College Park, MD -- The American Physical Society (APS) will hold the largest physics meeting of the year, in Minneapolis, Minnesota March 20-24, 2000 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This meeting won't be as big as last year's colossal APS centennial celebration in Atlanta, but it will follow the tradition of featuring cutting-edge research which both promotes a deeper understanding of nature at the fundamental level, and fuels development of the high-tech electronic and medical products we have all come to depend upon.
Over 5000 speakers will present the latest results from condensed matter physics, materials physics, chemical physics, biological physics, fluid dynamics, polymer physics, and the industrial and applied physics. In addition a number of sessions will cover topics of broader interest, such as the status of women and minorities in physics, education, international physics, and pseudoscience.
WEBSITE AND ABSTRACTS
The quickest way to acclimate yourself to the meeting and to view hotel and travel information and all the abstracts is to go to this website: http://www.aps.org/meet/MAR00/ We will also develop a "virtual pressroom" where in coming weeks a schedule of press conferences and numerous lay-language summaries by selected speakers will be available.
PRESSROOM AND REGISTRATION
We will operate a pressroom at the meeting. Complimentary press registration will allow science writers to attend all scientific sessions. If you wish to come, please fill out and return the form at the end of this release.
---Pressroom location: Minneapolis Convention Center, room 203A
---Press conferences: room 203B
---Pressroom hours: Mon-Wed 8 AM to 5 PM, Thur 8 AM to noon.
---Pressroom phone numbers: 612-335-6735, 6736, 6737, 6738
---Pressroom fax number: 612-335-6739
Breakfast and lunch food will be available Mon-Wed, breakfast only on Thur.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING
A BILLION TELEPHONE CALLS IN YOUR PALM
In a recent speech, President Clinton extolled the value of nanotechnology and announced increased government funding in this area of research. A prominent part of nanotechnology, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are already prevalent in printers, airbag sensors, pressures sensors, and displays, but the best is yet to come: all-optical switches. David Bishop of Bell Labs will report on the status of development of a MEMS-based optical switch, a device that can fit in the palm of your hand, for routing a billion telephone calls. (Session A5, 8 AM Monday, March 20, 2000)
ACOUSTIC DETECTION OF PLASTIC LANDMINES
Michael Naughton of Boston College and Tau Sensors will report on other MEMS innovations, including the use of tiny silicon cantilevers in magnetometers with unprecedented sensitivity (greater even than SQUID's in these special regimes), and MEMS-based microphonics which will soon be able to detect buried non-metallic objects such as plastic landmines. Naughton will also present a historical perspective of MEMS-related devices in the offing, such as MEMS-based medical resonance imagine (MRI) and magneto-encephalography (MEG, magnetic brain scans), NEMS (nanometer-sized equivalents of MEMS), and quantum computing. (Session A5, Mar 20, 8 AM)
EARLY DETECTION OF CANCER
Exploiting state-of-the art tools in nanotechnology, laser science, and other areas of physics, researchers at session Y13 will present innovative methods for detecting early signs of cancer. Paul Gourley of Sandia and colleagues will present a sensitive nanodevice for screening large quantities of cells for cancer. Their tests on normal and cancerous cells show that only several hundred cellsequal to about a billionth of a literare needed to detect abnormal growths. Rajan Gurjar of MIT and colleagues will report on an optical technique for detecting the very first sign of cancer in epithelial tissue--the tissue that covers surfaces in the bodywhere most cancers occur. Arjun Yodh of the University of Pennsylvania will show how near-infrared light can reveal tumors noninvasively and without the use of ionizing radiation. Michael Martin of LBL and coworkers will discuss a technique for detecting changes in individual human cells exposed to low doses of chemicals and radiation. (Mar 24, 8 AM.)
