Number 48 May 2003

Gas centrifuge research comes home to Oak Ridge RNL’s largest cooperative R&D supplanted electromagnetic O agreement is a homecoming, of sorts, enrichment (Y-12’s calutrons) at for a technology that was developed largely at the end of World War II, is Oak Ridge, involving ORNL scientists and becoming economically obsolete. engineers. The Laboratory and USEC Inc. are The gaseous diffusion process working together to upgrade gas centrifuge uses 20 times the power that gas operations with the aim of providing the centrifuges require to produce the United States with a state of the art domestic same amount of product. capability for uranium enrichment. The United States had three Doug Craig is heading the ORNL side of gaseous diffusion plants—the the project that will take a uranium enrich- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion ment technology developed in the 1960s and Plant (Oak Ridge’s former K-25 70s and inject the technical advances of the facility), Portsmouth and ensuing decades. Paducah, Kentucky. ORGDP “Oak Ridge is one of the last places left in closed in 1985; Portsmouth the United States with scientists who under- ceased operations about two years stand the gas centrifuge process,” Doug says. ago. Paducah is now the sole “It involves an array of different technologies. domestic source for enriching A gas centrifuge cascade at the former K-25 Site We’ve put together a pretty impressive team uranium for reactor fuel, “and it’s shows that the technology works on a grand scale. involving three directorates and about 20 getting old,” Doug says. different groups, heavy in materials and Just a few years ago an oversupply of currently a producer of enriched uranium, as analysis.” enrichment capacity, coupled with a reduction are France and Russia. Other sources include USEC is managing the project, which in demand brought on by events such as the downblended, highly enriched uranium from involves upgrading facilities at the former Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents, Russia, another program managed by USEC gaseous diffusion plant in Portsmouth, Ohio, took the impetus away from producing more called the “Megatons to Megawatts” to house the American Centrifuge Demonstra- fuel. program. tion Facility. Gaseous diffusion, which A multinational company, URENCO, is (See CENTRIFUGE, page 5) ‘Farewell’ After three furiously productive years as Lab director, Bill Madia is moving on RNL Director Bill Madia told the staff on Battelle, Bill will become a member of the ORNL Reporter had a quick interview with O April 28 that his time at the Lab is UT-Battelle board of governors. Bill just after the announcement. almost up. The news caused a buzz in the surrounding With so much to hang your hat on, what is He’ll return to Battelle’s corporate head- community. Bill will leave in his wake a your proudest accomplishment? quarters in Columbus, Ohio, to manage the $300 million modernization campaign that has company’s DOE business. That includes progressed with BM: The excitement that I see the Lab staff responsibility for the four national labs lightning speed, have over a revitalized ORNL. Battelle manages or co-manages—Pacific ORNL’s first “out- Where would you like to have made more Northwest, ORNL, Brookhaven and the standing” rating from progress? National Renewable Energy Laboratory. DOE, a Spallation BM: We never really made the kind of Bill says he’ll leave East Tennessee “with Neutron Source project progress I had hoped on cost reduction. Our great sadness.” that has continued to indirect costs remain a challenge. “I’ve been privileged to have spent my be on time and on entire career working in great laboratories budget and a reorga- In April 2000 you said nice things about the around the world, but none of these experi- nized Lab with a clear area and the people, and you became involved ences compares to my time here with you in agenda. The privately in the community. Did East Tennessee or East Oak Ridge. This Laboratory is truly one of the funded aspect of the Tennesseans surprise you in any way? world’s foremost research institutions. I will Bill Madia nearly complete BM: Southern hospitality is real. How do be forever grateful that you have allowed me facility on the east they do it? to be a part of it,” he told ORNL staff campus will likely become a model of What advice will you give your successor? members in his e-mailed announcement titled modernization throughout the DOE system. BM: Spend more time in the Lab (I was “Farewell.” He’s taken a few pies in the face, but that’s gone too much) and listen to the staff in Bill will continue as Lab director until a usually been for good causes, such as the formulating your plans.—B.C. successor is chosen. In his position with United Way. P-cards are great Appealing items But they must be used and managed properly ome items that can be bought with Spurchase cards are deemed “sensi- urchase cards—company-issued credit purchases priced under an established dollar tive items” if they cost more than Pcards—are a wonderful thing, many limit—usually $2,500. Most staff members use $1,000. Sensitive items must be ORNL staff members would agree. They them properly. To date, only one serious registered with the Lab’s property enable quick and efficient purchases of low- misdeed has occurred—an employee ulti- management system. A look at the cost items needed for work done at the Lab. mately lost a job, was sentenced to five years Lab’s list of sensitive items provides a The P-card program, which is managed within probation and was ordered to repay nearly pretty good idea why they are “sensi- the Contracts Division, has streamlined the $11,000 for items bought (and resold) with a tive”—they are all items of general procurement process and reduced procurement P-card. appeal. Here are some examples: cycle times dramatically. Scott says proper management and account- A P-card is also a tool for trouble if not used ability is the best way to avoid that kind of and managed properly. One national labora- trouble. Cardholders and their approving Binoculars tory has already experienced the ire of its DOE managers receive monthly reports—showing Boat motors customer, management upheaval and unfavor- the vendors and dollars spent on P-card able publicity because of improper use of purchases. Those reports should be the objects Cellular company P-cards. of careful attention, if for no other reason than telephones “P-cards are an employees