FY 2017 LDRD Report
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LBNL-103E Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 2017 June 2018 Report on Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 2017 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720 MARCH 2017 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231 DISCLAIMER This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. While this document is believed to contain correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal 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 its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof or The Regents of the University of California. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... v Project Reports by Sponsoring Division Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division ............................................................. 1 Advanced Light Source Division ............................................................................................... 5 Biological Systems and Engineering ....................................................................................... 10 Building Technology and Urban Systems Division ................................................................. 13 Chemical Sciences Division .................................................................................................... 15 Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division ............................................................................. 19 Computational Research Division .......................................................................................... 25 Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division ............................................................ 42 Energy Geosciences Division ................................................................................................. 43 Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division .............................................................. 49 Engineering Division ............................................................................................................... 55 Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division ........................................................ 57 Materials Sciences Division .................................................................................................... 63 Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division ...................................................... 74 Nuclear Science Division ........................................................................................................ 78 Physics Division ...................................................................................................................... 85 Publications List .......................................................................................................................... 92 iii iv Introduction range of health-related science such as breast cancer studies The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National for the National Institutes of Health, accelerator research Laboratory (Berkeley Lab or LBNL) is a multi-program supported by the Department of Defense, detector and national research facility operated by the University of engineering technologies useful to the Department of California for the Department of Energy (DOE). As an Homeland Security, and particle detection valuable to the integral element of DOE’s National Laboratory System, Environmental Protection Agency. Projects in imaging, Berkeley Lab supports DOE’s missions in fundamental data analytics, and networking are of potential applicability science, energy resources, and environmental quality. for programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Berkeley Lab programs advance four distinct goals for DOE and the nation: The Berkeley Lab Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY2017 report is compiled from • To perform leading multidisciplinary research in the annual reports submitted by principal investigators computing sciences, physical sciences, energy following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes sciences, biosciences, earth and environmental the supported projects and summarizes their sciences, and energy technologies in a manner that accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the LDRD ensures employee and public safety as well as program planning and documentation process that includes protection of the environment. an annual planning cycle, project selection, implementation and review. • To develop and operate unique national experimental facilities for qualified investigators. Berkeley Lab’s LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory’s forefront scientific research • To educate and train future generations of scientists capabilities toward vital and emerging scientific challenges. and engineers to promote national science and The program provides the resources for Berkeley Lab education goals. scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The • To transfer knowledge and technological innovations LDRD program also advances Berkeley Lab’s core and foster productive relationships among Berkeley competencies, foundations and scientific capabilities, and Lab’s research programs, universities and industry in permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. All order to promote national economic competitiveness. projects represent work in forefront areas of science and Berkeley Lab’s research and the Laboratory Directed technology. Ideas eligible for support include: Research and Development (LDRD) program supports Advanced study of hypotheses, concepts or innovative DOE Strategic Themes that are codified in DOE’s 2014 • approaches to scientific or technical problems; Strategic Plan, with a primary focus on the theme of Scientific Discovery and Innovation. For that, the Fiscal • Experiments and analyses directed toward “proof of Year (FY) 2017 LDRD projects support Goal 1 through principle” or early determination of the utility of new multiple strategic objectives described in the plan. In scientific ideas, technical concepts or devices; and addition, LDRD efforts support the goals of Management, Performance and Nuclear Security (unclassified • Conception and preliminary technical analyses of fundamental research that supports stockpile safety and experimental facilities or devices. nonproliferation programs). The LDRD program also supports Office of Science strategic plans, including the 20- The LDRD program supports Berkeley Lab’s mission in year Scientific Facilities Plan and the Office of Science many ways. First, because LDRD funds can be allocated Strategic Plan. Berkeley Lab’s LDRD research also within a relatively short time frame, Berkeley Lab supports the strategic directions periodically under researchers can support the mission of the Department of consideration and review by the Office of Science Program Energy (DOE) and serve the needs of the nation by quickly Offices, such as LDRD projects germane to new research responding to forefront scientific problems. Second, LDRD facility concepts and new fundamental science directions. enables Berkeley Lab to attract and retain highly qualified scientists, and to support their efforts to carry out world- Berkeley Lab’s LDRD program also plays an important leading research. In addition, the LDRD program also sup- role in leveraging DOE capabilities for national needs. The ports new projects that involve graduate students and fundamental scientific research and development conducted postdoctoral fellows, thus contributing to the education in the program advances the skills and technologies of mission of Berkeley Lab. importance to our Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP) sponsors. Among many directions, these include a broad v Berkeley Lab has a formal process for allocating funds for the LDRD program. The process relies on individual scientific investigators and the scientific leadership of Berkeley Lab to identify opportunities that will contribute to scientific and institutional goals. The process is also designed to comply with DOE Orders, in particular DOE Order 413.2C (dated October 22, 2015). From year to year, the distribution of funds among the scientific program areas changes. This flexibility optimizes Berkeley Lab’s ability to respond to opportunities. Berkeley Lab’s LDRD policy and program decisions are the responsibility of the Laboratory Director. The Director has assigned general programmatic oversight responsibility to the Deputy Laboratory Director, with administration and reporting