Thursday, February 21, 2019


 


Neutrons used to examine priceless Harvard gold specimen

A rare gold specimen called the "Ram's Horn. Harvard photo.

Scientists at a premier U.S. laboratory have helped to unravel some of the mysteries about a rare gold specimen discovered at a Colorado mine more than 130 years ago.

Officials at Harvard University's mineral museum were anxious for Los Alamos National Laboratory's assistance in understanding more about the structure of the specimen of wire gold, which looks as if it were formed by twisting together a bunch of thin strands of gold.

The 263-gram specimen is named the Ram's Horn, and Harvard officials have said it is the finest known example of its kind. No scientific studies previously had been published on the internal nature of the specimen. Its density rendered low-energy X-rays and other diagnostics ineffective, and scientists were prevented from using invasive methods like slicing into the specimen because that would have damaged it. (Full story)


Also from the Associated Press this week:

Los Alamos Labs Seeking Bids on New Supercomputer


Los Alamos National Laboratory has put out a request for proposals for a new supercomputer.

The Los Alamos Monitor reports one of the nation's premier nuclear labs announced recently it is seeking bids on a supercomputer dubbed "Crossroads." Like the supercomputer the lab has now, "Trinity," Crossroads will be put to work helping to maintain the nation's nuclear stockpile.

Supercomputers employed by the U.S. Department of Energy often are used to test, through computer simulation, the components of nuclear weapons in the stockpile as well as the weapon's power and capabilities. (Full story)





Modeling natural disasters to strengthen power grids

A simulation tool helps identify options to
shore up power grids. Courtesy photo.

Over the past 13 years, more than 20 major hurricanes and snowstorms struck electric power grids and triggered outages across the United States. Every blackout left hundreds of thousands of people in the dark for several days. These power cuts disrupted daily life, threatened peoples’ safety and wellbeing, and caused millions of dollars in economic losses.

So how can we minimize the impacts of power disruptions and keep the lights on when extreme natural hazards happen? Part of the answer may lie in computer models that simulate the impact of hazards on power grids, and recommend specific upgrades that electric utility companies can implement to strengthen and protect their grids from potential future damage.

To address the need to reinforce power grids, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a simulation tool for utility companies. This research was funded by the Smart Grid R&D program within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE). It is one of more than 80 projects in the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium funded by the Department of Energy. The agency is investing in those projects to spur the research and development of computer tools that can support resiliency of power distribution systems in the U.S. (Full story)





Can quantum key distribution secure the grid?


Researchers from Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories are working with EPB, a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based utility and telecommunications company, to see if quantum key distribution (QKD) can secure and sync communication among the nation’s electricity suppliers.

Currently, energy grid communications are unencrypted or, at best, using public-key infrastructure, making the networks vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, according to a December 2018 Los Alamos presentation.

As the electric grid is modernized and more data is moved online, secure communications among utilities is paramount. (Full story)





Building the Bomb Part 1: History of Los Alamos National Lab


KAGS was granted exclusive access to the birthplace of the atomic bomb, the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico. Part one of this series looks at the lab's history. (Full story)