Optimising megascience project leadership evidence from the Tevatron and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

Background - A development within the last century in scientific research has been the need for very large apparatus to explore new experimental fields, notably within high-energy physics. These ‘megascience projects’, which have a minimum budget of one billion US dollars are generally undertaken as cooperative ventures by countries seeking to pursue scientific experimental opportunities. Such projects are characterised by high levels of technological uncertainty, because success will likely depend on the development of new, highly-advanced technologies. However, there is a notable lack of research into the leadership of megascience projects. Objectives and Methods - The projects investigated were the Tevatron at Fermilab, near Chicago in the United States, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN on the Franco-Swiss border near to Geneva. This research used a combination of archival and interview-based research to answer three research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of those who lead megascience projects? (2) Where were their leadership skills developed? (3) How were their leadership skills developed? Results - The most important finding was the tailoring of senior leadership selection according to the needs of specific phases of the project. Four phases were identified: initiation, approval, construction, and exploitation. During the project there was a transition in senior leader characteristics from a transformational autocracy to an increasingly laissez-faire style. The characteristics of successful leaders of megascience projects at all organisational levels include 1) the primacy of technical competence, 2) strong management ability, 3) trustworthiness, and 4) team empowerment. This is somewhat unusual compared to other projects on this scale. The experiential nature of leadership training within megascience projects is also critical for success, with formal leadership training programmes acting in a support role at most. This work also has implications for the next generation of megascience projects which is addressed as a conclusion

Deep Mixing of He-3: Reconciling Big Bang and Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Low-mass stars, ~1-2 solar masses, near the Main Sequence are efficient at producing He-3, which they mix into the convective envelope on the giant branch and should distribute into the Galaxy by way of envelope loss. This process is so efficient that it is difficult to reconcile the low observed cosmic abundance of He-3 with the predictions of both stellar and Big Bang nucleosynthesis. In this paper we find, by modeling a red giant with a fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic code and a full nucleosynthetic network, that mixing arises in the supposedly stable and radiative zone between the hydrogen-burning shell and the base of the convective envelope. This mixing is due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability within a zone just above the hydrogen-burning shell, where a nuclear reaction lowers the mean molecular weight slightly. Thus we are able to remove the threat that He-3 production in low-mass stars poses to the Big Bang nucleosynthesis of He-3.Comment: Accepted by Science, and available from Science Express onlin

Compulsory Deep Mixing of 3He and CNO Isotopes in the Envelopes of low-mass Red Giants

Three-dimensional stellar modeling has enabled us to identify a deep-mixing mechanism that must operate in all low mass giants. This mixing process is not optional, and is driven by a molecular weight inversion created by the 3He(3He,2p)4He reaction. In this paper we characterize the behavior of this mixing, and study its impact on the envelope abundances. It not only eliminates the problem of 3He overproduction, reconciling stellar and big bang nucleosynthesis with observations, but solves the discrepancy between observed and calculated CNO isotope ratios in low mass giants, a problem of more than 3 decades' standing. This mixing mechanism, which we call `$\delta\mu$-mixing', operates rapidly (relative to the nuclear timescale of overall evolution, ~ 10^8 yrs) once the hydrogen burning shell approaches the material homogenized by the surface convection zone. In agreement with observations, Pop I stars between 0.8 and 2.0\Msun develop 12C/13C ratios of 14.5 +/- 1.5, while Pop II stars process the carbon to ratios of 4.0 +/- 0.5. In stars less than 1.25\Msun, this mechanism also destroys 90% to 95% of the 3He produced on the main sequence.Comment: Final accepted version (submitted to Astrophys J in Jan 2007...

"River" - All Good Poems Wear Classical Shoes

Composition titled "RIVER" Based on poem by David Eggleton. Four acclaimed poets, David Eggleton, Ian Loughran, Emma Neale and Sue Wootton have had poems scored and arranged for singing. Hear new compositions inspired by the poetry being by leading New Zealand composers including Anthony Ritchie and Jeremy Mayall. Art forms of Poetry, Classical music, Opera merge into new and inspirational creations sung by Soprano Sophie Morris. The event will also feature readings of the poems by the poets themselves so the audience can compare and contrast the original work with the new creations. Travel with them all on a journey of creative discovery for an inspirational and entertaining evening at the historic Knox Church. To complement the new creation work the event will also feature some favourite arias and show tunes sung by Sophie as well as the poets reading a selection of their best work. Truly and evening with something for everybody whether you are a fan of Opera, Musical Theatre, Poetry or enjoy the fusion of different art forms. Witness exceptional artistic practitioners push themselves with new work heard for the first time at this performance

Nonlinear Integrated Microwave Photonics

Harnessing nonlinear optical effects in a photonic chip scale has been proven useful for a number of key applications in optical communications. Microwave photonics can also benefit from the adoption of such a technology, creating a new concept of nonlinear integrated microwave photonics. Here, we discuss the potential of on-chip nonlinear processing towards the creation of robust and multifunctional microwave photonic (MWP) processors. We also highlight key recent results in the field, including frequency agile MWP filters and ultra-wideband signal generators.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, invited paper at 2013 IEEE Topical Meeting on Microwave Photonic

The limitations of the conceptual framework of the heterogeneous engineer for leadership in megascience projects

The concept of the ‘heterogeneous engineer’, devised by Krige (2001) offers the intriguing possibility of applying a concept devised in the history of science literature to the academic study of leadership. This study sought to use the heterogeneous engineer as a conceptual framework to develop wider leadership theory. Two case studies were selected – the Tevatron at Fermilab in the United States and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN on the Franco-Swiss border. The LHC was of particular interest because Carlo Rubbia, identified by Krige (2001) as a classic heterogeneous engineer, played a leading role in its conception. However, the results of this study indicate that Carlo Rubbia is a relative anomaly within the context of scientific leadership and therefore the heterogeneous engineer is an inappropriate construct for the development of wider leadership theory. The paper also identifies and describes the generalised characteristics of leaders in megascience projects as a starting point for future work in this field

Tailoring leadership to the phase-specific needs of large scale research infrastructures

'Large Scale Research Infrastructures' (LSRIs), a subcategory of megaprojects which incorporate a characteristic of a high or ‘super high’ level of technological uncertainty, are often undertaken as cooperative projects with long lead times by one or more national governments. A lack of research into the effect of the LSRI project’s lifecycle on the research organisation is apparent, particularly when scientists and engineers exercise freedom to organise the project directly. Two case studies used senior leadership selection as proxy for the LSRI project lifecycle using a contingency theory framework. These were the Tevatron (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, USA) and the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). This LSRI lifecycle is mapped onto lifecycles used in theory and in policy. Previous research did not detect that these projects become institutionalised, so influencing the selection of new research organisation senior leadership according to its needs at that stage of its lifecycle. This represents something of a novelty as most contingency theory work is theoretical with few attempts to use it as a conceptual framework for empirical evidence. The findings indicate a second new understanding, that while the literature characterises a leadership style transition from democratic to authoritarian as the project progresses, LSRIs exhibit a reverse transformation, probably as a product of the characteristically high level of organisational technical competence. The construction of LSRIs maps better onto the traditional project lifecycle and the National Science Foundation’s large facility lifecycle than onto other lifecycles. There is a policy opportunity to commission a ‘generational survey’ upon the completion of an LSRI, to understand the characteristics of the ‘next big machine’