BILL BRADLEY'S HEART
The human heart is a universe of its own, points out John Wikswo of Vanderbilt: its size scales range from its ten-centimeter diameter to the nanometer-wide openings through which ions enter and exit. The time scales range from the one second of a heart beat to the nanosecond changes in the shape of its protein channels. In what could provide significant clues to treating various cardiac disorders, physicists are extensively studying the patterns of electrical activity in healthy and diseased hearts. At session T13, Wikswo and others will present new insights into the electrophysical mechanisms of arrhythmia (variations in the normal rhythm of the heart) and fibrillation (irregular contractions in the heart muscles). Both conditions risk the health of many people, including Presidential candidate Bill Bradley, and such studies could lead to strategies for preventing these disorders. Franz Baudenbacher, also at Vanderbilt, will discuss high-resolution magnetic imaging of electric currents in cardiac tissue. (Session T13, Mar 23, 11 AM.)
THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE
Pseudoscience and superstition are rampant in our society, albeit frequently draped in the language and symbols of science, conclude the featured speakers at two sessions focusing on the foolish and occasionally fraudulent claims of the paranormal. Among them is Joel Achenbach from The Washington Post, who will describe his experiences visiting the set of the popular TV series "The X Files," and other ventures into paranormal territory. He will be joined by Michael Shermer of The Skeptics Society and Robert Park, APS director of public affairs and author of the forthcoming book Voodoo Science (Session G8, March 21). A second session will explore a broad range of controversial paranatural topics, such as "hauntings" and seances, the modern UFO craze, alternative medicine and other misuses of physics concepts, and the recent Kansas evolution controversy (Session M8, March 22, 11 AM).
MOLECULE-SCALE ELECTRONICS
Having recently developed reversible molecule-based switches, Mark Reed of Yale and colleagues will discuss the design of molecule-scale electronic circuits and memory devices. Paul Alivisatos of UC-Berkeley will describe how nanocrystals of semiconductor material have been incorporated into LEDs, transistors, and cell surfaces. C.P. Collier of UCLA will discuss the prospects for "Mol-RAM," molecular-scale random access memory devices that would retain information even after being shut off. (Session A14, Mar. 20, 8 AM) Surpiyo Datta of Purdue will discuss the origins of electrical resistance in a single molecule. (Session B14, Mar. 20, 11 AM) Cees Dekker of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands will explain how sturdy, versatile carbon nanotubes may become an important component of molecular electronics. (Session C14, Mar. 20, 2:30 PM)
DNA ELECTRONICS
DNA molecules code the architecture and function of cells in living organisms. But strands of DNA are also handy props for scientists and engineers to use in designing electronic products, including biosensors. DNA's ability to self assemble and to recognize sequences of base pairs are the important properties. DNA segments have been used as platforms for depositing tiny (10-20 nm wide) gold wires, as reported here by Erez Braun of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. DNA has also been used as a wire in its own right. Hans-Werner Fink of the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and Danny Porath of the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) will report on current-versus-voltage characteristics of DNA. Fink finds that linear DNA ropes are good conductors. Porath, working with short (10 nm) DNA molecules, will report on the unusual temperature-dependence and other features of conductivity in his tiny DNA samples (Session A4, March 20, 8 AM).
HOW SAND SCORPIONS LOCATE PREY AND HOW HUMANS BALANCE PENCILS
Decoding the electrical language of the nervous system is a major pursuit of biophysicists. Researchers at session Y3 will present intriguing advances in discovering and deciphering the neural signals that allow certain creatures to locate prey. For example, Philip Bromwell of Oregon State and Leo van Hemmen of Technical University-Munich will each discuss how sand scorpions use an array of 8 vibration-sensitive appendages to locate their quarry and precise chemical sensors for identifying prospective mates. John Hopfield of Princeton will give an overview of how living things exploit the peculiarities of nerve cells for efficient computation. (Mar 24, 8 AM.) Studying neural feedback mechanisms in humans, John Milton of the University of Chicago and colleagues will discuss the mean "survival time statistics" for balancing a pencil at the end of the finger. ( Paper I13.13, March 21, 5:18 PM)
FRICTION IN DISK DRIVES, HOURGLASSES, AND SANDCASTLES
Disk drive technology continues to zoom ahead. Every few months, consumers can buy higher-capacity drives at the same low price. But in just a few disk-drive generations, the recording head of a hard drive will be only a few nanometers from the disk surface, causing the head to contact the disk frequently. For that reason, frictional forces might soon dominate the performance of disk drives. C. Mathew Mate of IBM-Almaden will discuss the frictional properties of disk drives by making analogies to more familiar objects, such as hourglasses and sandcastles. He will discuss the atomic and molecular limits of materials currently used in the drives. Jing Gui of Seagate, a hard-disk manufacturer, will discuss how disk surfaces are now approaching atomic-level smoothness and how the thicknesses of the disk's protective overcoat and lubricant layers are now comparable to molecular dimensions. Stephen Didziulis of the Aerospace Corporation will describe "spacecraft tribology," which includes the challenge of keeping high-speed, 10,000-rpm wheels properly lubricated during the entire duration of a space mission. Miquel Salmeron of LBL will present nanoscale images of lubricant films on hard drives. (Session M5, Mar 22, 11 AM.)
