Dr. Geoff Greene joined the physics faculty on May 1, bringing with him a distinguished record in studying those subatomic marvels: neutrons. He comes to UT from Los Alamos National Laboratory where he served most recently as Deputy Division Director at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). His previous work has taken him to neutron sources all over the world, from France to England to the National Institute for Standards and Technology in Maryland. “Wherever the neutrons are, that’s where I’ll go,” he said. Neutron science has become an increasingly important research area for both UT and the region with the construction of the Spallation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge. That was a large part of what inspired Dr. Greene to leave Los Alamos for Knoxville. “I’ve been working in this field for more than 25 years,” he said, and “it’s been very clear that for the next couple of decades the SNS is the best place to do this. “Clearly, we have the opportunity to become world leaders in the field of neutron science.” Dr. Greene’s particular area of expertise is fundamental neutron physics. “Our interest is in precise measurements of neutron properties and interactions,” he explained. Discovered in 1932, the neutron has proven itself a valuable tool to study matter. By using an accelerator beam to knock these neutral particles free from the nucleus of an atom, scientists can track how many neutrons scatter, how much energy they have, and where they end up, thereby shedding some light on the target material’s structure and properties. Understanding the neutron itself can answer questions about beta decay, test basic theories of high-energy physics, and illuminate models in cosmology such as the Big Bang or the universe’s preference for left over right. Part of Dr. Geene’s job is building a program in fundamental neutron physics at Oak Ridge and the SNS provides the perfect backdrop for recruiting new personnel to join the team. “I hope over the next five years to make a number of hires in this field,” he said, particularly junior faculty and post-docs. He is also the Director of the SNS Fundamental Physics Instrument Development Team, which is online to use one of the initial beam lines when the neutron source becomes operational. “Our hope is that when the first neutron comes down the pike, we’ll be there to see it,” he said. At present there are 60 people from 20 institutions on his team and, he said, “we expect that number to grow.” Eventually, he explained, the SNS will have the capability for 20 beamlines and when fully operational, should have 1,000 to 2,000 visitors to year. Although the SNS isn’t scheduled to be up and running until 2006, there’s plenty of work for Dr. Greene’s group in the interim. They’ll be developing experiments at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in Oak Ridge, as well as at LANSCE and other neutron sources. That way they’ll be ready when their beam time becomes available in Oak Ridge. Dr. Greene himself will also be busy with new responsibilities as a professor of physics at UT, part of his joint faculty appointment between the University and ORNL. He will be teaching Electricity and Magnetism for engineers during the fall term. He’s no rookie in the classroom, however, having taught at Yale University for three years before moving into research positions at the National Bureau of Standards and later, LANL. He will also add students to his research team. 
“There will be opportunities for undergraduates and graduate students,” he said. “There will be some activity on campus,” but “the actual experiments will be done at the SNS.”
He explained that many students in the U.S. have little experience in neutron science simply because they have lacked access to facilities. The SNS will change that, allowing him and other scientists to train a new generation of researchers in the field.
Students will also benefit from his long-standing collaborations and on-going work with other scientists at neutron sources including the NIST Center for Neutron Research and the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in France.
“I’m extremely enthusiastic about getting back into teaching and research,” he said.
Anyone interested in working with Dr. Greene should contact him at greenegl@ornl.gov.
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