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Supercomputer simulations of blast waves on the brain are being...

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:23:33 -0500

Supercomputer simulations of blast waves on the brain are being compared with clinical studies of veterans suffering from mild traumatic brain injuries by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories and University of New Mexico. The intent is to help improve helmet designs.

About the photo:

Each millimeter square in this model represents the type of tissue in that square. Sandia and UNM researchers are comparing supercomputer simulations of the physical effects of blast waves on the brain with Ford’s analyses of patients who have suffered such injuries. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

US, Kazakhstan commission radiation detection systems aimed at preventing nuclear smuggling

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:51:10 -0500

NNSA and the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee recently held a ceremony to commission the specialized radiation detection equipment at Astana International Airport. The ceremony recognized the effective ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and the Republic of Kazakhstan, along with the generous financial contributions from New Zealand, Norway and the Republic of Korea.

NNSA completes milestones for initial steps in plutonium disposition

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:47:41 -0500

NNSA announced that it recently completed two milestones towards production of early plutonium oxide feedstock for its Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. In its second year in production, NNSA exceeded the FY 2012 goal of 200 kilograms of plutonium oxide production by disassembling nuclear weapons pits and converting them into plutonium oxide at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). NNSA also initiated operations at H-Canyon and HB-Line at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to begin plutonium oxide production. The oxide production at both LANL and SRS provides the initial feedstock for the MOX facility and demonstrates the first steps towards permanent plutonium disposition.

NNSA’s Sequoia supercomputer, housed at Lawrence Livermore...

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:30:22 -0500

NNSA’s Sequoia supercomputer, housed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is ready to shake out and fully develop its capabilities required to fulfill its national security missions, starting early next year.

http://1.usa.gov/StPqLs

Kansas City Plant reaches on-time, on-budget milestone with lease transfer of National Security Campus

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:40:47 -0500

NNSA reached an important transformation milestone today with the successful on-time, on-budget occupancy transfer of the LEED Gold National Security Campus in Kansas City, Missouri. As the first step in moving out of a Cold War-era complex, NNSA will start paying the lease on the green manufacturing facility under a unique private/governmental partnership.

NNSA delivers all scheduled W76-1 units to Navy for 2012

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:40:34 -0500

NNSA announced today that it delivered all of its scheduled W76-1 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile warhead units to the Navy in FY 2012.

NNSA Awards Agreement to Establish Non-HEU-Based Production of Molybdenum-99 in US

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 12:37:39 -0500

NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative announced today the award of a cooperative agreement to further accelerate the establishment of accelerator-based technology to produce the critical medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) in the U.S. The agreement with NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, is important to ensuring a reliable domestic supply of Mo-99 for U.S. patients, produced without the use of highly enriched uranium.

Criticality safety expert Michaele C. “Mikey” Brady Raap, from...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:36:55 -0500

Criticality safety expert Michaele C. “Mikey” Brady Raap, from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was recently appointed a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Criticality Safety Support Group (CSSG). The CSSG supports the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program by providing operational and technical expertise involving experiments, nuclear data, methods, training, organizational structures and criticality safety evaluations. As a CSSG member, She will provide technical support to DOE missions including stockpile stewardship, materials stabilization, transportation, storage, facilities decommissioning and waste disposal.

Jolie A. Cizewski of Rutgers University has been selected as the...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:00:11 -0500

Jolie A. Cizewski of Rutgers University has been selected as the Woman Physicist of the Month for November by the American Physical Society (APS). She is the director of NNSA’s Stewardship Science Academic Alliance (SSAA) Center of Excellence for Radioactive Ion Beam Studies for Stewardship Science and has served in that capacity since 2003. The Center conducts leading-edge nuclear physics research using short-lived nuclei produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Michigan State University and elsewhere.

In this photo, Jolie A. Cizewski and her former postdoc Nick Fotiades who is currently a LANL staff member check out the GEANIE array of Compton suppressed Ge detectors at The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE).

http://1.usa.gov/QdU84C

In its ongoing support of science, technology, engineering and...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:13:12 -0500

In its ongoing support of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, Y-12 recently awarded a total of $5,000 in scholarships to Roane State Community College freshmen Wes Jenkins and Sara Lemmonds.

About the photo:

From left: Y-12 Commercialization manager Jeremy Benton chats with STEM Scholarship winners Sara Lemmonds and Wes Jenkins about Y-12’s opportunities for students pursuing a degree in one of the STEM fields of study.

http://1.usa.gov/UpnhoK

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NNSA’s nearly two...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:06:31 -0500

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and NNSA’s nearly two decade partnership with IBM, which has produced an unparalleled record of top-ranked supercomputers and award winning computational science, was celebrated recently at LLNL.