SUPERCOMPUTING POWER IN EVERY LAB?
Today's powerful supercomputers can tackle problems completely intractable to scientists a century ago. What may break computational physics wide open in the 21st century are the dramatic advances that have occurred just in the past year with PC clusters -- conventional, mass-produced personal computers hooked together in the dozens or even thousands to run almost as fast as a supercomputer for a fraction of the cost. Steven Gottlieb of Indiana University uses a popular PC cluster system known as Beowulf to run a computationally intensive physics simulation for $10-30 per megaflop (millions of floating point operations per second), as opposed to $150 or more per megaflop in a traditional supercomputer. With Linux and Windows NT, Konstantinos Orginos of the University of Arizona can run what was once the exclusive province of traditional supercomputers -- simulations of quantum chromodynamics, the theory of the strong force which holds together the nucleus. Other presenters at session K6 will discuss astrophysics and condensed matter simulations that can be run on PC clusters. What makes PC clusters possible to compete with supercomputers in large part is new technology that enables PCs to communicate with each other at speeds as high as gigabits per second -- much faster than previously possible. According to Beowulf pioneer Thomas Sterling of Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "the technology is advancing so rapidly that information just a year old is largely out of date." (Mar 22, 8 AM.)
PROTEIN QUAKES
Not only do proteins perform essentially every conceivable function in the human body; they are also a Rosetta stone of biology, ideal for providing insights into the physics of living things. Hans Frauenfelder, now at Los Alamos, will describe protein quakes, the often violent transformations in the structure of a protein hit by a laser pulse or another disturbance. These quakes, which can last from femtoseconds to seconds, can reveal information on a protein's architecture and purpose. Myoglobin, a muscle protein considered to be the "hydrogen atom" of biology, may be a miniature reaction chamber, for example. Frauenfelder will speak at a session entitled "What Physics Can Do for Biology and What Biology Can Do for Physics." Other speakers include Albert Libchaber of Rockefeller University, who will describe techniques for controlling gene expression on an artificial substrate containing DNA. Steven Chu of Stanford, who shared the 1997 Nobel Prize for atomic and optical physics research but is making similar inroads into biophysics, will discuss the latest measurements on single molecules that were once only possible with large ensembles of molecules. (Session E3, Mar 21, 8 AM.)
MAGNETIC FIELDS, LARGE AND SMALL
Stephen J. Gibbs of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida will report on MRI studies carried out in gigantic magnetic fields of 14 Tesla (140,000 gauss); better than 20-micron spatial resolution was achieved for isolated neurons and in isolated mammalian skin tissue. W. Gilbert Clark of UCLA will discuss use of fields up to 30 T and plans for 45-T experiments (Session B32, March 20, 11 AM). At the other magnetic extreme, researchers can work with very small magnetic fields, sometimes in magnetic films and in other components for computer memories and read heads. Here the magnetic domains can be as small as tens of nanometers in size, and be expected to switch states at GHz rates (Session T4, Mar 24, 11 AM).
CLIMATE CONTROL FOR WOMEN
Fostering a warm and welcoming atmosphere for women scientists in industry is the focus of Sue Chang, a researcher at Xerox's Wilson Center for Research and Technology, who is a featured speaker at a session sponsored by the APS Committee on the Status of Women in Physics. Chang will outline successful climate strategies employed by Xerox to improve the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in its workforce. Since 1991, the number of women hired and promoted at Xerox has been steadily increasing, and the company was cited three times by major professional women's magazines as a top company for working women in 1998. (Session I3, Mar 21, 2:30 PM.)
PHOTONIC CRYSTALS AROUND THE BEND
Since nothing travels faster than light it will be desirable to replace electrons with photons in some microcircuitry. In this regard photonic crystals (sometimes called photonic bandgap materials because, analogously to electrons in semiconductors, they exclude or channel photons in certain energy ranges) will be an important component for steering light beams around sharp corners; light can now be made to turn a right angle in a space of no more than 100x100 microns. Generally the architecture of photonic crystals has been criss-crossing layers or rods of material with air in between, and the goal has been to develop materials effective at shorter wavelengths, such as the micron regime, important for telecommunications. Susumu Noda of Kyoto University will report on a material with the shortest wavelength (1.1 to 1.3 microns) and the largest bandgap effect (maximum exclusion of light over a 18 decibel range) yet achieved for a fully-three-dimensional photonic crystal. (Session C2, 2:30 PM, March 20)
ADVANCES IN MRI
Kamil Ugurbil of the University of Minnesota will present new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for very high-resolution brain imaging. John Schenck of GE will discuss MRI and other possible uses of magnetism in medicine, such as using magnetic forces to guide surgical instruments. (Session C3, Mar 20, 2:30 PM) At session V5 (Mar. 23, 2:30 PM), Derek Seeber of Ohio State will report on efforts to achieve MRI with enough spatial resolution (about 1 micron) to image biological cells (typically about 10 microns). MRI of single cells could provide improved detection of rejected organ transplants and potentially even monitor how the body's killer T cells attach to tumors. MRI of single cells has been achieved before, but by injecting cells with iron-oxide particles detected by a 50-micron-resolution MRI scanner.
BULLISH ON WALL STREET
Over the last decade, the number of PhD physicists employed in the financial community has increased dramatically. Once considered something of an anomaly, physicists have become a critical element in successful investment strategies. Wall Street provides a real-life laboratory for exploring complex nonlinear systems, and as a result, today the field of "econophysics" has moved beyond the fringe into the research mainstream. Speakers at a Wednesday afternoon session will describe a broad range of recent research centered on econophysics: critical phenomena in economics, the growth of complex organizations, the application of random matrix theory to economics, and elements for developing a theory of financial risk. (Session P5, Mar 22, 2:30 PM.)
MYSTERIES OF INSECT FLIGHT
Although we have built airplanes and other artificial flying machines for nearly 100 years, it is still a major challenge to explain satisfactorily insect flight. In fact, there is a saying, "Bumblebees cannot fly according to conventional aerodynamics." That's because insects fly through air, a fluid whose behavior can be very subtle and complex. Presenting state-of-the-art computer simulations, Jane Wang of Cornell will explain the existence of a preferred wing-flapping frequency in forward flight, and new insights into the vortexes created by hovering dragonflies. (Paper C5.02, March 20, 3:06 PM)
PHYSICS AND THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW
Although most physics research takes place far from the courtroom, physics principles nevertheless are critical to settling numerous legal controversies, such as lawsuits claiming that cellular phones and electromagnetic fields cause cancer. Susan Poulter of the University of Utah will discuss the impact of recent science-based decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, which attempt to set standards for screening expert testimony on scientific topics to help trial judges distinguish good science from bad. Also speaking will be Aaron Manka of the National Science Foundation on how his agency handles allegations of scientific misconduct, and the University of Chicago's Mary Ellen Sheridan will discuss the impact of new Freedom of Information Act requirements on academic researchers. Former APS Treasurer Harry Lustig (University of New Mexico) will close the session with a summary of the Society's 10-year involvement in a lawsuit with scientific publisher Gordon and Breach. (Session E5, Mar 21, 8 AM.)
Jennifer Ouelette of APS News contributed to the preparation of this press release.