Research
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Ian Foster of DOE's Argonne National Lab has been called a godfather – but not one of those Mafia types. Foster is godfather of grid computing, a software program that lets people share computing power, databases, and other tools securely online across corporate, institutional, and geographic boundaries without sacrificing local autonomy. Foster is associate division director for Argonne 's Mathematics and Computer Science Division and is also Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor of Computer Science at The University of Chicago. Foster's honors include the Lovelace Medal of the British Computer Society and the Gordon Bell Prize for high-performance supercomputing. He was also the winner earlier this year of the first GridWorld “Industry Leadership Award.” In March 2006, Foster was appointed director of the Computation Institute, a joint project between The University of Chicago and Argonne that addresses the most challenging computational and communications problems arising from a broad range of intellectual pursuits. Research at the Computation Institute potentially affects every major scientific discipline that requires intensive computing capabilities, including disease diagnosis, weather forecasting and aircraft design simulation. He is also Chief Open Source Strategist for Univa Corp., a spin-off company formed to commercialize Argonne research in open source Globus software, which enables grid computing. Globus technologies are used worldwide in business and science, forming the basis of several dozen national and international collaborative computing projects. In 2003, Foster was named Innovator of the Year by R&D Magazine, and also won the Illinois Innovation Award. Silicon.com named him one of the Top 50 Agenda Setters, and MIT Technology Review named grid computing one of “Ten Technologies that Will Change the World.” His research is funded by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States and to promote the progress of science and technological innovation.. Submitted by DOE's Argonne National Laboratory |
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Free-Electron Laser Outshines Competition in InfraredOn October 30, the Free-Electron Laser (FEL) at DOE's Jefferson Lab set a new world record by delivering 14.2 kilowatts of high-average power infrared laser light at a wavelength of 1.6 micrometers.
This wavelength is of interest for material science applications and for naval interest in transmission of light through the maritime atmosphere,² says Fred Dylla, Associate Director of the FEL Division and JLab Chief Technology Officer. In addition, the wavelength is of interest for exploring a wide range of applications, including defense and manufacturing technologies and scientific studies in chemistry, physics, biology and medicine. The Free-Electron Laser (FEL) provides intense beams of laser light that can be tuned to a precise wavelength. "In the one kilowatt range, the FEL has broad tunability. We can tune it to produce infrared light between .7 and 4.5 micrometers," Dylla says. "Sometime in the near future, we're going to explore how far we can tune the wavelength." The FEL team originally attained its 10 kW milestone in July 2004 at an infrared wavelength of 6 micrometers (microns, for short). The FEL group then partially dismantled the machine to upgrade it with a new highly efficient wiggler optimized for the 1.6 micron infrared wavelength and a groundbreaking set of new mirrors that can withstand the intense laser light. The 1.6 micron wavelength of light is the least dangerous to eyes in this part of the light spectrum in case of inadvertent exposure, while also theoretically capable of effectively piercing humid atmospheres, a necessity for the Navy's goal of building a ship-based laser capable of protecting its ships from incoming missiles. The Free-Electron Laser program is part of the Free-Electron Laser/Chief Technology Officer Division. It is supported by the Department of Defense's Office of Naval Research, the Naval Sea Systems Command, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Joint Technology Office; and by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Submitted by DOE's Jefferson Lab |
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