Nova facility

CPU. The central processing unit for the DARS is a Nova Model 1200 by Data General in the United States and Datagen in Canada. The Nova 1200 has a 16-bit word length and a cycle time of 1.2 microseconds. As many as 62 separate devices may be interfaced to the CPU. The basic system contains 4k (4096) words of memory which is expandable up to a maximum of 32k words. Included in the in-out system are facilities for hardware interrupts or a real-time priority basis. 

The first demonstration of X-ray lasing was made in 1985 for 3s-3p transitions at 20.6 and 21.0 nni in neon-like selenium (Se XXV) [8.20]. Population inversion was created in an elongated plasma created after the impinging of 0.5ns pulses (0.53 pm) from part of the NOVA Nd glass laser facility. Smce then much progress has been made [8.21-8.26], facilitated by the development of relatively compact, ultra-intense lasers. These aspects will be covered in Sects. 8.7.2 and 9.6. 

In addition to this extensive theoretical program, a visit to the Sarnia Chemical Valley, the heart of the Canadian petroleum and petrochemical industry was planned. Three major refineries (Esso s, Shell s and Suncor s), a number of petrochemical plants (Nova s, Dow s, BASF s) and other chemical industries (AKZO, LINDE, etc.) constitute a unique concentration of chemical "hardware" which makes Sarnia the ideal location for a full one day trip during the Conference. Such concentration of chemical industrial sites creates the need for very stringent controls on emissions, losses and environmental issues which were discussed during the visit. The trip to Sarnia included a visit to Esso Petroleum Canada Refinery and Dow Chemical s Petrochemical Plant, followed by presentations at Esso s Sarnia Research Department on "Strategies on Air Quality Control". The closeness of CREC-UWO to a major petrochemical site and industrial research facilities created another major justification for the development of the NATO-ASI in such a strategic location as London, Ontario. 

Nowadays, the laboratory headed by R. Lazzaroni comprises around 30 researchers, including four permanent FNRS research fellows (David Beljonne, Jerome Cornil, Philippe Leclere and Mathieu Surin). This laboratory is a founding member of the Interuniversity Scientific Computing Facility located in Namur, the Materia Nova Research Center in Mons, and the Institute for Materials Research recently established at the University of Mons. The article by Van Regemorter et al. in the present issue [19] illustrates the theoretical chemistry activities of the Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials at the University of Mons. 

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