Some of the many types of research activities which comprise the Basic Energy Sciences program are illustrated on the cover. The design, construction, and operation of forefront scientific facilities used to understand matter and energy are represented by the aerial photograph of the Advanced Light Source (page 5). The range of multi-disciplinary strategic research programs which impact major Department of Energy technology missions is exemplified by the four projects pictured in the overlapping insets. The first picture, upper left, depicts basic knowledge (page 15) about chemical processes important to energy, efficiency, and environmental goals involving combustion. The second inset shows the pore space in a sample of limestone (page 84), information useful for utilizing natural gas and oil resources or understanding how contaminants interact with the environment. Industrial competitiveness will be enhanced by the engineering research that produced the mobile platform for robotic vehicles (page 108) shown in the third inset. The utilization of biotechnology for the efficient production of materials, industrial feedstocks, and renewable fuels is being accelerated through the systematic study of Arabidopsis (page 11), the common plant pictured in the bottom inset. Page numbers refer to marked* accomplishments. United States Department of Energy Office of Energy Research BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES FISCAL YEAR 1993 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Basic Energy Sciences staff thanks Dr. Louis C. Ianniello for his enthusiastic stewardship of the BES program and wishes him well in his retirement from Federal service. Table of Contents Introduction ............................................. 1 Organization and Budget ................................... 3 Major Facilities Construction Highlights Advanced Light Source Begins Operations .................... 5 Advanced Photon Source Proceeding on Schedule .............. 7 Basic Scientific Advances Examples of Research Highlights .......................... 11 Scientific Awards & Recognition ......................... 48 Technology Transfer Activities Integration with U.S. Industry ............................ 63 Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) ... 74 Small Business Innovation Research ....................... 81 Integration with Energy and Technology Programs Integrated Research Highlights ....................... 83 Planning and Information Transfer .................... 88 Interagency and International Cooperation ................... 96 Technology Transfer Awards and Recognition ................ 105 Site Review Activities ............................. 113 List of Titles ........................................... 121 Office of Basic Energy Sciences Accomplishments i This report is a compilation of some of the activities and highlights of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) during Fiscal Year 1993. It is for the internal use of the Department of Energy and other parties interested in better understanding the contributions of the BES program. This booklet is intended to spark further -communication, aid in planning and. analysis, and provide a source of examples of the day-to-day accomplishments of the BES program. As such a working tool, this report was not expressly prepared for public dissemination; however, its distribution. is not in any way restricted. ii Office of Basic Energy Sciences Accomplishments Introduction The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) provides science and engineering research that helps enable the Department's technology development programs to succeed in their missions. By expanding the Nation's scientific and technical knowledge base and facilitating its transfer to DOE's energy technology programs and U.S. industry, the BES program invests the taxpayer's dollars to improve our country's immediate and long-term prosperity. The BES program annually funds over 1,300 research projects at about 200 U.S. universities, DOE laboratories, and industrial institutions. A major function of the BES program is the design, construction, and operation of complex scientific facilities at the DOE national laboratories for use by the research community to conduct experiments in basic research in areas that underpin the Department's energy objectives and support the U.S. scientific enterprise. Many areas of modem science require these major facilities to develop information not otherwise attainable and, in general,.only the Federal Government can provide the necessary funds. These facilities primarily include synchrotron light sources and neutron sources that are necessary to probe atomic and molecular structures and properties required to advance the fields of materials, medical, chemical, and biological science. The BES program activities provide support for about 4,300 professors, post- .doctoral fellows, and graduate students at universities and about 1,800 full-time senior scientists at DOE laboratories. The BES subprograms and operating budgets are shown on page 3. The research supported by BES results in over 11,000 published reports of scientific findings in peer-reviewed journals annually. The accomplishments for Fiscal Year 1993 provided here were regularly reported to Energy Research management throughout the year. This selection of highlights does not reflect the full range of activities under the program; however, it does provide examples of how basic research can contribute to solving a wide variety of energy-related problems and spur industrial competitiveness and economic growth. Office of Basic Energy Sciences Accomplishments 1 Page 2 is intentionally blank. Page 4 is intentionally blank. Major Facilities Construction Highlights Advanced Light Source Begins Operations Highlighted on the cover is the newly completed Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The Advanced Light Source will enable U.S. researchers to pursue otherwise inaccessible areas of science and technology and is a shining example of the Department's commitment to accelerating technology partnerships. The fact that the construction of the Advanced Light Source was completed "on time, on budget, and it works!" is a magnificent testament to the high quality of the planning, engineering, and construction which led to many systems "working the first time". This achievement is particularly significant because of the extremely innovative machinery and tight tolerances associated with the many components of the Advanced Light Source. Among the milestones achieved during the construction in 1993 were: the storage of electrons in the ring was accomplished for the first time on March 16, 1993; on March 24, 1993, one week ahead of schedule, and the electron beam current of 65 milliamperes exceeded the 50 milliamperes baseline performance requirement for project completion; on April 9, 1993, the electron beam current reached 407 milliamperes, exceeding the goal for operation; most importantly, at 11:34 p.m. on October 4, 1993, the first light was passed down a beamline, enabling the initiation of experiments in fiscal year 1994. Dedication ceremonies were held on October 22, 1993. The Advanced Light Source is expected to create new opportunities essential for maintaining the progress and competitiveness of U.S. science and technology. This facility will serve a broad spectrum of scientific fields, including materials research, biology, chemistry, atomic and molecular physics, plasma physics, the earth sciences, and medical science. As a facility offering incomparable scientific and technical opportunities, it will enable scientists and engineers to pursue new and exciting areas of science and technology invaluable to U.S. industry. The Advanced Light Source will affect the technologies of information and defense, as well as those of energy, transportation, and health. More detailed information about this remarkable achievement is given on the following two pages. Office of Basic Energy Sciences Accomplishments 5 Background Information on the Advanced Light Source The National Laboratories were erected in the 1940s and 1950s to foster scientific and engineering education and research to improve the quality of life for Americans. To maintain scientific and technical leadership, more and more highly sophisticated facilities such as synchrotron light sources are required to probe the atomic and molecular structures for materials, chemical, biological, pharmacological, and medical research. The understanding of the behavior and properties of materials undergirds every major technology area, including those of information and communication systems, computers, energy production and use, health, transportation, and national security. It could be said that every technology is "materials- limited." These important research facilities are built and operated at DOE's laboratories with BES support. -The. collocation of advanced high-technology research equipment, leading-edge expertise of staff scientists and engineers, and visiting users from a wide variety of scientific disciplines provides the Nation with an invaluable asset. State-of-the-art facilities, such as the Advanced Light Source, are available to industrial, academic, and government researchers in the realization that America's position in world science and in the global economy can best be advanced through close association between strategic basic research and technology development, and between the public and private sectors. The Advanced Light Source produces electromagnetic radiation (light) by confining electrons to