Associate Director of the Innovative Computing Laboratory and NE Research Assistant Professor Deborah Penchoff was the chief editor of a book released in October by ACS Publications called Rare Earth Elements and Actinides: Progress in Computational Science Applications. The co-editors are Theresa Windus from Iowa State University and Ames Lab, and Charles Peterson from University of California, Los Angeles.
The book contains a close look at the computational modeling of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and actinides, which are essential to modern technological advancements. REEs have helped lead to discoveries for medicine, materials and technological design, the rise of clean energy technologies, supported sectors of the US economy, and provided materials necessary for national security.
Among the topics this book details includes the importance of REEs, their abundance, resources, and challenges. The book is organized in three parts. First is “Rare Earth Elements and Actinides: History and Global Challenges;” second is “Advances in Supercomputing and Methods Development;” and the third section is “Applications in Surface Science, Ligand Design, Binding Analysis, and Covalency.”
“It was a wonderful experience to work with my co-editors, Theresa Windus and Charles Peterson, and all contributors,” said Penchoff. “Finding solutions for the complex challenges in REE and actinide applications requires highly synergistic and multi-disciplinary perspectives. Advances in high performance computing, particularly as we enter the exascale era, can accelerate finding solutions for national and global challenges involving REEs and actinides.”