January 2004 Volume 13, No. 1 NEWS http://www.physics2005.org A Publication of The American Physical Society http://www.aps.org/apsnews

April Meeting Goes Junior Members Respond to Mile-High in 2004 APS Ethics Survey By Ernie Tretkoff The “Mile High” city of Denver, International Affairs, Colorado, will host as many as History of Physics, and Few physicists received for- to include not just research mis- 1500 physicists at the 2004 APS Graduate Student Af- mal ethics training as part of their conduct such as data fabrication, April meeting, to be held May 1-4 fairs; and the Topical education, though many are con- falsification, and plagiarism, but 2004. Groups on Few-Body cerned about professional ethics, also issues such as authorship, Attendees will be drawn from a Systems, Precision a study by the APS Ethics Task proper credit of previous work, wide range of research areas. APS Measurement and Force has found. and data handling and reporting. units represented at the meeting Fundamental Con- Photo Credit: The Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau The task force report was sub- “This was an interesting and include the Divisions of Astrophys- stants, Gravitation, Denver has the 10th largest downtown in America. mitted to and accepted by the sobering project,” said task force ics, Nuclear Physics, Particles and Plasma Astrophysics, APS Council at its meeting in chair Frances Houle of the IBM Fields, Plasma Physics, and Com- and Hadronic Physics. approximately 45 invited sessions. November. Almaden Research Center in San putational Physics; the Forums on The scientific program will fea- There will also be numerous con- The task force, which was con- Jose. Education, Physics and Society, ture three plenary sessions and tributed and poster sessions and a vened in November 2002 in The surveys collected informa- special public lecture by newly- response to two highly publicized tion from physics department elected APS Vice President John incidents of data falsification, chairs, APS unit leadership, un- Council Deplores Restriction of Bahcall (Institute for Advanced used surveys and interviews of dergraduates, junior members Non-Classified Scientific Information Study). members of the physics commu- and corporations and national The plenary sessions will nity to ascertain the state of ethics labs. At its meeting in November, the effects of labels like “sensitive but cover a broad range of topics, in- education and awareness. The task force decided to APS Council reaffirmed a state- unclassified”, which have the po- See APRIL MEETING on page 4 “Ethics” was defined broadly See ETHICS SURVEY on page 5 ment passed originally in 1983 on tential to expand greatly the the freedom of scientific commu- restriction of scientific communi- nication, and added a preamble cation. The motion passed by House Resolution Recognizes that specifically pointed out the ill Council, in its entirety, reads: Congressional Fellowship Programs Restricting exchange of scientific sify and thereby restrict the commu- information based on non-statutory nication of information bearing a A resolution passed by the Intended to honor the 30th an- through the Fellowship program. administrative policies is detrimental particularly close relationship to na- House on October 28 (H. Con. niversary of the AAAS program During discussion on the floor, to scientific progress and the future tional security; and Res. 279) recognizes the 30th an- (the celebration of which was post- several Members of Congress health and security of our nation. The Whereas members of the Ameri- niversary of the Congressional poned until May 2004 because of spoke in praise of the Fellowships. APS opposes any such restrictions, can Physical Society have observed Science and Engineering Fellow- a hurricane in Washington, DC), Rep. Fortney “Pete” Stark (D-CA), such as those based on the label “sen- the damaging effects on science of at- ship program of the American the resolution further states that called the Congressional Science sitive but unclassified”, and reaffirms tempts to censor unclassified Association for the Advancement “Members of Congress hold the and Engineering Fellowships “a its 1983 statement that: research results; of Science (AAAS) and pledges con- AAAS Congressional Science and shining example of a collaborative Whereas the free communication Be it therefore resolved that the tinued congressional support for Engineering Fellowship Program in program that benefits all who par- of scientific information is essential American Physical Society through the program. The resolution, high regard for the substantial con- ticipate.” The fellowships, he said, to the health of science and technol- its elected Council affirms its which has now been referred to tributions that Fellows have made, are “a remarkable partnership be- ogy, on which the economic support of the unfettered communi- the Senate, finds that “Fellows serving both in personal offices and tween Congress and the 30 or so well-being and national security of cation at the Society’s sponsored bring to the Congress new insights on committee staff.” It reaffirms participating professional societies the United States depend; and meetings or in its sponsored journals and ideas, extensive knowledge, the House’s “commitment to sup- that select and fund the Fellows.” Whereas it is recognized that the of all scientific ideas and knowledge and perspectives from a variety of port the use of science in APS, the American Institute of government has the authority to clas- that are not classified. disciplines.” governmental decision-making” Physics, and numerous other sci- entific societies all sponsor Congressional Fellows under the auspices of the AAAS program. The New Techniques for Controlling Fluid Flow APS was one of the original societ- ies to participate in the program. Highlight the APS 2003 DFD Meeting The Congressional Fellowships en- able qualified individuals to spend New techniques for predicting a year on Capitol Hill, working in turbulent fluid flow, and modeling the office of a Member of Congress the transport of atmospheric con- or for a congressional committee. taminants were among the technical Fellows interview with personal highlights presented during the 2003 offices and congressional commit- meeting of the APS Division of Fluid tees to select an assignment that Dynamics (DFD), held 23-25 No- ABC vember in East Rutherford, New See FELLOWSHIP on page 2 Photo Credit: Skotheim & Bush Jersey. The meeting was jointly hosted by Syracuse University, Images A, B, and C: evaporatively-driven convection in a draining soap film. Stevens Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, non-diffusive gaseous ignition, aero- CellsCells. Despite a difference in size observation to develop a new con- HHighlights Polytechnic University, and the City sol dynamics, and the extreme fluid of about 15 orders of magnitude, cept for high speed trains whose College of New York. dynamics of white dwarfs and neu- there is a remarkable dynamical track mimics the properties of the The scientific program featured tron stars. In addition, the meeting similarity between a red cell glid- endothelial surface layer. In both lectures on nonlinear dynamics of featured the 21st annual Gallery of ing on the endothelial surface the red cell and the skiers, accord- 8 fluid motion, and on “visiometrics,” Fluid Motion, showcasing images matrix (the glycocalyx) that lines ing to Weinbaum, one can generate The Back linking laboratory and computer and graphics from computational human capillaries and a person lift forces three to four orders of Page: simulated images to such artistic and experimental studies of flow skiing on fresh snow powder. magnitude greater than ordinary Robert A. modes of expression as painting, phenomena. The winning entries will That’s the conclusion of Sheldon lubrication theory, but the red cell Millikan: Albert photography, sculpture and digital be published in the September 2004 Weinbaum and his colleagues at is a far more efficient skier since it Einstein on his Seventieth Birth- animations. There were also eight issue of the Physics of Fluids. the City College of New York, who does not dissipate its excess pres- day. invited lectures on such topics as Lessons Learned From Red are drawing on that See DFD MEETING on page 6 2 January 2004 NEWS

This Month in Physics History January 1884:First U.S. Patent for a Roller Coaster “We felt that in the old way of military advantage from new weap- doing it, too many things were cov- ons. But you have to balance that The unques- turned back to his first ous track, so that the ride ended ered and the essential features of against what you’re doing to your tioned highlight for love: inventing. where it began, and the follow- physics as a science were getting security, especially if it invites other most people of any Several years ing year Phillips Hinckle used a lost in a sea of formulas. We had countries to go nuclear. We have visit to an amusement earlier he had ridden mechanical hoist to raise the feedback that said students were to be able to reduce our reliance park is the roller on the Mauch Chuk cars to the top of the hill, rather having a hard time appreciating the on these weapons, not make new coaster, affection- Switchback Railway than being towed manually. That essential connectedness of it all.” missions for them.” ately dubbed the in Pennsylvania, a same year saw the debut of the —Joshua Socolar, Duke Univer- —Sidney Drell, Stanford Univer- “Great American former mine track first experiment with loops with sity, on restructuring introductory sity, on “reduced collateral damage” Scream Machine.” used to transport coal the Flip Flap, which rolled cars physics classes at Duke, the Chronicle weapons (mini-nukes), Oakland But coasters are down a mountainside through a 25 foot diameter cir- (the independent daily at Duke Tribune, Nov. 8, 2003 more than just mere that had become a cular loop, but closed in 1903 University), Nov. 3, 2003 ✶✶✶ entertainment. They Photo Credit: Paul L. Ruben Archives popular tourist attrac- because of the frequent neck ✶✶✶ “I think we are so confused that are based on funda- LaMarcus Thompson tion. He decided to and back injuries suffered by its “Any astronomer or astrophysi- we should keep an open mind to mental physics principles such build his own Gravity Pleasure passengers. cist will tell you the same thing — tinkering with gravity,” as gravitation, centripetal force, Switchback Railway at Coney By the end of the 19th cen- as long as it doesn’t get back to their —Michael Turner, University of and acceleration. As such, roller Island, completed in 1884. tury, all the basic elements of the local congressman. NASA thinks Chicago, New York Times, Nov.11, 2003 coasters have become one of the It was the first bona fide roller modern roller coaster were in Americans will always support ✶✶✶ most popular mechanisms for coaster to be built in the US, place, although they were slow. people in space rather than knowl- “I wouldn’t want my doctor teaching these basic concepts to shaped like the early Russian ice The early 1900s featured edge in space. But I think they’ve thinking that intelligent design was students. slides (two hills parallel to each numerous innovations