A third major experiment is in the planning stages. The Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment is a joint project between Fermilab in Batavia, Ill., and Sanford Lab. The estimated construction cost for facilities and experiment hardware based in South Dakota is $275 million and the DOE has committed $26 million to the project this year alone. When completed in 2023, LBNE will shoot a beam of neutrinos through the earth from Fermilab, 800 miles away, to an enormous detector underground at Sanford Lab. The experiment will collect data well into the 2040s.

Many disciplines benefit from access to an underground facility dedicated to scientific research. Over all, there are 15 active groups at the lab conducting research in the fields of biology, engineering, geology and physics. Fourteen of those groups include students and faculty from South Dakota universities and colleges.

Education and Outreach

Sanford Lab seeks to inspire students, teachers and the general public to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through a variety of education and outreach programs. Since 2009 more than 7,000 students and 1,500 teachers have participated in workshops, field trips and after-school programs, while more than 13,000 members of the general public have attended presentations around the state and the lab’s annual science festival, Neutrino Day.

Economic Impact

Sanford Lab has contributed greatly to the state’s economy. The Lab’s activities support 159 jobs in the state. Since 2004, it has spent more than $120 million in South Dakota and places an emphasis on working with small, regional businesses. And finally, the lab offers a variety of paid internships to students from South Dakota universities, allowing those students to gain valuable hands-on experience in STEM fields and remain in the state.

For more information about the experiments at Sanford Lab, go to www.sanfordlab.org. PB

Constance Walter Communications Director Sanford Underground Research Facility cwalter@sanfordlab.org Twitter: @SanfordLab

Integration And Commercialization On The Northern Plains

A Global Destination For The Uas Industry

What many thought would takes years is now upon us with the growing use of unmanned systems in civil and commercial markets – and the pending announcement of six national test sites. With increased use of UAS by law enforcement and first responders and growing interest, new applications and research being conducted by precision agriculture, transportation, infrastructure and planning agencies, the future is indeed here.

Join North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp the Red River Valley Research Corridor in Grand Forks, North Dakota June 25 & 26 for the 8th Annual UAS Action Summit as we explore where the UAS industry is now and the potential it has in the future. The 2014 UAS Summit is being co-hosted by Northern Plains UAS Test Site Authority and the ND Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp, Red River Valley Research Corridor, and the City of Grand Forks.

Hear from unmanned systems experts from federal agencies, universities and civil and commercial entities as they identify current and future unmanned system applications and solutions. Interface and network with presenters, industry experts, vendors and new partners during this fast-paced two day industry event.

Speaker Session Topics Include:

• Airspace Integration Strategies

• Northern Plains UAS Test Site Briefing

• Commercial Applications in Precision Ag

• Civil Applications in Law Enforcement

• UAS Flight Demos

• Privacy and Ethics Exploration

• Energy Industry - Monitoring Assets (pipelines, transmission, operations)

• International Collaboration

Featured Speakers:

Michael Toscano, President of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple

Bob Becklund, Executive Director of Northern Plains Unmanned Systems Test Site

U.S. Senator John Hoeven

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp