ALS Contributes to First
Total Molecule Measure

Physicists have made a "complete" measurement of the break-up of a molecule for the first time. Reinhard Dörner of the University of Frankfurt and co-workers in Germany, the U.S., Australia and Spain recorded the two electrons and two nuclei that were released when a single photon split a molecule of deuterium into its basic components. The technique could help shed new light on the fundamental properties of molecules. The experiment started by ionizing a jet of deuterium molecules with polarized photons from the Advanced Light Source at Berkeley Lab. Full story.

Johnston Has Definitive Word on Grids

Johnston

Over the past 10 years, the idea of advancing science by developing networked "Grids" of widely dispersed computing resources has been endorsed and implemented by the DOE, NASA and NSF, among others. Europeans are aggressively deploying Grids, too. However, due to their complexity and the rush by industry to get a piece of the action, "Grid" has taken on many different meanings. Tony Hey, director of the United Kingdom's e-Science Initiative, turned to Berkeley Lab's Bill Johnston for the definitive definition, which he included in this open letter to the computing community.

Ames

Meet George Ames, the lead planner/ coordinator for the Facilities Division's Electric Shop. Now in his 25th year at the Lab, Ames is primarily responsible for scheduling power outages around the Lab, which are necessary in order to repair and maintain the Lab's power supply. "We have around 2,000 electrical panels and 38 substations here," he explains. "It takes about four years to inspect every one, then we start all over again." Having spent a quarter century here, he gets a charge out of how much the Lab has changed over the years. "We had 110 transformers when I first started, now we have 550." When he's not scheduling outages, you can find Ames out on the golf course or fishing.

Careless Smoking
Starts Fire Near Trailers

Smoking in a non-designated area and improper disposal of cigarette butts were the apparent causes of a recent fire near unoccupied trailers 29 B and C. The decked area between the trailers smoldered and caught fire starting around 8 p.m. on Sept. 5.  The picnic tables were completely burned and fire spread to the adjoining trailer walls by the time Lab firefighters arrived to extinguish the fire. No one was injured. Employees are reminded, especially during this season of extreme fire danger in the hills, to exercise care in the use and disposal of cigarettes. Discard ashes and butts in ash urns only.