Steven Pieper (left) and Robert Wiringa contributed to a paper that has been consistently the most-cited nuclear theory paper in the SPIRES-SLAC database, a major online repository for high-energy physics papers. With more than 500 citiations, it’s entered the database’s “renowned” status. Photo by George Joch.

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

Nuclear theory paper is now 'renowned'

By Dave Jacqué

For the past four years, a paper co-written by Argonne physicist Robert Wiringa has been consistently the most-cited nuclear theory paper in the SPIRES-SLAC database, a major online repository for high-energy physics papers. With more than 500 citiations, it's entered the database's "renowned" status — the only paper so designated from the nuclear theory Eprint Archives.

SPIRES was the first U.S. database on the World Wide Web. Managed and maintained by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), the database is a joint project of SLAC, the Deutsche Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Fermilab and the worldwide high-energy physics community.

The paper, "An Accurate Nucleon-Nucleon Potential with Charge-Independence Breaking," was published in 1994 by Wiringa (PHY), V.G.J. Stoks of the Flinders University of South Australia, and R. Schiavilla of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility. It describes "Argonne v 18 ," a set of calculations used to model the interaction of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus.

Argonne v 18 uses 18 different mathematical terms to model the interaction of protons and neutrons (collectively known as "nucleons").

"There are 18 different operator components needed to fit the data. That's how complicated nucleon-nucleon potentials are," Wiringa said. Characteristics like spin or isospin, angular momentum and several other forces must be modeled for each interacting nucleon. Using v 18 , the results fit over 4,000 experimental data extremely well.

"Over the last 10-15 years, there's been a tremendous amount of work on few-nucleon calculations," Wiringa said, "which helped boost the number of citations. The v 18 also gets used for calculations of nuclear matter and neutron stars."

Although there are several models available to nuclear theorists, v 18 is one of the most popular, said Steven Pieper (PHY).

"They worked hard to try and make the model easy to use," said Pieper, who contributed to the highly-cited paper and works with Wiringa on many-body nuclear calculations. Pieper and Wiringa have three other papers in the SPIRES database top 100. (Their Physics Division colleague, Craig Roberts, has five.)

Calculations can be performed on a modern desktop computer for nuclei with three or four nucleons, but the complexity increases dramatically as additional nucleons are added to the mix. Pieper recently used v 18 to calculate the nucleus of carbon-12, the largest nucleus so far attempted. It was the first large, practical calculation performed on Argonne's Jazz supercomputer, a teraflop-class machine. The calculation took about two weeks, using half of Jazz's processors.

Robert Rosner appointed director of Argonne

The University of Chicago appointed Robert Rosner director of Argonne effective April 18. His appointment was approved by Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman.

Rosner will succeed Hermann Grunder, who has served as director of the laboratory since 2000.

Rosner has served as Argonne's associate laboratory director for physical, biological and computing sciences and as its chief scientist since 2002, and in those roles he implemented reinvigorating changes in multiple areas of research while also achieving an outstanding record in safety and security, according to University of Chicago President Don M. Randel. In addition, he was the architect of Argonne's 20-year strategic plan for science and technology.

"Bob is a distinguished computational astrophysicist with broad interests across the basic and applied sciences and extensive Department of Energy experience," Randel said. "I am confident that Bob will provide decisive leadership and insightful strategic vision for Argonne, while developing the effective partnerships between the department, other government agencies, industry and academia that have become so important to the scientific future of the nation."

Rosner's appointment culminates a six-month national search by a search committee comprising representatives from the University of Chicago, Argonne and industry.

"I am honored to have been asked to serve as director of Argonne, a national laboratory of great distinction, with a wonderful tradition of first-rate science and technology research and a scientific, technical and support staff second to none," Rosner said. "It is humbling, and a challenge for me personally, to follow a succession of remarkably capable Argonne Laboratory directors, from the first director — Enrico Fermi — to my immediate predecessor, Hermann Grunder. The future of this laboratory is very bright — we are recognized leaders in much of the science and technology that makes the United States competitive in the 21st-century global economy. I look forward to working closely with the Department of Energy, the University of Chicago and the terrific staff of the laboratory in pushing the frontiers in all of these areas, and enjoying every bit of it."

Rosner also is the William Wrather Distinguished Service Professor in the University of Chicago's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. His scientific specialty is plasma astrophysics — the physics of the sun and the stars — and he has been instrumental in establishing the University of Chicago as one of the world's leading centers in that field.

