"In welcoming these seven new Fellows, I want to thank the entire group of Fellows for their sustained contributions to the Laboratory," said Kuckuck. "They bring honor to each of us and to the institution."
The 2005 Fellows are Alexander Balatsky, Condensed Matter and Statistical Physics; Michael Baskes, Structure/Property Relations; Andrew Hime, Neutron Science and Technology; John Singleton, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory; James Theiler, Space and Remote Sensing Sciences; Gary Wall, Primary Design and Assessment; and Dan Winske, Plasma Physics.
A world-renowned expert in the theory of high-temperature superconductivity, heavy fermion systems and nanoscience, Alexander Balatsky developed a theory of impurities in unconventional superconductors, which was recently validated in scanning-tunneling microscope experiments.
Michael Baskes developed a new theoretical approach to predict the behavior of metals and alloys, including transition metals and actinides in the solid, liquid and amorphous states. He has been able to simulate and predict the behavior of materials ranging from the diffusion of hydrogen in metals to the phase stability of plutonium and plutonium-gallium alloys as well as modeling the plasticity of polycrystalline metals.
One of the leading physicists in the world in the field of weak interactions, Andrew Hime's recent work has led to the discovery of neutrino mass, one of the most important discoveries in physics during the past several decades. Because of this discovery, Hime was the principal author of the most cited articles in science for all of 2003.
John Singleton is the world-renowned expert in the field of experimental condensed matter physics. He has made seminal contributions in organic low-dimensional conductors, semiconductors and magnetic materials. He has pioneered several new experimental techniques using magnetic fields. He also produced the first evidence for inhomogeneous superconductivity, known as the Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fulde-Ferrell state.
Critical to the success of the key remote sensing programs at the Laboratory, James Theiler has been the lead theoretical developer of the GENIE algorithm and instrumental in correcting motion problems in ALEXIS. He is lead author on a series of highly cited papers that introduce the "surrogate data" method, which has now become a widespread and standard tool in nonlinear time series analysis. He also played an important role in tracking the history of the HIV virus.
Gary Wall is a leader in the nuclear weapons program, developing primaries with insensitive high explosives, a major safety enhancement. He was the lead designer for several nuclear tests and a member of the design team for 25 additional tests. He was a member of the original design teams certifying the W76, W80, and B61 systems, three of the five systems in the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. He is also a leading weapons expert external to the Laboratory for the Department of Defense, emergency response and other organizations.
Recognized for his seminal and definitive work in the field of basic plasma physics and its application to both laboratory and space plasmas, Dan Winske is widely considered to be a founding father of hybrid simulations of space plasmas; his codes are among the most widely used and emulated tools for the study of intermediate scale dynamics in these media. He has been instrumental in the Laboratory's efforts to understand the effects of nuclear explosions in space and he has made significant contributions to uncovering the effects of plasma turbulence on the early expansion phase of nuclear explosions in the ionosphere.
Laboratory Fellows are expected to continue to play an important scientific or technical role in the Laboratory and to contribute in significant ways to Laboratory programs and initiatives. Fellows are often called upon to provide critical analyses of significant issues affecting Laboratory programs and work force. Only 2 percent of the Laboratory's current technical staff members can hold the title of "Fellow" at any one time.
Nominations were submitted to the members of the Laboratory Fellows Screening Committee, which reviewed the nominations and then submitted their recommendations to Director Kuckuck. The Director then selected these candidates for the honor.
Note to Editors: Photos of the seven new Laboratory Fellows are available upon request.
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