in roller asked the wrong questions.” an equally plausible hypothesis to Largely considered an Ameri- other), incorporating undulating coaster design, led by the rides —Virginia Trimble, University of evolution any more than I would can phenomenon, roller hills and a flat steel track nailed at Coney Island, the success of California, Irvine, Florida Today, Nov. want my airplane pilot believing in coasters actually have their onto several layers of wooden which ultimately spawned the 4, 2003 the flat Earth.” roots in the ice slides that first plank, connected to two 45 foot opening of amusement parks ✶✶✶ —James Langer, University of appeared in the 17th century in towers. worldwide. “This is our first direct look at California, Santa Barbara, New York Russia, near St. Petersburg. They The maximum speed was The 1920s was the “Golden the incredibly dynamic activity in Times, Nov. 11, 2003 were built out of lumber cov- 6 mph, and the cars had to be Age” of roller coaster design and the solar system’s outer limits,” ✶✶✶ ered with a sheet of ice several manually towed to the top of the innovation, with more than 1500 —Stamatios Krimigis, The Johns “The sound is rather like a large inches thick, and featured drops hills at the start of both tracks. rides opening in North America, Hopkins University, on the Voyager jet plane flying 100 feet above of 50 to 80 feet. They were a big Nevertheless, the ride was an and another 1500 overseas. But spacecraft possibly having reached the your house in the middle of the favorite among the Russian up- instant success with the public. the Great Depression caused the edge of the solar system, New York night,” per class—Catherine the Great Within four years, Thompson number of roller coasters to de- Times, Nov. 6, 2003 —John Cramer, University of is said to have been a fan, and had built approximately 50 more crease and many amusement ✶✶✶ Washington, on what the Big Bang even had a few built on her coasters across the nation and in parks to be torn down. “You can always find some sce- sounded like, New Scientist, Nov. 1, estate. Europe, and then began work on The technology languished nario where you can get a limited 2003 Most historians credit the what became his most famous until 1955, when the opening of French with building the first attraction, the Scenic Railway, Disneyland in southern Califor- nia ushered in a new Golden Age FELLOWSHIP from page 1 wheeled coaster—by 1817 designed with James A. Griffiths. there were two coasters in It opened in 1887 in Atlantic for the roller coaster. Since then, interests them. They do not act as with an intimate role in the process France, both of which featured City and featured artificial scen- further innovations have come representatives of their sponsoring of decision-making in public policy.” cars locked to the track—and ery illuminated by lights triggered fast and furious—new track organizations during their time on Holt is one of only two physi- with building the first looping by the approaching cars—a pre- elements, launch systems, seat- Capitol Hill; their only responsibil- cists to ever serve in Congress, coaster at Frascati Gardens in cursor to the elaborate theme ing, and elaborate ride themes ity is to the congressional office in along with Rep. Vernon Ehlers Paris. An early attempt to bring park rides at Disneyland and other —and today, roller coasters are which they choose to serve. (R-MI), who introduced the reso- a similar ride to the US in 1848 parks today. more popular and pervasive Some Fellows accept permanent lution, and called the rarity of failed because of an accident Thompson built numerous than ever. positions on Capitol Hill or in federal physicists in Congress “an indict- during the trial run. It would fall other scenic railways until his Further Reading: agencies after their Fellowships, while ment of the scientific community to an American inventor named retirement in 1915. He died in Adams, Judith A. The American others return to academia or indus- because we should have more sci- LaMarcus Thompson to revolu- 1919. Amusement Park Industry: A History try, to share their experience of the entists in the Congress, but most tionize the amusement industry Of course, Thompson was not of Technology and Thrills (Boston: legislative process with others in the scientists tend to shy away from in the US, earning him the title the only early designer of roller Twayne Publishers, 1991). science community. The APS 1982- this particular type of activity.” He of the “father of the American coasters, either in the US or Cartmell, Robert. The Incred- 1983 Congressional Science Fellow, praised the fellowship program for roller coaster.” abroad, and improvements and ible Scream Machine: A History of Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), was eventu- filling that gap. “They provide some Born in 1848 in Jersey, Ohio, innovations were quickly made. the Roller Coaster (Bowling ally elected to the U.S. House of very badly needed scientific Thompson was a natural at me- In 1884, Charles Alcoke Green: Bowling Green State Uni- Representatives, where he is now advice....[and] are extremely im- chanics, designing and building designed a coaster with a continu- versity Popular Press, 1987). serving in his third term. portant in maintaining the scientific a butter churn and an ox cart “For 30 years, the fellowship competence of the Congress, both when he was 12. He attended Online Resources: program has brought together House and Senate.” Hillsdale College in Michigan • http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/ Members of Congress with leading —Audrey T. Leath, AIP and then worked briefly in the • Build your own roller coaster: scientific practitioners and scholars wagon and carriage business http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html before making his fortune as a in a variety of scientific fields,” said Editor’s notenote: For details on • http://www.fearofphysics.com/roller/roller.html Holt (a co-sponsor of the resolu- applying for the APS Congressional manufacturer of women’ s seam- • http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/coasters/coasters.html tion) during the floor debate. And Fellowship Programs, see http:// less hosiery. After selling his this has provided a level of scien- www.aps.org/public_affairs/ stake in the hosiery business, he • PC Simulation software available at : http://nolimitscoaster.com tific expertise not otherwise found fellow/ on most congressional staffs, and it All application materials must be presents the congressional fellows postmarked by January 15, 2004.

Series II, Vol. 13, No.1 Department, American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Editor-in-Chief Cargill*, III (Materials), Bunny C. Clark* (Nuclear), January 2004 College Park, MD 20740-3844, [email protected]. Martin Blume*, Brookhaven National Laboratory John Jaros (Particles & Fields), Stephen Holmes Past-President ©2003 The American Physical Society For Nonmembers—Circulation and Fulfillment (Physics of Beams), James Drake (Plasma), Timothy P. NEWS Division, American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Myriam P. Sarachik*, City College of New York - CUNY Lodge, (Polymer Physics), Gian Vidali, (New York Huntington Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. General Councillors Section), Joe Hamilton (Southeast Section) Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 Allow at least 6 weeks advance notice. For address Jonathan A. Bagger*, Janet Conrad, Frances Houle*, Evelyn changes, please send both the old and new addresses, Hu, Gerald Mahan*, Cherry Ann Murray*, Arthur Ramirez, ADVISORS Editor ...... 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Slade NEWS January 2004 3 Quinn Ponders Long Range Goals for Lerch Retires as Head of APS in 2004 APS International Affairs Editor’s Note: On January 1, 2004, societies around building on one After over eleven years as the ment with the APS began as a sab- Helen Quinn of the Stanford Linear the world, is gear- another’s research, first APS director of international batical from NYU, during which he Accelerator Center, became APS presi- ing up for the but too often we go scientific affairs, Irving Lerch is re- was to begin building an interna- dent, succeeding Myriam Sarachik of upcoming World it alone when it tiring to pursue more personalized tional program for the Society. The the City College of New York. Quinn is Year of Physics in comes to changes interests in the global science objectives were ambitious: minis- only the fourth woman to be elected to 2005, celebrating within our depart- arena. During his tenure with the ter to the growing foreign APS the presidential line in the Society’s 104 the seminal contri- ments, or outreach Society, he headed a fledgling pro- membership, save the physics en- year history. Born in Australia, she butions of Albert to K-12 education. gram to provide aid to the physics terprise of the newly emerging completed her PhD in physics in 1967 Einstein to physics The Society’s edu- community of the former Soviet states of the former at Stanford University and is now a in 1905. What is the cation activities Union, distributing about $18 mil- Soviet Union, develop a partner- faculty member at SLAC. She has Society’s role in the help promulgate lion, and developing an Internet ship with China, and invigorate made significant contributions to par- grand scheme of successful innova- access program and journal distri- APS relations with European, Latin ticle physics theory, for which she has things? What do tions and prevent bution program, as well as acting American and Asian physicists, all Photo Credit: Dan Quinn received numerous honors, including you hope this ma- replication of fail- as a catalyst in establishing the In- while finding external resources to Helen R. Quinn membership in the National Academy jor event will do to ures. ternational Science Foundation to accomplish these far-reaching of Sciences. In the interview below, foster an international spirit of coop- monitor and implement such pro- tasks. Quinn discusses her priorities for the eration and collaboration among Q: You are only the fourth woman grams. It was far more than could be APS during her presidential year. scientists in every country, at a time in APS history to serve as president of Lerch was born in Chicago, IL, accomplished in a single year, so when international relations with the the Society. What are the changes in 1938, the same year physicist Lerch accepted a permanent po- Q: What are your priorities for the US government are particularly you’ve witnessed over your career in Enrico Fermi was awarded the sition with the Society and he APS during your presidential year? strained? the representation and overall treat- Nobel Prize in physics. So it should retired from NYU when the APS What do you feel are the most impor- A: The World Year of Physics ment of women in science? What have not be surprising that Lerch chose relocated from NYC to the new tant issues currently facing the Society, provides an opportunity for pub- been the gains? Any perceived losses? to become a physicist himself. “It American Center for Physics in and what can the APS do to address lic outreach that will be the major A: The changes in the acceptance didn’t hurt that physicists could College Park, MD. The problems them? focus of APS efforts for this year. of women in physics, as well as in control the energy of stars and plaguing the scientific enterprise A: My major goal for the com- We will work with our neighbor- other professional careers, that thereby engulf the world in a pall in the former Soviet Union occu- ing year is to take a long range look ing countries in this outreach Myriam [Sarachik] and I have seen of fear,” he recalled. pied the majority of his efforts for at the Society. Where do we want effort, but it is not about relation- during our careers, are huge. The After attending West Point, the first few years. “Because the to be five and ten years from now, ships between scientists, but proportion of women in high school Lerch served as an officer in the former SSR scientific establishment and what do we need to do to get rather, about enhancing public physics classes is getting close to there? As an example, over the past awareness of the role of physics 50%, and that change should with ten years we have much increased and interest in the ideas of phys- time move up through the profes- our activity in Washington and our ics. Physics is already international, sion, but we are still a long way from public outreach efforts. I expect the and we do not need a world year that. There is still much to be done. need for such activities will con- of physics to get scientists of all For minorities we are still further tinue to grow, and we need to plan countries to cooperate and from achieving participation propor- in order to have the capacity to collaborate. tional to population, which I think staff this work adequately. The international nature of the should be a goal. More immediate issues that I science community is something already know will claim my atten- scientists know and value. We Q: On a more personal note, when tion include ameliorating the visa know that the US will pay a ter- did you first become interested in phys- situation for foreign scientists and rible price if it becomes isolated, ics, and what made you decide to make students, and improving funding by its visa policies, from full par- it your career? What advice would you for the physical sciences. I will also ticipation in the flow of scientific give to young women today with simi- continue the task force initiated by information and scientific activity. lar aspirations? my predecessor, Myriam Sarachik, We need to educate others to the A: I started at the University to explore how the APS can help possible costs of such isolation, and in Australia with a cadetship (stu- bridge partnerships that to work to achieve paths that keep dent internship/scholarship) from improve the contacts for practic- open the flow of foreign scientists the weather bureau. So if my Photos Credit: Jessica Clark ing scientists in Africa with into and out of this country, both father had not decided to move Irving Lerch enjoys, and responds to, a friendly roast at the APS Council meeting scientists in the US with similar for meetings and for collaborative to the US to join the parent com- in November. research interests. [see APS NEWS work. As an immigrant scientist pany of his Australian company, I Online, August/September 2000] who arrived here as a student, I would have been a meteorologist. What the APS can do towards know very well that the flow of When I arrived in the US, it turned 101st Airborne Division. He then was so large and well integrated, improving the representation of foreign students is also important. out that I was closest to complet- attended the University of there was fear that its loss would women and minorities in physical That too needs attention in order ing a physics degree, so I chose Chicago for advanced studies in have a deleterious impact on the science, and the (not unrelated) to maintain the vitality of our sci- that major, and settled in for one physics, becoming a medical physi- international scientific enterprise, task of improving science educa- ence community. year and one quarter as an cist. and ultimately on our domestic en- tion will certainly be part of the long undergrad at Stanford. That was He wrote his PhD thesis on terprise in the US,” said Lerch. range plan discussion. As President Q: Much attention is being paid about the time SLAC was being radiation damage to enzyme sys- This was especially critical given I will do what I can to advance the of late to fostering the “future completed. I guess I got caught tems, and subsequently joined the the fact that the scientific commu- effectiveness of the Society in ad- workforce” for the science and tech- up in the excitement this new fa- research faculty at the university’s nity had become increasingly dressing these issues. nology sector, which has a direct cility was generating and decided Argonne Cancer Research Hospi- international since the end of bearing on science. What do you see to stay on for grad school. tal (which later became the World War II. By the 1990s, two Q:The APS journals several years as the primary challenges in this I cannot remember any moment Franklin McLean Memorial Insti- thirds of the science being carried ago were challenged by the revolution area, and what can the Society do when I decided that physics was tute). He built a laboratory to out was being done outside the US. in electronic publishing. How has the to help? my career. When I applied to grad measure the transmission spectra Therefore, “integrating the US en- APS adapted to this challenge? What A: I guess the future workforce school I thought I’d quit after a of low energy x-rays used for medi- terprise with the international can it do to further keep its publica- issue is the issue of getting good Masters degree and become a high cal imaging, and also became community was absolutely essen- tions strong and healthy as the trend students into our grad schools in school physics teacher, but applied involved in biological modeling and tial,” said Lerch. “Because if we continues? physics. That has two parts, the first to a PhD program because I knew computational studies, as well as don’t have that type of integration, A: APS journals have made a is doing a better job of educating that Stanford and other leading researching radiation effects in tis- then our domestic enterprise is giant step into the electronic world, and attracting US students to these schools would not accept me if I sues and dosimetry systems. balefully imbalanced.” with electronic access to all our jour- careers, and the second is the told them that. By the end of my His long involvement with inter- Ironically, while the world sci- nals now available back to the first issue of allowing foreign students first year of grad school I knew I national activities began when he entific community is facing a wide issue. But we cannot rest on our lau- accepted as grad students to come did not want to quit. accepted an appointment to the variety of issues today, in Lerch’s rels. We must continue to work to to this country, and indeed to stay I think a major factor that International Atomic Energy eyes, “it’s still the same sort of prob- be at the forefront in both efficiency if offered jobs here. Both parts affects young women entering Agency in Vienna, Austria, where lem. We’ve become so globalized and technology in the production of need attention. physics careers is that they tend to he served from 1973 to 1976. In and the international community our journals. We must also be always Education has long been a con- question their own competence 1976, he moved to New York Uni- is so integrated, that any tendency looking ahead to see how scientific cern of mine. I am the founding more than do young men with simi- versity, where he spent the next 18 within the world scientific commu- publishing can and should evolve to president of the nonprofit Contem- lar qualifications. years administering a program in nity to regionalization must better serve science and scientists, porary Physics Education Project, So my advice to young women radiation oncology physics. inevitably isolate the US” As evi- and to be leading rather than trailing which produces materials for high is to believe in yourself and your By 1991, the world had changed dence, he points to the formation developments in this area. school and college physics teachers, capabilities, and go for whatever dramatically with the fall of the by large laboratories of regional and I manage SLAC’s outreach pro- you want, you will be surprised Berlin Wall and the dissolution of coalitions for the more efficient Q: The APS, along with scientific grams. We all know the necessity of what happens—I was! the Soviet Union. Lerch’s involve- See LERCH on page 5 4 January 2004 NEWS LETTERS

Ethical Principles Not Determined by APS No Need for “Capsule” Degrees I was distressed to read the new when it associates a respected au- Editor’s Note: This is the second in our series of “Ask the Ethicist” “Ask the Ethicist” column in the thor with a dubious piece of work. columns, designed to highlight ethical issues of interest to the physics commu- November APS News. I would I think I would also have In her informative analysis of nity. We are pleased that the first column stimulated several letters with new hope the author of such a column disliked when I was a student hav- the job market [APS News Back questions, one of which is dealt with below. The continued success of this would display a higher level of ethi- ing my name attached to a Page, November 2003], Merrilea column depends on our readers letting us know either of situations within cal sensitivity than this author has paper I did not understand just J. Mayo states that “a once-per- their own experience, or more general questions with ethical implications. displayed in the first concocted because I had done some techni- lifetime degree no longer makes Please send your questions or comments to: [email protected], or by mail contribution. cal work for it. sense, when a complete turnover to Jordan Moiers, c/o APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD In my view it was never ethical Of course anyone, even an ethi- in technology occurs in a fraction 20740. to add an author to a paper with- cist, can make mistakes, although of a lifetime.” As a solution she Contributors should identify themselves, but their names and addresses out permission, or at least a very it is better not to make serious mis- proposes the accredited (“cap- will be held strictly confidential unless they request otherwise. The opinions serious effort to get permission, takes in a first performance. What sule”) degrees in a form of expressed in this column are not necessarily those of either the APS or APS whether this person is an influen- offends me deeply is the sugges- “specialization modules.” News. tial senior figure or a tion that the explicit statement The introduction of a system ✶✶✶ Research Experience for Under- made by the APS in 2002, “Every of extra accredited degrees The new column is an excellent and timely addition to APS News. graduates summer visitor. coauthor should have the oppor- would be a step in the wrong The following is my ethical dilemma. It is not conjecture; it is from I can remember one case of