March 2011 Volume 20, No. 3 TM www.aps.org/publications/apsnews

APS NEWS Annual Prize and Award Insert A Publication of the American Physical Society • www.aps.org/publications/apsnews see inside

Strong Physics Lineup at Dallas March Meeting New Access Policy Includes Full Reuse Rights Starting on February 15, APS said APS Treasurer/Publisher Jo- The APS March Meeting, the on Wednesday March 23 at 5:45 conjunction with the APS Forum began a new initiative allowing seph Serene. “We want to be as largest annual physics meeting in p.m., is titled “Graphene: Materials on Industrial and Applied Physics authors the option to retain copy- generous as we can be, as long the country, will take place from in the Flatland”, and will feature will hold sessions highlighting in- right and remove access restric- as that generosity doesn’t have a March 21 through 25 at the Dal- 2010 Nobel laureate Konstantin dustrial applications of supercon- tions for papers published in most negative effect on the revenue that las Convention Center in Dallas, Novoselov. ductivity including in electronics APS journals. For a fee, authors allows us to produce high-quality Texas. Physicists from across the Superconductivity Turns 100 and the electrical grid, medical im- are able to make their papers open journals.” globe will present more than 7,000 2011 marks the 100th anni- aging, astrophysical detectors and access and available via the Cre- The “Free to Read” program papers with over 100 invited ses- versary of the discovery of super- sensitive magnetic field detectors ative Commons Attribution 3.0 allowed anyone free access to read sions and 550 sessions total. More conductivity. To commemorate (sessions 1A, 1B and A5). license, building upon the current the involved articles, following than 7,500 scientists are expected this milestone, numerous sessions Topological Insulators Keep Free-to-Read program. Articles the payment of a fee (by any inter- to show up to share the most cut- at the meeting are devoted to the Getting Hotter published under this new option ested person). The new initiative, ting edge developments in areas past, present and future of super A world powered by spintron- can be read without a subscription which supersedes “Free to Read,” including condensed matter, com- conductivity. The Kavli Founda- ics is getting closer as research and reused freely without asking is different: authors can purchase putational physics, chemical and tion is sponsoring two special sym- into topological insulators keeps permission. an agreement that not only allows biological physics, new materials, posia: “Nobelist Perspectives on moving forward. One of the fastest “This initiative will leave copy- anyone to read their article, but polymers and fluids. A number of 100 Years of Superconductivity” growing fields of condensed matter right for the articles with the au- also, via the Creative Commons sessions will also look to explore (session J3) and “Superconductiv- research, topological insulators are thors. It will allow others to reuse License, to freely reuse any part the role of physics in different seg- ity Centennial: Future Research a class of materials in which elec- the articles in any way they want, of the article so long as it’s ap- ments of society, including its role Developments” (session Q2). Tak- trons flow along the surface almost as long as they maintain proper at- propriately cited. APS journals in industry, national security, hu- ing a look back, session B3 will without resistance, while the inside tribution to the original articles,” ACCESS continued on page 6 man dynamics, sustainable energy retell the story of the phenomenon remains an insulator. More than a and energy storage. from its discovery to the first high dozen sessions will focus on this Nobel Prize Session temperature superconductors. The exciting new field. Researchers at APS News Interviews John Holdren - see page 5 The Nobel Prize Session (U1), Industrial Physics Forum (AIP) in LINEUP continued on page 7 APS Releases Report on Energy-Critical Elements Six Programs Get Outreach Mini-Grants Last Fall, the APS outreach times when you think of outreach, By Michael Lucibella department launched a mini-grant you think of demo shows and we The US government needs to program to promote creative out- wanted to get away from that.” do more to secure supply lines of reach activities by APS members, Thompson also added that the uncommon elements critical to the and called for proposals. In Febru- committee was looking especially nation’s future energy technolo- ary, after all the entries were evalu- at proposals that use the media to gies, according to a new study, ated by the APS Committee on In- reach out to more than just students which highlighted elements that forming the Public, the recipients in elementary school. are not currently produced in large were announced. Altogether six One of the successful proposals, quantities, but play major roles in programs were funded, out of more by Ixlan Communications and the emerging energy production and than 100 proposals received. Each University of Texas at El Paso, is transmission technology. The re- successful program will receive up for their “Hispanic Physics Radio port, Energy Critical Elements: to $10,000 to support its activities. Education Project.” The program Securing Materials for Emerging “The idea of the mini-grant pro- will produce a series of one- and Technologies was conducted by gram is to help APS members start two-minute long radio stories about APS’s Panel on Public Affairs and their own outreach projects,” said physics in both English and Span- Photo by Mary Catherine Adams the Materials Research Society’s Becky Thompson, head of public ish. They will distribute the pieces Government Affairs Committee. Robert Jaffe ( left) answers a question about energy-critical elements at a press outreach at APS. to English and Spanish language conference held Feb. 18 as part of the AAAS annual meeting in Washington, DC. The report was accepted by the “This time we looked for pro- radio stations in markets across the Another member of the report committee,Thomas E. Graedel of Yale (right), also posals that were innovative and dif- country, as well as post the stories ELEMENTS continued on page 3 answered questions at the conference. ferent,” Thompson said. “A lot of PROGRAMS continued on page 6 Science Funding on the Table as President, Congress Battle Over Budget DAMOP Sorters Meet The future of federal support for year, or another temporary exten- til September 30) have implica- scientific research is intimately tied sion. tions for the future of federally to the debate over the federal bud- On February 14, President supported science. The National get. Two competing documents, Obama submitted his budget pro- Institute of Health and National the proposed continuing resolu- posal for 2012. At 4:30 a.m. on Science Foundation would both tion to fund the government for the February 19, the House passed lose about 10 percent of their bud- rest of the 2011 fiscal year, and the H.R.-1, its budget proposal for gets. The National Institute for President’s 2012 budget proposal, the rest of the year which outlined Standards and Technology would have embroiled the White House about $60 billion in cuts to the fed- be cut by almost 20 percent while and Congressional Republicans eral budget for 2011 compared to the Department of Energy’s Office in a fight about the future of the 2010 levels. of Science would be facing cuts of federal budget. The debate carries After March 4 one of two things nearly 30 percent. with it serious implications for the will likely happen. Either Con- Michael Lubell, APS director future of federally funded scien- gress will adopt a new continuing of public affairs, said that the ef- tific research in the United States. resolution to fund the government fect of this on scientific research in Congress never passed a budget for the rest of the year, likely with the United States would be devas- for fiscal year 2011 and has been significant cuts from 2010 levels, tating. The cuts at NSF would trun- Photo by Mary Catherine Adams funding the government under a or, if no new resolution is imme- cate the number of grants they’d On February 11, 23 physicists convened at APS headquarters to sort over 900 be able to award for the rest of the abstracts that had been submitted for the 42nd annual meeting of the Division continuing resolution at roughly diately agreed upon, the federal of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, to be held June 13-17 in Atlanta. 2010 levels. The current resolution government could shut down until year. At DOE, layoffs and program Here, Trey Porto (l) and Paul Julienne (c), both of the National Institute of Stan- expires on March 4, at which time a new resolution is adopted. shutdowns at national labs would dards and Technology, and Emily Edwards (r) of the University of Maryland Congress will have to pass some The cuts contained in the Ap- be likely. In addition construction read through abstracts while Chris Monroe (l), from the University of Maryland, and Tom Weinacht (r), from Stony Brook University, talk in the background. form of legislation either funding propriations Committee’s proposal at Jefferson Lab, ITER and the Na- the government for the rest of the for the rest of fiscal 2011 (i.e., un- FUNDING continued on page 6 2 • March 2011 APS NEWS

Members This Month in Physics History in the Media March 16, 1699: William Chaloner, counterfeiter, hanged “How are we going to feel if top of a sleeping giant.” Sir Isaac Newton’s stellar scientific accomplish- put them into circulation. they find it at the LHC? The Te- Michio Kaku, City College of ments are well-known: his Principia and Opticks By all accounts, Chaloner was highly skilled vatron had the capacity to give us New York, on the super-volcano laid the foundation for modern physics. Less fre- and successful as a counterfeiter, purchasing a complementary information.” beneath Yellowstone National quently discussed are his later years, starting with large house in Knightsbridge, hiring a carriage, and Lisa Randall, Harvard, on the Park, CNN, January 27, 2011. his acceptance in 1696 of the position of warden for donning all the outward trappings of a respectable hunt for the Higgs boson and the the Royal Mint. During his tenure, he oversaw the gentleman. He was “the most accomplished coun- upcoming shutdown of the Teva- “This work represents a quan- recoinage of England’s currency, and relentlessly terfeiter in the kingdom… so nice an artist of dies tron, The New York Times, Janu- tum jump forward in the complex- pursued counterfeiters, including one of the most that it galled him to spoil their perfection by use,” ary 17, 2011. ity and function of circuits built successful: William Chaloner. wrote Sir John Craig in Newton at the Mint (1946). from the bottom up, and thus dem- This was a period when hand-struck silver coins In this guise, he offered his services to the Royal “I always knew it would be a onstrates that this bottom-up para- minted before 1662 were often “clipped” around Mint to inspect their coining processes and advise long shot to run three additional digm–which is distinct from the the edges for silver shavings, reducing their weight, the Mint on how to better combat counterfeiting– years.” way commercial circuits are built and hence their value as legal tender, especially in gaining valuable insider information on their meth- Robert Rosner, Fermilab, on today–can yield nanoprocessors foreign countries. Since the value of the silver was ods in the process, the better to forge his own coins. the decision to shut down the Teva- and other integrated systems of the greater than the currency itself, it also presented a It was a brazen scheme that fortunately failed. tron, The New York Times, Janu- future.” strong temptation for melting down Chaloner might yet have escaped ary 17, 2011. Charles Lieber, Harvard Uni- the coins and selling them abroad, punishment for his crimes had it not versity, on making computer chips giving rise to an arbitrage market. been for Newton, who took his role “All great accelerators have an out of nanowires, BBCNews.com, Coins produced in later mintings with the Royal Mint very seriously. end…Any disappointment at the February 10, 2011. had milled edges to prevent clipping, Newton prowled the bars and taverns closing of the Tevatron is tem- but this merely fostered a thriving in the seedier sections of London in pered by my wonderful memories “I think the most remarkable counterfeit black market. The most disguise, gathering evidence against of my time at Fermilab, when the thing about ice, in my opinion at common counterfeiting methods those engaged in counterfeiting. He Tevatron was cranking out discov- least, is that it occurs in many, were casting coins out of fake molds, became a justice of the peace so that eries and it was the center of the many, many different forms. and stamping them from counterfeit he could personally conduct more high-energy physics world.” Most solids occur in typically one dies. Newton estimated that as many than 100 cross examinations of wit- Edward “Rocky” Kolb, Uni- or maybe two or three different as 20% of the coins collected during nesses and suspects, successfully versity of Chicago, U.S. News and forms, and ice has approximately the great recoinage were counterfeit. prosecuting 28 such criminals. World Report, January 20, 2011. 