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Argonne's designs for five neutron-scattering instruments have been granted final approval for development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's future Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), anticipated to become the world's most intense spallation source for neutron scattering research.
Argonne scientists were selected to aid in the design of the Spallation Neutron Source's initial instrumentation because of their experience operating Argonne's Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS). IPNS, approaching its 20th year of operation, was the world's first large-scale, production spallation neutron source. Five other DOE national laboratories -- Brookhaven, Jefferson, Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge -- are building other SNS components.
Initially, five instruments will be built from Argonne and SNS collaborative designs, but the SNS will have room for outside user groups to construct additional instruments, for a total of 24.
The SNS will work much like the IPNS since both aim a beam of protons at a target, which will "spall," or emit, pulses of neutrons. But the SNS will operate at a higher energy of 1 GeV, at beam intensities 40 to 100 times as strong and with liquid mercury as a target instead of depleted uranium. Construction of the $1.4 billion SNS facility began in December 1999 and is scheduled for completion in 2006.
Crystal clear
Argonne and SNS instrument scientists have designed a third-generation powder diffractometer that will enable scientists to collect more complete data sets on the structure of crystalline materials. The instrument will collect data faster, at higher resolution and with greater angular coverage than was possible with previous generations of powder diffractometers.
Another finalized SNS instrument, a direct geometry inelastic spectrometer, will determine energy transitions in any material, from crystal or non-crystal substances to biological molecules.
The third machine, a small-angle neutron scattering instrument, will allow scientists to observe the dispersion of crystallites -- individual crystals found in crystallized substances -- in solids thousands or tens of thousands of angstroms (one ten-billionth of a meter) across instead of only hundreds of angstroms.
In addition, two reflectometers will let researchers look at thin layers of materials to determine their thickness and roughness when subjected to different conditions.
Future role
IPNS Director Raymond G. Teller believes Argonne will play an important role in expanding the neutron user community.
"Most of the world's experienced neutron scattering instrument builders are right here," said Teller. "IPNS takes care of about 250 outside users a year, and in five years we want to increase that to 500 users.
"We have submitted an enhancement plan that received a strong recommendation within the Energy Department's Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee," Teller said.
The plan calls for $8 million per year, plus another million dollars for accelerator improvements and a considerable increase in personnel for the user program, accelerator operation and maintenance and Argonne neutron scattering programs.
-- Jeff Evans
Romas Senkevicius (PFS-CS) won two United Airlines round-trip tickets to anywhere in the continental United States in the Argonne Combined Appeal raffle drawing, held at the Argonne-East employee picnic July 14.
"My wife and I may either use the tickets to go to the wine country of northern California or take our children out to Disneyland," said Senkevicius.
The Combined Appeal raffle raised $3,081, significantly more than last year's total of $2,430. The money raised in the raffle will pay for the administration of the Combined Appeal Campaign, which will run from Oct. 1- 31.
Other winners of major prizes ($25 value or more) were:
T. Askew (ET) -- Holiday Inn, Willowbrook, $30
brunch gift certificate.
R. Brassfield (TD) -- United Limousine,
Downers Grove, $30 gift certificate.
D. Cathey (PFS) -- The Second City, Chicago,
two admissions ($34 value).
R. Erck (ET) -- West Suburban Bank, Darien,
$50 savings bond.
D. Gierich (OSS) -- Baymont Inn & Suites,
Willowbrook, two nights' lodging ($150).
I. Ginger (ET) -- Holiday Inn, Willowbrook, $30
brunch gift certificate.
J. Goetzen (ASD) -- Wal-Mart, Darien, $25
gift certificate.
M. Gomora (OCF) -- Sure-Fire Auto Parts, Lemont, $25 gift certificate.
J. Haupt (RAE) -- Theatre of Western Springs,
four tickets ($72 value).
A. Jansen (CMT) -- The Kerry Piper,
Willowbrook, $100 gift certificate
A. Kreps (ECT) -- IAM Local 2458 Technicians,
$50 Jewel gift certificate, Carriage Greens Country
Club, Darien, $50 gift certificate.
P. Mann (PFS) -- IAM Local 2458 Technicians,
$50 Jewel gift certificate
B. Ritchey (MCS) -- Argonne Guest House, Argonne, $50 gift certificate.
N. Rivera (AOD) -- Traverso's Restaurant, Naperville, dinner for two ($60).
J. Salatti -- Al Cappacino's Coffeehouse, Lemont, Coffee Gift
Basket ($25).
P. Zschack (APS) -- The Second City, Chicago,
two admissions ($34 value).
The complete list of ACA raffle winners is online.
The University of Chicago will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Enrico Fermi's birthday Saturday, Sept. 29, with a symposium of scientists who knew the famous physicist and the dedication of a new U.S. postage stamp in his honor.
In connection with Argonne, the university will sponsor an Enrico Fermi Web site contest for high-school students in the United States and Italy.
