2006 Argonne News Releases and Features

Argonne, Fermilab leaders appear on 'Extension 720'

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 20, 2006) — Argonne Director Robert Rosner, Chief Scientist Mike Turner, Fermilab Director Pier Oddone and Tom Rosenbaum, Vice President for Research and Argonne National Laboratory at the University of Chicago, were guests today on the WGN-AM radio station's "Extension 720" program. More...

Argonne releases new version of award-winning vehicle simulation modeling software

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 19, 2006) — Argonne National Laboratory's Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit (PSAT) enables designers to overcome time and cost constraints for advanced vehicle design, such as hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. More...

New magnetic polymers may advance spintronics technologies

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 15, 2006) — Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have pioneered a new approach for making magnetic polymers that are held together with very strong hydrogen bonds. The development may help lead to new techniques for faster and more versatile computer chips, among other applications. More...

Nalco, Argonne team up to improve water management for coal-based power plants

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 14, 2006) — Nalco Company, the global leader in industrial water treatment, and Argonne National Laboratory today announced a joint research partnership to develop advanced technologies to reduce, reuse and recover power plant cooling water. More...

Argonne's William Gropp recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 11, 2006) — William Gropp has been named a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Gropp joined Argonne National Laboratory in 1990 and is a senior computer scientist in the Mathematics and Computer Science Division. More...

Lusk named director of Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 4, 2006) — Ewing (“Rusty”) Lusk has been named director of the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Argonne to lead DOE's effort to evaluate plug-in hybrid technology

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 1. 2006) — Argonne National Laboratory has been designated by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies as the lead national laboratory for the simulation, validation and laboratory evaluation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the advanced technologies required for these vehicles. More...

Gov. Blagojevich proclaims Argonne National Laboratory Day in Illinois in celebration of 60 years of cutting-edge research and development

CHICAGO (Nov. 28, 2006) — Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today declared “Argonne National Laboratory Day” in Illinois in recognition of Argonne's sixty years of world recognized scientific research and development. Argonne National Laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) and operated and managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC, owned solely by the University of Chicago, is a multi-program national laboratory known for its world-class innovations in energy, science, technology, biomedicine and national security. More...

EPRI, Argonne to assess commercial viability of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 27, 2006) — The Electric Power Research Institute and Argonne National Laboratory, two of the nation's premier research organizations, announced today a three-year collaborative agreement to conduct detailed analysis of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) aimed at assessing the commercial feasibility of this technology for the U.S. Department of Energy. More...

Biochip technology could become standard diagnostic tool for human, veterinary medicine

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 17, 2006) — Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have developed a biochip technology system that may one day become a standard diagnostic tool for identifying human and veterinary infectious diseases. More...

New software enables rapid response to time-critical emergencies

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 16, 2006) — Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago demonstrated a new specialized software system at Supercomputing 2006 that provides computational resources quickly for emergency applications affecting public health, safety and security. More...

Argonne extends advanced computing expertise to tackle scientific challenges with SciDAC2

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 16, 2006) — Argonne National Laboratory has been awarded approximately $25 million over the next five years for more than a dozen projects under the Department of Energy's Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing program. More...

Bader honored by American Physical Society

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 13, 2006) — Argonne physicist Sam Bader has won the American Physical Society's David Adler Lectureship Award for 2007. More...

New technique breaks nanometer barrier in X-ray microscopy

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 9, 2006) — A new X-ray microscopy technique that observes molecular-scale features less than a nanometer in height has been developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory in collaboration with Xradia, Inc. More...

Award-winning alloys could reduce costs for chemical and petrochemical industries

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 3, 2006) — Materials developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory could provide large cost and energy savings to the chemical and petrochemical industries. More...

Biodegradable nanospheres offer novel approach for treatment of toxin exposure and drug delivery

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 20, 2006) — A new technology to clean the blood of victims of radiological, chemical and biological terrorist attacks is being developed jointly by Argonne National Laboratory, the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute and The University of Chicago Hospitals. More...

Argonne's Hussein Khalil named co-director of the Center for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles

Argonne, Ill. (October 20, 2006) – The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory today announced that Hussein Khalil has been named co-director of the Center for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles, joining Prof. Michael Corradini of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in this capacity. The center, launched earlier this year, is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin and The University of Chicago. More...

Argonne Director describes modern drug design on Voice of America

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 13, 2006) — Appearing on "Our World," the Voice of America's weekly science and technology radio magazine, Argonne Director Robert Rosner describes how scientists use X-ray beams from Argonne's Advanced Photon Source to design new drugs. More...

Argonne researcher wins Hispanic achievement award

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 12, 2006) — Rex E. Gerald, II, a chemical physicist in the Chemical Engineering Division of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, has received the 2006 Outstanding Technical Achievement Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Corporation. More...

Award-winning grids and collimators produce better X-ray and nuclear images

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 7, 2006) — A grid as little as three millimeters tall could save lives by helping X-rays and radiotracers provide clearer diagnostic images of the human body. More...

Nanoexa, Decktron to collaborate with Argonne on commercialization of next generation batteries

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 27, 2006) – NanoeXa, a leading nanotechnology-based clean energy company, and Decktron, a lithium battery and display company, today jointly announced a definitive agreement to develop and transfer into commercial use new lithium battery technology originally developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Argonne dedicates new Center for Nanoscale Materials

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 18, 2006) – The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is moving to the forefront of the materials science revolution today with the opening of its Center for Nanoscale Materials. More...

Software package coordinates response to biological threats

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 15, 2006) — Having the necessary information at hand is key to saving lives in any biological event – whether it be flu or a biological release. Argonne scientists are using their skills in software integration to provide a decision-making system for state and local emergency managers. More...

Argonne's Ian Foster wins inaugural “Industry Leadership Award” from GridWorld

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 12, 2006) – Ian Foster of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is one of the winners of the first GridWorld “Industry Leadership Awards,” presented today at the annual GridWorld conference in Washington, D.C. More...

Spinning new theory on particle spin brings science closer to quantum computing

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 7, 2006) – Physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have devised a potentially groundbreaking theory demonstrating how to control the spin of particles without using superconducting magnets — a development that could advance the field of spintronics and bring scientists a step closer to quantum computing. More...

Argonne to showcase science and technology at open house Saturday, October 7

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 5, 2006) — Science enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy the featured presentations that are part of Argonne National Laboratory's upcoming open house on Saturday, October 7. The U.S. Department of Energy lab is celebrating its 60th anniversary with its first open house in seven years. The facility will open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at its site at 9700 S. Cass Ave., near Darien. More...

Research at Argonne helps Abbott Labs develop anti-HIV drug

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 1, 2006) — Back in 1996, when the Advanced Photon Source at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory first turned on its brilliant beam of X-rays, scientists from around the world were excited by the possibilities. Now, 10 years later, one of those “possibilities” is saving thousands of lives. More...

Latest enhancements to the free Access Grid Toolkit are now available for download

ARGONNE, Ill. (Aug. 21, 2006) – A new version of the free and popular Access Grid Toolkit developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, is now available for download. The Access Grid Toolkit is software that uses audio, video, data and text to enable distributed researchers to work together as if they were at the same location. More...

Award-winning design will make better paper

ARGONNE, Ill. (Aug. 18, 2006) — Cheaper and more energy-efficient paper production could result from an innovation developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. Multiport dryer technology, which won an R&D 100 award from R&D magazine as one of the top 100 scientific and technological innovations in the world during 2005, improves the process of paper drying, the final step in paper production. More...

Diamond technology to revolutionize mobile communications

Argonne, Ill. (Aug. 4, 2006) – The U. S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has teamed with industrial and academic partners under a DARPA Phase II research and development program to develop a new technology based on Ultrananocrystalline Diamond™ (UNCD™), a novel material developed at Argonne that will enable diamond resonators and oscillators to be directly integrated with microelectronics chips for next-generation telecommunication devices. More...

