Sandia Research is a new quarterly magazine highlighting Sandia's cutting-edge research and technology.
July 2016
“Sandia Labs is all about people. It takes the best and brightest to push the boundaries of science and engineering to new places. One tool to inspire research pioneers is Laboratory Directed Research and Development, which gives them the resources to explore the frontiers of possibility. We hire exceptional people and want to give them the opportunity to use their genius and creativity to find new ways to solve problems. The research freedoms offered by LDRD can launch a scientist to another level of accomplishment. Meet some of our most brilliant and interesting people on these pages.”
— Andy McIlroy Deputy Chief Technology Officer Director, Research Strategy & Partnerships
"This issue of Sandia Research marks an important milestone in the history of Sandia and the other Department of Energy national laboratories. On Nov. 5, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY1991, establishing the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. The act authorized the laboratories to allocate a portion of their budgets toward innovative research and development that serves to maintain their scientific and technical vitality. In the ensuing 25 years, the LDRD program has played a vital role in our national security and defense and has led to an impressive array of technological advances, awards, patents and publications."
"The goal of Sandia’s bioscience work is to analyze, understand and control the functions of biological systems to meet national security challenges in biodefense, emerging infectious disease and energy security. For example, Sandia conducts research directed at helping defend against infectious disease outbreaks — such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa — and bioterrorism, which have the potential to threaten human health, the economy and global security and stability."
— Malin Young Director, Biological & Engineering Sciences Center
"In this issue of Sandia Research, you will see how Sandia continues to push the limits of engineering through the development of sophisticated predictive capabilities. As seen in the cover story, this requires the integration of physics discovery using advanced diagnostics and experimentation, physics model development, and advanced computational tools and methods that are validated and applied to support critical design decisions and product qualification. Another story looks into the quest by a team of Sandia researchers to ensure the accuracy of the computations relative to actual experimental data. As the team’s manager says, the work is fundamental to the lab’s technical foundation and the fulfillment of its unique national security mission."
— Justine Johannes Director, Engineering Sciences Center
"In this issue, you will learn about the amazing capabilities of the Z Machine and the critical work it performs: ensuring the stockpile stewardship program has the data needed on material properties at the extreme conditions found in nuclear weapons; examining heat travel from the Sun’s center to its surface; investigating the existence of water on planets within and beyond our solar system; and resolving the age of white dwarf stars, which could determine the age of the universe itself. The long-term future of high energy density science is discussed, including our work on magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF), a new and exciting approach to fusion, which, if successful, could eventually lead to high-yield fusion in the laboratory. You will also read about other important research tools, including the Qualification Alternative to Sandia Pulsed Reactor (QASPR), and meet some of the nation’s great scientists and engineers who are conducting this extraordinary research.”
“This issue shows how Sandia is moving ideas from concept to reality. In it you will meet some of the nation’s great scientists and engineers who are making that happen. You will see how Sandia is laying the groundwork for quantum computing through its work on three Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Grand Challenges. You will also see how Sandia is exploring the rapidly evolving area of light-matter interactions and is working to develop neuro-inspired computers for a variety of applications, from tracking and sensing to detecting patterns or anomalies in large complex data sets. Sandia performs this work and much more with a variety of partners to fulfill our vital national security mission.”
"In this fourth issue of Sandia Research, we've assembled a number of articles to give you a window into materials science research at Sandia, and a peek at some of the high-tech tools we develop and use. You'll also meet several of our leading materials researchers. From predicting materials performance at the nano and mesoscale to understanding hydrogen embrittlement to developing next generation semiconductor materials, our materials scientists participate in and have impact across the research-to-development-to-application spectrum."
"In this issue, we give readers a window into our portfolio of geoscience work that spans fundamental research to high-tech applications. The cover story shows the breadth of our research and the accompanying pieces introduce you to some of our researchers and the leading-edge projects they are working on. Geoscience expertise is essential to the safety and security of the United States and its citizens. We hope you see why in these pages."
"Much of the current national security enterprise has come to rely on the exponential increase of computer performance commonly referred to as Moore's Law. In this issue, we give readers the opportunity to learn about the important cutting-edge work we are doing in the beyond-Moore arena. We also showcase our award-winning modeling code Xyce and discuss the many networking and interface problems our researchers are tackling."
— Robert (Rob) W. Leland Director, Computing and Information Sciences Research Foundation
"With this issue, we are excited to debut Sandia Research as a window into the scientific work that forms the basis of our national security mission. We spotlight the cutting-edge research performed in the Labs' seven research foundations: Bioscience, Computing and Information Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Geoscience, Materials Science, Nanodevices and Microsystems, and Radiation Effects and High Energy Density Science. In addition, readers will meet some of the talented scientists who find solutions to the critical issues facing our nation."
— J. Stephen Rottler Chief Technology Officer and Vice President Science, Technology and Engineering Research Foundations