Randel said that Grunder, will be named director emeritus, "leaves an indelible stamp on a great institution, for which I am personally very grateful. He will be missed, and his legacy will be felt for many years."

Reception to honor Grunder

A reception will be held in honor of Argonne Director Hermann Grunder Friday, April 15, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Argonne Guest House.

All employees whose schedules permit are invited to the reception.

Farukhi to lead C&PA

Suraiya Farukhi has been appointed director of Communications and Public Affairs (C&PA).

C&PA serves the needs of the leadership, scientific and support organizations within the laboratory in communicating with employees, the community, news media and other external audiences; and in providing professional planning expertise for laboratory-hosted conferences and for visits by high-level officials.

"I am delighted to be at Argonne and am looking forward to working with the scientific community as well as with the support groups," Farukhi said.

Previously, Farukhi was vice president of public affairs for the Center for Excellence in Education, where she focused her organization's energies on integrated communication and marketing with an emphasis to institutional identity and strategic messaging. She has led public relations and marketing programs at a variety of other organizations, including the healthcare informatics firm PhysBiz, Ketchum Public Relations and Westinghouse Electric Corp. Farukhi has also taught business communications at George Mason University, the University of Pittsburgh and other universities.

She holds a Ph.D. in English from Oklahoma State University and a Master's of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

'Einstein' to visit Argonne

"Einstein the Man," a play presenting the ideas of the great physicist in his own words, will be performed at Argonne by Emmy Award-winning actor Bill Landry Thursday, April 7, and at the University of Chicago Friday, April 8.

Landry uses Einstein's own words to portray the physicist's scientific work, philosophical ideas and personal idiosyncrasies. Following the performance, Landry takes questions as Einstein, then removes his extensive makeup to answer questions about the play.

Argonne and the University of Chicago are sponsoring three performances as part of the World Year of Physics. Two performances will be held at Argonne Thursday, April 7, both in the Building 362 Auditorium. The first, for Argonne employees, is at 3 p.m.; the second, open to Argonne

employees and their families as well as the general public, will begin at 7 p.m.

The Enrico Fermi Institute and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago will host a performance at the University's Hyde Park campus Friday, April 8, at 10 a.m.

This is the 100 th anniversary of Albert Einstein's "miracle year," during which he published three of the most important physics papers ever written. In those papers, Einstein presented the theory of relativity.

Landry has presented the play, which he also wrote, more than 850 times to audiences that now total more than 500,000 in 38 states. The play has also been adapted for National Public Radio and for PBS television. Landry is a graduate of the Dallas Theater Center with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Trinity University. He is also the voice, host and co-producer of the Heartland Series, features of Appalachian life that airs on WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tenn.

The play is appropriate for children in middle school and older. Non-employees wishing to attend the performance should pre-register by calling (630) 252-5580. A photo ID is required for all attendees 16 years of age and older.

Telephone system replacement getting under way

Argonne's private branch exchange (PBX) — the core of the laboratory's telephone system — will be replaced over the next five months, and all-new hardware, software and digital telephones will be installed.

The Telecommunications group of the Computing and Information Systems Division (CIS) is working with Federal Network Systems (Verizon) to replace the telecommunication system and services.

The PBX is the central phone switch to which all laboratory telephones connect. The PBX provides service to the phones, enables phone functions and connects the laboratory to the outside world. The PBX is actually a number of individual hardware systems distributed around the laboratory and connected by a network of fiber and copper cables.

Argonne's current PBX is 18 years old, well beyond its design life, and the risk of a major failure grows with each passing year.

CIS and Verizon have taken steps to minimize the project's impact on the laboratory during the transition periods. Telephone features and dialing will continue to operate normally, although minor issues may occur when the new PBX system begins operation. Throughout the transition, a communications link between systems will allow telephones to operate on either the current or new system. The replacement should be complete by July 15.

The PBX upgrade will provide new telephone system capabilities such as Caller ID for outside calls. Call detail coming from outside Argonne will now appear on digital telephone displays and replace the familiar, less-than-useful "outside" message. After the core system replacement this summer, planning will begin for implementation of other new features and services such as unified messaging and automatic call distribution.

Detailed information, timelines and updates are posted online .

Town hall meeting planned

Laboratory employees are invited to a "town hall" meeting with Argonne Chief Operations Officer Adam Cohen Thursday, April 7. The one-hour meeting will begin at 11 a.m. in the Building 213 Cafateria, Dining Room B.

The meeting will give employees an opportunity to discuss topics of interest in an informal, question-and-answer format.

