Argonne's Walter Henning receives award from German
president
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ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 25, 2007) – Noted physicist Walter F. Henning of the U.S.
Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has received a prestigious
award from the president of Germany in recognition of Henning's contributions
to physics research in that country.
Henning was awarded a Cross
of Merit of the First Class of the Federal Republic
of Germany by German President Horst Köhler at a ceremony on Oct. 4 in
Berlin. The Cross of Merit is the highest tribute Germany can pay to individuals
for service to the nation and is often presented to artists, industrialists
and government officials, less often to scientists.
Henning was honored for his central role in landing a 1 billion Euro accelerator
facility to be built at GSI Darmstadt while serving as director of that center,
Germany's premier nuclear physics research facility. The Facility
for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), an international collaboration involving 14 nations,
will be the site of advanced physics, biological and materials research. Construction
is expected to begin in November.
"Accepting such a prestigious award was a little embarrassing, because FAIR
is the result of the efforts of a great many individuals," said Henning, "However,
I appreciate the gesture very much. It is indeed a great honor."
Henning left GSI Darmstadt and a faculty position at the University
of Frankfurt in June to rejoin Argonne and head up the laboratory's effort to build a proposed
exotic beam facility for nuclear physics research. Henning had worked three
previous stints at Argonne, most recently in the early to late nineties, when
he served as director of the Physics Division. He now holds the title of Argonne
Distinguished Fellow, the highest scientific and engineering rank at the laboratory.
Argonne is one of the sites competing for a new facility proposed by the DOE
for generating rare isotopes, which could revolutionize mankind's knowledge
of nuclei, the core of matter and the fuel of stars. The facility could cost
an estimated $550 million.
Argonne is collaborating with Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Thomas
Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and a group of universities on its
proposal. Henning expects the DOE Office of Science to issue a call for proposals
for the exotic beam facility late this year or early next year, and the winning
proposal selected by next summer.
If Argonne is selected to build the exotic beam facility, Henning suggested
that research and development could begin in 2008, with the commencement of
construction likely by 2011.
About Argonne
Argonne National Laboratory brings
the world's brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and
creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic
and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne
researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities,
and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for
a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed
by UChicago
Argonne, LLC for
the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please
contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov)
at Argonne.
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