Exceptional service in the national interest

March 2016

LABSACCOMPLISHMENTS

Page 2 • Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National LaboratoriesSandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated bySandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp.,for the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

http://www.sandia.gov/LabNews

Albuquerque, N.M. 87185 • Livermore, Calif. 94550Tonopah, Nevada • Nevada Test Site • Amarillo, Texas

Carlsbad, New Mexico • Washington, D.C.

Bill Murphy • Lab News EditorMichael Lanigan • Labs Accomplishments Design & Production

Cover photographs by Randy Montoya

To all Sandians:

When I first came to Sandia in 1983, one of thethings that attracted me was that I hadn’t come acrossany other institution in the nation quite like it. Therewere plenty of interesting places, plenty of interestinglabs, but Sandia was different; it was engaged in fasci-nating work not just in one or two specialized areasbut across a broad range of technical fields. I foundthat irresistible.

I was equally attracted to the opportunity of apply-ing my skills in service to the nation. I liked the ideathat what we did each day when we showed up forwork was consequential, that the nation depended onus to deliver on the challenges it asked us to take on.

Over the past 30-plus years, I have become only

more impressed with the scope of our capabilities. We are more than the sum ofour parts. Our deep science and engineering foundations provide us with a cross-disciplinary advantage that lets us solve some of the nation’s toughest problems.

This year’s edition of Labs Accomplishments drives home that point. You’ll readabout advances we’re making in solving some of the most complex problems thatface the nation through our nuclear weapons and nuclear security work, in sup-porting our nation’s warfighters, in addressing energy challenges, and in prepar-ing for future national security threats and challenges including the ever-more-important spheres of cyberspace and biology. And we’re achieving thoseremarkable results through teaming. I’m proud to note that we’re doing our workmore safely, with a more diverse workforce, and that our mission support opera-tions are continuing to raise the bar in the integrated support they provide.

Each Sandian plays a role in Labs Accomplishments. If there is a theme for2016, it is one that resonates with us all: We are here for the nation.

— Jill Hruby, Sandia President and Laboratories Director

On a starry night at a remotelocation at Sandia NationalLaboratories, technologistsGlenn Yarborough, left, andEpifanio Abeyta prepare fora test at the large outdoorcentrifuge. Sandia’s Valida-tion and Qualification Sci-ences Experimental Complexis a unique group of testfacilities, including this cen-tifuge, that can create abroad range of engineeringenvironments in support ofSandia’s national securitymissions.

Sandia scientist Anne Ruffingstudies modification ofcyanobacteria for biofuelproduction. Bioscience is aSandia research foundation,an area considered key to thesuccess of Sandia’s nationalsecurity programs. The goalof the Labs’ bioscience workis to analyze, understand,and control the functions ofbiological systems to meetnational security challengesin biodefense, emerginginfectious disease, andenergy security.

JILL HRUBY

Nuclear weapons engineering . . . 3, 4, 5

Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Nuclear weapon security . . . . . . . . . 5

Remote sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7

Global security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ES&H & security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Product realization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Bioscience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Computer & info sciences. . . . . . . . . 9

IT, networks, & facilities . . . . . . . . 10

Partnerships & alliances . . . . . . . . 10

Engineering sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Pulsed power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Military programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Homeland security . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Microelectronics & microsystems . . . 12

Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

HR, finance, & legal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Community Involvement,

Government/Media Relations,

and Communications . . . . . . . . . 15

Governance, leadership,

& management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Inside . . .

Labs foundation underpins mission areasThe Labora-tories’ foun-dation — thevery basethat gives ourinstitution itsenergy,meaning,and unique-ness — iscomposed ofour people,research,facilities andtools, andcapabilities.In keeping with our vision to be the nation’s premierscience and engineering laboratory for national secu-rity and technology innovation, we recruit the bestand the brightest, equip them with world-class facili-ties and tools, and build upon long-standingresearch by advancing the frontiers of science andengineering, giving rise to unique capabilities thatdifferentiate Sandia’s ability to deliver its mission.

You’ll see two sets of acronyms following most of the accomplishments in this publi-cation. The first set, following the center numbers in parentheses, indicates which

of Sandia’s program management units (PMUs) the work most directly supported.The PMU acronyms are:• NW: Nuclear Weapons • DSA: Defense Systems & Assessments • IHNS: International,Homeland, & Nuclear Security • EC: Energy & Climate • IMS: Integrated Mission Support

* * * The second set of acronyms indicates in which of Sandia’s mission areas the work wascompleted. Those acronyms are: • NW: Nuclear Weapons • GNAS: Global Nuclear Assurance and Security • CYBER:Cyberspace • SDP: Synergistic Defense Products • RGCBD: Reduce Global Chemicaland Biological Dangers • SSEF: Secure and Sustainable Energy Future • NSSI: NationalSecurity Space Innovations • LF: Laboratories Foundations

This year’s Labs Accomplishments recognizes some of Sandia’s best workduring 2015, as submitted by the Labs’ Center offices and selected bydivision offices. Most citations are followed by the numbers of theCenters that contributed most directly to the effort described.

Sandia’s mission areas

Nuclear weapons engineering

Partnering with the production agency at Pantex andthe National Security Campus (NSC — formerly the KansasCity Plant), Sandia’s on-site presence has strengthenedrelationships, as evidenced through semi-annual QualityForums Sandia hosts at Pantex and Quarterly Joint QualityManagers’ meetings at NSC. The Pantex Quality Forumincludes government, design, and production representa-tives across the entire Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE).NNSA program leads and NSE directors gather with subjectmatter experts to identify specific and cross-cuttingweapons quality topics, share information, and implementsolutions. Recent forum topics have included productionschedules and resource allocation across the enterprise.(0400, 2100, 2200) NW, NW

The B61-12 Life Extension Program successfully con-ducted Version 1.0 Technical Basis activities, includingnumerous functional, environmental, and flight tests.Notable achievements included vibration fly-around (VFA)testing and the FTDU (flight test demonstration unit)development flight test series. VFA tests were used to col-

lect environmental data, and the FTDU series was used totest early War Reserve (WR) functionality and performanceand ensure the joint test assembly configuration will ade-quately gather data during qualification flights. Numerousdepartments in Sandia and partner organizations contributedto these accomplishments. (2100, 400, 1300, 1500, 1800,2900, 3600, 5400, 8100, 8200) NW, NW

The B61-12 LEP Credible Combinations of AbnormalEnvironments effort applied advanced uncertainty tech-niques to integrate subject matter expert judgment withtangible data. A probabilistic model of abnormal environ-ment phenomena and weapon system response was devel-oped to capture combined scenarios (with uncertainty)that could lead to an inadvertent nuclear detonation.Results will focus experimental and numerical resources toassess the B61-12 nuclear safety design in abnormal envi-ronments. This innovative approach was supported byexperts from Sandia, Los Alamos National Laboratory,NNSA, and the US Air Force. (400, 1500, 2100, 8200)NW, NW

The Annular Core Research Reactor facility provided exceptional support to the NuclearWeapons program by providing 536 operations in FY15, a 50 percent increase above averageoperations levels, to support important milestones. Additionally, the facility improved capa-bilities by restoring its neutron radiography capability, allowing experimenters to conduct

detailed non-destructive component analysis, the Fueled Ring External Cavity capability,which provides experimenters with a larger dry experimental cavity, and operations at lowerneutron fluencies by upgrading nuclear instruments, providing customers low-power opera-tions five decades below previous capabilities. (Orgs 1380, 4128) NW, NW

Page 3Labs Accomplishments • March 2016

With more than 30 courses taught in FY15 and morethan 4,400 attendees to date, Sandia’s National SecurityQuality Training (NQT) program expanded its course offer-ings in FY15 by 30 percent, including at other sites. Newcourses included Software Quality, Preventing SupplierQuality Problems, and Tester Qualification. With the highpercentage of staff new to the Laboratories and a numberof programs moving through critical phases of full-scaleengineering development, consistent application of qual-ity fundamentals enabled by the NQT program is centralto success. (400) NW, NW

The High-Efficiency Adaptable Telemetry Transmitter(HEATT), being developed as part of the W88/Mk5 Alt 370project, has been successfully tested in multiple flight testsfor the Navy. HEATT is a small transmitter with improvedpower efficiency. Besides supporting W88 data transmis-sion needs, HEATT is being assessed for use in other JointTest Assembly designs. (2600, 8100, 1700, 2100) NW, NW

In FY14, one of the centrifuges used to simulate flightenvironments at the Weapons Evaluation Test Laboratorywas taken off-line due to increased system vibration andloss of the drive system that provides power to the cen-trifuge motors. Expertise from across Sandia was used tofully diagnose the issues through extensive modeling, testing,and analysis. In FY15, a joint effort by Sandia, CNS Pantex,and Ideal Aerosmith Corporation resulted in a full recoveryof the capability, stiffening the existing arm and replacingthe drive system. (2900, 5300, 1800, 1500) NW, NW

The High-Efficiency Adaptable Telemetry Transmitter (HEATT)

The Annular Core Research Reactor providesexperimenters with an epithermal neutronenvironment through pulsed operations. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

CybersecurityFY15 brought the advent of the Cyber IntelligenceThreat Analysis Center (CITAC), a cyber “war room.”CITAC enhances the Labs’ Cyber Security program’s abil-ity to address active cyberthreats against Sandia resources.

