NEWSApril 2005 Volume 14, No. 4 A Publication of The American Physical Society http://www.aps.org/apsnews

Physicists Head to Florida Coast for 2005 APS April Meeting

Physicists will be heading down plasma physics, and to the Sunshine State later this computational physics. month for the 2005 APS April This meeting also Meeting, to be held in Tampa, serves as the 2005 Florida, April 16-19. The scientific divisional meeting of program will feature about 75 the Division of Par- invited sessions and more than 100 ticles and Fields. contributed and poster sessions, on Among the high- topics ranging from astrophysics, lights of the technical nuclear physics, particles and fields, program are a series of plenary lectures on a Photo Courtesy of Tampa Bay CVB AIP Report: Women, wide range of topics. Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, of the dent Helen Quinn of Stanford Men Progress at University of Colorado at Boulder University. Same Rate will talk about different perspec- Even More Einstein. The World By Ernie Tretkoff tives demanded by research and Year of Physics marches on in teaching. Other speakers include celebration of Einstein’s “miracle A report released in Febru- Stanford University’s Leonard year,” and several sessions at the ary by the Statistical Research Susskind, who will talk about the meeting are Einstein-centric. There Center of the American Insti- black hole information paradox, will be a special public lecture by tute of Physics (AIP) shows that and his Stanford colleague, Patricia Case Western Reserve University’s women in physics progress at Burchat, who will discuss the mys- Lawrence Krauss, bestselling the same rate as their male teries of heavy quarks. Additional author of The Physics of Star Trek, peers. The percentage of speakers will cover the use of on the mysteries surrounding women in faculty positions in gamma rays to probe supernova Einstein’s cosmological constant, physics and astronomy is con- remnants, black holes and dark which he once called his “biggest sistent with the percentage of matter; the physics of nanoscale blunder.” A Saturday evening ses- women who earned degrees in structures; the physics of accreting sion will review Einstein’s scientific Photo Credit: Colella Photo the past, the report says. While neutron stars; a new way of envi- legacy, outlining what is currently women are still a minority in On February 20, the APS helped kick off the World Year of Physics by sponsoring an sioning particles and their known and unknown. On Sunday, International Gala at the annual meeting of the American Association for the physics, the representation of interactions; and probing various speakers will discuss women in physics at all levels Advancement of Science (AAAS), held this year in Washington. AAAS was a subatomic matter with polarized Einstein’s friendships and collabo- co-sponsor of the event. An ice sculpture of Einstein, pictured here, was one of the continues to increase. electrons. rations with such eminent figures decorative elements. A page of pictures from the gala, including some of surprise “While almost half of high Other topics at the meeting in- See APRIL MEETING on page 5 “guests,” can be found on page 3. school physics students are clude the physics of extra girls, less than one-fourth of dimensions and warped fermions; bachelor’s degrees in physics various viewpoints on current visa US Could Soon Be Playing Second Fiddle are earned by women. After restrictions on international ex- this initial ‘leak’ in the change; recent developments in In Areas of Science and Technology pipeline, women are repre- string theory, including a talk by sented at about the levels we bestselling author Brian Greene of By Ernie Tretkoff would expect based on degree Columbia University; extrasolar production in the past,” says The US is in danger of losing its President Bush released his FY06 In a written statement about planets; communicating physics to leadership role in science and budget proposal, which proposed those trends, Burton Richter of the report. “There appears to non-physicists; and a special ses- be no leak in the pipeline at the innovation, according to a group cuts in many areas of research and SLAC said, “The knowledge cre- sion of award presentations that will of leaders in academia and indus- development while leaving the ation that leads to publications, faculty level in either physics feature the annual Lilienfeld lecture or astronomy.” try who released a report on overall budget for R&D nearly flat. patents, and products begins with by Robert Austin of Princeton, and February 16 at a press conference The Task Force called for increas- R&D. In an environment of height- See AIP Report on page 5 the retiring presidential address, in Washington, DC. ing federal spending on basic ened global competitiveness, the given this year by APS Past Presi- The report was issued by the research in the physical sciences federal government must provide Task Force on the Future of Ameri- and engineering. the investment capital for long DHS Is Rare Bright Spot in can Innovation, a group that According to the report, the term research.” includes the APS and 13 other fastest growing economies are “It is easy to ignore long-term FY2006 R&D Budget organizations associated with gaining on the US in R&D invest- See PLAYING SECOND on page 7 business and academia. ment. In fact, as a percentage of for R&D within the DHS, which Titled “The Knowledge GDP, funding for physical science Homeland security is one of is the fastest growing sector for Economy: Is the United States research in the US has been in the few areas that will see R&D in the federal budget. Losing its Competitive Edge?,” the decline for 30 years. In contrast, HHighlights substantial increases in the pro- The FY2006 budget request report presents a set of bench- between 1995 and 2002, China posed FY2006 federal budget, for the DHS Science and marks in several key areas meant doubled the percentage of its GDP according to Penrose C. to help policymakers assess US invested in research and develop- World Year of Physics Gala Technology (S&T) Directorate Photo Spectacular (“Parney”) Albright, assistant is about $1.4 billion, a signifi- high-tech competitiveness. In ment, and intends to continue to 3 secretary for science and tech- cant increase from three years each of the six key areas—educa- increase spending. Furthermore, nology in the Department of ago, when the total budget was tion, workforce, knowledge since the 1980’s, in the US there Homeland Security (DHS). $640 million. Albright attrib- creation, research and develop- has been a shift in the source of Speaking at a March 1 briefing uted this growth to the interest ment investment, the high tech funding from government to hosted by the American Asso- of Congress and the Bush ad- economy, and specific high tech private funding, with the private ciation for the Advancement of ministration in science and sectors–statistics show that the US sector now providing more than 8 Science (AAAS), Albright technology as it applies to is in danger of falling behind other 68 % of R&D funds. Private fund- The Back Page provided an overview of the homeland security. countries. ing tends to cycle with business Publication and the Internet: FY2006 budget and future plans The Task Force made these patterns and focus on short-term Where Next? See DHS on page 7 By Michael E. Peskin announcements shortly after results rather than basic research. 2 April 2005 NEWS

