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Image from BNL
Lab celebrates a year of scientific successes, from creating the biggest bits of antimatter to improving qubits, catalysts, batteries, and more!

With one-of-a-kind research facilities leveraged by scientists from across the nation and around the world, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory is a veritable city of science. Each year brings discoveries, from the scale of subatomic particles to the vastness of Earth’s atmosphere and the cosmos, that have the potential to power new technologies and provide solutions to major societal challenges. Here, the Lab presents, in no particular order, its top 10 discoveries of 2024 … plus a few major Brookhaven Lab milestones.

Heaviest antimatter nucleus

Antimatterenlarge

Antimatter sounds exotic, but it really does exist — just not for long. This year, scientists studying collisions of atomic nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) — an “atom smasher” that recreates the conditions of the early universe — discovered the heaviest antimatter nucleus ever detected. It’s composed of four antimatter particles: an antiproton, two antineutrons, and a particle called an antihyperon. It lasts only a fraction of a second before decaying into other particles. To find it, physicists from RHIC’s STAR collaboration searched through particles streaming from billions of collisions to find just 16 of the rare “antihyperhydrogen-4” particles. There used to be lots of antimatter, back when the universe first formed, but when antimatter meets ordinary matter, the two self-destruct. The ability to create new antimatter particles today, like these heavy antimatter nuclei, gives scientists new ways to test for matter-antimatter differences that might explain why the universe is made only of matter.

Low-temp, direct conversion of natural gas to liquid fuel

Catalystenlarge

Brookhaven Lab chemists engineered a highly selective catalyst that can convert methane, a major component of natural gas, into methanol, an easily transportable liquid fuel, in a single, one-step reaction. This direct process for methane-to-methanol conversion runs at a temperature lower than required to make tea and exclusively produces methanol without additional byproducts. That’s a big advance over more complex traditional conversions that typically require three separate reactions, each under different conditions, including vastly higher temperatures. The simplicity of the system could make it particularly useful for tapping “stranded” natural gas reserves in isolated rural areas, far from the costly infrastructure of pipelines and chemical refineries, and without the need to transport high-pressure, flammable liquified natural gas. The team made use of tools at two DOE Office of Science user facilities at Brookhaven Lab, the Center for Functional Nanomaterials and the National Synchrotron Light Source II. They are exploring ways to work with entrepreneurial partners to bring the technology to market.

Plants’ sugar-sensing machinery

Proteins

Proteins are molecular machines, with flexible pieces and moving parts. Understanding how these parts move helps scientists unravel the function that a protein plays in living things — and potentially how to change its effects. This year, a team led by Brookhaven Lab biochemists working with colleagues from DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discovered how protein machinery in plants controls whether the plants can grow and make energy-intensive products such as oil — or instead put in place a series of steps to conserve precious resources. The researchers showed how the molecular machinery is regulated by a molecule that rises and falls with the level of sugar, the product of photosynthesis and plants’ main energy source. The research could help identify proteins or parts of proteins that scientists could engineer to make plants that produce more oil for use as biofuels or other oil-based products.

Protecting a promising qubit material

Superconductivity Transitionenlarge

Tantalum is a superconducting material that shows great promise for building qubits, the basis of quantum computers. This year, a team that spans multiple Brookhaven departments discovered that adding a thin layer of magnesium improves tantalum by keeping it from oxidizing. The coating also improves tantalum’s purity and raises the temperature at which it operates as a superconductor. All three effects may increase tantalum’s ability to hold onto quantum information in qubits. This work was carried out as part of the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage, a Brookhaven-led National Quantum Information Science Research Center, and included scientists from the Lab’s Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science Department, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, and National Synchrotron Light Source II, as well as theorists at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. It built on earlier work that also included scientists from Princeton University.

