(Blacksburg, Va., June 20, 2001) -- Virginia Tech physics graduate student Mark Makela was selected by ORAU to attend the annual meeting of the Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany, where he will get a chance to talk about his development of a new specialized coating for storage of neutrons, a fundamental subatomic particle.

            Nobel Laureates in chemistry, physics, physiology, and medicine have convened in Lindau on an alternating basis for one week each summer since 1951 for open meetings with promising science students and young researchers. This seminar provides top science students from around the world a unique opportunity to spend time with key figures in the scientific community as well as meet students from other parts of the world with similar or complementary scientific interests.

            Makela, a Ph.D. student in physics, is one of eight doctoral students selected by ORAU to meet with the Nobel Laureates.  He was selected for his work in nuclear physics on the Ultra Cold Neutron 'A' Correlation (UCNA) experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).   The UCNA experiment takes a high precision look at neutron beta decay asymmetries; the values of these asymmetries are used to test the current fundamental models of physics.  

Makela explains, "Theoretical physicists predict that polarized neutrons decay asymmetrically -- more electrons are emitted one direction than the other. Our experiment will give the most precise measurement of this asymmetry to date; which can be used to guide theorists to a better model of our physical world"

This experiment uses neutrons which are cooled to near absolute zero (Ultra Cold Neutrons) and then polarized in a very strong magnetic field. The particles are polarized when their spins are aligned, like compasses in the earth's magnetic field. "At these low temperatures, neutrons can be contained in bottles, bouncing around like superballs until they decay – each becoming a proton, electron, and anti-neutrino," explains Makela.  "This experiment detects the electron emitted from the decaying neutron and logs its direction and energy." 

Makela's main contribution to this experiment is the development of diamond like carbon coated guides which will transport the polarized UCN through the experiment.  The guides have been developed at Virginia Tech using a wide range of the campus’ available resources. Makela's UCN guides are quartz tubes with an amorphous carbon film deposited on the inside using a pulsed laser system developed at Virginia Tech.  "Films made with this process are as dense as diamond and extremely smooth, with roughness of less than a nanometer," he explains.

His films appear to be the best non-metallic neutron reflectors in the world.  Makela will be presenting work done on these films at several European laboratories this year, where they are being considered for use in other UCN experiments.

            Makela's research is part of the UCN project at LANL, which is sponsored by the Department of Energy.  The Virginia Tech part of this project is funded by the National Science Foundation.

            "I would like to thank my adviser, Dr. (Bruce) Vogelaar for nominating me for this award and taking me as a graduate  student," say's Makela.  " I would also like to thank Dr. (Robert) Hendricks and Dr. (Carlos) Suchicital of MiCroN and the materials science and engieering department for letting me use their laser system and for their help in making this project possible and Dr. (Gary) Pickrell for his technical input".

            Makela is from Cashmere, Washington. He received a B.S. in physics and B.A. in math in 1988 from Central Washington University (CWU), where he also met Diane Vaughan, now his wife and a recent Virginia Tech graduate with a doctorate in Industrial and Systems Engineering having received a Torgersen Award from her Ph.D. dissertation. The couple have a four-year-old son, Andrew James (A.J.) Makela. They have been at Virginia Tech since 1997.  Prior to 1997 Makela worked as a technician  for CWU and Hewlett Packard.

            Last year was the first year the United States participated in the Nobel Laureate Travel Grant Awards. ORAU managed the program for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), who funded participation by 30 students. "We liked it so well, we funded an additional eight students this year," says ORAU president Ron Townsend. The students will meet in classes with the laureates in the morning and one-on-one in the afternoon. It is a first-class international event."

            Jennifer Raaf, who received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in physics in 1997, will also travel to Lindau, having been selected for the honor by the Department of Energy. She is currently working on the MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab.  This experiment will search for neutrino oscillations, she explains. "If oscillations are seen, that means neutrinos have mass, which could possibly account for the missing matter in the universe. "

            With the sponsorship of LabBook Inc., Alberto de la Fuente will also meet with the Nobel Laureates in Germany. De la Fuente,  a PhD student in the Free University of Amsterdam, is doing research at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech under the supervision of Pedro Mendes, research assistant professor. De la Fuente’s research on the subject of "Metabolic Control of Hierarchical Systems and Dynamics of Genetic and Metabolic Networks." LabBook CEO Shawn Green asked specifically that a student be chosen from Virginia Tech.

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