This Month in Physics History Energy and Mass are Equivalent First, some quotes relating to Hans Bethe, Nobel Prize winner and former APS President, who died in March: “The thing that impressed me the most was that he had very muddy In September 1905, Einstein process was seen in 1932: the shoes and all the students called him Hans. So he was just the opposite of reported a remarkable conse- conversion of mass into energy. a European professor. That was part of his greatness. He was totally un- quence of his special theory of With their apparatus John pretentious and never tried to be bigger than he was.” relativity: if a body emits a cer- Cockcroft and E.T.S. Walton —Freeman Dyson, Institute for Advanced Study, The New York Times, tain amount of energy, then the bombarded a 7Li nucleus with a March 8, 2005 mass of that body must decrease proton of energy 125 keV. The by a proportionate amount. As resulting fragments, 2 α-par- “Hans came in with a pencil and paper and made more sense of what he explained in a letter to a ticles, had slightly less mass in total was coming out of the computer than the people who wrote the code.” friend, “The relativity principle than the original 7Li + p, but they —Edward Kolb, Fermilab, The Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2005 in connection with the Maxwell flew apart with an energy of 17.2 equations demands that the MeV. Using the known masses of “Bethe systematically laid the theoretical foundations for nuclear mass is a direct measure for the the incoming and outgoing par- energy contained in bodies; light ticles, it was possible to verify physics with such clarity and care that they could be used to support Photo Credit: AIP major applications: stars and, later, reactors and bombs.” transfers mass... This thought is The first photograph showing the creation Einstein’s equation explicitly. 2 —Frank Wilczek, MIT, The Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2005 amusing and infectious, but I of a pair of particles, revealed by the fog E=mc is the underlying prin- cannot possibly know whether spots they make in passing through the ciple behind nuclear fission and “ The biggest piece of advice he gave me—and my success is partly due the good Lord does not laugh at wet air of a “cloud chamber.” The two fusion. In fission, an atomic to that—is that you should be able to use mathematics, but don’t use more it and has led me up the garden particles, curving apart under the nucleus splits apart into two or than you need for a particular problem. He always went for path.” influence of a magnet, were created in more fragments. But the masses the annihilation of a particle of light Einstein was not the first sci- of the fragments sum to less than simplicity.” (coming invisibly from below). —Edwin Salpeter, Cornell University, The Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2005 entist to propose a relationship the mass of the original nucleus. ✶✶✶ between mass and energy. As The missing mass is released in “That creates a new way to control the properties of materials. Instead early as 1881, J. J. Thomson, who the form of heat and radiation. of changing composition, you can change size.” would later discover the elec- The release of energy in naturally —Paul Alivisatos, UC Berkeley, on quantum dots, The New York Times, tron, introduced the concept of occurring substances is too February 22, 2005 the electromagnetic mass, estab- gradual to be of much practical lishing a connection between a use. Hungarian physicist Leo “The most romantic goal is to be able to see signals from the early particular kind of energy and a Szilard first proposed that a universe with gravitational waves. They would be the most valuable of all, contribution to a body’s mass. chain reaction could occur in a because they’re not absorbed like photons or electromagnetic waves are. Theories of this sort were pur- critical mass of uranium, due to It allows you to probe back to the very first instants after the Big Bang.” sued by various physicists in the the absorption of neutrons by the —Barry Barish, Caltech, on LIGO, MSNBC.com, February 19, 2005 late nineteenth and early twen- uranium nuclei, which would tieth centuries, most notably by then fission and produce more “It’s crazy to think that it’s an innate difference. It’s socialization. We’ve Max Abraham in Göttingen, who neutrons, leading to an exponen- trained young women to be average. We’ve trained young men to be considered a model of the elec- tially escalating series of decays. adventurous.” tron as a rigid sphere of uniform Photo Credit: AIP After many technical innovations —Howard Georgi, Harvard University, on Harvard President Larry charge density. Lorentz modified Atomic nuclei could be split apart in and theoretical breakthroughs, Summers’ suggestion that innate differences might explain the low numbers of this to allow the sphere to con- “atom-smashers” like this one built by this ultimately led to the first women in science, The New York Times, February 18, 2005 tract along its direction of Cockcroft and Walton. atomic bomb, as well as the motion. Poincaré showed that to Julian Schwinger in his book nuclear reactors that convert “All of a sudden, all these wires started heating up. Basically, I had make Lorentz’s model consistent Einstein’s Legacy (Dover Publica- mass energy to heat and thence created a bathroom heater.” required the addition of a new tions, 2002), pages 93-98. to electric energy. —C.J. Ransom, on an experiment he did in his home when he was a child, the force, the Poincaré stress. These E=mc² is the limit of equation Energy is also released in the Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas), March 6, 2005 works hoped to use the (1) for v = 0. E is the energy of a nuclear fusion of light atoms. observed relation between the body in its rest frame, m the rest At extremely high temperatures, “I think they are almost overtaking the men.” energy, mass and velocity of the mass, and c² the square of the the atomic nuclei fuse together —Lilia Woods, University of South Florida, on the progress being made by electron to determine which speed of light. In his September to form the nucleus of a heavier women in science, St. Petersburg Times, February 26, 2005 model was correct. Relativity paper, Einstein already recognized atom, whose mass is less than the swept this all away by showing that the energy of particles emit- combined masses of the original “If you could actually make a quantum computer, you could solve that the correct relation, ted by radioactive substances atoms. This missing mass is problems that would take the age of the universe to solve.” E = (mc2 , (1) might cause the mass of these sub- released as kinetic energy. As —Ray Simmonds, NIST, Denver Post, February 25, 2005 where g--2 = 1- v2, is purely stances to decrease, and he shown by the masterly analysis kinematical and holds for any advocated careful measurement of of Hans Bethe and others, “He is very interested in the foundations of religion and faith-based particle of rest mass m whatever radium salts as a possible means of various fusion reactions enable concepts and he discusses them in a manner that is very attractive for its internal dynamics. confirming his equation. Because us to understand how the sun and fellow scientists. He really thinks before he speaks. If there is an opposite In June of 1905 Einstein sub- c is so large in laboratory units, other stars shine, an achievement of a loose cannon, that would be Charles Townes.” mitted the paper that contained however, a small decrease in mass for which Bethe received the —Marvin Cohen, UC Berkeley, on Charles Townes, who won this year’s Templeton the basic concepts of the special produces a lot of energy, so the Nobel Prize in 1967. Prize for progress or discoveries about spiritual reality, Christian Science theory of relativity. In Septem- reduction of mass in such pro- E=mc2 is Einstein’s most Monitor, March 10, 2005 ber, he submitted a brief sequel, cesses proved much too small to famous contribution, but not his in which by means of a simple observe. greatest. Next month we discuss “They are much more similar than people generally accept. Science argument based on kinematics Confirmation was in fact slow his supreme achievement, the has faith. We make postulates. We can’t prove those postulates, but we and the known energy-momen- in coming. It was not until 1933 in general theory of relativity. have faith in them.” tum relation for electromagnetic Paris that Iréne and Frédéric Sources for this article: the American —Charles Townes, UC Berkeley, on science and religion, Christian Science radiation, he derived the Joliot-Curie obtained direct pho- Institute of Physics online exhibit: http:// Monitor, March 10, 2005 equation that is forever associ- tographic evidence of the www.aip.org/history/einstein/ ; “Einstein’s ated with his name. A conversion of energy into mass. Legacy” by Julian Schwinger; “Subtle is “Anybody can go to Soudan during the summer, take the MINOS lab particularly nice version of (See top photo). Meanwhile, in the Lord”, by Abraham Pais, and tour led by Minnesota state parks and go one-half mile underground and Einstein’s argument is given by Cambridge, England, the reverse “Einstein 1905” by John S. Rigden. see exactly what scientists from all over the world are doing.” —Marvin Marshak, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 4, 2005

Series II, Vol. 14, No. 4 College Park, MD 20740-3844, [email protected]. Past-President (Laser Science), Bunny C. Clark* (Nuclear), John Jaros April 2005 For Nonmembers—Circulation and Fulfillment Division, Helen R. Quinn*, Stanford University (SLAC) (Particles & Fields), Stephen Holmes (Physics of Beams), NEWS©2005 The American Physical Society American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington James Drake* (Plasma), Timothy P. Lodge, (Polymer Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Allow at least 6 weeks General Councillors Physics), Gianfranco Vidali, (New York Section), Paul advance notice. For address changes, please send both the old Janet Conrad, Frances Houle*, Evelyn Hu, Gerald Mahan, Wolf (Ohio Section) Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 and new addresses, and, if possible, include a mailing label Ann Orel, Arthur Ramirez, Richart Slusher, Laura Smoliar* Editor ...... Alan Chodos from a recent issue. Requests from subscribers for missing ADVISORS issues will be honored without charge only if received within International Councillor Representatives from Other Societies Associate Editor ...... Jennifer Ouellette 6 months of the issue’s actual date of publication. Periodical Sukekatsu Ushioda Richard Peterson, AAPT; Marc Brodsky, AIP Special Publications Manager ...... Patti Mascone Postage Paid at College Park, MD and at additional mailing Design and Production ...... Amera Jones offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, Chair, Nominating Committee International Advisors Forefronts Editor ...... Craig Davis Membership Department, American Physical Society, One Philip Bucksbaum María Esther Ortiz, Mexican Physical Society, Proofreader ...... Edward Lee Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Michael R. Morrow, Canadian Association of Physicists Chair, Panel on Public Affairs APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, clarity. All correspondence regarding APS News should be APS COUNCIL 2005 Frank Von Hippel Staff Representatives monthly, except the August/September issue, by the directed to: Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College President Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Amy Flatten, American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, E-mail: [email protected]. Marvin L. Cohen*, University of California, Berkeley Division, Forum and Section Councillors Director of International Affairs; Theodore Hodapp, Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains President-Elect Edward “Rocky” Kolb (Astrophysics), Kate Kirby (Atomic, Director of Education and Outreach; Robert L. Park, news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publication John Bahcall*, Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton Molecular & Optical Physics), Robert Eisenberg* Director, Public Information; Michael Lubell, Director, Sections and Forums; advance information on meetings delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing abroad Vice-President (Chemical), Charles S. Parmenter (Division of Chemical Public Affairs; Stanley Brown, Editorial Director; Charles of the Society; and reports to the Society by its committees may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. John J. Hopfield*, Princeton University Physics), Moses H. Chan (Condensed Matter Physics), Muller, Director, Journal Operations; Michael Stephens, and task forces, as well as opinions. Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// Executive Officer Richard M. Martin (Computational), Harry Swinney* Director of Finance and Controller librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. Judy R. Franz*, University of Alabama, Huntsville (on leave) (Fluid Dynamics), Peter Zimmerman (Forum on Education), Letters to the editor are welcomed from the Treasurer Gloria Lubkin (Forum on History of Physics), Patricia Council Administrator membership. Letters must be signed and should include Subscription orders, renewals and address changes should Thomas McIlrath*, University of Maryland (emeritus) Mooney (Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), James Ken Cole an address and daytime telephone number. The APS be addressed as follows: For APS Members—Membership Editor-in-Chief Vary* (Forum on International Physics), Philip “Bo” * Members of the APS Executive Board reserves the right to select and to edit for length or Department, American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Martin Blume*, Brookhaven National Laboratory (emeritus) Hammer (Forum on Physics and Society), J. H. Eberly NEWS April 2005 3 World Year of Physics International Gala

See picture caption on page1 for more details.

Magician Bob Friedhoffer delights the crowd with the old flaming wallet trick. The man has money to burn. Photo Credit: Colella The Cotillion Ballroom of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington hosts the throng APS President Marvin Cohen (center) and his wife Suzy share refreshments and an anecdote or celebrating the World Year of Physics. Among the guests are approximately 20 famous scientists two with “Paul Ehrenfest”. of the 20th century. In the captions to the pictures on this page, these scientists, portrayed by local actors who remained in character all evening, are identified by names in quotes.

S. Peter Rosen (left) of the DOE’s Office of Science chats with Marvin Goldberg of the National “Lise Meitner” and “Hendrik Antoon Science Foundation. Lorentz” reminisce about bygone days.

The older “Albert Einstein” (center) poses for the camera with S. James Gates of the University of Maryland and AAAS President Shirley Jackson. Earlier that evening, Gates had delivered a plenary lecture at the AAAS meeting on “Einstein’s Lessons for the Alan I. Leshner (left), CEO of the AAAS, is on the Third Millennium.” same wavelength as “Prince Louis de Broglie.” “Erwin Schroedinger” (left) smiles a catlike smile as Neil Baggett of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science contemplates the entangled state of next year’s budget for physics.

Souvenir caricatures provide gala attendees with a memento of the World Year of Physics.

“Lise Meitner” with Nancy Thorndike Greenspan, author of the recent acclaimed biography of Max Born, “The End of the Certain World,” and Robyn Williams of ABC. Brian Schwartz of the City University of New York (right) was one of the chief organiz- ers of the gala. He is shown here with (l to r) Iris Ovshinsky and Stanford Ovshinsky of ECD Ovonics, and Franmarie Kennedy of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.

“J. Robert Oppenheimer” (right) can’t fool William T. Golden (center), treasurer emeritus of AAAS, adviser to Presidents, and pre-eminent Even chemists celebrate the World Year of philanthropist of science. He knew the REAL Sorrel Fisher and her husband, Michael E. Fisher Physics. Distinguished research chemist Leland Robert Oppenheimer. Shown with Golden and of the University of Maryland, wonder what Burger (center), who worked on the Manhattan The young “Albert Einstein” looks relatively the “Oppie” at left is Gilbert S. Omenn, the incoming Einstein would have thought of the Project, recalls those exciting times with “Enrico same as his picture on the poster. President of AAAS. renormalization group. Fermi” (left). Listening in is “H. A. Lorentz” (right). 4 April 2005 NEWS LETTERS

Bicycling in Santa Barbara Here is a further comment to archive through a gift by Evelina Mark Jackson’s letter published in Hale in 1959. A book by Kenji the January 2005 issue of APS Sugimoto contains this picture as News: The famous picture of well as another one with Einstein A graduate student (whom I have decided to call Plato) faced with an ethical dilemma recently contacted the Einstein on a bicycle was taken on and friends Ben Mayer and Judith APS editorial offices. Here is a portion of the correspondence that resulted between the student and an APS February 6, 1933. According to the Magnes, all on bicycles. Presumably editor (whom I will call Anaxagoras), in lieu of my usual ethics column. I’ll get back to work next month. Caltech archive, the picture was Einstein was visting them in Santa -Jordan Moiers ✶✶✶ taken at the home of friends in Barbara. Santa Barbara. Paul Lee Dear Anaxagoras, It ended up in the Caltech Northridge, CA I’m a grad student in physics. I recently stopped working for an advisor who always talks about publishing to motivate his students, but rarely publishes any of the work they do. Time to Confront Political Asymmetry in Physics Whenever a student completes some set of measurements and analysis that the professor had previously agreed should constitute a paper, that student is told that he cannot publish. The reasons The January “Inside the away from science and toward given are as diverse as they are mysterious: “Oh. That wasn’t the goal of the project anymore. Didn’t Beltway” column by Michael Lubell more faith-based education? We I tell you?”, “The results are good, but since I want to sell these widgets, I don’t want to give away the argued the case for building bridges must correct this. America cannot secrets of their fabrication.”, and “Hey let’s hold off on writing for a while so we can get started on this to red-state America. This drove afford to deprive itself of half the other project!” The reason given is rarely scientific. home the obvious fact that Repub- potential talent pool in physics. I spent about a year on one particular project. When I finished and wanted to publish I was given licans are an under-represented A little marketing could go a long the usual runaround. When I pressed the issue, my samples were mysteriously destroyed and I was group in the physics community. way. Students should be reminded given a choice between leaving and changing to a different project. I feel that the work is worthy of My guess is that, percentagewise, that a force derivable from a publishing and I’d hate to simply forget about it. Republicans are even more under- potential is conservative. And Would it be legal and ethical for me to publish a paper on the work on my own? Does my former represented than women. The APS anyone attracted to the Republican advisor have any legal authority to block it, or control its content? (He obtained the funding, and is should do something about this. credo of smaller government responsible for the lab where the experiment took place.) Should I include his name on the paper? The APS has a very active Com- should find the Principle of Least Would it be legal and ethical for me to include or exclude his name against his will? His participation mittee on the Status of Women in Action very congenial. Although in the project was minimal. Physics (CSWP). It is time to estab- parity is not conserved, the differ- Regards, lish a parallel CSRP, and to develop ence between left and right is weak Plato a pro-active strategy to recruit more in physics, but strong among ✶✶✶ Republicans. Surely the reason for physicists. If Nature is practically Dear Plato, the dearth of Republicans is cul- even-handed between left and Your professor (surely you don’t mean Socrates) has been behaving in a way that is undoubtedly tural. Not even Larry Summers right, shouldn’t physicists be the contrary to the guidelines of your institution, and you have every right to complain to a Department would argue that Democrats are same? chair or to a Dean. I realize that this is easier said than done, since it will open you to possible innately more capable of doing By making the atmosphere in retaliation by the professor, but you should go to the higher authority with a simple statement of the physics than Republicans. We need physics more Republican-friendly situation and ask for advice. You can express your concern that you will put yourself in a difficult to determine when young Republi- we can begin to address the position with the professor and ask that your complaint be kept confidential until you decide cans start leaking out of the imbalance and make the political otherwise. pipeline, and take aggressive coun- demographics of the APS look It is legal and ethical for you to publish the work on your own, provided that the Professor has not termeasures. Do physics teachers more like America. Both the coun- made “a significant contribution to the concept, design, execution or interpretation of the research naturally expect more from the try and the physics community will study” (This is quoted from the APS Guidelines for Professional Conduct: nerdy unkempt Democrat than be the better for it. http://www.aps.org/statements/02_2.cfm). from the neatly dressed Republi- Andrew Warden Obtaining the funding and having responsibility for the Laboratory is by itself not a significant can? Do they steer such students Loco Road, Colorado contribution. However, if the funding was obtained because he described the concept of the experiment, he might have a legitimate case for authorship. Finally it is unethical and unacceptable for you to put his name on or exclude him without cause from authorship without his agreement. Your best recourse is to discuss this with a trusted higher authority at your institution. Erratum Sincerely, Anaxagoras In the call for nominations in the March APS ✶✶✶ News, the deadlines for the Panofsky Prize and the Dear Anaxagoras, I appreciate the response. It is extremely helpful. However, the difficulties of reporting my professor’s Sakurai Prize were erroneously given as July 1. The behavior (who may or may not be Socrates, I’d rather not say) to a dean or chair may be greater than correct deadlines are May 1, 2005. you suggest. My professor brings in a fair amount of grant money, which is in the interest of the department, the school, and the university. Although I don’t understand his sketchy behavior, I think it’s about increasing and maintaining grant money. It may not be in the interest of higher authorities to fix the situation. What other recourse do I have? Plato ✶✶✶ Dear Plato, I do not underestimate the difficulty of getting a hearing because of the great influence, financial or otherwise, of your professor (even if he is not the renowned, and somewhat self-absorbed, Socrates) at your institution... I do have the belief that there must be at the higher levels of authority an ethical sense that transcends financial considerations. If you have acted on that belief and it is incorrect there is always the possibility of going to the funding agency. All of my advice is based, of course, on the assumption that the situation is precisely as presented by you. You will have to understand, though, that professors are entitled to a hearing at which they may defend themselves, perhaps disputing your view. As I stated in my first responses, none of this is likely to be easy. I think the story of your experience would be very helpful to others in similar situations. May we submit this email exchange to the APS News “Ask the Ethicist” column? -Anaxagoras ✶✶✶ Anaxagoras: Thank you for all the advice. This discussion has shown me a way to proceed with publishing my work, without violating any ethical guidelines. That’s exactly what I was looking for. I suppose that people in positions of higher authority do have a greater stake in enforcing ethical behavior, if only because they work under greater scrutiny and risk their own job by tolerating abuse. I get the sense that a lot of graduate students are in similarly difficult situations and get burned because they’re not aware of their rights and responsibilities, and those of their advisor. People need to be educated about these things. Maybe that’s a task for grad student labor unions... Feel free to publish my questions and your responses in the “Ask the Ethicist” column in APS News. I doubt Socrates (alright I confess, you guessed right the first time) reads it, and I hope someone else can benefit from my experience. Regards, Plato NEWS April 2005 5

