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Physical and Life Sciences
Livermore researchers contribute to major plutonium publication
This fall, the American Nuclear Society is publishing the second edition of the Plutonium Handbook, a 4000-page, 7-volume compendium that delivers a comprehensive review of plutonium chemistry. (The first edition was published 50 years ago.) Five years in the making, this publication includes contributions from 17 Lawrence Livermore researchers, two of whom are also on the…
New ultralight gold foam shimmers in the limelight
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have created the lightest gold foam to date. The new form of ultralight gold aerogel foam has applications in electronics, catalysis, sensors and energy conversion and storage. The research appears in the journal Nano Letters. It will be published in the November issue, and was selected for the…
Institute turns over a new LEAF in energy security
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has opened a center that will develop new materials for energy applications from inception to technology demonstration. The Laboratory of Energy Applications for the Future (LEAF) was formed to coordinate research efforts for energy- and environment-related technologies and capabilities. “LEAF will address crucial science and…
NIF Army veteran attends Medal of Honor ceremony
It’s been more than 10 years since John Ruiz, a mechanical designer in the National Ignition Facility’s (NIF) Facilities and Infrastructure Systems group, left the Army. But last summer, he found himself transported back to one of the most harrowing days of his Army career at the Medal of Honor ceremony for his former squad leader, Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia. Ruiz was a…
Argon is not so noble in the Earth’s core
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (UoS), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and The University of Chicago, have discovered that at thermodynamic conditions mimicking that of Earth’s core, argon can react with nickel, forming a stable Argon-Nickel (ArNi) compound. The LLNL…
Size matters in ion selectivity and energy storage
While ions adsorbed on carbon electrodes can vary in size and shape, when it comes to selectivity and energy storage, size really does matter. In an effort to boost energy storage and water desalination technologies, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists found that capacitive performance and ion selectivity of porous carbons is controlled by a complex…
NIH looks to Lab to help develop chlamydia vaccine
A cooperative research center that aims to develop vaccines for chlamydia has been established by the National Institutes of Health at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The new center, to be funded under a five-year, $10.1 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will be a three-way partnership between LLNL and…
Nuclear impulse could deflect massive asteroid
An interagency team of researchers led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has completed the first ever in-depth investigation into how an asteroid would respond to a nuclear deflection attempt. The research was published online in Acta Astronautica and will appear in print in early 2020. The focus of the investigation was 101955 Bennu, a massive asteroid that…
Summer scholar reels in ‘STRIPED FISH’ for NIF
In high school, Liz Grace thought physics was boring and instead considered studying psychology or music. But then a college professor inspired Grace to see the wonders of physics. Today, as a National Ignition Facility (NIF) & Photon Science Summer Scholar, she’s helping to design and build a diagnostic instrument that could become a revolutionary measurement tool for…
Volcanic ash sparks new discovery
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.— Imagine you’re getting ready to fly to your favorite vacation destination when suddenly a volcano erupts, sending massive amounts of ash into the atmosphere, and forcing the cancellation of your flight. That’s exactly what happened in April 2010 when Eyjafjallajokull, a volcano in Iceland, erupted and disrupted air travel in Europe for six days. …
Unexamined lunar rocks indicate early bombardment
A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists has challenged the long-standing theory that the moon experienced a period of intense meteorite bombardment about 3.8 billion years ago, when the first forms of life appeared on Earth. This theory is known as the Late Heavy Bombardment and is thought to have resulted from disturbance of the asteroid belt…
PLS wraps up summer student programs
Approximately 1000 students came to the Laboratory this summer to engage in work-study employment in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and administrative fields. PLS hosted a number of these students through its summer student programs (described below). Nuclear science and security The Glenn T. Seaborg Institute hosted 12 students this summer, including 8…
Application Period Opens for HEDS Postdoctoral Fellowship at LLNL
The HED Science Center is offering a highly competitive, two-year postdoctoral position at LLNL. The fellowship is open to researchers working in all HED-related disciplines. Fellows are free to pursue their own research agenda under the guidance of a senior staff scientist who serves as a mentor.
Six Lawrence Livermore researchers named 2019 fellows of the American Physical Society
Six Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have been selected as 2019 fellows of the American Physical Society (APS). The new fellows represent a selection of physics expertise, ranging from computational physics and shock compression of condensed matter to instrument and measurement science. APS fellowships are awarded after extensive review and are…
Center Offers Short Course on Laser-Plasma Interactions
The High Energy Density Science (HEDS) will offer a three-week course during November 2019, which will explore the principles of laser-plasma interactions that are relevant to HED physics, with a focus on unmagnetized plasmas. Pierre Michel, an LLNL expert in plasma physics, will teach the course on-site at LLNL, and his recorded lectures will be available through the HEDS…
Lab's space program is on the rise
Nascent security challenges, novel scientific discoveries and new technology development opportunities are all part of outer space and in the focus of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Space Science and Security Program (SSSP). The national security community now refers to space as a “warfighting domain.” As such, it is both integral to the U.S. defense…
New class of metal materials is its strong suit
In a perfect world, engineers would like metals to be strong and electrically conducive without any defects. But no metal is perfect. It loses strength due to synthetic defects, causing a softening of the material. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators have created a new class of metal material that keeps its strength and…
Use of nanopores could lead to cleaner water
Not all nanopores are created equal. For starters, their diameters vary between 1 and 10 nanometers (nm). The smallest of these nanopores, called Single Digit Nanopores (SDNs), have diameters of less than 10 nm and only recently have been used in experiments for precision transport measurements. A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and…
Climate ensembles help to identify detection time of human-caused climate signals
By comparing observations to large ensembles of climate model simulations, scientists can now better isolate when human-caused climate change was first identifiable in observations. Large Initial Condition Ensembles (LEs) are simulations of climate change performed with a single climate model. An LE typically has between 30 and 100 individual “members” in order to probe…
Study on stability of highly energetic materials
Understanding the physical and chemical characteristics of energetic materials under extreme conditions is crucial for their safe and efficient use. High-pressure phase transitions in such materials can cause significant changes in their initiation properties and detonation performance necessitating detailed structural studies. The high-pressure structural evolution of CL…
