Arthur Glowacki performs big data visualization at the Advanced Photon Source

Scientists from all over the world come to the Advanced Photon Source (APS) to utilize its high-powered X-rays to perform cutting-edge experiments. The APS, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, is the brightest synchrotron X-ray facility in the world, and it generates a lot of data.

To study how materials behave under very specific conditions, APS users will illuminate samples of that material with X-rays. The data produced by these scans are highly specific to each experiment — and data sets are very, very large.

This is where software engineer Arthur Glowacki steps in.

“We learn from one another, and it’s all for the same purpose: to support cutting-edge science.” — Arthur Glowacki, software engineer at the APS

“All this data needs to be analytically processed and visualized,” Glowacki explained. ​“I help create and maintain programs that turn this data from terabytes of raw data into something that can actually be seen, studied, understood and used.”

For example, one study Glowacki supported aimed to study metals in biological samples. When APS X-ray beams scatter off the sample, they emit photons that scientists analyze to see which elements were present in the sample. This technique is called X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

“Before visualization, data is like a foreign language: meaningless information that isn’t going to be understood,” he said. ​“By helping users visualize and model their data, I’m helping translate it into something with patterns that can be recognized and processed.”

This work blends two of Glowacki’s passions: computer science and 3D graphics. As an undergrad, he majored in computer graphics and animation. Later, he earned his master’s degree in computer science.

“In my previous corporate jobs, I was always asking, ​‘Can we incorporate 3D graphics somehow?’” he said.

In addition to using the current visualization tools, Glowacki is working on automating data pipelines. This will enable scientists to run similar experiments in the future, with fewer delays in modeling. In 2024, Microscopy and Microanalysis published the research of a postdoctoral scholar working for him in an article titled, ​“Automating X-ray Fluorescence Mapping with Differentiable Modeling.”

One feature he is particularly excited to add is the ability to model the data as it is generated.

“Scanning one sample can take several hours or even several days,” he said. ​“If we’re able to model it as it comes in, scientists will know early on if they’re getting a good scan or not. This can save time and money.”

Glowacki added that his team is also working on creating a graphical user interface (GUI) that doesn’t require high performance computing. The purpose of the GUI is to allow scientists to take their data home and visualize it on their own computers and perform further analysis. 

“This will give them more time to make other discoveries with the same data,” he said.

Argonne’s Core Value of Teamwork is especially rewarding to Glowacki. He said, ​“One of the best things about working at the APS is that you get to be involved with all kinds of experiments. It’s amazing to see what everyone is working on.”

Though he describes himself as ​“a hobbyist physicist at best,” he loves talking with APS users and learning more about the physics of what they are studying. He also enjoys the variety of Argonne events that feature experts from across the world who come to talk about their research.

“Some users at the APS know a decent amount of programming, too,” he added. ​“Others know no programming at all. I find it fun to work with people with different levels of expertise. We learn from one another, and it’s all for the same purpose: to support cutting-edge science.”

Argonne accelerates the science and technology that drive U.S. prosperity and security. Argonne staff are thinkers, builders, problem-solvers and caretakers — every person and every role contributes to the laboratory’s impact on the world.

The clear communication and transparency from Argonne leadership are also big deals to Glowacki. For example, he appreciates the All-Hands Meetings that keep the entire laboratory informed. 

He is also excited about the recent APS upgrade, describing it as ​“bigger and better” than previously planned.

“As the beamlines come back up, we’re getting new data sets,” he said. ​“To the new challenges and opportunities that this will bring, I say: ​‘Bring it on.’”