The facility promotes collaboration among Sandia’s cyberdefenders and other cyber experts, both internal andexternal to the Labs. Cyberthreat intelligence is collectedand analyzed. The outcome of the analysis is sharedacross the Nuclear Security Enterprise with the end resultbeing a hardened cyber environment across the complex.(9300) IMS, Cyber

Nine Test and Evaluation activities were completed forthe DHS Transition to Practice Program. The programexamines promising new cyber-related security technolo-gies identified from all government laboratories, helpsthem understand their deficiencies (both security-relatedand in functionality), and provides a venue to promotetheir continued development toward licensing and use inboth private and government sectors. (9500, 8900, 5600)IHNS, Cyber

Nuclear weapons engineering

Advanced simulation andcomputing capabilities wereused to provide a technicalbasis for a W80-4 deliveryvehicle mount down-selectrecommendation to the AirForce. The design space forthree different mounting con-figurations was exploredthrough the use of parametricfinite element models. Insightinto the sensitivity of eachdesign parameter and theresulting range of mechanicalresponses during shock andvibration loading was pro-vided through thousands ofsimulations. The results char-acterize the adaptability ofeach mount configuration to afuture delivery platform.(8200) NW, NW

Neutron generators (NGs) must survive explosive shocklong enough to provide neutrons. This survival time,referred to as standoff, is traditionally proved through testscalled “hydros.” Due to programmatic considerations,hydros were not performed on a new class of NGs,although follow-on modeling predicted margin. To addconfidence, NGs with delayed timer drivers were flown onOct. 21, 2015, in JTA-331, a high-fidelity flight test unit.The neutrons measured by the Livermore raft system areconsistent with expected results. Consequently, the use ofa “flying hydro” provides confidence that the new W87NGs have sufficient standoff margin. (8200) NW, NW

Sandia’s B61-12 Systems Team collaborated with partnersacross the National Security Enterprise to successfully meet

several important programmilestones on time and onbudget, including theFlight Test DevelopmentUnit (FTDU) series. Two ofthe successful flight testsoccurred in FY15, on July 1and on Aug. 11. Organiza-tion 8130 designed, built,tested, and delivered thetelemetry units and deto-nation monitor assemblies

to support the FTDU development flight test series. Thetelemetry unit was used to monitor and confirm that allprimary pre-arming, arming, fuzing, and firing functionswere executed successfully. These measurements — andtheir successful transmission to ground assets — were criti-cal to overall test successes. (8100) NW, NW

A new detonator for the W80 ALT 369 neutron generatorwas successfully produced and qualified in October 2015,four months ahead of schedule. The achievement isnotable because it is the result of an investigation andrecovery effort in response to circumstances that affectedthe neutron generator first production unit delivery sched-ule. The Sandia investigation team employed a rigorousapproach that used physical and numerical analysis todevelop solutions to address concerns. (2500, 2700, 1300,0400, 8200) NW, NW

Sandia has completed fabrication of the Group 3Common Authentication Module Application Specific Inte-grated Circuit (CAM ASIC) using Sandia’s Rad Hard 350nmCMOS7 process. The CAM ASIC was designed for high-con-sequence applications. While the Group 2 CAM ASIC wasfully functional, the Group 3 version uses Sandia’s com-plete Trusted Flow. A fully functional “Alpha” version ofthe CAM ASIC software has also been released.(1700, 2200, 2600, 6900) NW, NW

Example stress analysis (a) and ran-dom vibration excitation levels (b)for a conceptual mount design.

The HERMES III (High-EnergyRadiation Megavolt ElectronSource) accelerator successfullyfired its 10,000th shot on July14, 2015. HERMES III beganoperation in early 1988 as partof the Simulation TechnologyLaboratory complex in TechArea 4. It remains the world’smost powerful gamma-ray sim-ulator, producing 13 terawattsof power in a 19-million elec-tron volt, 28-nanosecond elec-tron beam. It produces intensebremsstrahlung doses and doserates over large areas to studynuclear radiation effectsinduced by gamma-rays.(1300) NW, NW

Page 4 • Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

W80-4_mountexample

The HERMES III (High-EnergyRadiation Megavolt ElectronSource) accelerator. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

B61-12 JTA Telemetry

The Trust Enhancement(TE) team successfully com-pleted a research and devel-opment project intendedto both develop and imple-ment a security enclave toprotect against a broad spec-trum of information securitythreats. TE is designed toenhance the trustworthinessof all facets of critical com-puting systems used atSandia for engineering. Theproject implements trustengineering principles ofassurance, isolation, andmonitoring with the intent ofproviding a more secure sys-tem environment for thesecritical Sandia applications.(9500, 5600, 9300, 8900,5900) NW, NW

Nuclear weapon security

Nuclear weapons engineering

Sandia’s Aircraft Compatibility team from organizations in 2900, 1500, and 2600 suc-cessfully completed a rigorous four-week/eight-flight test to characterize flight environ-ments of the B61-12 on NATO’s PA-200 Tornado aircraft. Analysis products from the test

directly affect B61-12 development by defining design-level environmental specifica-tions. Successful completion of the test is a key step in ultimately certifying compatibil-ity of the B61-12 for wartime use with the PA-200. (2900, 1500, 2600) NW, NW

Responding to a nuclear terrorism incident requiresinterdisciplinary technical teams dispersed across thenation to urgently diagnose and recommend course-of-action alternatives to render safe imminent threatdevices. Distributing technical data from the field work-ing point to home teams that analyze diagnostic imagesand technical data has now been greatly simplified usingSandia-developed DataShare applications. SandiaDataShare now automatically routes electronic filesthrough specialized channels to decision-makers,

Page 5Labs Accomplishments • March 2016

accelerating timely decisions. (6600) IHNS, GNAS

Sandia will start the development of the Mobile GuardianTransporter (MGT) for the NNSA Office of Secure Transporta-tion (OST). The MGT is the third-generation secure system forover-the-road transport of weapons and special nuclear materi-als within the United States. It will take several years to develop,and the effort will require expertise from across Sandia as thesafety and security requirements for the new transporter arerigorous and challenging. (6600) GNAS NW

Sandia physical security experts were tasked with designing and implementing several security upgrades at a NATOmilitary base in a foreign locale. The team installed several security systems, while replacing the entry control andtaxi-way gates. All work was completed under budget and ahead of schedule. The Government Acceptance Test Teamcommented that it was “one of the best systems” they had evaluated. (6500) IHNS, GNAS

Proven engineered system to mitigate national security threats.

John Clauss (2137)successfully led theW88 ALT 370 teamto full integration oftechnical require-ments, demonstrat-ing that all require-ments have beentraced and flowed tomajor componentsusing modern data-base tools. The com-pletion of this signif-icant milestoneresulted in the pro-ject team gainingtrust with customersand senior manage-ment. John pro-vided vision, leader-

ship, and the ability to execute under tight systemengineering constraints. The effort required collabora-tion from a set of teams across Sandia, partner, andcustomer organizations including LANL, NNSA, andthe Navy.

JOHN CLAUSS

Fuel TankFuel Tank B61-12 VFA/IMV

W88 drop test

Remote sensingThe Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) team successfullydemonstrated the trapping of atoms in a vapor magneto-optic atom trap (MOT). This research, funded by the NNSAOffice of Proliferation Detection, aims to use ATTA toexplore a quantum sensing technique for high-sensitivity,high-precision detection. (8100) IHNS, GNAS

Jim Chow (5349), Kristina Czuchlewski (5346), andSteve Castillo (5346) were selected for the IntelligenceIntegration National Intelligence Professional Award. Theoffice of the Deputy Director of National Intelligence forIntelligence Integration depends on support from analystsand other contributors across the intelligence communityto meet its responsibilities to produce community-coordi-nated strategic analysis. All three individuals are key con-tributors on the PANTHER Grand Challenge LDRD andhave worked tirelessly with the national security commu-nity to build Sandia’s reputation as an activity analyticsinnovation cell. (5300) DSA, SDP

Partnering with HH Seismic LLC, the University ofNevada Desert Research Institute, and NSTec, Sandia led afirst-ever seismic survey of Yucca Flat at the NevadaNational Security Site (NNSS). Utilizing a highly-special-ized Seismic Hammer (dubbed “Thor”), the team “ham-mered” its way across 31 kilometers of the test site. Thesefirst-in-the world tests used more than 400 seismometersand infrasound sensors to capture precise information ofThor’s emanations. The seismic and infrasound experi-mental results will be used to improve modeling in sup-port of worldwide underground nuclear test monitoring.(5700, 6900, 1600, 5400, 6500,10600) DSA, IHNS, GNAS

