Back
Physical and Life Sciences
Lab-Johns Hopkins team tapped to work on possible NASA effort to explore asteroid
Two LLNL scientists are part of a scientific team that has been chosen as one of five finalists for a possible NASA Discovery Program mission.The two Livermore scientists, physicist Morgan Burks and nuclear engineer Lena Heffern, a graduate student, are teamed with researchers from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) on a proposal to explore a…
An X-Ray Eye on Universes
Answers to many scientific mysteries lie in realms invisible to the human eye. Clues to some of the most fundamental questions in astronomy, cosmology, and nuclear science lurk in sections of the electromagnetic spectrum outside the small slice of wavelengths one can see.
Seven Lawrence Livermore researchers named 2015 fellows of the American Physical Society
Seven Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have been selected as 2015 fellows of the American Physical Society (APS).The new fellows represent a wide selection of physics expertise, ranging from laser-plasma interaction to optical techniques to computational condensed matter. APS fellowships are awarded after extensive review and are considered a…
Lab scientists discover five new nuclei
Lawrence Livermore scientists, in conjunction with international researchers, have discovered five new atomic nuclei to be added the chart of nuclides.The study, conducted this fall, focuses on developing new methods of synthesis for super heavy elements. The newly discovered, exotic nuclei are one isotope each of heavy elements berkelium, neptunium and uranium and two…
David Bader elected fellow of AMS
Climate scientist David Bader has been elected a fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS).Election to the grade of AMS fellow recognizes outstanding contributions to advance atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications and services for the benefit of society."I feel honored to have been recognized by my peers, which I believe is the most…
NNSA fellowship in honor of Ian Hutcheon
The Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) has established a fellowship in honor of the late Ian Hutcheon, a longtime employee of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This fellowship will be a two-year assignment as a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) in support of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Division of Nuclear Security."To the nuclear…
Event honors 20 years of Stockpile Stewardship
The proven success of the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) – which pushed the limits of modern science and engineering by requiring the transition from explosive nuclear weapons testing to what is effectively virtual nuclear testing – was celebrated Wednesday at a half-day public event hosted by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)…
Marginal soil can make for good biofuel crops
Switchgrass, a perennial native to the tallgrass prairie, is one of the most promising bioenergy crops in the United States, with potential to provide high-yield biomass on marginal soils unsuitable for traditional agricultural crops.New research by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, UC Berkeley, the University of Oklahoma, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and…
Rare earths advance search for unified theory
Rare earth elements are used in computer hard drives, electric motors and to generate and amplify the lasers at Lawrence Livermore’s National Ignition Facility (NIF). Future applications may include serving as memory for a quantum computer or the basis for ultrastable clocks. In recent work by LLNL scientist Michael Hohensee and colleagues, the team shows that the…
It's solid: storing hydrogen in a new form
As part of a tri-lab consortium, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers will develop tools and understanding necessary for designing new solid-state materials for storing hydrogen gas.Storage of hydrogen onboard vehicles is one of the critical enabling technologies for hydrogen-fueled transportation systems that can reduce oil dependency and mitigate the long…
Better fluorescent lighting through physics
General Electric (GE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created new kinds of fluorescent lighting phosphors that use far less rare-earth elements than current technology.Rare-earth elements are hard to come by. The United States has access to a limited amount of rare-earth elements and relies on imports.Today the…
Thermite Research Heats Up
Energetic materials—explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics—are substances that store and release large amounts of chemical energy. They are made by either physically mixing solid oxidizers and fuels to produce a composite energetic material, such as gunpowder, or by creating a molecule that contains both oxidizing and fuel components, such as TNT.
Plant debris decomposition tied to manganese
The decomposition of plant debris (litter) is a fundamental process that regulates the release of nutrients for plant growth and the formation of soil organic matter in forest ecosystems.A strong correlation has previously been observed between litter manganese (Mn) content and decomposition rates across a variety of forest ecosystems. However, the mechanisms underlying Mn…
New 'stealth dark matter' theory may explain mystery of the universe's missing mass
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists have come up with a new theory that may identify why dark matter has evaded direct detection in Earth-based experiments.A group of national particle physicists known as the Lattice Strong Dynamics Collaboration, led by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory team, has combined theoretical and computational physics…
Research lends new view of the Earth's core
There is more oxygen in the core of Earth than originally thought.Lawrence Livermore geologist Rick Ryerson and international colleagues discovered some new findings about Earth’s core and mantle by considering their geophysical and geochemical signatures together.This research provides insight into the origins of Earth’s formation.Based on the higher oxygen concentration…
Carbon research may boost nanoelectronics
The smallest of electronics could one day have the ability to turn on and off at an atomic scale.Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have investigated a way to create linear chains of carbon atoms from laser-melted graphite. The material, called carbyne, could have a number of novel properties, including the ability to adjust the amount of electrical current…
LLNL researcher takes aim at solar-cell reliability
A Lawrence Livermore National Lab engineer has been awarded $570,000 through the Department of Energy SunShot Initiative to explore spectroscopic technology as a means of detecting moisture buildup in solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. Over the next two years, Mihail Bora, a Materials Engineering Division (MED) research team member at the Lab, will try to prove that spectral…
Nerine Cherepy and Michael Pivovaroff elected senior members of optics and photonics society
LLNL researchers Nerine Cherepy and Michael Pivovaroff are among the 171 new senior members of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. Cherepy is being recognized for her "achievements in discovery and development of new scintillator materials and detectors," and Pivovaroff for his "achievements in design, fabrication and use of reflective X-ray optics."…
Construction to begin on world's largest camera
The Department of Energy has approved the start of construction for a 3.2-gigapixel digital camera — the world’s largest — for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).The construction milestone, known as Critical Decision 3, is the last major approval decision before the acceptance of the finished camera. Construction of the telescope was previously approved by the…
Lab scientist receives chemical society award
Laboratory geochemist Annie Kersting, who serves as the director of the Lab’s Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, has been selected to receive the 2016 American Chemical Society’s Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal for distinguished service to chemistry.The medal recognizes outstanding scientific achievement, leadership and service to chemistry by women and is a national award…
