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After more than two decades of operation, Argonne's High-Voltage Electron Microscope was permanently shut down April 23.
The last experiment conducted on the HVEM was a high-energy electron-irradiation damage study of an oxide, similar to early experiments conducted at the facility nearly 20 years ago.
The HVEM, a national user facility in the Materials Science Division, had unique capabilities for dynamic studies involving ion and electron irradiation with simultaneous electron microscopy analysis. It produced invaluable data in several fields of study.
When most people think of a microscope, they think of squinting through the standard tabletop light microscope. HVEM was big: it stood three stories tall and weighed in at more than 50 tons. Instead of light, electron microscopes illuminate specimens with a beam of electrons -- in this case, 1.2 megavolts' worth. The powerful electron beam allowed researchers to use thicker specimens and get better data.
"The thicker the specimen, the more its behavior will be like bulk material," said Charles Allen (MSD), facility principal investigator.
Argonne's high-power electron microscope was paired with two ion accelerators (ions are charged atoms). Scientists could aim an ion beam at a sample, then observe the effects at magnifications ranging from 100X to 500,000X. The electron beam itself could be used for materials research, too.
Pairing an ion accelerator with an electron microscope was the brainchild of Argonne's Karl Merkle and Paul Okamoto in the mid-1970s. The combination proved to be essential for materials aspects of nuclear power research.
"Among other things, the facility will be remembered for its pioneering work in radiation-induced segregation," Allen said. "Under irradiation, alloy elements segregate to or from grain surfaces and grain boundaries, an important phenomenon in radiation environments."
Researchers have also used the HVEM to study the effects of irradiation on ceramics being considered for long-term nuclear waste storage. Samples are irradiated with high-energy heavy ions to simulate chemical and mechanical damage from irradiation in a geological waste repository.
"Typically, the material will go from a crystalline state to something like a glass, depending on temperature," Allen said. "It's important to find out how resistant these model ceramics are to this process, called amorphization."
Colder holders
In addition to the combination of electron microscope and ion accelerator, part of the HVEM's utility was due to its array of specialized specimen holders and stages.
Collaborations between Argonne and Northwestern University resulted in a series of helium-cooled specimen holders. Developed with Northwestern's Masahiro Meshii and his students, the holders allowed experiments to be done at temperatures as low as 12 degrees kelvin (-438 degrees F. or -261 C). These unique specimen holders were among the most used and will be donated to the Max-Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany. Many other parts of Argonne's machine will find homes at other institutions with HVEMs.
Howard Birnbaum, now a member of Argonne's Board of Governors, used the HVEM to study the behavior of hydrogen on metal fractures, using an "environmental cell" in which specimens could be exposed to various gas mixtures. Many other studies took advantage of HVEM's suite of several environmental cells.
With the shutdown of the HVEM, only 14 comparable facilities remain in the world -- all but one in Japan.
The legacy of the HVEM is 20 years' worth of fundamental research which improves the safety of nuclear power plants and helps ensure nuclear waste will stay where it's put.
"The research may not have been New York Times front-page material," Allen said, "but it was first-rate work impacting several fields."
-- Dave Jacqué
Teamwork kept HVEM running
Some of the Argonne employees who kept the HVEM-Tandem facility running since 1979 include Ed Ryan, Loren Funk, Loren Thompson, Tony McCormick and Pete Baldo (all MSD), Stan Ockers (MSD-retired) the late Jack Wallace (MSD) and Alan Philippides (now APS-USR).
Top energy industry, government, consumer, and environmental leaders came to Argonne-East April 16-17 to identify issues and strategies that need to be part of a comprehensive and flexible statewide energy policy. Argonne researchers from many fields contributed their expertise on issues of electricity and gas supply, demand, transmission and distribution, safety, environmental protection, renewable supplies, competition and affordability.
"We cannot develop a workable policy in a vacuum," Governor Ryan said when announcing the effort to develop the statewide energy policy. "A cohesive policy requires the assistance of experts from all disciplines, including the fields of environmental and consumer protection, generation, transmission and distribution."
The workshop was co-chaired by Harvey Drucker, associate laboratory director for energy and environmental science and technology, and Eric Brenner, Illinois senior advisor for regulatory affairs.
Argonne employees staffed, hosted and facilitated the workshop.
The more than 80 participants included representatives from many energy interests, including utilities, municipalities, state agencies, universities, environmental groups, industry and citizen's groups.
Participants spent a day and a half in working groups concentrating on various facets of natural gas and electricity generation and distribution, identifying issues that the state will need to address and developing recommendations. A final report will be sent to the state in the next week.
Illinois isn't in the same dire energy straits as California, which has seen ongoing rolling blackouts. But complete deregulation of the Illinois electricity industry is set for 2004-2005, which may lead to problems. One of the pressing questions workshop participants faced was whether Illinois has established the right energy marketplace to avoid a California-style crisis, said Tom Wolsko (DIS). The consensus was that Illinois has a number of urgent issues.
Another workshop, this one on coal and liquid fuels, will probably be held at the laboratory in the near future due to Argonne's success as host for the workshop.
-- Dave Jacqué
Motivational speaker Charlie Morecraft will visit Argonne-West May 16-17 to present "Safety, Everyone's Responsibility," which emphasizes the need for following safety procedures and taking responsibility for personal safety.