could be liable for losses. Hand tools and Proper efficient, cost-saving “If managers and supervisors scrupulously power tools management system,” says Audit review and closely watch purchases, and also Cameras and camera and Management document them, we can curtail abuses,” Scott equipment and Advisory Services says. “In the case of the person who was accountability Director Scott prosecuted, the monthly reconciliations were Televisions and other consumer Branham. “But they not being performed by either the employee or electronics is the best must be used the approving manager. The employee was Air compressors way to avoid properly and in caught when someone reported erroneous Laptop computers accordance with charges that were distributed to their project.” trouble. established policies AMAS’s Gail Lewis says it’s important to Video equipment and procedures.” keep good records, which makes things much Pressure washers ORNL’s procure- simpler in case she’s called in to investigate Electric generators ment organization administers the purchase purchases that may not look appropriate. cards and has implemented a controlled self- “Document your purchases so that it’s (home.ornl.gov/general/property/inv3.html) assessment program to help ensure that the obvious what the item was that was actually Lab meets its obligation to spend taxpayer’s purchased,” Gail says. “The records them- funds appropriately and efficiently. Scott’s selves often don’t reveal that, but your minimum. Don’t destroy records prematurely, auditing group is often asked to perform an documentation should.” even if the cardholder leaves the company or independent check on the health of the Gail advises registering “sensitive pur- relinquishes his or her card for some other program. chases” (see sidebar) with the property reason. Three years meets requirements; you At ORNL, more than 500 staff members management organization, as is the require- certainly don’t want to destroy them after only (that number could soon decrease) have P- ment. a year,” Gail says. cards issued to them as a convenient way to “Also, keep your records conscientiously In other words, better safe than sorry. Scott procure routine, small-dollar commodity and for the three-year required period, as a notes some of the purchases that set off alarm bells include alcohol (not necessarily forbid- den if government funds aren’t used), clothing and “split” purchases, which is when a series of purchases is generated to distribute the cost of an item costing more than the cardholder’s individual transaction limit. Buying a $10,000 is published for the employees and microscope with four $2,500 invoices, for retirees of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, instance, isn’t allowed. which is managed and operated for the P-card holders took a refresher-training U.S. Department of Energy by course last year that provided clear guidance UT-Battelle. regarding responsibilities and what is and isn’t allowed with P-cards. In addition, the P-card

Bill Cabage, editor Curtis Boles manual has been rewritten and distributed to Phone 865/574-4399 provide additional, more specific guidance. E-mail [email protected] Al Fraker of Facilities and Operation’s Scott credits the required training with Deborah Barnes, associate editor Craft Resources works on the UT- heading off potential abuses. That sort of Phone 865/576-0470 Battelle and Atomic Trades and Labor responsibility and attention to detail will help E-mail [email protected] Council’s Habit for Humanity project in keep the P-card program alive. Morgan County. By the time you read On the Web: www.ornl.gov/reporter “We have adequate controls and systems in this, the structure will be a home. place,” Scott says. “However, individuals are not always following the requirements. If people follow the procedures and are respon- sible and accountable, the benefits of P-cards DOE Inspector General Hotline: 1-800-541-1625 far outweigh the risks.”—B.C. 2 May 2003 voicemail messages she these Beowulf-type computers will be a received from her grassroots revolution. These middle-school husband, Ralph: “‘I’m students will have more time with parallel fine, the MREs are great, programming than current graduate-school the tent facilities are computer science graduates. That’s going to adequate, and the be good for parallel computing in the future.” sanitary facilities are Bill is glad he encouraged them. “Maybe the terrible.’ That’s my most important thing I’ve done in my career is engineer husband—a help these kids,” he says. man of few words.” The list was suggested by Facilities and Operations’ How about a construction update? Valerie Conaway, who has a daughter and son-in-law in the The clatter continues at a modernizing service. ORNL. The first of the new private develop- ment buildings is nearing completion. “It’s on schedule — and we expect that we can begin moving into the building in early Fire ants on the ORR Supercomputing in middle school summer,” says Engineering’s Gerry Palau. They’re he-re. Fire ants, those stinging, Using outdated, inexpensive personal The other two private development build- slashing ants feared throughout the Southeast, computers, a group of 13-year-olds have begun ings—all three are part of a complex—are on have been found on the ORR. A mound was the process of constructing Westfield, N.J.’s, track for completion in late summer. The state- discovered near the old guard station on the first supercomputer. funded Joint Institute for Computational east end of Bethel Valley Road. Following Inspired and encouraged by the work of the Sciences building is now well under way with their positive identification as Solenopsis Environmental Sciences Division’s Bill the steel superstructure rising from the former invicta by UT etymologists, the area of the Hargrove and Forrest Hoffman on the famed east parking lot. The fifth East Campus colony was roped off in preparation for a Stone Soupercomputer, which coming “shock and awe” insecticide was described a while back in campaign. Scientific American, twin brothers Fire ants are an introduced species that, Jarret and Justin Petrillo formed thanks to warmer winters, the Linux Computer Clustering have been making their Club at Edison Intermediate way north. They are School in Westfield. The club, aggressive, sting supervised by Edison Science relentlessly and are teacher David Taylor, includes prone to mass attacks a group of eighth graders. when provoked. The Again, that’s eighth graders.