The mechanical overhaul and major upgrade of theTech Area 4 antenna control systems were completed inMay 2015. This multi-year effort included significantenhancements to the tracking and control architectureproviding decades of additional service and platformswhere Sandia may launch R&D investigations in dataexploitation, cyber security, and cyber vulnerability. Thisupgrade enables our ongoing effort to develop reconfig-urable systems, capabilities that involve wider telemetryband recovery, improved digitization hardware, decryp-tion processes, algorithm & data processing development,and secure data dissemination to users. DSA, NSSI

Page 6 • Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

Global security

The Daily Watch Program developed by NeallDoren (5962) is a new analysis tool for the US gov-ernment. This technology has seen a steady increase inuser requests from 100 requests a month three yearsago to more than 1,000 per month. The FY15 software,delivered and assimilated by the government, is basedon a joint effort between organizations 5448 and 5962and takes advantage of organization 5448’s AutomaticTarget Recognition research and development technol-ogy. (5400, 5900) DSA, GNAS

The Starlite - Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) -Coherent Change Detection (CCD) development,funded by the US Army, was conducted by NeallDoren (5962). It resulted in the delivery of CCD soft-ware and documentation. The objective was a CCDsoftware package that will allow CCD imagery forimprovised explosive device detection. The intent ofthe work is to provide the Grey Eagle UAV/StarliteSAR System the capability of both the Copperheadradar/UAV and Desert Owl radar system to detectIEDs on the battlefield. (5900) DSA, SDP

From April 20-May 8, 2015, Sandia hosted 43 nuclear securitystudents from 36 nations for the 25th International TrainingCourse (ITC) on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and

Nuclear Facilities. Top officials from Sandia, NNSA, and theInternational Atomic Energy Agency welcomed the stu-dents. Every 18 months for the past 37 years, Sandia hashosted the ITC, thus far training more than 800 peoplefrom 73 countries. The two-week course provides technicalexperience and helps build connections among members.(6800) IHNS, GNAS

During 2015 Sandia hosted two visits by delegations ofinternational nonproliferation and disarmament officials.They came to learn about the Labs’ work related to theTreaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons(NPT). The delegates represented 19 non-weapons states,the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs, and NATO. Bothdelegations were given tours of Sandia technical facilitieswhere important NPT work is conducted. The goal of thesetransparency visits was to introduce the officials to Sandia'sworkforce and to demonstrate our technologies that sup-port nonproliferation, arms control, and US implementa-tion of the NPT. (6800) IHNS, GNAS

Ryan Kamm explains to a delegation of international visitors someof the principles behind Sandia’s Z machine.

Pablo Garcia (left) discusses Sandia’s work in nuclear safetywith Anne Harrington of the NNSA and Denis Flory of theIAEA. Harrington and Flory toured Sandia’s facilities duringthe 25th International Training Course.

The United States Nuclear Detonation DetectionSystem (USNDS) monitors the globe from space fornuclear detonations. This year, the Sandia/LANL/Boeing team launched three payloads to orbit. The USnow has 11 Sandia-designed Enhanced Optical BurstDetectors on orbit. The flight segment also passed itssecond AS9100C surveillance audit, receiving thehighest possible scores. The USNDS ground segmentachieved a significant milestone when its latest genera-tion of the Integrated Correlation and Display System(ICADS) was accepted by Air Force Space Commandand certified for use by US Strategic Command. (5700,5500, 5300, 2600, 10600) DSA, GNAS

Launch of GPS IIF-11 aboard a United Launch Alliance'sAtlas V rocket on Oct. 31, 2015.

Tech Area 4 antenna control systems.

In May 2015, CRC Press publisheda book edited by Jen Gaudioso (6820)and former Sandian Ren Salerno,Laboratory Biorisk Management:Biosafety and Biosecurity. This bookintroduces a substantively newapproach for managing the risks ofworking with biological agents inlaboratories. The basis for this newbiorisk management paradigm is athree-pronged multidisciplinarymodel of assessment, mitigation,and performance (the AMP model).The application of the methodolo-gies, criteria, and guidance outlinedin the book helps reduce the risk oflaboratories becoming the sourceof infectious disease outbreaks.(8600, 6800) IHNS, RGCBD

Image of the MOT cloud is shown here; its diameter is1.5mm, consisting of approximately 10 to 20 atoms.

ES&H & security

Page 7Labs Accomplishments • March 2016

Remote sensing

The GEO Starer Processor (GSP) Team has provided complex real-time processing of Overhead Persistent Infrareddata from SBIRS (space-based infrared system) Geo1 and Geo2 staring sensors, providing this capability in just overthree years. The team leveraged decades of experience in sensor data processing, LDRD, and other R&D activities toachieve this unprecedented capability under an accelerated schedule at the request of senior government leaders.GSP became operational in November 2015, providing enhanced situational awareness to our combat commanders,protecting our warfighters, and enhancing the nation’s security. DSA, NSSI

Using only 196 pounds of TNT in a contained environ-ment 286 feet below ground, a multi-lab team successfullyconducted Source Physics Experiment #4 (SPE-4) at theNevada National Security Site. Conducting one of 18planned experiments, the SPE-4 team gathered high-reso-lution accelerometer, infrasound, seismic, electromagnetic,ground-based LIDAR (light detection and ranging), digitalphotogrammetry, and satellite-based Synthetic ApertureRadar data of this modest shot. These data will be incorpo-rated with similar data from previous shots to strengthenmodels and systems used to detect low-yield undergroundnuclear explosions. SPE-5, scheduled for FY16, will include5 tons of explosives. (5700, 6900, 0400, 1500, 1600, 5400,5900, 6200, 10600) DSA, IHNS, GNAS

Workers at the Nevada National Security Site position equipmentto conduct the SPE experiments.

During the 2015 DOE Office of Enterprise Assessments(EA-22) audit of Sandia’s Security Program, the EA-22 teamidentified Sandia/New Mexico as effectively managingsecurity operations. Additionally, the EA-22 team noted anumber of best practices at Sandia that should be sharedacross the complex. This was the first audit of this type since2007 and, with the many changes that have occurred atSandia since then, it was an accomplishment to have an exter-nal audit team recognize Sandia’s demonstration of “excellentcontinued sustained improvements.” (4200) IMS, LF

Sandia’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) successfullyresponded to the challenges presented during the HazmatChallenge held at Los Alamos National Laboratory and wasawarded First Place in the Technical Category. The ERT’s

skills were tested along with those of 10 other teams fromNew Mexico, Missouri, and Nebraska through variousenvironments such as clandestine laboratories, multiplemodes of transportation, industrial piping scenarios, simu-lated radiological releases, and a confined space event.These challenges provided Sandia the opportunity todemonstrate proficiencies and, as a result, give members ofthe workforce confidence that these skills would transfer toreal-world incidents at Sandia. (4200) IMS, LF

The winter of 1997-1998 was the last strong El Nino eventin California and many remember the significant floodingthat occurred at the Sandia/California site. Since then, Sandia has been working in partnership with the US ArmyCorps of Engineers to repair that damage and prevent future

flooding events via a 10-year Arroyo Seco ImprovementProgram (ASIP). The ASIP consists of 18 projects along theArroyo Seco, the most recent of which, the development ofa flood plain with trees and native shrubs, will help slowrun-off and provide habitat for sensitive species. (8500) IMS, LF

Security Information Systems (9521), along with Classi-fied Matter Protection and Control (4254-1), developed anew Classified Mail Channel (CMC) application. The previ-ous application only had an administrative feature inwhich the CMC administrator inputted all data from a hardcopy form submitted from the customer. The new applica-tion automated the hard copy form and incorporates engi-neered controls, which improves data integrity. The work-flow is now automated and has reduced the processingtime by 75 percent. (9500, 4200) NW, NW

Center 4800 finished FY15 with the best safety record todate, with a total recordable case rate of 1.15 compared tothe corporate rate of 1.31. This achievement in safety excel-lence is a reflection of cul-tural and behavioral practicesof the entire center. Everyday more than 300 mainte-nance workers, 300 construc-tion personnel, 60 servicecontractors, and 175 addi-tional professional employeesperform activity-level workthroughout the Sandia cam-pus. Each individual is part ofthis success metric because safety and critical thinking areengrained in Facilities Management and Operations CenterWork Planning and Controls. (4800) IMS, LF

The Foreign National Information System (FNIS) is usedby the Labs to create security plans for foreign national vis-itors and to document foreign interactions. Departments9521 and 4225 teamed to design and develop a new FNISapplication. A fundamental requirement for the applica-tion was usability and reliable performance. The newapplication was benchmarked against the existing produc-tion system and is 15 times faster than the old application,which equates to an efficiency of approximately 56 hoursper year, per approver, presuming 100 FNRs a month.(9500, 4200) NW, NW

Seven radioisotope thermoelectric generators are lined up aboard an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III after being removedfrom Burnt Mountain, Alaska, and transported to Creech AFB, Nevada, July 24, 2015, in preparation for permanent disposalat the Nevada National Security Site. (US Air Force photo by Susan A. Romano)

