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Education Outreach A P S N E W S Insert JANUARY1998 THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 7, NO 1 APS NewsTry the enhanced APS News-online: [http://www.aps.org/apsnews]

Langer Chosen as APS Vice- Shuttle President in 1997 Election embers of The view, page 2). M American Physi- In other election re- cal Society have elected sults, of James S. Langer, a profes- the Massachusetts Insti- sor of physics at the tute of Technology was University of , elected as chair-elect of Santa Barbara, to be the the Nominating Com- Society’s vice-presi- mittee, which will be dent. Langer’s term chaired by Wick Haxton begins on January 1 , (University of Washing- when he will succeed ton) in 1998. The Jerome Friedman (Massa- Nominating Committee chusetts Institute of selects the slate of candi- Technology), who will dates for vice-president, become president-elect. general councillors, and Langer will become APS president in its own chair-elect. Its choices are then 2000. The 1998 president is voted on by the APS membership. Beverly (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory) (see inter- K. Berger (Oakland University), Cynthia McIntyre (George Mason University), (University of California, Life APS member, Roger K. Crouch, a payload specialist aboard the 83rd flight of the Inside Los Angeles), and (Stanford Space Shuttle, Columbia, volunteered to take with him an APS paperweight Linear Accelerator Center) were elected commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the and 50 year anniversary of the News as general councillors. transistor. The framed paperweight and certificate of authenticity (pictured here) as well Communication, APS Centennial Are as a collage of pictures from the mission prepared by NASA were formally presented to Sessler’s Top Priorities in 1998 ...... 2 Incoming APS President Andrew Sessler outlines Vice-President APS Executive Officer, Judy Franz, and Treasurer, Thomas McIlrath at the American his priorities for the Society in the coming year. James S. Langer was born in Pittsburgh Center for Physics on November 20, 1997. The momento is on display at APS The Sad Story of Heisenberg’s in 1934. He received his Ph.D. in math- headquarters in College Park, MD. Doctoral Oral Exam ...... 3 ematical physics under the supervision of Heisenberg almost failed his PhD thesis defense. R.E. Peierls at the University of Birmingham, IN BRIEF ...... 3 England in 1958. He joined the Physics De- continue to play a leading role among U.S. However, he also emphasized a more The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the team that will operate Brookhaven. partment at Carnegie Mellon University scientific societies in making the case for important and challenging underlying is- Michels Gains Broader Perspective in 1958. In 1982, he became professor of adequate and stable national investments sue: that of maintaining the vitality of During Fellowship Year ...... 4 physics and a member of the Institute for in research; (2) to maintain the health of physics as an intellectual discipline, which Outgoing APS Congressional Fellow spent the past Theoretical Physics at the University of the APS meetings and especially its jour- he believes can be best accomplished by year learning the ins and outs of Washington politics. California, Santa Barbara, serving as its nals, in light of the move towards broadening the horizons of physics be- Optical Storage, Traps Featured at Annual Laser Science Meeting ...... 5 director from 1989 to 1995. The 1997 re- electronic publications; and (3) to sustain yond a fixed set of research topics. In Optical and laser scientists from around the world cipient of the APS Oliver E. Buckley Prize, broad-ranging outreach and educational particular, he cited the plethora of phys- gathered in Long Beach, California, for the ILS- Langer’s research generally has been in the programs to keep the public better in- ics-based instrumentation and the rapidly XIII Conference. theory of nonequilibrium phenomena in formed about physics research, and increasing power of computers that have Endorsement of Senate NRIA-1998 Bill condensed matter. His specific areas of encourage young students to consider ca- given rise to a rich array of fascinating Culminates Year-Long Efforts By APS .... 6 The APS officially endorsed a bipartisan Senate interest have been quantum many-body reers in physics. (Continued on page 4) Bill that calls for a doubling of federal funding theory of transport in solids, the kinetics for scientific research over the next decade. of first-order phase transitions including LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ...... 7 nucleation and spinodal decomposition, Three APS Constitutional Amendments Approved Lipkin on nuclear . dendritic pattern formation in crystal The 1997 ballot also included three constitutional amendments, approved by ZERO GRAVITY ...... 7 growth and, most recently, the dynamics The 1997 Darwin Award goes to a high flyer. the APS Council upon recommendation of the APS Committee on Constitution of earthquakes and fracture. FELs, Biological Physics Featured at and Bylaws. All three were approved by more than 80% of the votes cast. Specifi- Langer’s most recent national commit- SESAPS Meeting ...... 7 cally, the stated APS objective was amended to better articulate the Society’s tee service includes stints as chair of the The highlights of the 63rd Annual APS Southeast- concern for science education and public affairs and to include activities in those ern meeting at Vanderbilt University. APS Division of Condensed Matter Phys- areas. Article II of the Constitution now reads, “In the firm belief that an under- Chiral Perturbation Theory, Discrete ics; chair of the APS Nominating standing of the nature of the physical universe will be of benefit to all humanity, Symmetries Highlight Committee (1995); chair of the Physics 1997 Meeting ...... 8 the Society shall have as its objective the advancement and diffusion of the knowl- Section of the AAAS (1992); and chair of The latest research topics featured at the annual fall edge of physics.” meeting of the APS DNP. the Panel on Research Opportunities and The remaining two amendments concerned the value of the variable (X) as it Two APS Publications to be Needs, Materials Science and Engineer- applies to units losing representation on Council. The first (Article VIII) was Discontinued ...... 8 ing Survey, National Research Council B-rapids and Physical Review intended to stabilize the Council representation of several APS units with mem- (NRC) (1986-89). Abstracts will be discontinued. bership levels that fluctuated near the value of X, which is 3% of the total APS In his candidate’s statement, Langer APS James C. McGroddy Prize for New membership. The second (Article IX) applies the same policies to the APS geo- identified three outstanding responsibili- Materials ...... 8 graphical sections. For details see APS News, February and June 1997. The APS Council voted to establish the APS James ties of the APS and its leadership: (1) to C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials. APS Nomination Forms ...... 9 Nomination for APS Fellow/Nomination Ballot Two Young to Receive 1998 APS Apker Awards ...... 10 FREE Access to Reviews of Modern Physics Online Anna Lopatnikova and Cameron Geddes were named recipients of the 1998 Apker Award for their research achievements as undergraduates. The APS is pleased to announce that Reviews of Mod- announced as it becomes available. Please visit RMP- Announcements ...... 11 ern Physics was released on the on online at http://rmp.aps.org. Questions and comments December 8, 1997 and will be accessible to all users are welcome and should be sent to the APS Associate The Back Page ...... 12 Bernard Ortiz de Montellano on the problem of free of charge until July 1, 1998. APS members who Publisher at 301-209-3202 (telephone), 301-209-0844 post-modern multiculturalism and scientific illit- wish to continue to access RMP-online after July 1, 1998 (fax), or [email protected] (e-mail). eracy. may register a subscription. Pricing information will be SPECIAL EDUCATION INSERT APS News January 1998 Communication, APS Centennial Are Sessler’s Top Priorities in 1998

Andrew Sessler (Lawrence Berkeley turn ultimately helps us improve our com- The upcoming APS Centennial Laboratory assumed the APS presidency munication with the general public, which Q celebration in 1999 will undoubt- on January 1st, 1998. In the following is, after all, one of our primary missions. edly require a great deal of planning interview, he outlines his prevailing and effort in the coming year. concerns and priorities for the Society in How has the Society evolved in the coming year. Q terms of how it interprets its mis- Absolutely. The Centennial sion over the last 100 years? A celebration is our number one If you had to pick one over-riding priority for 1998. We have a team in place Q theme to define the underlying Over the years the APS has evolved now, with Brian Schwartz and Franmarie common denominator for your priorities A into a society with a social con- Kennedy (see APS News, December 1997), as APS president, what would it be? science. Until 1972, the Society was and we’re working on a broad range of primarily concerned with organizing projects connected with that. It’s going to First and foremost, I would say meetings and publishing its journals. That be a very large, festive affair, and very A communication. By that I mean year, the APS organized the Forum on much an international . communication with the general public, Physics and Society. Later in the decade, We’re expecting more than 40 Nobel with politicians, and with students at all this gave rise to the Panel on Public Af- laureates to attend, who will be available levels of the educational ladder. It’s very fairs, which dealt with physics and public to interact with the public. We’re also nois has a Cyber lab, a Saturday honors important that the public become more affairs. In 1980, we formed the Commit- developing projects designed to last program, teacher’s workshops, and nearly aware of physics. We have a great story to tee on the International Freedom of beyond the Centennial celebration: a 6000 children and 200 teachers in Central tell: all the accomplishments of the last Scientists to address human rights issues, special issue of Reviews of Modern Physics, Illinois and Chicago areas have enjoyed century and the exciting prospects for the since, as Andrei Sakharov has said, “The outlining the great accomplishments and the 63 physics traveling van shows given future. interests of science must include the de- themes of physics in this century; a 27- between the program’s conception in In addition, we need to foster better fense of members of the scientific foot wall chart depicting physics 1994 and the spring of 1996. There are also communication with our own members. community from injustice.” Also in the highlights; a coffee table book for the more than 200 hands-on science museums We have so many education and outreach we formed committees on women general public; and a collection of photos that have sprung up around the country activities in the areas of K-12 education, and minorities in physics. The Physics of famous physicists from this century. and are very popular. So a lot of effort is women and minorities in physics, and Planning Committee was born in 1988 to Also, we’ve hired a large public rela- being made, and more needs to be made, public affairs, but very few APS members focus specifically on physics funding. In tions firm to assist us, not just with the in education. are aware of what we’re doing. We know the we witnessed the formation of Centennial, but with the whole issue of this from the recently completed mem- the Committee on Applications of Phys- communication. We, as physicists, have What is the APS doing to ensure bership survey (see APS News, October ics and the Forum on Industrial and certainly not been very good at commu- Q the continued economic health of 1997), and I have also experienced it anec- Applied Physics (FIAP). And just last year nicating, so maybe it’s time to go the physics enterprise? dotally. Every time I talk with members we established the Committee on Careers professional. However, this is a long-term about APS activities, they say, “Well, why and Professional Development. objective that cannot be accomplished There has been substantial effort for don’t you tell the members?” And I re- So we’ve evolved from an organization overnight. We’re hoping the Centennial A the last year to garner support for a spond, “My God, all we do is tell the concerned only with physics, to an orga- celebration will mark the start of a major bill to double the amount of R&D fund- members. The members don’t listen.” nization concerned about the social new direction for the APS. I feel it is the ing in the U.S., spearheaded by [APS Past Editors note: See insert in this issue; Edu- impact of physics, and finally to an orga- next logical step in the Society’s continu- President] Allan Bromley (see APS News, cational Outreach. nization concerned about the civil and ing evolution: from building physics in November 1997) with the assistance of the Also, although the APS is a volunteer human rights of physicists in this and the U.S., to developing a social con- APS Office of Public Affairs, led by Bob organization, we do have a very large, other countries, as well as employment science, to being concerned about Park and Mike Lubell. This mustn’t be highly skilled staff of about 200 — operat- opportunities for physicists. I think that’s physicists as well as physics. The next step an isolated, one-time effort. Politicians ing under the direction of APS Executive an important element for physics in the is fostering better communication of phys- need to appreciate that physics is a driv- Officer Judy Franz, Associate Executive coming century. Ilya Ehrenberg, one of ics to the general public. ing engine to economic wealth, to our Officer Barrie Ripin, Editor-in-Chief the greatest Soviet writers of this century, quality of life, and especially to advances