New Users Flock to Einstein@Home Washington Dispatch The Einstein@Home distributed University of Wisconsin–Milwau- one with Internet access. computing project is enlisting kee. “The growing number of Einstein@Home searches the A bi-monthly update from the APS Office of Public Affairs a rapidly growing army of participants increases the comput- vast amounts of data collected by ISSUE: RESEARCH FUNDING computer users in a search for ing power available to us, and the US Laser Interferometer President Bush’s budget request for FY 2006 contains cuts to key Einstein’s elusive gravitational improves our odds of finding Gravitational Wave Observatory research budgets. The DOE Office of Science budget would decline waves. Within three weeks of its something. Were we to find a (LIGO) and the British/German 3.8%; the NSF budget would increase 1.5% (after accounting for the February 19th kickoff, the signal in this way, it would be an GEO-600 gravitational wave transfer of a Coast Guard program), below the rate of inflation; basic program—which allows home exceptional moment for both observatory for waves coming research at the Defense Department would decline 12.8%; and computer users to help confirm theoretical and experimental from compact objects such as NASA ’s basic research would decline 7.1%. The NIST Labs would Einstein’s predictions about grav- physics. It would also be the first quark stars and neutron stars. climb 12.4%, although the increase could vaporize once closeout costs ity—became one of the fastest such scientific breakthrough that Einstein@Home is available for for the Advanced Technology Program are accounted for. Please refer growing distributed computing was enabled by public distributed Windows, Linux, and Mac to the AAAS R&D Website (www.aaas.org/spp/rd) and AIP projects in the world, adding computing.” operating systems. The program budget page (www.aip.org/gov/budginfo.html) for more details. roughly a thousand users a day. Einstein@Home allows anyone provides a screensaver that More than 55,000 people from from elementary school children shows the celestial sphere with ✶✶✶✶✶ over 115 countries had signed up to the most advanced astrophysi- the major constellations outlined. for the Einstein@Home program cists to participate in the quest for A moving marker on the ISSUE: VISAS as of March 14, 2005–the126th an- gravitational waves. These waves screensaver indicates the portion The U.S. State Department has announced that the duration of niversary of Albert Einstein’s birth. are subtle ripples in space and time of sky that your computer is security clearances (“Visas Mantis” clearances) required for certain “I’m thrilled with the response predicted by Einstein’s general searching. foreign science students and scholars applying for visas has been ex- we’ve gotten in such a short time,” theory of relativity. The software Einstein@Home web page: tended from one year to up to four years. Senators Norm Coleman says Einstein@Home principal necessary to join in the search can http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/ (R-MN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), meanwhile, have reintroduced a investigator Bruce Allen of the be downloaded and run by any- bill (S. 455) designed to further streamline the visa process for foreign science students and scholars entering the U.S.