Sandia’s Waste Management team supported the USAir Force to transfer excess nuclear materials from theAlaskan Arctic Circle area to the Nevada National Secu-rity Site. The material originated from 10 radioisotopethermoelectric generators that were once used as a

power source by the Air Force Technical ApplicationsCenter. While the partnership began in 2001, the July2015 transfer represented several years of collaborationand planning to safely dispose of the hazardous material.(4100) IMS, LF

Sandia National LaboratoriesPage 8 • Sandia Lab News

Product realization

FY15 saw the initiation of Sandia’s largest productioneffort for War Reserve Mark Quality application-specificintegrated circuits (ASICs) to be delivered for variousweapon systems. Multiple ASICs are used in these systems,and hundreds of ASICs were delivered to Major Compo-nents in FY15 for design maturation and product qualifica-tion efforts. This accomplishment is the culmination ofsignificant effort by teams in Center 1700 and acrossSandia, including 1300, 1800, 2100, 2200, 2500, 2600,5300, and 8200. NW, NW

NNSA announced Oct. 23, 2014, that it had reached thehalfway point in the production phase of the W76-1 LifeExtension Program (LEP). The program involves engineers,scientists, and technicians from across the National Secu-rity Enterprise. The LEP first production unit was com-pleted in September 2008 and the program remains ontrack to produce and deliver W76-1 warheads to the Navyto honor the commitment from NNSA to complete pro-duction later this decade. (400, 2200) NW, NW

Mylar films are used in modern nuclear systems forpulse discharge capacitors to ensure high reliability withirreversible inoperability upon exposure to abnormal ther-mal environments. Sandia developed a chemical process-ing capability to impart radiation tolerance to Mylar filmsfor the W88 Alt370 program. The production rate wasimproved from 300 feet per day to 13,000 feet, ensuringan ample supply of film will be available to meet programneeds. Recent radiation effects testing demonstratedrobustness, while multiple capacitor builds have demon-strated high reliability. (2600, 1800) NW, NW

Analysis, functional, normal, and abnormal environ-ment testing was performed on eight safety mechanismproducts in their second development group for theB61-12 and W88 ALT 370. Simultaneous product realiza-tion for eight devices of this type has not been accom-plished for more than 30 years at Sandia. This is beingaccomplished using high-performing teams that combineexperienced leads, skilled technologists, and a large groupof talented newer staff members who arrived at Sandia welltrained to contribute immediately and who are excited

about making an impact. (2600, 0400,2900, 1800, 1500) NW, NW

In FY15, the Electronic NeutronGenerator Product Realization Teamcompleted its planned developmentand problem-solving builds on sched-ule and with yields higher thanexpected. Reasons for the high yieldsinclude lowering the high-level risks(high voltage breakdowns and loss ofbias) through problem-solving activi-ties that led to the implementation ofeffective countermeasures, and build-ing the units on the production floor,leveraging as much as possible themanufacturing infrastructure earlyin the development phase.(2700, 2600, 400) NW, NW

Sandia partnered with the NationalSecurity Campus to produce develop-ment hardware using metal-basedadditive manufacturing. Testing resultshave proven that the printed part canwithstand a 150-percent increase inthe impact load over the correspond-ing machined and welded design. Thisis due to topology optimization that isonly possible to produce through addi-tive manufacturing. The team is nowengaged in fully understanding thematerial properties and manufactur-ing process variability to determine if

printed parts can be qualified and accepted as diamond-stamped product. (2900, 2100, 1800, NSC) NW, NW

To support increasing demands for lower measurementuncertainties associated with the calibration of dimen-sional gauges and fixtures for Sandia’s Neutron GeneratorEnterprise, Mechanical Calibration has acquired a high-accuracy (i.e. sub-micrometer) coordinate-measuringmachine. The fully numerically controlled machine isequipped with both a tactile and non-contact optical probesensor for inspection of components using 3-D CAD mod-els. High-speed active scanning data collection along withcomputer-aided accuracy optimizes precision measure-ments. To achieve high accuracies, the system is equippedwith low-expansion coefficient scales and elastomer vibra-tion air damping. (2500) NW, NW

The NNSA-wide enterprise modeling and analysisconsortium (EMAC) team executed the Sandia-developedComplexity Options, Risk and Evaluation (SCORE) modeland process, used again this year by NNSA’s Office of Bud-

get Execution, Cost and Financial Management as a basisfor cost model calculation and incorporation in the 2017Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan. Similarly,EMAC used the Sandia-developed tritium supply anddemand model to enhance integration within NNSA andthe design agencies and production agencies supportingboth the NA-12 Tritium Change Control Board and theNA-19 Tritium Supply Program. (200) NW, NW

The first W78/Mk12a Extended Range InstrumentedFlight Test was launched from Vandenberg AFB on March23, 2015. This was the longest flight distance ever flown bya W78/Mk12a instrumented flight vehicle. The system per-formed nominally and the test was scored a success. Thisimportant test provided new performance information instressing environments, improving our technical basis.This is especially important given the extended deploy-ment period of the W78. The Air Force, Navy, and NNSAand its complex all contributed to this successful mission.(2200, 0400) NW, NW

The JTA Modernization (JTAM) Project team developed a new Instrumentation Systemwith a flight recorder as well as transmit capabilities for the collection of critical weaponperformance data. This system provides an extensive increase in the flight-surveillance

capability for the B61-3, 4, 7, and 11. The JTAM team delivered six system-level First Pro-duction Units in 2015. Project success is the culmination of more than four years of team-work and dedication by many organizations, teams, and individuals. (2200) NW, NW

The newly configured B61 JTAM.

Launch of the Minuteman III Intercontinental BallisticMissile from Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying aninstrumented W78 Joint Test Assembly for theW78/Mk12A Extended Range Instrumented Flight Test.

W88-0/Mk5 ALT 370 activities are proceeding and meeting critical programmilestones, including critical flight tests and ground tests, design reviews, andprogram reviews. The data from ground and flight tests enable the design anddevelopment teams to verify full functionality and support ongoing develop-ment efforts. The successful development activities have been accomplishedby a multidisciplinary team including Sandia, Los Alamos National Laboratory,Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp., John Hopkins Applied Physics Labora-tory, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, NNSA, andthe US Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs Office. NW, NW

The W88 ALT 370 DASO-26 Systems Team

Nine-element microneedle array in plastic laminate fluidic manifold (left). Image of a single hollow microneedle (right).

Sandia led the development of a revolutionary membranethat selectively captures CO2: the CO2-Memzyme. Thistechnology could save the US coal industry $90 billion ayear for electricity generation compared with best-in-classCO2 capture technology. It has a 3-times faster permeationrate, 20-times higher selectivity, and 7-times lower fabrica-tion cost. The ultra-thin membrane uses an active enzymethat is stable for months over large temperature ranges.Center 8600 led the effort; other contributors were fromthe University of New Mexico. (8600) EC, SSEF

A team led by Peter Maunz (1725) has recently achievedworld best fidelity levels (> 99 percent) for a two-qubit gateusing trapped ions in devices from Sandia’s MESA facility.Manipulation of the quantum states of individual particlescan unlock the potential of quantum computation. Thesestates are exquisitely delicate and the ability to effectivelycontrol them is often measured through the fidelity ofoperations involving these particles. The team is tantaliz-ingly close to the fault-tolerant levels theoretically requiredfor arbitrary computation. (1700) DSA, Cyber

Sandia WeaselBoard technology has been integratedinto a land-based version of a Navy ship control system.The WeaselBoard provides an added layer of cybersecu-rity for the programmable logic controllers that controlessential processes on the ship. Testing results showedthat the unit properly identifies and alerts on unautho-rized configurations. Additional rules are being devel-oped that will help ensure that the programmable logiccontroller operates only as intended by design.(5600) DSA, Cyber

Sandia’s Lightweight Distributed Metric Service (LDMS)is the first platform-independent monitoring tool provid-

Contour map showing drive times and Ebola labcoverage in Liberia.

Sandia has developed arrays of microneedles integrated with electrochemical biosensors to monitor an individ-ual’s state of health in real time by analyzing interstitial fluid sampled through the skin. In vitro laboratory experimentshave demonstrated the detection of fatigue biomarkers such as glucose, lactate, and pH. Preliminary human studies,funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, are being conducted in collaboration with the University of NewMexico Health Sciences Center, with the goal of correlating interstitial sampling with conventional blood sampling.(1700) IHNS, RGCBD

Sandia has been providing technical assistance toWest Africa as part of the effort to control the Ebolaepidemic. In Liberia and Sierra Leone we analyzedinfrastructure and laboratory networks to improvesample transport and optimize laboratory placement.In Guinea and Sierra Leone, numerous Sandians servedas laboratory coordinators for diagnostic laboratories.In Liberia we responded to an urgent request from theUS National Security Council to help clear a blood sam-ple backlog. As the epidemic recedes, Sandia is helpingtransition resources to local jurisdictions.(6800, 6100) IHNS, RGCBD

Page 9Labs Accomplishments • March 2016

Bioscience

Computer & information sciences

Schematics showing the structure of the Memzyme’s activelayer. The membrane captures and releases only CO2 at fastrates) via specially designed nanopores that trap a thin layer ofwater (blue) loaded with CO2-enzymes.

