Today is Particle Accelerator Day

At least in Illinois. Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich declared today as Particle Accelerator Day in recognition of the state's federal laboratories (Fermilab and Argonne) as world leaders in accelerator technology. The goal of this recognition is to help bring particle accelerator projects, such as the multi-billion dollar International Linear Collider, to Illinois. The governor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes $13 million for projects at Argonne and Fermilab, with $3 million to support the construction of an Illinois Accelerator Research Center. This will strengthen the case for Fermilab to be a possible host for the Linear Collider project. The details are here. The $13 million investment is sizeable for a state's contribution and will certainly help develop advanced accelerator technology. It's great to see this commitment to science from the state of Illinois!