As the new millennium approaches, Berkeley Lab's scientific future will be contingent upon how successfully it develops and nurtures new scientific programs with connections--linkages within the Laboratory as well as with partner institutions and facilities throughout the world.
That was the theme that dominated discussions about the Laboratory's strategic scientific directions at the Division Directors' Annual Retreat, led by Laboratory Director Charles Shank on Aug. 16-18 in Bodega Bay.
Emerging from the discussions was a set of actions that will help form the basis for updating Berkeley Lab's strategic plan.
"Sometimes it's difficult to see the future beyond one year, given our preoccupation with urgent and immediate needs," Shank said. "But we have to know where we're going long-term if we want to continue our national leadership role in the research community. It is important to think about what we want to look like in 10 years, and what we have to do to get there."
Shank said that the meeting produced a valuable framework and specific tasks for the coming year that build on the Lab's strongest capabilities for the future. While further work is needed to complete the long range vision, the meeting defined the areas to be developed and the task forces needed to take the essential next steps.
Within the Lab's four core scientific areas, the following efforts will be pursued as part of a tactical plan over the next year:
Shank said these and other elements of the meeting discussions will be incorporated over the next few months into a new Laboratory Strategic Plan that will provide major directions for scientific program development and operational infrastructure for the next five years.
"We have to think about life after Vision 2000," he said, referring to the title of the 1993 Strategic Plan. "We have made great progress over the last five years; in fact, we achieved most of our goals identified in that plan. Now it's time to create new initiatives, exploit our special capabilities and take advantage of our opportunities. I encourage our scientific staff to comment to division directors and to me on the directions we are undertaking."
The universe is filled with mysterious events, none more awesome or enigmatic than gamma-ray bursts.
"For a few hundredths of a second, gamma-ray bursters produce the most extreme flash of any astronomical object," says Bruce Grossan of the Physics Division. "A gamma-ray burst is likely to occur somewhere in the sky perhaps once a day, but until recently detectors have been primitive; the best they could do was point to a few degrees of sky and tell you, `it was somewhere over there.'"
Accidentally discovered in 1967 by satellites looking for nuclear tests, gamma-ray bursts are so unpredictable, so evanescent, and so hard to pinpoint that nobody knows what causes them. Only on rare occasions have astronomers using the most powerful telescopes been able to associate gamma-ray bursts with optical emissions persisting a few days or more.
Quicker response time should make it possible to catch dozens of bursters in the act and match more of them with objects that shine in wavelengths visible to the human eye. Using the Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) located at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia and operated by the University of New South Wales, Grossan and his colleagues, including Saul Perlmutter, have devised a rapid-response system that, within a few seconds, can train the telescope on the region of sky where sentinel satellites have detected a burst.
"The APT is a modest-looking instrument, very squat," Grossan says, "but it combines a wide field of view with a wide CCD camera," which can presently cover a region of sky two by three degrees wide--roughly 30 times the area of the moon.
Three seconds after a burst, the APT receives a signal from one or more satellites and interrupts its regular observation program; within half a minute it fixes on the portion of sky where the trigger event occurred. Observations continue up to four days.
"The operation is 90 percent automatic," says Grossan. "In fact, the most interesting gamma-ray bursts the APT observed on my last trip to Australia took place while I was at dinner."
Those included two of the most unusual gamma-ray bursts astrono-mers have ever witnessed. An astonishingly bright burst last December was more than three-fourths as old as the universe itself--visible 12 billion light years away.
But the gamma-ray burster seen this year on April 25 in the southern constellation Telescopium was stranger by far, producing hundreds of thousands of times less peak gamma-ray energy. At only 140 million light years away, the event was much more recent. Shortly after it was detected a supernova bloomed at virtually the same spot.
No gamma-ray burster has ever been identified with a supernova before. No supernova has ever produced more radio energy. The odds against a coincidence have been conservatively estimated at one in 10,000.
One scenario calls for the highly asymmetric explosion of a star 35 times as massive as the sun, which emits a jet of matter moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light--the source of the gamma-ray burst--while the remainder collapses into a black hole.
"It's too soon to say what caused this event," Grossan says. "It could be completely new physics, something that comes along maybe once in the lifetime of a satellite like BeppoSAX," the Dutch-Italian satellite that detected the burst. "But our rapid-response system, working with NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, could find as many as two to five such events a year. Berkeley Lab is really poised to investigate this new kind of gamma-ray-bursting supernova and to find more optically-emitting gamma-ray bursters of all kinds than ever before."
Photos: A gamma-ray burster seen April 25 was followed by a super-nova in the same spot (above). A new rapid-response system using Australia's Automated Patrol Telescope (below) may find up to five such rare events a year. (telescope.jpeg & supernova.jpeg)
In a development that holds much promise for future studies of surfaces and interfaces in solid materials--including magnetic, environmental, and biological systems--researchers at Berkeley Lab have successfully tested a method that not only directly determines the identity of a specific atom in a sample, but also directly determines the identities of its neighbors. Called MARPE, for Multi-Atom Resonant Photo Emission, this new technique was developed at the Advanced Light Source.
"This is one of those rare occasions where you go after something and it turns out much better than you expected," says the leader of the MARPE research, Charles Fadley, a physicist affiliated with the Materials Sciences Division (MSD) and a professor of physics with UC Davis.
Fadley is one of the world's foremost practitioners of photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), a technique in which an element in a sample is identified through the energies of the electrons it emits when excited by a beam of photons. PES is one of several soft x-ray-based spectroscopy or diffraction methods, that are element-specific, meaning they can be used to determine the identity of a central atom in an atomic structure. None of these methods, however, can be used to directly determine the types of atoms that neighbor this central atom.
"MARPE is an effect in soft x-ray absorption that provides a direct probe of near-neighbor atoms," says Fadley. "It also gives scientists a new way of studying the chemical bonds between two or more different types of atoms."
Like PES and other x-ray-based spectroscopy techniques, MARPE works because all atoms have characteristic energies that bind electrons to their inner or core levels (as opposed to their outer or valence levels). These energies, the minimum needed to excite a core electron, serve as "fingerprints" that can be used to identify the atom. The MARPE effect occurs when the energy of an incoming photon beam matches a specific core-level excitation energy of a neighbor atom to the atom being directly excited by the photons. The photons "resonate" with the core level of this neighbor atom, sharply intensifying the observed photoelectron signal emitted from the central atom. This neighbor atom resonance reveals the presence and identity of the neighboring atom.
"It is like a chorus effect in which the neighboring atoms begin singing in tune and pass their collective excitement to the central atom," explains Fadley. "A preliminary theoretical analysis told us we would see this effect, but our theoretical predictions were about four times smaller than the experimental results."
The MARPE effect was first observed in solid compounds containing metal oxides, with the measurements being made at what may be the world's most extensive surface science experimental station ever to be linked to a synchrotron radiation beamline. Designed and assembled under the leadership of Fadley and ALS scientist Zahid Hussain, this station contains, among other features, a photoelectron spectrometer that can be rotated through a 60 degree angle so as to record signal intensities above a surface for a choice of photon polarizations and sample orientations. The station is located at ALS beamline 9.3.2, a bend-magnet that produces photons between 30 and 1500 electron volts in energy.
"This is an experiment that could only have been done with soft x-rays," says Fadley. The flux of the ALS beam, in combination with the unique capabilities of his experimental station, was also essential to the success of the project. "Without the rotational component of our spectrometer, we could not have recorded the two sets of data that confirmed the reality of the effect we observed."
The metal-oxide results, which were reported in the July 31 issue of Science, indicated that MARPE should be sensitive to chemical bond types and distances and to magnetic order. Since the Science paper, Fadley's group has demonstrated that the effects should also be observable through x-ray fluorescence and Auger decay, which means MARPE should be applicable to a broad range of samples. Though tested so far on single crystals, MARPE should also be observable in non-crystalline materials. New measurements at the ALS by researchers from the University of Nevada also show that similar effects occur in gas-phase molecules.
"MARPE should be applicable to any solid surface or interface containing elements that have a decent core level," Fadley says, "which means any element from beryllium on up the periodic table."
Collaborating with Fadley on this project, in addition to Hussain, were Alexander Kay and Simon Mun, both with UC Davis and MSD, Elke Arenholz of UC Berkeley's Miller Foundation, Francisco Garcia de Abajo, a visiting scientist from the University of San Sebastian in Spain, MSD's Michel Van Hove, and Reinhard Denecke, now with Lund University in Sweden.
Photo: MSD physicist Charles Fadley and ALS scientist Zahid Hussain are shown here at the unique sur-face science station they designed for ALS beamline 9.3.2. (XBD9707-03052)
Put yourself in the shoes of the security people waving you in at the gates each morning. To know who belongs and who doesn't they need to do a bit of detective work for each passing vehicle. Some of us have stickers plastered somewhere on our cars. Others have tags dangling from the rear-view mirror. Yet others shove a piece of cardboard somewhere on the dashboard. All this is about to change, however--and soon.
Starting on Thursday, Oct. 15, new parking permits will be issued to all Lab employees, with the exception of motorcycle and bike riders. Effective Nov. 1, all current permits (except for motorcycle decals) will be invalid, according to Sue Bowen of the Lab's Site Access Office. And along with the new permits, strict enforcement of parking regulations will be implemented as well.
The changes, Bowen says, are the result of recommendations made on July 7 by the Parking Advisory Committee, an ad hoc group of Lab employees representing various Lab organizations. The recommendations were approved by Lab management.
"We are working with the Facilities Department in an effort to reduce congestion and improve parking," said Bowen. The recommendations are part of a two-year phased approach, which also includes new incentives for carpooling and plans to improve shuttle service both on and offsite.