Tamara G. Kolda wasnamed a Fellow of theSociety for Industrialand Applied Mathe-matics (SIAM) at theInternational Congresson Industrial andApplied Mathematicsin Beijing, China, anhonor reserved forSIAM’s most distin-guished members. Sheis only the 3rd Sandiascientist to be named aSIAM Fellow, and wasrecognized for “contri-butions to numericalalgorithms and soft-

ware in multilinear algebra, optimization, and graphanalysis.” Tammy’s research interests also includetensor decompositions, data mining, nonlinearsolvers, parallel computing, and the design of scientificsoftware.

TAMARA G. KOLDA

ing near-real-time, synchronized, high fidelity, system-wide awareness down to one-second-or-less intervalsacross tens of thousands of nodes without adverse impacton running applications. LDMS data is unique in scopeand fidelity, enabling fundamentally new insights about,and responses to, system and application performance.LDMS is included in the NNSA Tri-lab operating systemstack and its deployments include NCSA’s Blue Waters(27,648 nodes) and the Tri-labs. LDMS is a 2015 R&D 100Award winner. (9300) Cyber

Sandia has developed unique analytics to support long-term sustainment of Nuclear Security Enterprise capabili-ties and resources through identifying optimal productionplans, capacity constraints, and critical investmentsrequired to ensure readiness and stability. These tools havebeen applied broadly to component production modeling,stockpile evaluation planning and operational modeling,and life-of-program production logistics models. In FY15the capabilities were used to support the Annual Assess-ment Report, inform schedule decisions, and analyze theimpact of emerging situations such as the ExplosivesConsolidation Implementation at WETL and operationalpauses at Pantex. (6100) NW, NW

Sandia conducted an extensive benchmarking study of one of the world’s first commercial quantum computers,produced by D-Wave Systems Inc. and housed at NASA’s Ames Research Center. D-Wave’s systems employ quantumannealing to solve discrete-optimization problems with potential mission-relevant applications; the current genera-tion offers approximately 1,100 quantum bits. The multidisciplinary Sandia team devised new mathematical tech-niques to enable benchmarking of more realistic problem instances and identified critical bottlenecks to real-worldapplications. A technical report detailing the findings has been widely distributed and well received.(1400, 5600) DSA, Cyber

The D-Wave 2X quantumcomputer natively solves abroad class of discrete-opti-mization problems leverag-ing its approximately 1,100qubits or quantum bits.(Image courtesy of D-WaveSystems Inc.)

Page 10 • Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

IT, networks, & facilities

Partnerships & alliances

Building 705 IGPP (institutional general plant projects)construction was completed in October 2015 within bud-get and with zero safety incidents. It is the fourth of five

institutional assets constructed with IMS funding, in accor-dance with an LLT agreement in FY12. The building pro-vides offices and light laboratory space to benefit multiple

mission elements, including ongoing science and technol-ogy activities and major program initiatives. The three-story, 26,000-square-foot structure is located in Tech Area 1.(2900, 4200, 4800, 9300, 10200) IMS, LF

Center 4800 restructured all its major planning docu-ments to provide a foundation for a corporate investmentstrategy that matches division priorities to the appropriatefunding sources. This effort started with the Long-RangeDevelopment Plan and Long-Range Development Frame-work, along with the Technical Area Plans, which providethe structure for the short- and long-term planning withinthe context of the entire Laboratory. In turn, Facilities andInfrastructure Plans were developed by each division toarticulate their needs, which will then inform the Five-Yearand Ten-Year Site Plans. IMS, LF

The Videoconferencing and Collaborative Technologiesteam engineered and deployed a new videoconferencinginfrastructure providing Virtual Meeting Room (VMR)capabilities for unclassified videoconference meetings. Thenew system will allow location-independent videoconfer-encing by assigning a VMR number that uniquely identi-fies a meeting. Using that number, meeting participants

can join from wherever they are, even at the airport oroff-site. Compatible technologies include traditionalvideoconferencing room systems, a Lync Room System,Skype for Business on a desktop, and even an iPhone oriPad. IMS, LF

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Two-Factor Authentica-tion is now operational for the Sandia Partnering Network.To date, more than 700 users are able to use PKIcredentials for system access, with an anticipated addi-tional 600 users by February 2016. This milestone marksthe largest implementation and achievement of a keyNNSA project related to smart card usage. IMS, LF

The Red Remote tool implementation was expandedfrom the SRN environment to include users on the SCN.The tool allows a technician to troubleshoot and providesupport. This reduces support of a typical request to installsoftware from several hours to about 10 minutes. As aresult, customers are now able to get a solution with a singlecall and return quickly to making the mission successful.(9300) IMS, LF

Enterprise BI (9548) and Nuclear Security Enterprise &Cost Analysis (0157) partnered to build the Cost DataContinuum (CDC) tool based on Excel pivot table tech-nologies that are readily usable by analysts. This toolenables analysts to recreate programmatic cost datasetsgoing back to 1994 to aid current estimators responsiblefor planning Sandia’s future programs. Initiatives thatformerly required months and hundreds of hours tocomplete now require as little as a day while ensuringa repeatable, traceable, valid, and credible process.(0150, 9500) IMS, LF

Sandia established an Academic Alliance to strengthenits strategic university partnerships, signing memoran-dums of understanding with Georgia Institute of Tech-nology, Purdue University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of New Mexico, and University ofTexas-Austin. The overarching objective of the AcademicAlliance is to advance and help define the future of engi-neering for national security. AA has three specific goals:solving the nation’s big problems; sustaining and engag-ing human capital; and accelerating the adoption of newtechnologies. (150, 1200, 1500, 1900, 3500, 6100, 8040,10600, 11100, 11500) IMS, LF

The NWPMU partnered with the US military academiesto provide 29 cadets and midshipmen with opportunitiesto spend 4-6 weeks working at Sandia. This programallows future military leaders to participate in hands-onwork, interact with Sandia researchers, and gain a betterunderstanding of the Labs and its capabilities. The pro-gram matched the students with applicable researchprojects and provided opportunities for the students totour various areas of the Labs. The program coordinatoralso provided information on local area attractions andseveral opportunities for students to network outside ofwork. (200) NW, NW

NEW VIDEOCONFERENCING CAPABILITIES — Jeff Jortner,Diane Gomes, Joshua Crawford, and Corbin Stewart (all8944) hold a videoconference with Lanette Radliff (8944-1).They were all part of the team that spearheaded the newvideo capabilities.

Building 705 in Tech Area I.

The National Solar Test Facility at SandiaNational Laboratories could be used forcollaborative research through the SmallBusiness Vouchers Pilot. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

This ASK visualization shows movements betweenand among groups of staff at Sandia over varioustime periods.

Analytics for Sandia Knowledge (ASK), a new toolprimarily for managers, allows users to find datafrom multiple Sandia sources and integrates andpresents the results in dashboards, visualizations,and interactive capabilities. The initial set of capabil-ities includes integrated HR and other data fordetailed analyses, tools for understanding organiza-tion and personnel expertise, staff transitions, work-force education, employee retention, and organiza-tional safety. Future capabilities will integrateadditional data sources and methods to interactwith it. (9500) IMS, LF

Small Business Vouchers Pilot (SBV):The Office of Energy Efficiency &Renewable Energy at DOE chose Sandia as one of five leads in a pilotthat will give small, clean-energycompanies access to national labora-tory expertise and resources. As a leadlab, Sandia will allocate $2.75 millionin vouchers to companies working insolar, wind, and geothermal tech-nologies. Companies with fewer than500 employees will be able to applyto Sandia for $50,000 to $300,000 invouchers that can be used for a vari-ety of technical assistance. (1900,6100, 6900, and 8300) EC, SSEF

Pavel Bochevwon DOE’s ErnestOrlando LawrenceAward for his pio-neering theoreticaland practicaladvances innumerical meth-ods for partial dif-ferential equa-tions. Pavelreceived a medaland a $20,000honorarium at aceremony withDOE SecretaryErnest Moniz inWashington, D.C.,earlier this year.“This is the most

prestigious mid-career honor that the Department ofEnergy awards,” said Bruce Hendrickson, director ofSandia’s Center for Computing Research. Said Bochev,“I am deeply honored to receive this award, which is atestament to the exceptional research opportunitiesprovided by Sandia and DOE. Since joining Sandia I’vebeen very fortunate to interact with an outstandinggroup of researchers who stimulated and supported mywork. These interactions, as well as funding from theASCR Program of DOE’s Office of Science and the ASCprogram of the National Nuclear Security Administra-tion, helped shape, grow, and mature the researcheffort leading to this recognition.”

PAVEL BOCHEV

Page 11Labs Accomplishments • March 2016

Engineering sciences

In 2015, experiments on Sandia’s Z machineand quantum simulations in the Z Fundamen-tal Science Program made discoveries thathelp explain iron rain when the moon wasformed, the age of Saturn, and the abun-dances of heavy elements in the sun.

A helicopter lowers a swimmer into the Arctic Ocean during a search-and-rescue exercise near Oliktok Point. The exercise,which involved UASs and multiple participants, took place in the Warning Area under Sandia’s stewardship. (Photo by Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Grant DeVuyst)

In partnership with organizations throughout Sandia,Center 1500 delivered an updated document to the B61-12Life Extension Program that defines design requirements atthe system and component level across a broad spectrumof thermal, fluid, mechanical, rad, and electromagneticenvironments. The updated version, which represents acritical program milestone, benefitted from an unprece-dented level of high-performance computational simula-tion in addition to ground and flight tests. The specifica-tions are continually updated as new information emergesfrom flight tests, ground tests, and high-performance com-puter simulations. (1500) NW, NW

Sandia hosted its second annual Nonlinear Mechanicsand Dynamics (NOMAD) Research Institute in the summerof 2015 with support from the University of New Mexico.For six weeks, researchers from across the world collaboratedon seven projects in nonlinear mechanics and dynamicswith an eighth team focusing on cross-cultural STEM collab-orations. Participants included 24 graduate students/postdocs and 14 world-renowned staff and faculty mentors from17 universities across 11 countries. Matthew Brake (1526)

was the technical organizer; Michaela Negus (1526) andDiane Peebles (1526) supported the programmatic coordina-tion. (1500) NW, NW

Sandia will play an important role in supporting NASA’sMars 2020 mission by performing the safety analysis andproducing the Safety Analysis Report, which is fundamen-tal to the mission’s launch decision. Sandia recently per-formed the Nuclear Risk Assessment that led to NASA’sdecision to use a multimission radioisotope thermoelectricgenerator (RTG) to power and heat the rover that will becarried on this mission. Both efforts depend on Sandia’sexpertise in safety analysis, consequence modeling, andrisk analysis. (6200, 1500, 5400) EC, SSEF

Sandia’s leadership in an analysis of water resources inthe High Plains region, conducted by staff at the NationalInfrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC),gained high visibility with the Department of HomelandSecurity’s Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis(OCIA). These analyses of risks and economic impact ofcontinuing aquifer depletion in Nebraska and Kansas led

to Sandia presentations at the Nebraska InfrastructureProtection Conference in September and to the lieutenantgovernor of Nebraska, as well as follow-on work in otherregions. (6900) IHNS, SSEF

Thermal batteries provide essential power for nuclearweapon components. Reduction of design cycles and costhave been realized for several weapon-specific thermal bat-teries through the use of the Thermally Activated BatterySimulator (TABS). This validated multistep, multiphysicsmodel of thermal battery thermal and electrochemicalbehavior is routinely being used by battery designers in adesktop graphical user interface to understand and predictbattery performance, reliability, and safety. TABS is alsobeing integrated with systems performance models andto support stockpile assessments. (1500, 1800, 2500) NW, NW

A new design technology and environment, PLATO(PLAtinum Topology Optimization), promises to funda-mentally change our approach to mechanical design. Thisdesign process creates shapes by optimally placing materialonly where needed. The organic-looking shapes, whichwere previously infeasible to manufacture, can now bemade economically using advanced additive manufactur-ing. These designs are preferred when space and weight areat a premium. This also opens the door to customized lat-tice materials where optimal stiffness-to-weight ratios areobtained. (1400, 1500) NW, NW

Pulsed power

The first in-situ diagnostic images were captured at both theSandia Z pulsed power facility and the Lawrence LivermoreNational Ignition Facility using Sandia’s ultra-high-speed digitalX-ray framing camera. Designed and fabricated in collaborationbetween the Pulsed Power Sciences and Microsystems and Engi-

neering Sciences Applications centers, the cameras consist of aphotodiode array bonded to a radiation-hardened custom readoutintegrated circuit with nearly half a million 25µm pixels. At 1.5nstemporal resolution, the UXI sensors are the fastest multiframeX-ray imagers in the world. NW, NW,

Sandia’s Z pulsed power facility useslarge currents and the resulting magneticpressure to compress cylindrical metaltubes (liners) containing fuel to reach theextreme conditions needed for fusion.Instabilities growing up on the outsidesurface of the liners can limit our ability todo this. Researchers found that by combin-ing strong axial magnetic fields and thickinsulating coatings, they could reduce theinstability growth, maintaining the innerportion of the plasma liner in a relativelyunperturbed state, potentially makingfusion conditions easier to achieve.(1600) NW, NW

The conditions created on Sandia’s Zmachine are literally out of this world— states of matter found in giant planets,meteor impacts, or in the sun are attract-ing scientists to collaborate with Sandiathrough the Z Fundamental ScienceProgram (ZFSP). ZFSP made three majorscientific discoveries in 2015: The opacityof iron was measured at solar conditions(Bailey et al, Nature). Hydrogen was com-pressed to a metallic state (Knudson et al,SCIENCE) and the vaporization thresholdof iron was measured (Kraus et al, NatureGeoscience). (1600) LF

Hybrid CMOS cameraX-ray images on Z (shotH33 - 6/15/2015) at 2nstemporal resolution. Theinitial Z application wasto measure the dynamicsof laser-heating of a gas-filled Magnetized LinerInertial Fusion target.

Hybrid CMOS camera X-rayimages on NIF (shotN150901 - 8/27/2015) at2ns temporal resolution. Theinitial NIF application was tomeasure the time-history ofthe laser entry hole of a NIFhohlraum (figure courtesy ofHui Chen et al., LLNL).

Sandia is managing a 700-mile-long Special UseAirspace that stretches northfrom Oliktok Point on Alaska’sPrudhoe Bay to within 400miles of the North Pole.Oliktok is the location ofthe Atmospheric RadiationMeasurement ClimateResearch Facility, where Sandiahas conducted research since1998. The protected airspacewill provide a safe zone forresearchers collecting climatedata and for search-and-rescueteams practicing techniques.The first use of the restrictedspace was a cooperative rescueexercise led by the US CoastGuard. (6900) EC, SSEF

Topology optimization achieved the unique shape of thelantern bracket held by Ted Blacker (1543) and displayed inthe topology optimization program behind him. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Page 12 • Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

Homeland security

Center 1800 developed effectivemitigation approaches for aging-related issues of pilot protectiongoggles under an Air ForceMateriel Command Air Force LifeCycle Management Center workfor others agreement. The electro-optic PLZT thermal/flashprotection goggles, originallydeveloped by Sandia from 1971to 1986, were found to be refur-bishable using Sandia experiencein materials aging, electronicmaterials development, opticalmaterials, and electronicspackaging and encapsulation.(1800) DSA, SDF

Microelectronics& microsystems

Military programs

Last summer, organizations 5447, 5422, 5431, 5435, and5448 supported a field test of Sandia’s Sensor Delivery Dart(SDD) system at a test range near Yuma, Arizona. TwelveSDDs were dropped from an aircraft to test aerodynamic andground penetration performances. All 12 SDDs performedexactly as predicted. The customer was extremely pleasedwith this first set of results, produced within seven monthsof the project start. Two additional and successful test serieswere performed later in the calendar year. (5400) DSA, SDP

Sandia has demonstrated success in developing a capa-bility to measure the downrange crosswind for long rangeshooting. Until now, crosswind estimation relied exclu-sively on the judgment of highly trained and experiencedsnipers. An affordable hand-held or rifle-mounted technol-

ogy has been demonstrated at our outdoor optical testrange and live-fire testing with special operations snipers.Funding is being provided by various interested defenseforces. (5300, 6500) DSA, SDP

The Sensor Exploitation Applications department hasdelivered several new target models that expand the capa-bility of the F-35’s Synthetic Aperture Radar targeting sys-tem. Sandia continues to work with Northrop Grummanand Lockheed Martin to expand this capability. Sandia hasled research and development of Synthetic Aperture RadarAutomatic Target Recognition (ATR) technology for 25years. Sandia’s ATR is sought by both DoD and defensecontractors because of its software maturity, processingefficiency, and decision accuracy. (5400) DSA, SDP

Flight Test Standard Missile-25 (FTM-25) was successfullyconducted Nov. 6, 2014. A ballistic missile launched fromSandia’s Kauai Test Facility and two cruise missiles weredetected, tracked, and engaged by the destroyer USS JohnPaul Jones. This test was the first live-fire event of the Aegisweapon system in Integrated Air and Missile Defense RadarPriority Mode, engaging a ballistic missile target and a raidof cruise missile targets. In addition to launch operations,KTF provided telemetry, target displays, countdown, pho-tometrics, and other range support. (5400) DSA, SDP

CPAT is a transformative operations research project for the US Army.