Morecraft was severely burned in an industrial accident and suffered years of agonizing pain. Since then he has worked to motivate workers and management to join in a unified effort to establish a safe work environment.
His talks reveal the high cost of an accident to one's self and family and reinforce the significance of positive attitude and personal responsibility.
A series of two-hour training sessions will be held in the Laboratory and Office Building Conference Room. On Wednesday, May 16, sessions will be held at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. On Thursday, May 17, sessions will be held at 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The training will be offered to all Argonne-West employees. For more information, call Carey Walton (ERA) at ext. 3-7136.
Tickets go on sale Monday, May 14, for a concert by the Encore Chamber Orchestra Sunday, May 20, at 3 p.m. in the Advanced Photon Source Conference Center Auditorium.
Performers are 35 top musicians and alumni of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. Its programs are designed to provide specialized training and performance opportunities to serious career-track musicians.
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students. A family special -- two adults and two children -- is available for $25. Tickets will be sold in the lobby of Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria the week of May 14 from noon to 1 p.m. The auditorium box office will open at 2:30 p.m. the afternoon of the performance.
The program is sponsored by Arts at Argonne and partially supported by the University of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council.
The Argonne Running Club's "Red Dress Run" is back by popular demand. The three-mile run and two-mile walk will start at noon Wednesday, May 23, at the Argonne-East pool.
Refreshments and a raffle will be held after the run; however, only those individuals wearing red dresses will be eligible for raffle prizes. All employees and their guests are welcome.
For fashion tips, see these photos from last year's run.
A health program called STEPs II is available to Argonne-West employees interested in boosting their energy levels, reducing stress, losing weight and maintaining balance in their lives.
STEPs II provides participants with tools to assess their health in seven target areas. After evaluating the results, participants choose activities that address areas that need improvement.
Program brochures will be distributed to Argonne-West employees. They are also available at the Argonne-West Medical Dispensary. Return the completed survey to the Occupational Medical Health Promotion Program at Mail Stop 3125. Each participant will be recognized with a certificate of achievement for completing the program.
For more information about this program, call Tamara Hobbes at ext. 3-7210.
Nobel Laureate F. Sherwood Rowland will speak on "Earth's Atmosphere in the 21st Century" at a Director's Special Colloquium Wednesday, May 16, at 3:30 p.m. in the Building 402 Conference Center.
Rowland's current research focuses on the composition of the atmosphere in remote locations throughout the Pacific region, highly polluted cities and areas with special conditions like burning forests.
Rowland is Donald Bren research professor of chemistry and earth science at the University of California-Irvine.
He shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his pioneering contributions to explaining how ozone is formed and decomposes through chemical processes in the atmosphere.
Shuttle service will be provided.
The Guest House Restaurant at Argonne-East will be closed for dinner on Sunday, May 20, and lunch on Monday, May 21, for special functions.
Registration deadline for the "three on three" basketball tournament season at Argonne-East is Friday, May 25.
The tournament begins Monday, June 4, and is open to Argonne and DOE employees of any skill level. Games are played at lunch time at the outdoor basketball court in the 600 area. Partial teams and individuals are welcome.
For more information call Johnny Reed (PFS-HP) at ext. 2-7987 or pager 4-1963.
Guy Denton of IBM will present "What Hackers Don't Want You to Know" at a Cyber Security Awareness meeting Friday, May 18.
The presentation will begin at 2 p.m. in the Building 203 Auditorium. It is intended for cyber security representatives and system and network managers. Interested division directors and managers may also attend.
The talk is sponsored by the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Attendees must enroll in the Training Management System to receive credit for cyber security education and awareness. The course is ECT600, session 18MAY01PM. A signature will be required on a roster to obtain credit. There is no fee for the presentation.
For more information, call Diane Cavazos (ECT) at ext. 2-7153.
The Chicago Biotech Network (CBN) will meet at Argonne-East Tuesday, May 29, from 5-7:30 p.m., in the Advanced Photon Source Atrium and Conference Center.
CBN represents the Chicago region biotech community, including biotech companies, biotech service companies, universities, venture and banking interests, and state and local governments. Argonne, as host, will showcase the laboratory's capabilities and collaborations.
To attend, send e-mail to cbnmeeting@ anl.gov by Monday, May 21.
Suspect and counterfeit items awareness workshops for federal and contractor employees will be held at Argonne-East May 22-23 in Building 201, Room 146 (note change of location).
The 31/2-hour workshops, scheduled for
Tuesday, May 22, are geared for purchasing agents,
engineers, building inspectors, material handlers,
quality assurance personnel, job planners and
credit-card purchasers. Workshops will begin at 8 a.m. and
12:30 p.m.
One-hour workshops for managers and craft
employees' supervisors will be held Wednesday, May 23, at
10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Two-hour workshops for crafts employees are
scheduled for 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m on May 23.
For more information or to register, call the DOE Employee Development Office at ext. 2-2669.
Rick Stevens, Mathematics and Computer Science Division Director, will speak on the future of computer technologies at a public lecture at the University of Chicago May 21.
Stevens, also professor of computer science at the University of Chicago, will discuss the next decade of computing. His talk will cover conspicuous uses like the World Wide Web and applications like weather modeling, sequencing the human genome or new product designs that are less obvious but will have tremendous impact.
Sponsored by the Graham School of General Studies, the lecture will be held from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Gleacher Center, 450 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive. Cost for the lecture is $35. For information, call (800) 997-9689.
