The Virtual Classroom
Photo: A group of math and science students from El Cerrito High School visited Berkeley Lab recently to learn about practical applications of mathematics and high-performance computing. The field trip included everything from computer simulations to tours of the niftiest NERSC machines. See Page 4 for more. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9905-00910-09)
Sparks Fly: Metallic Glass Throws Off Fireworks Computer
Researchers measure hot sparks emitted by new alloy with commercial applications
By Paul Preuss
Many materials can heat up somewhat when they are bent or broken, but few throw off showers of sparks as hot as those emitted when a new kind of metallic glass is shattered. For the first time, a team of researchers in the Material Sciences Division has measured the extremely high temperature of particles ejected when this unusual amorphous metal is fractured.
The alloy of zirconium, beryllium, titanium, copper, and nickel is one of the first metallic glasses that can be made in bulk and formed into strong, hard, useful objects -- such as a better golf club, for instance. The alloy was discovered by William L. Johnson and Atakan Peker of the California Institute of Technology.
Working with them to investigate the mechanical properties of the new material, which are as yet poorly understood, a team of researchers led by Robert Ritchie mounted notched specimens of the metallic glass in a pendulum impact device. They were startled to find that, when fractured in air, the alloy shot out showers of bright, hot sparks.
"We were measuring how much energy it took to fracture the material when we stumbled onto the light emission," says Christopher Gilbert, a postdoctoral fellow in Ritchie's group. "As it turned out, scientists at Oak Ridge had seen this last year. But we've managed to measure the associated temperatures and to explain the mechanism for the first time."
In air, when struck by the pendulum weight, the notched specimens snapped and sent out bright sparks whose color corresponded to a blackbody temperature of 3,175 degrees Kelvin. The same experiment in a nitrogen atmosphere produced no visible sparks, but emission was detected in the infrared at 1,400 K.
"So-called fracto-emission is familiar in brittle insulating solids and somewhat less familiar in ordinary metals," says Gilbert, "but emissions of this intensity are unprecedented in ductile polycrystalline metals. And so far as we know, fracto-emission has never been quantified in amorphous metals."
Digital camera images, plus the experiments in pure nitrogen, showed that the sparks in air were caused by burning particles thrown off from the fracture surface. When the broken specimens were examined under a scanning electron microscope, blobs of melted material were seen on the fracture surface. The heat generated in breaking the metallic glass was enough to ignite freshly exposed metal particles.
"Zirconium and titanium will burn in air if you get them hot enough," says Ritchie, "but the real question is the temperature we observe in nitrogen --1,400 K in the absence of intense oxidation and pyrophoric activity."
Says Gilbert, "When the metallic glass is broken, the deformation is highly localized in narrow bands, which generates intense heat from plastic work," rather the way a wire gets hot if bent back and forth rapidly. Melting observed on the fracture surfaces means local temperatures must have exceeded 935 K, the temperature at which the metallic glass liquefies.
Team member Joel Ager surmises that the temperature rises rapidly as the material is deformed "partly because metallic glass has terrible conductivity for a metal. It can't get rid of the heat. But this can't be the whole story."
Commercial use
Unlike pure metals and most metal alloys, metallic glasses have no regular crystalline structure. This lack of microstructure is related to such desirable features as strength and low damping -- the ability of some of these alloys to deliver a really big bounce -- which is one reason why the premier use for zirconium-based metallic glass is in the manufacture of expensive golf club heads.
Only recently has it been possible to obtain metallic glass in enough bulk to make a golf club head or to perform extensive mechanical testing. In the past, to prevent segregation and crystallization of the melt required such rapid cooling (about a thousandth of a second at a rate of about a million degrees Celsius per second) that only very thin wires and ribbons could be formed.
Zirconium-based metallic glasses can be cast in bulk because they can be cooled much more slowly, at about 10 degrees C per second; they achieve their glassy, disordered state by alloying metals with dramatically different atomic sizes and chemical characteristics. The alloy studied by Ritchie's group, for example, is two-fifths zinconium and one-fifth beryllium.
William Johnson of Caltech and his colleagues at Amorphous Technologies International of Laguna Niguel, Calif., pioneered the development of these alloys and their commercial uses. Golf clubs made of zirconium-based metallic glass have unusual springiness, a "soft" feel, and an almost ideal density between that of stainless steel and titanium (currently the connoisseur's choice); they also demonstrate, however, that even slow-cooling metallic glass doesn't cool slowly enough for really large castings. For the time being, at least one of the dimensions must be under four inches.
Nevertheless, the properties of bulk metallic glasses -- high strength-to-weight ratios, high hardness, excellent wear properties, good forming and shaping qualities, as well as unusual magnetic and electrical properties -- hold promise for many important applications. As for unexpected light emissions from the zirconium-beryllium alloy, Ritchie says, "These extremely high temperatures aren't Polywater, not a delusion. They're real. And they demand explanation."
Photo: Hot sparks fly from a notched sample of bulk metallic glass fractured by a blow from a pendulum. (XBD9811-03000-01)
Electrical Safety Awareness: It Could Save Your Life
By Monica Friedlander
How can we not take it for granted? From the smallest pencil sharpener to the most sophisticated high-voltage experimental equipment, electricity is what keeps our world and our work running. It is easy to forget that serious dangers may lurk behind every extension cord or office heater. But a few recent incidents involving electric shocks and small fires at Berkeley Lab serve as reminders that electrical safety is not to be taken lightly.
