Advances in Ultrashort-Pulse Lasers • Modeling Dispersions of Biological and Chemical Agents • Centennial of E

October 2001 U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Also in this issue: • More Advances in Ultrashort-Pulse Lasers • Modeling Dispersions of Biological and Chemical Agents • Centennial of E. O. Lawrence’s Birth About the Cover Computing systems leader Greg Tomaschke works at the console of the 680-gigaops Compaq TeraCluster2000 parallel supercomputer, one of the principal machines used to address large-scale scientific simulations at Livermore. The supercomputer is accessible to unclassified program researchers throughout the Laboratory, thanks to the Multiprogrammatic and Institutional Computing (M&IC) Initiative described in the article beginning on p. 4. M&IC makes supercomputers an institutional resource and helps scientists realize the potential of advanced, three-dimensional simulations. Cover design: Amy Henke About the Review Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. At Livermore, we focus science and technology on assuring our nation’s security. We also apply that expertise to solve other important national problems in energy, bioscience, and the environment. Science & Technology Review is published 10 times a year to communicate, to a broad audience, the Laboratory’s scientific and technological accomplishments in fulfilling its primary missions. The publication’s goal is to help readers understand these accomplishments and appreciate their value to the individual citizen, the nation, and the world. Please address any correspondence (including name and address changes) to S&TR, Mail Stop L-664, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, or telephone (925) 423-3432. Our e-mail address is [email protected]. S&TR is available on the World Wide Web at www.llnl.gov/str/. © 2001. The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. This document has been authored by the Regents of the University of California under Contract No. W-7405-Eng-48 with the U.S. Government. To request permission to use any material contained in this document, please submit your request in writing to the Technical Information Department, Document Approval and Report Services, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94551, or to our electronic mail address [email protected]. S This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither National Nuclear Security Administration the United States Government nor the University of California nor any of their employees makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or • • otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state Prepared by LLNL under contract or reflect those of the United States Government or the University of California and shall not be used for advertising or No. W-7405-Eng-48 product endorsement purposes. October 2001 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Contents S&TR Staff Features SCIENTIFIC EDITOR 3 Supercomputing Resources Are Andrew A. Quong Vital to Advancing Science Commentary by Dona Crawford MANAGING EDITOR Ray Marazzi 4 Sharing the Power of PUBLICATION EDITOR Supercomputers Gloria Wilt The rise of computer simulation in scientific studies means that access to WRITERS Arnie Heller, Ann Parker, powerful supercomputers is crucial. Katie Walter, and Gloria Wilt ART DIRECTORS Amy Henke and George Kitrinos Research Highlights DESIGNER Amy Henke 13 Further Developments in Ultrashort-Pulse Lasers Advances in ultrashort-pulse lasers are leading to INTERNET DESIGNER new applications and better science for the U.S. Kitty Tinsley Stockpile Stewardship Program. COMPOSITOR Louisa Cardoza 16 Simulating How the Wind Blows PROOFREADER Livermore scientists can predict how chemical Carolin Middleton or biological agents will move around just one building or over an entire region. S&TR, a Director’s Office publication, is produced by the 20 Remembering E. O. Lawrence Technical Information Department We commemorate the life of the Laboratory’s under the direction of the Office of namesake and founder. Policy, Planning, and Special Studies. S&TR is available on the Web at www.llnl.gov/str/. Printed in the United States of America Departments Available from National Technical Information Service 2 The Laboratory in the News U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 22161 23 Patents and Awards UCRL-52000-01-10 25 Abstract Distribution Category UC-0 October 2001 2 The Laboratory in the News S&TR October 2001 Lab represents U.S. in nuclear waste study They also want to predict the behavior of fires of strategic Five countries and regions have agreed in principle to interest around the globe. participate in a joint research project on deep underground The Livermore–Los Alamos team has already developed disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Work to develop disposal wildfire models and accurately simulated the behavior of technologies would be performed at the research centers of the historic fires. Livermore researchers are linking a fire model five participants: Lawrence Livermore in the U.S., the Japan to a regional weather prediction model and performing Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, the (South) Korean simulations to reconstruct the early stage of the 1991 fire in Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Beijing Research the Oakland hills of northern California. The simulations test Institute of Uranium Geology in the People’s Republic of the combined model’s accuracy. Follow-on studies, China, and the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taiwan. requested by emergency management and planning officials, The U.S. Department of Energy is playing a leading role will look at hypothetical fires in nearby canyons that escaped in the project and expects to build a joint research center the 1991 fire. The information will improve preparedness for near Las Vegas, Nevada. Says C. K. Chou, associate director future wildfires. of the Energy and Environment Directorate at Livermore, Livermore atmospheric scientist Michael Bradley says “The United States has already spent about $5 billion for an that results of the modeling and prediction initiative could underground disposal project at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. move the nation into a new era of scientifically based We want to take advantage of the knowledge gained. Nations wildfire and vegetation management. He sees the day when with advanced nuclear power generation technology have a fire trucks will carry laptops to tap into a national wildfire responsibility to propose a way to dispose of spent nuclear behavior prediction center and determine where to direct fuel, while also promoting nuclear reactor safety.” firefighting troops. Eventually, the models might even The joint research project must solve a number of technical predict the effects of firefighting activities, which means problems, such as what type of rock is most suitable for a firefighters would be able to choose the safest and most nuclear waste repository and how to prevent radioactive effective techniques for specific fires. material from contaminating groundwater. South Korean Contact: Michael Bradley (925) 422-1835 ([email protected]). officials have proposed that research be conducted at an underground experimental facility they plan to build in Seoul. Site 300 gets new lightning warning system Officials from the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute Lightning strikes there are rare, but because Site 300 and Lawrence Livermore have proposed contributing functions as an explosives test facility, conservative safety academic papers and computer programs. precautions for lightning events are warranted. Thus, the site Although there is a possibility that China may accept spent has upgraded its lightning detection and warning system. nuclear fuel from Taiwan, the project is not expected to deal The system uses electric field mils, which detect the strength with the disposal policies of the participating nations, some of of the electric field gradient, thereby indicating the potential whom dispose of spent fuel within their borders while others for lightning, and a new electrical storm identification send it to other countries. device, which optically detects and measures the site’s Contact: C. K. Chou (925) 422-4950 ([email protected]). distance from lightning flashes. Larry Sedlacek, Site 300 manager, says, “The new Predicting how wildfires will burn detection equipment improves our ability to accurately In the fire season of 2000, wildfires burned 6.8 million detect potential lightning conditions and safely shut down acres of public and private lands, including large parts of explosives operations during those times.” He adds, “We’ll Los Alamos National Laboratory. Experts believe that annual be better able to gauge when employees working in the field wildfires will increase and will ravage thousands of acres of need to evacuate to a protected building.” land and

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