As Chief Executive Officer and Science Director of the Elettra synchrotron light source and Head of ICTP's Synchrotron Radiation Theory Group, Massimo Altarelli hopes to bring the work of theorists and experimentalists closer together. Here's how.

Following the Light

Throughout his distinguished career, Massimo Altarelli has followed the light--that is, the bright light generated by synchrotron radiation facilities. His career path, often illuminated by this light, has led him to positions in the United States, Germany and France. This January, Altarelli brought his diverse talents to Trieste, where he hopes to advance the research agendas of both the ICTP and the Elettra synchrotron light source.

"I am Italian by birth and graduated from the University of Rome in 1969 with a degree in physics," explains Altarelli. "I spent an additional two years on a fellowship at the same university and then received a post-doc at the University of Rochester in the United States. After that, I was a faculty member in the department of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All together, I spent almost a decade in the United States during the early part of my career."

In 1980, Altarelli returned to Europe, first as a staff member of the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany, and then at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Grenoble, France, which is operated jointly by the French National Research Council (CNRS) and the Institute.

"In 1987, I was asked to become the Science Director for Physics at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, which was just starting up in Grenoble. I remained in that position for seven years and then stepped down to become the Head of Theoretical Physics, where I stayed from 1994 until last December."

That's when Altarelli decided to move again--this time to lead the Elettra synchrotron light source in Trieste, which is a research facility operated by a consortium headed by AREA Science Park and financed by the Italian government. He explains the decision in this way.

"The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is doing extremely well. The scientific productivity there is high, and from a personal point of view I could have glided into retirement without much effort."

"Elettra, on the other hand, presents more of a challenge because it is still in a developmental stage. In fact, only half of the beamlines have been built. That provides a unique opportunity to shape the facility's future research agenda."

"Moreover, my affiliation with the ICTP will enable me to pursue activities that join theory and experimentation and, at the same time, offer training opportunities for scientists from the developing world. For example, synchrotron facilities have been built in Brazil, China, and India, and one is planned for Thailand. Scientists in these countries will need proper training to take full advantage of this equipment. The ICTP, especially with its ties to Elettra, can play a leading role in this effort."

Elettra, which was completed in 1993, currently has 11 beamlines in operation. What makes it unique is the intense, coherent light generated by the electrons as they whirl through the facility's 280-metre tunnel at the speed of light, completing one million revolutions each second.

Some of the light is channelled into the beamlines that have been inserted into the main tunnel at select intervals, much like exit ramps on a highway. At the end of these 'light ramps' are the facility's 'research reststops'--where the scientific and data-collection equipment that enables scientists to conduct their investigations is located.

"Synchrotron radiation is a versatile research tool with important applications in physics, chemistry and biology," Altarelli explains. "For example, spectroscopy allows researchers to study the composition of high-temperature superconducting materials. Microscopy enables us to examine microscopic biological images. And crystallography reveals the intricate structure of proteins."

Many of the subject areas that provide fertile ground for experimentation at Elettra are also closely rooted to theoretical physics. That's why Altarelli is so optimistic about the prospects for collaboration between ICTP and Elettra.

"I plan to encourage people who have been awarded time on our beamlines to talk to ICTP's theoretical physicists. ICTP scientists could not only help Elettra's experimentalists look for factors they may otherwise ignore but could provide valuable assistance in their calculations. The latter is one of the strengths of the ICTP."

Altarelli recognises that several obstacles--some mundane, others more profound--stand in the way of success.

"Elettra and the Centre are some 10 kilometres apart. Difficult bus connections and heavy traffic mean that it takes about half an hour at minimum to get from one facility to the other. As a result, scientists interested in co-operative projects must make major expenditures in time. In addition, the distance between the facilities makes informal interactions at the coffee bar or lunch table less likely."

Altarelli acknowledges that "We won't be able to fix this problem completely but perhaps a regularly scheduled shuttle bus could ease the burden." At the same time, he hopes "to have ICTP post-docs working in the field spend at least one or two days a week at Elettra."

At a different level, Altarelli realises that when it comes to research, Elettra and ICTP scientists have led largely separate lives. As a result, drawing their work closer together will take some coaxing and encouragement. For this reason, Altarelli notes that he "plans to articulate a research agenda that is compatible with the interests of scientists in both institutions."

One subject area likely to receive careful consideration is strongly correlated electron systems. The field raises theoretical issues that have been of particular interest to researchers in ICTP's Condensed Matter Group. At the same time, it lends itself to experimental explorations in photoemission and X-ray scattering spectroscopies.

Magnetic systems represent another area where theory and experimentation are increasingly crossing paths. The laser-like quality of the Elettra light source also makes it ideal for the study of X-ray holograms that could be used to examine the internal structure of both chemical and biological materials.

In the immediate future, Altarelli hopes to build up his staff, which at full force he projects will total six people. He also will be busy helping to organise the upcoming VUV 13 Conference, which is scheduled to take place in 2001 in Trieste. The VUV Conference is now the world's flagship conference for researchers exploring vacuum ultraviolet radiation physics. The previous conference, held in the United States at the University of California at Berkeley, attracted more than 350 experts from around the globe. A similar number of participants are expected in Trieste.

Over the long term, Altarelli plans to continue to push Elettra to the forefront of synchrotron radiation experimentation and, with the help of ICTP, draw experimentalists and theorists closer together in the never-ending quest to gain a greater understanding of our physical, chemical and biological worlds.

"I have been very impressed with the quality of the research and administration at both institutions, and I plan to remain in Trieste until I retire--unless the people here kick me out before," Altarelli says with a wry smile.

The truth is that Altarelli's proven skills as a scientist, combined with his successful track record as an administrator, have convinced everyone associated with Trieste's research community that his tenure here will be both long and productive.

As for Altarelli, he will be doing what he has always done throughout his distinguished career: following the light--this time, the bright light generated by the Elettra synchrotron laboratory.

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