15 different crystal forms, as well It was a crime punishable by death since it was con- Newton first arrested Chaloner for counterfeit- as two forms that are called amor- sidered to be high treason: convicted counterfeiters ing in September 1697 and confined him to New- “I think this is a very neat piece phous, which means without any were hanged, drawn and quartered. gate Prison, but Chaloner called on his high-rank- of work…but I think it’s important shape at all.” The son of a weaver in Warwickshire, Chaloner ing cohorts to win an acquittal, and he was released. to see it as a piece of a big puzzle. Eugene Stanley, Boston Uni- was born in the mid-1650s. He proved to be trou- Undeterred, Newton set about building an airtight Our mecca is to build a quantum versity, NPR, February 11, 2011. ble from the start. His frustrated parents couldn’t case against Chaloner. A year and a half later, New- computer that could have thou- control him, and eventually apprenticed him to a ton arrested him again, having collected far more sands of qubits; here we have only “We want to have something nailmaker in the town of Birmingham. As it hap- damning evidence based on the testimony of eight a few.” that’s not changing, so that we can pened, the city also had a thriving counterfeit coin- key witnesses, several of whom were former part- Raymond Laflamme, Univer- have a stable system of measure- ing industry. Chaloner proved a quick study, and ners in crime. There were two indictments: one for sity of Waterloo, on a new tech- ment.” soon became an expert in forging groats (about four coining French pistoles in 1692, and another for nique to develop quantum qbits, Peter J. Mohr, NIST, on why pennies). forging crowns in 1698. Always wily, Chaloner The New York Times, January 20, the international standard for the He had larger ambitions, however, and migrated first pretended to be mad, and then, during his trial, 2011. mass of a kilogram needs to be to London in the 1680s, intending to find honest accused the assembled witnesses of lying to avoid changed, The New York Times, work. The Craftsmen’s Guild system that dominat- being prosecuted too. “We’re hoping to start taking it February 12, 2011. ed London at that time prevented him from doing Chaloner’s arguments were for naught: the jury underground (by) summer.” so, and he found himself peddling fake tin watches convicted him of high treason after only a few min- Robert Svoboda, University of “A real monopole would be a instead. Chaloner next tried his hand at being a utes’ deliberation, and he was sentenced the follow- California, Davis, referring to de- magnetic charge that would exist soothsayer and “doctor,” catering to lovelorn wom- ing day by the presiding judge, Sir Salathiel Lovell tectors in the Homestake Mine that in a vacuum…What they have is en and those looking to recover stolen property. He for execution two weeks hence. During that time, are searching for dark matter, The a complicated condensed matter was successful enough at the latter to marry and set he wrote to Newton several times, alternately ac- Columbus Dispatch, January 23, system.” up a fairly respectable household, fathering several cusing him and begging for leniency. “I shall be 2011. Michael Bonitz, Universitaet children. But it seems his knack for finding stolen murdered unless you save me. O I hope God will Kiel, on recent research in magne- items stemmed from the fact that he committed move your heart with mercy pitty to do this thing “Neutrinos are really pretty tricity, U.S. News and World Re- the robberies in the first place. Once this proclivity for me,” he lamented in his final letter, but the sci- strange particles when you get port, February 14, 2011. came to light, he was forced to flee his home. entist was unmoved. On March 16, 1699, Chaloner down to it…They’re almost noth- Chaloner first appeared in the public record in was hanged. ing at all, because they have almost “Around a spinning black hole, 1690, arrested for burglary. By then he was work- As for Newton, he became president of the no mass and no electric charge... space and time behave in such an ing as a japanner, acquiring skills in gilding to fur- Royal Society in 1703, and was knighted by Queen They’re just little wisps of almost odd way; space becomes time, ther his counterfeiting career. Soon he was a mem- Anne in 1705, the second scientist to be so honored, nothing.” time becomes space, and the whole ber of one of the many coining groups working out following Sir Francis Bacon. A lifelong bachelor, John Conway, University of space-time is actually dragged of London at the time. A goldsmith named Patrick he became increasingly eccentric in later life, pos- California, Davis, The PBS News- around the black hole, becomes Coffey taught Chaloner the finer points of mold- sibly due to mercury poisoning stemming from his Hour, January 25, 2011. twisted around the black hole.” ing milled edges, and he partnered with a master investigations into alchemy. He died in his sleep Bo Y. Thide, Swedish Institute engraver and printer named Thomas Taylor, who in London on March 31, 1727, and was buried in “We are due. Forget Yogi Bear. of Space Physics, BBCNews.com, made the dies. Once the counterfeit coins had been Westminster Abbey. Forget Old Faithful. It’s sitting on February 14, 2011. minted–usually guineas or French pistoles–another Further Reading conspirator named Thomas Holloway, with the help Levenson, Thomas. Newton and the Counter- of his wife, passed the coins to local crooks, who feiter. New York: Faber & Faber, 2009.

Series II, Vol. 20, No. 03 and, if possible, include a mailing label from a recent is- General Councillors ADVISORS March 2011 sue. Requests from subscribers for missing issues will be Marcela Carena*, Haiyan Gao, Marta Dark McNeese, Representatives from Other Societies honored without charge only if received within 6 months Katherine Freese*, Nergis Mavalvala*, Warren Mori, APS NEWS © 2011 The American Physical Society Fred Dylla, AIP; David R. Sokoloff, AAPT of the issue’s actual date of publication. Periodical Post- Pierre Meystre, Jorge Pullin* age Paid at College Park, MD and at additional mailing International Councillor International Advisors Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, Belita Koiler Louis Felipe Rodriguez Jorge, Mexican Physical Society; Membership Department, American Physical Society, Editor•...... Alan Chodos Henry van Driel, Canadian Association of Physicists One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Chair, Nominating Committee Staff Science Writer ...... Michael Lucibella Steven Girvin Staff Representatives Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson APS COUNCIL 2011 Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Amy Flatten Proofreader...... Edward Lee President Venkatesh Narayamurti Director of International Affairs; Ted Hodapp, Director Barry C. Barish*, Caltech Division, Forum and Section Councillors of Education and Diversity; Michael Lubell, Director, Public Affairs; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Christine APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi- Neil Cornish (Astrophysics), Thomas Gallagher (Atomic, Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Michael monthly, except the August/September issue, by the cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing President-Elect Molecular & Optical Physics), Mark Reeves (Biologi- Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. Robert L. Byer*, Stanford University cal), Nancy Levinger* (Chemical), Arthur Epstein (Con- lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// densed Matter Physics), David Landau (Computational), Administrator for Governing Committees news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. Vice-President James Wallace (Fluid Dynamics), Gay Stewart* (Forum Ken Cole Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings Michael S. Turner*, University of Chicago on Education), Amber Stuver*, (Forum on Graduate of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Student Affairs), Michael Riordan (Forum on History of tees and task forces, as well as opinions. should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– Executive Officer Physics), Stefan Zolner* (Forum on Industrial and Ap- * Members of the APS Executive Board Membership Department, American Physical Society, Kate P. Kirby*, Harvard-Smithsonian (retired) plied Physics), Herman Winick (Forum on International Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, Physics), Philip “Bo” Hammer (Forum on Physics and ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- [email protected]. Treasurer Society), Anthony Johnson (Laser Science), Ted Einstein dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Divi- Joseph W. Serene*, Georgetown University (Emeritus) (Materials), David McIntyre (Northwest Section), Wick the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All cor- sion, American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Editor-in-Chief Haxton (Nuclear), Marjorie Corcoran (Particles & respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: Huntington Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Gene D. Sprouse*, Stony Brook University (on leave) Fields), John Galayda (Physics of Beams), Vincent Chan Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Allow at least 6 weeks advance notice. For address (Plasma), Scott Milner (Polymer Physics), Bruce Barrett Past-President MD 20740-3844, E-mail: [email protected]. changes, please send both the old and new addresses, (4 Corners Section) Curtis G. Callan, Jr.*, Princeton University APS NEWS March 2011 • 3