"This will allow Site Access to establish a new baseline for eligible parking permit holders and determine the impact on parking availability," Bowen adds. "Once this baseline has been established, we will use this tool to look at the possibility of extending parking permits to employees not currently eligible."
A more global assessment of parking needs and possible changes in permit eligibility will follow after the Site Access Office has had a chance to assess the impact of the first round of changes.
Employees will have an opportunity to participate in two meetings--to be held at noon on Sept. 29 (Bldg. 66 auditorium) and Oct. 2 (Bldg. 50 auditorium)--in which they will learn more about how to obtain the new permits and about the future direction of parking enforcement at Berkeley Lab.
Along with the new permits, a new, automated web-based system of applying for them is being inaugurated. Employees who do not have web access will have to contact their division administrator, business manager or other administrative support personnel, who will submit the form for them. (They may also visit the Badge Office on the lower level of Bldg. 65.) Computers will be set up for this purpose in the Lab cafeteria at noon the week of Oct. 12. But Site Access urges everyone with web access to apply using their own computer terminals.
The online parking application form--to be completed no later than Oct. 15--can be found on the Site Access website at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/site-access/parking/index.html. All fields on the form must be completed for each vehicle. To submit the application, click on the "save" button. Employees will be notified by the Site Access Office when the new permit is available for distribution through their division or at a designated location. More information will be provided in the next issue of Currents. A valid Lab ID, driver's license or old parking permit will be required for identification purposes.
Eligible parking permit holders include (among others) career employees, UC faculty with dual employment on campus and Berkeley Lab, disabled persons working onsite, certain guests and national facility users, Department of Energy personnel, retired Laboratory staff, and visitors.
A detailed description of the Lab's current eligibility rules and an explanation of the different parking categories can be found on the Laboratory's website at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/RPM/R1.04.html.
A Parking Policy Committee was also established to review exceptions to the parking policy. All individuals who have been granted an exception to the parking policy will need to resubmit their request in writing to Sue Bowen. The requests will be reviewed by the committee, says Kent Ryden, a member of the Parking Policy Committee, and will be based on "extreme hardship or compelling business reasons."
According to Bowen, a new parking violation point system will be implemented starting Nov. 1. An accumulation of points will result in disciplinary actions up to and including loss of parking privileges and/or booting and towing of vehicles parked on the Hill. The Site Security Manager will continue to monitor and record parking violation notices and point accumulations.
"We want to ensure that the parking policy is enforced equitably throughout the Lab's parking areas," said Don Bell, the Lab's security manager. "This program is similar to programs followed by the Lawrence Livermore Lab and SLAC at Stanford."
All employees will receive a copy of the point system policy when they are issued their new parking permit. Notices explaining the policy will also be placed on bulletin boards throughout the Laboratory.
In an effort to reduce traffic onsite, the Laboratory is introducing new parking incentives for groups of three or more employees participating in a carpool. A special permit will be issued that will allow carpoolers to park in spaces designated for them. By requesting a carpool permit, however, employees forfeit individual parking eligibility. Only one permit will be issued to the group.
Carpools for two or more employees will be allowed to park in a blue triangle spaces. Carpool members must live within the same geographic location and have the same working hours.
"When circumstances arise that require you to drive alone," Bowen added, "you must notify Burns Security to avoid notice of parking violation. Abuse of the rules will result in loss of carpooling permit."
A representative from the Alameda Guaranteed Ride Home Program will be available at the Lab cafeteria on Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The program, available to employees who do not have parking privileges or carpool, guarantees public transit users a ride home from work when unexpected circumstances arise. Participants must be permanent employees, live within 100 miles of the Lab, and must preregister.
Information on qualifying for the program and applications will be available in the cafeteria.
For more information about parking regulations look up the Site Access website at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/site-access/parking/ or send an e-mail to Site Access manager Sue Bowen ([email protected]).
Parking website note:
The parking permit application form, which is posted on line, is not a web form. It is linked to the HRIS (Peoplesoft database). The form takes a while to load and requires specific formatting. You will not receive a confirmation. Please read the instructions carefully and make sure not to click on "save" until all fields are complete, since saving is the same as submitting.
Photo: Prototype of the new general parking permit, to be issued starting Oct. 15. (XBD9809-02359)
Photo: Temporary parking permits will look similar to all others, but will have the expiration date punched. (permit.jpeg)
Now it's your turn to let us know what you think. Please turn to Page 3, fill out the questionnaire, and mail it back to us by Oct. 16. Thank you!
The report says a combination of factors, including the Strategic Alignment Initiative (SAI), are responsible for the shortage. SAI, which began in 1995 under former Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary, is a department-wide effort to reduce staff by 30 percent by FY2000.