Marty Blume and APS Treasurer Tom said in Moscow, in 1966, “A person who Obviously an important compo- in medicine. We wouldn’t have MRI, PET McIlrath — that is necessary to carry out has only knowledge but no…conscience, Q nent of communication is educa- scans or CAT scans without physics. It’s all the functions we undertake, but the this is not a person, but a half-finished tion. Is this another top priority for the all inter- related and we will need suffi- membership is often not aware of them. thing. Even if we are talking about a tal- Society? cient funding in the future for physics Better communication with our members ented …” That’s still true in research if this growth is to continue. allows then to better communicate APS America today. Yes. The recent Campaign for The public shouldn’t consider phys- activities to the general public. This in A Physics, spearheaded by Nico ics to be irrelevant. We can accomplish Bloembergen and Darlene Logan, raised this by communicating the new role of more than $5 million for educational physics, emphasizing that it does have a APS COUNCIL 1998 activities. The APS has been focusing a role in post-Cold-War society, just a dif- President great deal of effort on the Teacher- ferent one. For instance, physicists are APS News Andrew M. Sessler, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory President-Elect Scientist Alliance program, headed by addressing what is inevitably going to be Jerome Friedman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 Vice-President Education Director Ramon Lopez, which a significant problem for society in the Series II, Vol. 7, No. 1 January 1998 James S. Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara is a way to encourage scientists to interact © 1998 The American Physical Society Executive Officer next 100 years, namely sources of energy, Judy R. Franz, University of Alabama, Huntsville (on leave) with teachers and contribute to public specifically fusion and solar energy. Editor: Barrett H. Ripin Treasurer schools. I think it’s unclear to most Newswriter: Jennifer Ouellette Thomas McIlrath, University of Maryland (on leave) Editor-in-Chief physicists how they can contribute to their Is there still room in the current Production: Elizabeth Buchan-Higgins Martin Blume, Brookhaven National Laboratory Coordinator: Amy Halsted Past-President local schools. Better communication is Q tight budgetary climate for less D. Allan Bromley, Yale University needed to get them involved, whether strategically focused research, which APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, monthly, except the August/September issue, by The American Physical General Councillors they give a lecture, visit a class room, judge many scientists believe is equally nec- Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) Daniel Auerbach, Beverly Berger, Virginia Brown, Jennifer Cohen, 209-3200. It contains news of the Society and of its Divisions, Charles Duke, S. James Gates, Donald Hamann, William Happer, a science fair, or simply be a resource for essary for the future of science and Topical Groups, Sections and Forums; advance information on Cynthia McIntyre, Helen Quinn, Roberto Peccei, Paul Peercy, Susan Seestrom, teachers. I know a Livermore physicist technology in this country? meetings of the Society; and reports to the Society by its com- Virginia Trimble, Ronald Walsworth, mittees and task forces, as well as opinions. Chair, Nominating Committee who set up an Email- Net a few years ago Wick C. Haxton with local high school teachers. If they I think so. After all, beyond the Letters to the editor are welcomed from the membership. Letters must be signed and should include an address and daytime tele- Chair, Panel on Public Affairs get a question in class that they don’t know A practical benefits of physics phone number. The APS reserves the right to select and to edit Ruth H. Howes for length or clarity. All correspondence regarding APS News should the answer to, they email him for the research, there are significant intellectual be directed to: Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Division and Forum Councillors answer. I’ve talked to some high school contributions. That’s a harder sell these Park, MD 20749-3844, email: [email protected]. Steven Holt (Astrophysics), Eric Heller, Gordon Dunn (Atomic, Mo- lecular and Optical), Robert Callender (Biological), Stephen Leone (Chemi- teachers in this area and they would love days, but physics still has a lot to Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publication de- cal), Joe D. Thompson, David Aspnes, Arthur Hebard, Zachary Fisk (Condensed Matter), Warren Pickett (Computational), Guenter Ahlers to do that with scientists. It is less contribute in purely intellectual areas. For livered by Periodical Mail. Members residing abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $20. Nonmembers: Subscription (Fluid Dynamics), James Wynne (Forum on Education), Gloria Lubkin threatening than having a scientist come example, high energy physics is grappling rates are: domestic $160; Canada, Mexico, Central and South (Forum on History of Physics), Matt Richter (Forum on Industrial & Applied Physics), TBA (Forum on International Physics), Dietrich Schroeer America, and Caribbean $180; Air Freight , Asia, Africa into your classroom, and can be quite with the question of why there is more and Oceania $210. (Forum on Physics and Society), Andrew Lovinger (High Polymer), Daniel Grischkowsky (Laser Science), Howard Birnbaum (Materials), John effective. matter than , which is Schiffer, TBA (Nuclear), Henry Frisch, (Particles and The APS Division of Plasma Physics presumably related to the question of CP Subscription orders, renewals and address changes should Fields), Robert Siemann (Physics of Beams), Roy Gould, William Kruer be addressed as follows: For APS Members—Membership De- (Plasma) just sponsored a special day for more than noninvariance. It’s a wonderful question partment, The American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, [email protected]. For Non- 1,000 school children at its meeting last and we’re building B factories to try to ADVISORS members—Circulation and Fulfillment Division, American In- November in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, answer it. Another major question is, stitute of Physics, 500 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797. Sectional Representatives Allow at least 6 weeks advance notice. For address changes, John Pribram, New England; Peter Lesser, ; Perry P. Yaney, and other APS units have undertaken simi- What is the origin of mass? We simply please send both the old and new addresses, and, if possible, Ohio; Joseph Hamilton, Southeastern; Stephen Baker, Texas include a mailing label from a recent issue. Requests from sub- lar efforts. In addition, many university don’t know why some particles, like the scribers for missing issues will be honored without charge only Representatives from Other Societies if received within 6 months of the issue’s actual date of publi- Ronald Edge, AAPT; Marc Brodsky, AIP departments are making substantial out- , are massive, while the electron cation. reach efforts in K-12 and general public has almost no mass. So we are engaged in Staff Representatives Barrett Ripin, Associate Executive Officer; Irving Lerch, Director of Periodical Postage Paid at College Park, MD and at additional education. For example, the University activities like the Large Hadron International Affairs; Robert L. Park, Director, Public Informa- mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, tion; Michael Lubell, Director, Public Affairs; Stanley Brown, Ad- of Michigan holds free public lectures on to try to understand this problem. Membership Department, The American Physical Society, One ministrative Editor; Reid Terwilliger, Director of Editorial Office Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. physics every fall on Saturday mornings, These are two very fundamental philo- Services; Michael Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer given by postdocs. The University of Illi- sophical questions in which the public

2 January 1998 APS News The Sad Story of Heisenberg’s Doctoral Oral Exam by David Cassidy n May 1923 re displeasure at the results), Heisenberg remained in doubt for nearly a quarter I turned to from Gottingen, prepared his dissertation. He submitted century until they were finally con- where he had been a visiting student, to his dissertation, a 59-page calculation firmed. finish out his last semester while writing titled “On the Stability and Turbulence Acceptance of the dissertation brought his doctoral dissertation. Knowing of Liquid Currents,” to the Munich fac- admission of the candidate to the final Heisenberg’s reputation for controver- ulty on July 10, 1923. The topic arose from orals, where in this case trouble began. sial solutions to problems in quantum an earlier research contract Sommerfeld The examining committee consisted of theory, his Munich mentor, Arnold had received from a company channel- Sommerfeld and Wien, along with repre- Sommerfeld, suggested that he write his ing the Isar River through Munich. The sentatives in Heisenberg’s two minor dissertation in the more traditional field problem was to determine the precise subjects, mathematics and astronomy. of hydrodynamics. transition of a smoothly flowing liquid Much was at stake, for the only grades a Heisenberg also had to take the four- (laminar flow) to turbulent flow. It was candidate received were those based on hour laboratory course in experimental an extremely difficult mathematical prob- the dissertation and final oral: one grade physics offered by Prof. Willy Wien. lem; in fact, it was so difficult that for each subject and one for overall per- Wien insisted that any physicist, includ- Heisenberg offered only an approximate formance. The grades ranged from I ing Sommerfeld’s brilliant theorists, solution. “I would not have proposed a (equivalent to an A) to V (an F). must be fully prepared in experimental topic of this difficulty as a dissertation to As the 21-year-old Heisenberg ap- Photo from the Library. physics. Wien and Sommerfeld both sat any of my other pupils,” wrote peared before the four professors on July Werner Heisenberg (~1927) on the candidate’s final oral exam and Sommerfeld. The faculty accepted the 23, 1923, he easily handled Sommerfeld’s both had to agree on a single grade in thesis and Wien accepted it for publica- questions and those in mathematics, but year. After informing Born of the debacle physics. tion in the physics journal he edited, but he began to stumble on astronomy and of his orals, Heisenberg asked sheepishly, While Heisenberg struggled through when the mathematician Fritz Noether fell flat on his face on experimental phys- “I wonder if you still want to have me.” Wien’s lab course (much to Wien’s raised objections in 1926, the results ics. In his laboratory work Heisenberg Born did not answer until he had gone had to use a Fabry-Perot interferometer, over the questions Heisenberg had a device for observing the interference of missed. Convincing himself that the ques- light waves, on which Wien had lectured tions were “rather tricky,” Born let his would be very interested if the facts were to that. FIAP is now the biggest unit of extensively. But Heisenberg had no idea employment offer stand. But that fall presented correctly, along with topics like the APS, and has developed a jobs engine how to derive the resolving power of the Heisenberg’s worried father wrote to the the significant absence of many solar neu- that’s quite effective for acquiring posi- interferometer nor, to Wien’s surprise, famed Gottingen experimentalist James trinos — we’re only seeing a fraction of tions. The APS must educate professors could he derive the resolving power of Franck, asking Franck to teach his boy what is theoretically expected — the ex- about what it’s like in industry these days, such common instruments as the tele- some . Franck did istence of , and whether the because most of them have never been scope and the microscope. When an angry his best, but could not overcome universe expands forever, or not. That’s employed in industry. Those who have Wien asked how a storage battery works, Heisenberg’s complete lack of interest one reason we hired a public relations worked in that realm did so many decades the candidate was still lost. Wien saw no and gave up the effort. If Heisenberg was firm. ago. Educating industry is equally impor- reason to pass the young man, no matter going to survive at all in physics it would tant, because so many industrial how brilliant he was in other fields. be purely as a theorist. Will the APS continue to employers prefer to hire engineers in in- An argument broke out between There is an interesting epilogue to this Q emphasize the importance of stead of physicists. We must convince Sommerfeld and Wien over the relative story. When Heisenberg derived the un- international collaboration? industry that the new generation of physi- importance of theory and experiment. certainty relations several years later, he cists is a different breed with a lot to offer, The result was that Heisenberg received used the resolving power of the micro- I believe international with a flexibility that just isn’t found in the lowest of three passing grades in phys- scope to derive the uncertainty A evolve naturally from the day-to-day people trained in other professional lines. ics and the same overall grade (cum relations—and he still had difficulty with interactions of scientists as they go about laude) for his doctorate, both of which it! And again, when Bohr pointed out the their work. For example, the Department were an average between Sommerfeld’s error, it led to emotional difficulties for of Energy has provided $500 million for highest grade and Wien’s lowest grade. Heisenberg. Likewise, this time a posi- the Large , and the Andy Sessler At a Glance Sommerfeld was shocked. Heisenberg tive result came of the affair: plasma physicists for a very long time was mortified. Accustomed to being al- Heisenberg’s reaction induced Bohr to o Undergraduate studies in math- have had an international collaboration ways at the top of his class, Heisenberg formulate his own views on the subject, ematics at . PhD on fusion physics. Another example is that found it hard to accept the lowest of three which ultimately led to the so-called in atomic and nuclear structure U.S. radio astronomers are designing a mil- passing grades for his doctorate. Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum physics from , limeter wavelength telescope in Chile, and Sommerfeld held a small party at his mechanics. SLAC has initiated a major collaboration 1953. home later that evening for the new Dr. David Cassidy (Hofstra College) is Secre- with the Japanese on linear . How- o Worked with on el- Heisenberg, but Heisenberg excused him- tary-Treasurer of the Forum on History of ever, although they arise from the grass ementary before self early, packed his bag, and took the Physics. This article is excerpted from his roots of the scientific enterprise, these in- joining faculty of Ohio State Uni- midnight train to Gottingen, showing up book, Uncertainty, pp. 149-154, and may ternational activities often reach the point versity. Research in in Max Born’s office the next morning. also be viewed at web site [http:// where they require formal agreements and low-temperature and accelerator Born had already hired Heisenberg as his www.hofstra.edu/Heisenberg] along with discussions at a higher level than that of physics. teaching assistant for the coming school addition material on Heisenberg. scientists interacting with scientists. Often, the APS, through the efforts of APS Direc- o Moved to Lawrence Berkeley Labo- tor of International Scientific Affairs ratory in 1962, serving as director Irving Lerch, can and does play an impor- from 1973 to 1980. Currently a tant role in that regard. senior scientist. Also a Trustee of Associated Universities Inc. IN BRIEF What do you feel will be the most o Chaired the Federation of Ameri- Q pressing issues for the Society as it can Scientists from 1989 to 1991. • On November 25, 1997, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that enters the 21st century? Co-founder of Scientists for Brookhaven Science Associates, a team led by the Batelle Memorial Research Sakharov, Orlov and Sharansky, for Institute of Columbus, Ohio, and the State University of New York at Stony The most immediate pressing which he received the first APS Brook, will operate the laboratory. Core universities associated with BSA in- concern for the future is the Nicholson Medal for humanitarian A clude Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Princeton and Yale. The new team transition to electronic publishing. We’re service in 1994. undergoing great changes. Nobody knows will take over operations in 60 days, with a five-year, $2 billion contract to be exactly where we’re headed, and it’s a o Extensive APS service over the years awarded in January. It was clear that BSA was favored by most of the labora- very important issue since much of our includes chairing CIFS, POPA, CAP, tory scientists. The presidents of both Stony Brook and Batelle had previously Society’s activities rely on surplus income and the Division of Physics of stated that restarting the fast-flux beam reactor would be a high priority if BSA from publications. So we have to make Beams. Helped establish the FIAP, were chosen (“What’s New,” August 1, 1997). BSA picked John Marburger, a the transition with care and caution and CIFS and the PPC, on which he also former President of Stony Brook, to be Director. He is highly experienced. presumably we will, under the capable served. During construction of the SSC, Marburger was chair of the Board of Trustees of Universities Research Association, which managed the ill-fated project. direction of Marty Blume and Thomas o Recipient of E.O. Lawrence Award This action follows termination of the contract with Associated Universi- McIlrath. in 1970 and Wilson Award in ties Inc. John Marburger, the laboratory’s new director (past president of I would also hope to see the APS con- 1997. Fellow of the APS, AAAS, SUNY-Stony Brook for 14 years) described the four goals of the new manage- tinue to broaden its view of what physics and the New York Academy of Sci- ment: providing a new leadership team; continuing cutting-edge science; is to accommodate emerging new disci- ences. Member of the National attention to environment, safety, and health issues; and “a solid and productive plines and avoid splintering into Academy of Sciences. numerous smaller societies, as has hap- relationship with the community.” “We cannot operate a public facility with- pened in the past. For example, at present o Considers physics to be a “social out public support,” he said. more than half of the new PhDs are going sport” and enjoys the personal in- into industry, so we have to be sensitive teractions as much as the science.

