The High Energy Physics (HEP) group in the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy at Caltech recently held a ceremony to dedicate the Charles Peck Remote Operations Center, which serves as a control room and hub of activity for the NOvA long-baseline neutrino experiment. PMA Division Chair Fiona Harrison, the HEP faculty, and Mrs. Kathleen Peck were all in attendance. A plaque that now hangs at the entrance to the center reads, "Charles Peck Remote Operations Center: Dedicated to Charles Peck, Professor of Physics and PMA Division Chair, in recognition of a lifetime commitment to High Energy Physics research and education."
Peck came to Caltech as a Research Fellow in 1964 and joined the professorial faculty in 1965. His research touched many areas of high energy physics, including early studies of strange and charm quarks, searches for magnetic monopoles, and measurements of neutrino oscillations.
The Charles Peck Remote Operations Center allows members of the Patterson group to operate and monitor the NOvA experiment, including its Near Detector located at Fermilab and its giant 14,000-ton Far Detector located in Ash River, Minnesota. Collaborators from UC Irvine also make use of the operations facility, which is located in the Lauritsen building on the Caltech campus.
Click here to read more about Charlie Peck's life and work.