Chi-Chang’s Corner

Focusing on Solving our Nation’s Energy Problems

July 2, 2007

Chi-Chang Kao
NSLS Department Chair
kao@bnl.gov

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We recently received news that the NSLS is involved in two hydrogen research projects awarded funding by the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences. The projects will share part of $11.2 million with 11 other hydrogen research proposals nationwide. One of these studies, led by Brookhaven chemist Jose Rodriguez, seeks to better understand and improve the performance of nanocatalysts for the “water-gas shift reaction.” The second study, led by Stony Brook University Physicist Jiuhua Chen (now at Florida International University), tackles the hydrogen storage issue through investigating pressure influence on ammonia borane. These projects highlight the importance of the NSLS, and the synchrotron research community at large, in helping to solve our nation’s energy problems, and I hope we can continue to focus on this very important field of research.

I encourage all of our users to attend the NSLS-II User Workshop, which will take place on July 17-18. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the latest design and status of the project, the process for beamline development, and the plans for transitioning from NSLS to NSLS-II. You’ll also have the opportunity to give us your feedback during breakout sessions focused on project beamlines and scientific communities at NSLS-II. I hope to see you there.

Two well-known annual short courses took place at the NSLS in the last month with their usual great success. At the four-day practical course "Crystallization: Focus on Membrane Proteins," participants received hands-on experience in a variety of crystal growth methods for obtaining high-quality crystals. And at "BioCD-2007: Short Course in Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy of Proteins & Nucleic Acids," held from June 25-29, researchers were trained in the use of circular dichroism spectroscopy and closely related approaches for structural and functional characterization of proteins and nucleic acids in solution. I often hear positive feedback from users and staff about the success of these workshops, and ones like them, in introducing the use of synchrotron techniques to beginners and building upon the expertise of more experienced users. It’s also an important mechanism to generate new research collaborations and opportunities at the NSLS. Thank you to the staff members, users, and vendors who worked hard to organize these short courses.

Many of the NSLS cranes remain out of service because of discovery of suspect bolts, and the lack of documentation to support the engineering analysis that was completed when these devices were installed. We are working with the Laboratory to address this problem. So far, the overhead VUV cranes have returned to full operation. On the remaining cranes, we have replaced all of the suspect bolts that could be reached with reasonable effort, performed stress tests on a sample of them, and await a decision on whether it’s safe to keep the remaining bolts in place. Engineering analysis of the attachment of a representative group of cranes is progressing and should be completed by the end of August. It is hoped that all of the NSLS cranes will be returned to service soon.

With the official arrival of summer, we have an influx of new and young faces in the building. I’d like to welcome this year’s summer students – 14 undergraduates already hard at work and a host of high school students arriving next week. While they have all received the required training courses and lectures, it is still important that staff members watch out for our students as they familiarize themselves with the experimental floor.

I’d also like to thank everyone who was involved in the renovation of the Green-Chasman Library, which is now complete. This space is now much more welcoming and comfortable, and provides a great opportunity for users to meet, discuss, and mingle, or to just get away from the beamline for a break.

Finally, a group of researchers led by BNL physicist Tonica Valla used photoemission studies at U13UB to reveal a new anomaly, or “kink,” in the energy spectrum of high-energy electrons in two different families of cuperate superconductors. Valla’s research group previously discovered a lower energy kink in these materials, and the investigation of this second anomaly exposes details, and even more questions, about high-temperature superconductors. You can read about their most recent research in this edition of NSLS eNews.