tunity to review the manuscript direction. First, not all active pro- personal experience. I used to work as a research scientist at a gov- unauthorized addition of well- before its submission”, rendered fessionals are (or will be) in a ernment laboratory. While there, I was pretty much on my own in known coauthors (by other an action unethical which was up position to pursue extra degrees. terms of the experiments: I thought them up, did the design, built the well-known authors), when I was to that point ethically acceptable. Thus, regardless of their actual apparatus, wrote the data acquisition programs, analyzed the results, a graduate student, and the people When I conducted a seminar on competence, those without fresh presented the results at conferences, and wrote the papers. I was who told me about this were scientific ethics last spring I had ar- capsule degrees may find them- obligated, however, to include manager types as co-authors on publi- shocked that it should happen. guments with a Jesuit-educated selves with an aura of inferiority cations despite the fact that they did not even remotely meet the APS It has happened every now and student who tried to persuade us (“your PhD is too old”). guidelines for co-authorship. In addition, they were in a position to then since then, but there has never that ethical principles were univer- Second, an industry (largely block manuscripts from getting the necessary security clearances if I been to my knowledge, a commu- sally recognized, while I was for-profit) of extra short-term ac- felt aggressive enough to push for sole authorship. That hurdle would nity acceptance of such practice arguing for determination by cul- credited degrees will almost have been the least of my potential problems - such a posture would that might justify the disrespect ture. However, none of us thought certainly develop typical short- likely have cost me my job. I took the low road and made them co- implied by failing to allow an au- that ethical principles were deter- cuts such as credits “earned” authors. thor to dissociate himself from a mined by the University, the APS, on-line or other similar practices I know this type of situation happens all the time. I’ve been told paper. This occasional form of mal- the NAS, or any other such body. of questionable validity. by colleagues to accept it as part of the game. Since these unqualified practice is, to a senior person like David Thouless Undoubtedly, with the expo- co-authors have little scientific reputation to protect, the only harm I myself, particularly unwelcome Seattle, WA nential growth of the body of see is the perceived dilution of credit for what was entirely my own knowledge and the fast advent of work. Two Major Problems Face Hydrogen Economy new methods and technologies, (Name and address withheld) a practice of lifetime learning Susan Ginsberg’s article water vapor would be. But that is becomes an integral part of a pro- Jordan Moiers responds: “Revolutionary Breakthroughs not all. As pointed out above, to fessional life in almost all areas. Beyond any doubt, it is a violation of the APS ethical guidelines for Needed for Hydrogen Economy” obtain hydrogen, some conven- However, the habit of upgrading managers to insist that they be included as coauthors on papers that (APS News, November 2003) is a tional energy source is needed. professional skills through self- they did not contribute to in a material way. I’m not sure I agree with reminder of a woeful and wide- And if that source is to be fossil education (including informal you, however, that the only harm is the perceived dilution of your spread misunderstanding in the hydrocarbon burning (coal, oil, workshops when needed) is quite credit for your own work. Coauthor status conveys real responsibility public regarding hydrogen as a natural gas), then even if one ig- different from the pressures of for the research presented in a paper, and it should not be treated as potential for fueling vehicles. nores the possible effect of water earning extra formal accredited a gold star to be slapped onto a manager’s annual performance review. Hydrogen is touted as the “ultimate vapor emission, there remains degrees. Clearly, you have little recourse as long as the culture of the clean energy source,” a phrase that the old carbon dioxide emission While I see a great merit in the laboratory allows managers to hold your career hostage. What is un- hides not just one, but two funda- problem. Again, a reliable, unbi- former, the latter, in my view, is clear is just how pervasive this problem is. Although there is probably mental errors. ased study is needed to compare largely an unnecessary waste of little advice that we can give people facing the sort of administrative In the first place, hydrogen is the benefits or otherwise of burn- time and resources. arm-twisting that you suffered, this column is intended to raise aware- not an energy source but a means ing extra hydrocarbon fuels in Alexander A. Berezin ness of ethical issues in the physics community by printing letters such of transmitting energy from one hydrogen factories, versus burn- Hamilton, Ontario as yours. ✶✶✶ place to another. It would be an ing the hydrocarbon, as now, in In order to help gauge the pervasiveness of the problem, Ask the energy source if pure hydrogen the internal combusion engines Undergrad Enrollment Ethicist would like to hear from other APS News readers who have were available somewhere in the themselves. been coerced to include unqualified coauthors on their papers. atmosphere, or on the surface of These reflections are not is Key Factor the Earth, or in the bowels of it. intended to throw cold water on One factor that Merrilea Mayo But such is not the case, for hydro- research on hydrogen as a means [Back Page, November 2003] Employment Data Show Interesting Leads and Lags gen is always bound, to oxygen as of transmitting energy; quite the should consider is that the need of water, or to innumerable other contrary. They are only intended Regarding Merrilea Mayo’s Back Texas Section in Lubbock. teaching assistants by Physics compounds, organic and inor- to call attention to a great need to Page on physics workforce issues It appears that the shift from a Departments depends upon un- ganic. To obtain it from these, say disseminate the basic facts to the (APS News, November 2003), I was one-year lag in ’63-’68 to a one- dergraduate enrollment, which is water, an input of energy is needed, public in order to forestall false especially interested in the lead-lag year lead in ’81-’85 could have not tied to the job market. equal to the energy that will be hopes and prevent disappoint- experimental data, since feedback been due to the slow recovery from Bruce W. Wessels gained by “burning” the hydrogen ment. loop delay line time was part of a the ’73-75 recession, although Evanston, Il back to its compound form. And What organizations are better discussion with George McClure, there seems to be zero-lag during that energy must eo ipso be suited to this task than the APS or Chair of the IEEE Career Policy ’70-’75 just as there is from 1992 Committee, about my paper, to 1996 (perhaps due to the 1990- obtained from some conventional the AIP who in the past have not APRIL MEETING from page 1 source—coal, oil, natural gas, shied away from initiating studies “Toward an Analog Circuit Model 1992 jobless recovery?). nuclear, or hydro. Thus a “hydro- in important and major areas cluding studies of DNA packag- of Engineering Employment”, given E.G. (Jerry) Bylander gen economy” is no panacea for where science impinges on public ing using Optical Tweezers; the at the fall 2003 meeting of the APS Sherman, TX those who worry about exhaustion concern? Microworld of Solar Corona; the Woody Allen Column Deemed Inappropriate or undesirability of these conven- Andrew Lenard spontaneous emergence of order tional energy sources. Bloomington, IN in vibrated sand; boost-phase Woody Allen’s column in the Murray Campbell Second, would then the defenses against ICBMs; cosmol- November issue of APS News Charles Conover “hydrogen economy” be clean? A ogy; tests of Newton’s (under the Zero Gravity banner) Brett Fadem byproduct is produced, namely inverse-square law; and the pos- perpetuates stereotypical attitudes Waterville, ME water vapor. But water vapor is ✶✶✶ Visit sible discovery of a new kind of of men towards women. Insofar as not nothing. In large enough matter at Brookhaven’s Relativis- one of the goals of the APS is to I can accept that the editors quantities it may, for instance, APS tic Heavy Ion Collider. involve more women in physics, we of the APS News found Woody influence the climate. Until a News In addition, a number of spe- think it was inappropriate to in- Allen’s “Zero Gravity” column detailed and scientifically quan- cial receptions are being organized clude this column in an APS (November 2003) amusing, but I titative investigation of this effect Online for students, women, minorities publication. am not amused that they found it is done, it is far from clear that and international physicists. Members of the Colby College acceptable. carbon dioxide emission— More information about the Physics Department: Tevian Dray http://www.aps.org/apsnews/ treated as such a menace in some APS April Meeting can be found at Virginia Long Corvallis, OR quarters—is more harmful than http://www.aps.org/meet/APR04/. Duncan Tate NEWS January 2004 5

LERCH from page 3 exchange of information—a wor- Despite his retirement, Lerch thy goal, but US participation is plans to remain active in interna- minimal, which Lerch finds trou- tional affairs. He is helping bling. organize a scientific workshop in Even before the 9/11 tragedy, Azerbaijan this April in conjunc- US policy was becoming increas- tion with the Civilian Research and Curve Balls ingly restrictive, with export Development Foundation, and will By Tom Sheahen control laws, technology alert continue to be deeply involved in lists, and most recently, tighter the ongoing restructuring of the What makes a “curve ball” curve? This is one of the truly enduring topics of discussion among restrictions on issuance of visas science program at UNESCO. He scientists. It’s not widely known, but physicists like to sit around watching the world series and to foreign scientists. “While these is also considering joining a sharing a six-pack, and during the commercial breaks the subject of curve balls often comes up. A lot are designed to protect the US National Academy study of the sci- of people think that science is a sedate, arcane way of thinking; but watch a group of physicists homeland, they do not take into ence enterprise in Armenia. arguing about what makes a curve ball change directions, and you’ll discover otherwise. account the fact that the US “Things are not looking that benefits enormously from inter- leisurely at the moment,” he said. It goes something like this: ball, and so the wake bends off to curve sideways? national exchange,” said Lerch. “But a number of us ‘senior one side. Louie: We got any more potato “Once you have a system that is citizens’ are convinced that Profound Theoretical Physicist # 1 Now it’s time for Newton’s Third chips?