3 APS News January 1998 Michels Gains Broader Perspective During Fellowship Year

rappling with a changing economic three-hour caucus heard from a panel of and Technology Subcom- He also gained a greater Gclimate for science, and seeking to 11 experts including former Under Secre- mittee of the Senate Armed appreciation and under- foster bipartisan discussion on controver- tary for Technology, Dr. Mary Good, IBM Services Committee. “There standing of how the context sial science and technology related issues Senior Vice President for Research Dr. didn’t seem to be a clear ef- in which the science and are just a few of the challenges faced by Paul Horn, and Dr. Charles M. Vest, Presi- fort within the Department technology establishment Joseph Michels, who spent the past year dent of MIT. Several months later, the of Defense to support re- operates has changed from learning the ins and outs of Washington four Caucus Senators banded together to search and industrial World War II to the end of politics firsthand as an APS Congressional help resolve Congressional conflict over collaborations that would the Cold Fellow. The APS Congressional Fellow- the Advanced Technology Program help ensure that we retain War. “Today, it’s impor- ship program is intended to provide a (ATP). our lead in semiconductor tant to view science and public service by making available indi- According to Michels, the ATP was a manufacturing by remaining technology as contributing viduals with scientific knowledge and relatively obscure program initiated dur- at the cutting edge of the tech- to an innovation cycle incor- skills to members of Congress, few of ing the Bush Administration, intended to nology,” said Michels. porating America’s competitiveness, to whom have a technical background. In develop an industry-driven national R&D As an example, he points to the U.S. its national defense, and to the well-be- turn, the program enables scientists to effort by funding research at businesses semiconductor industry, which was bol- ing and high standard of living enjoyed broaden their experience through direct involved in attacking problems related to stered substantially in the early 1980s by by the American people,” he said. “That involvement with the legislative and po- manufacturing or production. When DARPA’s orchestrated effort with argument must be made in order to jus- litical processes. President Clinton took office, he touted SEMATECH to build a consortium of tify the current levels of funding. It must Michels elected to spend his fellow- the program as a new model for federal semiconductor manufacturers and equip- be viewed as an investment, rather than ship year as a legislative assistant in the research and development efforts and ment makers. While it didn’t an entitlement.” Congressional office of Senator Joseph sought a sharp increase in funding. With single-handedly save the industry, the ef- Michels received his B.S. in physics, Lieberman (D-CT), who has long been a raised profile, the ATP became the ob- fort certainly contributed to its current with a minor in English, from LaSalle active in science and technology issues ject of bitter partisan strife, with some prosperity, as did the previous decades University in 1986, and his D.Phil. in ex- on Capitol Hill. Lieberman is currently members of Congress holding it up as an of DOD investment in mathematics, com- perimental condensed matter physics the ranking Democrat on the Acquisi- example of the government funneling puter science and thin film fabrication, from Oxford University’s Pembroke tions and Technology Subcommittee of money to large corporations and interfer- among other areas. But interest has waned College in 1994. Prior to his fellowship the Senate Armed Services Committee, ing in the marketplace. at a time when, says Michels, investment year, he was employed by the which oversees nearly all of defense re- In order to break the logjam, a 60-day is more important than ever to national Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, search and helps direct U.S. strategic review was requested, and during that pe- security, especially as the nature of war- which in collaboration with Universita relationships with other countries. “I riod the four senators participating in the fare continues to change. “To succeed in di Firenze in , developed the ultra- wanted to combine my interest in busi- February science and technology caucus this new environment, we need to domi- violet coronograph spectrometer (UVCS) ness and trade with an international drafted some suggestions for changes in nate information technology,” he said. aboard the Solar and Heliospheric component,” said Michels of his reasons the ATP that would keep the integrity and Michels says he has gained a broader (SOHO) satellite. Based at the NASA for selecting Lieberman’s office. “This goals of the program intact while ensur- perspective on the scientific enterprise as Goddard Space Flight Center, Michels was a way to have science and technol- ing that it remained “pre-competitive” by a result of his fellowship year. Instead of helped develop the observing plan for the ogy integrated into an economic and only funding projects before any one com- focusing his energies on one small area of UVCS instrument, as well as participat- strategic interest, rather than just to be an pany has a proprietary interest in them. research, he was asked to view R&D ing in the ongoing research in solar physics isolated fellow working on esoteric issues Most significantly, grants will only be across the full spectrum of U.S. science by SOHO instruments. that really didn’t fit into anything else the made to consortia, with the aim of foster- and technology efforts, encompassing uni- A member of the U.S. team for the 1987 office was doing.” ing alliances between academia and versities, national laboratories, and Pan American Games, and a contender One of Michels’ first activities as a industry, and large companies are not eli- industry. While his background in semi- for the 1988 and 1992 Olympics in row- Fellow was to help organize a bipartisan gible to be single applicants. The final conductor physics and entrepreneurial ing, he also rowed for Oxford in the annual science and technology caucus last Feb- verdict on the program is still out, but “I experience certainly served him well, he boat race against Cambridge, a national ruary, in conjunction with the offices of think this will prove to be a success story,” still had to familiarize himself with the event in England that garners worldwide Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM), Bill Frist said Michels. “There are still some sena- complex area of defense research. “It’s a media attention. Two years before com- (R-TN) and John Rockefeller (D-WV). tors who are never going to love this whole different world than civilian re- mencing his studies at Oxford, Michels “The intent was to advance the debate on program, but it’s certainly easier for them search, with a very directed mission, in was a founding partner of This Old House federal involvement in science funding to swallow now, as well as being more that it must contribute to the strategic Renewed, a self-started and managed reno- from the partisan wars of the 104th Con- focused in its mission.” interests of U.S. national security,” he said. vation firm in Philadelphia. gress, namely, at what point does federal Michels also worked preparing testi- spending constitute corporate welfare, mony on declining procurement budgets There is still time to apply for the 1999 APS Congressional Fellowship. picking winners and losers among com- for defense-related R&D for Senator The application deadline is JANUARY 15, 1998. See Announcements on page 11. peting companies,” he said. The Lieberman to present to the Acquisitions

1997 Election Results (Continued from page 1) fundamental questions in the physical, drogen maser with Norman F. Ramsey. of science, it is vital that we maintain this of the fundamentals of physics, its quest biological and engineering sciences. “We He joined the faculty of M.I.T in 1966, tradition and continue to draw our lead- for objectivity, and the methods it has must include the most vigorous of these where he is now the Lester Wolfe Profes- ership from the very best talent in our adopted in its research,” Berger said in emerging areas within our physics labora- sor of Physics and Associate Director of community,” he said. her candidate’s statement. “Regrettably, tories and academic physics departments,” the Research Laboratory of Electronics. the infrastructure for scientific discovery he said. “That means that we must make A past recipient of the Davisson-Germer General Councillors that has served us so well in the 20th cen- room for new topics and the young scien- Prize and the Lilienfeld Prize of the APS, Berger has been a faculty member at tury may be at risk in the 21st.” She tists who will lead us in new directions.” his research interests are in experimental Oakland University since 1977. She re- believes that the APS can play a pivotal While acknowledging that there are no , high precision measure- ceived a Ph.D. in physics from the role in re-energizing positive public atti- easy solutions to these challenges, Langer ments and quantum optics. Current University of Maryland in 1972 and held tudes towards physics through its believes that the APS can play a key role research includes quantum chaos, stud- postdoctoral positions at the University lobbying activities for resources, and in terms of increasing awareness of these ies of hydrogen at extremely low of Colorado (JILA) and Yale University. should continue to provide a forum for issues by encouraging debate, by empha- temperatures, and ultra precise spectros- Berger’s research is in the area of theo- connections among physicists — both tech- sizing their importance, by actively copy. He is the co-author of two textbooks. retical gravitational physics. Recent work nical interactions and international seeking out new opportunities, and by de- Within the APS, Kleppner has served as includes Monte Carlo for collaborations which could prove essen- voting a major part of the Society’s energy chair of the Division of Atomic, Molecular quantum cosmology, chaotic dynamics of tial to the future of physics. to the task of maintaining the breadth and and Optical Physics, as a Councillor-at- Mixmaster universes, and the application McIntyre is a theoretical physicist and vitality of physics. “If we fail to take ad- Large, and on several other committees of symplectic PDE solvers to the numeri- a Commonwealth Assistant Professor of vantage of new opportunities — if we including the Physics Planning Commit- cal study of cosmological singularities. physics at George Mason University. Her exclude them from our definition of ‘phys- tee, which he joined in 1988 and chaired She is a member of the APS Divisions of research focus is on the electronic and ics’ — then eventually, but inevitably, from 1992-96. Astrophysics, Computational Physics, optical properties of semiconductor physics in the U.S. will contract, and our In his candidate’s statement, Kleppner and Particles and Fields. During the past heterostructures. Most recently she has nation’s scientific strength will decline ac- praised the Society’s strong tradition of two years, she founded and served as the investigated electron-phonon scattering in cordingly,” he said. leadership by outstanding members from first chair of the APS Topical Group in structurally modified semiconductor every area of physics, and pledged to guide Gravitation. She has also served on orga- heterostructures. She received her Ph.D. Chair-Elect, Nominating the APS Nominating Committee in iden- nizing committees for international in physics from the Massachusetts Insti- Committee tifying the best potential leaders and conferences and on an NSF panel on fu- tute of Technology in 1990, and was Kleppner received his Ph.D. from Har- encouraging them to run for APS office. ture directions in gravitational physics. awarded the Chancellor’s Postdoctoral vard University in 1959, where he “In view of the serious problems cur- “I believe that society would benefit Fellowship to study at the University of participated in the invention of the hy- rently confronting physics, and indeed all immensely if everyone had a good grasp California, San Diego, and the National

