ReflectionsLos Alamos National Laboratory Vol. 2, No. 9 • October 1997

Norris E. Bradbury 1909-1997

Reflections

About the cover ... This bust of the late Norris Distinguished performance Bradbury was sculpted by renowned Each year the Lab recognizes various individuals and teams for Santa Fe artist Glenna Goodacre. It “job performance above and beyond that which is normally is displayed at the Bradbury expected” by presenting them with a Distinguished Performance Science Museum (photo illustration Award. In this month’s Reflections, we feature the 13 individuals, by Fred Rick and Edwin Vigil). eight small teams and eight large teams who received the award this year (see pages 3 through 7). All the award recipients are to be commended for their efforts, and I heartily offer my congratulations. Inside this issue … Having received a Distinguished Performance Award as part of a small team a few years back, I can honestly say it is a pleasure to be notified by the Lab director Distinguished that you are a “winner,” especially if you did not know you were even nominated. performers . . . . Pages 3 through 7 Still, I can’t help but wonder each year about the requirement that the perfor- People ...... Pages 8 through 10 mance be “above and beyond that which is normally expected” and that it be an “outstanding and unique contribution.” Just for fun ...... Page 11 Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I think an award should be given for meeting one’s job requirements or even exceeding them somewhat. Or that one should get Spotlight: special recognition just for showing up to work. It’s just that deciding what is or is Norris Bradbury ...... Page 12 not “above and beyond” and what is an “outstanding and unique contribution” puts a huge responsibility on those who nominate individuals or teams for awards and especially on the committees that select them. Here’s my thinking on this. As humans, we bring a lot of pre-existing biases to the table when we sit down to determine the expectations that we have for the work of others, primarily because most of us routinely put more value on some types of work than on others. For instance, it seems to me that in workplaces such Reflections as ours, “mental” work usually is more valued than physical labor; research Reflections, the Laboratory monthly endeavors are more valued than administrative ones, and high-profile tasks take publication for employees and precedence over those mundane, yet essential, duties that keep the ship running. retirees, is published by Public And often when we set out to acknowledge individuals, we only do so if we truly Information (PA-1). The staff is deem what they have done to be of value or importance to us. located at TA-3, Building 100, Unfortunately, our recognizing individuals may not necessarily hinge on whether and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected], by telephone they truly performed their work “above and beyond” what was normally expected or at 7-6103, by fax at 5-5552 or by for that matter whether they performed it better than anyone has ever done before. regular Lab mail at Mail Stop C318. Take, for example, deciding whether to honor someone who answers the phone and The individual telephone numbers takes messages vs. someone who works on a high-profile project. The odds are pretty are listed below. good that the individual on the high-profile project will win hands down, whether or Editor: not he or she is truly working at a higher-than-expected level. Why shouldn’t he or she, Jacqueline Paris-Chitanvis, 5-7779 you might ask. After all, anyone can answer a phone and take a message, but not Production coordinator: everyone can work on an important project, especially a scientific one. And you prob- Denise Bjarke, 7-6103 ably wouldn’t get much of an argument from me or many other people at the Lab, Graphic designer: including, perhaps, the individual answering the phone. (Of course, whether just Edwin Vigil, 5-9205 anyone really can answer a phone and take a message is subject to debate.) Photographer: Fred Rick, 5-9202 Yet, sometimes I can’t help but think that maybe … just maybe the person answering the phone, unloading packages, setting up files or operating labora- Staff writers: Steve Sandoval, 5-9206 tory equipment who routinely does his or her job conscientiously and carefully, Ternel Martinez, 5-7778 coming in early or staying late to get the job done and always being willing and Editorial coordinator: able to go that extra mile or two also might welcome some Labwide recognition John A. Webster, 7-5543 that says you too are a valued part of the team. So in addition to congratulating this year’s Distinguished Performance Award Los Alamos National Laboratory is an winners, I’m taking this opportunity to say hats off to those individuals Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity throughout the Lab who always perform their tasks in a distinguished manner — employer. It is operated by the no matter what these tasks may be — and who most University of California for the U.S. likely never will be nominated for or receive an award Department of Energy. on the job. You are one of life’s winners every day you Printed on recyclable paper come to work and perform “above and beyond.”

