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Top 10 science and technology stories of 2014
In 2014, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) built on a 62-year tradition of translating basic science into technologies that ensure national security, address pressing real world problems and expand the boundaries of fundamental science.The top stories of the year are a reflection of the Laboratory’s ability to apply its core national security competencies to a…
Physics World names National Ignition Facility fuel gain top 10 breakthrough of the year
Physics World, an international monthly magazine published by the Institute of Physics, has named the National Ignition Facility’s (NIF) achievement of fuel gain one of its top 10 breakthroughs of the year. Ignition — the process of releasing fusion energy equal to or greater than the amount of energy used to confine the fuel — has long been considered the "holy grail" of…
X-ray laser acts as tool to track life's chemistry
An international research team that includes researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has captured the highest-resolution protein snapshots ever taken with an X-ray laser, revealing how a key protein in a photosynthetic bacterium changes shape when hit by light.Human biology is a massive collection of chemical reactions and all involve proteins, known as the…
Measuring NIF's enormous shocks
NIF experiments generate enormous pressures—many millions of atmospheres—in a short time: just a few billionths of a second. When a pressure source of this type is applied to any material, the pressure wave in the material will quickly evolve into a shock front. One of NIF’s most versatile and frequently-used diagnostics, the Velocity Interferometer System for Any…
Vital NIF diagnostic receives upgrade
When the National Ignition Facility’s 192 intense laser beams are fired, a series of complex events begins. To capture and measure the vast amount of data generated during experiments, NIF is now equipped with about 60 nuclear, optical and X-ray diagnostics. One of these diagnostics, the Near Backscatter Imager (NBI), recently received an upgrade.Developed in the mid-2000s…
NASA taps Livermore photon scientists for heat-shield research
Researchers in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's NIF & Photon Science Directorate are working with NASA Ames Research Center at Moffet Field, California on the development of technology to simulate re-entry effects on the heat shield for the Orion spacecraft, NASA's next crewed spaceship. Orion is designed to carry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit to deep-space…
Albright named president and CEO of HRL, Laboratories LLC
Parney Albright, former director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been named the president and chief executive officer of HRL Laboratories, LLC. He takes over the job formerly occupied by William Jeffrey on Nov. 3. HRL is a commercial research and development center focused on advanced microelectronics, information and systems sciences, materials, sensors and…
Serendipitous holography reveals hidden cracks in shocked targets
In a recent article published in the Review of Scientific Instruments, a research team led by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory describe a technique for 3D-image processing of a high-speed photograph of a target, "freezing" its motion and revealing hidden secrets.This technique is particularly applicable in targets that are "shocked." Shock physics is…
LLNL to play key role in 10 petawatt laser project
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has once again been selected to support the development and construction of an ultra-intense laser system for the European Union's Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines (ELI-Beamlines) in the Czech Republic.A consortium led by National Energetics Inc., in partnership with Ekspla UAB, was awarded the contract to construct the system,…
Susana Reyes assumes chair of American Nuclear Society Fusion Energy Division
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) nuclear engineer Susana Reyes has assumed the 2014-15 chairmanship of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Fusion Energy Division, following her election as vice chair in 2012.Reyes has more than 12 years of experience in international fusion projects. She joined LLNL in 2001 to pursue her interest in fusion science and worked on…
From RAGS to riches
The Radiochemical Analysis of Gaseous Samples (RAGS) is a true trash to treasure story, turning debris from the National Ignition Facility's (NIF) target chamber into valuable data that helps to shape future experiments. The RAGS diagnostic, developed for NIF by Sandia National Laboratories and commissioned in 2012, is a cryogenic system designed to collect the gaseous…
Right on target
Dozens of employees gathered on Friday to celebrate two important milestones achieved by the NIF & Photon Science (NIF&PS) Directorate's and Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI) Directorate's Target Fabrication team.Target Fabrication Manager Alex Hamza welcomed the crowd and kicked off the celebration by announcing the first of the milestones: This summer, the…
Edward Moses to lead Giant Magellan Telescope Organization
Ed Moses, a longtime scientific leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been appointed by the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) as president of their organization, effective Oct. 2, 2014."Ed is ideally positioned and qualified for this scientific leadership role," Laboratory Director Bill Goldstein said. "He is an expert in laser science, optical…
LLNL synchs up with ELI Beamlines on timing system
In 2013,Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), through Lawrence Livermore NationalSecurity LLC (LLNS), was awarded more than $45 million to develop and deliver a state-of-the-art laser system for the European Union's Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines facility (ELI-Beamlines), under construction in the Czech Republic.When commissioned to its full design…
Chemical engineer selected for national engineering symposium
Rebecca Dylla-Spears will have a chance to collaborate with the nation's top mid-career engineers from industry, academia and government next month.The chemical engineer in the Physics & Life Sciences Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was selected to represent the Lab at the National Academy of Engineering's 20th annual U.S. Frontiers of Engineering…
Visiting professor welds new partnerships
Commander Brad Baker, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the United States Naval Academy, recently completed a six-week stint at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as part of the Visiting Scientist Program.Baker has conducted research in conjunction with Livermore for more than three years, including a material characterization study of nuclear…
Lawrence Livermore scientist receives Fusion Power Associates leadership award
John Edwards, associate program director for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high energy density (HED) science and the ICF program leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), is a recipient of the Leadership Award from Fusion Power Associates (FPA) Board of Directors.FPA Leadership Awards have been given annually since 1980 to recognize those who have…
Peering into giant planets from in and out of this world
Lawrence Livermore scientists for the first time have experimentally re-created the conditions that exist deep inside giant planets, such as Jupiter, Uranus and many of the planets recently discovered outside our solar system.Researchers can now re-create and accurately measure material properties that control how these planets evolve over time, information essential for…
Bringing new life to Laser Guide Star
Earlier this year, Lawrence Livermore engineering technical associate Pam Danforth applied 30 years of laser experience to an out-of-this-world problem -- bringing new life to the University of California's Lick Observatory Laser Guide Star.The Lick Observatory's Laser Guide Star is vital to astronomers because a natural guide star isn't always near an object they want to…
Laser researchers revolutionize aviation industry
Editor's note: This article is part of an occasional series about LLNL entrepreneurs.Most people don't realize it, but the airplane they are flying on may be stronger and safer thanks to a pair of former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers who developed and commercialized an innovative but relatively obscure technology.Lloyd Hackel and Brent Dane found a way…