The report, "A Critical Analysis of Research and Development Technical Manager Positions," said DOE's assistant secretaries should play a greater role in developing plans to address the shortfall. But Energy Research Director Martha Krebs said such an approach would be insufficient. "R&D management is an important issue that needs to be addressed at the secretarial level," she said.
LOB is a subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, created in 1995 by O'Leary to provide strategic direction to the labs. In this new report, the LOB says SAI-related reductions have affected the morale of many R&D managers in DOE. R&D managers are responsible for managing technical research, budget planning and program development.
"The [R&D] corps has been left depleted and extremely discouraged about the future," the report said. "Due to continued downsizing...those who have remained are overwhelmed with work and often exhausted."
The report found 41 percent of DOE's R&D managers will be eligible for retirement within the next five years. At the same time, the supply of qualified replacements "is virtually empty."
To illustrate this point, there are 88 R&D managers within ER, of whom 33 are eligible to retire by the end of the year. If many of the managers chose to retire, "the situation would become a crisis," according to the LOB report.
--Lynn Yarris
Photo: Kevin Greenaugh from the Department of Energy addressed an audience of minority graduate students in the Bldg. 50 auditorium during the second conference on "Minorities and Applied Mathematics: Connections to Industry and Laboratories." The event was held Sept. 17, 18 and 19 and was sponsored by Berkeley Lab, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and the Joint Alliance for Minorities in Mathematics. The goal of the conference was to link computer scientists at the Lab and UC Berkeley with minority graduate students in an effort to help the students explore career options and opportunities. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9809-02367)
The Department of Energy and other agencies involved in the federal effort to sequence and map the human genome say the project will be completed by 2003, two years ahead of schedule.
Ari Patrinos, associate director of DOE's Office of Biological and Environmental Research, says the department will meet the goals of the Human Genome Project (HGP) without having to change its long-term funding requests. DOE is seeking $85.3 million in Fiscal Year 1999 for HGP, as compared to $84.9 million in FY98.
The project, which began in 1990, is a 15-year, $3-billion collaboration among several federal agencies, including DOE and the National Institutes of Health, to decipher the human genetic code. This entails sequencing the three billion pairs of human DNA and mapping the location of genes. Scientists would use this data from the mapping to better understand the nature of diseases and develop new therapies.
Critics say the HGP is moving too slowly, but Patrinos says the scientific and technological advances made in the last 18 months mean DOE will meet its part of the project within its funding targets and ahead of schedule. According to Patrinos, the department has mapped about four percent of the genome, a 15-fold increase from last year, and will have a working draft of the genome by 2001.
"This draft will consist of 90 percent of the genome," Patrinos said. "The remaining portion would be completed by 2003."
Several private companies concerned about HGP's timetable have started their own mapping efforts. Patrinos says DOE is well aware of the private sector's decoding efforts, but these efforts are not the determining factor in accelerating the timetable.
"We're are not in a reactive mode to what is occurring around us," he said. "Science proceeds at its best when competition, as long as it's not destructive, is present."
--Lynn Yarris
Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., former long-time editor of Science magazine and now a professor emeritus of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley, who also holds an appointment with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, has won this year's Albert Lasker Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science.
The prestigious Lasker Awards are called "America's Nobels," and many of its recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. This award is presented in honor of Koshland's lifelong contributions to the field of medical science.
"It's a good award and I am very pleased. It's nice to know that people think what you did was important," Koshland said.
Koshland, 78, continues to teach and conduct research at the university where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1941. He also serves on the council for the National Academy of Sciences.
In the 1980s Koshland headed up a decade long campaign to modernize UC Berkeley's biological sciences. This included combining the campus' 12 small biology departments into three large ones, raising funds for two new biology buildings (including Koshland Hall, named for him in 1992), and completely renovating a third.
From 1985 to 1995 he served as editor of Science magazine, the country's largest circulation scientific journal. During his editorship he made several major changes--such as the appointment of scientists with Ph.Ds, rather than writers, to the editorial board. This meant that published articles were chosen for their scientific excitement rather than verbal perfection.
When he started as editor Koshland often relied on his friends for article submissions; by the time he left the magazine, nine articles were rejected for each one printed.
In 1995, Koshland left Science to return to his UC Berkeley laboratory. In his 33 years as a UC Berkeley researcher and professor, Koshland has produced major advances in the understanding of enzymes and protein chemistry. Best known is his "induced fit theory," which postulates that enzymes change shape (like a glove when a hand is shoved into it) as they react with other molecules.
For this and other research, he received the National Medal of Science in 1990.
Currently, Koshland is studying the chemical reactions involved in Alzheimer's disease by analyzing changes in brain cells. He is also trying to make better catalysts by modifying enzymes.
Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey to help us evaluate Currents' effectiveness. Your responses will allow us to make changes that will better serve your needs and interests. Please cut out the survey and mail it by Friday, Oct. 16, to the address listed below. Thank you.
1. How often do you read Currents?
2. Which part(s) of Currents do you tend to read first?
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5. What types of stories/features would you like to see more of in Currents?