4 January 1998 APS News Optical Storage, Atom Traps Featured at Annual Laser Science Meeting

ptical and laser scientists from future generation optical disk storage me- Quantum Computation Photorefractive Keratectomy and O around the world gathered in Long dia. According to Glenn Sincerbox of the Several speakers reported on the sta- Retinal Physiology Beach, California, October 12-17, 1997, for , who reported on tus of various schemes for quantum Researchers at Summit Technology, the thirteenth annual Interdisciplinary recent advances in the enabling technolo- computation. A research group at Los Inc. have developed a next- generation Laser Science Conference (ILS-XIII), gies and materials for holographic data Alamos National Laboratory is investi- large area excimer laser refractive work- which combined fundamental studies of storage, “Holographic storage technology gating two proposed quantum computer station which uses a unique, patented, laser interactions with , molecules, has the potential of providing high capac- technologies: nuclear magnetic resonance, single-use laser disc to treat myopia, hy- clusters, plasmas and materials with re- ity, rapid access and fast retrieval of in which nuclear spins are used to store peropia, and both myopic and hyperopic search on emerging applications. The digitally stored information.” quantum information, and trapped , compound astigmatism. The Emphasis conference serves as the annual meeting In a later tutorial on Monday, Donald in which quantum information is stored LaserDisc contains all the required infor- of the APS Division of Laser Science, in Carlin of Sarnoff Corp. summarized sev- in the atomic quantum levels. They re- mation that is necessary to impart the conjunction with the Optical Society of eral developing optical storage cently demonstrated quantum desired corneal surface shape transforma- America (OSA). First held in Dallas, technologies: near-field optical storage; computation with cold, trapped calcium tions to achieve the intended refractive Texas, in 1985, the ILS series was estab- electron-trapping optical memories; two- ions. Scientists with the Weapons Science outcome. In a related area, Donald Hood lished to survey the core laser science photon memories; and persistent hole Directorate are investigating the use of of Columbia University described new areas, including lasers and their proper- burning. According to Carlin, some of the electron-nuclear double resonance with techniques that allow the study of single ties, nonlinear optics and ultrafast remaining technical challenges include laser-pulse induced selection electronic classes of cell, such as rod or cone recep- phenomena, the physics of laser sources, development of improved storage mate- excitation control for quantum comput- tors, and rod onbipolars. Also, a relatively lasers in physics and chemistry, and other rials, improved diode lasers, and compact ing applications. new multi-stimulation technique allows applications. optical systems. In addition, “New tech- In addition, researchers at the Califor- for simultaneous recording from many A special plenary session on Monday nologies must be aimed at consumer nia Institute of Technology are developing localized regions. Hood illustrated his afternoon featured a keynote address by products to be pervasive,” he said. “An a scheme by which quantum networks techniques with studies of light adapta- Carl Wieman (University of Colorado) emerging technology must be embraced might be realized. According to Hideo tion of the normal retina, as well as with on new studies in Bose-Einstein conden- by a number of major manufacturers Mabuchi, these networks would consist of studies of the abnormal activity of dis- sation, preceded by a ceremonial session worldwide in order to have the hope of spatially separated quantum nodes con- eased retinas. marking the presentation of the 1997 being accepted as a standard.” The new nected by quantum channels. The nodes Schawlow Prize to Erich Ippen (MIT) and storage products must also bring over- would generate, process and store quantum Optics in Entertainment Charles Shank (Lawrence Berkeley Labo- whelming advantages to users as magnetic information, and consist of the internal Through advances in plasma tube and ratory). The conference also featured four storage devices continue to improve. states of a collection of atoms. The chan- optical coating technologies, laser manu- critical review presentations, a feature nels would transport quantum states and facturers have met the ever-increasing first introduced in 1995 to highlight excit- Atom Traps and Cold Collisions distribute entanglement by way of photons. demands of the entertainment industry ing new developments in laser science by Using spectroscopy of weakly bound, with improved output power, color bal- excited molecules formed by collisions of recognized experts. This year, the four Hyperpolarized Noble Gas MRI ance, and packaging of white lasers. ultra-cold atoms in an optical field to yield speakers and their topics included Researchers at the University of Michi- According to Kurt Klavuhn of Spectra- their ground-state atomic scattering prop- Wolfgang Ketterle (MIT) on Bose-Einstein gan have used laser optical pumping Physics Lasers, who spoke at a Monday erties, new Nobelist William Phillips of condensation and the atom laser; Nasser techniques to enhance the polarization of morning session, these advancements NIST reported in a Tuesday morning ses- Peyghambarian (University of Arizona) noble gas isotopes, including -3 and provide more flexibility and versatility sion on the observance of unambiguous on polymer optoelectronics; Daniel xenon-129, for magnetic resonance imaging for further advancing the cutting edge of evidence of the effect of radiative retarda- Chemla (Lawrence Berkeley National (MRI). According to Timothy Chupp, al- laser entertainment displays. For ex- tion on the molecular spectra. Other NIST Laboratory) on recent advances in single though helium-3 is particularly suitable for ample, Robert Martinsen of the researchers have developed a new tech- molecule spectroscopy; and Katherine lung and air space imaging, xenon-129 is of Corporation for Laser Optics Research nique for observing collisions at very low Hall (MIT) on the progress and outlook interest because xenon gas crosses the described a new projection display, relative velocities, which was used to mea- for all-topical ultrafast switching. blood-gas barrier, is dissolved in the blood, called Color Visiona. The display uses sure rates of -polarized Penning and is carried to tissue where magnetiza- pulsed, solid state lasers with a modula- ionizing collisions for both fermionic and Optical Storage tion can build up and be imaged. Using tion technique known as acousto-optic Charles Brucker of Eastman Kodak bosonic isotopes of xenon. The same group this approach, scientists at the Universitat line writing to create images exhibiting a gave a Monday morning tutorial on opti- has found that the collision rate of atoms Mainz in performed the first unique combination of brightness, spa- cal storage materials, reviewing the arranged in an optical lattice is suppressed clinical survey of he-3 MRI of the lungs of tial resolution, and chromatic strength, design, fabrication and performance is- by at least a factor of two when it has ther- healthy probands, as well as patients suf- specifically suited for large area displays sues for the deposited thin film layer malized, in comparison to atoms in the fering from various lung diseases. in bright ambient lighting. stacks used in current and potential free state.

1997 Election Results (Continued) Research Council’s Research Science at UCLA, a position he has held as well as other APS activities designed factory, designed particularly to study CP Associateship Award for postdoctoral since November 1993. He is a particle to help raise awareness of physicists about violation in the decays of B mesons, study at the Naval Research Laboratory. theorist whose principal interests lie in employment issues. Like Langer, he also where it is expected to manifest itself in a She has served on the Research the area of electroweak interactions and believes that the physics community will variety of decays and thus provide tests of Associateship Programs Advisory Com- in the interface between particle physics benefit by broadening its borders to incor- predictions and probes mittee for the National Research Council, and cosmology. Born in Italy, he com- porate new fields at the edges of exploration, for beyond Standard Model effects. She the APS Committee on the Status of pleted his secondary school in , as well as fostering the existing subdisci- has served in the APS Division of Particles , and the American In- and came to the U.S. in 1958 to pursue his plines. “In a tight fiscal climate, where and Fields Executive Committee and as a stitute of Physics Advisory Committee university studies in physics. He obtained choices need to be made, the difficulty is member of the Panel on Public Affairs, on Physics In Two Year Colleges. a Ph.D. from MIT in 1969. After a brief how to maintain the breadth without di- and is currently on the Executive Com- McIntyre identified two fundamental period of postdoctoral work at the Univer- minishing the strengths of the individual mittee of the Forum on Education. issues currently affecting physics research sity of Washington, he joined the faculty of subfields,” he acknowledged, adding that According to her candidate’s state- and education in the U.S.: the amount of in 1971. In 1978 he re- the APS can play a useful role by publicly ment, Quinn’s interest in serving as an federal funding for research and develop- turned to Europe as a staff member of the emphasizing the unity of physics to dampen APS Councillor stems from her belief ment, and the production of physics PhDs Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany. any partisan squabbles. that while the APS is a strong organiza- at universities. In addition to increasing He joined the Deutsches Elektron Synchro- Quinn is a theoretical particle physicist tion, it needs to evolve significantly in the efforts to further facilitate the employ- tron (DESY) laboratory in , at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, face of current realities. In particular, she ment prospects for young physics, “We Germany, as the Head of the Theoretical where she also leads the laboratory’s edu- is concerned about the impact of elec- must continue to develop new and cre- Group in 1984 before returning to the U.S. cation and outreach efforts. She received tronic publishing on the Society’s journals, ative methods to effectively communicate in 1989, joining the faculty of the Depart- her PhD from Stanford University in 1967 and a growing desire for smaller, more with our nation’s executive branch and ment of Physics at UCLA. Within the APS, and held positions at DESY and Harvard focused meetings by many APS members. congressional leaders on the contributions Peccei served for three years on the Divi- University before returning to SLAC in “For many of my colleagues, APS meet- of physics research to society,” she said. sion of Particles and Fields Executive 1977. Her research is focused on under- ings are no longer a prime professional She specifically suggests that members of Committee, chairing the unit in 1993. standing the nature of the breaking of CP activity, and even divisional meetings are Congress or their staff be invited to at- In his candidate’s statement, Peccei symmetry in processes, larger and more general than the meet- tend special technical presentations at noted the changing realities of federal as well as the mechanisms that ensure its ings young scientists prefer to attend,” she annual APS meetings for a day, targeted funding for research and the impact on maintenance in strong interaction pro- said. She is also interested in seeking ways to their interests. the job market for physicists. To help ad- cesses. She is currently an active to expand the APS role in outreach and Peccei is Dean of the Division of Physi- dress the latter, he hopes to foster the participant in the development of the ex- education, working in tandem with other cal Sciences of the College of Letters and organization of more career workshops, perimental program for the SLAC B professional societies.

