April 2007 Volume 16, No. 4 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews APS NEWS New Series on Versatility in Physics A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY • WWW.apS.ORG/PUBLICATIONS/apSNEWS debuts on page 5 New Research in Particle, Nuclear and APS Panel Report Assesses Nuclear Waste Storage Issues Astrophysics Featured at April Meeting Approximately 54,000 tons storage site is that it could “relieve The latest research results LBL Director Steven Chu of spent nuclear fuel are stored at impediments to the growth of in particle, nuclear, plasma, will discuss the role played by operating nuclear power plants and nuclear power,” the report says. A and astrophysics will be physicists in the development several decommissioned power consolidated site would decouple the featured at the upcoming of clean energy sources. plants throughout the country. private sector nuclear power plant 2007 APS April Meeting, to Shamit Kachru (Stanford) The APS Panel on Public Affairs operators from uncertainties inherent be held April 14-17, 2007 in will look at how string (POPA) has recently released a in the federal long-term spent fuel Jacksonville, Florida. Among theory addresses the idea that report assessing some of the issues management program, the report the many notable speakers on many universes might exist involved in developing one or more notes. “The assurance that spent fuel the program are 2006 physics simultaneously, each with its consolidated interim storage sites can be removed from a reactor to a Nobelists John Mather own fundamental “constants.” where this nuclear waste could be storage site may reduce the difficulty (NASA) and George Smoot Jacqueline Hewitt (MIT) will stored until a permanent repository in siting new plants,” the report says. (Lawrence Berkeley National speak about the early “dark at Yucca Mountain is opened. The study group determined that Laboratory), who will discuss (University of Texas) will age” in the universe; James Current storage facilities at there are no technical barriers to their prize-winning work on the describe the amazing properties Hansen (NASA Goddard Institute reactor sites were not meant to be long-term safe and secure interim cosmic microwave background. of electrons moving about in a for Space Studies) will discuss permanent, but the schedule for storage either at nuclear reactor In addition, there will be a wide two-dimensional graphene sheet. global warming and its possible opening Yucca Mountain continues sites or at a consolidated site. “The variety of sessions devoted to Gerald Gabrielse (Harvard) will side effects; and Steven Vigdor to slip. The federal government is safety and security risks associated education, national security, discuss his new measurement of (Indiana) will report on recent incurring increasing liability costs with storage of spent fuel are not energy research, and other social the electron’s magnetic moment, proton spin results from the the longer spent fuel remains at appreciably different whether the issues. which resulted in a new value for Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider reactor sites, and there is concern fuel is stored at plant sites or in one Three plenary sessions (A1, the fine structure constant. David (RHIC). that continuing to store spent fuel or more consolidated facilities,” the Q1, W1) will spotlight eminent Spergel (Princeton) will review Putting a Spin on the Pro- at power plants will make it more report states. speakers holding forth on the the implications for cosmology ton. The Relativistic Heavy Ion difficult to find sites for new nuclear Even if Yucca Mountain opens as leading topics of the day. Francis of the WMAP mission, which Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven power plants and to build them. scheduled in 2017, it will take several Everitt (Stanford) will present new provided recently such a fine National Laboratory has been tak- Recently, appropriations com- decades to move all the currently results form the Gravity Probe map of the cosmic microwave mittees in Congress have suggested stored spent fuel to the site. Interim B mission. Allan MacDonald background. APRIL MEETING continued on page 6 building one or more consolidated storage, either at reactors or at one or interim storage sites for the spent more consolidated sites, will still be Four New Sites Added to Teacher Education Program fuel. The POPA Nuclear Energy necessary, the study group reports. PhysTEC, the APS-led pro- ideas throughout the community tial request for proposals for ex- Study Group examined issues as- The study group also found that gram to improve teacher educa- and work toward transforming pansion sites in October 2006, it sociated with the centralized interim there is sufficient storage capacity tion, has announced the addition physics departments to re-en- received 45 applications, many storage of spent nuclear fuel and has at current nuclear reactors to hold of four new sites. gage in the preparation of phys- more than expected. issued a technical and programmatic all spent fuel for the