News
News Releases Lab geophysicist discusses LDRD-funded project and earthquake triggering research on local radio stations
Mar. 17, 2010—Lab geophysicist Paul Johnson recently talked about research funded by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program that uses image reconstruction with time reversal mirrors. Johnson also talked about earthquake triggering research he and colleagues at Pennsylvania State University are currently conducting.
Speaking on Los Alamos radio station KRSN, Johnson noted that image reconstruction using time reversal mirrors has implications in earthquake, nondestructive testing of damaged materials and medical research.
In an interview on Santa Fe radio station KSFR, Johnson described an earthquake triggering machine at Penn State that mimics earthquakes in a lab. The research, he said, may one day be key to helping scientists develop early warning systems, which can be used as a precursor to large earthquakes.
Fast Facts
People
11,127 total employees
Los Alamos National Security, LLC 8,683
SOC Los Alamos (Guard Force) 419
Contractors 606
Students 1,101
Place
Located 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 36 square miles of DOE-owned property.
More than 2,000 individual facilities, including 47 technical areas with 8 million square feet under roof.
Replacement value of $5.9 billion
Budget FY 2012: Approx. $2.2 billion
57% Weapons programs
9% Nonproliferation programs
7% Safeguards and Security
8% Environmental Management
4% DOE Office of Science
4% Energy and other programs
11% Work for Others
Workforce Demographics (LANS and students only)
34% of employees live in Los Alamos, the remainder commute from Santa Fe,
Española, Taos, and Albuquerque.
Average Age: 46
70% male, 30% female
43% minorities
63% university degrees
· 23% hold undergraduate degrees
· 16% hold graduate degrees
· 24% have earned a Ph.D.
Major Awards
121 R&D100 awards since 1978
31 E.O. Lawrence Awards
The Seaborg Medal
The Edward Teller Medal
The Nobel Prize in Physics, Frederick Reines