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6. What types of stories/features would you like to see less of?
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7. Are the stories in Currents:
8. Would you like to read:
9. Design and layout: How would you rate the overall look of Currents?
10. How do you receive Currents?
11 Do you ever read or refer to Currents Online?
12. Which of the following best describes your position at Berkeley Lab?
13. Other comments/suggestions:
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Please cut out the survey and mail it by Friday, Oct. 16, to:
Monica Friedlander
Readership Survey
Currents
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(If mailing through U.S. Mail, send to: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Currents Readership Survey, MS 65B, 1 Cyclotron Rd., Berkeley, CA 94720)
Calendar Migration
A series of brown-bag seminars and training classes have been scheduled to familiarize employees with the new Netscape Calendar application, which debuts Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The new electronic scheduling system will replace Meeting Maker, which will be shut down on Nov. 16. The new system is part of the Mercury Project, an overall upgrade of messaging and calendaring applications used by Lab employees. The Computer Infrastructure Technology Group in the Information and Computing Sciences Division is leading the project.
Netscape Calendar will be rolled out to the Lab on Oct. 14 for all users who currently have Meeting Maker accounts to move their Meeting Maker schedules to the new system. All Meeting Maker entries scheduled to occur after Nov. 15 will have to be rescheduled in Calendar as new entries.
Everyone with a Meeting Maker account will automatically receive a Nescape Calendar account. Anyone who wishes to have a Calendar account and is not currently on Meeting Maker can request one after Oct. 14 at http://www.lbl.gov/mercury/calacctform.htm.
General information regarding the Calendaring portion of the Mercury Project can be found on the web at http://www.lbl.gov/mercury/ calendar.htm.
An overview of the new system will be offered at each of six noontime brown-bag seminars to be held in the Bldg. 50 auditorium starting Wednesday, Oct. 7, and continuing each Thursday through Nov. 12.
A free 10-page reference guide is also available for either PC or Macintosh users. Copies will be distributed at brown-bag seminars, at the cafeteria, and to anyone requesting a copy. (Call X5834 or use the web form at http://www.lbl.gov/mercury/reqquickref.htm.)
More extensive training will also be given in four-hour classes presented by AIM at the Laboratory. Users of PCs can see the current class schedule or sign up for AIM classes via the Employee Development and Training web page at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/EDT/computers/PC_Classes.html.
Several Macintosh-based Calendaring classes are also planned, with the dates being currently finalized. That schedule will be available on Netscape Calendaring web page.
For more information employees may also call the IMAP4/Calendaring Hotline at 486-5834 or the help desk at 486-HELP (486-4357).
--Jon Bashor
By Eli Kintisch
"Whenever I think of oatmeal cookies, I think of metamorphic rocks," says Debra Jockisch, a sixth grade science teacher at Orinda Intermediate School, as she pours a cup of flour into a bowl. The kids react with ooh's and ahhs.
"So if this was a yellow rock and we mix it in, what happens?" she asks. Campers manning the bowl pour in the butter and sugar mixture.
Nate Levin, a budding geologist at the age of nine, offers an explanation. "See under the earth, the rocks get heated up, get soft and gooey," he says. "When they harden the shape is permanent."
And so goes another lesson at the annual Science Exploration Camp. Founded four summers ago, the camp's purpose is to provide an educational summer camp alternative for children of Laboratory employees. Thirty children in second-through-sixth grade took part during each of the six weeks.
This summer's sessions were held from July 27 through Sept. 4 at Berkeley Lab and the Lawrence Hall of Science. In the afternoons, the campers enjoyed swimming at Strawberry Canyon, hiking in Tilden Park, and excursions to the UC Botanical Gardens and Volcanic Park in Sibley. The most popular activity was building forts at Berkeley Marina's Adventure Playground.
Whether building circuits with batteries or streaking agar plates to learn about bacteria, the children at SEC are learning by doing. The underlying philosophy of the camp is to use hands-on demonstrations and outdoor camp activities to turn kids on to science.
The week's theme for Jockisch's cookie & geology session was "The Earth Rocks," and judging from the giggles and steady eyes, the youngsters would never admit they were learning. Heavens no! It's the activities that kept them coming--as creative and tasty as baking oatmeal/metamorphic rocks.
"We have a lot of fun together," says Jockisch. "You're much freer with the kids over the summer since there are no tests."
Instead of a strict curriculum, the summer brims with a potpourri of activities. Jockisch follows a loose program that keeps the kids engaged in each session's scientific theme. Weekly themes this summer included topics such as chemistry, energy, light and matter, microbes, and water world.
Moreover, the camp is a summer treat for parents, too. "For me it's great," said Environmental Health and Safety's Carla Garbis, mother of MacKenzie Turner. "It's an opportunity to have her with you at lunch time. Normally you don't get a chance to do that. Also, it's a chance for them to see what mommies and daddies do at work."