October 1997 2

Reflections

From office to Lab to nation to world ... Employees make significant contributions Question: Who helped countries of the former Soviet Union account for their nuclear material, devised hand-held instru- ments to detect chemical warfare agents, developed state-of-the-art weapons simulation codes, oversaw the expansion of the Lab’s purchase card system, created a super-secure information technology, developed a way to detect fraudulent tax returns and launched an automated way to deal efficiently with Department of Energy directives? Answer: Your co-workers. For these accomplishments, and many others, 13 individuals and members of eight small teams and eight large teams were honored as winners of the 1996 Distinguished Performance Awards. Individual and small-team award winners were cited for major contributions to Lab programmatic efforts or its status in the scientific community. Large teams were honored for performing at levels far above normal job assignments, completing projects with broad impacts and demonstrating innovation and teamwork. Individuals Deborah Allison-Trujillo Her year also entailed expanding the MCL’s portfolio to include characterization of high- Deborah Allison-Trujillo helped pioneer the explosives powders and meeting all program- pilot Laboratory position of staff assistant in matic deliverables while her laboratory was Hydrodynamic and X-Ray Physics (P-22). In that under renovation. position, she assumed enough high-level admin- istrative duties to give her group management Steven J. Greene more time to devote to technical matters. Deborah Allison-Trujillo Allison-Trujillo was able to reduce her group's Steven J. Greene set aside his nuclear physics overhead by taking responsibility for issues such research to serve as the Physics (P) Division’s envi- as budget and finance, space allotment, facility ronment, safety, and health officer and to become management, disciplinary actions, training, an active leader in DOE’s safety programs. computer and physical security, and administra- On DOE’s Work Smart Standards team, tive policies and procedures — just to name a Greene represented the Lab in efforts to revise few. She saved her group $250,000 this past systems for safe work practices, receiving Vice fiscal year alone and developed policies that President Al Gore’s National Performance help her fellow workers operate more efficiently. Review Hammer Award in recognition. He also She has been selected for the University of played a key role in developing DOE’s stan- California’s Professional Skills Assessment dards, performance criteria and measures for ionizing radiation protection of the workforce. program and was the only nontechnical staff Julie K. Bremser person asked to serve on the search team for At Los Alamos, Greene was essential to the P-Division deputy division leader. creation of the Integrated Safety Management (ISM) system. He served on the ISM Steering Julie K. Bremser Committee and continues to support ISM as a member of the group that will identify and Julie K. Bremser, leader of the Materials implement safe work practices throughout Characterization Laboratory (MCL) in Ceramic the Laboratory. Science and Technology (MST-4), consistently exceeds expectations. Her accomplishments Allen Hartford during the past year are a small example. Bremser’s MCL responsibilities include As team leader for Planning and Assessment in the Science and Technology Base (STB) characterizing and measuring the thermophys- Steven J. Greene ical properties of ceramic and metal powders Program Office, Allen Hartford had a significant positive impact on the Lab’s technical programs. for Laboratory and external customers. Photos by He formulated, and continues to guide, the This year, on top of her normal duties, LeRoy N. Sanchez, core competency teams that review and update Bremser developed a high-quality erbia Plans, Issues and the capabilities essential to the Laboratory’s coating for weapons components in just three Programs (PA-3) months, a task others had failed at before her, strength. He also implemented the annual and took on gas chromatography plasma science and technology assessment through Text by melting work for Materials Technology: which the University of California rates the Eileen Patterson, Communication, Arts Metallurgy (MST-6). continued on Page 4 and Services (CIC-1)

3 October 1997 Reflections

continued from Page 3 When the project’s senior engineer left unex- pectedly, Melton accepted dramatically new Lab’s scientific and technical performance. The duties to fill the gap. assessment process garnered “far exceeds” Even with the design schedule accelerated ratings during the last assessment cycle, by six months, Melton delivered equipment prompting DOE to describe it as the best process specifications, cost estimates, chemical process of its kind in the national laboratory system. summaries and proposed facility floor plans Hartford also prepared Laboratory position on deadline. He balanced the needs of chemists, papers, served on the Postdoctoral Committee, engineers and facility operators while serving acted as senior adviser for the Science and as the project’s primary contact with the Engineering Advisory Council and oversaw containment designers in the Dynamic Allen Hartford foreign travel. Experimentation (DX) Division. John M. Haschke Carla “Ruby” O’Rear John M. Haschke, project leader for weapons Carla “Ruby” O’Rear of Procurement (BUS-5), research, development, and testing in Weapons the purchase card program coordinator for the Component Technology (NMT-5), has solved Business Operations (BUS) Division, has guided problems associated with pit aging and the safe this alternative procurement system to great storage of nuclear materials, making important success. Because the purchase card enables advances in the study of water- and hydrogen- users to complete small-dollar purchases assisted oxidation in plutonium and ground- directly, it eliminates paperwork and frees BUS’s breaking observations for other plutonium/ buying staff for big-ticket procurements. John M. Haschke gas reactions During the past year, O’Rear expanded the DOE’s standards for the long-term and program Labwide and raised the single- interim storage of plutonium metals and oxides purchase limit to $2,500 per transaction. The and plutonium-bearing materials are based card now averages 3,500 purchases per month. directly on Haschke’s work. The program saves the Laboratory $50 per He also was instrumental in developing transaction or more than $2 million annually. equipment and procedures for the cleaning of O’Rear runs training sessions to introduce weapon parts with carbon dioxide, a technique new users to the advantages and responsibilities that produces no contaminated waste. of the card and the on-line reconciliation program. She is also helping vendors under- Gloria J. Martinez stand the card system and is seeking out Northern New Mexico vendors who can offer As group secretary, Gloria J. Martinez was discounted pricing. Gloria J. Martinez the one steady point in Neutron Science and Technology (P-23) during last year’s reorganiza- Darrell L. Peterson tion of the Physics Division. As nine groups became five, the extensive Through his theoretical modeling of staffing changes left Martinez as the only z-pinch plasma experiments at Sandia secretary with knowledge of group policies National Laboratories, Darrell L. Peterson of and procedures. Plasma Physics Applications (XPA) has Despite late hours and tremendous stress, she contributed to the understanding of radiation remained focused, dedicated, and professional flow and interaction with materials. Modeling while handling — almost alone — performance these radiation dynamics accurately is an essen- appraisals, a high volume of domestic and tial part of the Science-Based Stockpile foreign travel, personnel issues, classified record Stewardship program. Using a Los Alamos code, Peterson has been David L. Melton holdings, project paperwork and all the other administrative tasks and requests that occupy a able to calculate the z-pinch implosion and busy office. accurately predict subsequent radiation genera- tion, thus contributing to subsequent experi- mental designs and proving the validity of his David L. Melton models. Additionally, his models have provided insight into the processes producing Sandia’s David L. Melton, a technician in now record-level radiation output. Environmental Science and Waste Technology Peterson’s work with Sandia is demonstrating (CST-7), serves the Chemical Science and that New Mexico’s two national laboratories are Technology (CST) Division’s containment an unmatched combination of theoretical and cleanout project. This project focuses on devel- experimental capabilities. oping chemical processes for cleaning the test- shot containment vessels at the Dual-Axis Carla “Ruby” O’Rear Radiographic Hydrotest (DARHT) facility. continued on Page 5

October 1997 4 Reflections continued from Page 4 conversant in the interdependencies of all the instrument’s components. As such, he was the Gary S. Selwyn point of contact for all collaborating parties, Gary S. Selwyn of Plasma Physics (P-24) main- even assisting Bio-Rad with the production and tains a level of activity that would be remarkable test systems needed for mass production. for a small group of researchers. He has devel- oped two important plasma cleaning technolo- Julie S. Wilson gies — PLASMAX, a 1996 R&D 100 Award When Julie S. Wilson became Life Sciences winner developed for cleaning silicon wafers, and (LS) Division’s facility manager, her primary task the Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet, which is was to change radiological operations at the appropriate for cleaning and decontamination Health Research Laboratory (HRL), thereby Darrell L. Peterson needs associated with the nuclear weapons reducing the number of reportable occurrences. program, defense and the private sector. Her long-term goal was to integrate safety into Both technologies are being commercialized. all aspects of work at the HRL. As an adjunct UCLA professor, Selwyn has To accomplish this, Wilson formalized docu- established joint Los Alamos-university research mentation and procedures for handling radio- activities that have drawn funding from both DOE logical and hazardous materials, and she initi- and industry. These activities are model collabora- ated both formal and informal communication tions, combining the Laboratory’s plasma-surface about safety issues. interactions with the university’s surface chemistry The HRL’s radiological operations have now and characterization capabilities. gone from an average of four reportable inci- dents a year to none, and the entire facility has Dipen N. Sinha undergone a change in safety culture. Gary S. Selwyn Dipen N. Sinha of Electronics and Electrochemistry (MST-11) is filling a critical gap in treaty compliance and military defense tech- Small teams nology with hand-held, noninvasive instruments that detect and analyze chemical warfare agents inside sealed containers. Supercritical Fluids Team His acoustic resonance spectroscopy tech- The accomplishments of the Supercritical nology won a 1995 R&D 100 Award and has Fluids Team in Organic Chemistry (CST-12) been adopted by the Organization for the include supercritical carbon dioxide Prohibition of Chemical Weapons as a verifica- enhanced cements, supercritical carbon tion technique to support the Chemical Weapons dioxide degreasing, and DryWash, which Convention (CWC). will replace dry-cleaning solvents with liquid Dipen N. Sinha A more-recent development, the Swept- carbon dioxide. Frequency Acoustic Interferometer, eliminates a The team developed DryWash after private concern of CWC opponents by completing its companies decided it could not be done. The chemical-detection mission without compro- technology made Popular Science’s 1996 list of mising proprietary industrial information. A top 100 advances and received its Readers’ promising medical application is noninvasive Choice Award. monitoring of vital functions for combat casu- The team’s recent assignments include alty care. the Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division’s supercritical carbon dioxide pit- R. Clayton Smith cleaning project and the effort to improve R. Clayton Smith of P-22 was crucial to characterization of plutonium oxide for long- term storage. completion of the Miniature Flow Cytometer R. Clayton Smith (MiniFCM), a tactical device providing early Members of the team are Jerry C. Barton, warning of a biological warfare attack. Leisa B. Davenhall, Aaron Martinez, James Smith joined the MiniFCM project to develop Rubin, L. Dale Sivils and Craig M.V. Taylor. the miniaturized electronics. With the onset of serious delays, however, he accepted greater Deterministic Transport Team responsibility. He assumed the duties of the A principal goal for the Accelerated Strategic departed systems engineer, helped solve optics Computing Initiative (ASCI) is to assess nuclear and fluidics problems and negotiated new weapon performance and safety computation- delivery dates. ally. This requires state-of-the-art, three-dimen- Constantly considering the needs of both the sional weapon simulation codes for both hydro- user, a GI who would take the MiniFCM into dynamics and neutronics calculations. battle, and the industrial partner, Bio-Rad Microscience, Smith became the only person continued on Page 6 Julie S. Wilson

5 October 1997 Reflections continued from Page 5 X-Division Radiography Team The Deterministic Transport Team supplied the code for neutronics calculations and integrated it into an ASCI code The Applied Theoretical and Computational Physics (X) for weapon safety studies and other stockpile issues. Division’s Radiography Team developed a computational This team’s work directly supports development of radiography capability for solving nuclear weapons physics more sophisticated physics models in ASCI codes. problems on the ASCI Blue Mountain computer. Team members are Randal S. Baker of Transport Team members incorporated new or optimized algorithms Methods (XTM) and Kenneth R. Koch of Code into existing production codes and exploited ASCI Blue’s Integration (XCI). massively parallel architecture to deliver a computational effi- ciency 16,000 times greater than was possible a year ago. A six- Automated DOE Directives Team month radiographic simulation can now be run in one hour. Team members are Kenneth J. Adams, R. Arthur Forster, The Automated DOE Directives Team re-engineered and Gregg W. McKinney of XTM and Charles F. Lebeda of DOE’s distribution of official directives, replacing surface Thermonuclear Applications (XTA). mail with a Web application, Explorer, for on-line access through the Internet. Thermoacoustics Team With paper distribution, new directives were often three months in transit and could be out of date. Distribution time This team took thermoacoustic refrigeration from benchtop for the entire complex is now 10 hours. The Laboratory now to demonstration scale in two years, setting records along the saves $150,000 formerly spent each year to maintain a way for power, power density, efficiency and temperature span. current hard-copy library and distribution system. The esti- The demonstration device liquefies 100 gallons of natural mated savings complexwide is about $10 million annually. gas per day. It can readily be scaled up to 500 gallons per Team members are Joseph M. Ortega and Martha D. day and offers the possibility of a future device producing Waters of Contract Performance Measures (QP-CPM) and 10,000 gallons per day. The team has proved that thermoa- James L. McDonald, David R. Montoya, Marilyn S. Pruitt and coustic technology can efficiently and inexpensively recover Julie Rockwood of Advanced Database and Information fuel from sources current technology cannot tap. Technology (CIC-15). The team members are Gregory W. Swift, Christopher N. Espinoza, David L. Gardner, Timothy Pierce, and Roy F. Ejecta Experimental Team Rockage of Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics (MST-10) and Warren K. Pierce of P Division. Nuclear weapon researchers suspect that the cloud of microscopic particles (the ejecta) launched from a W87 LEP Peer Review Team shocked surface affects a weapon’s thermonuclear burn. To test this theory, they must know the time and spatial When Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory proposed evolution of the ejecta cloud and the particle-size distribu- engineering modifications to extend the service life of the tions within it. The Ejecta Experimental team is providing stockpiled W87, Los Alamos was asked to validate the that information. changes to that weapon. The task required some of the most The team has developed two novel diagnostic techniques, difficult calculations ever attempted at the Laboratory, and it built lasers, designed and implemented an entirely new needed to be finished in less than two months. optical relay system and developed a special computer The Los Alamos W87 Life-Extension Peer Review team program for analyzing holographic data. added necessary physics modules to the Applied Theoretical Team members are Danny S. Sorenson of P-23, Jeff P. and Computational Physics (X) Division’s weapons codes, Roberts of MST-11, and Randy Flurer, Robert M. Malone, benchmarked and validated the code additions against Thomas Tunnell and Darin T. Westley of Bechtel Nevada. available data, and completed the calculations on time. Team members are Keith H. Despain, David B. Harris, Fred Optical Fiber Quantum N. Mortensen, Robert P. Weaver and Bernhard H. Wilde of XTA and Michael L. Gittings of Hydrodynamic Methods XHM. Cryptography Project Team A Physics Division team has created a new, ultra-secure information technology, a quantum cryptography system in Large teams which the “keys” used to encrypt communications are trans- mitted in the form of single photons. Security is guaranteed B61-11 Project Team by the laws of quantum physics, which hold that anyone attempting to eavesdrop will change the wave function, Working with the full DOE complex and the Air Force, the thereby disrupting the signal. B61-11 Project Team took on a major challenge for the post- Quantum cryptography was thought to be impossible nuclear-testing era: converting an existing system to a new outside a laboratory, but the team’s prototype system is now mission and certifying its performance without a final functioning at a distance of almost 30 miles. The medium of nuclear demonstration. transfer is optical fiber. The job was to modify a small number of B61-7 bombs for Members of the team are Richard J. Hughes, George L. earth penetration. Designated B61-11, the modified bomb Morgan, Charles “Glen” Peterson and Charles M. Simmons, all of P-23. continued on Page 7

