April 24, 2008

NSLS Sons, Daughters Become Materials Science Detectives

Scouring the experiment floor for clues, about 50 children of NSLS users and staff members took on the role of scientific detectives on April 24 as part of the national Take our Sons and Daughters to Work Day.

Participants in the NSLS Take our Sons and Daughters to Work Day

First, the group gathered in the NSLS seminar room for a brief safety talk and a science introduction by NSLS physicist Abdel Isakovic. Guiding the children through the basics of synchrotron science – from the importance of magnets to the concept of nanoscience – Isakovic explained how the NSLS is used to unveil the characteristics of both natural and manmade materials. The children played a word game during his talk, listening for flagged science-related terms such as “crystallography” and “acceleration.” As Isakovic said the key words and phrases, the children wrote them down on worksheets. They were later each given an NSLS highlighter for their efforts and encouraged to look up the words after their visit.

Next, the students were divided into eight groups, led by NSLS tour guides DJ Connor, Joe Dvorak, Lars Ehm, Ken Evans-Lutterodt, Meghan Ruppel, Randy Smith, Elio Vescovo, and Lin Yang. Each group was assigned a magnified model of a mystery compound, ranging from diamonds to carbon nanotubes. They then canvassed various beamlines, both VUV and x-ray, to uncover important clues about their material. By asking their guides and beamline staff about the toy model’s daily use, future potential, sensitivity, and the proper synchrotron technique to analyze it, the children determined which beamlines are best suited to study their material. The two teams who best answered the questions about their model received the grand prize – NSLS T-shirts and baseball caps.

In addition to Isakovic and the tour guides, numerous volunteers made this year’s event possible. They include: Mercy Baez, Gretchen Cisco, Liz Flynn, Corinne Messana, Eileen Morello, Kathy Nasta, and Nancye Wright.