Hermann Grunder, laboratory director, awarded (left to right) Terry Allocco, Harold Dolgner and Judy Frantini (all PFS) with the Argonne Quality and Safety Recognition (QASR) Awards for recognizing the heart attack symptoms of a coworker. Photo by George Joch.

Feb. 28, 2005 -- Some of this week's stories:

Uretsky's prediction tested — after 43 years

By Dave Jacqué

In 1961, an assistant professor and a colleague at Purdue University published a paper predicting the existence of an exotic form of matter called pionium. Their paper also suggested that measuring the lifetime of a pionium atom could provide information about the behavior of pions that could not be obtained through scattering experiments.

"Several people told us it would be an impossible experiment," recalls Jack Uretsky (HEP), who wrote the 1961 paper with Professor T. R. ("Pete") Palfrey (now professor emeritus at Purdue).

More than four decades after their prediction, the "impossible" experiments are a major effort at Europe's CERN laboratory.

Pions are the lightest mesons (intermediate-mass particles comprising a quark and an antiquark). They are among the carriers of the strong nuclear force, which binds protons and neutrons together in the atomic nucleus. Under the right conditions, Uretsky and Palfrey proposed, positively and negatively charged pions could combine to form pionium atoms.

In 1985 L. L. Nemenov, a physicist working in the Soviet Union, published what Uretsky calls "a diabolically clever" scheme for measuring the pionium lifetime. This scheme became the basis for an experiment, "the Dirac experiment" now in progress at CERN's Dimeson Relativistic Atom Complex (DIRAC).

The 89 physicists from nine European countries and Japan participating in DIRAC expect to measure low-energy pion-pion scattering with an accuracy of five percent. In the meantime, however, some physicists have claimed that they can use the theory of quarks and gluons to predict the results with an accuracy of just one percent. Accepting this challenge, the physicists collaborating on DIRAC have proposed additional, more accurate, experiments at CERN, Darmstadt in Germany and J-Parc in Japan. A recent paper in the European Journal of Physics reports on the present status of DIRAC and the proposed additional experiments.

Don't look for pionium-coated wood screws at the local hardware store. The atom has a lifetime of about three femtoseconds — the time it takes for a light beam to travel the length of an average-sized bacterium.

Pionium can be thought of as an exotic form of hydrogen, Uretsky said. They both have a positively charged and negatively charged components (the proton and electron in the case of hydrogen; pionium has oppositely-charged pions), held together by electromagnetic forces.

"What amazes me is the time lapse," Uretsky said. "When I saw the DIRAC paper, I took it to some of my colleagues and told them, `Don't give up! Sometimes it takes 43 years!"

Three honored for fast response to heart attack

By David A. Barry

Terry Allocco, Harold Dolgner and Judy Frantini (all PFS) received Argonne Quality and Safety Recognition (QASR) Awards for recognizing the heart attack symptoms of coworker Paul Agos and calling for help.

Shortly after 6 a.m. on Dec. 20 last year, Dolgner arrived at work and saw Agos getting out of his car. "He was walking very unsteadily," Dolgner said. When Agos went inside and sat down, Dolgner noticed that his face was gray, he seemed "out of it," and "sweat was pouring off his face like it was raining." Agos wanted to drive himself home, but Dolgner wouldn't let him leave. "I don't think Paul would have made it out the gate," he said.

Frantini arrived and questioned Agos, who was leaning over the table and clutching his arm. When he mentioned having awakened several times during the previous night with feelings of indigestion, Frantini knew he was having a heart attack. Frantini convinced Agos that he needed emergency medical attention, and she and Allocco stayed in the room while Dolgner went to dial 911.

An ambulance delivered Agos to the hospital, and doctors determined that he was having a heart attack brought on by five blockages of his coronary arteries. After several cardiac procedures and a stint in intensive care, Agos was able to return home.

"He's doing well now," Frantini said. "The doctor said Paul would have been dead by noon if we hadn't called. You just hope somebody's around when this kind of thing happens."

For recognizing a medical emergency and taking prompt, decisive action that may have saved the life of a coworker, Allocco, Dolgner, and Frantini were each presented with a certificate of appreciation at the Feb. 8 Management Council meeting. Each also received two free lunch tickets, and their names will be inscribed on the QASR Award winners' plaque.

The QASR Award recognizes employees' contribution to safety and quality at the laboratory. To nominate an employee, contact EQO Director Audra Karalius at akaralius@anl.gov.

