High
Scientists, engineers meet with Gordon,
congressmen Monday at the Lab
Laboratory Director John Browne, left, welcomed General John Gordon, right, director of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., and Rep. William "Mac" Thornberry, R-Texas (behind Tauscher), at Los Alamos Airport on Monday. The day-long visit included tours of Lab facilities, overview on Lab projects and programs, including pit manufacturing and certification, the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative and other stockpile stewardship related issues, nonproliferation technology and lunch with young Lab scientists at Technical Area 55. Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez, Public Affairs
Nine young scientists and engineers from across the Laboratory ate lunch with National Nuclear Security Administration Director Gen. John Gordon and two members of Congress on Monday.
The lunch at Technical Area 55 was part of a day-long visit to the Lab by Gordon and Reps. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., and Rep. William "Mac" Thornberry, R-Texas.
The employees who lunched with Gordon, Tauscher, Thornberry, Laboratory Director John Browne and other senior Lab managers said they appreciated the effort by high-ranking government officials to learn more about technical work of Los Alamos.
They also liked explaining their work to Gordon and the members of Congress, who traveled with Gordon to Los Alamos on Monday to learn more about Laboratory operations and meet with managers and staff members.
After arriving at Los Alamos Airport about 9 a.m. Monday, the group traveled to TA-55 for a tour and briefings on pit manufacturing and certification. Later, they visited the Applied Physics (X) Division to learn about the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative and other stockpile stewardship programs and viewed a demonstration at the ASCI visualization lab. The contingent also toured the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building at TA-3, heard about nonproliferation technology developments and met with the Lab's Senior Executive Team.
During the 40-minute lunch, the staff members introduced themselves and briefly described their work at the Laboratory.
Jobie Gerken of Engineering Analysis (ESA-EA), who has been at the Laboratory about four years, said, "I think it's good for the congressmen and higher ups to get a feel for what young engineers and scientists are feeling at the Lab . . . It just helps them to gauge how we feel about our experiences at the Lab. It's nice to know they're interested in what we have to say.
"Most of the comments were upbeat and positive," she added.
Alyson Wilson of Statistical Sciences (D-1) has been at Los Alamos two years. She described the lunch as a good way to meet other young researchers at the Lab.
"There was some interest on their part on how our work is funded . . . both of these people had been instrumental, we understand, in getting LDRD funding restored," Wilson continued. "They are quite supportive of [our] work."
Wilson also said that staff members at the lunch all expressed satisfaction in their jobs at Los Alamos. "We really like the science here; this is a really great place to do fun work. And I think that came across from everyone who spoke," said Wilson.
"Representatives Tauscher and Thornberry were very supportive of our efforts to re-establish the capability to manufacture weapons pits," said Tim George, director of the Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division. "In addition, General Gordon stressed to both of them the issues associated with the aging of the CMR Building."
Other staff members who lunched with the delegation were: Michelle Espy of Biophysics (P-21); Cyndi Wells of Safeguards Systems (NIS-7); Luis Morales of Nuclear Materials Science (NMT-16); Xian Chen of the Analytical Chemistry Sciences (C-ACS); Lin Yin of Plasma Physics (X-1); John Sarrao of Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics (MST-10); and Joe Arrowood of Space Engineering (NIS-4).
Tauscher represents the California district that is home to Los Alamos' sister Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Thornberry, whose home district in Texas includes the Pantex facility in Amarillo, was on a Special Oversight Panel of the Department of Energy that supervised the establishment of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which recently celebrated its first year of existence. Thornberry previously came to Los Alamos in December 1999 (see the Dec. 13, 1999, Daily Newsbulletin)
--Steve Sandoval
Alyson Wilson, left of Statistical Sciences (D-1) talks about her work at a lunch Monday at Technical Area 55. Wilson was one of nine young scientists and engineers to participate in the invitation-only lunch with Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., center, Rep. William "Mac" Thornberry, R-Texas and National Nuclear Security Administration Director Gen. John Gordon. Pictured at right is Lin Yin of Plasma Physics (X-1). The lunch was part of a daylong visit to the Lab; the group heard reports on Lab programs and projects, saw demonstrations and toured several Lab facilities in addition to meeting with the young staff members and later, Lab senior managers. Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez, Public Affairs
BUS-1 moves to TRK building
Accounting (BUS-1), which includes payroll, travel and other business related functions, is relocating out of the Otowi Building at Technical Area 3 beginning today. Their new home will be the TRK building located at 195 East Road near the Los Alamos Airport.
The move is scheduled to be completed by May 11, said Mary Erwin of BUS-1. But Erwin said employees shouldn't be affected by the move since most BUS-1 teams will continue work as usual. There may be some one-day closures and unforeseen delays, while the move is in progress. Erwin said BUS-1 customers will be notified if they will be impacted by the closures or delays.
Other BUS-1 functions include accounts payable, contract accounting, accounts payable process support, general accounting, work for others and property accounting. About 100 personnel work for BUS-1.
BUS-1 is moving because the Sherwood and related buildings adjacent to the Otowi Building at TA-3 are scheduled for demolition. Lab workers in those buildings will occupy the space now being used by BUS-1, Erwin said.
Erwin said that as a convenience for BUS-1 customers, current mail stops and telephone numbers will be retained. And there will be a mailbox for BUS-1 located in the lobby of the Otowi Building for all the BUS-1 teams. "In addition, payroll forms will be available in the Human Resources (HR) Division at the front desk in the Otowi Building," Erwin said. Mail will be picked up daily and delivered to BUS-1's new offices.
