2004 Argonne News Releases and Features

Glass gives up secrets under pressure

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 10, 2004) — Glass is a mysterious material, but when researchers apply pressure, it reveals secrets. Using a variety of techniques, researchers at Argonne National Laboratory saw for the first time ever, the atomic structure of a dense, purely octahedral glass that has eluded scientists for decades. More...

New method for studying protein structure could advance drug development

ARGONNE, Ill. (Dec. 10, 2004)—Structural changes in proteins can now be seen in increased detail, using a new application of an existing technique. The application, developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, could help produce lead drugs for disease therapy. More...

Research opportunities expand at nation's premier X-ray facility

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 26, 2004) — The Advanced Photon Source (APS), located at Argonne National Laboratory and the premier hard X-ray research facility in the nation, each year hosts thousands of experimenters who carry out research that impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. Now, the outlook for this essential U.S. Department of Energy(DOE)-funded program is even brighter as changes in the way scientists access the APS are significantly increasing opportunities for experimentation. More...

Argonne realigns top management

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 22, 2004) — Argonne National Laboratory has modified its organization to address changing national research priorities as well as to address the upcoming transition of Argonne's Idaho component – Argonne-West – to the newly formed Idaho National Laboratory. More...

TEAM designs world's highest resolution microscope

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 12, 2004) — The country's best microscopists are teaming up to build the highest resolution microscope in the world, and researchers in Argonne's Materials Science Division (MSD) are playing a lead role. More...

Sandwich clusters may improve magnetic memory storage

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 11, 2004) – A new type of molecular magnet known as a “sandwich cluster” is being studied under a joint research collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago and Keio University in Japan. More...

DOE releases specs for $1 billion accelerator; State of Illinois supports Argonne bid

ARGONNE, Ill. (Nov. 8, 2004) — The U.S. Department of Energy last month released a draft document outlining bid specifications to build and host the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA), a $1 billion facility for nuclear physics research. Argonne and Michigan State University are the leading candidates for hosting the facility. More...

Most precise measurement ever made of helium-6 charge radius

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 29, 2004) — Researchers in Argonne's Physics Division teamed up to conduct the most precise measurement ever made of the charge radius — one aspect of the size — of the Borromean nucleus of helium-6. More...

New method studies living bacteria cells

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 22, 2004) — Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have found a new way to study individual living bacteria cells and analyze their chemistry. More...

Transportation research takes multi-pronged approach to clean fuels, engines

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 15, 2004) — Cleaner, more efficient engines are at the top of the nation's transportation technology goals. To improve the nation's economy, environment and energy security, researchers in Argonne's Energy Systems Division (ES) work with engines ranging in size from small auto engines to 10-foot-tall single-cylinder diesel locomotive engines. More...

Argonne plays important role in development of artificial retina

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 14, 2004) — A collaborative research and development agreement signed today between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Second Sight LLC will help bring hope to hundreds of thousands of Americans who are losing their sight to degenerative retinal diseases. More...

Book review: The Fermi Age

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 7, 2004) — Fermi age, Fermi constant, Fermi-Dirac gas, Fermi energy, Fermi hole, fermion, Fermi selection rules, Fermi statistics, fermium… “No serious student can enter physics without finding the name Fermi everywhere.” These are the words of James W. Cronin — editor of Fermi Remembered, a collection of essays recently published by the University of Chicago Press. More...

Nanomaterials break out of laboratory into marketplace

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 1, 2004) — Miniature medical machines that can bring sight to the blind and computers that work at the speed of light are no longer the stuff of futuristic novels. Argonne National Laboratory researchers are creating nanomaterials and nanotechnology to make these and other innovations possible, and collaborating with industry to bring new technologies to the marketplace. More...

Gammasphere on a roll

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 28, 2004) — Gammasphere, the world's most sensitive gamma-ray detector, is already a seasoned traveler, having crossed the United States from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to Argonne by truck, but the 20-ton instrument has recently gone truly mobile and can now be moved around the experiment hall in Argonne-East's Building 203 to meet the needs of physicists. More...

Accelerator Systems Division keeps nation's brightest X-rays beaming

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 17, 2004) – Argonne is home to the Advanced Photon Source, this hemisphere's most brilliant source of X-rays for scientific research. The Accelerator Systems Division maintains the equipment to provide optimal X-ray quality with few interruptions to scientists. Researchers come from a variety of disciplines and from industry, academia and national and international laboratories. More...

Historic research division continues to push nuclear frontiers

ARGONNE, Ill. (Sept. 6, 2004) – The building housing Argonne's Chemical Engineering Division was named a Nuclear Historic Landmark this summer by the American Nuclear Society. The award recognizes the division's significant contributions to the development, implementation and peaceful use of nuclear technology. More...

$18 million bioinformatics center to become weapon against deadly diseases

CHICAGO, Ill. (Sept. 3, 2004) — A computer database designed to help biomedical scientists identify and exploit the weak spots in scores of deadly microorganisms will be established with an $18 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. More...

