JRML Grant Renewal Time
This past year found the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics(AMO)
faculty busily planning for the future. A three-year Renewal
Proposal and a three-year Progress Report were submitted to the Department
of Energy in June 2000. A panel reviewed our proposed research program in
October. Bill Millman and Eric Rohlfing from the Department of Energy led
the panel consisting of Peter Beiersdorfer, Lawrence Livermore National
Lab, Robert Field, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Henry Kapteyn,
Joint Institute for Laboratorie Astrophysics, and David Schultz, Oak Ridge
National Lab. We have recently received word from DOE that our grant
has been approved for the next three years at $2.35M/year. This
grant includes new funding for Brett Esry to develop a theory on
rearrangement processes in asymmetric three-body systems and to develop a
hyperspherical approach to four-body systems.
Recent Developments and New Directions in JRML
COLTRIMS continues to be a powerful tool for studying AMO collision
physics. We are very excited to get into operation this year two new
COLTRIMS apparatus. One is our third generation COLTRIMS facility, which
consists of a precooled three-stage supersonically-cooled target, and the
other is an extremely cold target apparatus, consisting of a magneto
optical atom trap for cooling and a recoil detection system. The combined
system is called MOTRIMS. A long-range plan in the JRML is to enhace our
research in optics, and in particular to develop programs in the area of
high-power laser physics. One goal is to combine high-power laser fields
with conventional ion-atom collision environments of the type we produce
in JRML.
JRML Personnel Relocate
Martin Stockli has accepted a position in Oak Ridge, TN, with the team
constructing the new Spallation Neutron Source, funded by the Department
of Energy. He is in charge of the ion source development group. tracy
Tipping has accepted the position of Safety Officer for E3 in Denton, TX.
E3 is a manufacturer of radioactive isotopes for medical application.
Martin and Tracy had been with the JRML for many years, and both
definitely will be missed.
We presently have a faculty
search to replace Martin. We have recently hired Hilary Eaton as our new
Safety and User Liason Officer for JRML. Hilary received her Ph.D. degree
in chemistry from JILA, University of Colorado.
JRML Students form Pipeline to Industry
We hear about the importance of
networking in this day and age. I am happy to report to you about
networking among our former graduate students. Many companies are
competitvely seeking highly qualified research physicists. I hae receiced
several calls from former students requesting the whereabouts of former
KSU students. Some of our former graduate students have been so successful
that their employers seek additional KSU graduates. A good example is
KLA-Tencor Amray group in Bedford, MA, which hired Gabor TOth, one of my
former students, four years ago. Gabor ahs called many times inquiring
about other KSU students. Recently, KLA-Tencor, San Jose, CA hired
Mohammad Abdallah, a former student of Lew Cocke, and very recently
offered a position to D. H. Lee, another former student of mine.
-Pat Richard
Director, JRM Laboratory
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