APS Launches Exchange Program with Brazil APS, in conjunction with the Physics professors can apply The first deadline for applica- Education C orner Sociedade Brasileira de Física for up to $4,000 in travel grants tions is April 30th this year. More A column on educational programs and publications (SBF), has announced a new ex- to either teach a short course or information about the application change program for professors deliver a physics lecture series requirements can be found on the New Educational Offerings on APS Website and graduate students. Up to five abroad. A “visiting” professor website of the APS Office of In- The APS website features a trove of new education content for physics physics professors and ten gradu- along with his or her “host” uni- ternational Affairs. versity will submit a joint propos- faculty, researchers, and educators: ate students per year from each The new Brazil program is country will be able to use the al to participate in the Professor- Ethics Case Study Guides based on the similar India ex- new program to travel between ship/Lecture Program. The APS recently produced a discussion and activity guide to change program APS started in the two nations. The options for graduate stu- accompany a set of ethics case studies that were developed by the the fall of 2008. The India ex- APS Task Force on Ethics Education. The guides are intended to help The two societies have each set dents interested in participating ethics educators lead research ethics training and seminars. You can aside $50,000 to help pay travel are more open, as they can come change program, coordinated download teacher and student editions at www.aps.org/programs/ expenses for physicists interested up with their own program ideas. with the Indo-US Science and education/ethics in participating in a scientific and Students will develop their own Tech Forum, has turned out to be Research Mentor Training Seminar Guide cultural exchange between the proposals with their Brazilian quite popular, with 16 professors APS and the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently completed a two countries. It is the first time or US hosts, who will likely be and 24 grad students having par- guide for a Physics Research Mentor Training Seminar. The seminar that the APS has partnered direct- a professor in the same field of ticipated so far. is intended for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students who mentor ly with another society for such an study in the host country. Up to Organizers of the Brazil ex- others as part of their work. The manual is available at www.aps.org/ exchange program. $3,000 will be awarded to each change program expect it to be programs/education/undergrad/faculty. See also the related article in “The program will permit student to use towards attending a this issue. similarly popular with physicists physics professors from either short-course or summer institute, in both the United States and Bra- SPIN-UP Report Brazil or the US to go to the other temporary lab work, visiting with zil. Irwin said that the APS has In 2003, the Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate country to give a lecture series,” a professor or research group. been making an effort to develop Physics (SPIN-UP) report came out, describing common features of said Michele Irwin, APS’s inter- A committee of representa- departments with thriving programs. APS now features the report and contacts and programs with coun- national programs administra- tives from both APS and SBF will more recent developments in undergraduate physics at www.aps.org/ tries with developing economies. programs/education/undergrad/faculty/spinup tor. She added that the exchange review submitted proposals and program’s aim was “to give both choose the winning candidates. She added also that the APS Com- Physics Education Research Speakers Database students and professors the oppor- US awardees will be funded mittee on International Scientific If you’re looking for a speaker to give a physics education research tunity to experience other cultures through the APS while Brazilian Affairs is also looking at different (PER)-related colloquium or talk, you can search the APS PER ideas for possible future programs Speakers Database. Talks are sorted by intended audience, topic, and experience science in other awardees will be funded through and level, and can also be searched by keywords. If you have a PER- cultures.” the SBF. with China. related talk, you can also add it to the database, which is at www.aps. org/programs/education/speakers ELEMENTS continued from page 1 7 Myths About High School Physics APS Executive Board at its meet- als are budget neutral and would rium created by the refinement of APS, along with the American Association of ing in early February. not cost the federal government copper is retained, and the report Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the Society of “We’re trying to adapt to a additional money. recommends finding an economic Physics Students (SPS), recently published world where energy indepen- Jaffe said that there’s no single incentive for copper producers to a brochure entitled 7 Myths About High dence is an increasingly impor- easy way to address the issues School Physics. This brochure addresses save more of the element. tant political concern. Getting facing the supply of these ener- common misconceptions that high school The report also says that a bet- physics teachers encounter when trying to away from fossil fuels and carbon gy critical elements, and a wide ter job could be done recycling recruit students to their program. Copies use is another strong priority. The range of efforts is needed. “This energy critical elements. Almost technology that has been devel- is a very high level, strongly cou- of the brochure were included with the none of the selenium, also used February edition of The Physics Teacher, oped to lead us away from these pled set of problems that require in photovoltaic cells, is recycled. which reaches over 8,000 high school dependencies relies on these un- an effort that goes across many However it highlighted lithium, a physics teachers, in the hope that these usual chemical elements,” said different disciplines in both the teachers will use the brochure to begin Robert Jaffe, a physicist at MIT public and private sector,” Jaffe critical ingredient to rechargeable conversations with counselors, parents, and and chair of the committee that said. “The lifecycle of these ma- batteries, as a possible model for students about the benefit of taking physics. wrote the report. terials is very complex and it more recycling. The report notes The brochure includes information and that while the amount of lithium statistics on careers that involve physics, The report recommended that touches on many aspects of our college admissions, physicist salaries, and the federal government, spear- economy.” currently being recycled is small, more. You can download or request copies headed by the Office of Science All together the study identi- it has been growing because of of the brochure at www.aps.org/programs/education/posters.cfm and Technology Policy, do more fied 29 elements critical to emerg- greater demand for lithium-ion to collect and disseminate infor- ing energy technologies that are batteries. Undergraduate Research Week mation on the supply chain of rare, difficult to mine or unavail- Lithium is also an element pos- On November 16, 2010, the US House of Representatives designated hard-to-acquire “energy critical able in the United States. Exam- sibly susceptible to geopolitical the week of April 11, 2011 as “Undergraduate Research Week.” The elements” and support more re- ples of such elements are indium, forces. Right now worldwide lith- measure, House Resolution 1654, was championed by Representative search into their production and tellurium and germanium, all of ium production is dominated by Rush Holt of New Jersey, a physicist and former assistant director of reprocessing. The report said also, which are important to the manu- three South American countries, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and a longtime supporter of however, that, except for helium, facturing of photovoltaic cells. Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The undergraduate research. During consideration of the resolution, Rep. it was not economically practica- Unfortunately, there are several report states that while importing Holt and other supporters spoke of the importance of undergraduate ble to maintain stockpiles of en- problems with the supply lines for critical elements is not inherently research in spurring future US innovation. Rep. Holt said, “Around the ergy critical elements. The report these elements. Tellurium is quite risky, supply lines are more eas- country, thousands of students at hundreds of colleges and universities reiterated APS’s 1995 Helium rare in Earth’s crust, and is only are involved in undergraduate research experiences that will shape ily jeopardized when limited to a Statement which recommended produced as a byproduct of the re- the future trajectories of their lives and careers, yet we would benefit if small number of sources. There is thousands more were involved.” that the United States, along with finement of copper and zinc ores. other countries, maintain a helium Sources of indium, though less a firm in the United States inves- reserve. rare, are found mostly outside of tigating possible refinement from APS also supports expanding the number of research experiences for the mineral hectorite, but produc- undergraduates in physics. Ted Hodapp, Director of Education and Most of the recommendations the United States, causing domes- Diversity at APS, says, “Undergraduate research is one of the best in the report are slated to be part tic industries to rely heavily on tion has not yet begun. ways to help students fully appreciate the excitement of doing science. of a bill introduced by Sen. Mark imports. Germanium is less rare The report singled out helium The APS Committee on Education recently recognized this by Udall (D-Colo.). As APS News than silver, but there are no geo- as a unique element. It has many endorsing a statement calling for research experiences to be available goes to press, the bill has not yet logic processes that concentrate uses in cryogenics and because of for all students.” been introduced, but is likely to the element into veins that can be its chemical and nuclear inertness be proposed by the last week of mined economically. it is critical for many nuclear re- The Committee’s 2009 statement is available at www.aps.org/ February. Previous bills have ad- “You’re going to need vast programs/education/upload/undergrad_research_statement.pdf actor designs. The authors of the dressed energy critical elements, amounts of these materials,” Jaffe report recommended that the US but these new recommendations said, “There’s a huge mismatch helium reserve be maintained and More information about House Resolution 1654 is available at www. emphasize information sharing, in what is going to be needed and govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr111-1654 replenished as helium is captured research and recycling, rather what is being produced.” during the extraction of natural than past approaches like mining The study group came up with gas. Robert Noyce Scholarship Program Solicitation and stockpiling. several suggestions to better se- Jaffe said that the course he The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher “We really feel that this is not cure supplies of these energy teaches at MIT, the Physics of Scholarship Program is the number one source of dedicated scholarship a partisan issue. The main recom- critical elements. For elements support for future science and math teachers. Since its inception in mendations don’t bear the label of such as tellurium, gallium and Energy, was a major inspiration 2002, it has funded 413 institutions, which have collectively awarded being either liberal or conserva- indium, which are the byproducts for the report. When researching over 3,600 scholarships of up to $15,000 per year. Proposals for the tive. They typically deal with well of the refinement of more profit- photovoltaic cells, fluorescent next round of funding for both Noyce Scholarships and NSF Teaching established roles of the govern- able metals, greater effort can be lights and wind turbines, “I kept Fellowships/Master Teaching Fellowships are due by March 23. For ment like gathering and dissemi- made to save the energy critical encountering the names of ele- more information, see www.nsfnoyce.org . nating information,” Jaffe said, elements that are co-produced. ments I only know from the old adding also that all of the propos- Only a small fraction of the tellu- Tom Lehrer song.” 4 • March 2011 APS NEWS