Fermi, who received the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics, served as the Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in Physics at the university's Institute for Nuclear Studies from 1946 until his death in 1954. The institute now is known as the Enrico Fermi Institute.
Fermi is known to the public primarily for his role in producing the first controlled, self-sustaining, nuclear chain reaction at the university during the Manhattan Project in December 1942. By February 1943, the reactor had been moved to a new site in the Argonne Forest section of the Cook County Forest Preserve, and Fermi was named the first director of the university's new "Argonne Laboratory."
In 1946, he pushed for construction of the Chicago cyclotron. With this tool, he and his colleagues were the leaders of the emerging field of particle physics. He also made major contributions to the statistics of electron gas, to the statistical model of the atom itself and to the understanding of radioactivity.
The events for the Saturday, Sept. 29, celebration will begin with the Fermi postage stamp dedication from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the university's Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E. 59th St. The symposium, titled "Fermi Remembered," will follow from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Max Palevsky Cinema in Ida Noyes Hall. Symposium speakers will include Fermi's colleagues and students.
Speakers will include Nobel laureates Jack Steinberger and Murray Gell-Mann, a physics faculty member at the university from 1951 to 1954. Nobel laureate James Cronin, university professor in physics, and his colleagues in the Enrico Fermi Institute, are organizing the symposium.
The stamp dedication and the symposium are both free and open to the university community. Registration is required for the symposium.
Online registration and more information is available at fermi_remembered. uchicago.edu/.
Argonne-East Windows users will need to install special software to use Argonne's dial-up access numbers after the laboratory's dial-up system is converted to Virtual Private Network (VPN) security architecture before the end of July.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) permit organizations to establish secure, private connections over third-party networks, such as the Internet or extranets.
The dialup system provides analog modem connectivity from the Focal local dial-up access numbers as well as the MCI Nationwide 800 service and the Ameritech International access number.
All Windows users are required to obtain and install the new Cisco VPN client software and run this software when connecting to the laboratory after the cutover has been completed.
ECT has set up a Web site with more information on installing and configuring the VPN client software. This software is not only to be used for analog modem dial-up, but it is also to be used by remote users who connect to the laboratory via the Internet.
For more information call ext. 2-4181 or ext. 2-4343.
The Argonne-East "Environment, Safety and Health Manual" and the laboratory's "Guide to Exporting" are now available online for employees on travel or working at remote sites, as well as outside users not affiliated with the laboratory.
Off-site users can access the new public view on the Internet at www.library.anl.gov/library/manuals/, or through the Argonne home page.
From the home page, select "Research, facilities, capabilities," then "Libraries." From the public library page, choose "Argonne Resources," then "Manuals."
The public view is available only from outside the laboratory. Following the links from inside on-site computers will connect the user to the full Argonne Policies and Procedures system on the Argonne Intranet.
Representatives of the laboratory's retirement vendors will visit Argonne-East during August to meet individually with employees and answer questions about retirement plans and retirement plan assets.
To schedule an appointment with these representatives, call the number listed. Appointments are for one-half hour each, except for Prudential, which has half-day sessions.
Fidelity : Tuesday, Aug. 7 and 21. Call the
appointment desk at (800) 642-7131.
TIAA-CREF: Thursday, Aug. 16, and Friday, Aug. 17. Call the
appointment desk at (800) 842-2005.
Prudential: Wednesday, Aug. 1, 8 and 15. Call Cheryl
at the appointment desk, (847) 619-3519.
Electronics and Computing Technologies will offer a range of computer software classes at Argonne-East in July and August.
Full class descriptions are available online at www.ect.anl.gov/computers/training/ or under the "Education and Training" heading on the Argonnet home page. To enroll, contact a division Training Management System representative. For information about enrollment procedures, contact Diane Cavazos (ECT) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos@ anl.gov.
Unless otherwise noted, classes will be held in Building 221, Room A142, cost $215 and are limited to 10 participants.
"Intermediate Word 2000" (ECT374) --
Monday, Aug. 6, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: "Introduction
to Word 2000."
"Intermediate Excel 2000" (ECT375) _
Tuesday, Aug. 7, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: "Introduction
to Excel 2000."
"Intermediate Access Version 2000" (ECT376)
-- Wednesday, Aug. 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Class
size limited to eight. Prerequisite: "Introduction to
Access 2000."
"Excel Organizational Tools 2000" (ECT384)
-- Thursday, Aug. 9, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Prerequisite: "Introduction to Excel
2000." Cost: $140.
"Advanced PowerPoint 2000" (ECT382) --
Thursday, Aug. 9, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Prerequisite: "Introduction
to PowerPoint 2000." Cost: $140.
"Beginning Unix" (ECT564) -- Tuesday,
Aug. 21, 9 a.m. - noon and Thursday, Aug. 23, 9 a.m. -
noon. Cost: $265.
"vi Editor in Unix" (ECT567) -- Friday, Aug.
24, 9 a.m. - noon. Cost: $180. Prerequisite: a
general knowledge of Unix, especially Unix file
management commands.