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Nuclear, Chem, and Isotopic S&T
NNSA Administrator Williams visits LLNL to discuss stockpile modernization, AI and future deterrence
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Brandon Williams visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Feb. 9 for briefings and tours focused on stockpile modernization, AI, supercomputing and the future of deterrence. During the visit, Williams met with LLNL…
LLNL researchers discover new way to ‘cage’ plutonium
Plutonium (Pu) exhibits one of the most diverse and complex chemistries of any element in the periodic table. Since its discovery in 1940, scientists have synthesized and studied many different types of plutonium-containing compounds using tools that reveal both their atomic structures and how they interact with light. Not only does plutonium have numerous alloys and…
Fentanyl or phony? Machine-learning algorithm learns to pick out opioid signatures
New forms of fentanyl are created every day. For law enforcement, that poses a challenge: how do you identify a chemical you’ve never seen before? Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) aim to answer that question with a machine-learning model that can distinguish opioids from other chemicals with an accuracy over 95% in a laboratory setting. The…
Meet the strangest particle in physics in the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab podcast
There are particles in our universe so unique and so strange that they can shift form mid-flight. They’re as old as time, coming from the beginning of the universe, stars, nuclear reactions and the earth. And they’re everywhere — even passing through you at this very second: neutrinos. Studying these mysterious particles may unlock answers to some of humanity’s most…
Measuring nuclear reactions found inside stars
Radiochemistry experts at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently made the first experimental measurements of nuclear reactions in high-energy-density plasma environments, which are similar to conditions found in stars, as well as thermonuclear explosions. According to John Despotopulos, an LLNL radiochemist who leads the research team, the ability to…
Precision and partnership: JASPER surpasses 200 experimental shots
The Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) facility recently surpassed 200 full-containment experimental shots, marking more than two decades of precision operations, scientific advancement and collaboration in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) stockpile modernization programs. Since its first actinide experiment in 2003,…
Satellite pierces through space to discover unexpected winds and sloshing intergalactic gas
The X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA collaboration with European Space Agency (ESA) participation, was built to study the most extreme environments in the cosmos. From space, the satellite collects X-rays to probe the universe’s hottest regions, largest structures and strongest gravity wells. In four…
LLNL’s Rebecca Toomey recognized with Division of Nuclear Physics’ Distinguished Service Award
Rebecca Toomey, a postdoctoral research scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has been recognized with the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Nuclear Physics’ (DNP) Distinguished Service Award. The honor is intended to recognize those who have made substantial and extensive contributions to the nuclear physics community through the activities…
LZ dark matter experiment sets a world’s best and spots neutrinos from the sun’s core
There’s more to the universe than meets the eye. Dark matter, the invisible substance that accounts for 85 percent of the mass in the universe, is hiding all around us — and figuring out exactly what it is remains one of the biggest questions about how our world works. The newest results from LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) extend the experiment’s search for low-mass dark matter and set…
Undergraduate interns explore nuclear physics research at LLNL
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently helped launch a new internship program aimed at connecting with undergraduate students at two nearby California State University (CSU) campuses and inspiring them to consider a science-focused research career. The new program, which started in early 2025, involves multiple staff and postdocs from the Lab…
Energy-efficient process delivers rare-earth element for magnets
Neodymium is a rare-earth element essential for producing the strongest permanent magnets, which are widespread in defense technologies, hard drives, medical imaging devices, electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and more. Despite its designation in the U.S. as a critical material, neodymium is primarily mined and refined overseas. China controls much of the supply chain,…
Turning wastewater into valuable fertilizer
Almost half of the planet’s population depends on synthetic fertilizers to grow the food they eat. But that fertilizer comes at a cost — about two percent of the world’s energy budget. Improving efficiency and cutting costs of producing fertilizer would have big, global impacts. To that end, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are developing a…
LLNL conducts milestone nuclear survivability experiment at NIF, moving weapons modernization forward
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has conducted an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to assess the ability of U.S. nuclear weapons to survive encounters with adversary missile defenses and reach their targets. This experiment demonstrated a new capability to analyze nuclear materials under extreme conditions, advancing stockpile modernization…
From inception to ignition and beyond: Suhas Bhandarkar’s target fabrication career
Tiny parts and absolute meticulousness define Suhas Bhandarkar’s award-winning 20-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As group leader for Target Fabrication Science and Technology (S&T), he leads a team that helps transform LLNL’s physicists’ bold ideas into reality at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Bhandarkar’s path began with a B.S…
LLNL’s designs enable delivery of W80-4 subassembly First Production Unit ahead of schedule
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced the diamond stamping of the first production unit (FPU) of a canned subassembly (CSA) for the W80-4 Life Extension Program, achieved 18 months ahead of schedule at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As design agency for the W80-4, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)…
Meteorite samples are time capsules from the early solar system
When a meteor streaks across the sky, it’s not just beautiful. It’s nature’s way of delivering a time capsule to Earth. Contained within are hints about the very beginning of the solar system and how planets, including our own, formed. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist Thomas Kruijer and collaborators describe how meteorites tell the story of the…
Not all immune cells are created equal
Memory T cells are a special type of white blood cell that “remember” past infections and vaccines, helping our bodies to quickly respond if we encounter the same germs again. These cells are found throughout the body: some circulate in the blood, while others settle down as “residents” in tissues like the lungs, intestines and lymphoid organs (such as the spleen and lymph…
Researchers discover entirely new phase of ice
Water is weird. When ice cubes float at the top of a drink, they’re defying the norm. Solids are generally denser than liquids, so they sink. But because of its hydrogen bonds, water produces unusual and complex behaviors. Studying water ice and its various phases is crucial for understanding its strange properties. The knowledge is also critical for materials science,…
Mass spectrometry solves mysteries and unearths new questions in the Big Ideas Lab podcast
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are solving cold cases and rewriting our knowledge of human history. Find out how the measurements made at the Laboratory’s Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS) enable these feats on the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab, available on Apple and Spotify. CAMS is one of the most advanced and prestigious…
X-ray technique provides a new tool for nuclear forensics investigations
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are experts in nuclear forensics: the art and science of extracting information about the provenance and history of nuclear materials. Now, they have a new technique to add to their toolkit. In a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Materials, LLNL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists…