Scientists Responsible for Effects of Their Work Letters Regarding the incorrect report- idea to have and a cowardly atti- fringe ideas about Climate Change ing on Fox News in connection tude by some working in the sci- with a political bias, while no rea- with an APS member's resignation: entific community. As a physics sonable mainstream views on Cli- APS Should Engage in Climate Change Debate I am writing because of the re- student at the University of Heidel- mate Change were being presented sponses that defended the behavior berg, I had many a German phys- as a counterpoint. Mainstream Thomas Wolfram and Sam in these specific areas, whose re- of Fox News, and that suggested ics professor who would remind scientists have to be out there vig- Werner argue that the APS search message needs to be trans- that scientists should just stick to us that we must take at least some orously defending their scientific “should limit its activities and mitted to the public. When there scientific matters. responsibility for the work that we findings against politics and- cor publications to scientific matters is general accord among their I could not disagree more. First as scientists produce. We have a porate interests. Otherwise, in this and avoid societal and political respective memberships (about of all, I wholeheartedly agree with responsibility to try to improve the political climate we, the scientific issues altogether.” In response I 90% in the case of global climate the actions of the APS Council and well-being of mankind and not to community, will lose the support would argue that global climate change), the scientific societies its current statement regarding the help destroy either human beings and attention of the general public, change IS a scientific matter–one are a legitimate and perhaps the Climate Change issue. Also, it is or the environment in which we something we cannot afford to do. that also possesses enormous so- only vehicle for delivering their clear to me (and I assume to most live. Sure, we all have to make a Either you care about the po- cietal implications, complicated concerns to the public. Otherwise, fair and balanced members) that if living, but we also have to look at tential of science to help solve by contentious political issues. those with the financial resources Fox News wished to clear up the ourselves in the mirror each day, problems and improve the world, We live in an era of heavily will control the debate, regardless erroneous reporting, inviting the and explain what we have done, or you don’t. Unfortunately, unless funded think tanks, many of which of their scientific expertise. APS President to explain the situ- and why. we sometimes dirty your hands become dedicated to an anti- So I applaud the actions of the ation and restate the APS position I have been increasingly dis- with politics, we shall lose support science agenda whenever studies APS Council for its statement on Climate Change would have turbed by the anti-science atmo- for science in this country, and that indicate an adverse effect on busi- on global climate change. The been the obvious right thing to do. sphere in our country, particularly includes losing support for funding ness as usual; e.g., global warm- Apparently, they don’t agree. within the last 10 years (which has basic research and innovation. Of ing, the health effects of smoking, only perplexing issue for me is the question of why such a large That there are APS members been well documented by e.g. the course, if that happens those with ozone depletion, acid rain, etc. As who cannot even agree on this is Union of Concerned Scientists). their heads in the sand might find component of the global climate a counterbalance, it is essential very surprising to me. That there But I was even more surprised, themselves unemployed. change dissenters are old geezers that the relevant scientific soci- are members who believe that while attending the New England such as myself (PhD 1961), who eties such as the APS, ACS and scientists should stick to science, APS meetings, to find many speak- Peter Somssich AGU, take a public stand when are no longer active in basic re- strikes me as both a very simplistic ers presenting amateurish and Portsmouth, NH the science is highly relevant to search. Where did I go wrong? our long-term well-being. The Member Actually Reads APS Constitution scientific societies include our Vic Viola Robert Levine in his 4 De- While it is silent about consulting creation of the Council would be most knowledgeable individuals Golden, CO cember letter about establishing a with the broad membership, there wise to take the documents of the Topical Group on the Physics of is nothing forbidding this, and giv- petitioners into account but should Physicists Need to Speak Out Climate states that “The Topical en the availability of email, doing solicit information from the Divi- Concerning the letter “APS Climate change, nuclear energy, Group (TG) Petition was conduct- so in my judgment was prudent. sions and other units as well as the should stick to Scientific Matters” anti-missile defense, and others are ed in accordance with Article VIII, With respect to Bylaws, again, broader membership. Section 1 of the APS Constitution the Constitution places “ultimate [APS News, January 2011]: appar- subjects where physicists, and APS However, there is an underly- http://aps.org/about/governance/ legal and fiscal responsibility” for ently, some physicists, Thomas members in general, have a special ing serious issue that the Council Wolfram and Sam Werner among constitution.cfm, under which two TG in the Council and requires the and the ad hoc committee should competence and should not hesitate them, believe that climate change hundred or more APS members Council to review and approve or consider. Topical Groups are to to speak out. is a purely political matter. may petition the Council to estab- disapprove all Bylaws. Draft By- be set up to “to advance and dif- lish a TG. Two documents are re- laws submitted by petition are not I do not believe that this rep- fuse the knowledge of a specific quired for the TG to be considered privileged. resents the views of the major- Henry Blumenfeld subject or subfield of physics.” and established, an Area of Inter- My sense of this is that petition- ity of physicists or APS members. Gif-sur-Yvette, France On the other hand, a Forum is an est statement and Bylaws.” ers may ask the Council to estab- organization to advance and dif- This caused me to read the lish a new unit of the society, but fuse knowledge regarding the in- Societal Engagement is a Positive Step APS Constitution, which contrary they are not the constituting body, terrelation of physics with matters APS has been taken to task in spheres in which we live. Cer- to Levine’s implication neither that before the Council approve requires the Council to establish the creation of a new TG, the en- not exclusively in physics. This some letters for its stance on sci- tainly such issues are also debated appears to better fit the physics of entific issues that affect society, within the political arena, but I do the TG based on a petition, nor tire membership of the Society grants the petitioners the right to shall be offered a choice to join to climate, which shares important currently highlighted by the po- not fear that the APS leadership is aspects with many other sciences, litically charged issue of climate have their Area of Interest state- gauge interest and gather informa- prone to political demagoguery on including meteorology, geology, change. While acknowledging the matters of science. ment and Bylaws automatically tion, that the Council is free and geophysics, chemistry, ecology, duty of individual scientists to be The opposite has been the case. approved by the Council. In fact it is indeed prudent for the Coun- etc. involved in issues that have a so- The valuable Office of Technol- the Constitution requires that the cil to appoint an ad hoc commit- cial and political dimension, some ogy Assessment was abolished by Council consult with all Divisions tee to draft Bylaws and and Area Joshua Halpern members believe APS should Congress in 1995 to prevent au- and Topical Groups before ap- of Interest statement, and finally, confine itself to a scientific ivory thoritative, unbiased knowledge proving any new Topical Group. that the ad hoc committee, as a Washington DC tower. A drift of the Society from of science and technology from a scientific agenda in the 1960s to challenging political agendas. Evidence of “Scotch Tape” Use Proliferates a socially relevant agenda today That being said, identifying The “'scotch tape” technique for in the end of 1959 by R.F. Frindt, been prepared many times, and has been cited specifically. members who formulate state- thinning crystals was in use in the who was my research student then. most recently a single layer transis- In my view, that drift is an ap- ments for the Society may be a late 1950s and 1960s in the UK, Frindt at Simon Fraser University tor formed using molybdenite has propriate reflection of the growing positive step to achieve greater where the tape was called sello- developed the procedure further been described by Radisavljevic awareness of the American public transparency. tape. We used it to thin crystals of on, and in 1966 showed he could et al in Nature Technology Letters

during the past half-century to so- molybdenite for optical absorption obtain single crystals of MoS2 sev- published online 30 Jan 2011. cietal and environmental issues Jim Stoffels measurements, see the Frindt and eral molecular layers thick; see J and how science impacts those Richland WA Yoffe paper; Proc Roy Soc 273A, Appl Phys 37, 1928, (1966). Since A. D. Yoffe 89 (1963), where the work began then single layer samples have Cambridge, UK Need for Funding Distorts APS Mission Back Page Leaves Unfortunate Impression Confirmation of your own ob- tion. When the APS focuses on I was disappointed to see a lems yielding to a single right mon cause with teachers in other servations is always pleasant to social issues to facilitate funding, great arrogance of science ex- answer, but are more like puzzles areas, which is likely to be a more see; in science, a necessity. The the question of organizational eth- pressed in the Back Page article inviting discussion and dissent.” successful approach to many joint letter submitted by APS Fel- ics should at least be acknowl- [APS News, January 2011] by While certainly correct, Tobias problems in education, including lows Wolfram and Thomas last edged because the organization Sheila Tobias: “... the problems gives the impression that this those referred to in the article. month was thus very gratifying. should focus all of its resources an able science teacher presents point does not apply to literature, And it sparked the question as to on physics without peripheral his or her students are not like history and other subjects. Such Terry Goldman why the APS has evolved into a and circular arguments regarding (elementary) mathematic prob- an attitude impedes making com- Los Alamos, NM “social club” as opposed to (or in “diversity” or any other social is- conjunction with) a premiere sci- sue. Great intellects, regardless of Pulsed Van de Graaff Proved a Useful Tool entific organization. The answer ethnicity or gender, or any other would appear to lie in the need in The excellent review of the his- discovery of the neutron by Chad- getic hydrogen isotopes became the physics community for public barrier, can do great things in the tory of the Van de Graaff generator wick in 1932, it soon acquired an a standard means of production funding. Public funding is cer- field of physics if they so desire. and its role in the history of phys- enhanced role both as a source of of monoenergetic neutrons in the tainly facilitated when the orga- Madame Curie, Lise Meitner and ics in the February number of APS neutrons and as a tool for spectro- laboratory, and in the early sixties nization “toes the line” on social a host of others did. News warrants some extension. scopic investigation of neutrons pulsing of the output of the Van de issues. The situation reflects the The generator was of course ad- produced in nuclear reactions. Graaff made it an admirable means ultimate quid pro quo, or in some John E. Rhoads mirably adapted to the acceleration It soon proved useful in both of measuring neutron energies in circles it may be called prostitu- Wichita Falls, TX of charged particles. But with the roles. The interaction of ener- continued on page 5 APS NEWS March 2011 • 5 President Will Mount Vigorous Defense of Science Funding, Says Advisor Holdren Physicist John Holdren became for the President? And how hard he has faced in keeping the budget munity do to help you and the subtitle “Inspiration and Prepara- Science Advisor to President will it be to fight for this? flat, frozen in the discretionary, President prevail? tion.” Those are the two funda- Barack Obama in 2009. He serves A: There are two questions em- non-defense part