Thermal/flash protective device goggle

A Sandia-developed analysis capability was one of six finalists for the 2015 FranzEdelman Prize. Over the past four years, the Capability Portfolio Analysis Tool(CPAT) has been used in more than 40 high-visibility studies to inform the Army’sProgram Executive Office Ground Combat Systems’ fleet modernization decisions.CPAT’s nomination highlights the tool’s technical excellence and the impact it hashad on the Army’s modernization planning. CPAT analyses have helped prioritizethe investment of billions of taxpayer dollars planned over the next 25-35 years.(6100, 9500) DSA, SDP

A bomb squad robot attempts to clear a room that has a very confusing environment (lights, sound, strobe effects, etc.). (Photo by Randy Montoya)

In May, Sandia teamed with Los Alamos NationalLaboratory to conduct the 9th Annual Western NationalRobot Rodeo. Bomb squads from across the country com-peted in emergency scenarios that required their robotsto perform life-saving actions. Nine teams competed,with top honors going to the Dona Ana County Sherriff’s

Office. In June, a Sandia team demonstrated its walkinghumanoid emergency response robot, WANDERER, atthe DARPA Robotics Challenge. WANDERER’s novelenergy-efficient actuation and drive-train technologieswill enable much longer emergency response missionswithout recharging batteries. (6500) IHNS, GNAS

During 2015, Sandia was selected to receive fouradvanced analysis tools that came out of the Intelli-gence Advanced Research Projects Activity CircuitAnalysis Tool (CAT) program. The semiconductorindustry continues to scale with Moore’s law, produc-ing components at the 22 nm technology node andbelow that challenge most commercial analysis capa-bilities. The CAT program enabled industry partner-ships in advanced R&D in the area of failure analysis.The rapid planning, preparation, and successful instal-lation of these tools at Sandia has already enablednew research in areas like silicon sample preparationand high-resolution imaging and is addressing avariety of mission area needs. DSA, Cyber

Zeiss ORION NanoFab

The FTM-25 ARAV target vehicle being launched from KTF Pad 1.

Sensor Delivery Dart in flight and successfully embedded toterrabrakes following impact.

Page 13Labs Accomplishments • March 2016

Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) wasused for extensive baseline performance testing of heliostat pro-totypes by the renewable energy company SolarReserve. Thecompany is developing advanced heliostat designs and controlalgorithms to increase the efficiencies of its solar power systems,

which are deployed around the world. SolarReserve chose theNSTTF because of Sandia’s “knowledge and reputation in thesolar industry, as well as the breadth of resources available forimproving and testing new designs.” The testing at Sandia ledto important component modifications. (6100) EC, SSEF

Roger Buck (middle, SolarReserve), Subhash L. Shinde (farthest) and William Kolb (closest) examine SolarReserve’s SR96 Heliostat. Thereflection shows the optimized beam shape produced by this heliostat on the 200-foot-tall Solar Tower. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

EnergyThe Sandia Wake Imaging System is a pro-totype Global Doppler Velocimeter designedto measure large scale inflow and outflowwind patterns associated with wind turbines.When fully implemented, this measurementtype will be the first of its kind and will leadto improved predictive wind farm flow pat-terns. The results from this work will lead toimproved turbine and wind farm designs toachieve higher energy efficiency rates.(1100, 6100, 5700) EC, SSEF

Sandia engineers Katrina Groth and EthanHecht won the Robert Schefer Best Paperaward, presented at the 2015 IA-HySafeInternational Conference on HydrogenSafety. Their paper, chosen from 167 sub-missions to the conference, describes theHydrogen Risk Assessment Model (HyRAM),a toolkit for modeling the safety of hydro-gen storage and fueling systems. The toolkitwill aid the hydrogen codes and standardscommunity as it develops models of hydro-gen releases to support deployment ofhydrogen refueling infrastructure andhydrogen fuel cell technologies. (6200,8300) EC, SSEF

A very high-precision, high-power machineto test batteries was developed with externalpartners Ford and Arbin. It delivers 200amps with precision six times better thanprevious testers. The machine was devel-oped as a tool to allow researchers to betterpredict the life of a rechargeable battery.This is crucial for electric vehicle or station-ary storage batteries that must last a decadeor longer. The objective is to use high-preci-sion measures during early performance toextrapolated behavior over the life of thesebatteries. (2500) EC, SSEF

Sandia has formed an industry-fundedSpray Combustion Consortium to build onthe foundational scientific knowledge gen-erated under DOE-funded projects anddevelop validated, predictive tools enablingthe design of advanced direct-injectionengines. The consortium is a partnershipamong Sandia, Argonne National Labora-tory, the University of Massachusetts, vehi-cle and engine manufacturers, and commer-cial computational fluid dynamics softwarevendors. To date, six industry partners havesigned on to support this effort at a level of$100,000/partner/year, and negotiations arecontinuing with several others. The three-year project began Nov. 10. (8300) EC, SSEF

Topologically optimized designs for a thermally conductive mechanical bracket. Priority for thermal performance (left), boththermal and mechanical performance (center), and mechanical performance (right).

Sandia scientists John Savee, left, and Eve Papajak (both8353), are responsible for detection of QOOH intermedi-ates, shown at Berkeley’s Advanced Light Source, where theexperiments were done. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Nano-ionic resistive memory devices or “memris-tors” are needed to enable neuromorphic comput-ing with a significant reduction in power consump-tion. Using ion-aassisted deposition (IAD), RonGoeke and Carl Smith (1832) have developed amethod to make memristor devices reliably. TheIAD deposition approach involves e-beam evapora-tion of tantalum metal with a reactive beam ofargon and oxygen ions impinging on the growingfilm. Using this technique, the oxide formationoccurs at the substrate, resulting in better controlover film stoichiometry and yielding low variability.(1800), DSA, SDP

Materials

To fully leverage the design freedom of additivemanufacturing, Sandia has and continues to developtools for directly computing the design of componentsand systems that optimize relevant performance objec-tives (for example, thermal, mechanical, and electrical)while meeting essential requirements (such as volumeand mass). These optimization-based design tools allowengineers to explore more freeform or “organic” topolo-gies with only performance goals dictating the finaldesign. This new capability is built on Sandia’s extensivecomputational investments (in Trilinos, Sierra, andAlbany, for example) and leverages high-performancecomputing resources. (1400, 1500), NW, NW

Sandia researchers are the first ever to directly measurea “QOOH” radical, a key reactive step in the chain ofreactions in hydrocarbon oxidation. Because QOOHreactions help determine both ignition chemistry andthe production of organic particulates, the QOOHreaction rates and outcomes from this breakthrough canincrease the fidelity of models used to create cleaner andmore efficient cars and trucks, and improve the descrip-tion of oxidation processes that can lead to aerosol hazein Earth’s atmosphere. (8300) EC SSEF

Algal testbed designed to understand and mitigatepathogens and predators that can “crash” algae cultures.

Sandia has implemented an algal testbed researchfacility designed to understand and mitigatepathogens and predators that can “crash” algae cul-tures, a critical barrier to commercializing algae bio-fuels. Unique to this facility are advanced hyperspec-tral monitoring and metagenomic diagnosticsdeveloped at Sandia that provide real-time cell den-sity and health of the algae. When completed, thetemperature and lighting can be controlled to simu-late different geographic locations and environmen-tal conditions. The three 1,000-liter raceways aregeometrically similar to commercial units for scale-up from lab to field. EC, SSEF

Page 14 • Sandia Lab News Sandia National Laboratories

HR, finance, & legal

The Reapplication Team makes a difference in the livesof children in our community. This year’s K-12 eventresulted in the successful donation of 2,341 computersand laptops, valued at more than $4.1 million, to 34New Mexico schools. The Reapplication Team receivedexcellent feedback from the schools, which indicatedthe computers and equipment will be used to establishnew computer centers and replace aging computers andequipment. Providing surplus computers is a communityservice and demonstrates good stewardship of assets.(10200) IMS, LF

The Retirement Investment Management organizationcompleted additional benchmarking and fee negotiationprojects resulting in reductions of investment fees forboth the Retirement Income Plan (pension) and the Sav-ings and Income Plan (401(k)). These reductions began inFY15 and will continue in future years, helping increasethe funded status of the pension and providing greaternet investment returns to participant accounts in the401(k). (10500) IMS, LF

In FY15 the Total Rewards team refined processes anddelivered quality improvements. Compensation & Perfor-mance designed and requested a market band structureupdate and geo-differential adjustment from DOE/ NNSAand received approval for both, in addition to providingperformance management training and a new consoli-dated Compensation website. Retirement, Savings, andAbsence Management launched a self-service retirementestimator, implemented the FMLA rolling 12 calculationmethod, and a new behavioral health return-to-workmodel to assist employees in their transition backto work after an absence. (3500) IMS, LF

In FY15, Human Resources’ Talent AcquisitionDepartment hired 1,058 new staff into the Labs, anincrease of 66 percent over the prior year. This effortrequired significant coordination within the departmentand coordination with HR’s Talent Management &Development (TM&D) team to deliver onboarding andto meet a 12 percent increase in demand for training.TM&D also significantly enhanced Sandia’s manage-ment development program, combining existing classesinto a competency-focused list for management andemerging leaders. (3500) IMS, LF

Sandia’s Diversity & Inclusion Organization in col-laboration with strategic partners from across the Labs,has created a variety of learning and awareness pro-grams geared to actively engage employees in work-place diversity and inclusion dialogue. This includesSandia’s Diversity Cinema and Workshops-in-a-boxtools, which were recently identified as a best practicein the DOE complex. Sandia was invited to presentthese proactive employee engagement practices at theSeptember National Laboratories Directors CouncilDiversity Forum. Mission Support (3010) IMS, LF

