Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771  

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM 

Monday, May 12, 2003 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Erik D. Johnson

ABSTRACT -- Synchrotron sources have come a long way in a very short time. The theory describing the synchrotron radiation produced by acceleration of charge was virtually all worked out as early as 1908, although the observation of 'first light' in the United States had to wait until 1947. As an energy loss mechanism in accelerators, synchrotron radiation was viewed as an obstacle to particle and nuclear physicists. However, when the unique properties of synchrotron radiation became better appreciated, science based on its utilization blossomed, particularly through the 70's and 80's. The US Department of Energy alone now operates four major synchrotron facilities which last year hosted over 7000 users, supporting a staggering array of scientific endeavors. Scarcely a field escapes the influence of synchrotron based tools from Astrophysics to Zoology ranging from fundamental science to industrial manufacturing. This lecture outlines some of the history of these unique tools as well as a sampling of the contemporary science they enable and offers a view of the next generation of sources and the science they may portend.

SPEAKER -- Erik Johnson has enjoyed a varied career at the Brookhaven National Laboratories National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), starting with a 'temporary' Postdoctoral in 1985 focusing on surface chemistry through a series of scientific staff appointments in the beamline group. There he developed a number of instruments that shifted his work more into the machines themselves, leading to his role as the project manager for the construction of the BNL Deep Ultra Violet Free Electron Laser. He served as head of the Experimental Systems Group from 1998 to 2001 when he became the NSLS Associate Chair for Operations and Engineering.