5 APS News January 1998 APS VIEWS Endorsement of Senate NRIA-1998 Bill Culminates Year-Long Efforts By APS n November, the APS Executive Board Chair James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) ac- and fusion budget went up 5%, the NIH coalition representing 3 million mathema- Iofficially endorsed the bipartisan Na- knowledged the cause was worthy, but received a 7.1% increase, the core pro- ticians, engineers and scientists from 106 tional Research Investment Act of 1998 initially declined to endorse anything grams of NIST went up 5.5%, and the NSF societies. Thus, the coalition’s work is far (NRIA), a Senate bill (S.1305) that calls more than a flat budget for FY1998. budget rose nearly 6%. from over. “Without the confidence that for a doubling of federal funding for basic However, subsequent press coverage The coalition also expended consider- the scientific community is really behind scientific, medical and pre-competitive by National Public Radio, the Washing- able effort to help foster cooperation this, this kind of legislation has a way of engineering research over the next decade. ton Post, the National Journal, Associated between Senators Phil Gramm (R-TX) being tabled,” said Lubell. The bill was announced at a press confer- Press, Business Week, and U.S. News and and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) on the devel- Among the lessons learned from the ence in October, along with the release of World Report, as well as editorials on the opment of the new bipartisan NRIA, past year’s activities is that by working a unified statement endorsed by the APS importance of investment in science in which makes science a national funding together to send a compelling, unified and 106 other scientific, engineering and the Wall Street Journal and New York priority. Pete Domenici (R-NM), the message, scientists can have a much math organizations (APS News, Decem- Times, kept the issue in the public eye. In chair of the Budget Committee, also threw greater impact on than by ber 1997). Like the Senate Bill, the addition, by the end of June the number his support behind the bill, as did Jeff working individually. Also, the experi- statement calls for a doubling of the fed- of societies and organizations endorsing Bingaman (D-NM). In fact, Domenici ence proved that members of Congress eral budget for research by the year 2009, the Joint Statement had reached 48, repre- vowed to make the bill a priority. While do listen to scientists and would like to although the bill focuses specifically on senting a broad-based coalition of 1.5 there is currently no equivalent bill in the hear from them. “They interpret silence increases in civilian research. million scientists, engineers and math- House, Brown is offering an investment as an indication that there’s no problem, The event marks the culmination of a ematicians. As budget hearings began in budget outlining Democratic priorities or that scientists don’t consider their work series of activities instigated by the APS the Senate in May, Sensenbrenner eventu- for discretionary spending in general that to be relevant enough for the government Office of Public Affairs just over a year ally modified his position to would increase scientific R&D by 5% a to pay attention to it,” said Lubell. “If you ago, with strong support from then-APS accommodate the possibility of a 3% in- year, which is not incompatible with the just expect somebody else to carry the President D. Allan Bromley (Yale Uni- crease in science funding. goal of doubling research in ten years. “I message forward into Congress, it’s not versity), who had made federal support Encouraged by the response, the mem- think Brown deserves credit for keeping going to have any effect.” for science a priority of his presidential ber societies of the joint coalition divided the flame burning in the House while all tenure. According to APS Director of the eight weeks from May 1 to the end of this other effort was taking place in the APS members interested in more informa- Public Affairs Michael Lubell, in the fall June, which is the key time when appro- Senate,” said Lubell. tion, or participating in current and future of 1996, when the framework was being priations bills are crafted, and took turns Other societies are expected to follow efforts on behalf of science funding, should set for the FY1998 federal budget, the out- alerting their memberships to write let- the APS’ example in officially endorsing contact Michael Lubell [[email protected]] or look for science was not good. The most ters to Congress. “It was like passing a the NRIA. Gramm and Lieberman are Francis Slakey [[email protected]] at the APS optimistic scenario was a freeze at FY1997 baton from one society to the next,” said confident they can round up the 51 co- Office of Public Affairs, 202-662- 8700. The funding levels, with more dire projections Francis Slakey, Assistant Director of APS sponsors needed to ensure passage in the full text of both the Joint Society Statement from the American Association for the Public Affairs, of this unique approach. Senate, but they will need the grass-roots and the Unified Statement can be found on Advancement of Science (AAAS) predict- “By staggering the letter-writing cam- lobbying support of the expanded joint the APS Web page [www.aps.org]. ing as much as a 5% cut in funding levels paigns, we made sure that the message of for many science and technology pro- the importance of increasing federal fund- grams. ing for science was pounded out week As word spread throughout the scien- after week.” THE 7 PERCENT SOLUTION tific community, two APS divisions in As another first, several societies con- particular — nuclear and high energy phys- tributed funds to place an ad making the Science & Engineering Fuel the Economy ics — sent out a call for action to their case for science in the June 16th issue of members, who in turn began to flood the Roll Call. The biweekly publication cov- “Since World War II, fully half of America’s total economic growth has administration with letters encouraging ers the activities of Congress and parts of sprung directly from technological innovation Most of this wealth-creating continued strong federal support of sci- the Administration, and is one of the most innovation is a direct result of research that has been underwritten by the ence. This had some effect on the widely read publications on Capitol Hill. federal government.” presidential budget request for FY1998 In addition, the Office of Public Affairs — The Washington Times, January 3, 1997 submitted to Congress in February 1997, approached the mayors of several cities which asked for small increases for sci- in the districts of key appropriators, per- “Academic research in science has a ‘social rate of return’ in the form of ence research, as high as 3% increase for suading about 20 of them to endorse a lower prices, better products, and higher productivity that exceeds 20 some programs. letter detailing the importance of invest- percent serious funding for science is a vital national investment.” In the meantime, Bromley met with ment in science to the future of America’s — U.S. News and World Report, May 19, 1997 the presidents of several other profes- cities. sional societies — including the American Several society presidents also paid But the Public Investment in Chemical Society (ACS), the American personal visits to key Congressional of- R&D Is Sinking Mathematical Society (AMA), the Ameri- fices to emphasize the need for the can Astronomical Society (ASA), and the government to look seriously at investing American Institute of Physics (AIP), in research. And during the Joint APS/ among others — with an eye towards or- AAPT Spring Meeting in April, the APS We Must Increase the Public ganizing a joint effort. The result was a Divisions of Laser Science and Atomic, Investment in R&D... Joint Society Statement released in Molecular and Optical physics, in con- Recently, 1,500 economists March, calling for a 7% increase across junction with Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), were asked: “If the Federal the board for science funding in FY1998 organized a reception on the Hill featur- Government wanted to increase (APS News, April and May 1997). ing 12 hands-on science demonstrations. long-term economic growth, which one policy would have the most positive A key point of the joint statement was “I think many members of Congress had impact?” The number one response, beating all other responses by four to that the sciences are interdependent and thought about science primarily as eso- one, was “Spend more on Education and Research & Development.” therefore one had to view federal research teric scratchings on a blackboard,” said — Wall Street Journal, March 6, 1997 investment comprehensively, not just in- Slakey of the demos’ effectiveness in com- dividual disciplines. Furthermore, it municating the message of the benefits of “The lag time between basic research and application is often 20 years,” says maintained that investments in research science. “For the first time they were see- David Gergen, Editor at Large, U.S. News and World Report. The economy is are critical to a number of national needs, ing things that grew out of science that strong, a benefit of past public investments in science and engineering. Cut- including economic growth, health, na- were part of their experience, so there was ting the investment cuts future economic growth. tional security, and quality of life. “It was some real contact between science and a first in terms of a real call for a compre- their daily lives. It wasn’t just lecture A 7% Increase Keeps America on the Path to a Balanced Budget. hensive approach to science, and it asked mode.” for a specific number, instead of just the This flurry of lobbying activity by the “A 7% increase strikes a balance between the current fiscal pressures and usual ‘science is good’ type of message,” scientific community ultimately yielded the need to invest in activities that enable long-term economic growth and said Lubell. impressive results, especially when con- productivity.” Despite Bromley’s appearance on sidered in light of the dire forecasts of 5% — Leaders representing 1.5 million Scientists, Mathematicians, CSPAN plugging the joint statement, cuts being cited one year ago. According and Engineers, March 4, 1997 along with ACS President Paul Ander- to Lubell, while the FY1998 budget son, initial response from Congress was doesn’t grant a 7% increase for science “Congress finds that an increased level of investment in basic science is mixed. Rep. George Brown (D-CA), the funding across the board, there are sub- essential to maintaining the position of the U.S. as technological leader of ranking Democrat on the Science Com- stantial increases for most science and the world. The purpose of this Act is to double the Federal funding for mittee and a long-time supporter of technology programs averaging between science over 10 years.” science, was sympathetic, but didn’t think 5% and 8%. For example, DOE’s basic — S. 124, National Research Investment Act of 1997 it could be done. Science Committee energy sciences went up 8.6%, the plasma

6 January 1998 APS News LETTERS FELs, Biological Physics Featured at SESAPS Meeting

Nuclear Superconductivity he Southeastern Section of the APS intense infrared radiation. (SESAPS) held its 63rd annual meet- Finally, scientists at the University of The debate in October 1997 APS News retical language. The bottom line was T ing, 6-8 November 1997, at Vanderbilt Illinois are using “nanoshocks” — tiny but between John Michael Williams and clearly stated by at that time University in Nashville, Tennessee. In- powerful shock waves measuring 100 mi- Stuart Pittel on “Nuclear Superconduc- in explaining the difference between BCS vited speakers covered such topics as crometers in diameter, with a sample tivity” has lost sight completely of its and Bose condensation. Cooper pairs are materials and biophysics research with thickness of 1 micrometer and a total vol- basic physics and history. The term was not ; they are overlapping free electron lasers, nuclear physics, sol- ume of a few nanograms — to study first used by David Pines at the 1957 pairs where the size of a given pair is much ids and molecular dynamics, optics, anthracene, a model molecular crystal, Rehovot Conference on Nuclear Struc- larger than the mean distance between physics teaching, astrophysics, high en- and myoglobin, a molecular ture to point out that the new BCS theory, pairs, and where the Pauli principle is cru- ergy physics, chaos in quantum systems, nanomachine. Generated by high power which was at that time far from being ac- cial. I used these ideas of Bardeen and and computational physics in the physics picosecond laser pulses in solids via laser cepted, might also apply to nuclei. It Racah in my quantum mechanics book curricula. In addition, Vanderbilt hosted ablation, the nanoshock produces large suggested that any weak attractive inter- to show the unity of physics between vari- two one-day workshops prior to the meet- amplitude displacements from the equi- action will give rise to coherent ous fields, rather than nitpicking over ing, one on radioactive ion beams, and librium geometry. The subsequent many-body states for the particles near minor differences, and attempted to urge another on condensed matter/free elec- ultrafast material relaxation processes are the Fermi surface and an energy gap in others to follow the precedent set by tron laser physics. The Society of Physics monitored by ultrafast vibrational or vis- their excitation spectrum. David Pines in encouraging communica- Students organized a session for student ible spectroscopy. At the same 1957 conference Giulio tions between different areas. papers in conjunction with the SESAPS Racah independently described the same Harry J. Lipkin meeting, presenting the Marsh W. White Biological Physics physics for atoms and nuclei in group-theo- Weizmann Institute of Science Award for the best paper given at the ses- The use of physical techniques has Rehovot, sion. become very important in understanding APS Associate Executive Officer the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease, zero Barrett Ripin spoke on career opportuni- according to Daniel Kim-Shapiro of Wake gravity ties for physicists during an interactive Forest University, who spoke on Satur- Thursday afternoon session, reviewing the day morning. In particular, light scattering current status of the physics job market and absorption studies have been used to 1997 DARWIN AWARD WINNER and outlining short- and long-term strate- measure the kinetics of sickle cell hemo- globin polymerization and The Darwin Award is presented every year to an individual (or the remains thereof), gies being undertaken by the APS to help depolymerization (melting). These have who has done the most to remove undesirable elements from the human gene pool. improve the employability of physicists led not only to an increased understand- The 1995 winner was the fellow who was killed by a Coke machine which toppled in various sectors. Later that evening, sci- ing of the disease, which affects about 1 over on top of him as he was attempting to tip a free soda out of it. In 1996 the winner entists from Vanderbilt and three other out of 600 people of African descent in was an air force sergeant who attached a JATO (rocket) unit to his car and crashed into Southeastern universities staged a phys- the U.S. alone, but has also led to im- a cliff several hundred feet above the roadbed. ics demonstration program. And Laurie proved treatment strategies. Kim-Shapiro The 1997 winner is Larry Waters of Los Angeles — one of the few Darwin winners McNeil (University of , is currently conducting investigations to survive his award-winning accomplishment. Larry’s boyhood dream was to fly. Chapel Hill), chair of the APS Commit- into the phenomenon of polymer melt- When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a tee on the Status of Women in physics, ing in sickle cell hemoglobin, which is pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. When he was finally discharged, led session participants in a panel discus- key to determining whether polymers he had to satisfy himself with watching jets fly over his backyard. sion on the topic of balancing family that reach the lungs melt before they en- One day, Larry decided to fly. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and obligations with a physics career on Fri- ter the oxygen deficient tissues. purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, day afternoon. Specifically, he has been exploring the when fully inflated, would measure more than four feet across. Back home, Larry Physics with Intense Radiation kinetics of oxygen binding to the poly- securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the According to Vanderbilt University’s mers, using time-resolved linear bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test Norman Tolk, who spoke at a Friday af- dichroism, followed by laser photolysis. while it was still only a few feet above the ground. Satisfied it would work, Larry ternoon session on physics with intense packed several sandwiches and a six-pack of beer, loaded his pellet gun— figuring he radiation, the Vanderbilt Free Electron Multimedia Tools in Physics could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend— and went back to the floating Laser’s (FEL) tunability, high intensity Teaching lawn chair. and short pulse structure make it ideal Several sessions were organized He tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry’s plan was to for (1) studying the electronic and vibra- around current issues in, and new ap- lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor tional structure of small and wide band proaches to, physics teaching, particularly and in a few hours come back down. gap semiconductors, and (2) achieving in the area of new computer and Things didn’t quite work out that way. When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn non-thermal wavelength-selective materi- mutlimedia tools. On Friday afternoon, chair to his jeep, he didn’t float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the als alterations. In the first instance, Aaron Titus of North Carolina State Uni- LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn’t level off at 30 feet; he leveled off at 11,000 scientists have been able to verify two- versity addressed the issue of integrating feet. At that height he couldn’t risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the photon absorption measurements in Ge. multimedia and physics problems to en- load. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours. The FEL has also greatly facilitated inter- hance students’ success at solving Eventually Larry found himself drifting into the primary approach corridor of Los nal photoemission heterojunction band problems. In a recent study of students’ Angeles International Airport. A United pilot first spotted him. He radioed the tower discontinuity measurements, without the responses on Web-based homework ques- and described how he’d passed a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the need for complex modeling. With regard tions, he found that merely presenting a existence of an object floating 11,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency proce- to the latter, Tolk has used the FEL to video of motion described in a given phys- dures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate. LAX is right demonstrate strongly wavelength-selec- ics problem is not the most effective use on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to flow. It carried Larry tive ablation in chemical vapor deposited of multimedia materials. Rather, multi- out to sea with the helicopter in hot pursuit. Several miles out, the helicopter caught up diamond. media-focused problems, where data with him. Once the crew determined that he was not dangerous, they attempted to During the same ses- relevant to solving the problem is embed- close in for a rescue but the sion, Maurizio Ferconi, ded in a video or animation, may be the draft from the blades would also of Vanderbilt, de- best use of multimedia in physics prob- push Larry away whenever scribed recent attempts to lem solving. they neared. selectively enhance chemi- According to L.W. Martin of North Finally, the helicopter as- cal reactions with infrared Park University, the updated software cended to a position several radiation, which to date package Mathematica 3.0 features a new hundred feet above Larry and have had limited success. interface designed to allow more natural lowered a rescue line. Larry The development of new entry of traditional mathematical nota- snagged the line and was lasers such as the FEL and tion, and the entire documentation is hauled back to shore. The dif- ultrafast tabletop lasers, electronically searchable, making it ideal ficult maneuver was and the potential for mate- for use in upper-level physics courses for flawlessly executed by the he- rials processing and students completing assignments, since licopter crew. As soon as biomedical applications, the mathematics becomes secondary to Larry was hauled to earth, he have rekindled interest in the physics. As occurred when calcula- was arrested by waiting mem- this area. Ferconi’s team is tors became widely available, the bers of the LAPD for violating implementing state-of-the question remains as to how to use the new LAX airspace. As he was led art computational tech- tool most effectively to help students learn away in handcuffs, a reporter niques — using classical physics, without distracting them with the dispatched to cover the dar- and quantum molecular computer, and Martin discussed several ing rescue asked why he had dynamics — to both mol- possible methods for implementing done it. Larry stopped, turned ecules and solids under Mathematica into physics courses. and replied nonchalantly, “A man can’t just sit around.”