South American import The Stone Soupercomputer and ond can harm livestock, humans other Beowulf type computers are

Fire ant Richm and crops. Their mounds, essentially desktop PCs that are linked together and programmed Jim which can reach about 10 inches in height and The privately funded facilities are rapidly approaching the to operate in parallel. Working on a foot in diameter, usually don’t have discern- moving-day phase. New tenants will begin the migration a very modest budget, the New ible entrances. this summer. If you find what you think might be a fire Jersey students have thus far ant colony on the ORR (excluding Y-12 and managed to secure 17 PCs. building, the Research Support Center, is ETTP properties), contact Pat Parr at 576- “Its just a start. Our goal is to collect 50 expected to break ground in June, Gerry says. 8123. If you should stumble onto a colony, computers, hopefully more,” says Jarret. Work has begun on a landscaped plaza best advice from the Lab’s Environmental “Eventually we will make a cluster by linking between Building 4500-North and the new Protection group is, “Run!” all these computers, program them to commu- east campus complex. The two complexes will nicate with each other and teach them to be joined by a pedestrian walkway. distribute the workload.” With the considerable help of environmental Waiting on the home front Bill says he supposes the Stone Souper’s management contractor Bechtel Jacobs, two Wartime is always a stressful time for those friendly Website new parking lots are on schedule for comple- who have loved ones in the military service. makes them tion in late summer. They will be located at Any notion that those are few and far between seem approach- the old holding ponds, or surface impound- at ORNL and other area DOE facilities were able, and they ments, on the south end of the Laboratory. dispelled in April when the Lab’s on-line news have One pond has been filled for some time; the page, ORNL Today, asked readers with loved “boilerplate” largest is being cleaned and is in the process of ones in the service to send in their names so answers for being drained. Upon completion, the lots will that others could be aware. most inquiries. fill a critical parking gap created when the new More than 60 soldiers’ names were sent in But this example construction replaced the east parking lot, as from the ORNL Today readership, which spans astonishes him. will about 60 spaces on the former south tank most of the DOE complex. Most were “This is the farm near the ORNL Cafeteria. involved in the conflict in some way, including youngest group As Gerry has said all along, “The east on the ground in Iraq. Others were expecting we’ve seen,” campus construction team very much appreci- says Bill. Justin Petrillo, teacher ates the staff’s patience and understanding as to go or were holding down various forts all David Taylor, Matt Bogen over the world. “Forrest and I we continue to modernize the Laboratory.” have been and Jarret Petrillo of New One submitter, Beverly Mathis in the Jersey. Reported by Bill Cabage Chemical Sciences Division, quoted the predicting that Oak Ridge National Laboratory 3 Significant Event Awards recognize individual, team contributions to Lab NNFD Budget and Work Breakdown struc- Alan L. Wintenberg, Steven S. Frank, ture. Charles L. Britton, Kimberly N. Castleberry, Owen W. Hale, Warren K. Thomas, Milton N. Ericson, William L. Bryan, Lloyd Gregory A. Irby, Douglass G. Rowland and G. Clonts and Robert J. Warmack for fabrica- S Charles E. Bruce for upgrading of the chilled tion of the full custom GS2 integrated circuit. water piping and pump systems in the Central William H. Hopwood and Stanley D. Moses Chilled Water Plant Facility. (Nuclear S&T) for monitoring of Yugoslavian Lynn J. Degenhardt and Don P. Reid for enriched uranium shipped to Russia. their work on the ORNL Electrical Systems John M. Bailey, Philip A. Jallouk, John W. Upgrade Project. McKeever and Leon M. Tolbert (Engineering E Hugh T. Christie for his work on the S&T) for their study to assess certain tech- electrical utilities relocation at HFIR. nologies for an equipment manufacturer. Gary F. Galloway for addressing Building Donald W. Langenberg (Nuclear S&T) for a 7920 safety concerns. technical report titled, A Handbook for the Nuclear Suppliers Group Trigger List Michael E. Leach for achievements in fire Annexes, distributed at the Nuclear Suppliers extinguisher maintenance and repair. Group meeting. A Doris J. Bray, Deborah J. Moore and Nancy A. Markham (Engineering S&T) for ore than 100 ORNL staff members Barbara F. Swails for improvements in recently received Significant Event the development of two internal applications— M operational effectiveness of the ORNL Visitor Coverage Report and Rogues’ Gallery. Awards in recognition of achievements Services. during the first half of fiscal year 2003. Susan S. Johnsen and Laura W. Wagner SEAs—lump-sum monetary awards of Ella F. Jackson for her accomplishments (Engineering S&T) for their request for various amounts—recognize individual while filling in as division training officer for proposal submitted to the California Energy employees and teams for their contributions the Craft Resources Division. Commission. and achievement of significant goals or Donald