BLOG: http://1.usa.gov/TZWuTV

PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/TJmRex

Titan supercomputer named fastest in the world, NNSA’s Sequoia supercomputer ranked second

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:33:54 -0500

Titan, a new supercomputer located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has taken over the top spot as the world’s most powerful according to the TOP500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers. NNSA’s Sequoia supercomputer, housed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is now ranked as the second fastest supercomputer. Sequoia was previously ranked as the fastest last June.

Learn more: http://1.usa.gov/ZDZVAX

A new American Quarter Horse sculpture is now on display at...

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:30:58 -0500

A new American Quarter Horse sculpture is now on display at Pantex outside Building 16-12, a first stop for visitors. The horse is a unifying symbol within the community, and horses with various designs are on display across Amarillo at banks, restaurants, civic organizations, hospitals, factories, schools and retail stores.

BLOG: http://1.usa.gov/TaToKs

PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/VIUBgv

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently held a workshop...

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:05:38 -0500

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently held a workshop focusing on how high performance computing can accelerate the development of new energy technologies. The “hpc4energy incubator” workshop represented a new way for industry and government labs to work together on problems of national importance.

In this photo, Terri Quinn, from Livermore Lab, leads a tour of Sequoia to the workshop participants.

BLOG: http://1.usa.gov/RWQ7fZ

PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/SSSGDT

Kirsten E. McNeil, Foreign Affairs Specialist, U.S. Export...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:39:06 -0500

Kirsten E. McNeil, Foreign Affairs Specialist, U.S. Export Enforcement Support, Office of Nonproliferation and International Security at NNSA, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Linton Brooks Medal for Dedication to Public Service. She was recognized today for her outstanding service to NNSA. Former NNSA Administrator Brooks and NNSA Administrator Tom D’Agostino presented the medal to Kirsten.

BLOG: http://1.usa.gov/RaBabQ

PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/SQz2Gm

NNSA Naval Reactors Program Director Retires In this photo,...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:27:45 -0500

NNSA Naval Reactors Program Director Retires

In this photo, Adm. Kirk Donald passes through ceremonial sideboys as he and his family are piped ashore at the conclusion of his retirement and change of command ceremony. Donald was relieved by Adm. John Richardson as Director of Naval Reactors after serving in the position for eight years.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/Released)

http://1.usa.gov/SuyDZn

Representatives from 23 federal agencies, including NNSA,...

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:54:41 -0400

Representatives from 23 federal agencies, including NNSA, recently observed emergency response drills in Washington State’s Puget Sound. The full-scale exercise was designed to prevent and respond to a simulated small vessel radiological/nuclear smuggling scenario. It was part of the Puget Sound Area Maritime Training and Exercise Program led by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound.

In this photo, law enforcement members detain a “threat vessel” during a port security simulation exercise.

http://1.usa.gov/YfSpwt

NNSA announced the successful removal of 72.8 kilograms of...

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 15:45:34 -0400

NNSA announced the successful removal of 72.8 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent fuel from the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The announcement marks the 50th shipment under NNSA’s cooperative program with Russia to return Russian-origin HEU. Since the program began 10 years ago, NNSA and its Russian counterparts have closely cooperated to successfully repatriate to Russia more than 1,900 kilograms of Russian-origin HEU, enough material for more than 75 nuclear weapons, and completely removed all Russian-origin HEU from six countries. This project is part of NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI).

Photos: http://bit.ly/RuLA7D | More: http://1.usa.gov/RwB5xp

A Knoxville engineering resources firm recently became the...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:43:22 -0400

A Knoxville engineering resources firm recently became the newest licensee of technology developed at the Y-12 National Security Complex. MK Technologies Corporation is now the exclusive commercial patent licensee of SIMWyPES®, a method of enhancing cleaning items so that they leave dry surfaces ultraclean.

In this photo, MK Technologies CEO and founder Mike Carroll and director of strategic development and acquisition Chris Van Beke meet Y-12 chemist and inventor Ron Simandl in his Y-12 laboratory to see the SIMWyPES® production process along with a sampling of its numerous applications. From left, Simandl shows Van Beke and Carroll two of a variety of items enhanced with SIMWyPES® technology.

Learn more here: http://1.usa.gov/Rt6qV6

NNSA saves more than $519 million through strategic sourcing

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:00:49 -0400

NNSA today announced that the agency has saved taxpayers $519.3 million since 2007 through strategic sourcing.