Heart attack signs may be subtle

Although some heart attacks are sudden and intense, most start slowly with mild pain or discomfort, according to the American Heart Association. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can signal a heart attack:

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.   

Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, including one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   

Shortness of breath may occur with or without chest discomfort.  

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Someone with chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, should not wait more than five minutes before calling 9-1-1.

Hwang wins award for resonance theory

By David A. Barry

Even though Richard Hwang officially retired in 2003, the chalkboard in his office is still cluttered with equations, and piles of old dot matrix printouts stand on top of filing cabinets next to pictures of his grandchildren. Hwang is tying up the loose ends of a successful 40-year career in nuclear reactor physics, a career that was honored by his selection as the 2004 Eugene P. Wigner Award winner. The award is the American Nuclear Society's highest honor for a reactor physicist.

"I couldn't expect a better retirement gift," he said of the award. "It's what everyone who works in this field strives for."

The Wigner award, given by the American Nuclear Society for "outstanding achievements in the field of nuclear reactor physics," recognizes Hwang's work on neutron resonance theory, a body of theory that helps nuclear engineers build computer models to predict the complicated behavior of neutron-induced reactions inside a nuclear reactor.

Neutrons are the particles that sustain nuclear reactions within a reactor core. When an atom splits, it releases one or more fast-moving neutrons which subsequently collide with other atoms and cause them to split, producing still more neutrons. In a reactor, this chain reaction is moderated so that the rate of neutron absorption balances out the rate of neutron production.

Using accelerators, physicists have collected neutron cross-section data that describe the likelihood that a neutron passing close by a target nucleus will collide or react with that nucleus. However, scaling this information to the macroscopic world of nuclear reactors involves greater complexity in the calculations, Hwang said. "You have to consider macroscopic factors like the elemental composition of the core, the reactor lattice configuration and temperature."

Hwang developed mathematical treatments that convert fundamental neutron data — the "microscopic information" from cross section measurements — into a processed form that nuclear engineers can use in their reactor-scale computer models. Ultimately those models are used to evaluate reactor safety and design new, more efficient reactors.

Only one other Argonne staff scientist, the deceased Ely Gelbard, has won the Wigner Award. Wigner himself was the first recipient of the award in 1990, followed by Alvin Weinberg in 1991. Those two scientists, Hwang said, are the "idols" of those working in the field of reactor physics, and they wrote a book widely regarded as the authoritative source on the subject.

Hwang is also working on a book with two colleagues in Russia and Bulgaria. The book will consolidate their work on applied neutron resonance theory. "After that is done," he said, "I think I can retire in peace."

Book prescribes exercise for chronic disease

By David A. Barry

A new book by Nsima T. Obot (ET) argues that type 2 diabetes is not an incurable disease, but rather the result of an imbalance in fat that can be reversed with proper lifestyle changes. "Reverse Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease," published by INN Books, was inspired by a ten-year period in Obot's life when he lost four family members to diabetes-related diseases and learned that he was at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

However, the book addresses more than diabetes, heart disease and stroke. "Everyone should be interested in the book," Obot said. "It also talks about chronic health problems like arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer's [disease] and high blood pressure. Diabetes, heart disease and stroke are the most common examples."

For fighting diabetes and other chronic diseases, Obot questions the value of diets and cholesterol-lowering medications and argues that what people eat is not as important as how much they eat and whether they exercise enough.

"Exercise is the key," said Obot, who exercises close to one hour each day and has missed only seven days of exercise since 2002. "When we take in food, the body doesn't use it all — some is rejected, some is stored. There's no way to reject what's stored in the body without exercising. It's an issue of dealing with the body's waste management."

Obot recommends "any form of exercise that results in sweating." Walkers, for example, should aim for about four miles each day, he said.

Obot said many of the book's conclusions come from an analysis of his own medical data and that of two other individuals as well as published data. He is now working with the state diabetes-prevention office to raise money for larger, physician-supervised studies.

The book (ISBN: 0-9761746-0-X) is available from Amazon.com and innbooks.com .

Linde Gas to present safety seminars on March 1

Linde Gas, an Argonne Material Ordering System supplier, will conduct three on-site seminars on the safe and effective use of the company's products.

There will be three presentations Tuesday, March 1, in the Building 203 Auditorium:

9-9:30 a.m. — Beneficial reuse and EcoCyl program for handling used, empty lecture bottles and portable calibration gas cylinders.