E. Welch, James G. Hansen, Thomas milestones in support of Laboratory goals and Howard D. G. Thundat, objectives. Haynes, Although SEAs have been awarded at ORNL Robert J. Although SEAs have been awarded at Daryl F. Warmack, ORNL for several years, this is the first time Cox and for several years, this is the first time that the Thomas L. that the award recipients have been widely Rebecca J. award recipients have been widely announced. Ferrell and announced. The Leadership Team reasons that Moses for Gilbert M. the SEA program is a Lab-level program and, their Brown for as such, resulting recognition should also be development of a new diagnostic instrument to development of a technique for concentrating, Lab wide. evaluate the operational condition of fuel moving and separating proteins using an Nominations for these semiannual awards, pumps on the C-141 aircraft. optically excited semiconductor chip (Molecu- which are presented in March and September, Douglas F. Craig, Larry M. Dickens and lar Comb). are reviewed and approved by their respective John T. Shaffer for the successful establish- divisions and directorates before final Ying Xu and Dong Xu for achieving the ment of the Development of an Economically fifth-best performance in the biannual protein selection by a Leadership Team subcommit- Attractive Gas Centrifuge Machine and structure competition using the prediction tool tee. Following are the most recent SEA Enrichment Process CRADA with USEC Inc. recipients. Congratulations to them on their PROSPECT. Fusion Energy Division’s Bradley E. Nelson good work and contributions. Charles W. Hagan for draft comment for his contributions while serving as a response to the environmental impact state- member on a DOE review committee. Allison S. Baldwin, LeJean M. Hardin and ment for the destruction of chemical weapons Judy C. Neeley for their outstanding graphics John F. Thomas, Michael D. Kass, Samuel held by the U.S. Army. support to the National Security Directorate. A. Lewis, John M. Storey and Ronald L. Glenda F. Hamlin for outstanding adminis- Graves for their breakthrough on lean-NOx Gerald A. Harvey, Cynthia L. Wilson, Paul trative support and assistance on a series of catalysis performance with hydrocarbon- F. Gubanc, Dale A. Caquelin, Robert F. research workshops. selective catalytic reduction. Peacher, Robert S. McKeehan, Michael L. George Dodson, Alexander Aleksandrov, Emery and Vickie S. White for their efforts in Cecil V. Parks, John C. Wagner, Ian C. Tom Pelaia, Mario Giannella, Ernest Williams creating the Non-Reactor Nuclear Facilities Gauld, Bryan L. Broadhead and Mark D. Jr. and Saeed Assadi for the successful Division. DeHart for initiation of a research program commissioning of the SNS front-end systems. with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Faye S. Brewer, Marcia D. Whitson, support the development of technical bases Michael H. Skonicki and John Mashburn for Clarence W. Cross, Rolf P. Migun, Charles R. and guidance that would facilitate the imple- establishment of the SNS Metrology Labora- Vane and Steven D. Bridges for their work on mentation of burn-up credit into licensing tory for Mechanical Inspection and Calibration the Building 5500 High Bay Cleanout. activities. of Components. Elivra M. Hodges for outstanding environ- Roberto Lenarduzzi, Michael S. Hileman, Xun-Li Wang and Camden R. Hubbard for ment, safety and health leadership in the William B. Jatko and Kenneth S. Weaver for approval of a new NSF International Materials NNFD Technical Support group. delivery of a hardware and software system Institute for Engineering Materials Research. Mary J. Woods and Dennis W. Parton for meeting the first major milestone in a CRADA Christopher A. Tulk for the publication of development and implementation of the with Tarallax. “Structural Studies of Several Distinct

4 May 2003 Centrifuge Continued from page 1

Metastable Forms of Amorphous Ice” in One current incentive for reestablishing uranium fuel production is Science. national security—most producers are now offshore, and the market Ian M. Anderson for his work on the is stiffly competitive. Transmission Electron Aberration-Corrected “We have to come up with a more economical process,” Doug Microscope development project. says, and recent technological advances may be just that—potentially Raymond G. Boeman for development of a separating uranium at costs that are well below current market prices. new program focal area in intermediate strain- In 1999 USEC began exploring potential deployment of centrifuge rate testing. technology to replace gaseous diffusion. USEC evaluated foreign Mark E. Mathews and Howard H. centrifuge options, as well as the resurrection of U.S. centrifuge Oberholtzer for their work on the High Flux technology. In 2000, USEC established a project office in Oak Isotope Reactor fire hazards analysis. Ridge, where it evaluated and planned for a couple of years. In June 2002, following a comprehensive agreement between USEC and Lynn A. Boatner, to recognize his achieve- DOE, USEC began seriously ramping up the program. ments as recipient of the Frank H. Spedding Here’s how gas centrifuge works, very simplified: Uranium Award. hexafluoride is spun in a rotating column. The U-238 is flung closest Ariel A. Chialvo (Chemical Sciences) for to the wall. Then comes U-235, which is extracted—essentially new calculations of intermolecular interac- scooped out. Centrifuges are connected in series and parallel to form tions. “cascades,” producing the desired capacities and enrichment levels. Angela A. Blankenship (Metals & Ceram- “In concept, it’s easy. In reality, it’s tough to do, and tough to do ics) for handling of finances for the economically,” Doug says. In concept, Automotive Propulsion Materials Program, “For one thing, the centrifuge has to spin very rapidly because the Heavy Vehicle Propulsion Materials capacity increases as approximately the square of the speed. Early the gas Program, and the Light-Weight Materials designs featured elegant engineering to keep them from breaking up. centrifuge Program. The major limitation was the material the rotor was made of—it had Jane C. Parrott (Creative Media) for her to stand those forces plus stand up to the uranium hexafluoride, which process is contributions to the ORNL 60th anniversary is very corrosive.” easy. In edition of the ORNL Review. oug says the centrifuge program of the ’80s solved its materials reality, it’s Marcia D. Whitson, Mary D. Davidson and D problems by using fiberglass, which was conveniently strong Tina J. Graves for sales of excess govern- and lightweight. Gas centrifuges with fiberglass rotors were available tough to do, ment-owned property using E-Bay. in 1985—Portsmouth had more than 1300 centrifuges installed and and tough Walter P. Dykas, Carl E. Thomas, Gregory more than 700 operating—but the technology had its limitations. C. Hinkel, Mark A. Floyd, Rick D. Phillips, “The first exciting opportunity to take advantage of since 1985 is to do Susan E. Hicks, Suzanne W. Willoughby, the advances in carbon fibers, which give us an entirely new ability to economically. James W. Pearce, Karen T. Barry, Dennis W. produce separation components. We can now take advantage of these Everett, Charles D. Fisher and Chad M. new materials,” Doug says. Pfleger for cyber and network security process “The second big thing is advances in computers, which enable us to improvements. perform sophisticated models of fluid dynamics. Gas flow is a very J. Kyle Johnson, Nancy Y. Wright, Kyle R. important element of this process. Models that used to take months to Spence, Debbie D. McCoy, Cheryl D. Hamby run on a mainframe computer now take an hour—on a desktop PC.” and Patricia A. Boyd for contributions by the “The third advantage we now have is advances in power electron- Joint Institute for Computational Sciences ics. Motors are now cheaper and more reliable,” Doug says. working group. USEC came to Oak Ridge with a proposal to update centrifuge technologies using old designs and in some cases old equipment. The Vladimir A. Protopopescu (Computer CRADA with the Lab will provide USEC with the horsepower to Science & Mathematics) for contributions to revamp the process using new technology and demonstrate a lead Optimal Control. cascade—a series of centrifuges hooked together in numbers to produce the desired enrichment through a more economical process. UT-Battelle invests in That initial demonstration will be at the Portsmouth plant in Ohio. Watertown High lab The centrifuge process was largely developed at K-25, involving atertown High School in Wilson County many ORNL scientists. After the lull in uranium enrichment, some of Wis the latest school to receive a $10,000 the composite technologies that emerged from the work were directed grant for science lab equipment upgrades from toward flywheels and other advanced light-weight materials UT-Battelle. Rep. Bart Gordon and ORNL programs. Community Outreach Manager Brenda That technology is now being directed back toward producing Hackworth went to Watertown High school reactor fuel. The United States currently has 103 nuclear reactor recently to see the new science lab equip- plants producing 20 percent of the nation’s power. That percentage ment—microscopes, beakers, pipettes and could grow as the nation strives for energy self-sufficiency. ORNL is other general science tools. currently devoting about 35 staff members, full and part-time, to the UT-Battelle has given the grants to a gas centrifuge CRADA with USEC. number of regional high schools over the past “Materials, engineering analysis, fluid dynamics, power electron- two years as part of its science and math ics, instrumentation and controls—there aren’t that many places you education outreach program. can go and tap these different disciplines and then tap into gas centrifuge experience,” Doug says.—B.C.