January and February Historical Events in Chemistry by Leopold May, Department of Chemistry, Catholic University
Invitation
to the Maryland Section ACS Picnic
Happy New Year!
I hope that everyone had a pleasant holiday and ushered in the New Year in grand style. Some good news on a number of fronts:
1) Due to some fortunate timing, Dr. A.J. "Gus" Caffrey from the U.S. DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory will be in the Washington area on Thursday, January 27, 2000. He has agreed to speak at the chapter's meeting that evening. His area of expertise is using spectroscopy – specifically neutron spectroscopy – for the identification of elements without the need for direct sampling. This is especially useful when one needs to identify the contents of potentially hazardous materials contained in a sealed container, package, vessel, drum, artillery shell, etc.
2) We have a tour speaker this year! Dr. Ed Yeung of Iowa State/Ames Lab will speak this spring to the Baltimore/Washington Section. His topic has been narrowed down to either A) Single Molecule Imaging: From Interrogating Interfaces to Diagnosing Disease; or B) Following the Dynamics of Single Biological Cells. Stay tuned - specific information will be announced soon along with our other annual event – Student Night!
Looking forward to seeing a continuation of the excellent attendance that we've had in conjunction with the recent meetings.
Sincerely, Larry Pollack
Chairman, Baltimore-Washington Section, SAS Society for Applied Spectroscopy
Meeting Announcement - Thursday, January 27, 2000
Portable Isotopic Neutron Spectroscopy (PINS) Chemical Assay System
Speaker: A. J. Caffrey, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Lababoratory
Biographical Sketch: Dr. A.J. Caffrey is an experimental nuclear physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Lab (INEEL). He has worked at INEEL for 20 years on a variety of basic and applied physics projects. His interests include gamma-ray spectroscopy, the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, and downhill skiing. Alas, he has been a lifetime Boston Red Sox fan.
Abstract: The Portable Isotopic Neutron Spectroscopy (PINS) Chemical Assay System is a field non-destructive evaluation tool that identifies the contents of munitions and chemical storage containers safely and reliably. PINS was initially developed by the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for arms-control treaty monitoring, and PINS has seen wide application for the identification of field-recovered projectiles and munitions that have lost their identification markings. As an example, the U.S. Army employs PINS routinely to identify World War I era munitions as they are unearthed in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Washington, D.C. PINS employs neutrons from a small radioisotopic source as probes of an item’s fill. All hazardous chemicals are, of course, composed of one or more chemical elements. When a chemical element's nucleus inelastically scatters or captures a free neutron, it emits gamma rays that are unique to that element much like a signature or fingerprint is unique to an individual. By analysis of the resulting gamma-ray energy spectrum, the PINS identifies the presence and measures the relative concentration of the chemical elements within a munition. From this spectroscopic data, the chemical fill of the item under test can be inferred, without opening a sealed vessel, drilling a casing, or handling potentially lethal materials, e.g. nerve agent sarin, contained within.
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2000
Place: Phineas – Serving Rockville for over 25 years! 1580 Rockville Pike (on the "Pike" across from Congressional Shopping Center) Rockville, Maryland (301) 770-5025
Time: 6 pm Social Hour (cash bar), 7 pm Dinner, 8 pm Seminar
Cost: $20 ($12 students) Menu: 1) Hibachi Chicken (herb marinated boneless chicken breast, redskin potatoes, and vegetables), 2) 10 Ounce Roast Prime Rib of Beef, Yorkshire popover, and redskin potatoes, 3) Baked Stuff Shrimp (stuffed with a seasoned shrimp and crabmeat stuffing and topped with "Imperial" sauce), served with rice pilaf, or 4) Fresh Fish of the Day, served with mixed vegetables and rice pilaf. Included with each entrée is the Famous Phineas salad bar, dessert (choice of ice cream, sherbet, or cheesecake), and a non-alcoholic beverage (e.g., soda, coffee/tea).
PLEASE INDICATE MENU CHOICE WHEN LEAVING YOUR RESERVATION
Reservations: Please make your reservations by NOON, Tuesday, January 25, 2000 by calling Larry Pollack at work (703) 810-4351 or at home (703) 256-6769. IF YOU RESPOND VIA e-MAIL, FOR THIS MEETING PLEASE SEND ELECTRONIC RSVP's TO: john.s.canham.1@gsfc.nasa.gov.
Directions: From I-270, take the Montrose Road exit, EAST. Travel east on Montrose Road approximately 2-3 miles. Turn LEFT at Rockville Pike (Route 355, North). Travel approximately 1 mile. Restaurant will be on right side of Rockville Pike, directly across from Congressional Shopping Center.
Click
map for large (145k) version or go to YAHOO
MAPS.
Highlights from the December SAS Meeting
Despite competition from a wild holiday party next door, Dr. Etz persevered and gave an interesting talk on the use of Raman microprobe spectroscopy in a wide variety of applications. Here are a few photos of the attendees and the speaker. It was really great to see Tom Kirkendall at the meeting. Tom, a former section chairperson, is retired from COMSAT. The loyal contingent from USDA Beltsville was there as well!
Your Baltimore-Washington Section Officers for 1999-2000:
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