7 APS News January 1998 Chiral Perturbation Theory, Discrete Symmetries Highlight 1997 Nuclear Division Meeting

he latest research results in chiral Office of High Energy and Nuclear emitted in weak decay pro- meson-nucleon coupling constant. A sec- T perturbation theory, discrete sym- Physics, and Robert Eisenstein, the NSF’s cesses, for which work Wu is chiefly ond long data run has just been completed metries, and weak interactions and spin assistant director for mathematical and known. There is an ongoing investigation at TRIUMF. Because the measurements structure were among the topics featured physical sciences. In addition, three par- in this area of research by the Japan-USA are sensitive to a wide variety of systemic at the annual fall meeting of the APS Di- allel workshops were presented prior to, Kamiokande collaboration of atmo- errors which must be monitored and con- vision of Nuclear Physics (DNP), held but in conjunction with, the DNP meet- spheric and solar neutrinos. trolled, the current major focus is on October 5-8, 1997 in Whistler, British ing on Sunday, October 5: one on discrete Vincent Yuan of Los Alamos National reducing system errors. Columbia, Canada. The meeting con- symmetries, another on electromagnetic Laboratory closed the session with a talk sisted of a plenary session in memory of dynamics of mesons and nucleons, and on compound-nuclear resonances Weak Interactions and Spin Chien-Shiung Wu, five invited sessions, the third on radioactive beams and for fundamental and applied physics. Ac- Structure 24 contributed sessions, and four mini- nuclear astrophysics. cording to Yuan, experiments using Type II supernova and neutron star-star symposia on, respectively, B solar epithermal interacting with neutron mergers are candidate sites for neutrinos, neutral currents in atoms and Plenary Session compound-nuclear resonances serve a the production of certain heavy nuclei, nuclei, the contribution of sea and Along with a short scientific biogra- wide range of scientific applications. For according to Gail McLaughlin of INT in to nuclear structure, and order and phy of Wu, the plenary session that kicked example, transmission changes correlated Seattle, who spoke on Monday afternoon. chaos in nuclei. off the conference included a presentation to the polarization reversal in incident In these environments, nucleosynthesis A town meeting was also held on Tues- by Carl Wieman of the University of neutrons have been used to study parity takes place in the presence of a day afternoon to provide an opportunity Colorado on his recent measurements of violation in the compound nucleus for flux. Depending on the intensity of the for a large segment of the nuclear science atomic parity violation, which has now many different targets. Neutron reso- flux, neutrino interactions with heavy nu- community to contribute to the ongoing been observed in numerous atoms such nances can also be used to determine the clei can play an important role in discussion regarding future challenges and as cesium, particularly the first measure- polarization of neutron beams. Finally, determining final abundances. Thus, priorities for the field. On hand to guide ment of a nuclear anapole moment. the motion of target atoms results in an knowledge of the relevant weak interac- the discussion were Peter Rosen, newly Brookhaven’s dis- observed temperature-dependent Dop- tion cross sections is an important appointed associate director of the DOE’s cussed various aspects of the study of pler broadening of resonance line widths, ingredient in determining the astrophysi- which can be used to determine tempera- cal site and conditions during which this tures on a fast time scale of one nucleosynthesis occurs. In addition, microsecond or less. nuclear scattering can impact the nuclear flow during nucleosynthesis, and the Two APS Publications to be Chiral Perturbation Theory neutrino flux experienced by a nucleus Several speakers at a Tuesday morn- depends on the hydrodynamic condi- Discontinued ing session concentrated on recent tions. Therefore, said McLaughlin, “The developments on applying chiral pertur- study of neutrino scattering in a rapidly Due to drastically decreased demand available to members only. Because of bation theory (CPT) to study nucleon and expanding environment typical of the for the print version of Physical Review the current duplicate coverage of PRB- properties such as masses, mag- post-core-bounce supernova helps to dis- Abstracts, the publication will be discon- Rapid Communications articles in both netic moments, and weak decays, as well criminate between various outflow tinued as of January 1, 1999. The last issue online offerings, PRB-Rapid Communica- as photo- and electro-production of scenarios.” of PR Abstracts to be printed will be the tions as a separate publication will be on nucleons near thresholds. For ex- December 15, 1998 issue so that the Ameri- discontinued as of July 1, 1998. The APS ample, according to Norm Kolb of the The “Other” Giant Dipole Resonance can Physical Society may fulfill its is no longer accepting any new or re- Saskatchewan Accelerator Laboratory, On Tuesday afternoon, Umesh Garg obligations to nonmember subscribers. newed subscriptions to PRB-Rapid threshold photoproduction of pions off of the reported Demand for the print version of PR Ab- Communications. nucleons is one of the few low-energy on an investigation of the ISoscalar Giant stracts decreased sharply soon after the The APS would like to emphasize that phenomena for which QCD-based effec- Dipole Resonance (ISGDR). An exotic APS made PR Abstracts available online it is discontinuing PRB-Rapid Communi- tive field theories can be formulated and “squeezing” mode of collective nuclear free of charge. (Please visit this URL: cations as a separate publication only tested. He has used model-independent vibration, this resonance is best described http://publish.aps.org/DLO/abs.html.) because of duplicate coverage and that it low-energy theorems, as well as CPT, to as “a hydrodynamical density oscillation The severe drop in print subscription has has no intentions to alter the availability predict the leading order terms of the s- in which the volume of the nucleus re- made it economically unfeasible to con- of any of its online journals. The APS is wave electric dipole amplitude at mains constant and the state can be tinue print production. The APS will not committed to bringing to its membership threshold for these reactions, which are visualized in the form of a compression be accepting any new or renewed mem- and to the scientific community at large in good agreement with recent experimen- wave oscillating back and forth through ber subscriptions to PR Abstracts as of quality physics research at affordable tal measurements. In addition, the nucleus,” said Garg, comparing the January 1, 1998. prices, and the electronic medium is seen measurements of neutral- production pressure wave to a sound wave. Since the With the July 1, 1997, release of Physi- as one possible means to achieve that ob- from the deuteron may soon provide pio- excitation energy of the ISGDR is directly cal Review B Online, which covers the full jective. neering tests of CPT in a nuclear system. related to the nuclear compressibility, his contents of PRB1, PRB15, and PRB-Rapid Questions or comments about mem- Electroproduction of pions on nucle- team used the K600 spectrometer at the Communications, the APS accomplished ber subscriptions should be directed to ons near threshold is one of the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility to one of its more important goals, which is the APS Membership Department at experiments for which CPT can make measure inelastic scattering of 200 MeV to distribute the largest component of [email protected] (e-mail), 301-209- clear predictions, according to Henk Blok particles at 0 degrees, where the angular Physical Review on the World Wide Web. 3280 (telephone), or 301-209-0867 (fax). of Amsterdam’s Vrije Universiteit, who distribution of the ISGDR could be clearly As an attempt to make at least one small Questions or comments about nonmem- also spoke at the session. In particular, distinguished from that of the nearby high- part of PRB available to APS members on ber subscriptions should be directed to this process represents a very sensitive test energy octupole resonance. They also the Web as soon as possible, Physical Re- the APS Associate Publisher at of various ingredients of the calculations, employed the difference-of-spectra tech- view B-Rapid Communications Online was [email protected] (e-mail), 301-209-3283 since the model-independent term due to nique pioneered in the study of the giant released on July 1, 1996 and was made (telephone), or 301-209-0844 (fax). the charge of the pion is absent. Data on monopole resonance to obtain the clearest the proton have been taken at the evidence yet for the ISGDR. NIKHEF facility in Amsterdam and at the MAMI facility in Mainz. In both cases, Intermediate Energy Hadron APS James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials Blok reported, the scattered electron and Probes the residual proton were detected in two Cooler storage rings with internal The APS Council voted unanimously to establish the APS high-resolution magnetic spectrometers, targets offer excellent possibilities to James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials. The which can measure the full angular dis- study threshold production of mesons, McGroddy Prize endowment was provided through a gener- tribution of electroproduction of pions according to Hans Calen of ’s ous donation by IBM. This prize supercedes the New on nucleons in just a few settings. Uppsala University, who spoke at a Materials Prize that was funded by IBM from 1975 through Wednesday morning session. The ex- 1994 on a yearly basis. Discrete Symmetries perimental program at the CELSIUS The purpose of the McGroddy prize is to recognize and During a Wednesday afternoon ses- ring of the Svedberg Laboratory in encourage outstanding achievement in the science and appli- sion, Shelley Page of the University of Uppsala has lately focused on n meson cation of New Materials. This includes the discovery of new Manitoba described an experiment cur- production in proton-proton and pro- classes of materials, the observation of novel phenomena in known materials leading rently underway at TRIUMF which will ton-deuteron collisions, as well as in to both fundamentally new applications and scientific insights, and shall also include provide unique information on the weak proton-neutron collisions using deute- theoretical and experimental work contributing significantly to the understanding of nucleon-nucleon interaction from a mea- rium as a target. For these studies, his such phenomena. The award will initially be $5,000, plus a certificate or suitable surement of parity violation in team developed a detector setup with the medal citing the contribution made by the recipient and a travel allowance to attend proton-proton scattering at 221 MeV. Ac- capability to detect forward-moving the meeting of the Society at which the award is bestowed. Nominations are open to cording to Page, the beam energy is charged particles together with photons scientists of all nationalities irrespective of where their work has been carried out. chosen to isolate a single partial wave con- from neutral meson decays. It also allows The prize is named for James C. McGroddy, Director of the IBM Research Divi- tribution to the parity-violating for a kinematically complete determina- sion, who started his career at IBM as a materials physicist, studying the properties of asymmetry, thus providing the cleanest tion of the meson production events in Si, GE, and various III-V compounds. McGroddy received the APS Pake Prize in 1995 possible interpretation of the results, and most cases, and has enabled measure- for his scientific accomplishments and leadership. the first direct measurement of the weak ments very close to threshold.