… The curving motion is absolutely dependent on the free science, technology, engineering, (Huey Bernouilli): Look, I told you Law: bend the wake one way and going to go in whatever direction exchange of information, any and science education can and guys a dozen times, the ball is spin- the equal and opposite reaction the front side of the ball is rotating impediment to that information should be harnessed to accelerate ning and it drags along the air requires that the ball bends the toward. If you want it to curve side- flow is bound to cause consider- economic and cultural growth in molecules right alongside in a other way. ways, flick your wrist and twist the able injury.” developing countries.” boundary layer. On one side, the Hey! Can anybody get me a beer! axis of rotation just as you release boundary layer is moving in the the ball. same direction as the ball, toward Profound Theoretical Physicist # 3 Huey: You do that and it won’t ETHICS SURVEY from page 1 home plate, and on the other side (Louie Maxwell): How can you be moving as fast when you let go the boundary layer is moving in the guys forget about torque? You’ve of it. focus on junior members (those (23%) considered falsification of opposite direction. seen a gyroscope or a spinning top, Dewey: So what? within the first 3 years after data as the most serious ethics Alright? don’t you remember? The whole idea of a curve ball is receiving a PhD) because they violation, and another 23% listed Right! The ball is spinning, right? to have the ball go one place while have recently come through the treatment of subordinates in So, what happens when the So it’s got angular momentum, the bum swings somewhere else! If educational system and are start- research groups as one of the velocity is higher? The pressure right? you’re just trying to fan him, throw ing their professional careers. most serious issues. goes down. On the other side, where Exert a force F, from some a fast ball down the middle at 100 “We targeted that group because Some respondents worried that the velocity is lower, whaddaya direction R, on something with miles an hour. they really capture both worlds,” the pressure to publish “flashy” got? A higher pressure! angular momentum and you a Louie: Where you gonna find said Houle. research in high profile journals Still with me? torque T, which gives the ball a twist somebody who can throw that Overall, the survey found pro- can result in improperly analyzed The ball has some area, right? and sends it toward a different fast? fessional ethics education was data and overstated claims. So:(pressure) times (area) direction!… look, I gotta drive a Trade one of our Nobel Prize informal. Two-thirds of junior Another frequently men- equals (force). long way tonight—better just winners to Japan for a left-handed members said they had never had tioned concern was the With the pressure high on one gimme a Pepsi… You don’t see a closer? any formal ethics training, and refereeing process, in which sci- side and low on the other, there is spinning top fall over, do you? Dewey: What if the ball isn’t more than 80% of undergradu- entists often review papers by a net force in one direction on the No, it precesses around in a spinning at all? ates said they had received no their competitors, possibly lead- ball, which means, by Newton’s circle! Louie: I never did understand training. ing to conflicts of interest. Second Law… Hey, pass the pret- Didn’t your grandfather give knuckle-balls… gee, these cheese Many did receive instruction The APS has statements on zels this way… that the ball is going you a draedel when you were a kid? doodles must be six months old. on acceptable methods of data ethics and guidelines for profes- to move in the direction the force Huey: You’re tryin’ to tell me the Dewey: Why do curve balls only recording, handling, and report- sional conduct, which can be is pushing it—off to the side. ball precesses like a top? move suddenly when they get near ing, most often in laboratory found at http://www.aps.org/ That’s a curve ball! You don’t know anything! the plate? courses. Seventy-eight percent of statements. However, about 80% Dewey: Look, one thing we can Huey: Actually, the force of the undergraduates and 52% of jun- of department chairs did not Profound Theoretical Physicist # 2 all agree on: gravity is going to pull differential air pressure is there all ior members said they had know if their faculties were aware (Dewey Magnus): Yeah, but you the ball down toward the earth… along, from the mound to the plate. received such instruction in lab of or had read the APS ethics forgot all about turbulence! Louie: Yeah, well, what about But although the force causes an courses, and 75% of department guidelines. Most junior members What you’re talking about only the effect of the stitching? That’s acceleration sideways, the sideways chairs said professional ethics (61%) were aware of APS state- applies in little league, where the sure gonna mess up that pretty little motion is very tiny for the first 75 was addressed in lab courses at ments but only 20% had read the ball’s going slow. In the Major boundary layer! feet, and only really gets to be their institutions. statements. Leagues, ya gotta remember turbu- Dewey: … so a curve ball can noticeable in the final 15 feet. We Though ethics is not included There is a well-defined process lence! either make it sink faster or stay say the curve ball “breaks.” The in formal education, it is clearly for handling ethics violations in That boundary layer you’re up higher and not fall as fast. batter hasn’t got enough time to an area of concern in the physics APS journals, and 67% of depart- spoutin’ about doesn’t stay in con- Huey: How many beers have react. community. Most members, ment chairs said their institutions tact with the ball perfectly—it you had? We’re not talking sink- Dewey: I’m gonna get me including 78% of undergradu- had procedures for handling separates and the air behind the ball ers here, this is about a curve ball. another beer. Anybody else want ates and 87% of junior members, professional misconduct. forms a wake, sorta like a boat. The Louie: No, Dewey’s right—if one? said they had discussed ethics is- When asked what could be air inside the wake gets turbulent. the spin-axis of the ball is horizon- Louie: Hey, how’d they get three sues informally. About half of done to improve professional The point on the ball where the tal to begin with, the motion of the runs that inning? department chairs said ethics had ethics, some survey respondents boundary layer separates is differ- ball will be along the plus or minus Huey: While you were busy been discussed more than casu- said ethics education was key, ent on the fast side of the ball Z axis, either up or down. yakking, they were hitting curve ally within their departments in while others questioned whether compared to the slow side of the Huey: So how do you make it balls, I guess. the past two years. training could change people’s “I think that the two most behavior. important results are that train- Based on these survey results, ing in professional ethics is the task force made several rec- Council Approves a New Prize and a New Award largely informal in physics, and ommendations, which include: At its November meeting, behalf of human rights, to the det- The award is distinctive in that that the junior members, who are expanding APS ethics statements Council gave approval to a new riment of his own scientific career it is intended to be given prima- the future of the field, care pas- to include treatment of subordi- APS prize and a new award. In and despite the loss of his own rily to a team or a group (such as sionately,” said Houle. nates, social responsibility of both cases, they will begin to be personal freedom.” a physics department), rather Ethics violations are far from physicists, and intellectual prop- awarded only after the neces- It is intended that the prize will than to a single individual. unheard-of: About 10% of erty issues; developing short-term sary funds have been raised for be awarded every other year and The American Association of department chairs said their and long-term ethics education their endowment. will carry a stipend of $10,000. Physics Teachers already gives institutions had experienced programs; working with the Inter- The new prize is the A minimum endowment of numerous awards for excellence cases of misconduct in the past national Union of Pure and Applied Sakharov Prize, named after the $100,000 must be raised before in education to individuals. 10 years, and about 40% of jun- Physics (IUPAP) and other organi- late Russian physicist and the first recipient can be chosen. Among the accomplishments ior members said they had zations to develop international human rights activist Andrei The new award is for excellence to be recognized by this new observed an ethics violation. ethics standards; and considering Sakharov. in physics education. It was proposed award are outreach programs The most common problems having a formal standing commit- The purpose of the prize will jointly by the APS Forum on Educa- and outstanding teacher cited were putting non-authors tee on ethics. be “to recognize outstanding tion and the Committee on enhancement or teacher pre- on a paper or excluding student’s In January two Ethics Task leadership and/or achievements Education, and, like the Sakharov paration programs. It is envisaged names from papers to which they Force members will meet with the of scientists in upholding Prize, received the endorsement of that the award will be given yearly had contributed. Only 4% of jun- Panel on Public Affairs (POPA) to human rights.” the Prizes and Awards Advisory and carry a stipend of $5000. ior members knew of falsification review the report. POPA will be It is named “in recognition of Committee and the APS Executive A minimum endowment of of data. involved in determining an action the courageous and effective Board before being passed by Coun- $100,000 will have to be raised. Many survey respondents plan. work of Andrei Sakharov on cil. 6 January 2004 NEWS

Quiet Microwave Ovens, Liquid Lithium Walls Southeast Section Holds 70th Annual Meeting Among DPP Meeting Highlights

