Younger: A Sputnik moment is coming
Laboratories Director Steve Younger and Chief Research Officer Susan Seestrom took the stage at the Steve Schiff Auditorium Aug. 26 to discuss “discovery science” and what it means for Sandia. The talk was the latest installment of the New Research Ideas Forum.
PSEL wraps up nonreflective solar panel testing
Sandia’s Photovoltaic Systems Evaluation Laboratory is in the final phase of a collaborative research project with Nishati, a veteran-run manufacturer of light-weight, portable photovoltaic panels. The collaboration will shift to the PV proving grounds project at the end of the fiscal year.
HOT SHOT findings could save defense technology developers time and money
An early milestone for developing missile technologies is to show they can work in computer simulations or large-scale field tests that shake and spin components without falling to pieces. Now, HOT SHOT sounding rocket data analysis has revealed a way to improve these tests, providing an earlier, more accurate indicator of whether an experimental technology will ultimately succeed in flight.
Strategic Priority No. 5
Sandia's Strategic Priority No. 5 is seeking new pathfinder systems to address threats. The goal of this strategic priority is to think beyond Sandia’s traditional boundaries, taking advantage of the Labs' technical depth and breadth across multiple disciplines. Inventing and demonstrating these systems are important steps toward creating the future at Sandia.
Experiments at sun temperature offer solar model solutions
Physicists at Sandia’s Z machine have found that a widely used astronomical model underestimates the energy blockage caused by free-floating iron atoms. Now, Sandia’s experimental opacity measurements can help bloodlessly resolve a major discrepancy in how the 40-year-old Standard Solar Model uses the composition of the sun to predict the behavior of stars.
Seeing infrared
Sandia researchers have developed tiny, gold antennas to help cameras and sensors that “see” heat deliver clearer pictures of thermal infrared radiation for everything from stars and galaxies to people, buildings and items requiring security.
Kilimanjaro: Together at the top
After seven days traversing the rainforest, rocky cliffs and alpine desert of Tanzania, a group of current and retired Sandians made the final ascent to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro last fall. They had trained nearly a year for the moment, yet nothing could have fully prepared them for the deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of reaching the summit of the world’s tallest free-standing mountain.
Sandia opens doors to family, friends
Family Day is a rare opportunity for Sandia’s workforce to show family and friends the critical work they perform in the interest of the nation. This year’s Albuquerque event is Saturday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and the Livermore event is Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Patio posters show promise of interns’ future
Posters lined the shaded areas of the GAA Event Pad on July 24 as interns showed off 36 different projects they have worked on this summer, giving oral presentations explaining their work to those who stopped by.
California campus changes ahead
The Sandia/California campus is in a state of evolution. An unprecedented spate of hiring to achieve mission goals means the space at the Livermore campus must be reevaluated with an eye to the future.