duration of the PhysTEC (Physics Teacher ics teachers. “Project management was assessment. plant licenses. Education Coalition) institutions The PhysTEC project is led by quite delighted and a bit over- “We found no major technical If Congress decides to develop a work to demonstrate and provide the APS, in partnership with the whelmed by the interest in this benefit to developing a consolidat- consolidated interim storage facility, models for increasing the number American Association of Physics program–clearly physics and ed interim storage site,” said John there will be challenges in selecting of highly qualified high school Teachers and the American Insti- physical science teacher educa- Ahearne, one of the study group co- and approving a site. However, physics teachers and improving tute of Physics. tion is gaining momentum among chairs. There may be some program- the study group suggests that these the quality of K-8 physical sci- Interest in the PhysTEC pro- institutions around the country,” matic benefits to a consolidated stor- siting challenges can be overcome ence teacher education. PhysTEC gram has been extremely high. said Ted Hodapp, APS Director age site, he said. by finding ways to make the facility also aims to spread best practice When PhysTEC sent out an ini- PHYSTEC continued on page 3 One advantage of a consolidated POPA continued on page 4 Named Lectureships Enhance Major Donation Launches New Math and Science Education Initiative March and April Meetings A donation of $125 million youth and it is now time for us to existing programs. One is training from ExxonMobil Foundation will act.” and incentive programs for AP Several named lectureships are and makes for a fitting and timely support a new program designed The NMSI will scale-up two and pre-AP courses. [The AP, or bringing distinguished speakers to lecture topic.” to help America regain its global DONATION continued on page 7 the APS March and April meetings In addition, two named APS leadership position in technological this year. lectureships are bringing four innovation by supporting programs The Henry Primakoff Lecture distinguished foreign scientists Who’s Got the Gavel? that improve math and science will be given at the 2007 April to speak at the March and April education. The new program, Meeting by John Wilkerson of meetings. The Beller Lectureship the National Math and Science the University of Washington. was endowed by Esther Hoffman Initiative (NMSI), was announced The Lectureship was established Beller for the purpose of bringing by ExxonMobil and leaders in in 1997 by the APS Council distinguished physicists from America’s education community and by colleagues of the late abroad as invited speakers at on March 9. Henry Primakoff to honor APS meetings. The Marshak The NMSI was created in his contributions to physics. Lectureship, endowed by Ruth response to the National Academies’ Wilkerson will speak about double Marshak in honor of her late 2005 report, Rising Above the beta decay, which had been a topic husband and former APS president, Gathering Storm, which called of particular interest to Primakoff, Robert Marshak, provides travel for improving American students’ who was the author, together support for physicists from a performance in math and science with the late Peter Rosen, of a developing country or from in order to ensure US global classic paper on the subject [ Rep. Eastern Europe invited to speak at competitiveness. Prog. Phys. 22, 121 (1959)]. Said APS meetings. In a press release announcing Wilkerson, “The Primakoff and For 2007, two Beller Lectures the creation of NMSI, Tom Luce, Rosen paper is one of the seminal were given at the March Meeting. CEO of the NMSI and former U.S. early papers on double beta-decay, Eliezer Rabinovici of Hebrew Assistant Secretary of Education for Photo by Ken Cole which I recall first reading as a University in Jerusalem, spoke Planning, Evaluation, and Policy From the picture, you might think that APS decides its presidency the same postdoc just starting to learn about on “SESAME, A Scientific way that teams are chosen in a sandlot baseball game. That is an illusion, Development, said, “The National weak interaction physics. With Collaboration In The Middle East: however. John Hopfield (right), who was President of APS in 2006, is handing Academies set forth a clear path the gavel, symbolic of the APS Presidency, to 2007 President Leo Kadanoff. the recent evidence that neutrinos Personal and Israeli Perspectives.” for the nation to improve math and The transfer took place at the APS Executive Board meeting in Ridge, NY in have mass, Primakoff’s work in Rabinovici was nominated by the science education for our country’s February, although Kadanoff had been President since January 1. this area has renewed relevance LECTURESHIPS cont. on page 6 • April 2007 APS NEWS Members in the Media This Month in Physics History “For 28 years, we’ve done what what we imagined we could have April 1911: Heike Kamerlingh Onnes we wanted to do, and there’s no rea- imagined.” begins his work on superconductivity.