While the camp is primarily intended for Lab families, about one third of the children are from the community. Lab parents have priority in registering their children, with UC parents and members of the public able to sign up their children later on a space-available basis.
The cost for this year's camp was $160 to $175 (depending on registration time) and included field trips and activities. Camp organizers urge parents at the Lab to get involved as volunteers for next year's program.
The camp was founded by Lab employees Dianna Attia, Margaret Carroll, Tammy Campbell, Glen Dahlbacka, Jil Geller, Janet Jacobsen, and Jim Lutz. For more information or to volunteer send e-mail to sciencecamp@ lbl.gov. n
Photo: Eli Kintisch is a Yale University student who worked as an intern for PID this summer. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9808-02025-01)
To help kick off EH&S Safety Awareness Month, the division conducted a safety slogan contest soliciting creative slogans to be used for Lab safety posters. The effort is the result of a collaboration between TEID and the EH&S Training Support staff. Eleven winning slogans were chose from nearly 100 entries. Prizes included restaurant gift certificates, parking permits, Lab shirts, and an oil and lube from Honda of El Cerrito.
Below are the winning slogans and their authors. The first two slogans, selected as top choices, will appear alternately on every poster. The other nine slogans will be featured on individual posters accompanied by related photos of staff safety scenes.
Slogans were received from 14 other Lab employees. EH&S would like to congratulate everyone for their participation and enthusiasm.
Photo: Left to right are slogan contest winners Ed Vine, Alex Perry, Mark Turner, Arthur Suits, Don Prestella, and Jeffrey Chung. Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt (XBD9809-02357.tif)
The deadline for submitting a request for recalculation of your maximum annual contribution limit for 1998 is 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. Information on existing maximum limits, data used to calculate the limit, forms, and instructions can be obtained by calling bencom.fone, the University's interactive telephone system, at 1-800-888-8267. In addition to information about your 403(b) accounts, you may request a fax of relevant data or an appeal kit to be mailed to your home. Questions about the recalculation process should be directed to the Benefits Office at X6403.
Additional information concerning the tax-deferred 403(b) plan, investment performance history, and fund options are available on the web at http://www.ucop.edu/bencom. Also on that website is a recent item concerning the UC Treasurer's perspective on the recent stock market activity.
A team from Berkeley Lab will join the fight against breast cancer on Sunday, Nov. 1, by walking in the Bay Area's first annual "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" pledge walk in Golden Gate Park to benefit the American Cancer Society.
The Laboratory has set a goal of recruiting 50 people to gather sponsors and participate in the walk. Plans are underway to order Lab team T-shirts, provided 24 people commit to being part of the team before Friday, Oct. 2 (ordering deadline).
To join the team, gather sponsor signatures, or for other information, contact Terry Powell today at X4387, [email protected].
Eurest is now providing daily food service--including fresh Upper Crust sandwiches, salads, sodas and chips--in the lobby of Bldg. 62 between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The full text as well as photographs of each edition of Currents is also published on the World Wide Web. You can find a link to Currents on the Lab's home page (http:// www.lbl.gov) under the heading "Publications." The site allows users to do searches of past articles. To set up your computer to access the web, call the Mac and PC Support Group at X6858.
Congratulations to the 11 teams who participated in the 1998 LBNL summer softball season. We hope to see you all back again next year!
Final standings:
Congratulations to the 11 teams who participated in the 1998 LBNL summer softball season. We hope to see you all back again next year!
Photo: Enviromets (XBD9808-02236)
To mark the one year anniversary of its founding, the LBNL-Postdoctoral Society will host a celebration party on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium. The event will feature a keynote address by Marian Diamond of UC Berkeley on "The Importance of Experience on the Brain." A refreshment buffet will follow. All postdocs, students, faculty and staff are invited to attend. For more information call Karen Schmeichel at X4368.
Berkeley Lab's annual Runaround will take place on Friday, Oct. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. All interested Laboratory employees are encouraged to walk, run, bike or otherwise tackle the 3 km course. Preregistration is not necessary. Refreshments and entertainment will be waiting at the finish line.
As in past years, the Runaround will begin at the Firehouse and end at the cafeteria parking lot. A downloadable map of the Runaround course (pdf format) can be found on the web at http://cfi.lbl.gov/ ~derenzo/runaround/. Shuttle bus service on the Hill will be interrupted for the duration of the event, and organizers are asking everyone to avoid driving during that time as well.
A non-competitive bike-around will begin at the Firehouse at 11:30 a.m. All Runaround participants are asked to be on alert for construction and heavy equipment, which may necessitate the course to narrow to a single lane.
Please note that the cafeteria parking lot will be closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information contact Steve Derenzo (SEDerenzo@lbl. gov) or look up the Runaround website at tp://cfi.lbl.gov/ ~derenzo/runaround/.
