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Physical and Life Sciences
A brighter future for the Jupiter Laser Facility
Since the 1970s, the Janus laser, now part of the Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF), has served as an experimental proving ground to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) laser and fusion programs and the broader high-energy-density and laser science communities. Today, JLF is not only home to Janus — one of the world’s few hands-on laser platforms producing…
LLNL scientists take new approach to understanding protein-membrane interactions
Proteins interacting with cell membranes play a vital role in countless biological processes, from how cells communicate to how they respond to external signals like hormones or medications. Understanding these interactions at a molecular level is crucial for advancing medicine, especially in designing drugs that target these proteins. A recent study, led by Lawrence…
Linking brain inflammation to long-COVID and other neurological conditions
Inflammation has long been linked to neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s) and psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression). More recently, long-COVID—a condition where symptoms persist long after the initial COVID-19 infection—has been associated with elevated levels of inflammation in the brain. People with long-COVID often report brain fog, memory problems, and…
Inspired by nature, proteins pick out mission-critical metals
Rare-earth elements are essential for many electronic, energy and advanced defense technologies. In particular, they are required for key national defense systems as well as permanent magnets in cell phones. However, most of the mining and processing of rare-earth elements happens in China, and establishing a domestic supply chain is a priority. Turns out, advanced…
Prominence of LLNL Laser Science on Display at NIF-JLF User Groups Meeting
This year’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Jupiter Laser Facility (JLF) User Groups Meeting, held from February 11–13, highlighted the progress made to capitalize on and sustain NIF’s capabilities as well as the scientific advancements made in JLF’s first full year of operations following a major refurbishment.
Lithium hydride for advanced technologies
A group of materials scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have made significant progress in developing a scalable and efficient method to produce dense lithium hydride (LiH), a material with immense potential for use in nuclear fusion, long-term human space travel, and thermal energy storage. In nuclear fusion, LiH has the potential to serve as a…
Mapping cosmic shear to illuminate dark energy
Gravitational lensing often evokes images of a cosmic funhouse mirror: duplicated galaxies, dramatic arcs and distorted shapes. But the web-like, large-scale structure throughout the universe also bends light in a weaker, less obvious way. This phenomenon, known as cosmic shear, can provide clues about the role of dark energy in shaping the universe. In a recent study…
Mimicking nature’s biological membrane channels
Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the University of Washington (UW) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have successfully designed and tested de novo (from the beginning) synthetic protein channels that mimic the natural precision of biological membrane pores. Their research, appearing on the front cover of the January 2025 issue…
‘Science on Saturday’ heads to Tracy in March
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL's) popular outreach series, “Science on Saturday,” will continue its programming in 2025 with the theme “Up in the Air” at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts in Tracy, California. Designed to engage middle- and high-school students, the event will take place on Saturday, March 22, starting at 10 a.m. and lasting for one…
Mapping immune cell response to Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus
Researchers in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Bioscience and Biotechnology Division have made significant progress in understanding how our immune systems respond to the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a highly infectious pathogen and weaponizable biothreat that causes neurological disease in humans. The research, published in Frontiers in…
Order to disorder: a closer look at icy surfaces
Much like a tongue freezes to a frigid metal pole, ice can cause speed up the adsorption, or stickiness, of molecules. An icy surface can also cause molecules to degrade in the presence of light, releasing trace gases. Before researchers can measure these reactions and incorporate their impacts in global atmospheric models, researchers first need to understand the…
Sizing up the ever-elusive neutrino
About 100 trillion neutrinos are passing through your body at this very second. The particles are the second most abundant form of matter in the universe (behind light), but they interact very, very rarely. That property makes them ideal objects for studying the fundamentals of quantum mechanics; however, it also complicates measurements. For example, neutrinos were…
Breaking down corrosion to predict failure and design stronger materials
You’ve seen the movie scene: dilapidated skyscrapers, collapsed bridges, and empty, shell-like cars in a post-apocalyptic city. While Hollywood imagines fictional causes for this decay, in reality, the culprit is far more mundane: corrosion. Corrosion costs trillions of dollars globally, with up to three percent of the U.S. GDP spent on failing materials. New research from…
Research provides insights into aluminum’s optical properties
Aluminum is an important material for a variety of scientific and technological applications, including plasma physics, astrophysics, semiconductor photolithography, and instrumentation for short wavelengths (ultraviolet [UV], extreme ultraviolet [EUV], and x-ray). Despite this common use—and a wealth of experimental data about aluminum—there is still a lack of accurate…
LLNL to examine exoplanet atmospheres with high-performance computing
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the largest, most powerful and most complex telescope ever launched into space. Three years into its operations, JWST is revolutionizing our understanding of planets beyond our own solar system by collecting rich datasets on the atmospheres of these far-away worlds. However, data alone is not enough to understand our…
Big Ideas Lab unlocks the secrets of drug discovery through supercomputing and AI
In the world of medicine, the journey from ancient practices to modern pharmaceuticals is both fascinating and complex. The latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab podcast delves into the evolution of drug discovery, and how cutting-edge computing technologies and industry partnerships are transforming the way we develop life-saving medications. Historically, the quest for…
Assessing groundwater contamination risks near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
As the war in Ukraine continues, the risk of environmental disasters grows, particularly around critical infrastructure like the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). LLNL and collaborators recently conducted a study, published in ACS EST Water, to assess the vulnerability of groundwater contamination in the region surrounding the nuclear power plant, using a model…
Four LLNL teams to attend Energy I-Corps Cohort 20
In a record setting year for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), four teams of LLNL researchers will attend the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy I-Corps (EIC) Cohort 20 this spring. The EIC is a key initiative of the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions, and facilitated at LLNL by Hannah Farquar from the Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO). Established…
Quantum computers successfully model particle scattering
Scattering takes place across the universe at large and miniscule scales. Billiard balls clank off each other in bars, the nuclei of atoms collide to power the stars and create heavy elements, and even sound waves deviate from their original trajectory when they hit particles in the air. Understanding such scattering can lead to discoveries about the forces that govern the…
New program aims to fast-track energetic materials education for researchers
More than 80 physicists, chemists, material scientists and engineers participated in a new educational program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) during 2024, developed and delivered by the Lab’s energetic materials experts. As hiring at LLNL accelerated in recent years, Lab leaders recognized the growing need to provide specialized training for newer members…
