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Physical and Life Sciences
Malik Wagih’s global exploration of material defects
Malik Wagih is a 2024 Lawrence Fellow in the Physical and Life Sciences Directorate’s Materials Science Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where he studies defects in metals. His journey to materials science research at Livermore has taken him across the country and the world. Wagih is originally from Cairo, Egypt, where he enjoyed playing soccer…
Measuring in-situ ablation depth in aluminum
When laser energy is deposited in a target material, numerous complex processes take place at length and time scales that are too small to visually observe. To study and ultimately fine-tune such processes, researchers look to computer modeling. However, these simulations rely on accurate equation of state (EOS) models to describe the thermodynamic properties — such as…
LLNL’s Gauthier Deblonde selected as ‘Rising Star’
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) staff scientist Gauthier Deblonde has been named a 2024 “Rising Star“ by the American Chemical Society for his work in environmental science. Deblonde’s research as well as this year’s cohort of winners will be featured in a special issue of the American Chemical Society journal ACS Environmental Au. Deblonde’s research also…
Plasma pursuits: HEDS Center fellows illuminate the fourth state of matter
In 2019, the High Energy Density Science (HEDS) Center at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) launched its postdoctoral fellowship program, welcoming one new scientist annually to come and conduct research for a two-year term. Supported by LLNL’s Weapons Physics and Design program, HEDS fellows are encouraged to pursue their own research agenda as it relates to…
LLNL researchers explore next-gen 3D printing to harness fusion energy
When Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) achieved fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in December 2022, the world’s attention turned to the prospect of how that breakthrough experiment — designed to secure the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile — might also pave the way for virtually limitless, safe and carbon-free fusion energy. Advanced 3D…
LLNL and BioVind achieve diagnostics milestone
Technology designed to aid on-the-field diagnostics for military applications is gaining a wider reach as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and BioVind, LLC achieved a milestone in their partnership: the exclusive licensing of LLNL pathogen diagnostics technology focused on oil and gas applications. The technology, called BioID, is a rapid and portable…
3D-printed electrode is all charged up
The architectural design of electrodes offers new opportunities for next-generation electrochemical energy storage devices (EESDs) by increasing surface area, thickness and storage capacity. But conventional thick electrodes increase ion diffusion length and cause larger ion-concentration gradients, limiting reaction kinetics, including storage capacity. To overcome these…
3D-printed solutions for electronics protection
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is a significant concern in the chemical and electronics industries. In electronics, ESD often causes integrated circuit failures due to rapid voltage and current discharges from charged objects, such as human fingers or tools. With the help of 3D printing techniques, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are …
LLNL's Buddemeier named to National Academies board
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) certified health physicist Brooke Buddemeier has been appointed to a panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. A 35-year Lab employee, Buddemeier has been named to the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB), which provides advice about safety, security, technical efficacy and other issues…
When iron meets titanium: Discovery of quasicrystalline-like grain boundary phases in alloys
The interfaces between individual crystals in a material, known as grain boundaries (GBs), play a critical role in dictating the strength, durability and overall performance of a material. For this reason, GB phase transitions — abrupt changes at a material’s interface resulting in distinct structures and properties — are becoming increasingly recognized as a new frontier…
Félicie Albert elected vice chair of APS Division of Plasma Physics
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist and director of the Jupiter Laser Facility Félicie Albert has been elected to serve as vice chair of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Plasma Physics (DDP) Executive Committee. Established in 1959, the objective of DPP is the advancement and dissemination of the knowledge, understanding, and applications…
LLNL internship sets chemistry student on the right PATH
Internships at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provide graduate students with hands-on research experience that they can bring back to their home institutions, applying their newfound skillsets to their PhD work. Since interning for LLNL’s Glenn T. Seaborg Institute in 2023, Zachary Murphy, a PhD student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), has gone on…
Consortium with Minority Serving Institutions delivers opportunities for students
The Consortium for High Energy Density Science (CfHEDS) had much to celebrate at its annual meeting this summer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). “It was exciting to connect with our academic partners and their students,” said Federica Coppari, the LLNL liaison to CfHEDS. “The best part is hearing from the students about their research experience.” The goal…
LLNL researchers discover promising treatment to counteract the effects of fentanyl for overdose cases
A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers has discovered a promising new treatment to counteract the effects of fentanyl and related opioids. The new treatment could, over time, be a boon to doctors and medical professionals dealing with the crisis of fentanyl, a drug whose lethal effects has killed more than 210,000 Americans during the past…
LLNL-led team receives ARPA-E funding for technology to enable fusion power plants
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)-led team $3.4 million to develop new alloys for first wall fusion reactors and enable commercial fusion energy. The funding came through ARPA-E’s Creating Hardened And Durable fusion first Wall Incorporating Centralized Knowledge …
LLNL wins big at 2024 Bay Area Research SLAM
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) 2024 postdoctoral team of Nicholas Cross, Caspar Donnison and Jillian McCool competed against their Bay Area colleagues at the fourth annual Bay Area Research SLAM (BARS) on Oct. 3. LLNL was the biggest winner of the evening: Donnison’s third-place finish for “Agriculture and Solar Power: An Unlikely Alliance” and Cross’s…
New technique enhances absorptivity of powders for metal 3D printing
In a significant advancement for metal additive manufacturing, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and their academic partners have developed a groundbreaking technique that enhances the optical absorptivity of metal powders used in 3D printing. The innovative approach, which involves creating nanoscale surface features on metal powders, promises…
Postdocs shine at 2024 LLNL Research SLAM!
Gathered in a Laboratory auditorium on Wednesday, Sept. 25, a dozen Livermore postdocs used three minutes and a single slide to answer the question “Why is my research important?” Lab trivia, guest appearances from previous Research SLAM! winners and thematic walk-up music for each of the finalists added to the festive atmosphere of the live event. Talks were judged using…
LLNL and Korean Institute of Science and Technology to explore innovative climate solutions
More than 60 researchers gathered for a three-day workshop at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) during August to discuss their progress on shared research projects and explore opportunities to expand their collaborations, which focus on clean energy technologies, climate resilience and related data-science solutions. LLNL and the Korean Institute of Science and…
From the battlefield to biocontainment: meet Sean Leonard
Science at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is what synthetic biologist and postdoctoral researcher Sean Leonard calls a “team sport.” This is one of the aspects he enjoys the most about working in a national laboratory environment. “I’d say my military experience fundamentally shaped how I approach science,” said Leonard. “In the Army, I learned that I like…
