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