Brochure

Geneva Inside CERN: A Journey Through Space & Time May 31 – June 7, 2008

Global Expeditions Inspired by the Museum’s Rich History & Cutting-Edge Research

Dear Museum Traveler, Physicists and philosophers agree that from the largest scales of the cosmos to the smallest structures inside an atomic nucleus, everything in the natural world is connected. Questions about the makeup and origins of our universe have fascinated humanity for centuries and today, the center of gravity for such research is the legendary European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

In the summer of 2008, I have the privilege of accompanying Museum travelers to Geneva, where we will step inside the world’s largest particle physics and cosmology laboratory with senior CERN scientist Dr. Michelangelo Mangano. Join us for this exhilarating journey through space and time as we explore the connections between cutting-edge cosmology and string theory, guiding travelers through discussions of particle physics, the use of high-energy particle collisions, and their applications. With rare, behind-the-scenes access at CERN, we’ll have opportunities to meet the scientists and tour working laboratories. Learn about the mysteries of exoplanets at the Observatoire de Genève, and discuss the technological spin-offs of particle physics with one of the two inventors of the World Wide Web. Dr. Mangano and I have designed this trip to be both accessible and fascinating for all physics enthusiasts, regardless of formal training.

Geneva, home to CERN and the United Nations, is a delightful destination unto itself—an inviting, cosmopolitan city surrounded by lush alpine scenery. Our hotel in the heart of Old Town provides a perfect base for the CERN program, as well as guided excursions to Mont Blanc, the Château de Chillon, and the historic town of Gruyères. And since no trip to Europe could be complete without fine cuisine and wine, we’ll also enjoy a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva, a traditional Swiss fondue meal at a local restaurant, a private wine tasting, and a gala farewell dinner to celebrate our experiences.

I hope you will join us for this unparalleled opportunity to study the continuing evolution of our universe Inside CERN: A Journey Through Space and Time.

Warm regards,

Michael Shara Curator, Division of Astrophysics American Museum of Natural History

Please call AMNH Expeditions at 1-800-462-8687 or 1-212-769-5700 for more information, or visit our website at www.amnhexpeditions.org.

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Michael Shara, Curator of Astrophysics MICHAEL SHARA is Curator in the Museum's Astrophysics Department.

His research interests include the evolution and explosions of novae and supernovae; hunting for planets orbiting other stars; and the populations of stars inhabiting dense clusters and galaxies. He frequently observes with the Hubble Space Telescope and other large ground-based telescopes. An avid stargazer since childhood, Dr. Shara regularly guides audiences across the night sky, combining the mythology of constellations with the evolution of galaxies and the universe. During our time at CERN, Dr. Shara will present lectures on the lives and violent deaths of stars, and will lead informal discussions about astrophysics and the early universe.

Michelangelo Mangano, CERN Senior Scientist MICHELANGELO MANGANO is senior scientist in the theoretical physics unit at CERN, where most of his current work focuses on preparation for the highly anticipated Large Hadron Collider experiments. Dr. Mangano is the co-author of more than 350 scientific publications covering both theoretical and experimental particle physics, and has been a visiting scholar or lecturer in universities and laboratories all over the globe. He has been a member of the scientific program committees of more than 50 international conferences and workshops, and of the review committees for several prestigious institutions, laboratories, and scientific journals.

From Astrophysics To Alpine Scener y 100 Miles

GERMANY

Versoix SWITZERLAND

■ ■ ■ CERN

Geneva

F R A N C E

Gruyères

■ Montreux

■ Mont Blanc I TA LY

Geneva, Switzerland

On The Cover: CERN globe

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Insets: Chateau de Chillon; Mont Blanc

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Path of the LHC tunnel beneath CERN

Saturday & Sunday, May 31 – June 1 U.S. / GENEVA Depart the U.S. Arrive in Geneva on Sunday morning, where the elegant Hotel Ambassador is our home for the next six nights.

This refined, four-star accommodation in Geneva’s historic Old Town overlooks a lovely square on the bank of the Rhône River.

Relax or explore the city on your own in the afternoon, gathering for a special welcome reception at the hotel this evening. Hotel Ambassador (Meals aloft; R) Monday, June 2 CERN: INTRODUCTION; PARTICLE PHYSICS, PART 1 Welcome to CERN! Since ancient times, humankind has yearned to explain the basic laws of Nature. Begin with a fascinating overview of CERN’s history, achievements, and current programs, and discover why more than 6,000 of the brightest minds on the planet travel to CERN to carry out their research. The second lecture of the day introduces particle physics, the main subject of research at CERN: Examine man’s current understanding of the physical universe, from quantum mechanics and special relativity to the world of quarks and leptons. After lunch on your own, join an optional walking tour of Geneva’s highlights, including the Palais des Nations complex—home to the United Nations—the beloved Flower Clock, and the Jet d’eau. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the Palais des Nations restaurant. Hotel Ambassador (B, D) Tuesday, June 3 CERN: PARTICLE PHYSICS, PART 2; THE LHC EXPERIMENTS / MONT BLANC Today, the expert lecture program continues with the introduction to particle physics, followed by an in-depth discussion of the

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LHC experiments. Most of the current activities at CERN focus on the construction of the eight-billion-dollar Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator ever built. Buried 300 feet below the surface of the Swiss-French countryside, the LHC is designed to recreate conditions that existed at the birth of our universe three million times per second. The experiments will collect data from collisions of high-energy protons speeding around this 17-mile underground racetrack, shedding light on some of the open questions at the frontier of human knowledge.

Stay for a private lunch at CERN and then spend the afternoon outdoors with an alpine excursion to Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. Ride the electric Tramway du Mont Blanc through the alpine forests and take in outstanding views of the Bionnassay glacier. Join expert mountain guides for a moderately easy hike in the Alps before returning to Geneva for dinner on your own this evening. Hotel Ambassador (B, L) Wednesday, June 4 OBSERVATOIRE DE GENÈVE: DISCOVERING EXOPLANETS CHÂTEAU DE CHILLON / GRUYÈRES Although astronomers certainly speculated on the possibility of other solar systems, not a single planet was definitely known to orbit another star until 1995, when the first “exoplanet” was confirmed at the Observatoire de Genève. Since then, scientists have found almost 300 exoplanets, opening up a completely new field of astrophysics. How massive are exoplanets? What are they made of? How old are they, and could any of them support life? Travel to the town of Versoix and visit the Observatoire to answer these questions and many more. Investigate some of the intriguing possibilities raised by exoplanets, the methods and technologies used to find them, and the amazing number and variety of solar

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Chamonix

systems now known to exist. In the afternoon, join an optional excursion to the medieval fortress of Château de Chillon, set dramatically between Lake Geneva and the ancient route to Italy.

Enjoy a private wine tasting in the Château and then continue to the picturesque walled village of Gruyères, from which the wellknown cheese takes its name. Stroll through eight centuries of architecture at the town’s famous castle and visit a cheese factory to sample the delicious wares. En route to Geneva, stop at a local restaurant for a classic Swiss fondue dinner. Hotel Ambassador (B, D) Thursday, June 5 CERN: COSMOLOGY AND PARTICLE PHYSICS; ANTIMATTER AND THE UNIVERSE One of the greatest recent scientific finds is the close link between the worlds of particle physics, which deals with the infinitesimally small, with that of cosmology, which studies the largest possible scales in the universe. Delve into this connection and learn about the exciting new discoveries in this realm, as well as the great puzzles that still exist. Some of the most fundamental mysteries of physics deal with antimatter. What is antimatter, and how is it created? Why is the universe only made of matter, and what can antimatter experiments reveal? If Dan Brown’s popular novel Angels and Demons left you with a few doubts about antimatter, today’s second lecture will attempt to address them. In the evening, board

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Constructing the LHC

the historic Steamboat Savoie for a gourmet dinner cruise on the lake, featuring cuisine prepared by Michelin-rated chef Philippe Chevrier. Hotel Ambassador (B, D) Friday, June 6 CERN: PARTICLE PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGY CERN is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the World Wide Web. See the world’s first Web server and meet one of the Web’s two inventors, who will discuss the historical developments that led up to it as well as its present and future evolution. The second half of today’s lecture program delves into the applications and technological spin-offs of particle physics. The Web is just one example of how particle physics can be applied to enrich our society, but there are many more—including new techniques for cancer diagnostics and therapy. Spend the afternoon at leisure in Geneva, and then savor a farewell meal at one of the city’s gourmet restaurants. Hotel Ambassador (B, D) Saturday, June 7 GENEVA / U.S. Check out of the hotel after breakfast and transfer to the airport for flights to the U.S. (B; Meals aloft)

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CERN at sunrise

Chateau de Chillon

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PROGRAM RATES: $7,450 per person (double occupancy), $1,595 single supplement. Program rates above do not include international airfare costs.

LHC magnet

Reser ve your space on INSIDE CERN today!

Call AMNH Expeditions at 1-800-462-8687, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST to reserve by phone, or submit an online reservation form at www.amnhexpeditions.org.