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory 5 of the area likely led to their being overlooked Letters originally as the ORR, like the rest of the ridge ORNL and valley, has been logged repeatedly since Musings of an old field ecologist settlement by European man. people One chestnut oak comes to mind. It was so The piece on the Tower Shielding Facility Several Lab research staff members have large that it could not fit on the saw carriage at area (No. 47, April 2003) raised some published books recently. Corporate Fellow the mill in Clinton. We needn’t go into why it memories of my own. That is one of the more Tuan Vo-Dinh of the Life Sciences Division was cut in the first place. A cross section of fascinating and diverse (in many ways) areas edited a new book titled Biomedical Photonics this tree resides in the lobby of ESD’s 1505. on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Handbook. The book is the culmination of a Most of the old home sites were bulldozed When I was here in the 1970s and the three-year effort to produce an in-depth survey or burned but, again probably because of Atomic Energy Commission was much more of biomedical photonics from technology remoteness, there were some really well- involved with traditional ecological research, innovation experts and application specialists. preserved cabins (almost move-in condition in field ecology was a major forte. TSF is Metals & Ceramics Division’s Amit Goyal is the early 1970s) along the shore of Melton heavily karst topography, honeycombed with one of the editors of a recently published book Hill, accessible only by foot until the lake was solution channels (sinkholes). titled Processing of High Temperature formed. The walls were papered with old Given the geology, it makes you wonder Superconductors—the proceedings of the newspapers. I recall one such Knoxville paper what kind of considerations were made Processing of High Temperature Superconduc- announcing the inaugural flight of the Pan Am regarding the actual location of TSF in that tors Symposium held at the 104th Annual Clipper across the Pacific. area. Probably remoteness won Meeting of the American Ceramic Society, As part of the Walker out over other consider- April 28ÐMay 1, 2002, in St. Louis, Missouri. Branch Watershed study ations—Melton Hill Dam The book was published by the American (Chestnut Ridge just east of came along after TSF and that Ceramic Society. A book titled Ceramic the Spallation Neutron was a very rural, pre-Interstate- Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, edited by Source), we brought back one 40 corner of the reservation. M&C Division researcher Michael Z. Hu and of the Walker children (in his Because of the caves, it was Prof. Mark De Guire of Case Western Reserve 70s then) to help us recon- prime habitat for bobcats. University, has just been published by the struct past land use on that Several were trapped there and ACS. homestead. It was his first trip equipped with radio collars to M&C Division Director Everett Bloom has back on the reservation since determine their home range received the University of Tennessee College his family was removed. The (500Ð750 acres, with males of Engineering’s Nathan W. Dougherty Award. joy at being allowed back on having the larger range), again Says the UT press release: “He has gained an the family land was marked. as part of general ecological international reputation for his ability to resolve ond He regaled us not only with studies supported by the AEC. issues that arise at the interface (of) materials land use history but also all

Just north of TSF at the very Richm and nuclear systems.” the gossip about all the top (as I recall) of the ridge, is Jim The Chemical Sciences Division’s M. neighboring farmers. a large sinkhole complex with Parans Paranthaman and the Condensed At one point he pointed to a path leading down into the Most of the old Matter Sciences Division’s Dave Christen an old barn site, by then sinkhole. At the bottom, the have been appointed North American editorial home sites were covered in honeysuckle, and temperature on a 90-degree board members of Superconductor Science and admonished us “not to tarry” day is somewhere in the 50sÐ bulldozed or burned. Technology, an e-journal published by the as it was always “snaky.” At 60s. (The only other such site I Institute of Physics, Bristol, England. about that time I looked down have seen like this is the Devil’s Millhopper The M&C Division’s Edgar Lara-Curzio between my feet and sliding through the just outside Gainesville, Fla.) has received the 2003 Richard Fulrath Jr. compressed honeysuckle was the biggest At that time there was a zinc-lined wooden Award from the ACS “for outstanding contri- copperhead snake I had ever seen. I levitated box set up as a cooler. A pipe had been driven butions to ceramic science and engineering.” several feet (it felt that way) into the air and back into the crevice and very cold water ran The award will be presented at the society’s before we could move on he pulled his 4-inch into the box, no doubt serving other domestic annual meeting. Barlow knife and felled a small red cedar, with needs on that really dry ridge top. There may An entry titled “Preserving Oak Ridge it rendering the snake to the snake afterlife. have been a dug well topside, and one didn’t History: Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 60th The copperhead measured 42 inches, a huge go stomping around old home sites for that Anniversary Celebration (2002–2003)” has size for a copperhead. very reason. Situated around the sinkhole won the award of distinction from the East Ah, the musings of an old field ecologist. complex were several ruins, one very large Tennessee Historical Society. Communications But it is appropriate to reflect on the history, foundation and a couple of other smaller and Community Outreach’s Marilyn natural and otherwise, of land that now hosts cabins. I’ve never followed up to see who McLaughlin