9:30-10 a.m. — Cylinder Gas Safety Seminar Part 1.

10-10:30 a.m. — Cylinder Gas Safety Seminar, Part 2..

Party inspires employees to `think green'

The Argonne Club will hold a St. Patrick's Day party Thursday, March 17, at the Building 617 Lower Level from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded to the person who wears the most green. The cost is $3 and adult beverages will be available.

All visitors must be badged by the Argonne Information Center prior to 4 p.m. For more information, contact the Argonne Club at argonneclub@anl.gov or visit the Argonne Club Web site.

Construction may slow traffic at Main Gate

Construction at the main gate on Northgate Road from Cass Ave. is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 1.

The construction will include the installation of new gate arms, gate arm control boxes and LED message signs. There are no plans to close the gate, but there may be times when traffic will be directed to enter or exit through the outer search lanes.

Employees should slow down, use extreme caution, stay alert and follow the directions of the officers at the gate.

Construction should be completed by March 31.

Hispanic-Latino Club plans drive for members

Argonne's Hispanic-Latino Club will hold a membership drive March 1-3 in the Building 213 Cafeteria. Membership fees are $5 per year.

The club's mission is to promote fellowship, share the richness and diversity of the Hispanic and Latino cultures, network as professionals and co-workers, and share ideas and resources that benefit the Hispanic/Latino community and all employees at the Argonne Site.

Membership to the Hispanic/Latino Club is open to all employees and retirees of Argonne, the U. S. Department of Energy, The University of Chicago, Argonne Credit Union, and all persons associated with the laboratory.

For more information, call Rex Gerald (CMT) at ext. 2-4214.

EBR-II fuel shipment required close cooperation

A significant portion of Argonne's inventory of fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II has been removed from the Alpha-Gamma Hot Cell Facility in Building 212 and sent to the Idaho National Laboratory.

EBR-II fuel has been undergoing characterization and analysis at the Alpha-Gamma Hot Cell Facility (AGHCF). Two cask-loads were shipped by truck to Idaho in mid-January, where it will be stored there along with other EBR-II materials until final geologic disposal at Yucca Mountain.

The four-month project was accomplished by the Energy Technology Division with substantial assistance from Plant Facilities and Services, Environment, Safety and Health/Quality Assurance and Security in close coordination with Argonne-West (now part of the Idaho National Laboratory) program and facility personnel. U.S. Department of Energy employees helped Argonne obtain numerous approvals and provided technical guidance.

"ET is very pleased with the service that we have received," said Terri Bray, Manager of the Energy Technology Division's Hot Cell Facilities Section. "Normally, coordination and planning of such an effort typically takes six to 12 months. We accomplished the task in four months, and did it safely."

In addition to the coordination required among several laboratory organizations, other factors made this transfer worthy of note, Bray said, starting with the difficulty in shipping irradiated experimental fuel to Idaho as a result of State of Idaho agreements with DOE that limit incoming materials.

 Even before the transfer could take place, the Alpha-Gamma Hot Cell Facility underwent multiple maintenance and programmatic activities. An in-cell electro-mechanical manipulator that operates on a bridge (similar to a crane) required a power and control cable replacement. A "cell entry" was required, where an ET staff member went into the Alpha-Gamma Hot Cell to replace a 70-foot-long cable.

New manipulators were also recently installed in the AGHCF. "We have been using manipulators that are 40 years old," Bray said. Argonne-West and the Naval Research Facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory donated spare manipulators, which were then modified for the Alpha-Gamma Hot Cell and shipped to Argonne-East for installation. This project saved the laboratory nearly $2 million.

Friday Forum to meet March 11

The First Friday Forum will meet Friday, March 11, at 12:15 p.m. in Building 362, Room E356. The speaker, Elsie Quaite-Randall (OTT), will discuss "Intellectual Property at Argonne: Reporting It, Protecting It and Exploiting It!"

The First Friday Forum is an informal gathering of Argonne women usually held on the first Friday of each month. The group explores career and gender issues related to women. Meetings are open to all Argonne and U.S. Department of Energy employees.

Skywarn spotter training offered

Skywarn training, presented by James Allsopp of the National Weather Service, will be offered at Argonne on two dates in early March.

The free sessions are open to all Argonne, U.S. Department of Energy and University of Chicago employees. They will be held Friday, March 4, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday, March 8, from 1:30 - 4 p.m in the Building 401 Auditorium. Employees who normally work outside and area emergency supervisors are especially encouraged to attend if they have time available.