The Accounting Services and Payroll departments wereawarded the 2015 Piñon recognition award by QualityNew Mexico. Through assessments and site visits, thedepartments demonstrated systematic processes and datathat strengthened overall operations and attainedimproved outcomes. Accounting Services focused on pro-viding accurate reporting of Sandia’s financial results andtax filings while Payroll focused on providing accurate pay-ment of compensation and excellent customer service.Their efforts proved they are a model organization com-mitted to providing the best products and services to theirrespective customers. (10500) IMS, LF

The Employee Health Services Team (3300) was instru-mental in Sandia winning the New Mexico’s HealthiestEmployer 2015 Award in the large company category. Tocompete for the title, companies submit a comprehensivenomination questionnaire and an online survey. Employ-

ers are scored using the Healthiest Employer Index (HEI),which measures factors such as an organization’s wellnessculture, strategy, communications, programming, andanalysis. Out of a possible 100, Sandia's HEI score is 86.92whereas the national average is 49.23. (3300) IMS, LF

Sandians participate in annual Fitness Day activities, one of many ways the Laboratories fosters employee health and wellness. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

The 90-day Welcome Wagon initiative is targeted atemployees new to the Financial and Business ManagementCenter. It ensures that individuals understand the impor-tance of Sandia’s safety culture. During their first week,new employees will be greeted by their skip-level managerto discuss the 90-day experience. The employee’s immedi-ate manager will continue the safety discussions and assistwith various 30-, 60-, and 90-day safety challenges. TheWelcome Wagon will roll out across all of the CFO andBusiness Operations Divisions during FY16. (10500) IMS, LF

In FY15, the Business Staffing Team (BST) interviewedmore than 1,000 applicants and hired approximately 130regular employees and 60 student interns for the BusinessCommunity. The BST engaged in campus recruiting atmore than 10 universities and brought in experiencedbusiness management professionals, project controllers,cost analysts, supply chain representatives, audit, andspecific-need candidates for interviews. The BST hasbeen recognized as a best practice at the Labs. (10600) IMS, LF

The W87 Fuze AFA and its components realized earnedvalue process, metrics, and reporting that empoweredproject management and met rigorous customer objectivesthrough the efforts of organizations 10620 and 10650. Thissuccess demonstrates collaboration between Sandia/NewMexico and Sandia/California organizations and provideshigh-fidelity insight into schedule and cost performance,impacts, and options for corrective action. It also affectedbroad management use, including a newly implementedmonthly PM/EVM review, and met with customerapproval at both the FY15 Internal Baseline Review andthe FY16 Schedule Surveillance events. (10600) NW, NW

Chemicals play a huge role in support-ing Sandia’s mission, and understandingand managing those chemicals can betime-consuming and tedious. The Lifecy-cle Materials Management (LCMM) pro-gram determined that Sandia needed abetter way to track chemicals used —that’s where RFID came in. Since theRFID program began, LCMM hasreduced the number of chemicals bymore than 30,000 and taken reconcilia-tion from hours/days to seconds/min-utes. This gives chemical users more timeto do the valuable research they performin support of Sandia’s mission.(10200) IMS, LF

LCMM use of RFID reduces reconciliationtime and increases research time.

Ann Riley was recognized by Women’s Enterprise asa Top 100 Leader at the Women’s Business CouncilSouthwest “Salute to the Stars” event. Ann, a SmallBusiness Advocate, was noted as one of the best andthe brightest among Women Business Enterprisesand the companies that track their unique contri-butions. She was selected as an influential leaderwho has gone above and beyond to ensure inclu-sive supply chains, and that puts her and Sandiain the top 100 for corporate supplier diversity.

ANN RILEY

(Pho

to b

y Ra

ndy

Mon

toya

)

Labs Accomplishments • March 2016 Page 15

Governance, leadership, & management

Recruiting Specialist Ken Holley was selected to receivethe prestigious Community Service Award at the annualBlack Engineer of the Year Awards STEM ConferenceFeb. 18-20, 2016, in Philadelphia. Ken was nominatedby HR VP Melonie Parker and received letters of recom-

mendation fromcurrent and formerSandia executivesas well as diversityrecruiters and uni-versity officials.In addition to hisinvolvement andleadership withnumerous educationand communityorganizations, Kenhas an outstandingrecord serving San-dia in recruiting-related activities formore than 30 years.Ken was also named

a recipient of a 2015 Outstanding Service Award fromthe New Mexico Office of African American Affairs.This award honored Ken for his contributions toeducational advancement and economic empowermentin New Mexico’s African American community. Kenjoined Sandia in 1985 and holds a B.A. degree fromWinston Salem State University and an MBA fromOral Roberts University.

KEN HOLLEY

While Sandia’s social media program consistently wins awards,recent recognition reached a new level. Darrick Hurst, a drivingforce behind Sandia’s use of social media to amplify the Labs’accomplishments, won the Apex Grand Award in FY15, as well asthe Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts Communicator Awardof Distinction and the PRSA Cumbre Award. Sandia’s social mediachannels continue to grow significantly (28 percent growth acrossFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube). WIRED magazine fea-tured Sandia social media as one of five best places to follow“spectacular science.” (3600) IMS, LF

Darrick Hurst, a driving force behind Sandia’s use of social media toamplify the Labs’ accomplishments, won three awards in FY15 for Sandia’ssocial media strategy and its impact. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Community Involvement, Government/Media Relations,and Communications

Sandia’s Prime Contract Group (11011) partneredwith the NNSA Sandia Field Office to successfullyupdate the current Prime Contract with more than 60new clauses. The hard work and long hours put in bythe Prime Contract Group facilitated DOE’s announce-ment that it has extended the current contract throughApril 30, 2017, thus enabling Sandia to continue undis-rupted its focus on mission deliverables. (11000) IMS, LF

Sandia’s Subcontract Audit Department supported theDOE complex in establishing a robust subcontract auditprogram. Members of the department were featured pre-senters at a three-day subcontract audit training forumoffered to audit and procurement professionals from 11DOE sites. They shared experience gained throughauditing subcontractors to Sandia, including risk analy-sis techniques, regulatory requirements, and Sandia’sstrategies for assuring a risk-based approach to placingand auditing contracts. (0800) IMS, LF

The Operational Innovation Office drives increased inte-

gration and efficiencies across Sandia by exploring oppor-tunities, benchmarking and researching outside of San-dia, gathering ideas at all levels of the organization, pro-viding tools, measures, Lean Six Sigma and DesignThinker training and services, and communicating resultsfor continuous improvement. The efficiency goal forFY15 was $75 million. Sandia achieved $132.8 million inFY15 cost savings and cost avoidances, which exceededlast year’s result by $40 million. (700) IMS, LF

The Quality Maturity Assessment (QMA) completed thesecond year of a three-year plan to assess quality out-comes and identify opportunities for Labs-wide improve-ment. Opportunities identified in the FY15 QMA arebeing addressed in partnership with the Quality Round-table (QRT), a cross-organizational community with rep-resentatives from all divisions and PMUs. The collabora-tion between QMA and QRT has increased workforceunderstanding and implementation of quality-relatedprinciples and is leading to sustainable improvements.(0700) IMS, LF

(Pho

to b

y Ra

ndy

Mon

toya

)

After Sandia helped build a con-trolled fog chamber to test sensorsfor defense and other applications,various communication effortsamplified the impact of the devel-opment. News accounts based on anews release, along with socialmedia promotions, led to severalbusiness leads. The US Army’s NightVision and Electronic Sensors Direc-torate plans to begin testing thisyear, several businesses contactedSandia after the news release waspublished, and FedEx contactedSandia to inquire about using thefog chamber for its R&D. (3600,1100, 6500, 2100, 1700) IMS, LF

Sandia developed a fog chamber totest optics, like security camera sensors,in a controlled environment. Sandiachemical engineer Andres Sanchezchecks an instrument that measuresthe particle size and concentration ofthe fog in the chamber’s atmosphere. (Photo by Randy Montoya)

Media Relations, in collabo-ration with NNSA and tech-nical organizations across theLabs, hosted a national crewfrom PBS NewsHour for a day toexamine work on the B61-12Life Extension Program anddiscuss stockpile stewardship.The nine-minute broadcast onNov. 5 portrayed Sandiapositively to a nationalaudience and includedfootage from other NNSA sites.(3600, 2100, 2500, 1500, 1300)IMS, LF

• Enables Sandia to expand and enhance collaborativeprograms in hydrogen science, additive manufacturing,cybersecurity, energy, and biosciences;

• Further defines the Livermore Valley Open Campus asthe “front door” for the California site;

• Shifts unclassified activities to General Access Areas,making room in Limited Areas for growing classifiedwork; and

• Provides a modern workspace to attract and retain aworld-class workforce. IMS, LF

Approval of CREATE CD-1, Authorization to pursue development of Alternative Finance Proposal:

Sandia Labs scientist Anne Ruffing studies modificationof cyanobacteria for biofuel production. (Photo by Randy Montoya)