compiled the entry, which some of the most advanced technology in the owned this parcel, but I suspect it was a encompasses activities related to ORNL’s 60th world. family unit. anniversary celebration. Also in the TSF area were literally miles Frank Harris The Chemical Sciences Division’s Mike and miles of chestnut rail fence. Rail fences Associate Lab Director, Biological and Ramsey has been selected to receive the were found throughout the reservation and Environmental Sciences American Chemical Society’s Division of were very helpful in reconstructing land use Analytical Chemistry Award in Chemical for ecological investigations (e.g., Walker Out of faze Instrumentation. The award, sponsored by the Branch Watershed). Most of this chestnut rail “Winter hardly phases ORNL’s Dow Chemical Company Foundation, will be has finally decayed or become overgrown, modernization” (No. 47, April 2003) presented in September. but many remnants can be seen in yards in the Phases of the season? It did faze me, Al Guidry, small business procurement western Oak Ridge subdivisions and probably how about you? Should think of a clever subcontract administrator for the Spallation elsewhere. phrase to make the point, but I’m not in Neutron Source, has been named winner of the On the backside of TSF, up from White the right phrame of mind. 2003 Minority Small Business Advocate of the Oak Lake, there were some near record old- Year Award, presented by the Tennessee Small growth trees. Again, the relative remoteness Carol Oen, Oak Ridge Business Administration. 6 May 2003 Maier is Lab’s latest Wigner Fellow New Staff homas Maier has joined ORNL as its Thomas earned his Ph.D. in physics at the Members Tlatest Wigner Fellow. The Eugene P. University of Regensburg, Germany, in 2001 Wigner Fellowship, a for work based on a theoretical description of RNL is growing. This feature lists two-year appointment systems regarding correlations between O new employees at the Lab. Welcome all. named for ORNL’s first electrons, which netted him the regional power Mark Crofford, Spallation Neutron Source science director and company’s “outstanding dissertation” award Zhili Feng, Metals & Ceramics Nobel laureate, is and the Roentgen Prize for young scientists Michael J. Frietze, Business & Information designed to provide that year. Thomas was awarded the M.S. Services research opportunities for degree in physics at Regensburg in 1997 and Steven C. Marschman, Nuclear S&T exceptional new scientists. received a German Physical Society scholar- William J. Toth, Nuclear S&T Thomas comes to ship award. Peter J. Pappano, Metals & Ceramics ORNL following two At ORNL, Thomas will work in the John J. Ryneska, National Security years of postdoctoral Materials Sciences Group of the Computer Randall Hapney Jr., Research Reactors computational condensed Science and Mathematics Division alongside Maier Lanny D. Bates, Facilities & Operations matter research with Thomas Schulthess to, among other things, Susie M. Monday, Human Resources & Professor Mark Jarrell in develop an ab initio method for strongly Diversity Programs the Department of Physics at the University of interacting electron systems; that is, a many- Stephen J. Layendecker, Operational Safety Cincinnati. To date, his work there on body approach that starts from first principles Services simulations of high-temperature superconduc- instead of a Hamiltonian model where the Donna L. Poole, Computational Sciences and tors has resulted in 10 first-author publications degrees of freedom are reduced to a few Engineering in top physics journals. parameters. Willis Baker, Jr., Logistical Services Robert Fehling, Engineering Lori Manis, Operational Safety Services Michael Pershing, Metals & Ceramics Kevin Petherick, Operational Safety Services ORICL sets summer classes Jeffrey Binder, Nuclear S&T Bryan Gorman, Computational Sciences & he Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning is offering 27 courses and six Engineering Ttrips during its summer session, which begins June 9. The courses cover topics in art, computers, finance, history, language, literature, medicine, music, religion, science, social science and other areas. ORICL summer session trips include Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and Service Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, the northeastern Tennessee and northwest- ern North Carolina geology trip, the Anderson County industry tour, dinner and a Anniversaries play at the historic Bijou Theatre, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville May and the Great Circus Parade and Midwest Highlights. 40 years: John B. Murphy, Independent A trip to Costa Rica with Elderhostel and ORICL is planned for April 2004. Oversight ORICL was established in 1997 to provide continued learning opportunities to 35 years: F.L. Bradley, Craft Resources mature individuals in East Tennessee. A summer membership fee of $40 entitles 30 years: Howard E. Freeman, Quality new members to participate in a number of courses. For enrollment information Services; Robert M. Sexton, Craft Resources or a free catalog of classes, contact the ORICL office, (865)481-8222. 