Energy Technology researchers solve energy and medical problems

ARGONNE, Ill. (Aug. 23, 2004) – Argonne's Energy Technology Division provides innovative materials and engineering solutions to national energy challenges that range from energy production and conservation to transportation. More...

Proteins can be attached to diamond layer to create bio-sensors

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 23, 2004) – Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have pioneered a process to affix organic molecules to the surface of a thin layer of diamond, in research that may lead to revolutions in bio-sensing and biomedical implants. More...

Argonne researcher wins award from Hispanic engineering society

ARGONNE, Ill. (August 18, 2004) — A researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has won the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award from an Hispanic engineering organization, the third Argonne researcher – and the second in a row – to do so. More...

Automated science speeds solution of Human Genome data

ARGONNE, Ill. (Aug. 9, 2004) — Scientists in Argonne 's Biosciences Division are automating and accelerating the complex processes that coax a protein to reveal its structure so they can learn the role Nature assigned it. More...

Argonne recycling wins state recognition

ARGONNE, Ill. (July. 30, 2004) — In 1993, Argonne National Laboratory's Illinois site disposed of almost 3,700 metric tons of sanitary waste. In 2003, because of recycling and reuse efforts, that amount was down to just 36 metric tons. In recognition of this and other effective pollution controls, Argonne was presented the 2004 state award for “Outstanding Government Leadership” in recycling. More...

Four young scientists win Argonne fellowships

ARGONNE , Ill. (July 28, 2004) – Four scientists have been awarded Named Postdoctoral Fellowships at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory in recognition of their science expertise and research promise. More...

‘Flying' nanotubes are strong and hard

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 16, 2004) – Diamonds are the hardest known substance. Carbon nanotubes are the strongest. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory tried to combine the best of both worlds by creating a composite nanostructure. They wanted to grow tiny carbon tubes with tiny diamonds. More...

Scientists determine structure of staph, anthrax enzyme

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 14, 2004) — Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago have determined the crystal structure of sortase B, an enzyme found in the bacteria that cause staph and anthrax. More...

Argonne wins four R&D 100 awards for innovative technologies

ARGONNE , Ill. (July 9, 2004) — Four technologies developed or co-developed at Argonne have been recognized with R&D 100 Awards, which highlight some of the best products and technologies newly available for commercial use from around the world. More...

Nanoparticles, super-absorbent gel clean radioactivity from porous structures

ARGONNE, Ill. (July 2, 2004) – Porous structures, such as brick and concrete, are notoriously hard to clean when contaminated with certain types of radioactive materials. Now, thanks to researchers in Argonne 's Chemical Engineering Division, a new technique is being developed that can effectively decontaminate these structures in the event of exposure to radioactive elements. More...

Researchers make fastest movie of electron motion

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 25, 2004)— Brookhaven National Laboratory researchers, working at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source, have produced the fastest movies ever made of electron motion. Created by scattering x rays off of water, the movies show electrons sloshing in water molecules. More...

Argonne scientists receive distinguished performance awards

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 22, 2004) — Five scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have received the 2004 Distinguished Performance Award from the University of Chicago Board of Governors for Argonne, which recognizes outstanding scientific or technical achievements or a distinguished record of achievements. More...

Argonne employees honored for outstanding service

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 22, 2004) — Four employees of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have received the 2004 Outstanding Service Award from the University of Chicago Board of Governors for, the highest honor the university gives to Argonne employees in support positions. More...

Student competition advances SUV technology

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 18, 2004)— Although torrential rains in the Midwest made the off-road competition a muddy mess, the weather did not dampen the spirits of university teams competing in the final FutureTruck event June 9-17 at Ford's Michigan Proving Ground. More...

Argonne launches new utility advisory board

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 11, 2004) — Laboratory Director Hermann Grunder announced today the formation of an Argonne National Laboratory/University of Chicago Utility Advisory Board. More...

Studies on electric polarization open potential for tinier devices

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 11, 2004) — Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Northern Illinois University have shown that very thin materials can still retain an electric polarization, opening the potential for a wide range of tiny devices. More...

Argonne-West recognized for safety performance

ARGONNE, Ill. (June 11, 2004) — The National Safety Council recognized Argonne-West for completing 12 consecutive months without a lost workday or restricted work activity. The award was presented to Robert Benedict, deputy associate laboratory director for Argonne-West, by the Department of Energy during its annual safety meeting. More...

Argonne, U of Wisconsin engineers visualize electric memory as it fades

ARGONNE, Ill. ( June 1, 2004 ) — While the memory inside electronic devices may often be more reliable than ours, it too can worsen over time. Now a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory may understand why. More...

Argonne, Notre Dame sign agreement for Institute for Theoretical Sciences

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 21, 2004) — The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Notre Dame today signed an agreement to create a new joint Institute for Theoretical Sciences. More...

