Trump administrator plans to cut down teams responsible for critical atomic measurement data
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is discussing plans to eliminate the entire team responsible for publishing and maintaining critical atomic measurement data over the coming weeks. Trump administration I will continue to make that effort Reduce the US federal workforcesent to dozens of external scientists, according to an email from March 18th. The data in question supports advanced scientific research around the world. Semiconductor manufacturing and Nuclear Fusion.
“We have been recently informed that the entire atomic spectroscopy group will be fired, especially in a few weeks, unless there is a major change in the federal reorganization plan, as our work is not considered legally essential to the NIST mission.
Ralchenko pointed out that atomic spectroscopy is being used to discover many new exoplanets and develop powerful new diagnostic techniques. “Unfortunately, the story of atomic spectroscopy at NIST is coming to an end,” he writes.
In response to a request for comment from Wired, Ralchenko said he was not permitted to talk about budget and management issues and introduced the question to Nist’s public relations department. NIST and its parent agency, the Commerce Department, did not respond to requests for comment.
The Atomic Spectroscopy Group studies how atoms absorb or emit light, allowing researchers to identify elements present in a particular sample. Next, collect and update these calculations Atomic spectrum databasean industry-leading catalog of spectroscopy and measurements that play an important role in fields such as astronomy, astrophysics, medicine, and more. In a blog post published last week Emphasise the importance Of the database, NIST said it receives an average of 70,000 search requests worldwide each month.
The importance of this data is “really difficult to overestimate,” says Evgeny Stambulchik, a senior staff research scientist at Wiseman Institute of Science in Israel. petition Collect signatures from other researchers and public members who oppose reductions to the atomic spectroscopy team. The petition currently has over 1,700 signatures.
The special Stambulchik says it is plasma spectroscopy, but atomic spectroscopy is essentially the only tool that can be used to interpret remote objects in space. What has been observed By the powerful James Webb telescope. It is also essentially the only tool for investigating “materials at temperatures reaching tens of millions of degrees.”
Another plasma physicist from a US agency who called for it to remain anonymous because he was not allowed to speak to the media said he would use the data daily to build a reliable model for designing future fusion reactors. “Losing this reliable source of data will hinder private fusion companies,” they explain.
US scientists say the data provided by NIST’s Atomic Spectroscopy Group is useful for researchers and engineers in multiple fields. “The kind of carefully curated data that this group has provided reliable systems, such as GPS and lithography,” they say. “This kind of rigorous science and engineering raises our bridges and maintains our strength. This is not about “moving fast, breaking things.” ”