Improvements in fusion plas- ergy production increasingly fea- Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b,g mas via liquid lithium, quieter sible, plasma physicists working (the standards for wireless net- microwave ovens, and a at the DIII-D National Fusion Fa- works). The new magnetron “plasmatron” that reduces smog cility in San Diego are using a produces a “clean” signal with es- from buses were among the high- little chaos to prevent precious sentially zero emissions apart lights of the 45th Annual Meeting energy from escaping fusion en- from the 2.45 GHz frequency it of the APS Division of Plasma Phys- ergy devices. In a magnetic fusion is designed to emit. The secret is ics (DPP), held from October device, or tokamak, one of the arranging the magnetic fields in 27-31, 2003, in Albuquerque, New most crucial regions for reduc- the magnetron in just the right Mexico. Around 1600 papers were ing the loss of heat and particles way. Fortunately, this configura- delivered at this meeting. is at the plasma region’s edge. tion can be implemented very Liquid lithium makes solid Particles crossing this edge leave inexpensively in practically all improvement in fusion plasmasplasmas. the plasma and carry energy with magnetrons of different makes, Fusion reactors get hot—really them, degrading the fusion ages and power outputs, making hot. Designing a wall that can take reactor’s walls and making it it feasible for use in consumer the heat requires clever thinking. harder for the desired fusion en- microwave ovens. The Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society held its 70th Scientists at the DOE Princeton ergy production to occur. This MIT “plasmatron” drastically annual meeting in concert with the Society of Physics Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) problem will only increase for reduces smog emissions from a Students and the American Association of Physics Teachers at Wrightsville have taken important first steps to- next-generation fusion energy diesel busbus. MIT physicists reported Beach NC on November 6-8 hosted by the University of North Carolina at ward a very clever machines such a new advance with the Wilmington. Four members were presented with awards for outstanding solution to this as the proposed plasmatron, a small device that contributions to physics in the region. They are (r to l): Jerzy Bernholc, problem: the idea is ITER facility. converts part of a fuel into a Beams Award winner, and William Hamilton and Warren Johnson, Slack to fashion the wall As the energy hydrogen-rich gas that reduces the award winners, and John Foley, Pegram award winner. from liquid. Results content of the emission of pollutants from of the first fusion fusion fuel in- vehicles. Developed by MIT experiments with creases, plasma researchers, the plasmatron was DFD MEETING from page 1 liquid components in the edges has tested on a diesel-engine bus in sure at its lateral edges. carpets to achieve enhanced mix- facing the plasma a tendency to Columbus, Indiana. The bus was LES Is MoreMore. Large eddy simula- ing and pumping in microfluidic made a splash in become un- tested by a team of engineers from tion (LES) is a promising technique channels. Bacterial carpets are fusion research at stable, exhibiting ArvinMeritor, a major automotive for the prediction of turbulent fluid formed by flowing a high concen- the DPP meeting. In a kind of turbu- and heavy truck components flows, in which the largest scales of tration of bacteria into a microfluidic addition to offering lence that manufacturer which has licensed turbulence are solved directly while network. The cells stick to the sur- the hope for a bet- physicists call the plasmatron technology from the effects of the discarded small face while most of their flagella ter material for “Edge Localized MIT. scales are modeled. However, some remain free to rotate in the fluid. reactor walls, the Modes,” com- At the meeting, the MIT vital flow situations, such as turbu- The team observed significant en- Princeton experi- Pool of liquid lithium in the tray that monly referred researchers reported that the lence near walls, cannot be simulated hancing of diffusion due to the ments show that encircles the bottom of the CDX-U to as ELMs. In plasmatron device, used with a reliably using LES. Robert Moser of carpet flagella motion, as well as the liquid lithium at the device. The tip of the liquid-lithium experiments special catalyst that treats the the University of Illinois described a functioning of the bacterial carpet plasma boundary injector, which is removed before presented this exhaust, reduced nitrous oxides new approach to LES modeling, in- as an effective microfluidic pump. absorbs contami- plasma operations, is reflected on the week, an inter- from the vehicle by 90%. Nitrous corporating stochastic estimation Tracking Atmospheric Con- shiny surface of the liquid lithium. nants and excess national team of oxides (NOx) are a major com- techniques—specifically, direct nu- taminantstaminants. Paritosh Mokhasi and fuel, and improves the overall effi- researchers applied chaotic mag- ponent of smog. In development merical simulation (DNS)—to Dietmar Rempfer of Illinois Insti- ciency of performance. netic fields, in which the field lines for a half-dozen years, the optimize the LES model. tute of Technology are interested A new entry in the science X- point in unpredictable directions, plasmatron is showing special Improving Liquid Transfer Pro- in modeling the transport of con- gamesgames. The emerging field of to a small edge region of the plasma promise for early commercializa- cessescesses. Gravure coating and printing taminants in the atmospheric high-energy-density physics has in the DIII-D experiment. With the tion in diesel engines, which are common processes for produc- boundary layer. A primary goal is been described by a recent Na- chaotic magnetic field they ap- power many buses and trucks. ing micron scale coatings and to predict contaminant dispersion tional Academy of Sciences report plied, the researchers significantly The MIT researchers believe the patterns in a continuous manner, and based on flow and concentration as the “X-games” of contemporary reduced the ELM instabilities in the plasmatron may provide an excel- may be well suited for the large scale measurements using a minimum science. The term high energy den- DIII-D plasma, enabling more heat lent means for those vehicles to fabrication of nano and microdevices number of sensors. This pre- sity is used to describe matter with to stay trapped in the fusion fuel meet stricter EPA standards on flexible substrates. It is crucial to cludes a direct approach, because pressures more than 1 million and preserving the favorable con- planned to go into effect by 2007 understand the fundamental prin- atmospheric flows are almost al- times the pressure on the surface ditions that allow fusion energy for buses and heavy trucks. The ciples that govern the liquid transfer ways turbulent. They believe the of the earth. While high energy production to occur. Assuming plasmatron technology can also process in order to have precise con- Proper Orthogonal Decomposi- density matter is extreme by ter- that this approach can be extended be used in gasoline engines, and trol over the thickness of coatings tion (POD) method is a promising restrial standards, it can be found to next-step fusion energy devices, makes them run potentially 30% and printed features, and to avoid alternative because it allows them throughout the universe in a num- it holds the promise of increasing more efficiently while also being defects due to incomplete liquid to describe a turbulent flow using ber of astrophysical settings and the lives of materials that make up affordable and very clean. transfer. A team of scientists at the a minimum amount of informa- can be made for short times and fusion-energy device walls without University of Minnesota have mim- tion, by decomposing the flow within small volumes in the labo- degrading the performance of the icked the process using a glass top field into temporal coefficients and ratory. In an invited talk on plasma fuel. NIH Announces New with a curved surface that is passed spatial functions. This enables Monday morning, Mark Herrmann Microwave ovens that won’t Roadmap Funding over scaled-up gravure grooves and them to reconstruct the entire 3D of Lawrence Livermore National mess with your cordless phone Opportunity in cells, and performed flow visualiza- flow field exactly. Based on this Laboratory described recent ex- and wireless computercomputer. A new Metabolomics tion studies. method, they believe it will be pos- periments that provide a new entry invention removes noisy micro- Piezoelectric PrintingPrinting. Piezoelec- sible to develop a practical for the “X-games”: the laser-driven wave signals from microwave A recently released tric printing of gold nanoparticle approach to estimating the 3D tur- dynamic hohlraum. ovens and prevents them from NIH Roadmap initiative, suspensions offers a promising solu- bulent flow field using velocity The laser-driven dynamic interfering with cordless phones “Metabolomics Technology tion for the production of fine line information from a small number hohlraum consists of a spherical, and wireless computer networks. Development,” http:// conductors in low cost, large area of sensors. laser-driven implosion of a plastic The new technology, developed grants1.nih.gov/grants/ electronics, such as radio frequency Designing Winglets for shell filled with xenon. As this thin by plasma physicists at the Uni- guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-04- ID tags and display drivers, accord- MAVsVs. Since the mid 1990s, shell implodes it sweeps up the versity of Michigan, is also 002.html, is aimed at ing to a collaboration of scientists there has been growing interest xenon and causes it to radiate expected to lead to more efficient stimulating development of from the University of Illinois, in developing so called Micro x-rays. When enough radiating xe- microwave ovens, with little or innovative technologies to Chicago, and Motorola. To create Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) for both non has been swept up, the xenon no addition to the ovens’ cost. enhance understanding of such conductors, a liquid suspension military and civilian uses. A team begins to trap x-ray radiation on Microwave ovens heat food metabolic pathways and containing homogeneously dispersed of scientists at the Arizona State the inside, creating a time-evolv- by emitting microwaves from a networks. nanosized spherical gold particles is University is performing a com- ing cavity of intense x-rays—a device called a magnetron. Those For more information printed using a single orifice, piezo- putational study of the effect of dynamic hohlraum. With this tech- microwaves then heat and cook about this initiative, please electric printhead to create winglets on MAV performance, nique, it may be possible to achieve the food. One problem with mag- visit the Frequently Asked continuous beads on flat target sur- most notably in reducing drag. very high energy densities on ex- netrons is that they emit extra Questions at http://www. faces. The printed structures are They found that the increase in periments at the National Ignition “noisy” microwaves at frequen- nihroadmap.nih.gov/grants. subsequently processed thermally to lift obtained through the addi- Facility, which began initial phys- cies that can interfere with other For general information on yield conductive thin film gold pat- tion of winglets is more ics operations this year. devices. Microwave ovens share the NIH Roadmap, including terns. important for the enabling of low A Little Chaos May Go a Long an unlicensed part of the micro- other funding opportunities, Bacterial Carpets for speed flight, and that winglets Way in Future Fusion Energy wave frequency band with please visit: http:// MicrofluidicsMicrofluidics. Scientists from Brown can lead to an increase in lift that ReactorsReactors. In work that makes cordless phones and computer www.nihroadmap.nih.gov/ University presented experimental is sufficiently large to improve practical, large-scale fusion en- communications systems such as index.asp results showing the use of bacterial the lift-to-drag ratio. NEWS January 2004 7

ANNOUNCEMENTS DRAFT WORDING — Open for Comment APS Constitutional Amendment Prize & Award APS SEEKS Regarding Topical Groups Nominations HEAD OF MEDIA RELATIONS In 2002, the APS President appointed a Task Force on Topical Otto Laporte Award DEADLINE: 02/10/04 The APS anticipates an opening for a media relations professional to Groups to review the role played by Topical Groups in the overall APS Established as an APS award in 1985, but promote physics in the popular media. Based at APS Headquarters in structure and make any recommendations it felt necessary. One of the existed as a division lectureship prize for recommendations of the Task Force in its report, which was accepted twelve previous years. The award is to College Park, MD, this position will develop and coordinate all media at the April 2003 Council meeting, called for modifications to the recognize outstanding contributions to fluid relations for APS. mechanisms for the formation and termination of topical groups. Be- dynamics and to honor Otto Laporte. Responsibilities include working as part of a team that identifies physics news stories, locates press contacts in the physics community, and pitches low are the recommendations of the Task Force, followed by the the stories to the national media. suggested changes to the APS Constitution. The changes are intended Purpose: To recognize outstanding research accomplishments pertaining to Opportunities to travel exist. to implement the Task Force recommendations and have been ap- the physics of fluids. The qualified applicant will have at least a bachelor’s degree in science, proved by the APS Committee on the Constitution and Bylaws. They and preferably additional scientific work experience (physics a plus). will be subject to a vote by the entire APS membership next summer. Considerable experience interacting with the media is necessary. Please send any questions or comments to Ken Cole at [email protected]. Fluid Dynamics Prize Excellent oral and written communication skills are required. Competi- They will be shared with the Council at its meeting in April. DEADLINE: 02/10/04 tive starting salary and outstanding benefits package offered. Visit our Established in 1979 with support from the website at: www.aps.org. Office of Naval Research. To apply, send cover letter including salary requirement, From the TF on Topical Group Report: Purpose: To recognize and encourage resume, and contact information for three professional references via e- Mechanisms for Start-up of a New Topical Group outstanding achievement in fluid mail, fax or conventional mail to: ● Petition for a new group must have 200 signatures from APS dynamics research. American Physical Society members who state an interest in forming and joining the topical group. One Physics Ellipse Supporters must list their current APS Divisional and Topical Group Marshall N. Rosenbluth College Park, MD 20748-3844 affiliations. With a valid petition submitted, Council would consider Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Attn: Joe Ignacio, Director of Human Resources the criteria above for justification of a new topical group. If a substan- Award E-mail to: [email protected] tial majority of the petitioners come from a single Division, then Council DEADLINE: 04/01/04 Fax to: (301) 699-8144 would initiate a deeper review to gather more information and justifi- Established in 1985 (originally as the Simon cation for the potential topical group. Upon approval of the petition Ramo Award) and endowed in 1997 by by Council, the group could begin to organize and enroll members. General Atomics Inc. American Physical Society, ● The new group would have 18 months to enroll 200 members. Purpose: To provide recognition to Washington Office, When 200 members enroll, the new topical group would automati- exceptional young scientists who have cally come into existence. preformed original thesis work of Senior Science Policy Fellow ● The new group has three years following Council approval to outstanding scientific quality and increase its enrollment to 300 members. achievement in the area of plasma physics. Responsibilities: Craft and advocate for key science policy Mechanism for Termination of a Topical Group issues. Develop grass roots activities for one of the nation’s largest scientific societies. Organize congressional visits ● After the initial three years, all topical groups would be re- As of December 5, 2003, the programs, “APS Alerts,” and letter-writing campaigns. Rep- quired to maintain 300 active members. If a group membership fell number of physics departments resent APS Washington Office at selected APS national below 300, it would become inactive. “Inactive” means that invited that have endorsed the APS/AIP/ and divisional meetings, APS committee meetings and session slots for meetings and fellowship slots would not be allo- AAPT Joint Statement on the Edu- science advocacy coalition meetings. cated. If the topical group’s membership returned to 300, it would cation of Future Teachers (APS be reactivated immediately. News, November 2003) had grown Requirements: Excellent verbal, writing and ● If a topical group remained inactive (membership under 300) to 254. interpersonal skills. Hill experience desirable. for three years, it would be automatically terminated. The APS has posted an up-to- Science PhD strongly preferred. date list of endorsements on its website. The list can be found at SUGGESTED CONSTITUTIONAL REWORDING: Salary: Commensurate with experience. http://www.aps.org/educ/ Serious consideration of candidates will begin December 15, ARTICLE VIII - DIVISIONS, TOPICAL GROUPS, AND FORUMS joint.html. 2003. 1. Organization.—If at least two hundred members wish to advance For more information, please contact the American Physical and diffuse the knowledge of a specific subject or sub-field of physics, APS Mass Media Society, 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20045, they may petition the Council to establish a Topical Group. The Coun- Attn: Michael Lubell, [email protected] (202) 662-8700 [voice], (202) cil shall distribute to the Chairperson and the Secretary-Treasurer of Fellowship 662-8711 [fax]. each existing Division and Topical Group a statement of the areas of Program interest of the proposed Topical Group for review and comment. Fol- APS/AIP CONGRESSIONAL lowing Council approval, the new Topical Group shall be officially Applications are now being initiated and considered active when at least 200 members have accepted for the 2004 summer SCIENCE FELLOWSHIP enrolled. This must occur within 18 months. To remain active, a APS Mass Media Fellowships. In Topical Group must increase its enrollment to at least 300 within affiliation with the popular AAAS The American Physical Society and the American Institute three years of approval. If at any time after the initial three-year program, the APS is sponsoring of Physics are accepting applications for their 2003-2004 period membership drops below enrollment of 300, the Topical two ten-week fellowships for phys- Congressional Science Fellowship programs. Fellows serve Group shall become inactive and no longer allocate invited ses- ics students to work full-time over one year on the staff of a Member of Congress or congres- sions at meetings or fellowship slots. If a Topical Group remains the summer as reporters, research- sional committee, learning the legislative process while inactive for three years, it shall be automatically terminated. ers, and production assistants in lending scientific expertise to public policy issues. mass media organizations nation- If the membership of a Topical Group exceeds X percent of the wide. Information on application Application deadline is January 15, 2004. total membership of the Society for two consecutive calendar years, requirements can be found at it shall become a Division following application to and approval by http://www.aps.org/ Council. A Division shall have one Councillor. If the membership of For more information, visit: public_affairs/massmedia/ http://www.aps.org/public_affairs/fellow a Division falls below 0.7X% for four consecutive years, it shall index.html. revert to the status of a Topical Group. If the membership of a or Topical Group falls below two hundred for four consecutive years, DEADLINE: http://www.aip.org/pubinfo it shall cease to exist. JANUARY 30, 2004 APS Council and Committee Position Nominations

APS Membership Department News VICE-PRESIDENT; GENERAL COUNCILLOR (2); NOMINATING COMMITTEE; Vice-Chairperson-Elect • ● New Member Benefit for 2004 ● ● 2004 APS Member Directory ● ● APS Bulletins ● Members; PANEL ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS; Vice- APS will offer a new journal ben- Members will be contacted at the end Starting in 2004, the APS Member- Chairperson-Elect • Members efit to members in 2004. APS Member of the year and asked to request either a ship Department will no longer be Article Packs will be available for $50, paper or cd-rom copy of the 2004 Di- processing orders for APS Bulletins. The allowing members 20 APS journal ar- rectory. Members will have to notify paper version will be distributed onsite Please send your nominations to: American Physical Society; ticle downloads (excluding PROLA and APS of their choice by February 23, at meetings to attendees. Open access to One Physics Ellipse; College Park, MD 20740-3844; Attn: Ken RMP). This is a considerable savings 2004, to receive one of the available all APS Bulletins (current and archived) on single APS article downloads. Look versions. Online directory access is al- will be available online at http:// Cole; (301) 209-3288; fax: (301) 209-0865; email: for more information in your 2004 ways available at http://www.aps.org/ www.aps.org/meet/. [email protected]. A nomination form is available at http:// Renewal Packet. memb/enter-directory.html. www.aps.org/exec/nomform.html. In addition, APS members can already purchase AIP Journal Packs at a 50% discount on https:// Contact Information: DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2004 store.aip.org/articlepacks/. ● 301-209-3280 ● [email protected] ● 8 January 2004 NEWS The Back Page Albert Einstein on His Seventieth Birthday By Robert A. Millikan