Space is limited, and seating will be first-come, first-served. Additional sessions will be scheduled based on demand.

Questions and answers from previous town hall meetings are online.

1 st Friday Forum to meet April 1

The First Friday Forum will meet Friday, April 1, at 12:15 p.m. in Building 362, Room E356.

This forum will have no formal speakers and will be dedicated to informal discussion and networking. All Argonne employees, male and female, are invited to bring a new attendee, ideas and lunch.

The First Friday Forum is a monthly networking brown-bag lunch focusing on matters of interest to Argonne's scientific and technical women.

For more information, contact Cristina Negri (ES) at ext. 2-9662, or visit the First Friday Forum Web page.

HR gauges interest in pre-retirement seminar

Employees interested in participating in a pre-retirement planning program can sign up to be notified when the program is scheduled.

Designed for employees approaching retirement within the next few years, the program's primary objective is to provide information about Argonne retirement benefits, distribution options, Social Security, Medicare and estate planning.

Employees who have not been to this program in the past and would like to be notified of future seminars should contact Marge Vaught (HR) at ext. 2-2985 or mvaught@anl.gov.

Contribution limits for 2005 announced

As tax-preparation season gets under way, employees should be aware of the limits for 2005 as they apply to retirement plans, Social Security and 457(b) deferred compensation.

Retirement plans	2004	2005
403(b) Elective deferral limit	$13,000	$14,000
403(b) Catch-up contribution limit
(age 50 and older)	$3,000	$4,000
Social Security
Taxable wage base	$87,900	$90,000
Minimum tax	$5,449.80	$5,580
Full retirement for Social Security	65 and 4 months	65 and 6 months
457(b) deferred compensation
457(b) deferred compensation plans dollar limit	$13,000	$14,000

Double Eagles get ready for '05 season

Argonne's Double Eagles Golf League will hold a pre-season kickoff meeting Wednesday, March 30, at noon in Building 401, Room A1100 (near the Advanced Photon Source Auditorium).

The meeting is not mandatory for members, but is a good opportunity to pay league fees early, discuss league rules and activities and participate in the raffle for prizes.

League members who cannot attend the meeting can still pay fees before the meeting and qualify for the discount — but must be present to participate in the raffle. For more information, call ext. 2-6112 or ext. 2-9895.

The new season begins April 13.

The Double Eagles Golf League is a nine-hole league that plays Wednesday afternoons at the Village Greens of Woodridge Golf Course (75th Street, west of Lemont Road). The league is open to all Argonne employees and contractors, and their family and friends.

Child center has all-day kindergarten

The Argonne Child Development Center is offering full-day kindergarten.

The enrollment capacity is 20 children. Classes will be held in Building 951, adjacent to the Argonne Child Development Center, and will focus on the academic and social preparation children need to attend first grade.

Children must be five years old by Sept. 1, to enroll. For more information, contact Tonya at ext. 2-9601 or tmorris@anl.gov.

International household goods may be delayed

Argonne employees moving to the United States may experience delays in receiving their household goods shipped from overseas due to an increase in the number of examinations of cargo containers at U.S. ports.

As a result of U.S. Customs' stepped-up security, Argonne has experienced an increase in the number of international household goods containers selected for X-rays and examination. The examinations may cause a two- to three-week delay and additional charges of $3,000 or more.

These potential charges and delays should be considered when developing budgets and schedules for shipping international household goods.

For more information, contact the Argonne Shipping Office at ext. 2-2934 or ext. 2-5779.

Hams host weather training

A severe weather training program will be hosted by the Argonne Amateur Radio Club Wednesday, April 20, in Building 951 (the Recreation Building in Argonne Park).

The two-hour program, presented by Meteorologist Jim Allsopp of the National Weather Service Office in Romeoville, will begin at 7 p.m. and includes severe weather videos and discussion. This training will qualify attendees as trained severe weather spotters and satisfy annual training requirements for previously trained spotters. The presentation is open to all, and refreshments will be served.

For more information contact Dick Konecny (HEP) at rsk@hep.anl.gov or Chuck Doose (XFD) at doose@ aps.anl.gov.

'Take Your Child to Work Day' set for April 28

Argonne and the U.S. Department of Energy will host a "Take Your Child to Work Day" program at Argonne Thursday, April 28.

The program is limited to 125 children, ages 8 - 12. There will be demonstrations and hands-on activities. The day starts with a welcome and registration in Building 203, from 8:45 a.m. until 4 p.m.

For a registration form, call Communications and Public Affairs at ext. 2-1790. Registration form is also available online.