Skywarn is a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and communities. Trained storm spotters take position near their communities and report wind gusts, hail size, rainfall, and cloud formations that could signal a developing tornado, and transmit that information to the National Weather Service or an emergency management agency.

Skywarn spotters are not "storm chasers." Spotters monitor a fixed location and usually have ties to a local agency.

For more information on the Skywarn program, see www.skywarn.org.

Choosing a childcare provider topic of seminar

"Choosing a childcare provider" is the subject of a one-hour telephone seminar by th CIGNA Behavioral Health Employee Assistance Program.

The talk will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 9. Employees can pre-register online or two hours prior to the event by calling (888) 253-4037 then enter passcode number 513790.

For more information, contact the Medical Department at ext. 2-2800.

No plans to close on-site Credit Union office

Although some Argonne Credit Union members have been wondering if the office at the Argonne site will close in favor of off-site branches, "the Argonne Credit Union is here to stay," said Marite Plume, the credit union's president and CEO.

"The credit union is not considering closing the Building 233 office," Plume said. "The cost-cutting measures that closed the gas station and the post office don't affect our operations. Off-site branch offices provide convenience to members, former employees and non-employees of the laboratory."

For more information about hours of operation at any Argonne Credit Union location, or for information about financial services, call ext. 2-5800 or visit the Web site at www.argonnecu.org.

Seat-belt use is required

A 2004 assessment by Argonne's Traffic Safety Program showed that many drivers entering the laboratory weren't using their seat belts, both in private and government vehicles.

Illinois is a primary enforcement seat belt state; seat belt use is required by all occupants of every vehicle, at all times, while driving. Employees are required to use seat belts while driving on the Argonne site.

More information on how seat belts save lives is available online.

Retirement vendors to visit ANL

The laboratory's retirement vendors will send representatives to Argonne-East during March.

To schedule an appointment, call the number listed.

Fidelity —Tuesday, March 8, and Tuesday, March 22. Call the appointment desk at (800) 642-7131.

TIAA-CREF — Tuesday, March 1, and Wednesday, March 2. Call the appointment desk at (800) 842-2005 or www.tiaa-cref/moc .

Prudential — Wednesday, March 2, and Wednesday, March 16. Call Cheryl at the appointment desk at (630) 285-8876

Questions about Social Security can be answered

A Social Security representative will be available to meet with employees in Argonne-East's Human Resources office in Building 201 Wednesday, March 16, from 8 a.m. to noon.

The representative will be able to help with earnings posting problems and answer general questions about the Social Security program. He can also take applications for lost or stolen Social Security cards, replacement Social Security cards or corrected cards due to name changes.

To schedule a meeting, call ext. 2-2989.

Service Awards

Service Awards for February include:

40 Years

James P. Regis (NE), Bruce J. Zabransky (PHY).

30 Years

Robert C. Birtcher (MSD), Mark E. Boyd (PFS), Karl N. Grimm (NE).

25 Years

Sandra A. Davis (ES), Sharon L. Fisher (AOD), Margaret E. Oldham (OCF), Annie M. Smith (EA), Frank M. Vivio (DEP).

20 Years

Henning Esbensen (PHY), Gaven C. Knighton (ENT).

15 Years

Carol A. Babcock (OCF), Kevin G. Bailey (PHY), Patrick R. Beallis (PFS), Rick L. Chappell (NPS), Dan G. Cummings (NT), Patrick M. Dombrowski (AOD), Mary E. Donnafield (NPS), Charles L. Doose (XFD), Richard A. Ferry (ASD), Diana L. Gierich (SCD), Arthur E. Grelick (ASD), Jim R. Harral (FAC), Heidi M. Hartmann (EA), Jon K. Hawkins (ASD), Gary L. Henriksen (CMT), Kelly M. Jaje (ASD), Byron W. Lee (FAC), Eliane S. Lessner (PHY), Yifen Tsai (CMT), Brian R. Westphal (ENT).

10 Years

Robert T. Keane (AOD), Vicki W. Worthington (OCF).

5 Years

Chris J. Benmore (IPNS), Linda L. Legerski (NE), Kelly Lynn Lively (ENT), Julie A. McGillen (OCF), Karen M. Schroeder (AOD), Jennifer Seivwright (HEP), Mary C. Skwarek (CIS), Darin M. Wills (OCF), Rosemarie Wilton (BIO), Sandra R. Zygmuntowicz (XFD).