Lab personnel can pick up checks from BUS-1 at their new location.
For more information, or specific questions regarding BUS-1 services related to the move, call the BUS-1 group office at 7-4107. A map showing the new BUS-1 offices can be found on the Business Operations (BUS) Division World Wide Web page.
--Steve Sandoval
Historian Arnold: British scientists played important role in Manhattan Project
British scientists played an important and sometimes overlooked role in the Manhattan Project, according to noted British historian Lorna Arnold.
Her presentation at a Director's Colloquium last week to a standing-room-only audience in the Physics Building Auditorium, "The History of Britain's Nuclear Weapons Program," focused on the key people, events and achievements of the program from 1940 to 1958.
About 40 British scientists worked as part of the Manhattan Project team and contributed much to its success. Most notable of these scientists were Klaus Fuchs, Rudolph Peierls and James Tuck. When World War II ended, British scientists returned to the U.K. and the country embarked on its own nuclear weapons program.
In 1946, a uranium processing plant was built at Britain's Fort Halstead. Not long after, the fort boasted two nuclear reactors and the ability to produce the key uranium isotope U-235. Operations moved to the Aldermaston Air Field, where in 1952 Britain's first nuclear weapon, dubbed "Blue Danube," was completed, Arnold said. The weapon was tested that same year in the Monte Bello Islands, a chain of very small islands northwest of the Australian coast.
The U.K. nuclear weapons test program, a total of 12 above-ground explosions, ended in 1957. A bilateral agreement in 1958 between the U.K. and the United States led to a mutual weapons program that made further testing by the British unnecessary. Britain's Atomic Weapons Establishment continues today at Aldermaston, Berkshire.
Arnold devoted much of her career to documenting all historical aspects of the British nuclear weapons program. She started work at the U.K. Atomic Energy Agency in 1959 and became the historian in 1967. In 1976 she moved to Harwell, the British nuclear research laboratory, where she worked until her retirement in 1996.
Arnold is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a Fellow of the Institute of Contemporary British History. Arnold also was awarded the Order of the British Empire. She was accompanied and assisted in her presentation by Kate Pyne, the current technical historian for the U.K. weapons program.
Arnold's Director's Colloquium will be broadcast at 9 a.m. and again at noon all this week on LABNET Channel 10; a videotape of the talk also is available from the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center or by calling IM-4 at 7-5161.
--Chris Pearcy
Volunteers needed to coordinate Lab's
Walking Incentive program
Before the national Interstate Highway system was developed more than 30 years ago, open, winding roads and two lane blacktops like Route 66 moved people cross country.
As part of the Lab's 17th annual Walking Month incentive, the Wellness Center is sponsoring "Get Fit on Route 66" to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Route 66.
The Walking Incentive program is open to all Laboratory workers, including students and subcontract personnel, said Gail Fox of the Wellness Center, part of Occupational Medicine (ESH-2).
The program kicks off May 16 and runs through August, said Fox. What's needed right now, though, are more Lab workers to sign up as Walking Incentive coordinators for their organization, said Fox.
"Walking Incentive coordinators recruit participants, provide program materials to participants who don't have access to a computer, promote the program and serve as the local Route 66 resource to their group," said Fox.
In 1999, more than 1,000 Lab workers participated in the Walking Incentive; there was no Walking program last year.
Information about this year's Walking Incentive program can be found at http://drambuie.lanl.gov/~wellness/ online.
U.S. 66, more commonly known as Route 66, is a 2,448-mile stretch of blacktop that starts in Chicago and ends along the sunny beaches near Santa Monica, Calif. Along the way it crosses eight states, including a stretch of New Mexico from roughly Glen Rio, near Tucumcari, to Manuelito, near Gallup.
--Steve Sandoval
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Wildfire 2001 Dennis Erickson, left, Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) Division director, talks with Laboratory ecologist Teralene Foxx about one of Foxx's publications, "Out of the Ashes: A story of Natural Recovery" at the "Wildfire 2001: Protecting Our Communities" public meeting last week in Fuller Lodge. Foxx recently retired from Ecology (ESH-20) but still assists the group on a part-time basis. The Laboratory and the Interagency Wildfire Management Team co-hosted the meeting, which included presentations from representatives of the Laboratory, Los Alamos County and Fire Department, Bandelier National Monument, Santa Clara Pueblo and the U.S. Forest Service. There also were displays and other information available. Photo by Fran Talley, Public Affairs |
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Volunteers needed for Cerro Grande Commemoration About 60 people are needed to help with a number of activities surrounding the planned Cerro Grande commemoration beginning Friday. Help is need for everything from set up and tear down to parade assistance. People are asked to work a three-hour shift on one of the following days: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday or 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. All volunteers will receive a T-shirt and a food pass. To volunteer, or for more information, call Joy Freymiller at 661-4815. |
DOE Pulse highlights energy laboratories
The latest issue of DOE Pulse is available online. Pulse is an online newsletter about accomplishments at the Department of Energy's national laboratories. The highlights are short, written to be interesting and very understandable.
In addition to the highlights, each issue features two longer articles about a researcher and a multilabcollaborative effort.
Some of the headlines in this issue are "Greenhouse to useful gases" from National Energy Technology Lab, "Polymer gel's medical promise" from Pacific Northwest Lab, "Real-world survivors are motherly" from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and "Glaze for cooler cars" from the National Renewable Energy Lab.
This issue also contains a feature from Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, "X-ray software finds place in cancer battle," and a profile on Nora Volkow from Brookhaven National Lab.
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