of the budget A: I think one of the things that mental ingredients–we have to get as Assistant to the President for bedded there. The first one is the which is about 12.5% of the total is important for scientists of all dis- better at inspiring kids and prepar- Science and Technology, Direc- easiest–how high a priority this budget, and everybody’s trying to ciplines, not just the physicists, is ing kids. tor of the White House Office of is for the President. It is a very take the cuts out of that little seg- to become more engaged in mak- Q: The President is requesting Science and Technology Policy, high priority for him because he ment. It’s going to be a challenge ing the case. It seems self-serving no funding for the Deep Under- and Co-Chair of the President’s understands that science, technol- to argue with the Congress about and self-interested for scientists to ground Science and Engineering Council of Advisors on Science ogy, and innovation are the keys to this. But I am optimistic, because I talk about how important science Laboratory, or DUSEL, in the and Technology (PCAST). Hold- our economic future, which obvi- think betting against this President is, [but] we really need to do it former Homestake gold mine in ren holds degrees in aerospace en- ously is so important, as well as when he’s determined is probably and we need to make the case in Lead, South Dakota, Is DUSEL gineering and theoretical plasma keys to our environmental future, not a good bet, and he’s not going terms of specific stories of ways in part of the President’s priorities? physics from MIT and Stanford, to our energy future, our national to give up on his commitment and which advances that people have Will it ever be built? and prior to his appointment was security. He said very aptly when understanding of the importance been involved in or know about A: The National Science Board Teresa and John Heinz Professor he was speaking in North Carolina of investing in science and tech- in science have led to improve- recommended against NSF’s con- of Environmental Policy and Di- about this issue a couple of weeks nology. ments in the quality of life, led tinuing participation in DUSEL, rector of the Program on Science, ago that if you’re worried about to new products, new businesses, which is obviously causing some Technology, and Public Policy at your airplane being overloaded, new jobs. And of course I am not consternation in the other gov- Harvard University’s Kennedy you shouldn’t throw your engine suggesting that physicists should ernmental sponsor, the DOE. The School of Government, as well as overboard to make it lighter, and stop talking about the plain excite- DOE, however, still is engaged in professor in Harvard’s Department he was referring to the fact that ment of science and the expansion DUSEL and there is funding for of Earth and Planetary Sciences, science, technology and innova- of knowledge, because that’s very DUSEL over the year ahead so and Director of the independent, tion have been the engine of our important too. We understand it’s DUSEL is not going away in this nonprofit Woods Hole Research economic growth over the last not only about solving practical budget, but the NSF’s participa- Center. This interview was con- 50 years. The largest part of our problems that the country faces tion is; I don’t want to quite say ducted by APS News reporter economic growth has been due today, but it’s partly about who we “going away” because I believe Alaina G. Levine on February 18 to science, technology and in- are as human beings that we want in the last week an agreement at the American Association for novation and their applications to understand ourselves, the Uni- has been reached between NSF the Advancement of Science An- in the marketplace, in the facto- Q: Whatever happens, you verse around us, our place in it, and DOE where NSF is going to nual Meeting in Washington, DC. ries, in the fields, so the President feel and the President feels that and in fact, part of the interesting contribute a bit of money to the Q: House Republicans want doesn’t want to throw the engine the nation’s scientific enterprises stories that need to be told are how continuing pumping that is needed to make huge cuts to funding for overboard. He’s been very clear. I –the NSF, national labs, NASA we inspire more young people to to get the water out of there. [Ed. scientific research in FY2011, but don’t think any president has ever and so forth - will emerge in good go into science and math and en- Note: APS News has confirmed President Obama’s proposed bud- talked as much or as enthusiasti- shape this fiscal year? gineering by talking about the ex- that NSF will allocate about $4 M get for FY2012 increases funding cally or as knowledgably about A: We are determined to make citement of discovery. for this purpose.] I think it’s fair for scientific research signifi- science, technology and innova- this happen. That’s our proposal We need to get more kids ex- to say that the DOE will be think- cantly. Can you go into some de- tion as this President has, and one and we plan to defend it vigor- cited about science and math and ing about the best path for DUSEL tail regarding how high a priority can’t doubt the priority it is for ously. interested, and in fact the PCAST over the next year, but DUSEL is science and scientific funding is him when you look at the task that Q: What can the physics com- report on this subject had as its DEFENSE continued on page 7 APS Develops Mentor Training Guide By Gabriel Popkin pared by a team consisting of two case studies for discussion, along A new publication will help faculty members, a postdoc, and a with discussion guides. The man- physics researchers enhance their graduate student from the physics ual also includes a broader set of mentoring skills, thereby improv- community, as well as two staff mentoring-related resources for ing the research experience for the members from WCER, who were facilitators. next generation of physicists. In supported by the National Science “The team that put the phys- collaboration with staff members Foundation-funded Center for the ics manual together made some Morning Coffee from the Wisconsin Center for Ed- Integration of Research, Teaching adaptations that enhanced the cur- by Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs ucation Research (WCER) at the and Learning Network. This team riculum overall,” said Christine University of Wisconsin-Madison, was convened by Monica Plisch, Pfund, a WCER staff member who the Assistant Director of Educa- led the development of previous For me, morning without coffee consequences, and at the end of APS has developed a guide for fa- is like breathing without oxygen. the day, I won.” cilitating a training seminar to be tion at APS, who found out about subject guides, and was involved the seminar series during a visit to in the preparation of the physics It’s a killer. Much the same can be Scroll forward two years, and given to physics faculty, postdocs, said about the House budget plans it’s Republican swagger that is and graduate students who are in the university. guide. “We’re now planning to go “I immediately realized that back and add some of these fea- for science that Republicans are grabbing at the reins of overreach. mentorship roles. pressing as a prerequisite for keep- It’s not Boehner or Cantor, per se, This publication is part of a these resources could benefit the tures to our existing guides.” physics community,” Plisch says. Cathy Mader, a physics profes- ing the government functioning but rather the House Republican series of guides developed by for the balance of the fiscal year. Study Committee (RSC) that is WCER staff members, who re- The physics guide fills a gap in sor at Hope College who led the the Wisconsin series, which pre- effort to revise the guide for phys- It’s not that Republicans have driving the GOP agenda, and, if ported in a 2006 Science article it in for science. It’s not even reports from the Hill are correct, that research mentors who have viously included mentor training ics researchers, said that lead- manuals for math, chemistry, and ers of Research Experience for that Messrs. Boehner–the House driving Boehner and Cantor bon- undergone training communicate Speaker from Ohio’s 8th District kers. The RSC espouses conserva- more effectively with their men- astrophysics researchers, but not Undergraduates (REU) programs physicists. strongly supported the develop- whose lachrymose spigots always tive social and economic values, tees, and are more likely to engage seem to malfunction–and Eric that some observers argue go well mentees in discussions on top- The guide includes themes ment of the physics guide. “Just such as establishing expectations, as professors are expected to teach Cantor–the Majority Leader from beyond the historical bounds of ics such as diversity and student Virginia’s 7th District whose high Republican tradition. expectations. According to the maintaining effective communi- without any pedagogy training, cation, addressing diversity, and we expect them to mentor without ambitions complement his intel- But, beefed up by the election article, undergraduates report hav- lectual acumen–want to cripple of dozens of Tea Party adherents, ing better experiences with trained dealing with ethical issues. With- any formal mentorship training,” in each topic, the guide provides Mader says. “This new resource the federal government and the the RSC has become a potent mentors than with mentors who technology-driven American force within the House simply by had not received training. learning objectives, suggested will help physicists develop the activities and assignments, and economy. It’s simply that elections virtue of its numbers; 175 of the The physics guide was pre- GUIDE continued on page 6 have consequences. 242 Republicans in the 112th Con- Two years ago, just three days gress belong to it. And they are after Barack Obama’s Administra- not shy about denouncing federal Letters (continued) tion opened for business, Cantor, programs and federal spending who was then the GOP Whip, at- that do not fit the mold of a con- the MeV range by their time-of- ion beam deflection in combination portance to theories of nuclear re- tended a White House meeting stitutionally limited government, flight. with a special magnet to condense actions, and to neutron applications with congressional leaders from which within their ideology must It should be noted that the ion bursts of ten nanosecond dura- to problems of nuclear reactor de- both parties. Armed with a to-do properly focus only on “a strong conversion of the dc beam of the tion to less than one nanosecond sign for energy and military uses. list for the economy, Cantor made national defense, protection of in- conventional Van de Graaff to op- (1). 1. L. Cranberg, R. A. Fernald, his case for small business tax cuts. dividual and property rights and eration as a source of ion bursts of Many such systems soon be- F. S. Hahn and E. F. Shrader, Nu- Obama, whose economic team had preservation of traditional family nanosecond duration is also to be came operational in low-energy clear Instruments and Methods 12, its own ideas about how to get the values.” For many members of the credited to Robert J. Van de Graaff. nuclear physics laboratories around (1961) 335-340. American economy back on track, RSC, science is just one more ex- In a 1952 paper to the Denver De- the world and provided a rich rejected Cantor’s proposals, punc- ample of the federal government cember Meeting of the APS, he source of data on the interaction of Lawrence Cranberg tuating his rebuff with this bit of run amok. described an ingenious system of neutrons in the MeV range, of im- Austin, TX chest thumping: “Elections have BELTWAY continued on page 6 6 • March 2011 APS NEWS

