2005 Annual Report Summer Research Institute Interfacial and Condensed Phase Chemical Physics

Abstract

iii Executive SummaryThe Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) hosted its third annual Summer Research Institute in Interfacial and Condensed Phase Chemical Physics from May through September 2006. During this period, twenty PNNL scientists hosted twentyseven scientists from twenty-five different universities. Of the twenty-seven participants, one was a graduating senior; twenty-one were graduate students; one was a postdoctoral fellow; and four were university faculty members. PNNL-16185iv PNNL-16185 v We also acknowledge Ms. Rebecca J. Janosky of PNNL¹s Science and Engineering Education Office. She handled a myriad of details associated with appointments, including awards, agreements and disbursements, while dealing with a major reorganization. We also wish to acknowledge Ms. Carol A. Elledge, Publications Design Group, Ms. Cori C. Blake, Web Ops, Mr. Mark D. Bayless, Rich Interaction Environments, and Ms. Rose M. Watt, Graph and Multimedia Design Group, respectively, for their expertise and timeliness in creating and developing the institute¹s website, application website and finalizing the institute¹s brochure. Mr. David Spiel provided expert photography support.Special and belated acknowledgement is owed to my wife, Mrs. Janice Barlow. She initiated the Summer Institute barbeques that have become something of a tradition. Each year we have hosted, and deeply enjoyed two of these get-togethers at our home.This year we inaugurated a collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), discussed below. However here we need to acknowledge the roles of Dr. Katherine Covet of the NSF and Dr. Allison A. Campbell and Ms. Terry J. Law of EMSL in making this happen.Finally, we wish to acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy¹s Office of Basic Energy Sciences from whom we received the guidance to initiate the Summer Research Institute in Interfacial and Condensed Phase Chemical Physics and from whom support was ultimately derived.The real stars of the Interfacial and Condensed Phase Chemical Physics Research Institute were our participants. The remainder of this document is largely devoted to them. 1 identified an Office of Basic Energy Science (BES) Mission Stretch Goal: "To establish PNNL in a national leadership role in the area of theoretical and experimental condensed phase and interfacial chemical physics research." Successful achievement of a national leadership role will be evidenced by: "Establishment of a summer school (at least two weeks in duration) to educate graduate students and young scientists in state-of-the-art theory, simulation, and experimental measurement, with a total attendance of at east 60 over the contract period."Interfacial and Condensed Phase Chemical Physics is not so much a field of study as it is a cross cutting concept. Important issues exist in nearly every scientific discipline from Astronomy to Zoology that fall with the purview of this concept. Likewise all of the technology and engineering of the modern world and hopes for future development depend to one deg...