Brookhaven National Laboratory recently hosted a workshop on July 17-18, 2007 to provide the NSLS user community an opportunity to learn about the status and plans for NSLS-II, the medium-energy storage ring that is designed to provide x-rays with vastly improved brightness and flux compared to the current NSLS. The workshop featured presentations on the latest designs for NSLS-II, discussions concerning user access and beamline development, and an overview of the Joint Photon Sciences Institute. The program was highlighted by presentations from John Marburger, Science Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Pat Dehmer, Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences at the DOE. For details on the meeting and to view the complete program, go to https://www.bnl.gov/nsls2meeting.

With its activity and high-pressure synchrotron x-ray and infrared science, CDAC is playing a leading role in developing the NSLS-II facility, and important opportunities exist for DOE-NNSA projects in the area of Stewardship Science. NSLS-II, for which CDAC Director Russell Hemley serves on the Project Advisory Committee, is scheduled to come on line in 2012. A number of CDAC-affiliated scientists participated in discussions at the workshop, including representatives from all three NNSA Labs. As part of the proceedings, CDAC Advisory Committee member Chi-chang Kao (BNL, pictured at left) discussed plans for the transition from NSLS to NSLS-II. At a special breakout session on high pressure research, CDAC Associate Director Ho-Kwang Mao (Carnegie) presented an review of high pressure studies at the current generation of synchrotron facilities, and a perspective on new directions and capabilities in high-pressure research to be enabled by NSLS-II. Quentin Williams (UC Santa Cruz) presented an overview of infrared spectroscopic work at high pressure, and focused on the accomplishments of the CDAC synchrotron IR facility U2A. To download a copy of Mao's presentation, follow this link.