25 years: Byrl P. Adkisson Jr., Integrated ORICL is sponsored by Roane State Community College as a nonprofit Operations Support; Steve Armstrong and program and is affiliated with Elderhostel Institute. Most courses are held at the Dennis L. Brown, Craft Resources; John S. RSCC Oak Ridge Branch Campus. Bowman, Facilities Management; Ronald R. Brunson, Willena C. Carter and Cecil V. Parks, Nuclear Science & Technology; Brenda L. Bush and Michael L. Gregg, Deaths Engineering Science & Technology; Raymond R. Giles, Fabrication & Site Subramanian Raman died on April 8 at his “He was very well known as an evaluator of Services; Brian E. Hingerty, Life Sciences; home in Oak Ridge. He came to work at nuclear data,” says retired Physics Division Cynthia H. Johnson, Communications & ORNL in 1966 in the Physics Division, Director Fred Bertrand. “Raman really Community Outreach Dir.; Linda K. Plemons, where he worked in developed a style of knowing where problems Chemical Sciences; Ken C. Pressley, Logisti- experimental nuclear were and how to attack them. That had a cal Services; Kaye P. West, Contracts/ physics. major influence on his career—he understood Procurement Raman, as he preferred where the important gaps were.” 20 years: Joseph P. Cunningham, Engineer- to be called, published a Raman made a number of important ing Science & Technology; Benwhea B. Lu, significant body of work discoveries and worked in heavier actinide Environmental Sciences; Sheryl B. Milan, during his time at ORNL, nuclei studies with scientists from the United Business & Information Services Dir.; including serving as co- Kingdom and Japan. Alexander W. Riedy, Nuclear Science & editor of the Atomic Data “The Japanese scientists revered him. He Technology; Thomas E. Stanford, Networking and Nuclear Data Tables. was Raman-san,” Fred says. “He had & Computing Technologies; Mark W. He was also the orga- enornous integrity; he never did anything Raman Wendel, SNS Experimental Facilities; Denny nizer of the Physics halfway.” R. Wilson, Craft Resources; Mona L. Wright, Division’s excellent ongoing series of Raman was 65. Health Services technical seminars.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory 7 New Employee Orientation: revamped first impression RNL brings highly skilled and talented training facility, a state of the art conference Opeople to the Lab. That’s why the Human room, was created for this purpose and Resources & Diversity Programs Directorate decorated with photographs featuring some has worked to revitalize the New Employee key Lab activities. A new van is used for short Orientation Program—to showcase ORNL as tours around the Lab and for transport to the the employer of choice in science and cafeteria. technology research and development. HR is developing an NEO video and a Web From the time new employees receive their “super-site.” Says Program Coordinator initial greeting from a Bethel Valley Road Carolyn Ward, “We plan to keep NEO alive security guard until they finish their workday, and well with routine communications, HR&DP strives to ensure that they experience publicity and involvement; to provide enough of the Lab’s culture to know that resources needed to help new employees ORNL is a great place to work. transition into the area; and to welcome NEO introduces incoming staff to the employees’ family members into the ORNL programs, services and resources they will community, as well.” Complementing the revitalized NEO process is need to make a smooth transition into the Lab. The revitalization project was a joint effort ORNL’s upgraded visitor center (below), which The program is customized to address the of the HR&DP and Environment, Safety, gives visitors and new employees a cheerier first needs of all new employees, whether they be Health and Quality directorates. Facilitators impression than the previous visitor reception transfers, key management hires, non-U.S. include Carolyn Ward and Bonnie Brummitt area (above). citizens or students. of the Employee and Since the NEO revitalization project began Organization Development in May 2002, nearly 100 newly hired employ- Department, Kathryn ees have completed the orientation. Cogar of ORNL Benefits, “The New Employee Orientation program Health Services Director is quite exhaustive but certainly necessary,” Dr. James Phillips, and says Michael Frietze, an East Tennessee Sharon Fuller of transplant from Albuquerque, N.M. “The Wackenhut Security information provided is in an overview Services. Bonnie and Edith fashion but with enough resource material Jones and Melissa Bassett provided to look it up when the information is from Records, Training and needed. The speakers and facilitators provide SBMS Services were a very positive first impression of ORNL.” instrumental in planning In addition to NEO’s training aspect, new and implementing the employees are also provided other resources program’s new image. — to help them transition smoothly into ORNL Deborah Barnes, with life, including a canvas briefcase, an ORNL Carolyn Ward coffee mug and desk-organizing items. The

Number 48 May 2003 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Gas centrifuge, page 1 P.O. Box 2008 Permit #37 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6146 Powell, TN Farewell, page 1

Lab Notes: Fire ants, home front, wunderkind, building, page 3

SEAs, pages 4- 5

Bobcats and homesteads, page 6

New Wigner fellow, page 7

Inside