By Lynn Yarris
Berkeley Lab researchers have produced the world's first directed beams of femtosecond x-rays. Lasting only a few hundred millionths of a billionth of a second, the strobe-like pulses of x-ray light will be used to study the motion of atoms during ultra-fast physical and chemical processes.
In a paper published in the Oct. 11 issue of the journal Science, Berkeley Lab researchers report that sending a short, powerful pulse of infrared laser light across the path of a narrowly focused electron beam generated pulses of x-rays a mere 300 femtoseconds in duration. A femtosecond is to one second in duration what one second is to 30 million years.
The 10-member team that conducted this research was led by two scientists, Robert Schoenlein of the Materials Sciences Division (MSD), and Wim Leemans of the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division (AFRD).
X-rays are ideal for investigating the atomic structure of matter because they interact directly with nuclei and core electrons. The production of directed beams of x-rays on a femtosecond time-scale has been highly prized by the scientific community, because at room temperature, atomic motion takes place in most cases on a time-scale of approximately 100 femtoseconds. With x-ray pulses on a comparable time-scale, it would be possible, for example, to track the movement of atoms in a sample of material during a phase transition (solid to liquid to gas), a chemical reaction, or any other process of physical change.
The directed beams of femtosecond x-rays were produced at a branch line off the 50 MeV (million electron volt) linear accelerator that feeds electrons into the synchrotron booster of the Advanced Light Source. Atop this branch line, which is called the Beam Testing Facility (BTF), is a femtosecond terawatt near-infrared laser. The BTF provides a tightly focused electron beam that is about 90 microns in width; the laser produces photons in 100 femtosecond pulses.
"By crossing the photon and electron beams at a right angle, we obtain scattered x-ray pulses lasting about 300 femtoseconds that travel along the direction of the electron beam," says Schoenlein. "The duration of the x-ray burst is determined by the transit time of the laser pulse across the waist of the focused electron beam."
Once femtosecond pulses of x-rays are generated, a magnet is used to remove the electron beam. What is left are pure femtosecond pulses of x-rays. The Berkeley Lab research team detected these pulses using an x-ray sensitive phosphor screen. Visible photons from the phosphor were then imaged onto a charged-coupling device camera.
The images showed that the x-ray photons arrived as an elliptically shaped beam, similar to the shape of the electron beam from which they were generated. Additional measurements indicated that the beam was delivered at an energy of 30,000 electron volts and flux of about 105 photons per pulse. These results were in accordance with theoretical predictions.
"Tighter focusing of the electron beam holds the potential for generating even shorter x-ray pulses, on the order of 50 femtoseconds or less," says Schoenlein.
Leemans and his colleagues at Berkeley Lab's Center for Beam Physics will experiment with tightening the focus of the BTF electron beam to reach these shorter pulse-lengths. Schoenlein and his MSD colleagues will turn their attention to using the 300 femtosecond x-rays now achievable in a study on the ultrafast melting of silicon.
In addition to Schoenlein and Leemans, other researchers participating in this experiment were MSD's Alan Chin, Ernest Glover, and Peter Balling, and AFRD's Paul Volfbeyn, Max Zolotorev, Kwang Je-Kim, and Swapan Chattopadhyay. Also participating in the experiment was Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank.
By Jeffery Kahn
The mission was near impossible: Unplug a complex of high performance computers and mass storage devices, dissemble a national network control center, and move it all from Livermore to Berkeley without interrupting services to thousands of anxious users all over the country. On top of that, recruit more than 50 new staffers, bring in an untried yet ground-breaking new supercomputer and pioneer its actual usage. And while you're at it, dramatically enhance customer support.
Nine months later, fully operational and busy reinventing themselves, NERSC (the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center) and ESnet (the Energy Sciences Network) are now at home at Berkeley Lab. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Laboratory will officially open the new facilities. That day, the Lab will conduct a series of events to dedicate the most powerful combination of unclassified computing and networking resources in the United States.
At 11 a.m. Tuesday, employees are invited to a "virtual" ribbon cutting ceremony that will be simultaneously broadcast in the Bldgs 50 and 66 auditoriums, as well as via the MBone on the Internet. The event will also include the debut of a short video about the Laboratory's new scientific computing capabilities.
A number of dignitaries and guests have been invited to Berkeley Lab for the occasion. Among those expected to speak are Ed McCracken, chairman and chief executive officer of Silicon Graphics, Inc.; Robert Ewald, president of Cray Research; Charles Curtis, deputy secretary of the Department of Energy; Martha Krebs, director of DOE's Office of Energy Research; and Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank.
After refreshments are served in the two auditoriums, employees will have the opportunity to check out the new center. Guided tours are being set up at three of the key physical facilities. These include:
By Jeffery Kahn
The Oct. 22 NERSC-ESnet grand opening celebrates a series of achievements that some skeptics believed would not take place. Norris Parker Smith admits in a recent article that he has been among the doubters.
Smith is editor-at-large of HPCwire, a prestigious weekly electronic magazine to which more than 16,000 high performance computing professionals subscribe. In the Sept. 20 issue, Smith reports that NERSC has met an extremely demanding schedule in terms of its move--staying online for its users even as machines were moved and new staff hired--and is now heading toward even more ambitious goals.
Smith reports that NERSC is both on time and on budget. However, he sets out a stricter standard for the center's ultimate success. NERSC not only must deliver access to machines with world-class computing speed, but also develop a dynamic relationship with its users.
"The capacity to deliver (computing) cycles to the user community is the fundamental requirement of a center like NERSC," Smith writes. "Because one flavor of cycles tastes very much like another; however, each center must establish a distinct identity and deliver added value that goes beyond computational capabilities.
"In its promotional presentations, NERSC defines itself as `the working interface between computer science and physical science ... new algorithms and strategies [will be] developed in medium and long-term collaboration with the scientific user community.'"
Smith notes that many supercomputer centers make such promises. However, he reports that NERSC actually is making it easier for scientists to work with its supercomputers. The large user services and scientific computing staffs, a visualization group, and a number of collaborations including UC Berkeley and Sun add up to a solid commitment.
Smith concludes, "In its new setting at LBNL, NERSC has laid down an ambitious plan .... Its progress during this initial gestation may convince observers--including skeptics like this reporter--that these ambitions are more than slogans."
Employees invited to attend, offer comments
Members of the University of California Board of Regents will make a rare appearance at Berkeley Lab on Wednesday, Oct. 16, when the Board's Committee on Oversight of the Department of Energy Laboratories holds its monthly meeting in Perseverance Hall.
The Committee makes periodic visits to Berkeley, Livermore and Los Alamos to familiarize itself with the operations and programs of the laboratories. Their stop at Berkeley next week will include tours of the Lab's major facilities and presentations by Director Charles Shank and deputy directors Pier Oddone and Klaus Berkner.
Laboratory employees are invited to attend the sessions, which begin at 9:30 a.m. with a public comment period.
Shank is scheduled to give a lab overview at 9:45 a.m., which will be followed by a tour of the Advanced Light Source. Gerry Rubin of the Life Sciences Division and UC Berkeley will talk about his research into the Drosophila genome beginning at 11:15 a.m.
Following lunch, the group will tour the Human Genome Center, the lighting laboratory, and the Computing Sciences Directorate, including the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center. Berkner will focus on the reengineering of laboratory operations at 3 p.m. Oddone is scheduled to lead a discussion about lab-campus partnerships at 3:45 p.m.
The Committee on Oversight includes nine of the 26-member Board of Regents, appointed for one-year terms. Sue Johnson from Riverside chairs the committee, and Clair Burgener of San Diego is vice chair. Others members are Leo S. Kolligian, Roy T. Brophy, Meredith J. Khachigian, Howard H. Leach, Gray Davis, Pat Kessler and Peter Preuss. UC President Richard Atkinson, an ex-officio member of the committee, is also expected to attend the session, and the rest of the Board is invited to participate.
In the 1970s, Osheroff of Stanford University, and Lee and Richardson of Cornell froze helium-3 to about two thousandths of a degree above absolute zero. This created a frictionless condition called "superfluidity" and enabled the researchers to demonstrate that the quantum laws of microphysics sometimes govern the behavior of macroscopic bodies as well.
Rice University chemists Smalley and Curl, with Britain's Kroto, discovered carbon atoms bound in the form of a ball. These balls, in which atoms are arranged in closed shells, are called buckminster fullerenes, or buckyballs. Once proclaimed "Molecule of the Year," fullerenes have opened a new branch of chemistry.
Australian immunologist Doherty of St. Jude's Childrens Hospital in Tennessee, and Swiss immunologist Zinkernagel showed, using mice, how T-cells in the body's immune system recognize virus-infected cells through chemical labels and target them for elimination. Their results have served as an invaluable guide to the design of vaccines and treatments for cancer, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes.
Spotlight on Culture
CAPTION: Oscar Reynolds of the Andean music group Karumanta Jamuyku entertained diners on the cafeteria lawn last month as part of the Lab's celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Reynolds, who is Bolivian, studied music at the Instituto Jaime Laredo and legal and political sciences at the Universidad Major de San Simon in Cochabamba, Boliva. He plays a wide variety of instruments, including quena, zampona, guitar and percussion, and composes South American folklore music and Latin American New Song. While at the Lab, he played a number of wind instruments and talked about the music. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
"I always enjoyed working with Walt," said Berkeley Lab Deputy Director and longtime colleague Klaus Berkner. "Whether we were resolving crises or working on routine tasks, Walt never wavered from doing what was best for the Laboratory."
Hartsough began his career at the Laboratory in April 1946, building cloud chambers in preparation for the first operation of the 184-Inch Cyclotron. In the ensuing decades he made significant contributions to the field of nuclear and particle physics. In the 1950s he was involved with the development of linear accelerator cavities and the construction of the first injection system at the Bevatron.
From 1958 to 1973 he was in charge of Bevatron operations, providing leadership for advancements that kept the Bevatron at the forefront of high energy physics. He then continued serving in senior management positions as associate director and head of the Facilities Management and Technical Services Division.
Hartsough is warmly remembered by his friends and coworkers. "He was the only division head who could terminate someone and then have that person thank him as he walked out the door," said Clay Sealy, who worked with Hartsough at the Lab for many years. "He was a wonderful, caring individual--the best boss I ever had."
Hartsough was also a gifted guitar player, a world traveler, and was fluent in French and Spanish. The first vice-president of the Ex-Lers, the Lab's retiree association, he was an active member and a regular contributor to its newsletter.
One year after his retirement, the UC Board of Regents conferred on Hartsough the title of associate director emeritus for his lasting contributions to science, the Laboratory and UC.
Hartsough resided in Orinda and is survived by his wife Patricia and children Linda, Marian, Joan, and Michael. Donations in his name may be made to the Kaiser Hospice, 1425 Main Street, Walnut Creek.
Congress finally passed and President Clinton signed the FY97 spending bills that include most of the funds for Berkeley Lab. The Energy & Water bill contained few surprises and was signed despite Clinton's expressed concern that it increases spending on nuclear weapons programs while cutting renewable energy R&D programs. Energy efficiency advocates declared a surprising victory in the Interior and related agencies appropriations bill. The measure provides $570 million for energy efficiency programs, which is a 6-percent increase over FY96 funding. Given the drastic cuts proposed earlier in the year by House Republican leaders, the increase was an "absolute delight" to DOE leaders. Especially rewarding, said Joseph Romm, a deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, was the Congressional decision to not extend a moratorium on DOE's ability to issue efficiency standards for appliances, a program that is touted as having saved American consumers billions of dollars.
DOE shifts fusion funding:
In response to advice from its Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, DOE fusion program managers have shifted $4.5 million from operation of tokamak experimental reactors to other areas of its civilian fusion program, including inertial fusion. The advisory committee had warned Energy Research head Martha Krebs that her agency had budgeted too much money for tokamak operations and too little for alternative approaches to fusion, especially the inertial fusion effort in which Berkeley Lab's AFRD has been a leader. Krebs had asked for the committee's review in response to Congressional cuts in fusion research. Inside Energy reports that DOE will add $2 million to its proposed $4.9 million inertial fusion budget for this year.
Senate favors Curtis as next DOE Secretary:
The Washington media is reporting that New Mexico Republican Senator Pete Domenici and a bipartisan group of colleagues have discussed sending a letter to President Clinton, should he win re-election, urging that DOE Deputy Secretary Charles Curtis be nominated as the next Secretary of Energy. Curtis is reported to be "well-regarded" by lawmakers despite incumbent Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary's highly publicized battles with Congress. Other names in the Washington rumor mill are former White House Chief of Staff Thomas (Mack) McLarty, EPA Administrator Carol Browner, and Under Secretary of State Tim Wirth. -- Lynn Yarris
Energy Awareness Month
Not even Al "Scarface" Capone or Robert "Birdman" Stroud, two of the most infamous prisoners of Alcatraz, would notice the difference in lighting. Yet over the past six months, a significant change has occurred in the amount of power used to light interior offices and exterior corridors on the island of Alcatraz. Incandescent lamps have been slowly replaced by compact fluorescents using one-quarter the power.
Keeping the "look" of Alcatraz intact has made energy-efficient lighting retrofits challenging. Compact fluorescent lamps typically are different from incandescent lamps in size, shape, and color. Finding ones that would blend in took some research. Berkeley Lab engineer Tai Voong drew upon his experience in lighting retrofit projects to put together specifications covering a selection of compact fluorescents he thought might work. These specifications were reviewed by Naomi Torres, the National Park Service's interpretive supervisor at Alcatraz Island. Jim Christensen, energy coordinator for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, assisted in the selection process.
As the incandescent lamps have burned out on the island, the National Park Service has replaced them with compact fluorescents. Torres has been alert to any feedback from the thousands of tourists that come daily to Alcatraz, but so far, she says, no one has noticed the change. The only area where fluorescent lighting will probably not be used is on the first floor of the Cellhouse, where tourists peer into cells lit only by a single bare incandescent.
Voong's work at Alcatraz is being conducted by the Center for Building Science Applications Team (A-Team). The A-Team is a cooperative venture blending the expertise of Energy & Environment Division scientists and Facilities Department In-House Energy Management engineers. Voong has been charged with evaluating the cost effectiveness of various energy-efficient retrofits on the island. To accomplish this task, he has been using data loggers to sub-meter all electrical consumption for over six months.
He has also sub-metered the two diesel-fueled generators that provide all the power used for lights, motors, pumps, battery chargers for the portable tape players used for audio tours, and miscellaneous plug loads. Unfortunately, pollution and noise are also generated along with power. Representatives from the A-Team, the National Park Service, Sandia Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have studied alternative, cleaner systems for power generation at Alcatraz. One of their conclusions is that even though Alcatraz has more than enough wind to capture its use in a power generation system, all possible locations for wind turbines could be seen by tour boats. However, they have identified a possible location for a photovoltaic power system that would keep it hidden from view.
In the meantime, the National Park Service is doing what it can to reduce consumption of the costly diesel fuel. For more information on this project, contact Voong ([email protected]). For information on the A-Team, contact Evan Mills ([email protected]) or Dale Sartor ([email protected]).
CAPTION: Jim Christensen of the National Park Service (NPS), Tei Voong of the Berkeley Lab A-Team, and Naomi Torres of the NPS at Alcatraz. Photo courtesy of Antonia Reaves
Director Charles Shank has announced 58 projects selected for support by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program in fiscal year 1997. A total of 146 proposals requesting a total of $21.4 million were submitted in response to the Call for Proposals issued earlier this year (see Currents, March 15, 1996). The proposals were evaluated in a review process that relied strongly on the scientific judgment and priorities of the division reviews and the Director's Review Committee. For FY97, a total of about $8.4 million in both operating expenses and capital equipment has been allocated for LDRD.
In making the announcement, Director Shank said: "A significant proportion of the LDRD budgeted for FY97 projects were of strategic importance for addressing problems of national interest and have a good potential for building future laboratory programs. In many cases the projects funded also had strong multi-divisional involvement. Focus areas supported are computational projects in all the scientific divisions, which take advantage of our Computing Sciences capabilities, and projects that build on the scientific opportunities in our Center for Environmental Biotechnology.
"A further selection of joint collaborative proposals with PNNL is pending," Shank said. "Projects supported include those in the areas of advanced detectors and collider accelerator systems, a new neutrino observatory, genetic studies of disease, environmental characterization and biotechnology and new building performance systems. We were still able to support a number of outstanding single-investigator research projects. I appreciate the effort and response of all investigators, especially in the originality and creativity demonstrated in the proposals."
LDRD FY96 Allocations
| Principal Investigator | Research Project | Award ($K) |
| Al Mahamid/Hunter-Cevera | Effect of Biosorption on Actinide Migration in the Subsurface | 144 |
| Arnold | Network Silicates With Prophyrin Backbones: Novel Solids and Catalysts | 75 |
| Belkacem | Numerical Treatment of Pair Production in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions using Parallel Processing | 70 |
| Bell et al. | High Fidelity Simulation of Diesel Combustion | 400 |
| Bergman et al. | New Chemistry for Pollution Prevention Initiative: Selective Catalysis | 275 |
| Bertozzi | A New Strategy for the Introduction of Biocompatible Adhesive Coatings onto Material Surfaces | 100 |
| Cairns | Direct-Ethanol Fuel Cells | 135 |
| Celata et al. | A Neutron Logging Instrument for the Detection of Water and Chemical Waste | 75 |
| Chandler et al. | Molecular Theory Group | 180 |
| Chemla | Time Resolved Spectroscopy of Magnetic Insulators | 50 |
| Chorin et al. | Mathematical and Numerical Algorithms for the Analysis of Cracks, Damage Accumulation of Fracture in Solids | 120 |
| Chu/Budinger | Physics and Biology of BNCT | 175 |
| Cohen | Instruments for the in situ Detection of NO and NO2 and Their Precursors | 150 |
| Dosanjh | Development of Genetically Engineered Hepatic Cell Lines for the Evaluation of Cytotoxic Effect of Environmental Pollutants By Using Apoptosis as a Molecular Endpoint of Exposure | 100 |
| Fawley et al. | End-to-End Accelerator Modeling in the Presence of Strong, Collective Beam Fields | 150 |
| Frenklach | Mechanism and Modeling of Soot Formation in Hydrocarbon Flames | 50 |
| Goldman/Torok | Use of Gene Sequencing, Signature Lipid Biomarker Analysis and Microbial Physiology Testing. | 200 |
| Gray | Center for Discovery of Disease Related Genes | 380 |
| Harris | Magnetic Properties and Electron Localization at Interfaces | 100 |
| Head-Gordon | Computational Biology at Berkeley Lab | 220 |
| Holbrook | Determination of Macromolecular Structure by ab initio Phasing of Crystallographic Diffraction Data | 75 |
| Jackson/Taylor | "Superbend" - 5T Bending Magnet Design for the ALS | 100 |
| Johnston/Simon | Scientific Computing on Networks of Workstations | 292 |
| Kaufman | Analysis of DNA Damage-Sensitivity of Yeast Mutants Lacking Chromatin Assembly Proteins | 130 |
| Kimmel et al. | New Areas for Interface Techniques: Robotic Navigation and Shape Recognition | 90 |
| Kohwi-Shigematsu/Kohwi | Isolation and Characterization of SATB-1-bound Sequences in vivo | 202 |
| Leemans/Chattopadhyay | Accelerators for the 21st Century: Laser and THz Techniques for Acceleration and Manipulation of Particle Beams | 200 |
| Levine et al. | Energy Efficiency and Demand in Industry: A Global Assessment | 238 |
| Loken et al. | Large-Scale Computing for Nuclear Physics and High Energy Physics Experiments | 375 |
| Louie et al. | Determining Macroscopic Materials Properties from Microscopic Calculations | 170 |
| Lupu | Development of Novel Biological Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer | 130 |
| Lyneis | Third Generation ECR Ion Source | 59 |
| MacLeod et al. | Distributed Construction and Analysis of Multi-dimensional Gamma-Ray Coincidence Databases | 100 |
| McCurdy et al. | Electron Collisions With Molecules, Clusters and Surfaces | 200 |
| Meyer-Ilse | Biological X-ray Microscopy | 90 |
| Moridis | Electromagnetic Methods for Fluid Emplacement and Monitoring in the Subsurface | 80 |
| Moronne | Molecular Probes for X-Ray Microscopy | 85 |
| Morris/Clarke | SQUID-Based "Magnetic Microscopes" as Non-Destructive Testing Tools for Structural Steels | 100 |
| Myneni | High Resolution Microscopic and Spectroscopic Investigations of Mineral-Adsorbed Humic Substance Influence on Contaminant Behavior | 130 |
| Nygren et al. | System Design and Initial Electronic Engineering for a Km-Scale Neutrino Astrophysical Observatory (NAO) | 150 |
| Pace | Survey of Microbial Communities in Chemically Damaged and Control Environments | 119 |
| Padmore et al. | Advance Towards the Next Generation of Pixellated Detectors for Protein Crystallography | 100 |
| Padmore et al. | Development of an Aberration Corrected Photoelectron Microscope for Surface Studies | 200 |
| Pallavicini | Gene-Specific Biomonitoring to Assess Risk of Developing Environmentally-Induced Leukemia | 89 |
| Parvin | Surface Description from Multiple Views for 3D Microscopy | 140 |
| Perlmutter et al. | Fabrication of Charge-Coupled Devices on a High-Resistivity Substrate for Astronomical Imaging | 150 |
| Perlmutter et al. | Exploring Scientific-Computational Collaboration: NERSC and the Supernova Cosmology Project | 120 |
| Pruess/Brimhall | Reactive Chemical Transport in Geologic Media | 160 |
| Randrup | Nuclear Theory | 75 |
| Salmeron/Shen | Molecular Scale Imaging and Spectroscopy of Liquid Surfaces: Applications to Environmental Sciences | 100 |
| Selkowitz et al. | Virtual Building Laboratory | 180 |
| Shin | Structure and Conformational Dynamics Mediating Signal Transduction in Two Classical Membrane Proteins | 100 |
| Simon et al. | Parallel Algorithms for Sparse Linear Algebra MPPs | 100 |
| Sposito | Molecular Geochemistry of Clay Mineral Surfaces | 70 |
| Stringfellow/Hunter-Cevera | Development of Mixed Waste Bioremediation: Biodegradation of Complexing Agent, Ketone, and Heavy Metal Mixtures | 205 |
| Van Hove | MSD Theory and NERSC Computation for ALS Experiments | 90 |
| Vasco/ Johnson | Advanced Computing for Geophysical Inverse Problems | 100 |
| Weiss | Molecular Rulers for the Study of Synthetic and Biological Macromolecules in Aqueous Conditions | 110 |
| Total Approved | 8,353 |
By Monica Friedlander
For the second year in a row, Berkeley Lab's Procurement Department has been recognized by the Department of Energy with a special award for the Lab's success in offering contracts to small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities.
The Department has a mandate from DOE to meet certain socioeconomic goals every year. Its performance is then measured against these goals--which the Procurement Department exceeded last year in most areas.
Procurement is the department responsible for purchasing Lab supplies--that's everything from office equipment to chemicals. Whenever possible, the Lab tries to offer contracts to small businesses, although certain types of purchases may require contracts with large companies.
The Lab's success in meeting its contracting goals in the areas mandated by DOE can be attributed to efficient planning, good understanding of the market, and willingness to maintain a flexible approach in the type of contracts Procurement offers its suppliers.
"The Laboratory has always fully supported every aspect of DOE's small business subcontracting program," says procurement manager Richard Arri, who accepted the Small Business Special Performance Award from Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary in Washington, D.C. "Our successful participation in programs such as the 8(a) Pilot Program for minority businesses and set-aside programs for small businesses has demonstrated the Laboratory's commitment towards meeting DOE program objectives."
Arri added that in addition to helping the Lab meet its DOE program requirements, doing business with small, minority and women-owned companies also makes good business sense. By opening its bids to a broader supplier base, he said, the Lab can often secure better and more cost-effective contracts.
CAPTION: Accepting the Small Business Special Performance Award from Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary (far right) and DOE's director of Economic Impact and Diversity, Corlis Moody (far left) are Procurement's David Chen and Richard Arri.
News to Use
Courier Service
IDS Couriers is the Lab's contract courier service, operating 24 hours a day with pick-up and delivery service anywhere in the Bay Area. For service, call 548-3263 with pick-up/delivery locations, time requirements, and a valid Lab account number.
Currents Online
The full text of each edition of Currents is published on the Lab's home page on the World Wide Web. View it at http://www.lbl.gov/ under "Research News and Publications." To set up your computer to access the World Wide Web, call the Mac and PC Support Group at X6858.
Recycle Currents
Currents is printed on recycled and recyclable paper, using soybased inks. It may be recycled by placing it in one of the "white paper" receptacles provided by Richmond Sanitary.
50 years
Melvin Calvin,Structural Biology
45 years
David Judd, AFRD
35 years
George Gidal, Physics
Thomas Henderson, Engineering
Diana Lee, Nuclear Science
Louis Reginato, Engineering
Sig Rogers, ICSD
James Severns, Engineering
Gilbert Shapiro, Physics
Ray Solbau, Engineering
Jack Washburn, Materials Sciences
30 years
Suzanne Daly, AFRD
William Dodge, Physics
Roger Dwinell, Engineering
John Holthuis, Materials Sciences
Arthur Poskanzer, Nuclear Science
Yuen-Ron Shen, Materials Sciences
25 years
Carol Bruzzone, Operations
Thomas Downs, Engineering
Luciano Moretto, Nuclear Science
John Morris Jr., Materials Sciences
Kenneth Pitzer, Chemical Sciences
20 years
Steven Blair, Operations
Randy Deguzman, Life Sciences
Benedict Feinberg, AFRD
Kenneth Fowler, Engineering
Albert Harcourt, Engineering
Maurice Holeman, Operations
James Johnston, Operations
Orland Jones, AFRD
Rita Jones, AFRD
Charles Kim, AFRD
James Krupnick, Engineering
Charles Lawrence, Engineering
Charles Matuk, Engineering
Jack Miller, Life Sciences
James Peterson, Engineering
Maudie Noyd, Physics
Stephen Selkowitz, E&E
Robert Shilling, Operations
Arie Shoshani, ICSD
Malcom Williams, AFRD
15 years
Veena, Afzal, Life Sciences
Michael Barnett, Physics
Bradley Bingham, E&E
Kathleen Bjornstad, Life Sciences
Yuen-Dat Chen, Nuclear Science
Darryl Dickerhoff, E&E
Mary Gaillards, Physics
Kenneth Gregorich, Nuclear Science
Michael Goldstein, Operations
Nancy Lewis, Engineering
John Macguire, E&E
Stephen Meyers, E&E
John Randolph, E&E
Timothy Renner, AFRD
Kenneth Revzan, E&E
Robert Ritchie, Materials Sciences
Barbara Robbins, Materials Sciences,
Gary Smith, Engineering
Doug Vaughan, Directorate
10 years
John Bell, ICSD
Johnny Chang, E&E
Marilyn Graham, Materials Sciences
Lawrence Hall, Physics
Jack Salazar, EH&S
Dale Sartor, E&E
Linda Smith, ICSD
Doreen Ah Tye, Materials Sciences
Sam Wong, Life Sciences
5 years
Charles Allen, Operations
Mario Aranha, E&E
John Arnold, Materials Sciences
Peter Barnes, Physics
Leavern Bell Jr., Operations
Sarah Bretz, E&E
Daniel Callahan, Life Sciences
Patrick Casey, E&E
Evon Cesar-Dubois, ICSD
Hilary Cherry, Engineering
Geoffrey Chew, Physics
William Chism, Operations
Keith Dallman, Operations
Eugene Dantaker, Materials Sciences
Michael Dong, Operations
Scott Dow, E&E
Michael Elmore, ICSD
Kathleen Erickson-Weber, AFRD
Elizabeth Finlayson, E&E
Nancy Fleischauer, ICSD
David Fraser, Engineering
Stuart Freedman, Nuclear Science
Douglas Fritz, Engineering
Jeffrey Greenough, ICSD
Richard Gregory, ICSD
Richa Govil, AFRD
Henry Hettinger, Operations
Thomas Horsfall, Operations
Michael Hudson, Operations
David Iderton, Earth Sciences
Sandra James-Holiday, ICSD
Francis Johnson, E&E
Harold Johnston, Chemical Sciences
Christopher Martin, Life Sciences
Grace Miller, Earth Sciences
Paul Morton, Operations
William Myers, Nuclear Science
Thomas Nordahl, Life Sciences,
Maximilian Ostas, Operations
Michae Palazzolo, Life Sciences
Delbert Pool, Operations
Dayna Powell, Operations
Melissa Prince, ICSD
Heidi Reynolds, Materials Sciences
Mark Richard, Engineering
Douglas Ryan, EH&S
Michael Sawada, Engineering
Song-Quan Shang, Nuclear Science
Claude Shaw, Operations
Lawrence Talbot, E&E
Cheryl Taubenfeld, ICDC
David Templeton, Chemical Science
Jackie Thomas, EH&S
Patrick Thorson, EH&S
Kevin Trigales, Operations
Robert Tripp, Physics
Boegli Volker, Materials Sciences
Shelley Worsham, EH&S
In preparation for the November Open Enrollment period, the Benefits Office is sponsoring an information fair in the cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22. All employees are invited to attend.
Representatives from the various group insurance plans will be available to answer questions and take requests for specific information, as well as for plan directories and enrollment kits, which will be mailed to requesters. A limited amount of information will be available for review, but will not be available to pick up this year.
The Open Enrollment period begins on Nov. 1, and is shorter this year--all changes must be made by Nov. 24 and will be effective Jan. 1, 1997. This year, employees will make plan changes through an interactive telephone system; no enrollment forms will be necessary.
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 16, you may call the "bencom.fone" at 1-800-493-4833 to review UC-sponsored plan change highlights, premium rates and other pertinent Open Enrollment information. The annual Open Enrollment Announcement, containing specific information on plan changes and detailed instructions on how to make enrollment changes, will be mailed to employees in late October.
When you receive your Open Enrollment Announcement, it is very important that you carefully review the plan changes and deadlines. If you are unable to attend the fair or do not have an opportunity to request information, you will be able to call the plan(s) directly to request materials. A list of toll-free telephone numbers will be included in the Open Enrollment Announcement .
Watch Currents for more information, or check out the Human Resources Department home page in late October.
How much "people-energy" does it take to turn on a light? Find out by pedaling a bicycle generator at the Energy Awareness Fair, set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, outside the cafeteria. Look for a PG&E vehicle fueled by natural gas, a San Francisco commuter van, and a Berkeley Lab shuttle bus with the new, easier-to-use bike racks. Also, the Bicycle Coalition, TRIP, and PG&E will be on hand to distribute information and answer questions. In addition, the Energy and Environment Division's lighting laboratory will display new torichiere lighting fixtures featuring safer, more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps. For more information, contact Antonia Reaves, X7228, [email protected].
The cost is $10 for flu shots ($20 for pneumonia), payable by check that day to VNAHNC. To make an appointment, please call Health Services at X6266. For more information, contact Judy Kody, R.N., at X6266.
Last month the Public Information Department, which brings you Currents, launched a weekly electronic news service called HEADLINES. It arrives on your computer each Monday morning via the electronic mail system. If you have an e-mail address but are not receiving HEADLINES, it may be because your e-mail address has changed recently. To subscribe, send e-mail to [email protected]. In the subject field, type the word "subscribe." For assistance, send e-mail to [email protected].
Researchers in life, environmental, and biomedical sciences will want to review BIOSIS Previews, which is available through the familiar MELVYL System. BIOSIS Previews is one of the major databases in the biological and biomedical sciences. It contains citations to items in more than 6,000 journals, books, conference proceedings, and technical reports. Many citations include abstracts.
Materials Scientists will be interested in METADEX, a comprehensive source for information on metals and alloys. Topics covered in this database include properties, manufacturing, applications, and development. Information from more than 2,000 journals, plus patents, dissertations, government reports, conference proceedings, and books are indexed in METADEX. Citation abstracts are provided. Until January 1997, access to METADEX is only available from two computers located in the Bldg. 50 (Computer D) and Bldg. 62 (Computer A) libraries.
Both databases can be accessed through the library web server Databases and Databanks page at URL: http://www-library.lbl.gov/Library/text/db/db.html. Please call the Library at X5621 if you have questions or would like training on either of the databases.
Between Monday, Oct. 14, and Wednesday, Oct. 16, Campus will pave Centennial Drive. During this period, Centennial Drive, between the Lawrence Hall of Science and the stadium, will be closed to all virtually all traffic between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The following table explains how the Centennial Drive gates, parking areas and shuttle buses will be affected.
| Grizzly Gate | ||
| 6:30-8 a.m. | Open for entry and exit to both uphill and downhill traffic. | |
| 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Closed. Signs will direct traffic to Blackberry Gate. The automatic gate mechanism will be turned off. | |
| 3-6 p.m. | Open to traffic exiting uphill only.
| |
| 6-6:30 p.m. | Open for entry and exit to both uphill and downhill traffic. | |
| 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. | Automatic gate mechanism will be operational for exiting vehicles. | |
| Strawberry Gate | ||
| 6:30-8 a.m. | Open for entry and exit to both uphill and downhill traffic. | |
| 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Closed. Signs direct traffic to Blackberry Gate. The automatic gate mechanism and cardkey will be turned off . | |
| 3-6 p.m. | Open to traffic exiting Botanical Garden parking lot only. No access to Centennial Drive in either direction. | |
| 6-6:30 p.m. | Open for entry and exit to both uphill and downhill traffic. | |
| 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. | Automatic gate mechanism and cardkey will be operational. | |
| Botanical Garden Parking Lot | ||
| 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. | Accessible to both uphill and downhill traffic. | |
| 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. | No entry or exit. | |
| 3-6 p.m. | Exit from lot to the Strawberry Gate, then exit Lab via Blackberry or Grizzly Gates. | |
| Bldg. 73 Parking Lot | ||
| 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. | Accessible to both uphill and downhill traffic. | |
| 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | No entry or exit. ALTERNATIVE PARKING: Park in the "lower" Bldg. 66 lot and walk to Bldg. 73. | |
| Yellow Flag Shuttle | ||
| 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Will not operate to Lab. Campus Hill Shuttle will serve LHS via Euclid Ave. ALTERNATIVE: Use Blue Flag Route. | |
The LBNL Golf Club held its annual trophy tournament at Peacock Gap Golf Course in San Rafael on Saturday, Sept. 28, wrapping up the 1996 season. The new season starts next month with a tournament to be held at Bethel Island on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Results of the trophy tournament are as follows (with gross scores in parentheses):
First Flight
First Place, Harry Helliwell 67 (74)
Second Place, Jim Jones 68 (80)
Third Place, Mark Campagna 70 (77)
Second Flight
First Place, Nobuo Kobayashi 68 (87)
Second Place, Denny Parra 70 (88)
Third Place, Don Weber 71 (94)
Third Flight
First Place, Dave Vanecek 70 (97)
Second Place, Rich Cobb 73 (99)
Third Place, Harvey Grasso 74 (101)
The tournament was followed by a dinner. Mark Campagna was named 1996 club champion; golfers who improved the most in 1996 were Bob Everett and Barbara Arnold.
If you are interested in joining the club, please contact Rich Cobb at X5581. For information about monthly tournaments, contact Jerry Young at X6649.
Classical Group Rehearsal, 5-7 p.m. in the cafeteria; for information contact Wesley Steele at X7893.
Officer's meeting at 12:10 p.m. in Bldg. 2-100.
EMPLOYEE MUSIC CLUB
Folk Group Rehearsal, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria; for information contact Larry Bell at X5406.
"What We Have and Can Learn from the Cosmic Microwave Background" will be presented by George Smoot of the Physics Division at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50A-5132; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., near Bldg. 79.
ALS USER'S ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the Advanced Light Source User's Association will be held in the Bldg. 50 auditorium beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in the ALS lobby. Concludes on Tuesday.
EMPLOYEE MUSIC CLUB
Classical Group Rehearsal, 5-7 p.m. in the cafeteria; for information contact Wesley Steele at X7893.
ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the Advanced Light Source User's Association will be held in the Bldg. 50 auditorium beginning at 8:30 a.m. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in the ALS lobby. Continued from Monday.
NERSC GRAND OPENING
11 a.m., to be broadcast to Bldg. 50 & 66 auditoriums. See article on page one for more information.
Open Enrollment
Information Fair
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the cafeteria, sponsored by the Benefits Office. All employees are invited to attend.
ENERGY AWARENESS FAIR
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. outside the Cafeteria.
Folk Group Rehearsal, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria; for information contact Larry Bell at X5406.
Have fun at the Runaround!
Physics Department Colloquium
"X-Ray Optics and Their Applications to the Physical and Life Sciences" will be presented by David Attwood of MSD/UCB at 4:30 p.m. in 1 Le Conte Hall; refreshments, 4 p.m., 375 Le Conte Hall.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Quantitative Determination of Adsorbate Orientation from Infrared Absorption" will be presented by Andrew Gellman of Carnegie-Mellon University at 1:30 p.m. in Bldg. 62-203.
Energy and Resources Group Colloquium
"Prospects for Renewable Energy in Deregulated Electricity Markets" will be presented by Nancy Rader of the American Wind Energy Association at 4 p.m. in 2 Le Conte Hall.
Center for Environmental Biotechnology Seminar
"Hemopoietic Stem Cells as in Vivo Biodosimeters of Induced Genomic Damage" will be presented by Maria Pallavicini of UCB at 11 a.m. in 338 Koshland Hall.
Building Energy Seminar
"The Impact of California's Electric Restructuring Legislation on the Implementation of the Commission's December 20, 1995 Policy Decision" will presented by James Boothe of the California Public Utilities Commission at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Olefin Polymerization Catalysis: What a Polymer Chemist can Contribute" will be presented by Yury V. Kissin of the Mobil Chemical Company at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Earth Sciences Division Seminar
"Coupling Flow and Reaction at the Grain Scale to the Kilometer Scale: From Overpressured Sedimentary Basins to Layered Intrusions" will be presented by Eric Sonnenthal of ESD at 11 a.m. in Bldg. 90-2063.
Physics Department Colloquium
"Femtosecond X-Ray Pulses: A New Tool for Dynamic Structural Determination" will be presented by Lab Director Charles Shank at 4:30 p.m. in 1 Le Conte Hall; refreshments, 4 p.m., 375 Le Conte Hall.
Special Center for Beam Physics Seminar
"Coherent Beam-Beam Phenomena" will be presented by Srinivas Krishnagopal of the Center for Advanced Technology, Indore, India, at 10:30 a.m. in the Bldg. 71 conference room.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"`The Flexible Surface: Case Studies of Adsorbate and Coadsorbate Geometries on a Close-Packed Transition Metal Surface" will be presented by Dietrich Menzel of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Building Energy Seminar
"Tubular and Conventional Skylights: An Evaluation of the Daylighting Systems at Two ACT2 Commercial Buildings" will be presented by Tor Allen of PG&E at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"`A New Look at the Surface Chemical Bond" will be presented by Anders Nilsson of the University of Uppsala, Sweden/LBNL at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Earth Sciences Division Seminar
"Hydromechanical Response of Deep Fractures During Injection Testing" will be presented by Jonny Rutqvist of KTH, Sweden, at 11 a.m. in Bldg. 90-2063.
Items for either calendar may be sent via e-mail to [email protected], faxed to X6641, or mailed to Bldg. 65B. The deadline for the October 25 issue is 5 p.m. Monday, October 21.
'82 ISUZU 4x4 pickup w/shell, low mi., $2400. X6096, 215-1446 (eve.)
'83 NISSAN Stanza, new transmission & brakes, 130K mi., all pwr, runs very well, gd cond., AM/FM cass., asking $1800. Nadia, X7794
'86 FORD Thunderbird, blk ext., gray int., 2-dr, 6-cyl., 84K mi., a/t, p/s, p/b, AM/FM (owner installed, cass. may be bad), well-maintained, exc. engine & body, asking $3500. Wayne, 237-5022
'87 BMW, red w/blk leather int., sunrf, new tires, exc. cond., a/t w/economy, sport direct elec.-hydraulic transmission selections, Dinan chip, always garaged, 100K mi., leaving country, $10K. Diana, (415) 964-2046 (eve. best)
'89 HONDA Civic, 70K mi., 5-spd, $4500/b.o. Jessica, 845-1369
MICROSCOPE, monocular and/or binocular, for young student. 526-2007
CLARINET, Bundy, asking $60/b.o. Kathleen, X6236
COLOR PRINTER, Panasonic Impact dot matrix, model KX-P2124, 24-pin, 7 colors, 12 fonts, friction or traction paper feed, quiet, $150/b.o.; table desk, Queen Anne style, cherry finish on oak, w/captain's chair, $200/b.o. Auben, X4796, 245-0343
COMPUTER MONITOR, VGA, color, 14", $80/b.o.; Panasonic matrix printer, $75/b.o.; compact radio/stereo, cass. & CD player, $70/b.o.; color TV, 14", $90/b.o. Marta, X4709
INFLATABLE BOAT, approx. 10.5' long, Achilles, used twice, $1800 new, sell for $1300. Steve, X7705, (707) 746-5339
LAPTOP, Mac, brand new, 530 CE-117 color monitor, 6 lb., battery, lots of goodies, sells for $4200, asking $3200. Shelley, X6123
PIANO, upright, early 20s, exc. cond., $1K; hollow body elec. guitar, Guild D100, exc. cond., '66, $650; acoustic guitar, Goya, early 60s, $300; Fender Deluxe ReVerb amp, $250; precision base, Seville, $150; Miracle Piano teaching system, keyboard, cables, manual & disk, $125. Nick, 938-7969
SAILBOAT, lg., Catalina 30, all major systems either new or recently replaced, new engine & electrical, recent rigging improvements, $28K. X5626
SKI BOOTS, Technica Grand Prix, red, gd cond., approx. sz. 5-1/2, quality boots for aggressive young skier, $35. Doug, X5698, 525-0689
SUPER NINTENDO Entertainment System w/2 game controls & 7 game cartridges (Super Mario All-Star, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong, Lion King, Aladdin, Star Trek-New Generation & Ninja Turtles), $100. Leo, X7320, 222-4739
TODDLER BED FRAME, white, Graco, $30; crib mattress, $30; Graco clip-on high chair w/tray, $15; Graco Seville stroller w/play bar & drink holder, $60. 656-3011
VCR, nearly brand new, contains all standard options, $75/b.o. Nathan, X5137, 704-8784
WATER FILTERS, NSA, sink installation. Marek, X5029, 582-5867
WINDOW SHADES (8 avail.), rattan, matchstick roll-down, gd cond., $5 ea.; futon, queen sz., gd cond., $50. 558-9212
NO. BERKELEY HILLS, furn. 1+bdrm home, bay view, deck, hot tub, washer/dryer, nr public trans., short term sublet, avail. 11/1-26, $1300 (negot.). John, X7279, 528-2723
CASTRO VALLEY, rm in 3-bdrm house, laundry & kitchen privs., $400/mo. + some util. Marek, X5029, 582-5867
EL CERRITO, furn. 2-bdrm house, linens, dishes, laundry fac., enclosed garden, nr BART, school & shopping, avail. 11/15, $1400/mo. incl. utils. X7961
KENSINGTON, glass house w/views, verdant setting, share w/professional woman & exuberant Labrador, pvt courtyd, entrance, bth & lg. bdrm, workshop space avail., off-st. parking, $500/mo.+1/2 utils. 528-3575
RICHMOND, El Cerrito border, 3-bdrm, 1-bth house, living rm, 2 yr. old carpet, new bth, newly painted int., lg. yd, 1-car garage, walking distance to E.C. BART & shopping, $980/mo. 482-8348 (eve.)
WANTED: 2-3 bdrm house/apt. for post-doc, wife & 2 kids, starting late Oct./Nov. 1, for 1-2 yr. Rob, X4213
WANTED: 2-bdrm house (or 3-bdrm if not too expensive) for postdoc & wife, needed now for 1 to 2 yr., prefer No. Berkeley/No. Berkeley Hills, expecting a child in Jan. Uli, X4125
WANTED: short-term accommodation for visiting researcher (f) from Germany, 11/15 - 12/15. X5205, 528-0810
WANTED: 2-bdrm apt/house for visiting Italian scientist & family (wife + 7 yr. old son), 2-4 wk. starting mid-October, sublet/house-sitting OK. Marco X6513, 644-3634
Please note also: