ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Climate change can alter extreme weather events, and these events have the potential to strain, disrupt or damage the nation’s grid. Sandia National Laboratories computer scientists have been working on an innovative computer model to help grid operators quickly restore power to the grid after a complete disruption, a process called “black […]
Tag Archives: LDRD
Sandia nuclear physicist selected fellow of AAAS
January 13, 2021 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Susan Seestrom, associate laboratories director for advanced science and technology and chief research officer at Sandia National Laboratories, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The physicist was cited “for her pathbreaking work in nuclear physics, especially using ultra cold neutrons, and her leadership, both […]
Materials developed at Sandia help extinguish solar panel fires before they ignite
November 19, 2020 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — As solar panels become popular and their voltages increase, there is a need to have built-in capabilities to extinguish fires caused by arc-faults, which are high-power discharges of electricity that can create explosions or flash events due to damaged wires. Sandia National Laboratories researcher Kenny Armijo has spent 10 years working alongside […]
How to multitask when nuclear nonproliferation is on the line
September 29, 2020 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New cognitive science research from Sandia National Laboratories shows that while maps can help someone identify landmarks while being escorted, using one also limits situational awareness and knowledge of surroundings not highlighted on the map. This finding is one of several coming from a three-year project that paired cognitive scientists and international […]
Armoring satellites to survive and operate through attacks
October 21, 2019 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Satellites do a lot of things — they help people navigate from one place to another, they deliver television programming, they search for new stars and exo-planets and they enable the U.S. nuclear deterrence strategy. But until recently, one thing they haven’t done — or needed to do — is defend themselves. […]
Containing a nuclear accident with ground-up minerals
September 30, 2019 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are developing a promising new way to prevent the spread of radioactive contamination and contain the hot molten mass that develops within a nuclear reactor during a catastrophic accident. During a three-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development project, a team of scientists discovered and patented a process […]
Seeing infrared: Sandia’s nanoantennas help detectors see more heat, less noise
September 16, 2019 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed tiny, gold antennas to help cameras and sensors that “see” heat deliver clearer pictures of thermal infrared radiation for everything from stars and galaxies to people, buildings and items requiring security. In a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project, a team of researchers developed a nanoantenna-enabled […]
Sandia’s robotic work cell conducts high-throughput testing ‘in an instant’
June 11, 2018 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Today with 3D printing you can make almost anything in a matter of hours. However, making sure that part works reliably takes weeks or even months. Until now. Sandia National Laboratories has designed and built a six-sided work cell, similar to a circular desk, with a commercial robot at its center that […]
Sandia measurements expert named Asian American Engineer of the Year
April 10, 2018 – 5:00 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories senior scientist Hy Tran has been named a 2018 Asian American Engineer of the Year. The award is sponsored by the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA to salute Asian-American professionals in science, technology, engineering and math who demonstrate exceptional leadership, technical achievements and public service. “I am both deeply humbled […]
Three Sandia engineers recognized for contributions to advancing women in STEM
October 24, 2017 – 11:30 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Three Sandia National Laboratories engineers have been recognized by the Society of Women Engineers as part of its annual awards program for their support in the enrichment and advancement of women in engineering. Janet Williams won the Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes members who have made significant contributions to SWE for at […]
New brain-inspired cybersecurity system detects ‘bad apples’ 100 times faster
March 21, 2017 – 8:20 am
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Cybersecurity is critical — for national security, corporations and private individuals. Sophisticated cybersecurity systems excel at finding “bad apples” in computer networks, but they lack the computing power to identify the threats directly. Instead, they look for general indicators of an attack; call them “apples.” Or the system flags very specific patterns, […]
Super plants need super ROOTS
February 28, 2017 – 12:30 pm
Sandia Labs will adapt technology to monitor plant health and breed better crops ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Agriculture consumes about 80 percent of all U.S. water. Making fertilizers uses 1 to 2 percent of all the world’s energy each year. A new program hopes to develop better crops — super plants that are drought-resistant, use less […]
Sandia storing information securely in DNA
July 11, 2016 – 7:25 am
Sandia researchers explore a biologically inspired information storage system ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider generate 15 million gigabytes of data per year. That is a lot of digital data to inscribe on hard drives or beam up to the “cloud.” George Bachand, a Sandia National Laboratories bioengineer at the Center for […]