World-renowned physicist joins Argonne to lead proposal for exotic beam facility
ARGONNE, Ill. (June 20, 2007) – World-renowned physicist Walter F. Henning
is joining the scientific staff at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne
National Laboratory to head up Argonne's efforts to build a proposed exotic
beam facility for nuclear physics research, which will revolutionize our understanding
of nuclei, the core of matter and the fuel of stars.
Henning is presently professor of physics at the University
of Frankfurt and
director of GSI Darmstadt, Germany's premier nuclear physics research facility.
He is a Fellow of the American
Physical Society and the winner of the 2004
Hessian Order of Merit.
The Department of Energy has proposed to build an exotic beam facility for
the next generation of nuclear physics research, and Argonne is one of the
sites competing for that facility. A recent National
Academy of Sciences report
stressed the scientific opportunities that exist with exotic beams. This new
facility would provide physicists with energetic, high-quality beams of literally
thousands of isotopes of elements in the periodic table, including a great
many that have never before been observed on earth.
"This facility is an important project with great potential for discovery," Henning
said. "Recently the Nuclear
Science Advisory Committee to the Department
of Energy and the National Science
Foundation, and its working group for the
nuclear physics long-range plan, gave very strong support to the science, as
did a recent National Academy of Sciences report. Many of the key features
of this new facility are based on concepts and on research carried out at Argonne
over the last decade, such as the use of a superconducting, high-intensity
heavy-ion driver linac with multi-stage operation, and the concept of the gas-stopper."
In addition, Henning said, "Argonne provides for synergies and unique
technical expertise from other programs and from its technical infrastructure.
And, last but not least, the existing nuclear accelerator at Argonne provides
for an effective base to realize science use of the rare isotopes produced
from the very beginning. I believe that these conditions provide an excellent
basis for a successful Argonne proposal."
Stuart Freedman, professor of physics at the University
of California at Berkeley and co-chair of the Rare Isotope Science Advisory Committee, a major supporter
of the proposed project, said, "Attracting Henning is a major coup for
Argonne. He is an outstanding nuclear physicist and an internationally recognized
spokesman for rare isotope science who has demonstrated his ability to realize
a major research facility."
Bob Tribble, chair of DOE's Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, called the
proposed exotic beam facility "the top priority of the field for new construction."
Henning's decision to join the Argonne scientific staff was welcomed by Al
Sattelberger, associate laboratory director for physical sciences, who said, "We
are absolutely delighted to have Walter lead Argonne's efforts to capture
the proposed new exotic beam facility. The fact that the director of the world-leading
nuclear physics lab is coming to head Argonne's proposed exotic beam facility
speaks volumes for the exciting science opportunities to come. The science
that will be pursued at this facility is transformational. It will impact several
areas of physics and help us understand the origin and evolution of the universe,
including the synthesis of the elements."
Argonne director Robert Rosner echoed those comments, adding, "The scientific
research that will be done at the proposed new facility will strongly complement
the research presently underway at GSI, under Walter's extraordinary leadership.
It is a sign both of his commitment to expanding world-class science and of
Argonne's confidence in and respect for his scientific and leadership talents
that we have sought him out for this important new position."
Frontier research in several fields would be addressed at the proposed new
facility, including:
- The origin of the elements. Nearly all the chemical elements
in the universe are forged in the interiors of stars, but the chain of
events and even the astrophysical sites that produce them are still poorly
understood. The new facility will permit researchers to investigate how the
changes nuclei undergo power these cosmic cauldrons.
- Nuclear Physics. The new facility will allow close
examination of the many nuclei that are far from stability and about which
little is known. Such studies will provide fundamental insights into how
nuclei behave that are not manifest in the nuclei we can study today.
- The world of elementary particles. While high-energy
accelerators are needed for direct searches for undiscovered particles like
the Higgs boson, physicists will use the new facility to explore known subatomic
particles, and the forces that act on them, with greater precision to help
guide the development of more accurate theories that can resolve some of
the current mysteries of our standard model of particles and interactions.
- Nuclear medicine. A third of all patients hospitalized
in the United States alone undergo nuclear medicine procedures, all of
which require isotopes produced in reactors or small accelerators. The new
facility will bring a new level of technology for rapid production, isolation,
and exploration of medical isotopes with specific physical properties.
"The new proposed exotic beam facility at Argonne will benefit the strong
connections with the University
of Chicago, the University
of Illinois and Northwestern
University in astrophysics, medicine, and nuclear physics," said Robert
Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, which operates Argonne through
the UChicago Argonne LLC.
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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