Where cloud droplets are born

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A team led by Brookhaven Lab atmospheric scientists made the first-ever remote-sensing observations of the cloud-droplet “birth zone” at the base of clouds, where aerosol particles suspended in Earth’s atmosphere give rise to the droplets that ultimately form clouds. The number of droplets formed in this transition zone will affect a cloud’s later stages and properties, including their reflection of sunlight and the likelihood of precipitation. The research was made possible by a high-resolution LIDAR system that sends laser beams into the atmosphere and measures the signals of backscattered light with a resolution of 10 centimeters. This tool, developed by the Brookhaven scientists in collaboration with colleagues from the Stevens Institute of Technology and Raymetrics S.A., will enhance scientists’ understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions and help them gain insight into how changes in atmospheric aerosol levels could affect clouds and climate — without having to fly up into the clouds.

Hacking DNA to make next-gen materials

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Scientists at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) are experts at using DNA as a tool for “programming” molecules to self-assemble into 3D nanostructures. By directing molecular and nanoscale building blocks toward specific arrangements they’ve designed, the researchers create novel, functional materials that exhibit desirable properties like electrical conductivity, photosensitivity, and chemical activity. This year, a team of researchers from CFN, Columbia University, and Stony Brook University significantly improved this process and expanded its applications. By stacking several material synthesis techniques, the team developed a new method of DNA-directed self-assembly that enables the production of a wide variety of metallic and semiconductor 3D nanostructures — the potential base materials for next-generation semiconductor devices, neuromorphic computing, and advanced energy applications. It is the first method of its kind to produce robust and designed 3D nanostructures from multiple material classes, setting the stage for new breakthroughs in advanced manufacturing at small scales.

Scientists calculate predictions for EIC measurements

Factorizationenlarge

Nuclear theorists used supercomputer calculations to accurately predict the distribution of electric charges in mesons, particles made of a quark and an antiquark. These predictions will provide a basis for comparison in future experiments at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a facility that, among other goals, will explore how quarks, and the gluons that hold them together, are distributed within mesons, protons, and neutrons. The calculations also helped validate “factorization,” a widely used approach for deciphering particle properties. This approach breaks complex physical processes into two components, or factors, and will enable many more EIC predictions and more confident interpretations of experimental results. Calculations like these will help EIC scientists unravel how the fundamental building blocks that make up atoms stick together.

Atomic ‘GPS’ uncovers hidden material phase

schematic shows how the absorption of a laser photon initiates a small change that propagates throug

Brookhaven scientists created the first-ever atomic movies showing how atoms rearrange locally within a quantum material as it transitions from an insulator to a metal. Their research marked a methodological achievement, as they demonstrated that a materials characterization technique called atomic pair distribution function (PDF) is feasible — and successful — at X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facilities. PDF is typically used to observe materials that change over minutes to hours at synchrotron light sources, but the bright and short X-ray pulses produced by an XFEL facility enabled the capture of atomic movement on a picosecond time scale. With the new ultrafast PDF technique, which provides atomic routes like a navigation app, the researchers discovered a “hidden” material state, providing new insight into what really happens when certain quantum materials are excited by a laser.

Chemists engineer surprising battery chemistry

Research wearing purple gloves adjusts equipmentenlarge

Lithium-metal batteries, which have lithium metal anodes, can store more than twice the energy of lithium-ion batteries with graphite anodes. Yet most battery-operated devices are still powered by lithium-ion batteries. This year, Brookhaven chemists made significant contributions to DOE’s lithium-metal battery efforts by adding a compound called cesium nitrateto the electrolyte separating the battery’s anode and cathode. Their addition ultimately targeted the interphase, a protective layer formed on the battery’s electrodes and closely linked to the number of times a battery can be charged and discharged. The cesium nitrate additive made the batteries recharge faster while maintaining cycle life. However, closer analysis with tools at the National Synchrotron Light Source II and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials revealed two surprises: an unexpected interphase component and the absence of one previously considered essential for good battery performance. Though these findings challenge conventional battery beliefs, they create new opportunities for battery engineering.

X-rays unlock structure and function in cells

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Every plant, animal, and person is a complex microcosm of tiny, specialized cells. These cells are like their own worlds, each with unique parts and processes that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Being able to see the inner workings of these microscopic building blocks at nanometer resolution without harming their delicate parts has been a challenge. But this year, Brookhaven Lab biologists and scientists at the National Synchrotron Light Source II used a combination of X-ray methods to see inside cells in a whole new way. By using both hard X-ray computed tomography and X-ray fluorescence microscopy, they can reveal not just the structural details but also the chemical processes inside cells. This multimodal X-ray imaging approach could have significant implications in fields such as medicine, bioenergy, agriculture, and other important areas.

Other major milestones Brookhaven Lab celebrated this year

Milestonesenlarge

Electron-Ion Collider begins procurements

DOE gave the go-ahead for the purchase of “long-lead” equipment, services, and/or materials needed to build a state-of-the-art Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). This nuclear physics facility will be built at Brookhaven in partnership with DOE’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and a wide range of other partners to explore the inner workings of the building blocks of matter and the strongest force in nature. Purchasing materials and equipment needed for sophisticated components for the EIC accelerator, detector, and supporting infrastructure ensures that the team will be ready when construction begins. It’s an important step toward the ultimate goal of efficiently delivering one of the most challenging and exciting accelerator complexes ever built by the mid 2030s.

Scientific data storage record

The Lab’s Scientific Data and Computing Center now stores more than 300 petabytes of data — the largest compilation of nuclear and particle physics data in the U.S. For comparison, that’s far more data than would be needed to represent everything written in human history plus all the movies ever created. The cache comes from experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, located at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Thanks to a combination of relatively economical tape storage and a robot-driven system for mounting data to disks, the cache is easily accessible to collaborators all around the world. The system is set up to meet evolving and expanding data needs for a range of existing experiments at Brookhaven and beyond, including the future Electron-Ion Collider.

NSLS-II celebrates 10 years of light

On Oct. 23, the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) celebrated its 10th anniversary of first light, the moment when its first X-rays were delivered. Over the last decade, this ultrabright light source has grown from six beamlines to 29, ramped up its accelerator current from 50 milliamperes to 500 milliamperes, hosted nearly 6,000 visiting researchers from around the world, and published more than 3,200 research papers. Since 2014, NSLS-II has enabled researchers to study the physical, chemical, and electronic makeup of materials with nanoscale resolution. And with continual advancements over its 10-year history, the facility remains one of the world’s most advanced light sources, accelerating breakthroughs in fields ranging from biology to quantum information science.

Atmospheric observatory opens in Alabama

Brookhaven Lab’s world-leading atmospheric scientists led the plan to install a suite of DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility instruments at a new observatory in the Southeastern U.S. The Bankhead National Forest observatory opened on Oct. 1 and hosted its first scientific workshop and media tours earlier this month. For at least five years, the observatory will provide data for scientists to investigate the complex interactions among clouds, vegetation, and aerosols suspended in the atmosphere. The observatory will contribute valuable insights into aerosol-cloud interactions and feed data to weather and climate models for a more comprehensive understanding of Earth’s atmospheric dynamics.

The research described above was funded primarily by the DOE Office of Science. RHIC, CFN, NSLS-II, and ARM are DOE Office of Science user facilities.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.

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Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine
By Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Executive

After 12 years as the Brookhaven Town Supervisor, in 2023 I decided to run for Suffolk County Executive to make our county safer and more affordable and to restore professionalism to every county department.

Good governance is about doing what’s right for taxpayers and employees, and that’s exactly what we’ve focused on since I have taken office.

Fiscally, we are on the right road, and our efforts have been recognized. The county’s 2024 budgeting has earned Suffolk two bond ratings and three credit rating upgrades as of early December.

As promised, we’ve brought new leadership to the Suffolk County Police Department, hired 200 new officers, and added 50 new detectives to tackle crime across the county. New leadership has put the department on track for continued success, and my administration will provide what our law enforcement agencies need to protect our communities.

The Department of Social Services was in crisis when I took office. Poor management, low staffing, and tragic incidents resulted in Suffolk County being among the worst-performing DSS operations in New York State. For example, Suffolk was last among counties processing SNAP applications, which provide people in need with food. Due to new leadership and a complete overhaul of DSS operations, Suffolk is now the best in New York State.

New call center policies have reduced SNAP wait times by more than 95%, boosted employee morale, and decreased caseloads. While there is still work to be done, especially in filling the over 1,000 open positions, we’re making real progress.

To address these vacancies, we launched the “Suffolk is Hiring” campaign, meeting job seekers where they are—on social media, at college campuses, and at job fairs. This proactive approach shifts from reactive to addressing problems before they become crises.

When I took office, many county buildings were in terrible shape—leaky roofs, broken systems, and general neglect. These buildings belong to the taxpayers and house our dedicated workforce. We’ve made it a priority to bring these spaces up to standard, both for the employees and the public who rely on these services.

Here are just a few of the results our taxpayers are already seeing:

  • 246 acres of land preserved—a significant increase from previous years, thanks to reforms in the Department of Economic Planning that streamlined the process.
  • Sewer projects funded in Smithtown, Wyandanch, Wheatley Heights, Deer Park, the Forge River, and Southwest Sewer Districts. These projects are critical for protecting our environment and revitalizing downtown areas.
  • $56 million invested in public safety equipment, ensuring our police and first responders are better equipped to keep our communities safe.
  • Major improvements to county parks planned for 2025, offering enhanced recreational spaces for families.
  • Micro transit zones to improve connectivity on the East End, making it easier for residents to access essential services and work opportunities.

None of this would be possible without the incredible team I have by my side. Together, we are committed to making Suffolk County safer, more affordable, and a place where every resident can thrive.

I look forward to continuing this important work next year and wish all of you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

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METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Words, ideas, and concepts mean different things in different contexts. Some of those differences depend on the audience. The phrase “Santa Claus is coming to town,” for example, conjures different images, ideas and reactions depending on who is hearing it. Let’s consider the reaction of different audiences:

— A group of first graders whose families celebrate Christmas: These children might immediately wonder “when, when, when” this jolly man in a red suit is going to shimmy down the chimney and deliver what they hope are their favorite presents. It can’t be soon enough for many of these children.

— Parents of those first graders: These dedicated mothers and fathers might feel pressure to produce the kind of holiday they had or the kind they wish they had when they were young. The words might trigger some anxiety, as the approaching jolly man might mean they have limited time to generate holiday joy. Where, they might wonder, are they supposed to find some of the gifts their children crave and how can these presents arrive without causing their children to wonder about the boxes at the front door?

— Retailers: Store owners are likely to start feeling cautiously optimistic, as they are every year, that Santa and his minions will shop at their stores, helping drive their bottom lines and making it possible for them to afford to provide the kind of holiday treats their own children desire.

— Workers in retail stores: They may find the phrase charming and endearing initially, and may even enjoy the endless loop of holiday songs for a while. At some point, when they can’t get a particular song out of their head, they may crave other music and other sounds that don’t remind them of twitchy children who, like me, seem to be a perfect fit for a size the store doesn’t have at that time or that doesn’t exist because it’s between two typical sizes.

— Music teachers: These people, who put in extra hours every year that often extend well beyond any contracts or employment agreements, may be trying to find ways to coax the best sounds out of young voices or out of young musicians who are learning how to play their instruments without squeaking or hitting a wrong note. This year, they may also have tried to bring something original and new to the holiday concert, either by adding a new march or song or by offering their own take on the classic, which runs the risk of alienating audiences who come to hear the familiar version.

— TV networks: While many of us are a click or two away from new movies or streaming shows that we can binge watch, some people continue to watch ongoing holiday programming. The Santa Claus song may remind them of their stock of holiday movies, as they maneuver between old favorites like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and more modern comedies, like “Elf.”

— Dentists: Okay, so I’m a little obsessed about teeth lately. If you don’t know why, check out my column from last week. Anyway, given the propensity for cookies, cakes and candy, dentists may hear those words and picture ways to help people clean their teeth in the early months of the new year.

— Health club owners: Owners of gyms may hear these six words and immediately think about all the New Year’s resolutions that follow the holidays. They may hope that the desire for a sound mind in a sound body brings more people to their gyms, where people can use their equipment to sculpt and tone their bodies or to burn off some of the desserts that topped off a family meal.

— Narcissists: These people know who they are and are probably annoyed that it took me this long to think about them. They have better things to do than to read all the way towards the end of my column. Anyway, they would like to know when someone will be as good to them as they are to everyone else. 

— People who run charities: The arrival of Santa Claus may remind people to help those less fortunate, giving them an opportunity to provide something meaningful. These dedicated residents who focus on community service may hope to bring out the kind of holiday spirit and joy that enabled Dr. Seuss’s Whos of Whoville to celebrate even without their presents.

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METRO photo

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

Many people in their pajamas are now summoned to get dressed, leave their homes and work full-time in the office. The working-remotely imperative is being phased out as COVID-19 fades and the new year begins. No more pajamas in front of the computer, disguised with a proper work shirt as far as Zoom revealed. Remote work is becoming a unique chapter of the pandemic past.

Or is it?

Let me take you back to July 1965. I had just given birth to our first child in a Westchester County hospital, just north of NYC, and was in something of a new mother daze when my supervisor from work appeared at my bedside. I had been employed as a researcher in the editorial department at Time Inc until that past weekend, and the baby coming a little early surprised us all, apparently including my boss.

She was an attractive woman in her 40s, trim and almost six feet tall, and she supervised some 20 staffers. For a couple of seconds, I thought I might be imagining her, but she pulled up a chair, as if this visit was an ordinary occurrence, and we had the following conversation.

“Hello, Leah, congratulations to you and your husband.”

“Hello, Bea. What’s happening?”

“Oh, I thought I would drive up here to congratulate you properly, see the baby, and ask you if you would like to continue working.”

“What?”

She laughed. “I know you live in the Bronx, about 30 minutes from the office (which was in the Time-Life Building at 50th and Sixth Avenue) and right on the D line (subway). We could bring you the material and the books you need by messenger. Then, when you finish each batch of work, we could repeat the process. For questions, we could call you and discuss by phone. What do you think about that?”

I blinked. Was this really happening?

“I think I will be taking care of the baby,” I offered after a long pause.

“We thought about that. Mia (a staffer in the department) no longer needs her nanny, and she could  continue her work with your baby in your apartment. She is from Haiti and speaks little English, but I believe you speak French, yes?”

“A little.” I was now in a different daze.

“Then this could work. You will be able to stay at home with the baby and work comfortably in your apartment while the nanny takes care of your son from 10-6 (our business hours) in the next room. She will come Mondays through Fridays. She is very responsible. She has five sons of her own.”

Then she said those prescient words without knowing she was 60 years ahead of her time.

“You will be working remotely.”

And so it went. A few days after we brought our son home, the first batch of work arrived from the office via a cheerful messenger, and I was set up at a desk in the bedroom to continue my job. 

The nanny, Madame Bayard, also arrived and lovingly greeted and cared for our baby until I would appear. This unusual arrangement continued for almost two years. I would return to the office perhaps once a month for meetings and to touch base with my editor of the moment, but otherwise I did indeed work remotely, even from my parents’ bungalow in the Catskill Mountains the following summer. We gave Madame Bayard the time off, and while my mother cared for our son, I worked on a comfortable chaise in the shade of a tree, driving to the office only a couple of times in two months.

This idyllic arrangement ended when my husband finished his residency, and we moved to Texas, where he served at an Air Force base during the Vietnam War.

I finally left the employ of Time-Life. It was now too far for even a messenger to reach me. But today, my grandson and his wife both have satisfying jobs that call for working remotely.

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The Suffolk County Police Department is warning the public about a scam during which callers purport to be from a law enforcement agency and claim there is a warrant for the victim’s arrest if money is not sent.

Detectives have been made aware of at least three incidents during which a resident was contacted by phone by a caller identifying themselves as a member of the Suffolk County Police Department who says the resident has a warrant for their arrest and for them to send money. Detectives are not aware of any victims who have given money.

The victims report the scammers called from what appeared to be legitimate police department phone numbers. Scammers often use spoofing apps and other technology to falsely represent the numbers they are calling from.

Police will NEVER demand money in lieu of arrest or consequence.
If you believe you have been the victim of this or any other scam, contact police.

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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Robert Terry Accused of Shorting Workers $83K

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on Dec. 16 that Robert Terry, 65, of Southampton, owner of Terry Contracting & Materials in Riverhead, was indicted for Willful Failure to Pay the Prevailing Wage Rate, and other related charges, for allegedly misclassifying his employees’ work categories on certified payrolls, resulting in approximately $83,694 in underpayments.

According to the investigation, between March and August 2018, Terry was a contractor at the Davis Park Marina Improvement project, a public works contract that required the contractor to pay his employees the proper prevailing wage rate, based on the tasks that they performed on the project. Additionally, he was responsible for completing certified payrolls that affirmed he paid his employees the proper prevailing wages while they worked on the project.

Instead, Terry allegedly classified his employees under the wage rate for “laborers,” which is lower than the wage rate for “dock builders,” though the employees were performing tasks necessitating the higher salary rate.

Moreover, even though additional employees of Terry Contracting & Materials, Inc. worked as crane operators on the project, they were allegedly unlawfully omitted from the certified payrolls. After an investigation, New York State Department of Labor determined that Terry and his company owes the employees over $80,000 for failing to pay them as dock builders.

On December 12, 2024, Terry and his corporation, Terry Contracting & Materials, Inc. were arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice, Timothy P. Mazzei for one count of Willful Failure to Pay the Prevailing Wage Rate and Supplement, Falsifying a Business Record in the First Degree, both Class E felonies, and Falsifying a Business Record in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor.

Justice Mazzei ordered Terry to be released on his own recognizance because his charges are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail. Terry is due back in court on January 23, 2025, and faces 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison if convicted on the top count. He is represented by Michael Cornacchia, Esq.

“This defendant allegedly pocketed money that would have gone to his workers and their families,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We will not allow unscrupulous business owners to enrich themselves by cheating workers out of their legally mandated wages on taxpayer-funded projects.”

This case is being prosecuted by Adriana Noyola of the Financial Crimes Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Investigators Dennis Marcel and Daniel Ayrovainen of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s Financial Crimes Bureau.

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Scene from the Three Village Historical Society's 45th annual Candlelight House Tour. Photo by Bill Landon

From this weekend’s Three Village Historical Society’s 45th annual Candlelight House Tour, to the Port Jefferson Charles Dickens Festival, we live in an area of rich history and culture.

The quaint holiday atmosphere of villages like Huntington and Stony Brook take us back to a more simple time and place — one of one-horse towns, one story buildings and one community spirit.

The North Shore of Suffolk County has a cozy charm coupled with not only rich historical background, but the cutting edge of modern-day living. Take for example Stony Brook University. Located 20 miles or less from all of TBR’s coverage areas, it is a world-class university, brimming with state-of-the-art scientific research, a diverse student body and cultural heritage. With the musical performances, various film screenings and varied organizations, which the university provides, as a result, the residents of Stony Brook have a portal to some of the most intriguing cultural presentations around.

With a home as unique as Suffolk’s North Shore, our residents appear to have a sense of community that is unlike a major city. We are able to boast a sense of connection that is only possible in a small town. Just walking down the street, one is greeted with warmth. A possible run in with a friend from a dedicated civic association can happen.

So don’t write off the suburbs too quickly.

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From left to right: County Legislator Robert Trotta, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, TOB Supervisor Dan Panico, TOB Superintendent of Highways Daniel Losquadro, Representative from the Governor's, office Thalia Olaya, and in front, Gloria Rocchio, Ward Melville Heritage Organization President, at a Stony Brook Village press conference. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R) announced the opening of two U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) to assist New York businesses and residents affected by the severe storms and flooding which took place this past August 18–19.

The centers, located at the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mount Sinai and in the Village of Head of the Harbor in Saint James, will help residents and business owners recover from disaster-related losses.

Loan Details:

● Businesses and Nonprofits: Eligible to borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate, equipment, inventory and other assets.

● Small Businesses, Agricultural Cooperatives, Aquaculture Businesses and Most Private Nonprofits:: Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are available to help with working capital needs even if no physical property damage occurred.

● Homeowners: Loans up to $500,000 to repair or replace damaged real estate.

● Renters and Homeowners: Loans up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property.

The SBA Customer Service Representatives at the centers can assist with disaster loan applications, accept documents for existing applications and provide status updates. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments can be scheduled.

DLOC Locations and Hours:

Rose Caracappa Senior Center

● 739 NY-25A, Mount Sinai

● Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; Closed Sunday

Village of Head of the Harbor

● 500 N. Country Rd., Saint James

● Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; Closed Sunday

The disaster declaration includes Suffolk County and neighboring Nassau County. Residents affected by the storms are encouraged to visit the centers for assistance. For more information on this program visit www.sba.gov. 

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Brookhaven National Laboratory Director JoAnne Hewett. Photo by Jessica Rotkiewicz/BNL

By Daniel Dunaief

Instead of flying a plane through clouds and gathering data during a three to five second window of time, researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory are one of three teams proposing constructing a cloud chamber.

This new research facility would allow them to control the environment and tweak it with different aerosols, enabling them to see how changes affect drizzle formation.

“This is fascinating,” said JoAnne Hewett, Director of BNL and a self-professed “science geek.”

Hewett, whose background is in theoretical physics and who came to BNL from SLAC National Accelerator Lab in Menlo Park, California, has been the director of the Upton-based lab since April of 2023.

In a celebrity podcast interview, which will be posted on TBR News Media’s website (tbrnewsmedia.com) and Spotify, Hewett addressed a wide range of issues, from updates on developing new technologies such as the Electron Ion Collider and the construction of buildings, to the return of students to the long-awaited reopening of the cafeteria.

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently considering the proposals for the cloud chamber and has taken the first steps towards initiating the project.

Hewett, who is the first woman to lead the national lab in its 77-year history, is hoping the winner will be announced this year.

More x-ray tools

In a discussion about the National Synchrotron Lightsource II, which is a circular electron accelerator ring that sends x-rays into the specialized beamlines, Hewett described a study at the recently opened High Energy X-ray Scattering beamline, or HEX.

The state-funded HEX, which is designed for battery research, recently hosted an experiment to examine the vertebrae from Triceratops.

The NSLS-II, which opened a decade ago and has produced important results in a range of fields, will continue to add beamlines. BNL recently received approval to build another eight to 12 beamlines, depending on available funding. The lab will add one beamline in 2025 and another two in 2026.

Electron-Ion Collider

BNL, meanwhile, is continuing to take important steps in planning for an Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), an ambitious $2.8 billion project the lab won the rights to construct.

The collider, which will reveal secrets of the quarks and gluons that make up atoms, will start construction in 2026 and is expected to generate data sometime in the early 2030’s.

As groups of scientists develop plans for the EIC, they apply to the government to reach various milestones.

In March of this year, the lab met a hurdle called CD3A, which provided $100 million in funding for long lead procurements for some of the parts for the 2.4 mile circumference particle collider.

The next review, called CD3B, will be in early January and will involve $50 million in funding.

The funding for these steps involves ordering parts that the lab knows will be necessary.

The EIC will address five key questions, including how does a proton acquire its spin, what is the nature of dense gluon matter, how do quarks and gluons interact within a nucleus, what is the role of gluons in generating nuclear binding energy, and how do the properties of a proton emerge from its quark and gluon constituents.

Researchers expect the results to have application in a wide range of fields, from materials science, to medicine, to creating tools for complex simulations in areas including climate change.

Return of students

After the Covid pandemic shut down visits from area primary schools, students are now returning in increasingly large numbers.

In 2023, around 22,000 students had a chance to find scientific inspiration at BNL, which is starting to approach the pre-pandemic levels of around 30,000.

School buses come to the science learning center on the campus almost every day.

In addition, BNL hosted a record number of student internships, which are typically for college-age students.

In addition to inspiring an understanding and potentially building careers in science, BNL is now opening a new facility. The science users and support center, which is just outside the gate for the lab, is a three-story building with meeting room space.

“It’s going to be a one-stop-shop” for visiting scientists who come to the lab, Hewett said. Visiting scientists can take care of details like badging and lodges, which they previously did in separate buildings.

Additionally, for staff and visitors, BNL reopened a cafeteria that had been closed for five years. The cafeteria will serve breakfast and lunch with hot food.

“That’s another milestone for the laboratory,” Hewett said. With the extended time when the cafeteria was closed, just about everything will be new on the menu. The reopening of the facility took years because of “all the legalese” in the contract, she added.

A new vision

Hewett spent the first nine months of her tenure getting to know the people and learning the culture of the lab.

She suggested she has a new vision that includes four strategic initiatives. These are: the building blocks of the universe, which includes the Electron-Ion Collider; leading in discovery with light-enabled science, which includes the National Synchrotron Lightsource II; development of the next generation information sciences, including quantum information sciences, microelectronics and artificial intelligence; and addressing environmental and societal challenges.

As for the political landscape and funding for science, Hewett suggested that new administrations always have a change in priorities.

“We’re in the business of doing science,” she said. “Science does not observe politics. It’s not red or blue: it’s just facts.”

She suggested that generally, traditional basic research tends to do fairly well.

The BNL lab director, however, is “always making a concerted effort to justify why this investment [of taxpayer dollars] is necessary,” she said. “That’s not going to change one bit.”

After a recent visit to Capitol Hill, Hewett described her relationship with the New York delegation as “great.” She appreciates how the division that affects people’s perspectives in different parts of the world and that has led to conflicts doesn’t often infect scientists or their goals.

In the field of particle physics, “you have Israelis and Palestinians literally working together side by side,” she said. “It all comes to down to the people doing the science and not the government they happen to live under.”

Hewett also continues to believe in the value of diverse experience in the workplace. “We need the best and the brightest,” she said. “I don’t care if they’re pink with purple polka dots: we want them here at the laboratory doing science for us. We want to develop the workforce of the future.”

Adding key hires

As Hewett has settled into her role, she would like to fill some important staff functions. “This is really two or three jobs that I have to get done in the time it takes to do one job,” she said. “A chief of staff is very much needed to help move some of these projects along.”

Additionally, she is looking for someone to lead research partnerships and technology transfer. “As you do the great science, you want to be able to work hand in hand with industry in order to do the development of that science,” she said.

She said this disconnect between research and industry was known as the “Valley of Death.” Institutions like BNL “do fundamental science and industry has a product, and you don’t do enough of the work to match the two with each other.”

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Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a man in Shirley on Dec. 13.

Darrell Sumpter was driving a 2002 Cadillac westbound in the left lane of Sunrise Highway, 11⁄2 miles east of Horseblock Road, when the vehicle swerved and struck a 2021 Ford utility truck traveling in the right lane. Both vehicles left the roadway and overturned at 1:37 p.m. Sumpter, 51, of Shirley, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Darrell Sumpter was the assistant coach of the William Floyd High School varsity boys basketball team. The school released a statement saying, “Mr. Sumpter was a proud William Floyd graduate, a longtime community member, a family man, and a highly-regarded coach and mentor for our boys’ and girls’ basketball programs. He served as an assistant basketball coach on the boys’ varsity team since 2015, and as a volunteer for the youth of the community for many years before that. Coach Darrell was instrumental in the creation of the WFSD youth basketball program and booster club that has made a difference in the lives of so many boys’ and girls’ student-athletes within our community.”

The passenger in the Cadillac, Susan Sumpter, 48, of Shirley, and the driver of the Ford, Jason Troccoli, 52, of Lake Ronkonkoma, were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The vehicles were impounded for a safety check.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552.

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