APRIL MEETING from page 1 ✶✶✶✶✶ as Michele Besso, Ernst Mach, and Unlike the Sloan Digital Sky Survey expect that other, more powerful Satyendra Nath Bose. and 2dF, prominent surveys which processes might endow ν’s with ISSUE: ENERGY AND NATIONAL SECURITY Catching a Gravitational Wave. look at relatively nearby galaxies, energies of 1018 eV or more. The The APS Panel on Public Affairs (POPA) will be issuing a Discussion Two major scientific collaborations DEEP2 centers its attention farther Antarctic Impulsive Transient Paper on nuclear power and proliferation resistance titled: “Securing are well on their way to testing out, to a time about halfway back Antenna (ANITA) is designed to de- Benefits, Limiting Risk”. The report reviews three current federal Einstein’s predictions in general to the Big Bang. Marc Davis will tect exactly this sort of particle. programs: Technical Safeguards, Gen IV, and the Advanced Fuel Cycle relativity by searching space for report on new findings about the ANITA consists of an array of an- Initiative. Several recommendations are made that would enhance the gravitational waves. Various scien- clusters of galaxies at that redshift tennas mounted on a balloon flown proliferation resistance of nuclear power. Roger Hagengruber chaired tists from the LIGO collaboration and might, depending on the above the Antarctic icecap. Peter the study. Other authors include: John Ahearne, Robert J. Budnitz, will present new results in the progress of data analysis, be able Gorham will present the first Steve Fetter, Ernest Moniz, Burt Richter, Tom Shea, Francis Slakey, Jim search for black holes and gravita- to provide the best astrophysical ANITA results. Tape, and Frank von Hippel. When issued, the report will be available tional waves from neutron stars and test yet of the proposition that the Do We Really Understand for download from the APS Washington Office website: radio pulsars, among other objects. fine structure constant has been Gravity? Some physicists wonder http://www.aps.org/public_affairs/index.cfm On the horizon is the planned changing down through the eons. whether the evidence in favor of space-based Laser Interferometer Quantum Loops and the Black-Hole dark matter and dark energy isn’t Log on to the APS Web Site: Space Antenna (LISA), which will Information Paradox. Like its rival, pointing to a breakdown in an (http://www.aps.org/public_affairs) for more information. be sensitive to gravitational waves string theory, loop quantum grav- understanding of gravity. The an- in the mHz band. Several speakers ity aims to reconcile the venerable swer is probably “no,” but will discuss potentially powerful but incompatible theories of gen- physicists are speculating on alter- trons to high energies. Chandra science enters governance for sources, including massive black eral relativity, which describes the natives. Hiranya Peiris of the Joshi of UCLA, working at the SLAC political gain. Kurt Gottfried hole binaries and globular cluster universe at large scales, and quan- University of Chicago will cover machine at Stanford, will report on (Cornell University) and Lawrence systems. tum mechanics, which describe some of the best cosmological the present ability to impart energy Krauss (Case Western Reserve Uni- Deep Galaxies. The DEEP2 nature at the atomic scale. Unlike observations, especially of the mi- gains of 4 GeV over only a 10-cm versity) will discuss examples and project, headquartered at UC string theory, which starts off by crowave background, and how length of plasma and plans for evidence to support this claim, and Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, is a assuming space-time is smooth and they can be used to constrain novel achieving soon a gain of 10 GeV what the scientific community large galaxy-redshift survey map- continuous, loop quantum gravity theories of gravity. Arthur over a length of a third of a meter. might do to ensure that politics ping the location of 50,000 galaxies. assumes fundamentally that space- Kosowsky of Rutgers will discuss Politics vs. Science. Many Ameri- does not trump science. Presiden- time at the smallest scales is dark matter and possible alterna- can scientists have alleged that the tial science advisor John Marburger discontinuous and chunky. The fab- tives. And Mark Trodden of Special Events current administration manipu- will be on hand to offer the Bush ric of space-time is literally woven Syracuse University will take a simi- lated the process through which administration’s perspective. Friday, April 15 by quantum threads and is best lar tack towards the acceleration High School Physics Teachers’ Day described by a “quantum geom- of the universe, which is usually 8:30 am – 3:45 pm etry.” Abhay Ashtekar, the director taken to indicate the presence of AIP REPORT from page 1 Professional Skills Development of Penn State’s Institute for Gravi- dark energy. Workshop for Women Physicists tational Physics and Geometry, will Is the Pentaquark an Endangered This data should not be taken •The representation of women 8:30 am – 5:00 pm present a detailed solution to the Species? For decades, physicists had to mean that there is no discrimi- in physics and astronomy at all Career Workshop so-called “information-loss para- only seen evidence that quarks nation against women in physics, 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm levels continues to increase. At dox” associated with black holes. clump in groups of two and three. cautions Rachel Ivie of AIP, the the high school level, almost half of Saturday, April 16 Mouse Thyroids Go Radioactive. In In the last three years, however, study’s author. physics students are girls. Einstein’s Legacy: What We parts of the US and elsewhere experiments produced evidence “This doesn’t mean there’s no During 2003, women earned 22% Know and What We Don’t Know potassium iodide (KI) tablets have for exotic four- quark (tetraquark) problem in physics,” said Ivie. of the bachelor’s degrees in 7:30pm-9:30pm been made available for use by hu- and five-quark (pentaquark) “Women have persevered in spite physics and 18% of the PhD’s. mans so as to load the thyroid with states. On the heels of a dozen of obstacles,” she said. For instance, Sunday, April 17 •Estimates of the retention rates stable iodine in the event of an ac- “positive” sightings of the women are more likely than men for physics graduate students APS Journal Editors Panel cidental or terrorist-triggered pentaquark, there has been a flurry to be hired into temporary posi- show only small differences in Discussion release of radioiodine. An interdis- of negative (“null”) results, most tions, and many women experience the dropout rate for male and 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm ciplinary collaboration among containing better statistics, from a hostile climate in their depart- female students. Awards Session physicists and biologists at the experiments including CDF at ments. “There’s all kinds of •African American and Hispanic 5:15 pm – 6:45 pm College of William and Mary and Fermilab, BaBar at SLAC, and col- discrimination, but it doesn’t show women still earn very few of the Special Symposium the DOE’s Thomas Jefferson laborations at CERN in Switzerland up in these numbers.” physics degrees in the US. Neutrinos, Particles and National Accelerator Facility has and DESY in Germany. Curtis The report did find that even •Internationally, the representa- Underground Labs: Big Plans been studying the effectiveness of Meyer of Carnegie Mellon will when working in the same sector tion of women in physics is also very 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ordinary KI in blocking the absorp- review the current evidence for and for the same number of years, low. Most countries award less than tion of radioactive iodine in the against the pentaquark. women’s salaries are lower than 25% of their first-level university Monday, April 18 thyroid of a mouse. The research Plasma Acceleration. Accelerat- men’s in physics and related fields. physics degrees to women, and Students Lunch with the Experts has shown that the human-recom- ing charged particles to high “Across all sectors, women with most grant less than 20% of their 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm mended KI blocking dose, when energies is usually achieved by comparable years of experience physics PhD’s to women. Public Lecture scaled to a mouse, mostly blocks boosting the particles in powerful working in the same sector as men Ivie said she is optimistic that the “Einstein’s Biggest Blunder: uptake of radioactive iodine. electromagnetic fields supplied by make $3050 less annually. This is representation of women in phys- A Cosmic Mystery Story” Search for ExaVolt Neutrinos. microwave devices. An alternative equal to almost 5% of the base ics will continue to increase. “There Lawrence Krauss, Neutrinos made inside the sun method, with a potentially much annual starting salary for men in are a lot of people working to make Case Western Reserve from nuclear fusion reactions higher acceleration gradient, is to academe,” says the report. that happen.” University typically have energies of mega- use waves moving through a Among the other highlights of 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm The report can be found at electron volts (MeV). But theorists column of plasma to boost elec- the report: www.aip.org/statistics . 6 April 2005 NEWS

