More than 500 scientists from 40 different countries attended the 12th International Conference on Vacuum Ultraviolet Radiation Physics, held Aug. 3-7 in San Francisco and hosted by the Lab's Advanced Light Source. Above, the ALS' Neville Smith (left), Conference Chair for VUV-12, passes the ceremonial gavel to Giorgio Margaritondo, Interim Conference Chair for VUV-13, which will be held in Trieste. The VUV conference series, which began in 1962, encompasses all research into the interaction of uv and soft x-ray radiation with matter, over a photon energy range between 5 eV and several KeV. (XBD9808-02076) Photo by Don Fike