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Nuclear, Chem, and Isotopic S&T
LLNL hosts Nuclear Science and Security Consortium workshop
Once a year, a community of university professors, students and national lab researchers who focus on nuclear science and security gather to share research updates and develop collaborations, among other tasks. The group — known as the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC) — recently held its workshop at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The NSSC…
Three LLNL scientists honored with presidential early-career award
In an announcement this week, President Biden awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) to nearly 400 distinguished scientists and engineers, recognizing their exceptional contributions and potential for leadership in their research fields. Among the honorees are three distinguished researchers from Lawrence Livermore National…
'Lighting' up antineutrino detection
How do you find and measure nuclear particles, like antineutrinos, that travel near the speed of light? Antineutrinos are the antimatter partner of a neutrino, one of nature’s most elusive and least understood subatomic particles. They are commonly observed near nuclear reactors, which emit copious amounts of antineutrinos, but they also are found abundantly throughout the…
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…
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…
LLNL marks milestone with NNSA acceptance of first digital product, Nightwatch
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has accepted Nightwatch, the first digital product developed and produced by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The acceptance of the digital product — or software or firmware set to be integrated into the nuclear stockpile — was celebrated with a recent ceremonial “stamping” event, marking its compliance with…
All ears on the Big Ideas Lab podcast
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has big ideas and is showing the world in the Big Ideas Lab weekly podcast that takes listeners behind the fences and into its heart. “This is where big ideas come to life,” said Lab Director Kim Budil. “To do this, we bring together dynamic teams of many different disciplines — laser physicists and materials scientists and…
Experiment sets new record in search for dark matter
Figuring out the nature of dark matter, the invisible substance that makes up most of the mass in our universe, is one of the greatest puzzles in physics. New results from the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector, LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ), have narrowed down possibilities for one of the leading dark matter candidates: weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs. LZ, led…
Unveiling Bennu asteroid samples
Now at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) lies a piece of ancient history. Very ancient history. The material, at just 120 milligrams, will provide information about the early solar system, planetary formation, and potentially, even ingredients for life on ancient Earth. LLNL scientists recently received and will analyze samples from the asteroid Bennu that will…
Unravelling the chemistry of heavy elements
Molecular compounds with heavy elements, like americium, curium and others can now be synthesized in a streamlined and efficient way thanks to a new technique developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers. The new pathway can help scientists perform serial chemistry with radioactive elements and could be used to speed up R&D for nuclear waste…
Nano-confinement may be key to improving hydrogen production
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have discovered a new mechanism that can boost the efficiency of hydrogen production through water splitting. This research, published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, was featured on the journal cover and provides new insights into the behavior of water reactivity and proton transfer under extreme…
LLNL gamma-ray sensor has the best resolution
It’s official. An instrument designed and built by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers is the highest-resolution gamma ray sensor that has ever flown in space. The Livermore high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma ray sensor is an essential part of a larger gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) built in collaboration with researchers from Johns Hopkins Applied…
Lab scientist wins Springer Thesis Award for work in neutrino research
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) postdoc Sam Hedges has won a 2024 Springer Thesis Award for his work in searching for the elusive neutrino. “I’m honored that my thesis was nominated for this award, and was excited when I found out it had won,” Hedges said. His thesis, “Low Energy Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions at the Spallation Neutron Source," highlights the…
Hot stuff: A new thermal pathway for a high explosive
TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) is an important explosive compound because of its extensive use in munitions and world-wide weapons systems. Despite its importance, researchers have been trying to understand its response to temperature extremes for the past 50 years. A Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) team has uncovered a new thermal decomposition…
Migration of elements found in nuclear waste may get a boost from natural proteins
Past and present nuclear activities (energy, research and weapon tests) have increased the need to understand the behavior of radioactive materials in the environment. Nuclear wastes containing actinides (such as plutonium, americium, curium and neptunium) are particularly problematic as they remain radioactive and toxic for thousands of years. However, when compared to…
PROSPECTing new perspective on reactor-produced neutrinos
While neutrinos are one of the most common particles in the universe, their elusive nature makes it challenging to understand their behavior. In new research from the Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum (PROSPECT) Experiment, scientists have produced final results from measurements of neutrinos emitted by a nuclear reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Their…
Rewetting of a seasonally dry California grassland soil helps microbe-preying viruses thrive
Beneath the Earth's surface, a relentless conflict unfolds as soil viruses prey on their tiny microbial hosts, fundamentally shaping our planet's ecosystems. New research from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and their collaborators at the University of California, Berkeley illuminates a fascinating phenomenon: the demise of soil bacteria and other…
Radiochemistry intern digs deep to prevent the spread of nuclear waste
The groundbreaking discoveries and scientific advancements that take place at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and across the broader national laboratory system rely on the passage of information from tenured staff scientists to new interns and early career scientists. This past summer, Zachary (Zach) Murphy, a Ph.D. student studying chemistry at the…
Lab instrument now on two-billion-mile journey to the metallic asteroid Psyche
An instrument designed and built by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers departed Earth last week on a two-billion-mile, nearly six-year journey through space to explore a rare, largely metal asteroid. The Livermore high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray sensor is an essential part of a larger gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) built in collaboration with…
All eyes on Miguel Cisneros
Miguel Cisneros is a first-generation Mexican American whose journey in life has taken him to explore and navigate the unknown fearlessly. Growing up, Cisneros was an only child who welcomed new adventures. His interest in exploring new experiences and places is something he continues to do to this day. Cisneros’ parents migrated from Mexico to the United States for a…