Argonne, U.S. Air Force sign agreement for technical fellowship program

ARGONNE , Ill. (May 17, 2004) — Officials from the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory today signed an agreement that will open educational opportunities to Air Force officers and civilian employees in technical fields. More...

Argonne to play major role in new computer facility

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 14, 2004) — The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory will play a major role in the development of a new national computational science facility aimed at deploying a supercomputer capable of sustained performance of 100 trillion floating-point operations per second (teraflops) by 2007. More...

'Challenge X' encourages college students to improve SUV technology

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 14, 2004)— A new engineering student car competition to start in the 2004-05 academic year will be managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Argonne fast-reactor pioneer receives international prize

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 7, 2004) — Retired Argonne National Laboratory engineer Leonard J. Koch will be awarded the Global Energy International Prize by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia this June. Koch, a leading world expert on fast reactor technology will be recognized for his role in development of Argonne 's Experimental Breeder Reactors I and II. More...

Students put model cars to the test

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 26, 2004) — Teams of young engineers will put their skills to the test in the 14 th annual model car competition, Saturday May 8, sponsored by Argonne National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy, CNH and the Society of Automotive Engineers. More...

Maine West High School wins state championship Rube Goldberg contest

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 20, 2004) — A team of students from Maine West High School has won the Illinois state championship Rube Goldberg machine contest, held April 17 at Chicago Children's Museum and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. More...

First 3-D look at diesel particles gives clues to cleaner engines

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 16, 2004) – In the first use ever of a new three-dimensional technique to study diesel engine emissions, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory developed information that could lead to improved exhaust-cleaning devices, ways for industry to meet environmental regulations, and new insights on the impact to public health from diesel engine emissions. More...

X-ray method speeds study of mineral-water interfaces

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 10, 2004) — Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have taken the guesswork out of interfacial structure determination. Their work is published in the April 10 issue of Surface Science Letters . More...

Students to test wacky voting machines at state Rube Goldberg championship

ARGONNE, Ill. (April 1, 2004) — The Illinois primary election may be over, but students from six Illinois high schools will go to the polls one more time in the sixth annual Illinois State Championship Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, Saturday, April 17. More...

Meteorological data available in real time, worldwide

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 26, 2004)— Thanks to the installation of a satellite-based communications network by Argonne scientists, real time meteorological data from locations around the world are available to researchers quickly — and free — through the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. More...

Electricity controls nanocrystal shape

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 17, 2004) - Wires, tubes and brushes make it possible to build and maintain the machines and devices we use on a daily basis. Now, with help from a surprising source, these same building blocks can easily be created on a scale 10,000 times smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. More...

Alan Foley to head national security programs at Argonne

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 16, 2004) — Alan A. Foley has been named associate laboratory director for national security at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. More...

Conference encourages young women to explore scientific, technical careers

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 5, 2004) - The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory will host the 17th annual Science Careers in Search of Women conference, Friday, March 12. More than 300 students from 46 schools throughout the Chicago area will participate in the day-long conference which aims to encourage high school women to consider careers in science and technology. More...

New technique dates Saharan groundwater as million years old

ARGONNE, Ill. (March 1, 2004) – The Sahara Desert was once a lush, green landscape dotted with lakes and ponds. Evidence of this past verdancy lies hidden beneath the sands of Egypt and Libya, in the form of a huge aquifer of fresh groundwater. An international team of geologists and physicists has found that this groundwater has been flowing slowly northward (at about the rate grass grows) for the past million years. Their findings are published in the March issue of Geophysical Research Letters . More...

Argonne licenses Anti-Jet-Lag-Diet software to online company

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 20, 2004) — The Anti-Jet-Lag Diet, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, is now officially online. Software that computes individualized diet plans to help travelers avoid jet lag has been licensed by Argonne exclusively to AntiJetLagDiet.com LLC. More...

Argonne wins Federal Lab Consortium research award

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 17, 2004) — The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has won the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer for an improved industrial process used in producing cotton. More...

Morgan Park Academy wins 9th annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest

ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 13, 2004) — Morgan Park Academy, Chicago, today won Argonne National Laboratory's ninth annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest held at Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier. More...

'CHARISMA' reveals secrets of early star formation

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 30, 2004) —Argonne scientists have reached for the stars -- and seen what's inside. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Chicago, Washington University and the Universita di Torino in Italy, the scientists examined stardust from a meteorite and found remnants of now-extinct technetium atoms made in stars long ago. More...

75-year-old molecular-chemistry reaction-rate problem solved

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 30, 2004) — A 75-year-old problem in molecular chemistry has been solved by a team of researchers from Argonne and several other institutions. For the first time, theory and experiment have converged, enabling chemists to predict the rate of a chemical reaction with near-perfect accuracy. More...

Student voting machines to cast ballots in 20 steps

ARGONNE, Ill. (Jan. 16, 2004) — As if elections weren't already complicated enough, students from Chicago area high schools participating in Argonne National Laboratory's ninth annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest will soon try to make them more so, but it's all in the name of engineering, fun and learning. More...