The biggest change in the Macdonald Laboratory AMOP program this year is the launching of a new research effort in ultra-short pulse, ultra-intense laser physics. The science is based on the interaction of matter with short pulses in the range of 10-100 fs with intensities in the range of 10¹⁵ to 10¹⁸ W/cm². The program is off to a very fast start with the hiring of Associate Professor Zenghu Chang, who arrived in August 2001. He was formerly at the University of Michigan. The new Kansas State Light Source Facility has been constructed in the completely refurbished tandem long room. The system operates in the range given above with a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz. It is anticipated that the system will be in full operation in January 2002.

Dr. Bing Shan, research associate, also from Michigan is assisting Prof. Chang in the installation and testing of the system. The laser system will be used to study high harmonic generation, ionization mechanisms at high laser power as well as to study laser-ion/atom/molecule interactions using the KSU COLTRIMS apparatus. Open house ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held on Nov 15 (physics department session) and Nov. 16 (public session). Photos and information can be found at our website http://jrm.phys.ksu.edu/lasers.html.

Dr. Xavier Flechard has returned to GANIL in Caen, France in a permanent staff position upon finishing a research associateship at Kansas State University. Dr. Richard Bredy, also from France, has replaced him. Their research in the JRML is in Prof. Brett Depaola's group and concentrates on ultra-high resolution electron capture using a Magneto-Optical Trap to cool a target to the milliKelvin range. A description of this system can also be found on the JRML website.

Dr. Thomas Ehrenreich (Brett DePaola, major professor) and Dr. Ridvan Unal ( Pat Richard, major professor) received their Ph.D. degrees during ceremonies in December. Thomas has accepted a position at the University of Connecticut and Ridvan has returned to Turkey where he has accepted a position at Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey.

Dr. Manolis Benis accepted a research associateship in the JRML in August after having received his Ph.D. degree in May at the University of Crete. Manolis completed the greater part of his Ph.D. research in the JRML. He was Professor Theo Zouros' student.

Dr. Dag Hathiramani has joined the research program of Professor Itzik Ben-Itzak. Dag comes to us from our friends at the University of Giessen (KSU sister university), Germany.

Also new: Dr. Himadri Chakraborty has joined the theory group of Professor Uwe Thumm; Dr. Chien-Nan Liu, Dr. Tingyun Shi, Dr. Xiao Tong, and Dr. Thu Ahn Le have joined the theory group of Professor C. D. Lin; and Dr. Wei Guo has joined the theory group of Professor Brett Esry.

Research grant activity: The DOE review panel for the JRML has acted and we did receive a three-year renewal of our DOE operating grant ($2,350,000/yr for 3 years). This year, one umbrella grant covers all of the research in JRML, i.e. experiment and theory and includes the research of Prof. Brett Esry for the first time.