ACCESS continued from page 1 Bygone Years continue to have “hybrid” access Creative Commons license, be policies, as some of the articles able to reuse any portion of that will be open access while others article for any purpose, as long as won’t. The decision to implement the original work is cited. the new initiative comes after a Creative Commons is a non- careful study of its potential effect profit corporation that provides on journal income. The fee to take free licensing agreements to con- advantage of the new initiative is tent authors, artists, and other con- $1700 for Physical Review A-E tent providers. The Creative Com- and $2700 for Physical Review mons Attribution 3.0 license gives Letters. Authors are not required anyone the right to freely access, to participate in the program and distribute, and adapt the papers as papers that have not had the li- long as the original work is prop- cense purchased for them will be erly credited. The Attribution 3.0 subject to the journals’ standard license, also known as CC-BY 3.0, copyright policies. is the most generous license for “We’ve been thinking about it readers and other users. for a long time and the time finally APS has been moving to incor- came and we decided we should porate more free and open-access do it,” said APS Editor in Chief policies into its journals. Physi- Photo prepared by Mary Catherine Adams Gene Sprouse. “A few years ago cal Review Special Topics–Accel- While cleaning out an old storage area, we happened on this photograph from the APS spring meeting in 1910, held at quite a few authors talked with erators and Beams and Physical the campus of the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC. There are 74 people in the picture, none of whom we us about derivative works; they Review Special Topics–Physics can identify (for those who wish to try, a larger version of the picture is available online on the APS News website). Society membership stood at roughly 500, so allowing for attendees who may not have made the picture, the meeting drew be- wanted to reuse parts of their ar- Education Research started as free tween 15 and 20% of the membership, about what the March Meeting does today. The NBS hosted many APS meetings ticles.” Sprouse added that several access journals, and converted to over the years, annually from 1907 to 1941, and again from 1948 to 1965. In that year, NBS moved from Washington to scientific agencies, especially in fully open access journals with Gaithersburg, MD, leaving APS to find other venues for its meetings. Europe, require papers to be pub- the adoption of the new initiative. One can learn several things about the effects of the passage of time from this picture. For one thing, it's been a long time since all the attendees at an APS general meeting could be assembled for a single group photo. For another, it's been a lished under free and open access Articles published in Physical Re- long time since the attendees at an APS meeting were uniformly white and male. And finally, it's been a long time since the agreements. view X, APS’s newest journal [see expected attire for meeting attendees was a suit, white shirt, and tie. Two years ago APS started al- story in the February APS News, lowing authors to reuse portions of available online], will also be FUNDING continued from page 1 their articles for derivative works. open access and published under tional Synchrotron Light Source Adding to the uncertainty about will likely raise objections to the The policy allows authors to reuse the terms of the CC-BY 3.0 li- would be suspended. the future of science funding is the deep cuts, and the final budget will 50 percent or less from a published cense. In addition, and as a part of “In the process American sci- proposed 2012 budget released by fall somewhere in the middle. article. If authors choose the new a special agreement with CERN, ence, at least in terms of major fa- the President. In it, the budget for The severity of the final cuts open access option for an article, experimental LHC papers are be- cility usage, comes to a screeching numerous research programs gets will play a major role in determin- they and anyone else will, via the ing published similarly. halt,” Lubell said. significant increases, despite cuts ing a baseline for the 2012 budget in other governmental programs. debate to follow. If Republicans Patrick Clemins, director of the BELTWAY continued from page 5 R&D Budget and Policy Program “The 2012 budget is the exact are successful in getting the deep at the American Association for opposite side of the coin at least in cuts into the final budget, it will Viewed through such a lens, it’s the current resident of the White the Advancement of Science, said terms of nondefense research and be difficult for the President and no mystery that the $100 billion in House is committed to sustaining that, taken as a whole, scientific development,” Clemins said. Democrats to raise funding to the cuts to civilian discretionary pro- the momentum established for sci- research is on balance not in as All together the President’s proposed levels in 2012. grams that the RSC has demanded ence by his Republican predeces- terrible shape as it could be. proposed budget calls for a 6.5 Lubell said that because the from the balance of the current fis- sor, George W. Bush, in his 2006 cal year does not grant science a “When you look at the total percent increase for research and 2011 budget isn’t settled, he sees American Competitiveness Initia- waiver. And it’s no mystery that cuts…research and development development compared to 2010, the President’s budget more as a tive. Boehner and Cantor have agreed looks better than average,” Clem- largely in areas where Congres- political move to reaffirm his sup- But as Tea Party extremists to advance that agenda. If they ins said, adding that research and sional Republicans are proposing port of science and research among don’t march in lockstep with the have begun to dig deep trenches, it development makes up about 12 cuts. This includes a 16 percent voters. Lubell is skeptical that the RSC, they could lose their leader- is possible the ensuing budget bat- percent of the federal nonmilitary bump to the NSF budget, a 9 per- increases in the 2012 budget will ship positions. tles will sweep away the non-par- discretionary budget, but compris- cent increase in the Department pass in anything resembling their President Obama was right: tisan ground that science has tra- of Energy’s Office of Science and current form. es only about 5 percent of the cuts. elections do indeed have con- ditionally occupied. And if it does, “The Republican leaders, John nearly a 50 percent increase to “It’s pretty clear that Congress sequences. Boehner and Cantor we will all be worse off. We will won’t accept them, so why do Boehner, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan NIST’s budget. know it, and if scientists haven’t lose economically and intellectu- and so forth, are not intent on The uncertainty comes in be- that?” Lubell said. “[The 2012 yet recognized it, the coming ally. We will lose jobs and high- shutting the government down… cause the 2012 budget will be budget] is a statement of the ad- months will drive the point home. tech manufacturing. We will lose they would probably admit that greatly influenced by whatever ministration’s priorities. The But as the President’s fiscal our leadership in discovery and they don’t want to harm American funding levels are finally approved President made it very clear that year 2012 budget request demon- innovation. And at a time when science. They understand the im- for 2011. The continuing resolu- among his high priorities are sci- strates, we’re far from a science other nations are getting ready to portance of it,” Lubell said. “They tion will likely pass the Repub- ence and education…The fact that Armageddon. Although the White eat our technological lunch, we have to pay attention to the major- lican controlled House largely his 2012 budget maintains support House plan for the coming year is will be serving it to them on a fine ity of the Republican conference.” intact, the Democratic led Senate for those areas is no surprise.” austere by comparison with recent big-spending budgets, it checks a set of china. It’s enough to cause PROGRAMS continued from page 1 high-priority box for research and nightmares. as downloadable podcasts that can physics of the universe is critical ate their own science fair projects education. As the debates over def- But if we wake up soon enough, be accessed by the general public to beating the game. Each environ- based on the physics of fluids and icit reduction, taxes and spending we’ll still find the morning coffee and educators. ment of the game would be mod- granular materials. The winning unfold over the coming months, it brewing, and we’ll be able to meet “The main idea is that Hispanics eled around a physics concept, such projects will then go on display at is at least comforting to know that the challenges of another day. don’t have too many role models as electricity, mechanics, aerody- the Springfield Science Museum to get inspired about studying sci- namics and even nanoscale assem- in Massachusetts. The “Einstein on ence,” said Jorge Lopez, a profes- bly. The videogame will operate on your iPhone” project will produce GUIDE continued from page 5 sor at the University of Texas at El Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect, one of a series of video podcasts show- skills they need as research men- way to help physics faculty under- Paso. “It’s going to be composed the best-selling consoles currently ing how the technology in a mobile tors.” stand their crucial role in prepar- of capsules that will be distributed available. The game will be freely phone can trace its roots to basic Good mentorship is also broad- ing future researchers.” to many radio stations showcasing distributed through the console’s research. ly recognized as being important The training guide will be Hispanic scientists and telling what online marketplace, providing ac- The first APS grants for outreach to increasing the diversity of the available on the APS website at they do.” cess to more than 20 million regis- were awarded in 2005 during the physics community. Vanderbilt www.aps.org/programs/educa- Lopez has done work with Span- tered users. World Year of Physics, celebrating University physics professor Da- tion/undergrad/faculty as well as ish language radio programs in the Other programs include a con- the centennial anniversary of “Ein- vid Ernst plans to use the guide to on the University of Wisconsin’s past. For 15 years, he helped pro- test called “Flip for Physics,” stein’s Miracle Year.” The program give workshops at events such as website at http://researchmentor- duce “Universo,” a radio segment which give students flip cameras to was revived in 2010 for LaserFest, meetings of the National Society training.org. for Spanish radio about space and interview researchers and produce a celebrating the 50th anniversary of of Black Physicists and the Na- astronomy. short video based on that interview. the first working laser, and is now a tional Society of Hispanic Physi- In addition, APS staff mem- Another program is the “Full The students selected with the best pilot program with funding for the cists, as well as at his own uni- bers are organizing workshops Body Physics Project” which in- entries will win the flip cameras. next three years. versity, which is a partner in the entitled “Improving Your Skills as corporates videogame systems in Another contest, “The Science of Information about all 6 of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD a Research Mentor” at this year’s teaching physics to a youth audi- Every Day Materials,” will distrib- grant recipients can be found on the Bridge Program. Ernst, who was March and April Meetings. More ence. The team will develop a vid- ute kits with raw materials for stu- APS website for the public, Physic- also part of the preparation team, information and registration are eogame where understanding the dents to use their ingenuity to cre- sCentral, www.physicscentral.com. says, “This guide will be a nice available on the meeting websites. APS NEWS March 2011 • 7

