Tom Meyer, associate director for strategic research (ADSR), talked about scientific accomplishments within ADSR that have helped raise the national visibility of Los Alamos, during a Director's Colloquium Monday in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical Area 3. Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez, Public Affairs

Meyer: ADSR science raising Lab's visibility

Tom Meyer highlighted the accomplishments and future plans of the Strategic Research Directorate at a Director's Colloquium Monday in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical Area 3.

"I'm pleased to report on several occasions the things [the Laboratory has] done have had an impact on national perceptions," said Meyer. "I think our national visibility is very high."

Using viewgraphs, Meyer, Los Alamos' associate director for strategic research (ADSR), chronicled science accomplishments in the past year. Some of the accomplishments Meyer mentioned were:

• The use of impact ionization to generate more excitons and greater electrical current in solar cells, by Chemistry ( C ) Division;
• Advances in the use of carbon monoxide to extract energy from geothermal reservoirs, by Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) Division;
• The discovery of superconductivity at ultracold temperatures in cubic diamonds, by Materials Science and Technology (MST) Division;
• Quantum state teleportation, by Theoretical (T) Division.

In addition, Meyer spoke about the Laboratory's newest science facilities - the National Security Sciences Building under construction at TA-3 and the Isotope Production Facility at TA-53 - and what facilities are in the works for the future, such as the proposed Science Complex to be built at TA-3.

The Science Complex is planned to combine six divisions and relocate 1,325 employees. "I think people will be pleasantly surprised when we finally get this project kicked off," said Meyer.

In addition to reviewing how the directorate is structured, Meyer detailed how ADSR's $407 million budget for fiscal year 2004 is being used. The largest chunk - $119 million - is for weapons research with the rest going to other research in ADSR.

Meyer also touched on the major science collaborations and partnerships the Laboratory has had with such organizations as Sandia National Laboratories, Montana State University and Motorola, to name a few, and how the Laboratory has affected local businesses and communities.

"This Lab has always been an extraordinary part of the Northern New Mexico economy," said Meyer.

Meyer was optimistic about the future of strategic research and said that there will be much more to talk about at next year's second annual State of the Directorate.

"From little flowers big things grow," said Meyer.

--Chris Roybal

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