December 20, 1999
For more information on these science news and feature story tips, please
contact the public information officer at the end of each item at (703)
292-8070. Editor: Cheryl Dybas
Contents of this News Tip:
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory has set a record in creating
a powerful magnetic field. In testing this week, a hybrid magnet that
has been in development since the early 1990s reached a peak magnetic
field of 44.2 Tesla. This is the strongest continuous magnetic field
created to date in a scientific laboratory, and represents a remarkable
engineering achievement. Ultimately, the large hybrid magnet is expected
to achieve 45 Tesla or more, almost a million times as strong as the
Earth’s magnetic field.
The NSF-supported laboratory, with locations in Florida and New Mexico,
conducts magnet-related research and provides high magnetic fields as
a user facility for U.S. and international researchers. Research in high
magnetic fields is critical to modern technologies and scientific research
because it provides an additional means for scientists to study matter
at the molecular level. The hybrid magnet will be used for research in
condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, and ultimately,
the biological sciences. [Amber Jones]
For more information on the laboratory, see: http://www.nhmfl.gov/
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One hundred-fifty-nine promising women in fields of science and engineering
nationwide will share in about $11.5 million in awards over the next
12 to 18 months through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Professional
Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE).
Women represent half the U.S. labor force, but only 22 percent in science
and engineering occupations, according to the NSF’s report, Women Minorities
and Persons with Disabilities, 1998.
NSF, through POWRE, seeks to increase the participation, prominence
and influence of women in the science and engineering workforce, and to
develop academic and institutional leaders in research and education.
Thirty of the new POWRE awardees are in engineering fields (about 18
percent). Women have been traditionally underrepresented in science and
engineering, especially in engineering, where women account for only nine
percent of the engineering workforce (in 1995). They also represent just
12 percent of the postsecondary engineering teachers. POWRE is one of
many NSF programs designed to provide educational and career opportunities
for women. [Bill Noxon]
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy have
signed an agreement on U.S. participation in research conducted with
the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC, being constructed at the CERN
high-energy physics lab near Geneva, Switzerland, is designed to collide
proton beams at the highest collision energies ever obtained, providing
a wealth of data on the smallest building blocks of the universe.
The memorandum of understanding signed December 13, 1999, at NSF establishes
mechanisms for managing the U.S. LHC program and defines the two agencies’ roles
in scientific and technical activities, including computing and physics
research.
NSF is contributing $81 million toward fabrication of the detectors.
In addition, NSF will provide support for research teams conducting experiments
and analyzing data. [Amber Jones] Top of Page
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