Argonne's Chiarizia honored for actinide separation work

ARGONNE, Ill. (August 4, 2006) – A scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has been awarded the Glenn T. Seaborg Actinide Separations Award. Chemist Renato Chiarizia was honored for his innovative research on processes that can be used to recycle and dispose of nuclear waste. More...

Argonne and partners help biorefineries compete with oil refineries

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 28, 2006) — Argonne researchers are partnering with industry and other national laboratories to develop biorefineries that compete economically with oil refineries. More...

Argonne researcher wins prestigious Presidential award

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 26, 2006) — Todd Munson, a computational scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, is at the White House today receiving a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. More...

Argonne inventions win five R&D 100 Awards

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 14, 2006) — Five of the world's top 100 scientific and technological innovations during 2005, as judged by R&D Magazine, came from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Liquid alloy shows solid-like crystal structure at surface

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 7, 2006) – A substance used in nanotechnology contains unusual structures at its surface, a team of researchers led by Oleg Shpyrko, Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has learned. More...

Water quality improvements likely using new understanding of ion interaction

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 6, 2006) – Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have discovered new ways that ions interact with mineral surfaces in water, opening a door to new knowledge on how contaminants travel in the environment. The insight, published in today's issue of Physical Review Letters, leads to a better understanding of the factors that determine water quality. More...

Carbon nanotube building blocks open up possibilities for advanced electronics

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 30, 2006) — A new method to systematically modify the structure of single-walled carbon nanotubes could expand their electronic properties and open the path to nano-electronics. More...

First images made of hydrogen burning in working internal combustion engine

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 22, 2006) – Images of hydrogen combustion have been captured for the first time in an internal combustion engine operating at real-world speeds and loads by engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. This window into the inner workings of a hydrogen-powered engine is helping to optimize the engines for street use some day. More...

Visionary projects receive time on Blue Gene/L supercomputers at Argonne, IBM

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 16, 2006) – Computing projects ranging from understanding Parkinson's disease to modeling climate change have been awarded large amounts of joint time on Blue Gene/L computer systems at Argonne National Laboratory and IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. More...

Protein structure may lead to treatment for infection targeting cystic fibrosis patients

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 9, 2006) – Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have determined the structure of a key protein believed to play a role in a deadly infection that afflicts the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. This finding, published in today's issue of Science, may lead to a new drug to treat the bacterial infection. More...

'Wild Chicago' takes a road trip to Argonne National Laboratory

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 2, 2006) — Argonne is featured on Wild Chicago, WTTW Channel 11's popular program that showcases area attractions. The program is airing on public television stations throughout Illinois during June and July. More...

Membrane protein 'factory' may lead to new drug treatments

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 2, 2006) — Biologists at Argonne have engineered and patented a bacterial factory that enables the study of membrane proteins. These proteins are challenging to study, but critical to understand because they represent 60 percent of drug targets. Studies of membrane proteins could lead to new and improved pharmaceutical treatments for a broad range of illnesses such as depression, heart disease, addictions and cystic fibrosis. More...

Argonne's Arun Wagh named IPLAC 'inventor of the year'

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 23, 2006) — The Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) has named Arun Wagh of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory Inventor of the Year. More...

Diet plan helps travelers avoid jet lag

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 22, 2006) — With the summer travel season beginning, travelers who need to beat jet lag can learn how by visiting www.AntiJetLagDiet.com online. This Web site offers the most comprehensive free information anywhere on the Internet about how to use the famous Anti-Jet-Lag Diet, developed by biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

High-performance computing aids calculations of combustion kinetics

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 19, 2006) — Even though combustion provides 85 percent of the energy humans use, little is known about many of its most basic chemical reactions. Researchers in Argonne's Chemistry Division have brought together advances in theoretical chemical kinetics and high-performance computing to speed research in the chemistry of fuel combustion. More...