DEFENSE continued from page 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS in its budget. Our hope is that we to implement it? and our loss of preeminence: I are going to get Congress to ap- A: We believe that putting a know you and the President are Looking for a job? propriate these monies. price on greenhouse gas emissions establishing many educational Q: The Tevatron at Fermilab is one of the most effective ways programs that perhaps in the Looking for the is scheduled to be shut down. Can to get onto the trajectory we need long term can help restore the US you speculate what could happen to reduce those emissions over reputation as the scientific leader. ideal candidate? to Fermilab in the future? Will it time. Doing it with a price on car- How else can we stem the tide of become a lab without a mission? bon emissions is a market-orient- Americans not being considered Let the A: The Tevatron has done won- ed solution–it creates incentives the top scientists or science stu- derful things, we’ve learned a for the ingenuity that’s out there dents? APS huge amount from the Tevatron, in the private sector to develop A: That’s a complicated ques- March Meeting but it no longer looks like the most the most cost-effective ways to tion. Number one, the United efficacious way to find the Higgs reduce emissions. We think there States is still the world leader in Job Fair and I have to say we made a lot ought to be bipartisan support for many domains of science and we of tough choices in this budget. reducing greenhouse gas emis- still get far more than our share There are a lot of things that are sions in these market-based ways, of Nobel Prizes. We are still do- do the work clearly worthy that we would have but we obviously failed to get that ing fantastic scientific research for you! wanted to fund in times that were support in the last Congress. The in a wide range of domains. Our fiscally not quite as constrained. circumstances in the last Congress universities, and particularly our People should not assume that were more favorable to getting great research universities, are the things we had to cut or reduce we such legislation through than in best in the world. Students from March 21-22, 2011 cut or reduced because we thought this Congress, so one has to as- the countries that we worry about Dallas March Convention 21-22, 2011 they were lousy ideas, but we had sume that the likelihood of getting being ahead of us, flock to the Contact Alix Brice: to make very tough choices be- such legislation through in the United States to go to our univer- 301-209-3187 or Center, tween higher and lower priorities next two years is pretty low. We sities and they do it for good rea- [email protected] Dallas, TX will do everything else we can to and the fact that in this fiscal en- son, so we should not overstate the vironment we were able to do as address the climate change chal- predicament. We need to do better much as we were for fundamental lenge both on the mitigation side in science, technology, engineer- science as well as applied science and on the adaptation side, but Register at: http://www.aps.org/careers/ ing, and math education, and we I think is quite remarkable. But we’re probably not going to have employment/jobfairs/march/index.cfm need to do it for at least three rea- I’m not happy about some of the the benefit of a price on carbon in sons. One reason, of course, is that things we had to cut. the next two years. After that, pre- we want to inspire and educate the Q: What are the prospects for dictions about the future are dif- he Weimer award is open to next generation of Nobel Prize and Senate ratification of the Com- ficult. An optimist in this domain any female plasma scientist National Medal of Science [win- prehensive Test Ban Treaty? might believe that after 2012 we T ners]. But we also need to lift our who received her PhD within the What kind of a priority is this for will have a Congress more ame- Katherine ten-year period prior to April 1, the President? nable to doing this. I think there game in STEM education in or- Weimer A: Clearly we felt we needed are pretty good reasons to believe der to have the technology-savvy 2011. Nominations are active for to get the New START agreement that the willingness to do what workforce that the 21st century is Award one selection cycle (three years). ratified before we could go to the makes sense will go up over time. demanding, and we need to have Senate with the CTBT. I believe One of those reasons is that unfor- the science-savvy citizenry that The award consists of $2,000 and and the President believes that tunately the symptoms of damage is essential to a well-functioning funds for travel to the annual getting the CTBT ratified is im- from climate change are highly democracy where more and more meeting where the award is to be of the policy issues that are before portant. There is always a process likely to continue to increase and presented. The recipient will be of determining how many major that means over time more and the public and before their repre- invited to give a talk at the issues one can manage with the more people will become more sentatives have science and tech- Congress at one time, and I sus- convinced of the need to act and nology content. So there are a lot Division’s annual meeting. pect that the focus in the very to act in a perhaps more vigorous of reasons that we need to lift our To nominate a candidate, send the following to [email protected]: immediate future is going to con- way than what we’re already do- game in STEM education, not just tinue to be on the budgets, but I ing. We’re doing a lot already with the idea that we have to be number • A letter evaluating the nominee’s qualifications and am confident that we will go to the clean energy technology, and vari- one in Nobel Prizes. But again I’m identifying the specific work to be recognized Senate with the Comprehensive ous policies and technologies to optimistic. There’s a tremendous • A biographical sketch Test Ban Treaty and that we’ll do increase the efficiency of energy amount of creativity and ingenuity it when we’re in a position to be use, and we can do a lot beyond in this country, and as we improve • A list of the most important publications confident of getting the votes. the trajectory we need to be in the our capacities in STEM education, • At least two, but no more than four, seconding letters Q: The issue of Cap and Trade next two years without having the we’re going to inspire more kids seems to be dead with the current price on carbon, but ultimately to go into these fields and more of Deadline is April 1, 2011. them are going to turn out to be Congress. What is the President’s were going to need it. www.apsdpp.org/prizes_ plan to reduce carbon emissions Q: In regards to the US posi- superstars and ultimately we’re awards/katherine_weimer.php in the US and how does he intend tion on the world stage of science going to do well.

LINEUP continued from page 1 MIT (Session J35.08, J35.10 and material into liquid nitrogen and impurities in the fully grown crys- Ghost Lasers in the Sky rect photons emitted by quantum J35.12) will explain how they plan burned it with a butane torch with- tals that will be used to hunt for A team of researchers at Texas dots. The team announced its first on using photons to probe the flow out any appreciable effect (ses- evidence of dark matter, neutrinos A&M University, with help from workable model in August 2010, of electrons through the materials. sion B28.07). In addition, session and cosmic rays (session A11.12). collaborators at Princeton and the and now has created a variety of Kesong Yang of Duke University B37 “Focus Session: Graphene The germanium crystals, which University of Arizona, are devel- different nano-antennas that could will talk about 40 new materials Growth, Characterization, and can be up to several pounds, will oping a laser system that can sam- be used to detect signals from bio- discovered to be topological insu- Devices: Devices and Contacts” be part of detectors that register ple pollutants in the upper atmo- logical molecules or to act as con- lators (session X32.05). will feature a talk by Walt de Heer when the kinetic energy of a par- sphere from the ground (sessions nections in future quantum com- The Graphene Scene giving an overview of the prom- ticle hits a germanium nucleus. W45.13 and W45.14). The system puters (session B32.04). Graphene's prominence in re- ise of graphene, as well as the an- X-Ray Archeology starts out by shooting pulses of two How Much of an Impact Can cent years was emphasized when nouncement of new devices and Three physicists from Cornell different colored lasers into the One Scientist Have? Andre Geim and Konstantin No- applications for graphene, includ- University have developed a tech- sky in rapid succession. Because Alexander Petersen and Eugene voselov won the Nobel Prize for ing radio frequency transistors, nique using X-rays to see eroded different wavelengths of light Stanley of Boston University have physics in 2010. Scientific re- logic inverters, and flexible trans- or obscured writing on ancient travel at slightly different speeds come up with a new technique to search into the two-dimensional parent field emission devices. artifacts (session W21.13). X-ray in a medium like air, the longer gauge the scientific impact of a sheets of carbon, and related car- Finding the Purest Germa- fluorescence highlights chemical wavelength pulse will overtake the physicist (session B14.04). The bon nanotubes, has been going nium traces left behind by the tools of shorter wavelength pulse and ex- two researchers looked at the ca- strong since it was first isolated Dongming Mei of the Univer- ancient artisans, even if the mark- cite the air molecules when it does. reers of 200 scientists, ranging six years ago. At this year’s meet- sity of South Dakota will describe ings themselves are gone. The This sends a laser-like pulse, a from assistant professors to Nobel ing, Ming Xu of the Technology a method to grow germanium technique holds much promise “backwards-emitting pulse,” back laureates, and found a surprising Research Association for Single crystals deep in the underground for future archeological work as it down the beam line. The team can statistical regularity in careers, Wall Carbon Nanotubes and the tunnels of the planned DUSEL ex- doesn’t require any special sample then spectroscopically analyze this which can be modeled. With their National Institute of Advanced In- periment in Lead, South Dakota. environment to work in, doesn’t backwards beam created by the ex- “beta-index,” which looks in part dustrial Science and Technology Though more abundant in Earth’s damage the artifacts and can be cited air molecules. at the number of publications by a in Tsukuba, Japan, will discuss a crust than silver, germanium is used on any-sized object. Recent- Teeny Tiny Antennae scientist and the number of times new rubber-like material made of difficult to find in any appreciable ly the team has started using X-ray The world’s smallest antenna they have been cited, Petersen and carbon nanotubes that retains its quantity because there’s no geo- fluorescence to investigate ancient has been created by researchers at Stanley say they can quantify how elasticity over temperatures rang- logic process that concentrates the Mayan relics and has already re- the Institute of Photonic Sciences popular a scientist’s papers are, ing from nearly -200 C to 1000 C. element into minable veins. Mei’s vealed previously obscured writ- in Barcelona. Built out of nano- and track his or her career devel- In lab tests, researchers dipped the team will show how to identify ing on a number of artifacts. sized rods, the tiny antennas redi- opment. 8 • March 2011 APS NEWS The Back Page

