Mars Curiosity rover uncovers most unusual Martian rock yet
“ChemCam has seen unexpected observations,” said the instrument’s principal investigator, Roger Wiens of Los Alamos National Laboratory, in a press conference on the latest rover findings Thursday.
Specifically, Curiosity’s ChemCam found that the rock contained “a unique composition for each of the 14 points” examined, as NASA explained in a press release, shattering theories that the rock Jake would be homogenous. (Full Story)
What Martian rocks and applejack liquor have in common
The first rock that Curiosity’s science team chose for contact science on Mars has turned out to be an especially interesting one, researchers said during a press conference today.
The big rover arrived at "Jake Matijevic," a triangular hunk one foot wide, on September 20. Curiosity’s intention was to study the chemistry of this igneous rock for more clues about Mars’s history. Though sedimentary rocks are the best for estimating habitability, igneous rocks like Jake are "better behaved," according to Roger Weins of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, principal investigator for Curiosity’s Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam). (Full Story)
Neutron research shapes drug design
Researchers at Los Alamos NationalLaboratory have used neutron crystallography for the first time to determine the structure of a clinical drug in complex with its human target enzyme. Seeing the detailed structure of the bonded components provides insights into developing more effective drugs with fewer side effects for patients.
The atomic details of drug binding have been largely unknown due to the lack of key information on specific hydrogen atom positions and hydrogen bonding between the drug and its target enzyme. (Full Story)
This story also appeared in the Los Alamos Monitor
Synopsis: Peeking into Fukushima’s reactors
Workers at Fukushima Daiichi powerplant have come up with creative ideas to assess the conditions of the reactors damaged in the 2011 nuclear accident, sending balloons and robots to explore the highly radioactive environment.
Writing in Physical Review Letters, Konstantin Borozdin at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, and colleagues propose an alternative method that uses cosmic-ray muons, a part of natural backgroundradiation, to obtain a radiographic image of the reactor cores. (Full Story)
Top five threats to national security in the coming decade
Information technology systems that could collect and coordinate the data and give public health officials a picture of where diseases are emerging is only one part of the problem.
The main issue is that the policies and procedures on how to do this have yet to be worked out.
Harshini Mukundan, a scientist in the chemical division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, said diseases emerge in food, humans and animals. “They are all interconnected and having separate agencies monitoring each [one] defeats the cause,” she added. (Full Story)
Abq startup could open fuel-cell floodgates
Pajarito Powder LLC technology is based on breakthroughs at the UNM, Michigan State and Los Alamos National Laboratory. All three have developed non-platinum catalysts that include polymer and metals, such as iron and cobalt, to initiate the chemical reactions that make hydrogen fuel cells work.
The cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Platinum, or Pajarito’s alternative catalyst materials, cause oxygen to separate into single molecules, creating a negative charge. The materials also break down the hydrogen, freeing up electrons and creating a positive charge. (Full Story)
Coming drought may ruin region's forests
A. Park Williams and colleagues from Los Alamos National Laboratory, the U.S. Geological Survey and several tree-ring laboratories developed a new tool for predicting megadroughts called the Forest Drought Stress Index. The scientists combined tree-ring data, temperature and precipitation records, and other climate records to build the tool for predicting the impact of long hot, dry spells on forests. (Full Story)
This story also appeared in the Western Farm Press
NASA’S Swift satellite discovers a new black hole in our galaxy
NASA’s Swift satellite recently detected a rising tide of high-energy X-rays from a source toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy. The outburst, produced by a rare X-ray nova, announced the presence of a previously unknown stellar-mass black hole. Swift is operated in collaboration with Penn State, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Orbital Sciences Corp. (Full Story)
This story also appeared in Florida Weekly
NNMC honors LANL’s Marquez
Los Alamos National Laboratory Executive Director Richard Marquez is the namesake for a new leadership andservice award at Northern New Mexico College in Española.
“I am honored and humbled by this recognition from Northern New Mexico College,” Marquez said. “I have been fortunate with regard to my education and career with opportunities and mentors." (Full Story)
Los Alamos ChemCam team update Oct. 2012
Couple's college dream in the making
They are both first in their families to pursue college degrees. García-Chang, who will receive $11,000 over four years from the Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund, is determined. Rael, inspired by her drive, became one of the early winners of a Returning Student/Regional College Scholarship $1,000 award for people whose college careers have been interrupted. The scholarships are administered by the LANL Foundation, with funding from donations by LANL employees and a matching amount from Los Alamos National Security, LLC. (Full Story)
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