Argonne honors teacher for excellence in science education

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 17, 2006) — Mike Kennedy, physics teacher at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, has received the Ellis P. Steinberg Award for Pre-College Science Teaching from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Argonne's chapter of Sigma Xi. More...

Novel approach to studying cancer cells could reduce therapy side effects

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 5, 2006) — New cancer therapies with minimal side effects could result from a novel approach to studying cancer cells underway at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. This research could also lead to new medications for diseases, such as eczema, macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis, which involve pathological capillary formation. More...

Model car race tests students' engineering, design skills

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 26, 2006) — Chicago area middle school students will race to see who has built the best model car at a Fuel Cell Car Competition Saturday, April 29, at the Museum of Science and Industry, located at 57 th Street and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. More...

IPNS' success paved way to newest neutron source for materials research

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 21, 2006) — When the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory began operations in 1981, few could envision that it would lead to the $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source, beginning operations this spring on the grounds of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. More...

Argonne, Fermilab sign collaborative agreement aimed at multi-billion-dollar project; Governor Blagojevich proclaims Illinois Particle Accelerator Day

CHICAGO, Ill. (April 21, 2006) – Two U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to enhance cooperation between the two laboratories on R&D projects. More...

Carpenter to receive neutron scattering award

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 21, 2006) — Jack Carpenter of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory will receive the 2006 Clifford G. Shull Prize from the Neutron Scattering Society of America for his groundbreaking work developing neutron sources and instrumentation. More...

Argonne researchers find 217 new targets for anti-cancer drugs

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 15, 2006) — By identifying novel genes critical to cancer progression, biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have expanded the number of drug targets researchers have available for study to find ways to stop tumors in their tracks. More...

Stevens Named Argonne Associate Laboratory Director for Computing and Life Sciences; new divisions created

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 11, 2006) – Rick Stevens has been appointed Associate Laboratory Director for Computing and Life Sciences at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Phillip Finck named Associate Laboratory Director for Applied Science and Technology

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 11, 2006) – Phillip Finck has been named Associate Laboratory Director for Applied Science and Technology at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Maine South H.S. takes top honors in Illinois Rube Goldberg Machine competition

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 8, 2006) — A team of students from Maine Township South High School, Park Ridge, today won the 8th annual Illinois Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. More...

New environmental chamber aids nano-studies of metal oxides

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 7, 2006) — A new environmental chamber allows researchers to watch materials grow step-by-step in elevated-temperature, reactive-gas environments. The first experiment in the new chamber revealed intriguing information about how copper oxidizes at the nano-level and established a new basic model for understanding oxidation. More...

New record set for smallest X-ray nano-spot

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 31, 2006) – An award-winning device developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has set a world's record for tiny spot size with a hard X-ray beam. More...

Students test their engineering skills at Rube Goldberg state championship

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 27, 2006) — Illinois high school students will put their engineering skills to the test Saturday, April 8, at the eighth annual Illinois State Championship Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, sponsored jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. More...

Argonne, Homer School District build middle school weather station

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 24, 2006) — A fully operational meteorological observation system at Hadley Middle School will bring long-term, real-world science and math experiences into the classroom. More...

New sensor technology detects chemical, biological, nuclear and explosive materials

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 21, 2006) — Engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, using an emerging sensing technology, have developed a suite of sensors for national security applications that can quickly and effectively detect chemical, biological, nuclear and explosive materials. More...

Conference encourages young women to explore scientific, technical careers

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 16, 2006) — The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory will host the 19th annual Science Careers in Search of Women conference, Thursday, March 23. More...

Argonne researchers couple chemistry, large-scale computing for combustion calculations in a flash

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 13, 2006) – Chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have brought together advances in theoretical chemical kinetics and high-performance computing to speed research in the chemistry of fuel combustion that may lead to cleaner more efficient combustion devices. More...