Editor’s Note: In 1949, the seem at the moment to be reason- struggling with cosmic ray effects I discovered as early as 1827, we to be a straight return to the cor- Reviews of Modern Physics devoted able or not. In a word, modern found I couldn’t get anywhere with- physicists before the time of puscular theory of light which had an issue to a celebration of Albert science is essentially empirical, and out the use of the Einstein special Einstein had been extraordinarily been completely abandoned since β2 -½ Einstein’s seventieth birthday. It contains no one has done more to make it relativity equation m=m0(1- ) . blind in our failure to realize that the times of Young and Fresnel articles by many of the most eminent so than the theoretical physicist, Furthermore, out of that same there could be no reason to limit around 1800 A.D. physicists of that period. The introduc- Albert Einstein. That, in a sen- equation, also as a result of the principle of equipartition to I spent ten years of my life test- tory article, by Robert A. Millikan, is tence, is, I take it, his greatest Einstein’s boldness, came the stu- bodies of atomic or molecular ing that 1905 equation of especially noteworthy because it de- contribution to modern thought. pendously important concept for dimensions; that instead it should Einstein’s, and, contrary to all my scribes the content and significance of It will stand out repeatedly in this 20th century physics that matter make no difference, on the basis expectations I was compelled in Einstein’s three great papers of 1905, the brief review of the contributions I “m” itself might be transformed into of equipartition, whether the par- 1915 to assert its unambiguous centennial of which will be commemo- shall here touch upon. radiant energy E through the rela- ticles which were exchanging experimental verification in spite rated in the World Year of Physics (WYP) Throughout the nineteenth cen- tion E=mc2. This Einstein equation impacts with the molecules of a gas of its unreasonableness since it in 2005. The entire issue, which is of tury we had been building up what has now become the most impor- or a liquid which surrounded them seemed to violate everything that course accessible to subscribers to the seemed a wonderfully consistent tant relation in nuclear physics. were as big as an atom or as big as we knew about the interference of Physical Review Online Archive “natural philosophy” as to the na- Turning now to the second of an orange—the average square of light. The contradictions between (PROLA), will also be made available ture of radiant energy—a beautiful Einstein’s great 1905 generaliza- the particle-displacement in a time this equation could not be soon on the WYP web site, wave-theory of light. τ along a given axis X should in any removed by any considerations www.physics2005.org. We reprint This theory required case be given by the gas equation which were available at that time Millikan’s article here for its intrinsic in- that it be possible, by ∆x2=(2RT/NK)τ in which R/N is a to Planck, to Einstein or to any of terest, and also perhaps to pique our noting the difference gas constant and K is a resistance the rest of us. These contradictions readers’ interest in participating in the in time required for a factor depending upon the viscos- have now partially disappeared, events of 2005. beam of light to get ity of the medium and the size of however, through the develop- back to the observer the bombarded particle. ment of the so-called “wave The year 1905 was a notable when, on the one This quite obvious assumption mechanics” by the work of Louis year in that at the age of 26, Einstein hand, it was sent or generalization was first made in- De Broglie, Schroedinger, published in that year’s issue of the forth in the direction dependently about 1905 by Heisenberg, and Dirac. In accor- Annalen der Physik three brief but of the earth’s motion Einstein in Switzerland, dance with these new concepts remarkable papers that were on the and back by reflec- Smoluchowsky in Poland and every material particle of mass m following subjects: (1) the special tion from a mirror to Sutherland in Australia. Further- moving with a velocity v im,s de- theory of relativity; (2) the the observer, and more, during the next few years scribable by a series of waves of Brownian movements; and (3) when, on the other Perrin in Paris had measured with wave-length given by λ=h/mν. But photoelectric stopping potentials. hand, it was sent a the aid of the foregoing equation Planck’s universal constant h is so Everyone of these three papers like distance forth the extent of the random move- small (6.62 x 10 -27 erg cm) and the represented new and far-reaching and back at right ments of emulsion-particles in m of all possible material particles generalizations of immense impor- angles to the earth’s liquids, and Harvey Flecher and I or even of electrons is so large that tance. For the first and second of motion, to find the in connection with my oil drop ex- these wave-lengths λ are in gen- these the stage had already been speed with which the periments had done the same with eral infinitesimal in comparison set and the experimental founda- earth is moving much greater precision with sus- with ordinary light or other elec- tions on which all sound through the aether. pended particles in gases, and thus tromagnetic waves. The result of generalizations must rest had But this experiment, verified experimentally the valid- their interference therefore pro- already been built. In the case of after it had been per- ity of Einstein’s generalization. duces essentially straight-line or relativity the prime experimental formed with such As a result of these new particle-like propagation. In other builder had been my own chief at extraordinary skill researches the whole attack of the words the apparent contradiction Copyright of California Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. Courtesy of the Archives, California the University of Chicago, Albert and refinement by Institute of Technology. school of the “energetiker” upon between particle and wave con- A. Michelson, who made his first Michelson and the kinetic and atomic hypotheses cepts now disappears and for the Robert Millikan and Albert Einstein, Caltech, 1931. experiment on aether-drift at Morley, yielded with had collapsed. Ostwald himself same reason as it did in the par- Berlin in 1881, only two years great definiteness the answer that tions, the kinetic theory of gases had showed the greatness of his mind ticle-wave controversy of a after he had risen to fame by mak- there is no such time-difference and first been put on a quantitative by publicly admitting that he had hundred fifty years ago, between ing in 1879 a very great therefore no observable velocity of basis by Joule’s development in been wrong. Indeed in the preface Newton and Huygens. improvement upon Foucault’s the earth with respect to the aether. 1848 of the equation p=1/3nmc2 and to the next edition of his Outlines of In closing my tribute to Einstein rotating mirror method of deter- That unreasonable, apparently out of that came the first statement Chemistry, published about 1913, I wish to say that much as I honor mining the speed of light. inexplicable experimental fact was of the principle of equipartition of he made the following clear and him for his immense contributions But it was not until 1887 that very bothersome to 19th century energy generally accepted in the frank avowal of his changed posi- to physics, his greatest qualities lie this experiment, repeated at Case physics and so for almost twenty case of gases by all modern atomists tion in the following words: in the field of character and mor- School of Applied Science with years after this fact came to light but vigorously denied by the school “I am now convinced that we have als. I worked with him for some great care and refinement by physicists wandered in the wilder- of so-called “energetikers” led by recently become possessed of experi- years on a committee of the League Michelson and Morley, began to ness in the disheartening effort to Ostwald and Helms and followed mental evidence of the discrete or of Nations and I also saw much of take its place as the most famous make it seem reasonable. Then somewhat haltingly by so great a grained nature of matter for which the him in the two winters which he and in many ways the most funda- Einstein called out to us all, “Let us natural philosopher as Ernst atomic hypothesis sought in vain for spent with us at the California In- mentally significant experiment merely accept this as an established Mach—a group which asserted that hundreds and thousands of years. The stitute of Technology, and I came since the discovery of electromag- experimental fact and from there the facts of observation did not isolation and counting of gaseous ions to admire him most for his extraor- netic induction by Faraday in proceed to work out its inevitable need the postulate even of the ex- on the one hand… and on the other dinary open-mindedness, his 1831. The special theory of rela- consequences,” and he went at that istence of atoms, to say nothing of the agreement of the Brownian move- modesty, his honesty, and his com- tivity may be looked upon as task himself with an energy and a their motions. ments with the requirements of the plete readiness to admit that he had starting essentially in a generaliza- capacity which very few people on This principle of equipartition, kinetic hypothesis… justify the most been wrong and to change his tion from Michelson’s experiment. earth possess. Thus was born the however, under conditions of tem- cautious scientist in now speaking of position entirely in the light of new And here is where Einstein’s char- special theory of relativity. perature and pressure not too far the experimental proof of the atomic conditions. His two-page statement acteristic boldness of approach My early contact with it came removed from the normal, had theory of matter. The atomic hypoth- found in a small pamphlet entitled came in, for the distinguishing fea- only because when I went to received, as most physicists esis is thus raised to the position of a “My Faith,” printed and distrib- ture of modern scientific thought Chicago as a young assistant in thought, the best of experimental scientifically well-founded theory.” uted by the American Weekly (New lies in the fact that it begins by dis- 1896, Mr. Michelson was making credentials through its success in Einstein’s third 1905 paper York, 1948) reveals a greatness of carding all a priori conceptions elaborate experiments in the predicting correctly the relative reveals more strikingly than either soul and keenness of intelligence about the nature of reality—or Ryerson Laboratory to see values of atomic weights, diffusion of the foregoing his boldness in and understanding rarely found in about the ultimate nature of the whether, though the earth at its coefficients, and viscosities of dif- breaking with tradition and setting the history of mankind. universe—such as had character- surface “carried the aether along ferent gases, the atomic weights of up a photoelectric stopping poten- Robert Andrews Millikan (1868- ized practically all Greek with it without slip,” that slip might which ranged from that of the light- tial equation PD•e=½mv2=hν−p 1953) was professor of physics at the philosophy and all medieval think- appear if the path taken by the est atom, hydrogen, up to close to which at the time seemed com- University of Chicago and at Caltech. ing as well, and takes instead, as its light went to a considerable dis- those like mercury, a hundred times pletely unreasonable because it He received the 1923 Nobel Prize in starting point, well-authenticated, tance above the earth’s surface. heavier. apparently ignored and indeed Physics for his measurement of the carefully tested experimental facts, I was only an onlooker in this But though the Brownian move- seemed to contradict all the mani- charge of the electron and for his work no matter whether these facts experiment but later when I was ments had been experimentally fold facts of interference and thus on the photoelectric effect.

APS News welcomes and encourages letters and submissions from its members responding to these and other issues. Responses may be sent to: [email protected].