8 January 1998 APS News AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT Please refer to the APS Membership Directory, pages xxi-xxxvi, or the APS home page for complete information regarding rules and eligibility requirements.

of highly ionized gases of natural or laboratory Livermore CA 94551; Phone: (510) 423-2712; pect of physics and physicists. 1998 AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING origin. The prize shall ordinarily be awarded to Fax: (510) 422 8395; Email: [email protected] Nature: The honor consists of the Nicholson DOCTORAL THESIS RESEARCH one person but a prize may be shared when all Medal and a certificate which includes the ci- IN PLASMA PHYSICS the recipients have contributed to the same ac- tation for which the recipient has been complishments. Nominations are active for 1998 NICHOLSON MEDAL FOR recognized. Established in 1985 and now endowed by three years. HUMANITARIAN SERVICE General Atomic. Send name of proposed candidate and support- Send name of proposed candidate and support- Established in 1994 by the Division of Plasma ing information before 1 April 1998 to: Arnold Purpose: To provide recognition to exceptional ing information by 1 April, 1998 to: Robert Physics and the Forum on Physics and Society Kritz, Physics Department, Lehigh Univ., 16 young scientists who have performed original James Goldston, PPPL, Princeton Univ, PO and is sponsored by the friends of Dwight Memorial Dr. E, Bethlehem, PA 18015; doctoral thesis work of outstanding scientific Box 451, Princeton NJ 08543-0451; Phone: Nicholson. Phone: (610) 758-3930; Fax: (610) 758-5730; quality and achievement in the area of plasma (609) 243-3172; Fax: (609) 243 2100; Email: Purpose: To recognize the humanitarian as- Email: [email protected]. physics. [email protected] Nature: The annual award consists of $2,000, a certificate citing the accomplishments of the 1998 EXCELLENCE IN PLASMA recipient, and an allowance of up to $500 for PHYSICS RESEARCH AWARD travel to attend the annual meeting of the Divi- Washington, DC Area APS Fellows Reception sion of Plasma Physics at which the award will Established in 1981 with support from Friends Held November 12th. be presented. of the Division of Plasma Physics Send name of proposed candidate and support- Purpose: To recognize a particular recent out- ing information before 1 April 1998 to: Ronald standing achievement in plasma physics M. Gilgenbach, Dept of Nucl Engr, Univ of research. Michigan, Cooley Bldg #N Campus, Ann Arbor MI 48109; Phone: (313) 763-1261; Fax: (313) 763 Nature: The award consists of $5,000 to be 4540; Email: [email protected]. umich.edu divided equally in the case of multiple win- ners, and includes a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient or recipi- 1998 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL ents, to be presented at an award ceremony at PRIZE FOR PLASMA PHYSICS the Division of Plasma Physics Annual Meet- ing Banquet. Established in 1975 by Maxwell Technologies, Rules and Eligibility: Nominations are open Inc. to scientists of all nationalities regardless of Purpose: To recognize outstanding contribu- the geographical site at which the work was tions to the field of plasma physics. done. It may be a given to a set of individuals as well as to individual scientists, as appropri- Nature: The prize consists of $5,000 and a cer- ate, to honor those who make essential tificate citing the contributions made by the contributions to the cited research achieve- recipient Among the one-hundred or so APS Fellows attending the Washington, DC region ment. Nominations are active for three years. reception were William Phillips (NIST, 1997 Nobel Prize) on the left shaking hands Rules and Eligibility: The prize shall be for Send name of proposed candidate and support- with a fellow, Ramon Lopez (Director, APS Education Department) and Jerome outstanding contributions to the advancement ing information by 1 April, 1998 to: Bruce A. Friedman (MIT, APS President-Elect and Program Chair of the reception). and diffusion of the knowledge of properties Remington, L-473 LLNL, UCL, PO Box 808,

The American Physical Society The American Physical Society This form is also available at: http://www.aps.org/exec.nomform.html Nomination for APS Fellow NOMINATION BALLOT

To be sent to: Council and Committee Positions Fellowship Program (To be Completed by Members of the Society Only) The American Physical Society One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844 Please Attach Appropriate Supporting Biographical Documentationd If space is inadequate, please use separate sheet to answer and attach to form. For Vice-President Name in full of person nominated: ______Nominee: Affiliation: (First Name) (Middle Name) (Last Name) Address: ______Date nominee became a member of the APS: ______Appropriate division(s) to assess nomination: ______For General Councillor

Nominee: Affiliation: Supporting Data ______

Nominee’s Academic Background ______College/University Location Major Field Degree Year Awarded ______

For Chairperson-Elect, Nominating Committee

Nominee: Affiliation: Professional Honors ______Nominee’s Employment Background (please specify under “Duties” whether academic, administrative, or research) For Membership on the Nominating Committee

Position Employed By Duties Dates of Employment Nominee: Affiliation: ______(Continued on Reverse) (Continued on Reverse)

9 APS News January 1998 Two Young Physicists to Receive 1998 APS Apker Awards

wo promising young physicists have been a gap in the excitation spectrum of quantum mag- T named by the APS as recipients of the 1998 netic systems, with relevance to high-temperature Apker Award for their research achievements as superconductivity. undergraduates. Anna Lopatnikova and Cameron Geddes graduated from Swathmore College in G. Geddes will each receive a $3000 stipend, a cer- 1997 with a degree in physics and high honors, the tificate, and a travel allowance to attend the 1998 latter received in part because of his excellent thesis Joint APS/AAPT Spring Meeting in Cincinnati, research in plasma physics, entitled, “Spheromak Ohio, in April, where the award will be presented. Equilibrium Studies on SSX.” In fact, he was awarded They will also be invited to present papers at an the William C. Elmore Prize as the top physics appropriate technical session during the meeting. graduate at the college. His thesis is based on some The committee generally tries to select two win- of the initial experiments performed on the ners each year, one from a PhD-granting institution Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment at the school’s and one from a predominantly undergraduate in- new Magnetofluids Laboratory. stitution. Anna Lopatnikova Cameron G. Geddes The experiment’s ultimate goal is to simulate Lopatnikova graduated from MIT in 1997 and is conditions in solar flares (100,000 degrees C) for a being honored for her thesis entitled, “Renormalization-Group Theory of Superfluid- very short time (100 millionths of a second) in order to study fundamental magnetofluid ity and Phase Separation of Helium Mixtures Immersed in Aerogel.” Her work processes. Using techniques borrowed from magnetic confinement fusion, the team is reproduced and explained several new experimental features, such as a phase separa- able to generate a hot ring of magnetized plasma called a spheromak. Geddes charac- tion between two superfluid phases, a critical point imbedded within superfluidity, terized the magnetic structure of these spheromaks using arrays of magnetic probes of

and the occurrences of a superfluid phase with very low 4He concentrations. This his own construction, and using his own analysis, fit the data to various models. He resulted in the publication of one paper in Physical Review B, as well as a follow-up also made presentations of this work to members of the Swathmore Board of Trustees, paper recently submitted, and has suggested new experimental directions. She has and at the 1996 APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting in Denver, Colorado. been awarded fellowships from both the NSF and Bell Laborato- ries to pursue graduate studies in physics. Specifically, Lopatnikova’s work on the renormalization group Apker selection dinner – Committee theory for helium-mixture phase transitions immersed in a dis- members (rear,left to right): Steven ordered porous medium involved the coupled mappings of bulk Ralph (Emory), June Matthews (MIT), and surface probability distributions of quenched disorder in the Harry Lustig (APS), Kumar Patel system, and the mastery of the random-field and random-bond (UCLA), Barrie Ripin (APS) and problems of critical phenomena. She successfully completed this Finalists (front, right to left): Scott Hill, very difficult calculation that only a few full-time condensed David Ginger, Stuart Norton, Julie Hoff, and Cameron Geddes. Finalist matter physicists in the world can do, since it requires taking into Anna Lopatnikova and selection account subtle physical effects, factorizing and then interlacing committee members Robert Schrieffer superfluidity and criticality with the connectivity, tenuousness (Florida State) and Laurence Marshall and randomness properties of aerogel. Since then, she has ob- (Gettysburg College) are missing from tained results in the question of the existence or non-existence of the photo.

NOMINATION BALLOT Nomination for APS Fellowship

(continued) Council and Committee Positions (continued) Nominee’s most significant contributions and principal publications (list four publications): ______For Chairperson-Elect, Panel on Public Affairs ______

Nominee: Affiliation: Suggested Citation to Appear on Fellowship Certificate if Nomination is Approved (30 words or less): ______

Supporting Paragraph Enlarging on the Citation and Indicating the Originality and Significance of For Membership on the Panel on Public Affairs the Contributions Cited:______

Nominee: Affiliation: ______Sponsor’s Data (Each nominee must have two sponsors who are members of the APS.) (PLEASE ______PRINT): 1 Sponsor’s Name:______Signature:______Sponsor’s Address:______Signature and Address of Nominator Sponsor’s Recommendation: ______2 Sponsor’s Name:______Signature:______Sponsor’s Address:______Please send your nominations to: Sponsor’s Recommendation: ______The American Physical Society ______One Physics Ellipse ______College Park, MD 20740-3844 Attn: Amy Halsted (301) 209-3266 3 Additional Information Recommended: (a) Curriculum Vitae ______Date fax: (301) 209-0865 or Biographical Information email: [email protected] (b) Supporting Letters

PLEASE NOTE: To facilitate this nomination, be sure you have answered every question. The deadline is 31 January 1998. Enclose original and duplicate of nomination form.

For information on deadline dates for specific units consult the APS WWW home page (http://aps.org) under the Prize, Awards & Fellowship button, or call the APS Honors office at (301) 209-3268.

10 January 1998 APS News Announcements March Meeting Electronic Abstract Science and Major Research System Problem Technology Centers Instrumentation DEADLINE FOR PREPROPOSALS: DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: The APS Meetings Department wishes to thank everyone for their patience with FEBRUARY 12, 1998 JANUARY 30, 1998 the unfortunate computer problems we experienced during the March98 abstract dead- line in December. We have made every attempt to notify abstract authors whose The National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation abstracts were lost, to resubmit. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have (NSF) announces that the new pro- (NSF) announces the electronic publi- caused our members, and assure you that we are working diligently to implement gram solicitation for Science and cation of the solicitation for the Major Technology Centers (STC) Integrative safeguards against future system failures. If you have any questions about your ab- Research Instrumentation (MRI) Pro- stract, contact [email protected] or call 301-209-3290. Partnerships is now available. This so- gram. This publication will only be licitation will only be available on the The March program will be posted to the web on or about January 8. At the time NSF home page. The web address available on the NSF home page and we post the program to the web, notification will be sent to authors informing them of where the solicitation can be found is: will not be made available in hard copy. their session assignment. Please check the program on the web to ascertain that your http://www.nsf.gov/od/osti The MRI solicitation can be found at: abstract is included, and let us know immediately if it is not. http://www.nsf.gov/od/osti The NSF established the Science and Technology Centers (STC) Program in Now Appearing in RMP… 1987 to fund important basic research Experience has proven that this is an and education activities and to encour- excellent opportunity for NSF to part- Reviews of Modern Physics is a quarterly journal featuring review articles and age technology transfer and innovative ner with academic institutions for the colloquia on a wide range of topics in physics. Titles and brief descriptions approaches to interdisciplinary pro- acquisition of state-of-the-art, high-cost, of the articles in the January 1998 issue are provided below. gram. The centers have the research instrumentation and for the opportunity to explore new areas and Instability, turbulence, and enhanced transport in accretion disks development of the next-generation re- build bridges among disciplines, insti- Steven A. Balbus and John F. Hawley examine the dynamics of accretion disks, which search instrumentation. This tutions, and other sectors. They offer are ubiquitous in astrophysics as engines for consolidation of mass. A major new instrumentation must be accessible for advance is the appreciation of the important role played by magnetic fields in the the basic research community a sig- both research and research training pur- disk dynamics. nificant mechanism to take a longer term view of science and explore bet- poses thus fostering NSF’s core strategy Theoretical methods for the atomic many-body problem ter and more effective ways to educate of integrating research and education. J. Sapirstein reviews the highest-accuracy calculation methods in the theory of students. multielectron atoms, with a view to applications in subatomic physics. Quantum tunneling in nuclear fusion Nuclear fusion below the Coulomb barrier exhibits quantum tunneling in a many- dimensional space, and this review by Akif Baha Balantekin and Noburu Takigawa discusses both the theory and experimental aspects of this phenomenon. Distinguished Traveling Lecturers in Laser Science NEW The quantum-jump approach to dissipative dynamics in quantum optics The present capability in quantum optics to monitor the state of individual atoms The Division of Laser Science announces the appointment of three new Distin- calls for more versatile theoretical tools than have traditionally been used in this guished Traveling Lecturers in Laser Science and their talk titles: area. Martin Plenio and Peter Knight describe formalisms that have been recently developed for this purpose, to replace the older density-matrix formalism. • Lee Casperson, Portland State University, Instabilities and chaos in lasers, waterfalls, and other physical systems; Nonlinear optical response of semiconductor and molecular • Wolfgang Ketterle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Atom cooling nanostructures and trapping, Bose-Einstein condensation, and atom lasers; Volrath M. Axt and Shaul Mukamel present a formalism for describing the electro- • Carlos Stroud, University of Rochester, Electronic wave packets in atoms, magnetic excitation of condensed systems. Using a particle-hole representation, Schrodinger cat-like states, and fractional dynamical revivals. they derive well-known models that are used in semiconductor and molecular physics. They join the continuing DTLs: Application of superconducting quantum interference devices to nuclear • Philip Bucksbaum, Univ. of Michigan, High-Field Laser Physics; magnetic resonance • Geraldine Richmond, Univ. of Oregon, Surface Non-Linear Optics; Yakov S. Greenberg describes the unique properties of SQUIDs as detectors in NMR • Jagdeep Shah, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Semiconductor Quantum Optics. studies, and he reviews the applications that have been made to date. The DLS invites applications from host schools for awards for the Distinguished Stochastic resonance Traveling Lecturer Program. The DTL Awards are intended to bring distinguished The enhancement of weak signals by noise is called stochastic resonance. Luca laser scientists to predominantly undergraduate colleges and universities for two- Gammaitoni, Peter Hänggi, Peter Jung and Fabio Marchesoni review the experimental day visits, which generally include lectures and informal meetings with faculty and phenomena and the corresponding theoretical understanding. students. Details about the program and the application procedure may be found on the DLS Web Site at http://www.physics.wm.edu/~cooke/dls/p_dtl.html If you would like to subscribe to RMP, please add it to your invoice or contact DEADLINES DATES FOR APPLICATIONS ARE The American Physical Society JANUARY 15 AND JUNE 15, 1998. Attn: Membership Department One Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740-3844 January 15 Deadlines Phone: (301) 209-3280 Email: [email protected] 1998-1999 APS/AIP Congressional Science Fellowships The American Physical Society and The American Institute of Physics are currently ❑ Domestic, $50 ❑ Foreign Surface, $60 ❑ Optional Air Freight, $82 accepting applications for their 1998-1999 Congressional Science Fellowship Pro- grams. Fellows serve one year on the staff of a senator, representative, or congressional committee. For information and/or applications: CAUGHT IN THE WEB APS/AIP Congressional Science Fellowship Programs 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 1050 Notable additions to the APS . The Washington, DC 20045 APS Web Server can be found at http://www.aps.org (202) 662-8700 • email: [email protected] See the December issue of APS News or APS and AIP home pages: www.aps.org and www.aip.org for details about the program and application procedure. APS News Online latest edition Units • Topical Group on Magnetism pages up- APS Mass Media Fellowship Program - Summer 1998 APS Committees and Governance dated For information and/or applications: • Career Directions section added to • Forum on International Physics Elec- APS Mass Media Fellowship Program Career Employment page tions page updated 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 1050 • Career/Employment page redesigned Washington DC 20045 • International Affairs: Committee on Meetings (202) 662-8700 • email: [email protected] International Freedom Scientist work- • Meetings homepage redesigned http://aps.org/public_affairs/Media.html (includes PDF application forms) shop on What the Physics Community • Meeting Calendar updates See the December issue of APS News or APS home page (www.aps.org) for details Can Do and Is Doing about the program and application procedures. 11 APS News January 1998 THE BACK PAGE Post-Modern Multiculturalism and Scientific Illiteracy by Bernard Ortiz de Montellano

Postmodernists and adherents of the Western conceptual methodology cannot Sept/Oct 1988], with similar results in “social studies of science” school claim discover any more basic truths to explain other developed countries. Thus, although that science is in crisis because it can no the mysteries of creation than can a sym- many people believe in “science” as an longer claim to be an objective or accu- bolic/intuitive methodology.” The thesis explanatory mechanism, they believe in rate reflection of the real world. These is that Western science is inferior to that it religiously — that is, by faith — not be- criticisms have been shown to be falla- of people of color because it proceeds cause they understand scientific cious and to stem from a serious lack of from evil motivations. Adams continues principles. Such people can be victimized scientific knowledge by P.R. Gross and that Western science “has as its main con- or deluded by others who take advantage N. Levitt, who quote and refute numer- , nonethical considerations such as of their illiteracy and claim the “prestige” ous postmodern gurus, such as Jacques cost effectiveness.” Multiculturalists also of science using scientific language to sup- Derrida, in Higher Superstition (Baltimore: claim that Western science is method- port their fictitious claims. Much of the Johns Hopkins Press, 1994). This lack of ologically inferior because it is New Age mantra consists of putting old knowledge was also shown in the gull- materialistic and relies only on natural wine (mediums, chi, chakras) into the new ible publication of Allan Sokal’s parody law, neglecting the supernatural. Says bottles of pseudoscience: channeling, as a serious article in a leading cultural Adams, “For the ancient Egyptians, as energy flows and the laws of thermody- studies journal, Social Text. As Sokal has well as contemporary Africans world- namics, and “technobabble.” pointed out, the editors published an ar- wide, there is no distinction and thus no One of the possible consequences of ticle “which any competent physicist or separation between science and religion.” believing that myths are as true, or truer, mathematician would realize… was a A common thread that runs through than science is an adherence to Deloria rejects fundamental principles of spoof” because it critiques science as he- much of multicultural literature is that catastrophism and Young Earth Creation- geology, such as erosion, plate tectonics gemonic, culturally determined and people of color are more spiritual than ism. Both fundamentalist creationists and and radioactive dating. He also denies the subjective. Both Gross and Levitt’s book whites. Among Afrocentrics, a group postmodern multiculturalists are forced validity of most of modern biology, phys- and Sokal’s article have provoked much called melanists attribute this to higher to deny the validity of most scientific dis- ics and astronomy. Regretfully, this book comment. levels of melanin. A few of the properties ciplines. A prime example of this is a 1995 has received laudatory reviews in the lead- The interaction of postmodernism attributed to melanin include supercon- book by Vine Deloria, entitled Red Earth ing anthropological journal [Mohawk with multiculturalism has not drawn as ductivity, electromagnetic absorption at White Lies, which claims, among other 1996) and by the magazine of the Ameri- much attention, but it can have serious all frequencies, extremely sensitive mag- things, that the earth is very young, that can Indian Science and Engineering consequences, because proponents of netic susceptibility, and the ability to the Biblical flood actually occurred, and Society (Pierce 1995). postmodernist approaches are heavily in- function as a microcomputer and process that there was single Ice Age. Postmodern multiculturalist pseudo- volved in K-12 education. Claims made information. Melanin is supposed to regu- According to Deloria, the Earth’s pre- science has consequences that should include (1) other “ways of knowing” are late all physiological and psychological history is described by the following concern us. Adams’ Portland Baseline as valid or better than science; (2) “Euro- Essay is widely used in urban school dis- science” is motivated by capitalism and tricts with large African-American imperialism; (3) people of color are more populations. Deloria is active in the In- spiritual and moral than Europeans; (4) “Claims made include (1) other “ways of knowing” dian science education movement. The the paranormal is a valid scientifically are as valid or better than science; (2) “Euro- sci- tragedy is that not only are minorities proven fact; and (5) myths are valid expla- greatly under-represented in science, but nations of natural phenomena. The end ence” is motivated by capitalism and imperialism; that their children are being exposed to result of a wide adoption of these ideas (3) people of color are more spiritual and moral pseudoscience in the classroom. would be to decrease an already deplor- than Europeans; (4) the paranormal is a valid sci- Postmodernism is not just an academic ably small participation of minorities in parlor game in this case. As scientists, science. entifically proven fact; and (5) myths are valid we should make clear our opposition to Feminist philosophers of science and explanations of natural phenomena.” pseudoscience in any guise. We should postmodern critics argue that science is a ensure that at a minimum, schools are set of conventions produced by the par- not engaged in disseminating pseudo-sci- ticular culture of the West at a particular ence. historical period, rather than a testable processes in humans. Black athletes sup- scenario. Prior to the flood, the earth was I am very sympathetic to the plight of body of knowledge describing the “real” posedly have superior coordination and covered by a thick water vapor canopy educators in large poor urban districts, world. They claim that the agenda, meth- reflexes because of their melanin. Mela- and there was no rain; therefore, rivers in and agree with their goals to improve the odology, and conclusions of science are nin is also responsible for the superior North America were dug out by rapid self-esteem and achievement of their stu- determined by the interests of the male- intelligence, the potential extra-sensory glacier melting. Also before the flood, dents. The idea that Africans are dominated capitalist system. Post- ability, and the greater spirituality of there was a much higher concentration of biologically superior to whites, for ex- modernists state that because science is just Black people. CO2 in the atmosphere than at present. ample, is attractive to teachers in these a “situated” mode of discourse and not re- Postmodern multiculturalists empha- This had a number of consequences. First, districts who lack the scientific knowl- flective of the real world, other modes of size spirituality by claiming that it is higher carbon dioxide concentrations led edge to properly judge pseudoscientific discourse (such as those that include intu- really an “alternative scientific para- to gigantism and to longevity, thus vali- claims. ition, magic and religion) are comparable digm.” A similar strategy is to claim that dating both Biblical and Indian myths However, worthy goals cannot be to, and may even be superior to, “Western” myths are accurate eyewitness testimo- about giants and people living hundreds achieved through improper means. science. These critiques claim that the ad- nies about reality. For many years, or years. Then, a comet or meteor com- Teaching pseudoscience, regardless of vent of quantum physics, and particularly religious (mythic) explanations were the posed almost wholly of ice and water motive, will only further impair the abil- the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, has basis on which people explained the collided with the Earth, dumping ice in ity of minority students to succeed in shown that physics can no longer provide world. Even in the West, religion was the massive amounts on the magnetic poles society. We should also urge that children reliable information about the world and prime explanatory source for both natu- and precipitating an ungodly amount of in large poor urban districts, who are most has lost its claim to objectivity. Similarly, ral and supernatural phenomena. The rain on temperate regions. This catastro- in need of it, benefit from the systemic the term “chaos theory” is used to convince success of science and technology, and phe caused both the Flood and the Ice Age. reform of science education. Rigorous and the scientifically naive that science can no subsequent disillusionment with religion, The cold water dissolved much of the car- accurate multicultural science teaching is longer make reliable or accurate predic- have lead to an acceptance of science as bon dioxide, reducing it to its present possible. We do not have to settle for tions. an explanatory source, as a validation levels. magic and religion parading in the guise Hunter Havelin Adams, the author of mechanism and perhaps even as a source After this, Deloria makes numerous of science. the “Portland Baseline Essay in Science,” of truth. Science has in fact become the outlandish claims, such as that Indian a text used by teachers in numerous large secular religion of the West, in a very par- petroglyphs are eyewitness images of di- Bernard Ortiz de Montellano is in the An- urban schools, makes the same claims in ticular sense. nosaurs such as Stegosaurus, and that thropology Department at Wayne State a widely used text in Afrocentric science: However, scientific illiteracy is ram- Indians were eyewitnesses to the explo- University. A longer version of this article, “Nobody has a monopoly on truth.... pant. The rate of scientific illiteracy in sion of the volcano, Mount Multnomah, with bibliography, appeared in the October There is no one correct way of knowing: the U.S. was found to be 95% in a study which geologists date to the Miocene Era, 1997 issue of the APS Forum on Physics and There are ways of knowing. And by William Hively [American Scientist, 25 to 27 million years ago. To do this, Society’s newsletter.

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