To raise awareness about this issue and remind people of the basic steps to take to keep our home and office environments safe, Berkeley Lab is observing May as National Electrical Safety Awareness Month, as designated by the National Electrical Safety Foundation.
Those responsible for maintaining electrical safety at the Lab are using this occasion to remind everyone of the multiple resources available to employees, division directors and safety coordinators to make the workplace safe from electrical hazards.
"Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice," says Art Ritchie of the Engineering Division and chair of the Lab's Electrical Safety Subcommittee. "We're here to help you make your work environment safe."
In the aftermath of four unrelated cases of electrical shock to people working onsite -- one of which resulted in an injury to an employee -- Director Charles Shank sent a Level 1 message on March 31. "This calls to our attention the immediate need to redouble our efforts to ensure that established electrical safety requirements, procedures, and practices are followed by those who work with or around energized electrical equipment, high voltage, and/or circuitry," he wrote.
To this end, a special Electrical Safety Task Force was established last month by David McGraw, director of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), as a resource for divisions to use to identify electrical hazards, help with their self-assessment program, and call on for onsite inspections when needed.
The Task Force also serves as a temporary resource filling in for the Lab's electrical safety engineer, a position left vacant since early this year when Keith Gershon left the Lab.
Since its inception, says Task Force coordinator Ken Barat of EH&S, the group has received about a dozen calls. "We want the Lab community to know there are people to turn to who are responsive to their needs. We act as a security blanket."
The Task Force, however, is only one of many resources available to the Lab community. Responsibility for electrical safety at Berkeley Lab is split among various organizations, groups, and individuals, each with its own function and some with overlapping responsibilities:
- the EH&S Division
- the electrical safety engineer
- the Facilities Department
- the Engineering Division
- the Electrical Safety Subcommittee
- division directors, and
- supervisors.
Most importantly, perhaps, each individual employee needs to take personal responsibility for making sure that a few simple and common sense rules are observed in order to avoid accidents, says Don Van Acker, technical lead for field support for EH&S.
"Everyone has some relation with electrical safety, whether in an office environment, field environment or shop environment," he says. "Many times people don't evaluate the risk or don't understand how much voltage or current they work with. The most important thing to is to be aware of circumstances and know where to seek expert counsel or technical advice."
Given the intricate organizational structure at the Lab, however, and the multiple lines of responsibility at an institution this size, knowing where to look for assistance can be a little confusing at times. For instance, says Ritchie, questions related to buildings and structures are to be directed to the Facilities Department; lab apparatus issues are the responsibility of the Engineering Division; and general oversight for employees' safety rests with EH&S.
And then there's the Electrical Safety Subcommittee. Unlike the recently-formed Electrical Task Force, which goes out in the field to do onsite inspections, the Subcommittee acts more as a legal board of sorts, empowered to review issues regarding safety policy, compliance, and code interpretation and to make recommendations to the Lab's Safety Review Committee.
When in doubt, employees can always contact Ritchie, Van Acker, or Barat, who can direct people to the proper channels.
Meanwhile, all three agree that the single most frequent cause of electrical mishaps is the improper use of power cords and extensions. Their advice:
- Don't use extension cords for permanent set-ups; permanent wiring or additional wall outlets should be installed for long-term use of electrical equipment.
- Make sure electrical cords are not frayed or damaged.
- Don't overload circuits.
- Make sure equipment is properly grounded.
- Throw away any damaged cords or connector plugs.
Most importantly, they say, always be aware of your environment. Even such seemly innocuous things as dumping a stack of papers in the back of a computer can have grave consequences. And no rule book can teach you about the right way to use a soup pot; but an improper placement of a pot recently resulted in a piece of charred wood found under a counter at the cafeteria -- something that could have had serious consequences.
These incidents notwithstanding, Ritchie says the Lab has done a good job over time to keep employees safe. "Overall I think our record in terms of electrical safety is quite good," he says. Still, he cautions not to slack off or let budget concerns guide decisions that can compromise safety.
For more information about electrical safety issues, look up the National Electrical Safety Foundation's website at http://www.nesf.org/may/.
Ultimately, just use common sense. When in doubt, ask. And, as the National Electrical Safety Foundation reminds us, have a healthy respect for electricity.
National Electrical Safety Foundation
http://www.nesf.org/may/
The NESF's website is loaded with useful information on electrical safety. Here are a few of their tips:
- Always wear protective clothing and equipment and use insulated tools in areas with possible electrical hazards.
- Verify that all tools and equipment are grounded.
- Treat deenergized electrical equipment and conductors as energized until lockout/tagout and test and ground procedures have been implemented.
- Remember that water and electricity to not mix. Use GFCI protection when using electrical equipment in wet or damp environments.
- Protect flexible cords and cables from physical damage.
- Keep slack in flexible cords to prevent tension on electrical terminals.
- Check cords for cut, broken or cracked insulation.
- Install permanent wiring instead of using extension cords when you expect to use the equipment long term.
Washington Report
DOE Helps Launch Green Energy Parks at Presidio
DOE has joined with the Department of the Interior in a plan to increase the use of energy-efficient technologies in the country's national parks. The new "Green Energy Parks" program was launched at the Presidio in San Francisco, a national park which Berkeley Lab researchers helped transform into a model for building renovation and operation that is energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable."As the country's natural treasurers, the national parks are reminders of the importance of preserving our environment for future generations," Energy Secretary Richardson said in announcing the program.
