John Harris - Candidates’ Statement

1.       The candidate’s qualifications to become Spokesperson.

I am a recognized expert in heavy ion physics with a broad view of the field, STAR’s place in it, and the direction in which STAR should be heading. I have successfully led STAR as spokesman from the development of an initial concept, through design, approval, construction, commissioning, and extraction of first physics results. Although I have been spokesman for a long time, and people do ask why I would want to continue, my mission is not yet complete. I wish to lead STAR for one more term, to complete the first phase of the physics plan set forth at its inception. In addition to having a physics vision, the spokesperson must bring together diverse opinions and interests, and lead the collaboration to make decisions that optimize its physics capabilities in the broadest sense. I hope within the next couple of years to bring STAR to a mature detector and collaboration, which operates smoothly and produces valuable physics in a collegial environment.

2.       The candidate’s vision for STAR and considerations about what are the most serious challenges facing STAR in the near term (~1 year) and longer term (~5 years).

Vision:

Over the next five years, we need to complete our initial physics mission (survey of high density matter at RHIC) and be on our way to understanding the spin of the proton. We must continue to make changes in course to address ever-changing conditions, and actively establish and work on longer-term physics and detector developments for STAR.  To accomplish our initial physics mission we must: 1) map out the soft physics regime through systematic studies over Ös and a variety of colliding systems (pp, pA, AA); 2) perform a thorough study of the high p_T single-particle physics regime, utilizing various colliding nuclear systems (including pp and pA) for control of geometry; and 3) initiate and be well into A_ll measurements in our spin physics program. This will only be accomplished over the next five years time. In order to address changing conditions, we must optimize our triggering capabilities, and increase our data rate and analysis capabilities. This will allow us to minimize an increasing variance among experiments regarding RHIC operating parameters (systems and energies). With regard to longer-term developments, we must immediately undertake a process to identify and agree upon STAR’s long-term physics goals (for 5 – 10 years from now) and how to accomplish them in terms of detector upgrades.

Challenges:

We are presently producing exciting new physics in STAR. However, we are in a difficult and complicated "growing stage", much akin to one’s adolescence. We have begun to reap the rich physics fruits of our extensive labors, and are trying to plant, nurture, and ensure new and future physics harvests in a rapidly evolving environment. More specifically, we are currently doing many diverse things: 1) extensive physics analyses, 2) writing papers, 3) operating the STAR detector under continually changing conditions (collider and new detectors), 4) installing and understanding new detectors, 5) developing new online/reconstruction/analysis software to integrate new detectors and extract physics from them, 6) developing short-term upgrades to improve data rate, analysis, and physics capabilities, and 7) developing a long-term physics plan for STAR which also requires considerable detector R&D. 

Our first challenge and always of highest priority is to continue to identify clearly our physics goals as the “physics picture” at RHIC develops, and to do everything possible to ensure that we can accomplish them. This involves balancing conflicting needs within STAR, prioritization of STAR resources, and significant work to ensure that RHIC running fulfills the needs of our physics program. We must get the software into shape and stable for future reconstruction, simulations, and analysis. We must upgrade our data rates throughout to meet the demands of our physics program. Finally but perhaps most urgently, we must define and agree upon our long-term physics vision (for 5 - 10 years from now), and the detector approach to accomplish it.

3. The major issues facing the Collaboration that the Spokesperson would intend to address.

The spokesperson working in concert with the Council should strive to address the following major issues. Manpower issues: We have yet to identify sufficient collaboration manpower resources to meet all of the challenges (above) that face us. To address this, we must get more people involved in all aspects of STAR, formally define and monitor manpower contributions (“service work”), revisit authorship requirements and associate it to a minimum effort on STAR, and readdress the approach to scheduling shifts on the experiment. Sociological issues: In every large group or collaboration of intelligent people working towards a common overall goal, there are differing needs and priorities that result in differences of opinion on matters of seemingly great importance. We continue to have vigorous, healthy discussions on software implementation, beam use proposals, triggers, run plans, analyses, physics paper drafts, and other issues of priority, to name a few. It is an ongoing challenge to ensure that such discussions continue in STAR in a atmosphere of mutual respect, where everyone’s opinions can be heard and evaluated objectively. To address this, we must strive to maintain open discussion, consideration of issues, and decision-making in a collegial atmosphere. Other sociological issues: We must continue to pay close attention to our need to develop the careers of students and young physicists, and groom the next generation of leaders in STAR. We must seek new ways to promote young people to leadership positions, professional positions, talks, and ensure appropriate credit and recognition. We should include non-Council members on the Talks Committee. Physics issues: More guidance will be needed on how to best present our physics results in publication. We have begun to consult with the Physics Working Group Convenors at an early stage of each paper to try and bring about a more coherent and effective approach in our publications. We will need to monitor and optimize our paper-writing and review process within STAR as it evolves. To establish a long-term physics vision for the collaboration and a commensurate detector plan with R&D, we must have a Spring Workshop on the future physics and detectors of STAR. In preparation for this Workshop, members of the collaboration must be challenged to develop their own future physics views including supporting physics argumentation and simulations.

4. Comments about the role of the Spokesperson.

The role of spokesperson in a broad sense is to lead STAR to accomplish its physics goals. The spokesperson represents the collaboration to the general public, to RHIC and the other collaborations, and at the highest levels of BNL, DOE, and the NSF. The spokesperson must assimilate the many issues of the day in STAR, set priorities, and address the critical issues in a timely and effective manner. The spokesperson must have a broad view of the collaboration in order to establish committees and choose appropriate committee members to evaluate and decide on important issues in STAR (physics, technical, and otherwise). An effective spokesperson is hands-on and must interface actively with collaborators at many levels. No level of formal policies or rules can anticipate the many special cases that arise for the spokesperson. Above all, the spokesperson must have the confidence of the collaboration, to make decisions that are urgent or when a consensus cannot be reached, and must work closely and effectively with the Council and the collaboration to best accomplish STAR’s goals.

5. Any comments related to the structure or role of STAR management (e.g. deputies or other positions in the management team) including a potential STAR Council "Executive Board".

The recent changes in STAR management were made to better address the issues and challenges stated above. I believe in promoting young people, and that the members of STAR management will be successful in addressing the issues of STAR. The management team is a well-known commodity. Regarding what is better termed an "Advisory Committee," from the outset I have consistently supported the concept of an appropriately chosen group advisory to the Spokesman, and I hope to be able to formally inaugurate this committee soon.