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WHAT IS INCLUDED: Accommodations as indicated in the itinerary • Meals as indicated in the itinerary • Group airport transfer for departure from Geneva • Luggage handling • All excursions and entrance fees • Bottled water with group meals and the excursions throughout • Hotel taxes • Gratuities for the local service personnel throughout the program, including the tour manager, porters, wait staff, and drivers • Comprehensive educational program by AMNH study leader, on-site guide, and local experts • Complete packet of pre-departure information including educational materials, suggested reading list, and luggage tags.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED: U.S. domestic & international airfare • Passport and visa fees • Airport security fees imposed by the government or airline • Airport departure taxes • Baggage and cancellation insurance • Meals and beverages, including alcohol and wine, not specified as included • Personal items such as laundry, telephone, fax, and email charges, gratuities for non-group services, and other items not specified as included.

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Palais du Nations

Terms & Conditions RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENTS: A deposit of $1,000 per person is required to confirm a reservation. Participants may reserve spaces immediately by completing an online reservation form or by calling AMNH Expeditions (AMNHE). Deposits may be made by check, payable to the American Museum of Natural History, or with a major credit card. Final payment, payable by check, is due 90 days prior to departure. All tour prices and airfares quoted in this brochure are based on tariffs, costs, and exchange rates of the United States dollar that were in effect at the time of publication. Consequently, prices herein are subject to change. Due to fluctuations in oil prices, a fuel surcharge may be added to your tour fee. Details and costs will be advised prior to departure. AMNHE and the Tour Operator (TO) reserve the right to accept or decline any person as a participant at any time.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: Deposits and final payments are fully refundable, less a $250 per person handling charge, if a written notice of cancellation is received by AMNHE 90 days or more before departure. Cancellations made within 90 days of departure are subject to full forfeiture of all money paid. For your protection, trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. Detailed information on the cancellation insurance available through AMNHE will be mailed with your reservation confirmation. Our policy offers the broadest available coverage at a special rate for Museum travelers. The insurance premiums will be added to your final trip invoice unless you decline coverage. Refunds cannot be made to passengers who do not complete the tour for any reason at all.

AMNHE and the TO reserve the right, without penalty, to withdraw the tour announced (i.e., cancel a tour), to decline to accept any person as a participant in a tour, or to require any participant to withdraw from a tour at any time at his/her own expense, when such action is determined by tour staff to be in the best interest of the health, safety, or general welfare of the tour group or the individual participant, and subject only to the requirement that the recoverable portion of the tour price that corresponds to the cost of unused services and accommodations be refunded, if any.

HEALTH: All participants should be in good health. By forwarding deposit for passage, the passenger certifies that he/she does not have any physical or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers.

RESPONSIBILITY: To ensure ethical behavior toward local ecosystems and peoples, AMNHE selects tour operators who have a demonstrated history of responsible tourism. It is clearly understood that AMNHE will provide the educational enrichment program and is in no way responsible for the operations of the TO, local agents, and other transportation companies. AMNHE and the TO act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation, hotels, and all other related travel services and assume no responsibility, howsoever caused, for personal injury, damage, loss, accident, expense, delay, act of God, or military action beyond their control. AMNHE assumes no liability whatsoever for negligence by the TO or its agents. The passage ticket issued by the carrier is the sole contract between the passenger and the carrier. AMNHE and the TO are not responsible for unexpected transportation delays and changes, nor liable for additional expenses or loss of time that may be incurred. The airline/transportation companies concerned are not responsible for any acts, omissions, or events that may occur during the time passengers are not on board their vehicles. AMNHE and the TO reserve the right to accept or decline any person as a participant at any time, or to require any participant to withdraw from the tour at his/her own expense when such an action is determined appropriate by the tour staff to be in the best interest of the participant’s health and safety, and that of the tour group in general. AMNHE shall not be responsible for any inadvertent errors in this brochure or other descriptive materials. The itinerary is subject to change at any time without notice and for any reason without allowance of refund. On advancement of deposit to AMNHE, the depositor agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions here mentioned.

NOTE: The American Museum of Natural History, a world leader in scientific exploration, established AMNH Expeditions, the first museum educational travel program in the country, in 1953. The goal of AMNH Expeditions is to present educational travel programs that reflect past and current areas of interest and exploration by the American Museum of Natural History. The tours provide a combination of study, adventure, and leisure activities. AMNH Expeditions, the educational travel department of the American Museum of Natural History, is a registered service mark of this institution.

AMNH Expeditions would like to thank CERN for the use of their images in this brochure. All images © 2007, CERN. All rights reserved.

BROCHURE PRODUCTION: Produced & Edited by AMNH Expeditions – BROCHURE DESIGN: Croteau Design www.croteaudesign.com

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Geneva at night

Inside CERN: A Journey Through Space & Time

CERN scientists at work

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