Vol. 50 - No. 43 November 1, 1996 BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics Holds Special Interest for BNL This year’s Nobel Prize in physics lium-3 because there is a short-range — for the discovery of superfluidity in repulsion between helium-3 atoms a rare form of helium, helium-3 — has that overcomes their longer range at- a special interest for BNL. traction. Two BNL-related theoretical physi- “Since the whole subject was very cists — Victor Emery in the Physics Andrew Sessler much in our minds, it was not long Department and Lawrence Berkeley (left), Lawrence before we decided to explore the possi- National Laboratory’s (LBNL) Andrew Berkeley bilities further,” Emery recalled. Sessler, who is also a Trustee of Asso- National Can Fermions Pair? ciated Universities, Inc. — wrote a Laboratory and paper in 1960 that helped start pio- a Trustee of The two theorists considered neering experiments in the field. And, Associated whether helium-3 atoms could form in 1966, one of the Nobelists, David Universities, pairs in angular momentum states Lee of Cornell University, spent a Inc., and Victor with zero, one, two, etc., units of angu- sabbatical year at BNL, working on Emery of BNL’s lar momentum, which are labeled “s- some of the techniques later used in Physics state,” “p-state,” “d-state,” etc., in the the prize-winning research. Department language of atomic spectroscopy. The prize was won by experimen- stand outside In the simplest generalization of talists David Lee and Robert Richard- Berkner Hall, 36 the BCS theory, they found that the son, also of Cornell, and Douglas years after their optimum pairing was in the d-state Osheroff, Stanford University, for 1960 theoretical and estimated the temperature at their 1972 discovery while at Cornell paper written at which liquid helium makes the transi- that the isotope helium-3 can become Berkeley helped tion into a superfluid at about 0.08 K. superfluid, flowing without normal start pioneering A similar suggestion was indepen- viscosity, at a temperature of 0.002 on experiments in dently made by Keith Brueckner, the Kelvin scale, very close to abso- liquid helium-3. Philip Anderson, Toshio Soda and lute zero (about −459.67°F). Pierre Morel in the U.S., and a re- The discovery generated such ex- lated, but less specific, prediction was Photos by Roger citement because, like helium-4, the Stoutenburgh made by Lev Pitaevskii in Moscow, all common form of helium, when he- at about the same time. lium-3 becomes superfluid, it shows fermion systems such as liquid he- weaker interaction between electrons. “All these proposals were unex- effects that can be understood only in lium-3 could be superfluids, in much Both Emery and Sessler had con- pected because people were still the submicroscopic world of quantum the same way that electrons in a metal cluded that the existing theory would thinking in terms of conventional mechanics. are superconducting. Fermions are a not lead to superfluidity in liquid he- (continued on page 2) The comparatively large-scale ef- class of particles that include protons, fects shown by superfluid helium-3 neutrons and electrons. provide new information on the col- Emery had examined the stability lective behavior of atoms in a quan- of the high-temperature state using Lab to Ship Spent Reactor Fuel tum liquid. The effects include, for methods developed in nuclear phys- example, the ability to “climb” up the ics. Sessler, together with Leon Coo- Before the end of the calendar year, BNL is planning to ship spent fuel walls of containers, or, when swirled per and Robert Mills, had generalized that had been in temporary storage after being used in the High Flux about, to form vortices that appear or the BCS theory to strongly interacting Beam Reactor (HFBR) to a storage facility at the U.S. Department of disappear very abruptly rather than particles. The BCS theory, named for Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site, in South Carolina. smoothly, as would happen in ordi- authors John Bardeen, Cooper and The planned shipment will go by barge from Long Island to Virginia nary liquids. Robert Schrieffer, explains supercon- and then by truck to South Carolina. A total of 210 spent fuel elements ductivity in metals and involves a Minds Meeting will be shipped in five containers in one barge shipment. Shipments of spent fuel elements have been ongoing nationwide for In 1960, Emery and Sessler met in over 40 years, and, like shipments of other radioactive materials, they Berkeley at Lawrence Radiation Labo- Here & There have an excellent safety record. During that time, no fatalities or injuries ratory, now named LBNL. Emery was have occurred in a transportation accident because of the radioactive on a Harkness Fellowship, while Zohreh Parsa, a BNL physics as- nature of the cargo. Sessler was on sabbatical leave from sociate, chaired a symposium on the BNL’s own history of spent fuel shipments began in 1954, when the Ohio State University. “Future of High Energy Colliders,” first of about 330 shipments were made over a 22-year period, until 1976. “We shared a very small office and October 21-25, at the Institute for Following legal action in the late 1970s, the court ruled that U.S. began to work together,” said Sessler. Theoretical Physics (ITP) of the Uni- Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations prevailed, and BNL Emery and Sessler had each al- versity of California, Santa Barbara. resumed shipping in 1985, making 19 shipments through 1987. All past ready published papers considering The symposium was held in conjunc- shipments have gone either to Savannah River or to Idaho National the possibility that strongly-coupled tion with a five-month workshop on Engineering Laboratory. “New Ideas for Particle Accelerators” The decision to make this year’s shipment by barge was influenced by that Parsa is coordinating at ITP. discussions with stakeholders, who perceive that barging reduces impact Coming Up Among the BNL speakers at the on their communities. In addition, five containers are available for the shipment, making the barging option more efficient and cost effective. The Lab and its environ- symposium were Laboratory Director Whether shipped by land or sea, the spent fuel is encased in a cask- mental record will be the top- Nicholas Samios, offering perspec- tives on the future of high-energy phys- type structural package that provides radiation shielding and prevents ic of a forum titled “BNL ics; Senior Physicist William Marc- release of radiation in the event of a traffic accident. Containers must Speaks Out,” to be held on meet rigorous specifications and be able to withstand: Saturday, November 9, at the iano, discussing the physics of the • a 30-foot drop onto an unyielding surface at the package’s weakest Fine Arts Theatre of Long Is- standard model, and beyond; Michael point. land University’s South- Harrison, Associate Head of the Rela- • a 40-inch drop onto a 6-inch diameter rod at least 8 inches long, striking ampton College. All are wel- tivistic Heavy Ion Collider Project, on a big hadron collider; Senior Physicist the container’s weakest point. come to attend this forum, Frank Paige, discussing the comple- • exposure to a temperature of 1475°F for 30 minutes. sponsored by the World Af- • water immersion for 8 hours. fairs Council. mentarity of lepton and hadron The barge will not depart unless there is a 36-hour window of good The afternoon will begin at colliders; and Robert Palmer, Head weather. 3:30 p.m. with lobby exhibits of the Center for Accelerator Physics, DOT and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission provide outside on Brookhaven’s research. sharing an overview of a muon col- lider. regulation, and the U.S. Coast Guard provides further regulation of the Then, at 4 p.m., brief talks will • barge segment of the shipment. be given by: Sue Davis, Associ- Earlier this year, BNL and DOE briefed local, state and federal ate Director for Reactor, Safe- At the New York Biotechnology officials on planned shipments. Also, employees may have noticed ty & Security; Robert Casey, Association’s sixth annual meeting, activity in the HFBR parking lot, when BNL hosted a workshop/demon- Head of the Safety & Environ- in New York City, on Friday, October stration on container handling. mental Protection Division; 25, the afternoon spotlight was on BNL as “New York’s resource for Because of federal requirements, the exact shipping dates are safe- and Jean Howard, a physician genomics and structural biology.” guarded until after shipments have reached their destination. in the Medical Department. A The HFBR is a world-class research facility that provides neutrons to reception will follow. Under the theme “New Science in more than 200 researchers for studies in biology, chemistry, physics, For more information, call New York: A Technology Development materials science and medicine. For example, the reactor is used to make Public Affairs, Ext. 2345. Symposium,” the meeting brochure a tin compound that offers substantial pain relief for patients with bone Southampton College is lo- described BNL as “a multidisciplinary Department of Energy laboratory lo- cancer. The compound has shown promise in early clinical trials con- cated on Montauk Highway in cated on Long Island [that] has unique ducted by BNL’s Medical Department. — Mona S. Rowe Southampton. (continued on page 3) Brookhaven Bulletin November 1, 1996 Inside Info Scam Warning R. William Casey, Head of BNL’s Free Raffle! Free Raffle! Last December, an article in the Safety & Environmental Protection Brookhaven Bulletin warned BNLers (SEP) Division since 1988, has been If eliminating your waiting in line at the bank to deposit your pay about a worldwide scam originating in named a Fellow of the Health Physics every week or month isn’t incentive enough to sign up for direct deposit, Nigeria that had found its way to Society (HPS).