n November 12, 2010, during my most recent work through which it procured specialty materials Ovisit to the Yongbyon nuclear complex, North such as high-strength aluminum, maraging steel, and Korean scientists showed me and my Stanford Uni- What I found in Yongbyon specialty epoxy, along with components such as ring versity colleagues, John W. Lewis and Robert Carlin, magnets, bearings, vacuum pumps, valves, and flow a small, recently completed, industrial-scale uranium- and Why It Matters meters. Prior to his 2004 house arrest in Pakistan, enrichment facility and an experimental light-water Siegfried S. Hecker Kahn not only supplied North Korea with a centrifuge reactor (LWR) under construction. Although I had starter kit, centrifuge controls, and software, but also long ago concluded that North Korea has a uranium trained some of the country’s technical specialists at enrichment program, despite Pyongyang’s vehement the Khan Research Laboratories. denials, I was stunned by the sight of 2,000 centrifuges in Now that we have the smoking gun, I believe that Pyong- two cascade halls and an ultramodern control room. yang combined its own centrifuge experience, which most These findings raise troubling questions about how North likely began in the 1980s, with reciprocal visits of Khan’s Korea’s program got this far and the nature of the threat it specialists to North Korean facilities, which provided the poses. Moreover, in the wake of recent military altercations hands-on training to help Pyongyang master centrifuge op- between the two Koreas, what we saw highlights the neces- erations in a relatively short time. I believe that North Ko- sity of a careful review of what we know about the nation’s rean specialists built the centrifuges and successfully incor- nuclear program–and what we don’t–so we can prevent a porated them into working cascades in a clandestine facility further nuclear buildup and forestall the potential export of of unknown size that served as the prototype for the Yong- fissile materials and technology. byon plant. The clandestine facility was almost certainly Unlike what was widely reported in the news media, we dedicated to making HEU for bomb fuel rather than LEU did not discover secret North Korean facilities. Pyongyang for reactors because the gas-graphite reactor in use before showed them to us because it wanted the world to know, Pyongyang decided to build an LWR uses natural uranium and it chose us to report its nuclear advances because they fuel, which does not require enrichment. trusted us to do so accurately. This trust came from a long How does the revelation of uranium enrichment change association with North Korea’s diplomats and professionals the security risk? Pyongyang already had the bomb, but not through non-official, non-governmental (Track II) visits. have little experience with uranium oxide fuels and Zircaloy much of a nuclear arsenal. A 25-year pursuit of the plutoni- I made my first visit to North Korea in January 2004 cladding materials, which are typical for LWRs. We found um route to the bomb, interrupted by the Agreed Framework at the request of Lewis, who had a long relationship with the concrete work for the reactor of most immediate con- and some of the Six-Party agreements, yielded a plutonium North Korea. We were invited at the time because Pyong- cern. The foundation appeared insufficiently robust and the inventory of roughly 24 to 42 kilograms. Following the yang wanted to show that they had reprocessed the spent containment shell was being poured in small sections from termination of the Agreed Framework in late 2002, Pyong- fuel that had been stored, per agreement, under international a small concrete mixer, not in keeping with nuclear-grade yang built plutonium bombs and demonstrated the first one safeguards for eight years. Yongbyon technical specialists in 2006. Pyongyang’s continued attempts through the Six- showed us key nuclear facilities that had been frozen dur- concrete pouring requirements. These concerns will increase dramatically if Pyongyang proceeds with plans for larger Party process to bargain for an LWR were unsuccessful. In ing the U.S.–North Korea Agreed Framework, but restarted 2009, it greeted the Obama administration with a long-range because of a 2002 altercation with the Bush administration power reactors. Operating LWRs with inadequate construc- rocket launch, a second nuclear test and a different reality– it that prompted Pyongyang to withdraw from the Nuclear tion and operational safety standards and practices poses would keep the roughly four to eight nuclear weapons that Nonproliferation Treaty. Their goal was to send a message risks beyond the North’s borders. we estimate it has and it will build its own LWRs. to Washington that they had the bomb; they went so far as I am also concerned that North Korea’s enrichment pro- Pyongyang can ratchet up the current nuclear threat if it to show me and let me hold a sealed glass jar with a 200- gram might lead to the development of additional weapons greatly expands HEU production at undisclosed sites, in- gram plutonium metal sample. Since then, I have returned to or the export of fissile materials. What we saw at the Yong- creases the size of its nuclear arsenal substantially, or con- North Korea each year–seven visits in all, including four to byon enrichment facility points to Pyongyang’s interest in ducts more tests to enhance its sophistication. Increased Yongbyon – and Pyonyang used my most recent visit to tell highly-enriched uranium (HEU), which can be produced centrifuge capacity also heightens the export threat. Hence, the world about its LWR and enrichment program. with slightly reconfigured centrifuge cascades and used as the immediate response by the international community Pyongyang has seriously pursued LWRs for more than 25 bomb fuel. As we entered the newly renovated building, the should be to limit Pyongyang’s nuclear buildup. Pyong- years. In 1985, it struck a deal with Moscow to provide two chief process engineer told us “we did not want to show you yang’s categorical denial of any enrichment activities dur- LWRs, but the deal fell through with the demise of the Sovi- this facility, but our superiors told us to do so.” From the ing a time when they surely existed will make diplomatic et Union. The 1994 Agreed Framework was an attempt to re- second-floor control room we were amazed at the sight of reengagement more problematic. Yet there are few options place its indigenous gas-graphite reactors with LWRs, which three rows of pairs of centrifuges in the high-bay halls ex- but to reengage. Whereas the long-term objective remains are good for electricity but less suitable for bombs. Shortly tending 50 meters in both directions. In the modern control denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, we must first pre- after the North’s April 2009, long-range rocket launch and room with blinking LEDs and flat-panel monitors, we were the predictable UN condemnation that followed, Pyongyang told that 2,000 centrifuges in six cascades were operating, vent Pyongyang from expanding its arsenal or exporting its announced it would build its own LWR. In November, our producing low-enriched uranium (LEU) for the LWR under nuclear technologies. Foreign Ministry host told us “no one believed us when we construction. We were hurried past the control room and Specifically, I advocate what I call the three no’s: No more announced this in 2009, including you, Dr. Hecker.” through what they called the recovery room, which allowed bombs, no better bombs (which means no nuclear testing), Pyongyang’s interest in building LWRs for electricity us to see some of the uranium hexafluoride gas handling sys- and no export, in return for one yes–U.S. willingness to seri- represents a major shift in its nuclear strategy, and I be- tems and tanks. Because of the hurried pace and limited ac- ously address Pyongyang’s fundamental security concerns. lieve this interest is genuine. Pyongyang appears prepared cess, we are not certain that the centrifuges were operational, Since our ability to monitor uranium enrichment is limited, to abandon its plutonium program by shutting down its 5 but what we saw was not inconsistent with a partially or fully it would require greater cooperation from Pyongyang and Megawatt-electric (MWe) gas-graphite reactor, give up on operational facility. I was able to get the chief process engi- a more intrusive inspection regime to have adequate confi- external assistance for an LWR, and proceed with its own neer to tell us enough to conclude that the centrifuges are of dence that it is not producing HEU clandestinely. Likewise, program, beginning with the small, experimental 25 to 30 a second-generation, P-2, design with a capacity of 4 separa- the export threat is much greater because HEU has a weak MWe reactor before proceeding with larger power reactors. tive work units (SWUs)/year per machine. The 8,000 SWU/ radiation signature and is difficult to detect. Preventing ex- Although it is technically possible that the LWR will be used year total capacity is sufficient to produce approximately 2 ports requires close cooperation from the international com- to produce bomb-grade plutonium, such a scenario is unlike- tons of LEU/year, consistent with the requirements of the munity, especially from China. So far, no one has been able ly. Plutonium from an LWR is much less suitable for bombs small LWR, but could also be reconfigured to make roughly to figure out how to convince Beijing that Pyongyang’s nu- than the plutonium already produced in the 5 MWe reactor. one bomb’s worth of HEU/year. We know that North Korea clear program seriously threatens what China says it wants If Pyongyang wanted more plutonium bomb fuel, it would has indigenous uranium ore and all of the chemical know- to preserve–peace and security in Northeast Asia and the simply restart that reactor, not build an LWR. Yet construc- how and equipment to make the necessary feed material. world at large. tion of the experimental LWR raises different concerns: can But, I believe that North Korea is not able to produce key For the one yes, we do not really know what Pyongyang they do it safely, and will the enrichment program lead to ad- high-performance materials and components domestically wants, but it surely will seek in exchange for cooperation on ditional weapons or export? The answers to both questions to build 2,000 centrifuges. the nuclear front normalization of relations with the United are troubling. This is significant because it gives us insight into how States, along with energy and economic aid. An appropri- I have serious concerns about the design and whether Pyongyang got this far–and what they might plan to do next. ate starting point might be a policy based along the lines of North Korea can operate an LWR safely. I was told that a At Yongbyon, we were told that construction of the centri- the October 2000 Joint Communiqué between Washington new team of young engineers, rather than their experienced fuge facility began in April 2009 and that it was complet- and Pyongyang, which stated that neither government would gas-graphite reactor engineers, designed the LWR. To our ed days before we arrived. But what we saw demonstrates have hostile intent toward the other and confirmed the com- knowledge, Yongbyon specialists have no experience in without a doubt that Pyongyang has pursued enrichment for mitment of both to make every effort to build a new relation- dealing with key LWR design and safety issues. For ex- many years. The claim that they just started the centrifuge ship free from past enmity. We can also be sure that the right ample, many of the reactor components, such as the pres- program for their new LWR program is not credible. In ret- to have LWRs will be on Pyongyang’s list. But it will not be sure vessel and steam generator, require radiation-resistant rospect, over the years there has been plenty of evidence, but possible to accept uranium enrichment without much greater steels and stringent fabrication and welding specifications so no smoking gun, of Pyongyang’s uranium enrichment ef- cooperation and transparency in North Korea as to withstand intense, long-term radiation environments. forts. Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf claimed Siegfried S. Hecker is co-director of the Stanford Uni- The rest of the world has developed strong technical and in his memoir that A.Q. Khan, the father of the Pakistani versity Center for International Security and Cooperation regulatory links to deal with these challenges, particularly bomb, delivered 20 P1 and four P2 centrifuges to North (CISAC) and Professor (Research) in the Department of after the Three-Mile Island accident. North Korea has never Korea about 10 years ago. Concurrently, North Korea oper- Management Science and Engineering. He was director of been part of such collaborations. Moreover, we found they ated an extraordinarily far-reaching illicit international net- the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1986-1997.

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