Traveling space particles reveal secrets of comets

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 10, 2006) — Particles of comet dust that traveled from the far reaches of the solar system to Earth are traveling the United States, including a stop at Argonne, where scientists are studying the particles to learn more about comets and possibly the creation of our planet. More...

Argonne part of national team studying Mexico City air

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 28, 2006) – A new round of environmental data collection begins today in the Mexico City metropolitan area, the world's second largest megacity, to help understand air quality and climate in urban areas. More...

McCook to lead Environment, Safety and Health/Quality Assurance at Argonne

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 27, 2006) — Robert H. McCook has been named director of Environment, Safety and Health/Quality Assurance for the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

RERTR program reduces use of enriched uranium in research reactors worldwide

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 24, 2006) — Argonne provides overall technical integration for the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors program, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration to convert research and test reactors across the globe to low-enriched uranium fuel – a material that cannot be diverted for direct use in nuclear weapons. More...

William Fremd H.S. wins Argonne's 11th annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 24, 2006) — A team from William Fremd High School in Palatine today won Argonne National Laboratory's 11th annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest held at Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier. More...

Argonne scientists win Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for ultra-smooth diamond film

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 24, 2006) — Two scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory are co-recipients of the 2006 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer from the Federal Laboratory Consortium. More...

Mannsfeld named deputy to the director at Argonne National Laboratory

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 24, 2006) — Kelly Mannsfeld has been appointed deputy to the director at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Stine to lead Project Management and Engineering at Argonne

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 16, 2006) — Gail Stine has been named director of the Project Management and Engineering division at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Roadblocks contributing to natural gas price hikes identified by Argonne, acted on by Congress

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 10. 2006) — More than 40 roadblocks to U.S. natural gas exploration, production and transportation have been identified that may contribute to gas price hikes in a recent report by Argonne researchers. Congress is already writing and passing legislation consistent with the report's findings. More...

Argonne's Science Careers in Search of Women program honored by DOE

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 3, 2006) — Argonne National Laboratory has been selected to receive a 2005 Department of Energy Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Best Practices Award for its annual Science Careers in Search of Women program. More...

Rube Goldberg contest gives new meaning to 'reduce, reuse and recycle'

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 30, 2006) — The mantra of "reduce, reuse and recycle" will take on a new level of meaning for students who participate in Argonne National Laboratory's 11th annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest on Friday, Feb. 24. More...

Argonne's Structural Biology Center first to produce 1,000 structures that improve understanding of human and environmental health

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 27, 2006) — Researchers at the Structural Biology Center at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have contributed their 1,000th structure to the Protein Data Bank. The data bank houses the molecular structures of all proteins characterized so far and makes them available to researchers worldwide to study. More...

Argonne Chief Robert Rosner Sees National Labs as an Engine of U.S. Innovation

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 23, 2006) — In the eyes of non-scientists, national laboratories may symbolize a bygone era — secretive facilities in remote locations devoted to projects such as atomic weapons. Many of the labs founded during the Cold War era do exist today, but with a very different mission. They perform the kind of long-term research that drives economic growth. More...

New nano-finding points to new computer technologies based on magnetic spin

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 17, 2006) — An unusual pool of scientific talent at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, combined with new nanofabrication and nanocharacterization instruments, is helping to open a new frontier in electronics, to be made up of very small and very fast devices. More...

APS X-rays reveal the real chemistry behind mercury mixed in mustard agent

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 13, 2006) — The U.S government halted its incineration of mustard agent from the 1940s when it was found contaminated with mercury. Argonne and University of Chicago researchers are helping learn how to dispose of the contaminated mustard agent safely. More...

Gold's glitter not the same at the nanoscale

ARGONNE , Ill. (Jan. 3, 2006) — Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have found that gold "shines" in a different way at the nanoscale, and the insights may lead to new optical chips for computers or for switches and routers in fiber networks. More...