The purpose of the initiative is to help demonstrate and promote the use of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in America's national park system. Under the program, some of the gas- and diesel-powered vehicles in 20 participating national parks will be replaced with alternative fuel vehicles. Solar energy systems and fuel cells will also be utilized.
Visitors to participating Green Energy parks will be educated as to how these technologies can help reduce air and noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and how these same technologies could be used to reduce energy consumption in their own homes and businesses.
In addition to saving taxpayer dollars and helping reduce pollution, the Green Energy Parks agreement is seen as a model of cooperation among government agencies, local utilities and communities, and the private sector.
DOE Tightens Security
In response to allegations of nuclear secrets theft from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Secretary Bill Richardson has announced the largest, most sweeping reform of security programs in the department's history. The announcement includes the creation of a new high-level Office of Security and Emergency Operations, improved oversight, and numerous other security measures."This security reform plan gives DOE the tools and authority we need to detect security infractions, correct institutional problems and protect America's nuclear secrets," Richardson said. "Coupled with previous counterintelligence and security measures we have already implemented, we are bringing more responsibility and accountability to these important matters."
The Office of Security and Emergency Operations will oversee all security-related functions that were previously handled by different DOE program offices.
-- Lynn Yarris
Deputy Energy Secretary T.J. Glauthier Visits Berkeley Lab
Photo: During his recent visit to Berkeley Lab, Deputy Secretary of Energy T.J. Glauthier (center) was given a demonstration of the latest energy efficient lighting technologies by Michael Siminovitch of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Lab Director Charles Shank (left) also attended the demonstration.
Glauthier spent the day meeting with scientists and management and visiting various Lab facilities. Special areas of interest included computing sciences, research at the Advanced Light Source, energy efficiency, and genome sequencing. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9904-00876-27)
Don't Quarantine Our Scientists, Richardson Says
In a May 7 editorial in the New York Times, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson made a strong case for preserving the scientific partnerships with foreign countries in the face of pressure to curtail collaborations due to recent security breaches. While the secretary admitted that security measures at the national weapons labs have not been up to par in the past, he insisted that in the long run the country's national security would be enhanced, not diminished, by keeping the lines of scientific communication open.
"The evidence of Chinese espionage has cast much-needed attention on improving security at our nuclear weapons laboratories after years of security practices that have been insufficiently tough and vigilant," Richardson wrote. "But in the name of protecting our nuclear secrets, some in Congress are proposing to end scientific collaboration with some of the world's best foreign scientists. That misguided approach would actually harm our national security. Cooperation with foreign scientists can be conducted safely when the classified areas of the weapons laboratories are properly secured."
The Secretary outlined some of the measures he implemented since taking office to improve security over the country's nuclear secrets. These include background checks on foreign visitors from "sensitive countries," placement of counterintelligence professionals at the three national weapons labs (Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia), administering polygraph tests to employees working in the most sensitive areas, and taking the extraordinary step of suspending operations on all classified computers at the weapons labs for two weeks to put in place computer security improvements. Richardson also pointed out that the counterintelligence budget has been increased 15-fold since 1996.
Furthermore, Richardson wrote, curtailing international collaborations would make it difficult to attract young people to scientific fields and to allow American scientists to keep current with international research. "Einstein, Teller and Fermi were all born abroad, and all of them did work that benefited the United States before they became American citizens."
Ultimately and perhaps central to Richardson's argument is the notion that scientific isolationism would endanger American security. "Science underpins all we do in maintaining our nuclear weapons," he said. "We send our workers to Russia because their expertise is needed to help secure hundreds of tons of plutonium and highly enriched uranium from theft by rogue states or terrorists. Energy Department employees are installing detection devices at Russia's airports to prevent nuclear smuggling. We are keeping former Soviet weapons scientists employed in Russia in peaceful enterprises so they aren't forced by economic hardship to accept weapons work in Iraq or other rogue nations. Our laboratory employees are also securing spent nuclear fuel in North Korea to prevent that country from restarting its weapons program. All of that work would grind to a halt if a moratorium was imposed on contacts with foreign scientists.
"We can have open science with international collaboration while protecting our national secrets," Richardson concluded. "The right way to accomplish this is through strong security and counterintelligence efforts... The wrong way would be to draw an iron curtain around the laboratories...in the end, we would damage the very security we seek to protect.
-- Monica Friedlander
Lab Scientist Wins Physical Electrochemistry Award
Philip N. Ross Jr. of the Materials Sciences Division received the David C. Grahame Award on May 3 for "Outstanding Research Contributions to the Field of Physical Electrochemistry." The award was presented at the 195th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society Meeting in Seattle, Washington.
Sandia Creates Antiterrorism Foam
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) have developed a foam that is not harmful to people and begins neutralizing both chemical and biological agents in minutes. This foam is designed to be used in response to a terrorist release of chemical or biological warfare agents.
The dilemma faced by emergency response teams is that if they enter a chem/bio scene without knowing what agents are present they could become victims; but if they wait to evaluate, more people might die -- or worse, an agent could disperse and cause widespread casualties.
"Whatever you do, it's best to act very quickly," says Maher Tadros, an SNL chemist who developed the foam along with SNL environmental engineer Mark Tucker. "This foam can start neutralizing an agent or combinations of agents right away, even before you know what you're dealing with."
In laboratory tests, the foam destroyed simulants of VX, mustard and soman chemical agents, and killed a simulant of anthrax -- the toughest known biological agent. "It has performed superbly for all the agents we have tested it against," Tadros says.
Adds Tucker, "If you can kill spores, you can kill germinating bacteria and you can deactivate viruses. Spores are the most difficult."
Tritium Update
Lab Submits Plan to EPA
By Ron Kolb
In an effort to accelerate the collection and analysis of tritium samples required for a re-evaluation of its prospects for priority clean-up status, Berkeley Lab has submitted a draft Tritium Sampling and Analysis Plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Data was requested by the EPA last September to help them make a determination on the Laboratory's eligibility for "Superfund" listing -- the highest-priority contaminated sites.
Berkeley Lab has maintained that its own calculations have clearly placed it outside the parameters established for "Superfund" sites, and even the EPA stated in a letter last year that "tritium emissions at LBNL are well controlled under the federal Clean Air Act (NESHAP) standard, and are protective of public health."
Nonetheless, in response to community requests, the EPA agreed to a reassessment and asked the Laboratory to take additional ambient air, soil, surface water and sediment samples. Vegetation sampling was added to the plan by the Lab based on community suggestions in the Tritium Issues Work Group, an advisory panel set up two years ago to help resolve questions surrounding tritium emissions from the National Tritium Labeling Facility.
Last month, four community members resigned from the Work Group. And last week, the Berkeley City Council agreed to hire the Institute of Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) for $25,000 to represent and advise those disaffected members.
"The Berkeley City Council's decision [to hire IEER] as a participant in this process will do little to resolve the issue," a Berkeley Lab statement said. "As an advocacy organization whose point of view on various political issues is well known, IEER cannot be the dispassionate, neutral advisor that's needed to bring consensus and reason to the polarized debate. What is needed now is credible scientific fact-gathering and analysis, measuring data against established guidelines and standards designed to protect public and environmental health."
Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank advised the Mayor and the City Council this week of his intent to move quickly on a sampling plan, which is subject to EPA approval. Copies of the plan were distributed to the co-chairs of the Tritium Issues Work Group (the EPA and the California Department of Health Services) and its membership.
Shank also told them that in order for the public to have ample opportunity to understand the process and its outcomes, Berkeley Lab also intends to form a Sampling Project Review Committee that is broadly representative of the interests and constituencies of East Bay communities.
New Type of Microscope for Characterizing Materials
Unique instrument holds promise for applications in the electronics industry
By Lynn Yarris
A new thumb-sized microscope that works something like a CD-player but with microwaves rather than visible light has been invented by researchers in the Materials Sciences Division (MSD). The Scanning Evanescent Microwave Probe, or SEMP, can be used to simultaneously characterize critical electronic properties along with topography in a wide assortment of materials.
SEMP uses near-field or non-propagating microwaves (as opposed to normal far-field microwaves, such as radar) to measure the electrical impedance of materials with sub-micron resolution -- a measurement of materials' ability to conduct an alternating current, something critical for the electronics industry.
"The SEMP is capable of mapping the complex electrical impedance of any material," says MSD physicist Xiao-Dong Xiang, who led the development of this device. "We chose the lower range microwave frequencies (a few GigaHertz) because this is the most relevant and best-suited range for most electronic applications."
By measuring the interaction between evanescent microwaves generated off an ultra sharp-tipped probe and the surface of a material, Xiang and his colleagues can not only map electrical impedance across the face of the material, but simultaneously map the topography of the material's surface, another critical factor for manufacturing chips and other electronic devices.
SEMP's sharp-tipped metal probe is connected to a high quality-factor microwave resonator equipped with a thin-metal shield. This shielding is specially designed to screen out all but the evanescent microwaves from being generated at the SEMP's tip. As a result, when the tip is scanned over a sample, just above the material's surface, only these evanescent microwaves, with their high spatial resolving power, are free to interact with the sample.
"This feature is crucial for high resolution quantitative microscopy," says Xiang. "If both evanescent and propagating microwaves had to be considered and calculated, as is the case for all other types of microwave probes, quantitative microscopy would be impossible."
The interaction between the evanescent microwaves and the sample surface gives rise to a resonant frequency and quality-factor changes in the resonator that are recorded as signals. Xiang and his colleagues can measure these change signals and plug the measurements into equations they've developed which translates the results into a measurement of the sample's complex electrical impedance with a spatial resolution of 100 nanometers.
SEMP can be used on conductors and insulators as well as semiconductors. It has applications in any situation in which there is a need to characterize a material's electrical properties as a function of electric or magnetic fields, optical illumination or temperature variations.
The Materials Sciences researchers have employed "tip-to-sample distance feedback control techniques" to obtain topographical and electrical measurements of sample surfaces - important for mapping electrical impedance without contacting the sample surface.
"Since the feedback control ranges from nanometers to microns, the SEMP has a zoom-out feature that allows it to scan a large area in a short amount of time and a zoom-in feature that allows it to scan a small area with high resolution," says Xiang. "These features make the SEMP a practical tool for industrial applications."
Working with Xiang on the microscope's development were Tao Wei, Chen Gao, Fred Duewer, and Ichiro Takeuchi. Although the basic technology behind the SEMP has been licensed to Ariel Technologies, Inc., through Berkeley Lab's Technology Transfer Department, Xiang and his colleagues are continuing to refine and expand it, and are currently building a low-temperature version that will allow them to study superconductors.
Photo: Xiao-Dong Xiang Photo by Don Fike (XBD9905-01010-02)
Students Come Face to Face with Supercomputing
By Jon Bashor
A group of 17 math and science students from El Cerrito High School recently visited the Lab to learn about real-world applications of mathematics and the various high-performance programs in Computing Sciences. The goal of the visit was to give students a look at possible career directions.
The group was accompanied by Bob Fabini, who teaches physics and chemistry at the school. The visit was prompted by an article in the San Francisco Chronicle last fall about Jolanta Walukiewicz, a teacher at the school who strives to keep students -- particularly girls -- interested in math and science.
Lab scientists described computer architectures and concepts and their application to solving various types of problems, and showed students how computers have opened up whole new areas of science, such as computational biology.
The high schoolers also enjoyed computer simulations, which are used to study problems such as turbulence, and movies of three-dimensional medical images.
Computing Sciences staff members who met with the group included Tom DeBoni, Sherry Li, Denise Wolf, Ann Almgren, and Ravi Malladi.
The group toured the NERSC supercomputer facility, the Computing Sciences Visualization Lab and the Energy Sciences Network operations center. Not surprisingly, the 3D visualizations were a big hit.
As he and his fellow students were boarding the bus to go back to school, Syed Ali Rizvi stopped to take a few snapshots of the Lab. "I haven't seen anything like this before," he said. "I wish I could work in an environment like this."
After the visit, two students and a teacher followed up with a note expressing appreciation and interest in building on the connection.
"Thank you very much for the field trip to Computing Sciences," wrote Jolanta Walukiewicz, the teacher who coordinated the students' participation. "All participants, including the physics teacher, were very impressed and enthusiastic. The kids appreciated the effort the presenters made to clearly and simply explain the nature of their complicated work. It appears that every child was able to make a connection and to learn."
One student, a sophomore named Dmitiriy Afanasyev, said he got his first computer at age 5 and has been working with computers ever since. "I got very excited about everything I saw and heard. Would it be possible for me to volunteer at the Lab during the summer vacation? I'm really interested in all that stuff and I would be happy to do anything, just to learn how does all of it work."
Photo: Martin Stoufer of NERSC's operations staff gave a group of students from El Cerrito High School a guided tour of the NERSC machine room (above), EsNET and the Visualization Lab. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9905-00910-03.tif)
Currents Online
The full text as well as color photographs of each edition of Currents are published online at http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/.You may find a link to Currents on the Lab's home page under the heading "Publications." The site allows users to do searches of past articles going back to 1994.
Lab Hosts Demonstration Of Collaboratory Process
By Monica Friedlander
Last Sunday representatives from the U.S. National Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (USNC IUBMB), along with a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, visited Berkeley Lab to attend a special presentation and live demonstration of collaboratory technologies.
These advanced tools and techniques allow scientists sometimes a world apart not only to engage in long-distance collaborations, but to actually perform remote experiments.
The meeting was held in conjunction with the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology `99 conference and the meeting of the USNC IUBMB, held on May 16-20 in San Francisco.
The event at Berkeley Lab, says Stewart Loken, head of the Information and Computing Sciences Division, could not have been more successful.
"This community is not used to this type of technology," he said. "All the participants went away extremely impressed by the techniques and by their promise for collaborative work and the use of remote facilities. They understand that not every laboratory or facility can have one of every instrument. This technology allows the sharing of instruments that furthers the scientific process."
The demonstration stemmed from a presentation made last fall by Jim Myers of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to members of the USNC IUBMB, which sparked interest in the possibility of creating a biosciences collaboratory.
Sunday's meeting featured a talk by David Wemmer of the Lab's Physical Biosciences Division, who routinely avails himself of these advanced technologies to perform remote experiments on PNNL's instruments from his Berkeley office; a hands-on demonstration by Jeff Pelton, also of Physical Biosciences, on performing research using collaboratories; and a presentation by Ray Bair and Paul Ellis of Pacific Northwest, who discussed the collaboratory process at PNNL.
The two-hour event included demonstrations of state-of-the-art technologies such as a televiewer (a shared, real-time computer screen) to simulate an actual experiment. Other instruments included an electronic notebook, a chat box and desktop video-conferencing tools.
Collaboratories are a means of bringing the international community of scientists together by harnessing the potential of the most advanced communication networks to conduct scientific research.
Such advances are made possible by the increased bandwidth and computer speed which allow large volumes of data and information to be sent over the networks very quickly.
Photo: Jeff Pelton of Physical Biosciences gave a hands-on demonstration last Sunday on collaboratory technologies and the use of remote experiments. Photo by Stewart Loken (NAS-Pres.tiff)
Discovering Nature in Our Midst
Photo: A group of 15 Lab employees explored the hidden beauties of Strawberry Creek during a walking tour organized last month as part of Earth Month activities. The tour started at the UC Botanical Gardens, and then followed the creek, which flows through the campus before going underground. Bob Charbonneau of the UC Office of the President led the tour. He is the coordinator for Environmental Assessment for UC and one of the key people who helped rejuvenate Strawberry Creek a few years ago. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9904-00568-11.tif)
Russian Chorus Anniversary Concert Tomorrow
The Slavyanka Men's Russian Chorus, which has included a number of current and past Lab employees over the years, is celebrating its 20th anniversary tomorrow night with a concert to be held at 7:00 p.m. at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Berkeley (2727 College Avenue). A pot-luck reception will follow the concert.
A feature article on Slavyanka was published in the Jan. 9, 1998 issue of Currents.
For more information contact Donn Davy at X4162.
California Casualty Insurance Reminders
Flyers for the California Casualty insurance -- a program provided through UC's group insurance benefits -- are currently being distributed to Lab employees through the mail.
For a no-obligation rate comparison of automobile, homeowners or renters insurance, call (800) 800-9410 or visit the California Casualty website at http://www.calcas.com. Premiums are payroll-deductible.
Golf Club Scores
Results from the Franklin Canyon Tournament on April 8:
First Flight
1. John Bowers
2. Nobuo Kobayashi
3. Henry Rodriguez
4. Ralph Sallee
5. Denny Parra
Second Flight
1. Bruce Hongola
2. Nick Palaio
3. Ed Miller
4. Vickie Weber
5. Reba Rodriguez
The next two tournaments will be held on June 12 at Stevenson Ranch and on July 10 in Tilden Park.
Volunteers Needed for Teachers Group
A group of 140 teachers from Cal State Fresno will visit Berkeley Lab on Saturday, June 12, as part of a special program to give science teachers a feel for the real world of science.Volunteers are needed to show the teachers around various facilities and tell them about research projects. For more information or to volunteer, contact Eileen Engel at X5719.
Information Technology Expo
A demonstration of the latest technologies in dozens of areas, ranging from desktop systems to video teleconferencing, will be held on Wednesday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Perseverance Hall (Bldg. 54). The event is sponsored by the Federal Business Council and hosted by the Computing Sciences Division. More than 30 exhibitors will be on hand. Among the technologies featured will be:
Desktops
Notebooks
Workstations
Unix systems
Internet imaging
technology
Database products
Web tools
CAD solutions
Electronic
test equipment
Mass storage solutions
Presentation products
Laser
printers
Video teleconferencing products
Network instrumentation
Refreshments will be served. For more information look up http://www.fedpage.com or call (800) 247-6353.
Courier Services
The Facilities Department is providing the Lab with rush courier service, with pick-up and delivery both on- and off-site. Transportation can deliver up to 2,000 pounds anywhere in the Bay Area or in central or northern California. Onsite materials will be delivered within one hour. For offsite service, a driver is available during normal business hours for same-day pick up and delivery. To request a pick-up, call Peggy Patterson at X5404.
Courier service (two-hour, four-hour, same day, and rush service) is also available from IDS Courier, which operates 24 hours a day and provides pick-up and delivery anywhere in the Bay Area and in portions of northern and central California.
For information call Linda Wright at 548-3263.
Retirement Luncheon
After 19 years of dedicated service to the Lab, Winnie Baker of CFO has announced her retirement.
Accounts Payable staff are hosting a luncheon for her on Thursday, May 27, at Spats Restaurant in Berkeley (1974 Shattuck Avenue).
For more information contact Lauretta Corsair at X6938 or Yen Le at X4652.
26 WEDNESDAY
Information Technology Expo10:00-2:00, Perseverance Hall
3 THURSDAY
Shoemobile7:30 - 3:30, cafeteria parking lot
Tripmobile
11:30 - 12:40, cafeteria parking lot
Items for the calendars may be sent via e-mail to currents_calendar@ lbl.gov, faxed to X6641 or mailed to Bldg. 65B. The deadline for the June 4 issue is 5 p.m. Monday, May 31.
Seminars & Lectures
MAY 26, Wednesday
Materials Sciences Division"XAFS Spectroscopy in Catalysis Research: AXAFS and Fano Resonances" will be presented by Diek Koningsberger of the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
1:30., Bldg. 66 auditorium
JUNE 1, Tuesday
Center for Environmental Biotechnology"Research Questions Arising From Environmental Consulting" will be presented by Dean Oliver of Environ Corporation.
Noon, Bldg. 50A-5132
JUNE 4th, Friday
Center For Beam Physics Seminar"Ultra Pulsed Power for Inertial Confinement Fusion, Weapons Physics, and Weapons Effects" will be presented by Gerry Yonas of Sandia Labs.
10:30 a.m., Bldg. 71 conference room
New Cafeteria Manager
Berkeley Lab has a new cafeteria manager -- Peter C. Demarest, brought on board by Eurest, the Lab's food catering vendor. He replaces Mark Blum who has held the position for the past two years.
Demarest brings 15 years of restaurant management experience to his job. His last position was as general manager at Spenger's Fish Grotto in Berkeley.
Lab Partners with Ecocenter to Boost Recycling Efforts Onsite
Peter Schultze-Allen, an expert in waste minimization, was hired by the non-profit Ecology Center in Berkeley to assist Berkeley Lab in implementing its recycling program. This arrangement was made possible by a one-year grant awarded to the Ecology Center by the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board.
Schultze-Allen will assist employees and Lab groups in improving recycling efforts to bring them up to DOE waste reduction requirements. He brings to this job more than 10 years of expertise in working with governments, non-profits and small businesses, both in the U.S. and in Germany.
EH&S Training Schedule - June
To enroll contact Susan Aberg at [email protected] or register via the web: http://www-ehs.lbl.gov/ehstraining/registration/. Pre-registration is required for all courses except EHS 10 (Introduction to EH&S). Times and locations are subject to change. Check the EH&S training website for updates to the schedule.
PLEASE NOTE: Additional offerings of First Aid (EHS 116), Adult CPR (EHS 123), Blood Biosafety and Medical Waste (EHS 737), and other training courses may be offered to accommodate incoming students. Times and locations are subject to change. Check the EH&S Training website (http://www-ehs.lbl.gov/schedule/) for updates to the schedule.
Currents Online
The full text as well as color photographs of each edition of Currents are published online at http://www. lbl.gov/Publications/ Currents/.
You may find a link to Currents on the Lab's home page under the heading "Publications." The site allows users to do searches of past articles going back to 1994.
Flea Market
Autos & Supplies
`71 VOLVO Station Wagon w/ custom features, rebuilt eng, 38K mi, new paint, many extras, exc cond, $2,100/b.o., Don, X7972`86 NISSAN 200SX, 97K mi, new transmission, new tires, runs great, ac, at, pwr windows, cruise control, red, $2,500/b.o., make offer, David, X 4828, 558-0104
`87 HONDA Civic Hatchback, 130K mi, 5 spd, ac, 2nd owner, 2nd eng, records, runs well, straight body, $1,860, Ulli X5347, 601-6541
`90 TOYOTA Tercel EZ liftback, 2 dr, 4 cyl, 1.5 liter, front wheel drive, 4 spd manual, ac, am/fm stereo, '97 rebuilt eng, $2,000, Andrea, 845-0692
`90 DODGE Dynasty, 4 dr sedan, driver side airbag, auto trans, 6 cyl, am/fm, tilt steering, cc, pwr locks, pwr steering, ac, very good cond, well maintained, new tires, 117K mi, eng rebuilt 1 yr ago, $3,500/b.o., Sylvain, X7030
`93 CHEVROLET Van Conversion, orig owner, new tires, exc cond, 77K mi, white/teal int $12,500, Wesley, 724-3012
`96 ACURA Integra LS 3 dr sports coupe, red, 1.8 liter, 16-valve programmed fuel injection, auto, all pwr, airbags, anti-lock brakes, ac, pwr moonrf, am/fm/ cass, cruise control, $12,999/ b.o., Xiaofeng, (408) 281-7670 (after 6 pm)
`96 GMC S-15 Sonoma, 4 cyl, at, ac, am/fm/cass, custom bumper, bed liner, alloy wheels, very clean, 26K mi, $10,500/b.o., Steve, X5537, (209) 832-5042
`98 CHRYSLER Cirrus LXi, 12K mi, blk, blk leather, auto, ABS, pwr everything, am/fm/CD changer, $18,700, Steve, X7156, (925) 673-1234
Motorcycles
`79 Motorcycle, Honda CM200T, low mi, looks and runs well, exc around-town vehicle, $600/b.o.; set of 4 tires for BMW 5-Series, 390 mm Michelin, $150/b.o. Sherry, X6972`80 HONDA CX-500, 500cc, shaft drive, water cooled, plexi fairing, backrest/luggage rack, good commute bike, $600/b.o., Bob, (925) 376-2211
Housing
BERKELEY HILLS, beautiful 1 bdrm, 1 bth apt, marble bthrm, fully furn, recently remodeled, spacious, nr transp and shopping, $1,195/mo, avail June 15, 1 yr lease, quiet, non-smoker only, Helga, 524-8308EL CERRITO, 1 unfurn bdrm avail June 1 in spacious 2 bdrm, 1 bth apt (fourplex), share w/ 3rd year grad student (male); large kitchen and living rm, close to BART and shopping ctr, pets possible, $550 deposit, $375/mo (water and garbage incl), Aaron, X4829, 558-0104
KENSINGTON, 3 bdrm furn house, short term (7/15 - 8/18), 2 cats, $400/week, incl util, Ruth, 526-2007, 526-6730
NORTH OAKLAND, Rockridge area, 1 bdrm in 3 bdrm house, 2 blocks to BART and Lab shuttle, washer/dryer, dishwasher, driveway parking, avail June, $470/month, Alvin, X6558, Josette 547-1564
OAKLAND, upper Rockridge area, duplex, 1 bdrm, large living rm, dining rm, modern kitchen, washer/dryer, all util pd, no pets, avail now, $1,600/mo, Sylvain, X7030
OAKLAND, Rockridge area, charming bright 2 bdrm, 1 bath , in older duplex on Oakgrove, huge kitchen, fireplace, formal dining, built-ins, hardwoods, serene yard, basement w/ storage, laundry, off-street parking, 2 blocks to BART, bus, shopping, mannered pet considered, $2,100/mo, Barbara, X6898, X4589, 652-7044
OAKLAND HILLS, sunny rm in 5 bdrm villa, 4 bthrms, bayview, hdwd, 2 marble fire places, 3 blks to Rockridge BART, washer/dryer, no smoking, no pets, $580/mo plus util, avail June 1, David, X6082, 595-0737
WALNUT CREEK, large 1 bdrm apt in fourplex, upstairs unit, new deck, vaulted ceiling, avail around June 1, $700/mo, Bob, (925) 376-2211
Miscellaneous
BIKE, Mtn, 17" frame, $40, Sanjeev, X4663DINING TABLES, 3x5 w/ 4 chairs, green wash and wood tone, new cond, $225 or 2.5x5 plus 2 leafs and 4 chairs, Scandinavian style, could use refinishing; table cloth, $175 (photos avail); microwave oven, sm size Goldstar, white w/ carousel, $50; golf bag, 8", burgundy nylon, $20; ironing board, $5; pole light, white w/ 3 spot lights, $15; phone/ans machine, two at $10 ea; phone, Radio Shack $6, Janice, X6412, 459-0637
FUTON, full size, almost new, frame, cover, bedsheets, pillow case, $60, Ulli, X5347, 601-6541
FUTON, foam core full size w/ trifold, light colored-hardwood frame, hardly ever used, great cond, $200 firm for both, delivery possible, Mark, 495-2319, (925) 376-1967
FUTON, wood frame, queen size, $180/b.o.; 14" color monitor, $80; HP Deskwriter for Mac, $30; folding table, $15; chairs, $15, Shiahn, X4590, 528-0066
MOVING SALE, solid oak bunk bed w/ mattresses, $350; credenza, $80; black swivel chair, $15; artist's table, $40; push mower, $10; bench press, $60; kids' books, more, Rosie, X4588
MOVING SALE, Technics components, 5 disk CD player, dbl deck cassette player, receiver, stand, 5 speaker surround system, $325; Sharp, 27 " stereo television, $175, all 2-3 yrs old, as good as new; wooden futon bed frame, futon, $50; more miscellaneous furniture, David, X4828, 558-0104
SERVICES, interior painting, free estimates, Rita, X5621, 465-3813
SNOW CHAINS, 2 sets, $22/ea; folding table w/ matching chair, $22; ironing board, $15; "Aroma" electric grill, $40; "toastmaster" waffle iron, $25; Sears brand hair dryer, $4; 3 radio-alarm clocks, $10 ea; "Sunbeam" bathroom scale, $12; "Juiceman" juice maker, $45, Andreas, X5453, 845-4672
SPORTS bike, 21'' men's, 10 speed, used, runs, as is, $50, Karsten, X6732, 526-0926 (eves/weekend)
TICKETS, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, Concord Pavilion, June 18, 7:30 pm, 2 reserved seats, $77.75/ticket, Charlotte, X4268, (925) 370-0886 (eves)
TURF SHOES men's (11), $25; baseball glove, $50; tennis racket, $25; judo ghee, $60; fur coat, $300, all in exc cond, Steve, X6966
Wanted
HOUSING for visiting professor (family of four), 7/17-8/7, 2 or 3 bdrm furn apt or house in Berkeley or Albany preferred, Bruce, [email protected]HOUSING for visiting Swedish astrophysicist and family, 5/22-6/17, Jeanne, X5074
HOUSING, room sublet for the month June only, prefer furn but not essential, will pay up to $400 incl util, Paijoun X4391
HOUSING for visiting professor, 2 or 3 bdrm furn apt or house, 7/1-10/15, Raz, [email protected], or Valerie, X5369
HOUSING for visiting postdoc, 2 bdrm apt or house for at least 1 year starting Oct 1, Alina, [email protected], or Valerie, X5369
HOUSING for visiting professor (family of four), 7/17-8/7, 2 or 3 bdrm furn apt or house in Berkeley or Albany preferred, Bruce, [email protected]
HOUSING for visiting professor and wife from Univ of Notre Dame, 7/1-12/31, Rick, X7846, [email protected]
HOUSING, North Berkeley, Kensington, Albany, El Cerrito areas preferred for visiting scholar and family (wife and 3 children), approx 7/6-9/1, John, X6329
Vacation
TAHOE KEYS at South Lake Tahoe, house, 3 bdrm, 2-1/2 bth, fenced yard, quiet area, close to many attractions, great views of water/mtns, $150/night (2 night min), Bob, (925) 376-2211Lost and Found
FOUND: women's Seiko watch on Chamberlain Road behind B90, please identify, Lonny, X6088
Flea Market Ad Policy
Ads are accepted only from LBNL employees, retirees, and on-site DOE personnel. Only items of your own personal property may be offered for sale. Please include name, affiliation, extension, and home telephone number.
Ads must be submitted in writing--via e-mail ([email protected]), fax (X6641), or delivered/ mailed to Bldg. 65B. No ads will be taken by phone. Ads will run one week only unless resubmitted in writing. They will be repeated only as space permits.
The deadline for the June 4 issue of Currents is 5 p.m. Friday, May 28.
Flea Market ad policy
Due to the large volume of ads received each week, ads are accepted only from LBNL employees, retirees, and on-site DOE personnel. No other ads will be accepted. We encourage past contributors to the Flea Market to use other local services, such as LBNL's online housing listing (call X6198 for information), and the UC Housing Office.Please note also:
- The deadline for ads is 5 p.m. Friday for the following week's issue.
- Ads must be submitted in writing, via e-mail ([email protected]), fax (X6641), or delivery/mail to Bldg. 65B. No ads will be taken over the phone.
- No ads will be accepted without your name, affiliation, Lab extension, and home telephone number. You may ask that only one number appear in the ad.
- Only items of your own personal property may be offered for sale.
- Ads for material for resale in connection with a business will not be accepted.
- No ads for services will be taken.
- Ads will run one week only unless resubmitted in writing. Ads will be repeated only as space permits, and at the discretion of Currents. If an item does not sell in a reasonable time period, we retain the right to terminate the ad.