Leveraging Science and Technology in the National Interest

A sampling of current projects at Lawrence Livermore demonstrates the many ways in which the Laboratory's science and technology support Department of Defense missions. These projects range from engineering and fabricating munitions and explosives to developing the advanced computer codes that optimize warhead design or assess their hazards. The Penetration Augmented Munition is a portable, multistage weapon that not only provides offensive capability for diminishing adversaries' mobility and capability but also gives U.S. soldiers an additional margin of security in a hostile encounter. Livermore's fiber-composite sabot makes weapons more lethal and is particularly effective in tank warfare. The GLO (global local optimizer) code optimizes the design of shaped-charge warheads, while the CHEETAH thermochemical code improves explosives formulation. CALE, a multiuse mechanical code, is used to help the Air Force assess missile launch site safety and in particular to predict hazards from propellant that falls to the ground when rockets misfire. ALE3D, now being upgraded, will increase the capability of codes to assess safety hazards.

The Revelations of Acoustic Waves

Lawrence Livermore researchers are developing advanced techniques for interpreting acoustic signals, focusing on complex algorithms that at times mimic the reasoning processes of the human brain. Three current acoustic signal-processing projects, involving heart valve classification, oil exploration, and large-structure analysis, demonstrate the wide range of acoustic signal usefulness. To determine whether an artificial heart valve is intact or needs replacing, a suite of Livermore algorithms sift through heart and body sounds to isolate the telltale signals of a faulty artificial heart valve. If successful, the new technique would spare patients from surgery to determine if their artificial valve needs replacement. Livermore experts and colleagues from Shell Oil are automating a key procedure used for locating undersea oil deposits. The procedure uses acoustic signals from underwater explosions that are detected by hydrophones. The project's goal is to reduce manual analysis of the signals to only about 0.1 percent of the data processed, thereby saving millions of dollars in oil exploration costs. Finally, a Livermore team is using acoustic wave vibrations to assess the integrity of several large structures in northern California. The goal is to develop a fast and reliable method to check for damage after earthquakes or other destructive events. A scale-model building at the Nevada Test Site is serving as a testbed for the project. of explosive detonation.

Research Highlight

Pulses of Light Make Faster Computers

and LLNL Disclaimers

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