NERSC Image Featured
On Physics World Cover

An October feature story in Physics World magazine, entitled "Hunting Cosmic Explosions," discusses the subject of gamma-ray bursts, the most violent and energetic explosions in the universe. Astronomers now think that these awesome explosions occur when stars die. The story of their discovery and study over the last few decades has been compiled by three scientists, including Stan Woosley of the University of California in Santa Cruz. Woosley, a user of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at Berkeley Lab, created simulations with the NERSC supercomputer, one of which is the cover photo for the feature. Go here to read the story.

New 'Green' Battery
Wins Over Investors
By Michael Hopkin

McLarnon

In the "green" energy business, the landscape is littered with defunct companies whose technology worked in the lab but failed in the marketplace. PowerGenix, an upstart San Diego company, is trying to reverse this trend. The company has developed a rechargeable nickel-zinc battery that it says delivers more power than competing batteries and is easier on the environment. While nickel-zinc battery technology has been around for more than 100 years, it's been a tricky chemical puzzle to make it work for rechargeable batteries, said Frank McLarnon, with Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Full story.

Last year, three employees at the Lab incurred injuries involving the use of razor blades. Single-edged razor blades are used for a variety of jobs, such as removing tape from a beaker, stripping tape off electronic equipment, trimming cable and rubber stoppers, cutting rolls of electrical tape into narrower sizes, and opening boxes. One of the injuries required surgical repair, while the other two required medical treatment. Most razor blade injuries are preventable. In most cases, a safer tool should be used. Go here to learn more about proper razor blade use.

Becker

Some of the nation's top researchers were lauded for their efforts in helping the Defense Department meet environmental challenges that impact military readiness. The awards were handed out during the opening session of a three-day symposium sponsored by the Strategic Environment Research Development Program and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. Among those receiving awards was Berkeley Lab earth scientist Alex Becker, for developing a multi-sensor system for the detection and characterization of unexploded ordnance. Lab colleague Frank Morrison accepted the award on behalf of Becker. Full story.

Newman, left, and Crommer

Lab Postdoc Snags
German Prize

Berkeley Lab postdoctoral scientist Michael Commer, who works in the Earth Sciences Division, has been awarded the 2004 Klaus-Liebrecht-Preis, awarded by the University of Cologne, Germany. The award is given to students for outstanding contributions during their dissertation work at the University. Commer completed parts of his doctoral thesis on 3D large scale data inversion with the help of Lab scientist Gregory Newman. Both have also received a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship, which provides financial support to young German academics to pursue their research outside of Germany.

Class Covers Overseas Business Travel Process

A new travel tutorial on understanding how foreign travel is conducted at the Lab will be offered on Monday at 2 p.m. in Perseverance Hall. The session will cover several topics, including foreign travel definitions, request forms, funding sources, Fly America Act, and conference attendance. Go here to enroll (TRV0102).