Berkeley Lab, in conjunction with Aim Computer Training, Inc., regularly provides the following on-site, PC-based computer classes to Lab employees :
Class information, including schedules and online registration, is available on the Employee Development and Training website at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/EDT/computers/PC_Classes.html.
For more information contact the computer help desk at 486-HELP or call AIM Computer Training at (925) 988-0128.
Oct. 4 is the opening day for the new reptile exhibit running though Jan. 18 at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science. Featured will be life-size robotic reptiles as well as live specimens. For more information call LHS at 642-5132 or check its website at www.lhs.berkeley.edu.
Nonimmigrant J1 exchange visitors whose current document expires before Oct. 30 must prepare an extension application if they have remaining entitlements for benefit in their 36-months J1 status. The application form may be downloaded off the web (http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/HumanResources/irss) and completed, printed and faxed with extension PAF or PGIF to IRSO at X6477. Questions may be addressed by e-mail to intl.researchers.scholars@ lbl.gov.
General Interest
African American Employees Association
General meetng, noon, Bldg.
90-1099
Postdoctoral Society Annual Celebration
4 - 6 p.m., Bldg. 66
auditorium
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Direct, Coherent and
Incoherent Intermediate State Tunneling and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy" will
be presented by J. Halbritter of Karlsruhe Research Center, Germany.
1:30
p.m., Bldg. 66 Auditorium
OCTOBER 8, Thursday
Environmental Energy Technologies Division
"WHAM: A Simplified Energy
Consumption Equation for Water Heaters" will be presented by Jim Lutz of
EETD.
Noon, Bldg. 90-3148
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 Oct. 9 issue is 5 p.m Monday, Oct. 5.
'79 TOYOTA Celica, 156K mi, 5 spd, ac, sun roof, exc tires, new clutch, recent tune-up, well maintained, all records, very reliable, registered `til 10/98, $1,000, Raul, X5707
`81 DODGE Omni Hatchback, 135 cu in eng, auto transmission, new tires, am radio, 39K mi, one owner, maintenance records avail, $1,400, Chissie or Bill, 841-2105
'85 HONDA Civic, 5 spd, 4 dr, ac, cd player, 124K mi, good cond, $2,000, Vern, X7504, 528-2951.
'86 TOYOTA Tercel Deluxe, 4 dr hatchback auto, 86K mi, navy blue, am/fm, new timing belt, spark plugs, ignition rotor, fuel & air filters, tires, inner & outer bearings, well maintained, clean, ac needs recharging, $2,900/b.o., Ashok X4651, 237-8806
`87 JEEP Cherokee, 4L, 5 spd, new tires, new battery, clean in and out, $4,600/b.o., X5731, Roy.
`88 VOLVO 760 Turbo wagon, all leather, all pwr, sunroof, 3rd seat, 2 new tires, great stereo, 161K mi, $6,000/b.o., Mari, X5932, (925) 299-0226
`89 TOYOTA Celica ST white, 2nd owner, 84.5K mi auto, a/c, pwr steering, alarm + remote control, exc cond, truly a beauty, looks like new, $4,800/b.o., Roi, 525-7021
`90 PLYMOUTH Voyager LE minivan, 3L V6 engine, 99K mi, at, ac, am/fm/cass, pwr steering, cruise control, pwr windows, new front tires, brake system: pads, calipers, rotors, main cylinder, new, exc cond, $3,900/b.o., Olaf, X6676, 558-5536
'91 GEO Metro LSi Convertible 2D, blue, 78K mi, 5 spd, am/fm cassette, $3,400, Patty, 548-0668
`92 FORD Taurus, at, ps, loaded, $4,500, Raz, X7006, 848-8362
`93 FORD Aerostar Van XL, 87K mi, good cond, V6 3.0l auto transmission, 7 passengers, pwr steering, pwr windows, pwr dr lock, tilt wheel, cruise control, am/fm, ac, abs, $9400, Thiebaut, X7030, 215-1678, after 7pm
`95 FORD Explorer, Eddie Bauer, Green, tint, CD player, leather, 83K mi, control-trac, 4x4, auto, runs great, exc cond inside & out, $15,700/b.o., Chami X2080, (925) 827-9453.
CANNON Unitroll HP Downriggers (2), 12 gal, internal gas tank, drift chute, swivel seats, one w/ adjustable pneumatic pedestal, Steve, X7705, (707) 746-5339
EL CERRITO, lg house, 3+ bdrm, 2 bth, new/modern, all electric kitchen, dinning room, lg den, family rm, living rm, frpl, carpet, 2 car garage, nice yard, partial view of the bay, $1,850/mo, first & last + security deposit, I pay for gardener, avail 10/1/98, Hashem, X4287, 299-0560
OAKLAND, 2 bdrm, 1 bth, formal dining rm, breakfast nook, laundry rm, lg yd, avail now, $875/mo, Barbara, X7840, 939-7754
ROCKRIDGE duplex, 1 bdrm, lg dining rm, lg living rm, fireplace, modern kitchen, all util, cable pd by owner, avail 10/15, $1,500, Sylvain, X7030
AEROBIC exercise bike, $25; ping pong table w/ accessories, $75; 2 recliners, $25 ea, good working cond, Olga, X5008
BICYCLES: women's 27", 12 spd, blk Spalding Blade road bike; women's, 26", 10 spd, blue Free Spirit Dynasty road bike, frt & rear reflectors, owner's manual, both used very little, both exc cond, $75 ea; Bell Windjammer bicycle helmets, 1 lg &1 med, exc cond, $15 ea, Ron, X4410, 276-8079
CARPETS, blue deep pile, nearly new, 8'x10' & 2'x6 1/2', $100; air cond, window mounted, $75, Edward, 525-0531
COLOR TV, 19" Sharp, b.o., Mark, X6581
COFFEE TABLE, med sized, Bean bag, reasonable prices, Annie, 841-8171
GARAGE SALE, 9 pc boys bdrm furn, exc cond, $350; childs study desk, $60; Sunbeam elec mower, $40; ping pong table & equip, $50; 10 spd bike, $50; deck furn, $25, Ken, (925) 376-4075
"HOW TO WATCH A FOOTBALL GAME: A Guide for Novice Spectators," helpful pamphlet by Lab employee, Robert 848-7543, ans machine gives ordering instructions
LOOM, Gilmore, 4 harness 26", w/ accessories, used a few times $375; hideabed, very good cond, $50; "Water Wise" water distiller, energy efficient, makes a gal in 6 hrs, $65; 2 sturdy folding tables, 6'x30", $15 ea or 2/$25; 8 stack chairs, $6 ea or 8/$40; kitchen wooden cart w/ cutting board top, $20, Bev, 236-2751
LOVE SEAT, $25; twin bed, hardwood headboard & frame, $20; classic 50's O'Keefe & Merritt chrome-top gas stove, 4 burners + griddle, oven & broiler, $350; 4 burner gas stove, 30", white, $125; 4 burner gas stove, enamel top, $40, Viki, 549-1876
MAC II Si, 5MB RAM, 80 MB disk, radius pivot LE color screen, software: eudora; freehand; word, $60/b.o., Roi, 525-7021
OPERA tickets, S.F, 10/2 Streetcar Named Desire; 10/23 Manon; 10/30 Tristan und Isolde; 12/11, Peter Grimes, balc circle, $150/pr, Diana, X6444
RUG, 8 1/2x11 beige wool, $200; side chair, French provincial style, arms, wicker back & seat, exc cond, $50; dining area table & 6 chairs walnut finish, blk vinyl on chairs, good cond, b.o., Pat, X4128
SOFA, light green/pink/white contemporary pattern and style, looks great, comfortable, $200/b.o.; lazyboy chair, brown, vinyl, $40/b.o., Erwin, 652-0372
SPEAKERS, Acousta Research AR-3a, refurbished orig, $200, Martha, X4303
STEREO cabinet, light colored wood, 2'Wx4'H, 3 adj shelves, $40, Berkeley location, Steve, X6941
VACUUM cleaner, $35; toaster, $7; halogen lamp, $10; computer desk, $35; bread machine, $40; blender, $25, Raz, X7006, 848-8362
YARD SALE, incl electronic equip, Sat. 10/3, 10 am-3 pm, 2131 Rose St, betw Oxford & Walnut, Berkeley, Viki, 549-1876
APT/HOUSE, 1 bdrm for UCB Mechanical Engineering grad student finishing thesis, from 9/24 to 12/20, non-smoker, Berkeley / N. Berkeley preferred, Scott, 486-1767
BABY CLOTHES, diaper wraps, baby swing, for baby due in Nov, toys, puzzles, books and other educational material for toddler to preschool age, Judy, X7072, 799-0818
HOUSING, research fellow seeking unfurn, 1 bdrm apt in area nr LBNL from 10/1/98- 7/1/99, (781) 729-3099, [email protected],
HOUSE/CONDO, fully furn, 2+ bdrm, nr LBNL, for visiting Canadian scientist and wife, 1/1/99 to 4/30/99, Max, X4022
HOUSE/CONDO, furn, 2+ bdrm in nice area, nr LBNL for visiting scientist & wife, 11/1/98 - 4/30/99, Bill, X5910
HOUSING, 3 bdrm home in Albany, reasonable rent, Susan, X5690
ROLLTOP WOOD DESK or similar, Bruce, X7089
SINGERS needed to perform Bernstein's Chichester Psalms & other works w/ Bella Musica chorus, informal auditions required, rehearsals start, 9/22, Miguel, X6443, 525-5393
FLEA MARKET items may be e-mailed to fleamarket@ lbl.gov, faxed to X6641, or mailed to Bldg. 65B. The deadline for the Oct. 9 issue is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2.
Please note also: