February 26, 2007 — Herbert A. Mook Jr., a senior researcher at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected to the Neutron Scattering Society of America's inaugural group of fellows.
The NSSA honored Mook, a UT-Battelle Senior Corporate Fellow, for his pioneering neutron scattering experiments on novel phenomena in condensed matter, including investigations of the magnetic interaction and its role in the properties of superconducting materials.
The society also cited Mook's work for advancing the art of neutron scattering research. His inventions have received two R&D 100 Awards -- the neutron transmission polarizer in 1989 and the ultrasonically pulsed neutron spectrometer in 1984.
"I am delighted that Herb Mook has been given this prestigious recognition. Breakthroughs in advanced materials are required to solve society's most pressing energy-related problems and these breakthroughs often involve condensed-matter sciences. Herb Mook's career, particularly his contributions to neutron scattering science, has played and continues to play a key role in our progress toward these energy goals," said ORNL Director Jeff Wadsworth.
Mook's neutron science career at ORNL began in 1965. His experiments have employed neutron beams from the Oak Ridge Research Reactor, now decommissioned, and the more powerful High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), which was recently upgraded with new beam lines and a cold neutron source.
ORNL is currently commissioning the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the DOE Office of Science's new accelerator-driven neutron source that, combined with HFIR, will make ORNL the world's leading center for neutron scattering research.
Mook, who received his master's degree and doctorate from Harvard University, was the SNS's first scientific director and also directed ORNL's Center for Neutron Scattering from 2000 to 2004.
A fellow of the American Physical Society, Mook has published more than 200 scientific papers, including coauthorship with the late Nobel laureate and neutron scattering pioneer Clifford Shull. Fifty of his papers have been cited more than 50 times, with more than 8,000 citations overall. He holds three patents.
Mook and his wife, Jane, reside in Knoxville. He has two sons and four grandchildren.
ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy.