Members of the media are invited to join Russian and U.S. scientists attending the NEPTUN-A collaboration meeting at the University of Michigan’s High Energy Spin Physics Laboratory, May 16-18. Russian and American physicists involved in the collaboration meet twice each year to monitor progress on the NEPTUN-A experiment, which is scheduled to begin around 1998 at the new 14-mile- circumference UNK particle accelerator now under construction in Protvino, Russia, near Moscow.

Approximately 35 physicists, including 12 from Russia, will attend the meeting, including Alan D. Krisch, U-M professor of physics, and Vladimir L. Solovianov of the Institute of High-Energy Physics at Protvino—co-directors of the NEPTUN-A experiment. Krisch, Solovianov and Gennady G. Gurov, vice-director of the UNK accelerator, will be available for interviews during the meeting.

Reporters interested in learning more about the experiment are encouraged to attend introductory sessions, 9-11:30 a.m. May 16, at the new U-M High Energy Spin Physics Laboratory, 1239 Kipke Drive (behind the U-M Campus Security Services Building). Immediately following the morning session, there will be a tour of the laboratory for meeting participants, guests and journalists.

During the tour, reporters will see a one-of-a-kind, ultra-cold, spin-polarized hydrogen jet target designed and built at the High Energy Spin Physics Lab in Ann Arbor for use in the NEPTUN-A experiment.

The Russian-American experiment will explore the basic sub-atomic structure of matter by forcing streams of high energy protons into violent collisions with spinning target protons. When completed, the Russian UNK proton accelerator used for the NEPTUN-A experiment will have the world’s largest tunnel, 14 miles in circumference, and may be the world’s highest energy accelerator with the ability to accelerate protons up to 3 trillion electron volts.

Reporters who would like to attend the May 16 morning session or the laboratory tour should call Sally Pobojewski at (313) 747-1844 for a reservation.