News Releases - 2008
New airport liquid analysis system undergoes testing at Albuquerque International Sunport
A new tool that distinguishes potential-threat liquids from the harmless shampoos and sodas a regular traveler might take aboard an aircraft. - 12/16/08
Study finds radioactivity around Los Alamos largely due to natural sources
The study was subsequently peer reviewed externally by scientists at Colorado State University and internally within the Lab. - 12/10/08
Brain Teasers traveling exhibit opens at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Bradbury Science Museum
The interactive exhibit is a collection of more than 20 puzzles and mind benders. - 12/4/08
Laboratory announces 2008 Fellows
Robert C. Albers, Paul A. Johnson and Kurt E. Sickafus recognized for contributions. - 12/4/08
Laboratory names new deputy director
Isaac “Ike” Richardson has been selected to be the new deputy director, effective February 1, 2009. - 11/25/08
Los Alamos National Laboratory ships last of high-activity drums to WIPP
The November shipment was the final delivery this year to the Carlsbad plant, which is scheduled to undergo facility maintenance through mid-January. - 11/25/08
Los Alamos observatory fingers cosmic ray ‘hot spots’
The research calls into question nearly a century of understanding about galactic magnetic fields near our solar system. - 11/24/08
Los Alamos scientists see new mechanism for superconductivity
Researchers have posited an explanation for superconductivity that may open the door to the discovery of new, unconventional forms of superconductivity. - 11/24/08
Los Alamos National Laboratory employees and LANS partner to record $2 million in pledges for local United Way programs
The employee contributions along with the LANS match support the United Way of Northern New Mexico, United Way of Santa Fe County and other qualifying nonprofit organizations. - 11/20/08
Los Alamos supercomputer remains fastest in world
The latest list of the TOP500 computers in the world continued to place the Roadrunner supercomputer as fastest in the world running the LINPACK benchmark. - 11/18/08
HIV vaccine research focus of Laboratory-sponsored talk
Ruy Ribeiro talk explores the mechanisms of HIV infection, puts them in the context of vaccine development, and summarizes current efforts to date to create an effective HIV vaccine. - 11/13/08
Lab contractor awards LANL Foundation $3 million
To provide educational enrichment and educational outreach funding for a wide variety of education programs in the seven Northern New Mexico counties. - 10/29/08
Los Alamos imager aboard IBEX space mission
This is the first in a new series of talks that will focus on the emerging scientific field of quantitative biology. - 10/17/08
Where do dogs come from?
This is the first in a new series of talks that will focus on the emerging scientific field of quantitative biology - 10/16/08
Laboratory awards subcontracts to small businesses
A company owned and operated by Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo will soon be providing custodial support services to the Lab. - 10/15/08
Lab grants Decision Sciences Corporation exclusive commercial license for muon tomography
Muon tomography uses naturally occurring cosmic-ray muons to detect and identify concealed nuclear threat materials based on their atomic number and density. - 10/7/08
Laboratory begins environmental sampling in townsite
Environmental assessment of areas that have been or could have been affected by Laboratory operations from the days of the Manhattan Project to the early 1970s. - 9/25/08
Smithsonian’s Museum Day at Bradbury Science Museum
Museum Day is when museums and cultural institutions across the nation open their doors free of charge to Smithsonian magazine subscribers and Smithsonian.com visitors. - 9/22/08
Los Alamos shares Nano 50 award for directed assembly
Nano 50 Awards recognize “the top 50 technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted, or will impact, the development of nanotechnology.” - 9/3/08
Lab announces selection of partner for Venture Acceleration initiative
The initiative is a pilot program aimed at strategically spinning off technology-based companies from the Lab with emphasis on establishing new businesses in Northern New Mexico. - 9/2/08
Magnetism and superconductivity observed to exist in harmony
Physicists have observed, for the first time in a single exotic phase, a situation where magnetism and superconductivity are necessary for each other’s existence. - 8/28/08
Approaches to renewable energy storage focus of Frontiers in Science talk
Albert Migliori will give the series of public talks, titled, “Use It, Lose It, or Save It: The Science of Renewable Energy Storage.” - 8/21/08
Los Alamos National Security, LLC helps fund Domenici Scholarship
The monies will be used to provide seven annual scholarships, one for each of the seven counties that the LANL Foundation serves. - 8/14/08
Networks of the Future: Extending our senses into the physical world
The picture of a future with wireless sensor networks is quickly coming into sharper focus through the work of Laboratory computer scientist Sami Ayyorgun. - 8/13/08
Lab scientists shed light on heavy electrons
Their findings hold the potential to provide new insight into superconductivity that could dramatically change the efficiency, for example, of power generation and storage. - 7/31/08
Ancient galactic magnetic fields stronger than expected
With powerful telescopes and sophisticated measurements, the team probed back in time to see the ancient universe as it existed some 8 to 9 billion years ago. - 7/23/08
Builders place final beam in first phase of CMRR Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Austin Commercial Contractors LP of Dallas received the “design-build” contract. - 7/22/08
Lab partners with local company to market protein technology
Theranostech Inc. honed its skills in protein purification by developing an efficient test for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). - 7/14/08
Laboratory hosts 12th annual HAZMAT Challenge
Teams from New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona will demonstrate their hazardous materials response skills and learn new HAZMAT techniques under realistic conditions in a safe environment. - 7/14/08
Electronic structure of superconductivity refined
A team of physicists propose a new model that expands on a little understood aspect of the electronic structure in high-temperature superconductors. - 7/10/08
Lab seeks ideas for Venture Acceleration Fund
The fund will provide investments of up to $100,000 to facilitate projects with regional entrepreneurs, companies, investors, or strategic partners. - 7/9/08
Los Alamos National Laboratory, LANS develop new mentor-protégé agreements
LANS, LLC recently entered into mentor-protégé agreements with North Wind, Inc. and Performance Maintenance Inc. - 7/8/08
Los Alamos National Laboratory technologies capture prestigious R&D 100 awards
Winning Laboratory projects are the 3-D Tracking Microscope and Laser-Weave technology. - 7/3/08
Astronomy Days lectures begin July 8 at Bradbury Science Museum
Didier Saumon leads off the series with a talk about extrasolar planets and brown dwarf stars. - 7/2/08
Roadrunner supercomputer puts research at a new scale
Los Alamos researchers are using the computer to mimic extremely complex neurological processes. - 6/12/08
Lab seeks Venture Acceleration initiative partners
The Venture Acceleration Initiative is a pilot program to strategically spin off from the Lab start-up companies with emphasis on establishing new businesses in northern New Mexico. - 6/9/08
Los Alamos Biosafety Committee will hold meeting June 10
The committee is responsible for reviewing and approving all proposals, activities, and experiments involving an organism or product of an organism that presents a risk to humans. - 6/5/08
Battling bird flu by the numbers
Lab theorists have developed a mathematical tool that could help health experts and crisis managers determine in real time whether an emerging infectious disease such as avian influenza H5N1 is poised to spread globally. - 5/27/08
Bomb squads saddle-up for Robot Rodeo
Rodeo events include a fun obstacle course and tests of skill, finesse, and endurance for both robot and operator. - 5/15/08
Turning fungus into fuel
A spidery fungus with a voracious appetite for military uniforms and canvas tents could hold the key to improvements in the production of biofuels. - 5/4/08
Albuquerque duo wins Supercomputing Challenge
Erika DeBenedictis and Tony Huang captured the top prize during the 2008 New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge award ceremony. - 4/22/08
Laboratory to host Supercomputing Challenge April 21-22
The goal is to increase knowledge of science and computing; expose students and teachers to computers and applied mathematics; and instill enthusiasm for science in middle- and high-school students. - 4/16/08
Continental breakup and the dawn of humankind
In the newest “Frontiers in Science” lecture series, geologist Giday WoldeGabriel will discuss the intriguing fossil findings from an African rift valley. - 3/31/08
Los Alamos technology to be featured on CSI: NY
The multipurpose “sampler gun” rapidly collects and tracks radiological, chemical, and biological samples in solid, liquid, or gaseous forms. - 3/27/08
Los Alamos technologies help scientists detect, record & interpret ‘monster’ burst of gamma rays
The burst was detected by NASA's Swift satellite. - 3/21/08
Los Alamos National Laboratory medical plan to cover PMC services
United Healthcare has agreed to retroactively treat Physicians Medical Center of Santa Fe (PMC) as an in-network facility. - 3/13/08
Language of a fly proves surprising
Researchers has developed a novel way to view the world through the eyes of a common fly and partially decode the insect’s reactions to changes in the world around it. - 3/10/08
Saturn’s moon rhea sports a dusty halo
Cassini is carrying among its instruments a pair of ion-mass and ion-beam spectrometers built by Los Alamos National Laboratory. - 3/6/08
Girls learn about careers in math and science
Expanding Your Horizons is designed to introduce girls to a variety of careers that require math and science backgrounds, and to stress the importance of taking math and science classes during high school. - 3/5/08
Satellite stories featured in Lab lecture series
Space adventures will be featured in the upcoming Frontiers in Science lecture series “Small Satellites on a Shoestring: The LANL Experience.” - 2/14/08
Synthetic fuel concept to steal CO2 from air
Lab has developed a low-risk, transformational concept, called Green Freedom™, for large-scale production of carbon-neutral, sulfur-free fuels and organic chemicals from air and water. - 2/12/08
Los Alamos wins 2008 Pollution Prevention awards
Winner of two Best-in-Class Pollution Prevention awards and six Environmental Stewardship awards from the National Nuclear Security Administration. - 2/7/08
Laboratory disputes citizens’ lawsuit
Lab officials expressed surprise to a lawsuit alleging noncompliance with the federal Clean Water Act filed today by citizens groups. - 2/7/08
Los Alamos National Laboratory to begin DARHT 2 operations
The Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility has officially become “dual” with authorization to begin full power operations of Axis 2. - 1/29/08
Los Alamos names new head of stockpile manufacturing and support
Carl Beard is the new associate director for stockpile manufacturing and support. Beard has held this position in an acting capacity since June 2007. - 1/22/08
Earthquake 'memory' could spur aftershocks
Los Alamos researcher and his colleagues have shown that seismic waves can induce earthquake aftershocks, often long after a quake has subsided. - 1/3/08
News Releases - 2008
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Fast Facts
People
Total employees,
10,402
Los Alamos National Security, LLC, 6,929
SOC Los Alamos (Guard Force), 396
Contractors, 349
Students, 889
Post doctoral researchers, 427
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 $9.8 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
—67%
male, 33% female
—44% minorities
—67% university degrees
—26% hold undergraduate degrees
—18% hold master’s degrees
—23% have earned a PhD
Major Awards
124 R&D100 awards since 1978
31 E.O. Lawrence Awards
The Seaborg Medal
The Edward Teller Medal
The Nobel Prize in Physics, Frederick Reines
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Video
Music and math at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory employees belong to no fewer than 18 musical performance groups. We find out what draws these scientists and engineer...
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