Photovoltaics: clean electricity for the 21st Century By Alvin Compaan

Microprocessors, semiconduc- ciency is limited to about 30% for uncommon to find that the poly- tor memories, light-emitting diodes band gaps near 1.5 eV. Si cells have crystalline thin-film devices and other solid-state electronics reached 24%. outperform their single-crystal typically have high commercial This limit can be exceeded by counterpart. value and small sizes ranging from multijunction devices since the high In the past two decades there a few square microns to a few photon energies are absorbed in has been remarkable progress in square centimeters. Thus they can wider-band-gap component cells. the performance of small, labora- be made in large quantities and of- In fact the III-V materials, benefit- tory cells. The common Si device ten can be individually tested ing like Si from research for has benefited from light trapping before being incorporated into the electronics have been very techniques, back-surface fields, consumer product. Although early successful at achieving very high and innovative contact designs, III- photovoltaic (PV) cells and mod- efficiency, reaching 35% with the V multijunctions from high quality ules were used in space and other monolithically stacked three- epitaxial techniques, a-Si:H from off-grid applications where their junction, two-terminal structure, thin, multiple-junction designs that value is high, currently about 70% GaInP/GaAs/Ge. These tandem minimize the effects of dangling of PV is grid-connected which im- devices must be critically bonds (Stabler-Wronski effect), and poses major cost pressures from engineered to have exactly matched polycrystalline thin films from in- conventional sources of electricity. current generation in each of the novations in low-cost growth Yet the potential benefits of its junctions and therefore are methods and post-growth treat- large-scale use are enormous and sensitive to changes in the solar ments. These laboratory successes PV now appears to be meeting the spectrum during the day. A sketch are now being translated into suc- challenge with annual growth rates of a triple-junction, two-terminal cess in the manufacturing of large above 30% for the past five years. Fig. 1. Solar cell structure and energy band diagram showing amorphous silicon cell is shown in PV panel sizes in large quantities More than 90% of PV is cur- valence (VB) and conduction bands (CB), Fermi level (EF), Fig. 2. and with high yield. The worldwide rently made of Si modules photoabsorption, electron-hole pair generation, thermalization, Polycrystalline and amorphous PV market has been growing at assembled from small 4-12 inch and drift. thin-film cells use inexpensive glass, 30% to 40% annually for the past crystalline or multicrystalline wa- Si layer at the top. A high quality Si cell might have metal foil or polymer substrates to five years due partly to market in- fers which, like most electronics, The traditional Si solar cell is a a hole lifetime in the heavily doped reduce cost. The polycrystalline centives in Japan and Germany, and can be individually tested before τ µ thin film structures utilize direct- more recently in some U.S. states. homojunction device. The sketch n-type region of p=1 s and corre- assembly into modules. However, gap semiconductors for high Recent analyses of the energy of Fig. 1 indicates the typical con- sponding diffusion length of Lp=12 the newer thin-film technologies struction of the semiconductor µm, whereas, in the more lightly absorption while amorphous Si payback time for solar systems are monolithically integrated de- part of a Si cell. It might have a p- doped p-type region the minority capitalizes on the disorder to en- show that today’s systems pay back vices approximately 1 m2 in size type base with an acceptor hance absorption the energy used in manufacturing which cannot have even occasional (typically boron or aluminum) dop- and hydrogen to in about 3.5 years for silicon and shunts or weak diodes without ru- ing level of NA = 1 x 1015 cm-3 and passivate dangling 2.5 years for thin films. ining the manufacturing yield. a diffused n-type window/emitter bonds. It is quite The decline of manufacturing Thus, these devices require the layer with ND = 1 x 1020 cm-3 (typi- amazing that costs follows nicely an 80% deposition of many thin semicon- cally phosphorus). The Fermi level these very defec- experience curve—costs dropping ducting layers on glass, stainless of the n-type (p-type) side will be tive thin-film 20% for each doubling of steel or polymer and all layers must near the conduction (valence) band materials can still cumulative production. (See Fig. 3.) function well a square meter at a edge so that donor-released elec- yield high carrier The newly updated PV Roadmap time or the device fails. This is the trons will diffuse into the p-type collection efficien- (http://www.seia.org) envisions PV challenge of PV technology—high side to occupy lower energy states cies. Partly this electricity costing $0.06/kW-hr by efficiency, high uniformity, and high there, until the exposed space comes from the 2015 and half of new U.S. yield over large areas to form charge (ionized donors in the n- field-assisted col- electricity generation to be pro- devices that can operate with re- type region, and ionized acceptors lection and partly duced by PV by 2025, if some peated temperature cycles from in the p-type) produces a field large from clever passi- modest and temporary nationwide –40 C to 100 C with a provable enough to prevent further diffu- vation of defects incentives are enacted. Given the twenty-year lifetime and a cost of sion. Often a very heavily doped and manipulation rate of progress in the laboratory less than a penny per square region is used at the back contact of grain bound- and innovations on the production centimeter. to produce a back surface field aries. In some line, this ambitious goal might just Solar cells work and they last. (BSF) that aids in hole collection cases we are just be achievable. PV can then begin The first cell made at Bell Labs in and rejects electrons. lucky that nature to play a significant role in 1954 is still functioning. Solar cells provides benign reducing greenhouse gas emissions In the ideal case of constant Fig. 2. Triple junction a-Si/a-SiGe/a-SiGe cell continue to play a major role in the doping densities in the two regions, structure (courtesy X. Deng/U. Toledo) or even helpful and in improving energy security. success of space exploration—wit- the depletion width, W, is readily grain boundaries Some analysts see PV as the only ness the Mars rovers. Today’s calculated from the Poisson equa- carriers might have τ =350 µs and in materials such as CdTe and energy resource that has the µ n commercial solar panels, whether tion, and lies mostly in the lightly Ln=1100 m. Often few carriers Cu(InGa)Se2, although we seem not potential to supply enough clean of crystalline Si, thin amorphous, doped p-type region. The electric are collected from the heavily so fortunate with GaAs grain power for a sustainable energy or polycrystalline films, are field has its maximum at the metal- doped, n-type region so strongly- boundaries. It is now commonly ac- future for the world. typically guaranteed for 20 years— lurgical interface between the n- absorbed blue light does not cepted that, not only are grain Alvin Compaan is Professor of unheard of reliability for a and p-type regions and typically generate much photocurrent. Usu- boundaries effectively passivated Physics and Department Chair, consumer product. However, PV reaches 104 V/cm or more. Such ally the n-type emitter layer is during the thin-film growth process and Director of the Center for still accounts for less than 10-5 of fields are extremely effective at therefore kept very thin. The long or by post-growth treatments, but Materials Science and Engineering total energy usage world-wide. In separating the photogenerated diffusion length of electrons in the also that grain boundaries can at the Department of Physics and the US, electricity produced by PV electron-hole pairs. Silicon with its p-type region is a consequence of actually serve as collection chan- Astronomy, the University of costs upwards of $0.25/ kW-hr indirect gap has relatively weak the long electron lifetime due to low nels for carriers. In fact it is not Toledo. whereas the cost of electricity light absorption requiring about doping and of the higher mobility production by coal is less than 10-20µm of material to absorb most of electrons compared with holes. $0.04 /kW-hr. of the above-band-gap, near-infra- This is typical of most semiconduc- It seems fair to ask what limits red and red light. (Direct-gap tors so that the most common solar the performance of solar modules materials such as GaAs, CdTe, cell configuration is an “n-on-p” and is there hope of ever reaching with the p-type semiconductor Cu(InGa)Se2 and even a-Si:H need cost-competitive generation of PV only ~0.5µm or less for full optical serving as the “absorber.” electricity? absorption.) The weak absorption Current generated by an ideal, The photogeneration of a tiny in crystalline Si means that a sig- single-junction solar cell is the in- amount of current was first ob- nificant fraction of the above- tegral of the solar spectrum above served by Adams and Day in 1877 band-gap photons will generate the semiconductor band gap and in selenium. However, it was not carriers in the neutral region where the voltage is approximately 2/3 of until 1954 that Chapin, Fuller and the minority carrier lifetime must the band gap. Note that any excess Pearson at Bell Labs obtained sig- be very long to allow for long diffu- photon energy above the band nificant power generation from a sion lengths. By contrast, carrier edge will be lost as the kinetic en- Si cell. Their first cells used a thick generation in the direct-gap semi- ergy of the electron and hole pair lithium-doped n-layer on p-Si, but conductors can be entirely in the relaxes to thermal motion in pico- efficiencies rose well above 5% with depletion region where collection seconds and simply heats the cell. a very thin phosphorous-doped n- is through field-assisted drift. Thus single-junction solar cell effi- NEWS April 2005 7

DHS from page 1 Also on hand at the briefing judgments are based on risk and weapons attack. To address this, was Kei Koizumi, director of the whether we can make a useful the Bush administration has AAAS R&D Budget and Policy technological contribution in that launched the $227.3 million ANNOUNCEMENTS Program, who provided a area.” He added that the S&T Di- Domestic Nuclear Detection American Physical Society perspective that included home- rectorate also looks at what R&D Initiative, focusing on developing land security R&D being funded is being done by other agencies to new materials for nuclear Washington Office by other federal agencies. minimize duplicating efforts and detection. Although homeland security encourage cooperation. The FY2006 budget “puts the Senior Science Policy Fellow spending remains a top priority, The largest portion of the S&T brakes” on defense as well as Responsibilities: Craft and advocate for key even as the federal budget faces Directorate budget is the $362.3 domestic spending; the former science policy issues. Develop grass roots activities for record deficits, “The majority of million for biological counter- will only see modest increases – one of the nation’s largest scientific societies. Organize homeland security R&D invest- measures. Its focus is on surveil- compared to large increases over congressional visits programs, “APS Alerts,” and letter- ments remain outside of DHS,” lance and detection, specifically, the past three years to fund mili- writing campaigns. Represent APS Washington said Koizumi. The DHS budget is the development of the next two tary actions in Iraq and Office at selected APS national and divisional up about 23.8% for FY2006; the generations of environmental Afghanistan—while the latter is meetings, APS committee meetings, and science total homeland-security-related monitoring systems. The chemical being held flat for the third year advocacy coalition meetings. R&D, including programs in other countermeasures program is in a row, according to Koizumi’s Requirements: Excellent verbal, writing departments, will jump 10.7% to budgeted at $102 million for preliminary analysis. This means and interpersonal skills. Hill experience $4.6 billion. FY2006, with R&D focusing on that “There will be ferocious desirable. Science degree strongly “There’s a lot of low-hanging detection of those chemical competition for resources if preferred. fruit out there, [technological] agents most likely to pose a Congress agrees to hold the line Salary: Commensurate with capability that already exists, realistic threat, both domestically on defense spending,” he warned, experience. either commercially or in labora- and on the battlefield. especially since the FY2006 tory prototypes,” said Albright Albright acknowledged that a proposed budget does not include To apply, please send cover letter, resume about the directorate’s strategic major issue for the DHS has been funding for the war in Iraq. “There and three references to: focus in an economic climate its lack of a central focus when it are difficult choices ahead. Will American Physical Society where tough choices must be comes to “truly apocalyptic” Congress have enough money to 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 1050 Washington, DC 20045 made. “It’s very difficult to do a events, such as a nuclear bomb add funds for both defense and Attn: Michael Lubell, [email protected] typical cost-benefit analysis. Our attack or a widespread biological for homeland security research?” (202) 662-8700 [voice], (202) 662-8711 [fax].

PLAYING SECOND from page 1 EDITOR, REVIEWS OF MODERN PHYSICS The American Physical Society is conducting an international search for needs because of pressures from smaller rate. Unless more citizens in science and engineer- a successor to the current Editor of RMP, who is retiring at the end of 2005. short-term needs. We have been domestic college students choose ing graduate studies within the US The Editor is responsible for editorial standards, policies, and direction of able to get away with it for decades to pursue degrees in science, there is declining, and foreign students the journal, and leadership of a board of remote Associate Editors, composed because we were so far ahead of is likely to be a major shortage in outnumber American students at of distinguished physicists who solicit review articles in all fields of physics. The Editor reports to the Editor-in-Chief and is supported by an in-house the rest of the world. But the rest the science and engineering US graduate institutions. From Assistant Editor. of the world is rapidly catching up. labor market, according to the 1994 to 2001, graduate science It is expected that the Editor will maintain his/her present appointment Only strong federal investment can Task Force. and engineering enrollment in the and location and devote approximately 20% of his/her time to the position. ensure the healthy research enter- (2) The US share of science and US declined by 10% for US A candidate should possess the following qualifications: prise that is essential to our engineering papers published citizens but increased by 25% for • recognized stature as a research physicist; innovation future,” said Richter. worldwide declined from 38% in foreign-born students. In 2001, • broad knowledge and interest in physics and its frontiers; The Task Force pointed out 1988 to 31% in 2001. The US about 57% of all science and • experience with the editing/refereeing process in physics publication. several other troubling trends: share of worldwide citations is also engineering postdoctoral posi- In addition, the Editor needs good interpersonal skills to promote the (1) The number of science and shrinking. US patent applications tions were held by foreigners. journal’s aim of publishing critical reviews that serve a wide physics engineering positions in the US has from Asian countries grew by (4) The US share of worldwide readership. grown at almost five times the rate 759% from 1989 to 2001, while high-tech exports has been in a The initial appointment is for three years with renewal possible after review. Salary is negotiable. To ensure a smooth transition, the new Editor is of the civilian workforce as a patent applications from the US 20-year decline. And even while expected to become involved in the fall of 2005, while the current Editor is whole, but the number of science during the same period grew only the US high tech industry grew still active. The APS is an equal opportunity employer. and engineering degrees earned 116%. during the 1990s, the high-tech Inquiries, nominations, and applications (including CV, publications, and by US citizens is growing at a much (3) The proportion of US industry in many Asian countries letter of intent) are requested by 1 May 2005 and may be directed to: Robert Siemann, Chair, RMP Search Committee, c/o American Physical Society, grew even faster. 1 Research Road, Box 9000, Ridge, NY 11961-9000; or electronically to At the press conference Nils [email protected]. Hasselmo, President of the Asso- MEETING BRIEFS ciation of American Universities, said, “The US may be about to ex- • The APS Texas Section held Brownian motion in E. coli, Bose- perience a significant decline in the APS April Meeting Job Fair its annual spring meeting Einstein condensates, detecting number of scientists and engineers Come to the Job Fair at the March 3-5, 2005, at Stephen F. gravitational waves, testing it will have available to maintain 2 Austin State University in E=mc , GPS measurements, and and further strengthen its innova- APS April Meeting Nacogdoches, Texas, in conjunc- studying Einstein’s manuscripts. tive capacity. It’s bad news for Come to the 2005 APS April Meeting Job Fair to meet with tion with the corresponding Friday evening’s banquet American universities and indus- employers and job seekers from the fields of Nuclear Physics, sections of the American Asso- speaker was Harvard University’s try. And it’s bad news for our Particles and Fields, Astrophysics, Beams, Plasma Physics and ciation of Physics Teachers Peter Galison, author of Einstein’s nation’s future economic and Computational physics. The Job fair will provide an excellent (AAPT) and the Society of Clocks, Poincare’s Maps. national security. If the federal opportunity for job seekers to explore new career options, practice one’s interviewing skills or conduct research into the job market. Physics Students (SPS). The meet- • Finally, the APS Ohio government doesn’t recommit ing featured general sessions on Section is holding its annual For employers, the Job Fair will provide an informal setting to itself to funding of research in discuss employment opportunities in their organizations. frontier physics, with special con- spring meeting April 8-9, 2005, these areas, we will lose students, For More Information sideration given to the World at the University of Dayton in and our nation will surely suffer.” Contact Alix Brice at 301-209-3187 or at [email protected]. Year of Physics. The three Ohio. The meeting, co-hosted by John Engler, president of the Einstein- related plenary talks the Air Force Institute of National Association of Manufac- focused on Einstein’s contribu- Dayton and the University of turers and former governor of including the NSF, the DOE, and In addition to the APS, the tions to quantum mechanics, his Dayton, is organized around the Michigan, added, “We are and the DOD, to total one percent of current members of the Task contributions to cosmology, and theme of nanophotonics. Four remain the world leader in inno- US GDP. The panel declined to Force on the Future of American his ethics. Friday evening’s ban- invited talks focus on photonic vation, but we do not enjoy that specify what other government Innovation include the American quet speaker was Curtis Bradley, crystal fibers; nanofabricated 3D status by divine right, and we spending could be cut in order to Chemical Society, the Alliance for who discussed intriguing connec- photonic lattices; polymer cannot assume that we are safely increase spending on scientific re- Science & Technology Research in tions between Einstein and the photonic devices; and quantum ahead of the world. The only way search. “We’re not putting the America (ASTRA), the Computer painter Pablo Picasso. control in atom optics. Friday the US can continue to create budget together, but this has to be Systems Policy Project, the • The APS New England evening features a special high-wage, high-value-added jobs a priority,” said Engler. Council on Competitiveness, Intel Section held its annual spring public lecture by David Reitze of is to innovate faster than the rest Asked what has changed since Corporation, Hewlett Packard, meeting April 1-2, 2005, at the the University of Florida on the of the world. Federally funded, last year, when the Task Force held IBM, the National Association of Massachusetts Institute of Tech- Laser Interferometer Gravita- peer reviewed, and patented a similar press conference, Craig Manufacturers, the Science nology in Cambridge, MA. In tional Wave Observatory (LIGO) scientific advances are essential to Barrett, CEO of Intel Corporation Coalition, the Semiconductor keeping with the World Year of in honor of the World Year of innovation. If we shortchange replied, “The challenge we’re fac- Industry Association, and Texas Physics celebration, the overall Physics. The meeting also research we do so at our peril.” ing is not a short-term crisis. It Instruments. theme for the conference was features a free optics workshop The Task Force is calling on the happens gradually over a period The full report can be found at Einstein, including lectures on for high school teachers. federal government to increase the of time. We have to continue to www.futureofinnovation.org . budgets of key research agencies, get the message out.” 8 April 2005 NEWS The Back Page Publication and the Internet: Where Next? Michael E. Peskin

A part of the vision of the future makes the article widely available in a bibliographic the decision to accept or reject a of science enunciated by Vannevar readable form, (2) performs an evalu- search engines paper. For the Physical Review, this Bush in1945 was the “memex,” a ation and gives its imprimatur to the that are up-to-date task accounts for 30% of the PR cost. machine that instantly retrieved any correctness and importance of the within a few days Adding the costs of overhead, finan- paper in the scientific literature1. results, (3) preserves the results for of posting on the cial services, and an editorial office, Today, that device is at my disposal. future readers, and (4) provides a Cornell archive.4,5 the cost per article would be almost When students come to my office basis for search and location of the Thus, these ser- 50% of the PR cost, even if the only with queries that might be about any contribution. vices are about product of the journal is the decision topic in high-energy physics, I can put I believe that the roles of three months to accept or reject the paper. the answers in their hands with a few distribution and archiving can, to a ahead of refereed Who would pay these costs? The clicks of the mouse. This is the result great extent, become the responsi- journals and six model in which physicists pay for of enormous effort in the past bility of the author if appropriate months ahead of each paper submitted has been tried, decade by many people who shared technical means are provided. The Michael Peskin (center) and colleagues use the miracle of commercial ser- and it was a failure. Authors migrated this vision, from the developers of the roles of refereeing and, to a lesser electronic publishing to bring to their desktop a classic 1969 vices such as ISI. to journals with no publication World-Wide Web to the authors of extent, indexing, require professional paper by Kenneth Wilson on the operator product expansion. They provide not charges but with much higher sub- Web-accessible archives and search services. Following this path, we can only author, title, scription costs to libraries. I favor the engines. It is time now to consolidate save costs and improve communica- Archiving and textual searches but also forward “institutional membership” model, in what we have learned and to pose tion at the same time. A centralized Archive can and backward citation linking. As which libraries pay a fee which clearly the next set of problems to be Distribution improve the presentation of papers more subfields adopt Archive publi- allows authors from their institutions addressed. by providing guidelines and tem- cation, this capability could be to submit papers for refereeing. The most elemental function of a Electronic dissemination of plates for the creation of electronic extended to all of physics. These fees would be tiered for journal is to present articles in a form scientific information can decrease manuscripts. In the process, it can It is important to note that, for research institutions of different sizes, in which they can be distributed and the cost of publication. So it is ironic collect “metadata”–explicit identifi- this service, it is likely not possible to as is done now for APS journal read, and to make these articles that, in parallel with these technologi- cation of authors, for example–that give the full burden to the author. It subscriptions. Such a fee would be widely available. Until very recently, cal developments, we are troubled would be valuable in cataloguing. is the current experience that the ref- easier to collect than page charges this required authors to interact with by spiraling costs for scientific jour- Eventually, the Archive might provide erences in author- prepared paid by individual scientists, but only a publisher and an editor, laboriously nals. Indeed, this “serials crisis” is the tools that allow authors to produce manuscripts contain many errors and if the library community understood exchanging and correcting proofs. primary concern of university and papers in a standard format for ambiguities. In principle, these can and supported this model. Newton and Bohr famously agonized technical librarians everywhere. permanent archiving. be corrected at a later stage by au- I believe that librarians would see over their page proofs. I do too, but I Some part of this crisis would be alle- There is no universally accepted thors and readers. Still, someone the value of this model, even though have the luxury of desktop software viated by authors choosing to publish standard today for electronic must receive the notices and make the journals would not produce a that gives me control over every in cost-effective journals. In my field archiving of papers. The choice the corrections. Both of the services product that libraries can purchase detail of how my paper appears. of physics, the cost/paper to libraries should eventually be made by a con- named above have several full-time and own. The model fulfills their Indeed, the greatest success of the varies among journals by a factor of sortium of institutions interested in employees devoted to this task and goals–access to scholarly communi- current phase of electronic publish- 10, with the Physical Review at the low preserving scholarly electronic ma- incur costs/paper of about 4% of the cation, with evaluation, search, and ing has been the triumph of the end of the scale. Over the long run, terials, including scientific societies, PR cost. It is possible that similar permanent archiving. It provides author-prepared manuscript. Anyone however, the physics community university libraries, and the Library services in other subfields of physics some savings even from the current with a computer can now prepare a should move to new modes of publi- of Congress. The sooner this consor- could be donated by other laborato- prices of low-cost journals. More paper that is cleanly formatted, with cation that are facilitated by the new tium is assembled, the better. In ries or universities. The multiple importantly, by focusing on payment equations beautifully typeset, and can technologies. In this article, I will principle, pdf could be used as an ar- databases could be consolidated ei- for essential services, it eliminates the convert it to an electronic file that explain where I think we should go. chival file format, as long as a ther by sharing of data through the niche held by high-cost journals, and can be transparently viewed over the There are, I believe, two impor- particular well-defined version of pdf consortium described above or by a this would bring libraries very signifi- Internet. tant components to a new publishing is specified.3 In this case, a rendering higher-level service such as the cant savings. This has made it possible for physi- model. The first is to rely as much as engine producing that version of pdf recently announced Google Scholar. cists to communicate by posting Conclusions possible on the authors of scientific could be used to present papers at papers on centralized electronic Refereeing I believe, then, that the new papers to take over functions now the Archive. Authors would then archives such as the Cornell e-print I have now argued that the model technologies have enabled a change carried out by scientific journals. ensure that their papers posted on archive.2 In some subfields of of author-prepared papers pub- in the way physicists publish that is Good software tools can facilitate the Archive appear correctly and physics (mine is one) the posting on lished in an electronic Archive can more profound than simply making this. The second is to recognize tasks have the correct associated metadata. the Cornell archive is the publication fill the roles of presentation and journals available on-line. If we use that–irreducibly–require profes- This would then leave to the Archive of record. It is the place that my archiving traditionally offered by these technologies wisely, we can shift sional editors and staff, and to assign and the consortium of which it is a colleagues go to read the paper, even journals and would enable improved to authors many of the responsibili- the real costs and collect revenues part only the task of preserving the after it is accepted by a refereed indexing and search of the physics ties now managed by journals. We for these tasks. electronic files indefinitely. This is a journal. The posting date determines literature. The relatively small insti- must, at the same time, identify the In the following, I will quote costs challenging task, but one that could intellectual priority. Through this tutional costs for these services could irreducible part of the journals’ task for these services as a fraction of the be automated in a scalable way, medium, our papers are brought be funded outside the system of jour- that requires a professional staff, and present cost for the Physical Review without requiring further human immediately to the attention of our nals. But the final role, refereeing, a means to pay for their service. In to process a paper (“PR cost”). Please intervention for individual papers. community world-wide. The cost/ cannot be given over to this mode of this way, we can remake the litera- realize that these costs depend on In a system in which preparation paper of arXiv deposition is less than support. It requires a substantial pro- ture in a way that improves its the exact level of service, and that I for archiving is the responsibility of 2% of the PR cost. These costs are fessional infrastructure. accessibility and allows it to grow to have assumed a minimal level, as will the author, the cost/paper of currently paid by the National Science In some models for electronic accommodate the future develop- be explained. The numbers given archiving could likely be brought Foundation and the Cornell Univer- publication, the refereeing step is ment of science. should be taken only as rough down to a few percent of the PR cost. sity Library. conveniently eliminated or replaced Author’s Note: I am grateful to estimates to guide the discussion. At this level, the costs might be paid I believe that the advantages of by automated download or citation Martin Blume, Mark Doyle, Paul My proposal is given in the by the institutions that support the communicating through unrefereed counting. This, I feel, is a mistake. The Ginsparg, Patricia Kreitz, and to belief that the individual scientific Archive. If it turns out that, to e-prints is so great that eventually this essential feature of refereeing is that Stuart Loken and the members of the article will remain the basic element produce archival-quality files, a cen- method will be adopted by all the original idea presented in the APS Loken II Task Force on Electronic of scientific communication. Science tral authority must reformat each communities in physics. Refereeing paper should be confronted intellec- Information Systems for discussions grows when individual scientists have article, the cost will be higher–more is not incompatible with this means tually by a knowledgeable reader. of the points raised in this article. ideas which they first support with than 20% of the PR cost–and the of distribution; rather, it is a creden- That ought to remain a necessary cri- Of course, these people are not evidence, and then polish and payment for this service will need to tial applied at a later stage of the terion for the acceptance of that idea responsible for the personal opinions I defend. A scientific paper succeeds be collected by journals. publication process. It may be that by the scientific community. Such have expressed here. when it presents an intellectually new elec- tronic archives will be Indexing engaged reading should be part of Michael E. Peskin is a professor of coherent idea. The formulation of created to better fit the cultural styles Once one has a centralized any evaluation of the authors for theoretical physics at the Stanford such ideas is not a community of other communities within physics Archive containing papers and asso- grant funding or career advance- Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford process. The judging of ideas cannot (for example, solid state experiment- ciated metadata, it is possible to ment. The fact that refereeing in the University. be automated. Still, we can present ers). It is only important that these search and index this database. The real world often falls short of the ideal and exchange papers both more References archives are centralized for each result would be a bibliographic record does not make this any less true. cheaply and more effectively. 1V. Bush, Atlantic Monthly, 176176, 101 subfield and that they are given of the field, to the extent that its Refereeing has costs that must be (1945). What are journals for? permanence, e.g., through hosting by papers have been stored in the paid. Referees are typically individual 2http://arXiv.org/ In the traditional publishing a university library. I will refer to these Archive. In high-energy physics and scientists who volunteer their time. 3See http://www.digitalpreservati model, scientists rely on journals to collectively as “the Archive.” Once a astrophysics, the libraries of the But a cadre of professional editors is on.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000125.shtml provide four distinct functions. These community has adopted Archive Stanford Linear Accelerator Center needed to manage the dialogue 4http://www.slac.stanford.edu/ are: distribution, refereeing, archiving, publication, more advantages follow, and the Harvard Smithsonian Astro- between authors and referees and, spires/ and indexing. That is, the journal (1) as we will see below. physical Observatory already provide ultimately, to take responsibility for 5http://adswww.harvard.edu/

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