Majority rules when looking for earthquakes, explosions
Finding the ideal settings for each sensor in a network to detect seismic activity can be a painstaking and manual process. Sandia researchers are working to change that. They have developed an algorithm that automatically adjusts seismic activity detection levels for each network sensor, tuning out everyday vibrations such as traffic or footsteps to better detect earthquakes and explosions.
Sandia delivers first DOE sounding rocket program since 1990s
Sandia has developed a new rocket program, called the High Operational Tempo Sounding Rocket Program, or HOT SHOT, and integrated it for its first launch earlier this year under NNSA direction. The new program could help cut research and development time for new weapons systems from as many as 15 years to less than five.
Sandia helps girls develop a taste for STEM subjects
The 2018 San Joaquin Expanding Your Horizons conference assembled 550 girls in the 6th through 12th grades to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math. The girls came from nearby San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties to attend the Sept. 22 conference at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
In case of emergency: Urban Shield 2018
The emergency response exercise is part training and part competition among 35 local, state, national and international SWAT teams. This year’s exercise included groups from Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Las Vegas and the California Highway Patrol, along with 31 Bay Area SWAT teams.
Nobel Laureate underscores CINT annual meeting
Nobel laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart gave the plenary address at the annual meeting of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, which took place Sept. 24-25 in Santa Fe. This year’s conference highlighted research performed by the CINT user community in the areas of quantum materials, nano-mechanics and imaging.
Second act: Sandia retirees band together to help small businesses with tech challenges
Technology Retirees Economic Catalysts, established in 2015 to connect Sandia retirees with small businesses that need technical and other expertise. TREC was launched when Technology Ventures Corp. asked Ron Moya, a retired mechanical engineer, to flesh out an idea he had to engage the Labs retiree community in economic development.
Raising the visibility of women in computational mechanics
Rekha Rao, a chemical engineer in the Engineering Sciences Center, recaps her experience at a computational mechanics conference that led her to think more deeply about how we support and mentor researchers in all fields at Sandia, but especially women and minorities.
Jackie Chen elected fellow of the American Physical Society
Jackie Chen has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society, an honor afforded each year to no more than one-half percent of society members. She was honored “for fundamental insights into turbulence-chemistry interactions revealed through massively parallel direct numerical simulations.”
Six join ranks of Labs Fellows
Sandia has appointed six technically outstanding researchers to the extraordinary position of Fellow. The new appointees, from a wide variety of backgrounds, include the first female Sandia Fellow, Katherine Hansen Simonson, and the first Hispanic Sandia Fellow, Gil Herrera.
Labs Director signs annual assessment letter
In late September, Sandia President and Laboratories Director Steve Younger signed Sandia’s annual assessment letter. Each year, Sandia assesses the safety, reliability and performance aspects of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile for which it has responsibility.