October 1997 6 Reflections continued from Page 6 program, the Performance Assurance Project Team devel- would allow rapid retirement of the oldest stockpile weapon, oped a practical system to help managers improve environ- the B53. ment, safety and health performance. The team worked on an aggressive schedule with delivery Central to the new system are Management Safety Walk- needed in just under 18 months. The time frame meant that Arounds, during which line managers systematically engage it had to develop a more rigorous program of certification employees in ES&H evaluations. while concurrently applying it. The team members wrote and submitted the new safety policy in a month. In just eight months from the start of Advanced Bioassay Applications Team their work, the new Walk-Around system was operational, along with its management training program and Web- The Advanced Bioassay Applications Team developed a based electronic data-management tool. thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) technique that reaches previously unattainable detection limits in tests for Proton Radiography Team plutonium-239 and plutonium-240 in urine samples. TIMS’ increased sensitivity delivers precise dose calcula- The Proton Radiography Team has demonstrated that tions in weeks. The previously used method could take up to proton radiography will be a key technology for stockpile a year. For accidents involving potential uptakes of radionu- stewardship. In fact, its breakthrough demonstrations at clides, this speed and accuracy means that workers who LANSCE and at Brookhaven have changed how radiography might have suffered months of unneeded downtime may is viewed within the weapons program. return to the job quickly. Experiments at LANSCE produced the world’s first For routine monitoring of employees conducting high-risk dynamic proton radiograph of burning high explosives and work, it makes one sample per year sufficient. Two per year have demonstrated the technology’s potential for multiple, had been the norm. time-resolved images. The ability to examine propagating shocks in high explo- TA-55 Facility Control sives is critically important to stockpile research and certifi- cation. Additionally, the team’s work has made proton radi- System Upgrade Team ography a contender for the next-generation advanced hydrotest facility. The Plutonium Facility’s viability depends on its facility control system, a network of computer hardware, control equipment and software that maintains the safety envelope. Nuclear Explosive Radiography Safety The TA-55 Facility Control System Upgrade Team had to Team replace the aging system while minimizing the impact on facility operations. The already huge job became an urgent The Nuclear Explosive Radiography Safety Team was instru- one when the old system started failing. mental in restarting radiographic examination of nuclear Working nights, weekends and holidays, the team weapons at Pantex after safety questions halted the work. finished its work in six months with so little disruption that The work stoppage was called in December 1996 because facility programs continued to reach major milestones. of an untested belief that X-ray absorption by the high explosives might cause a dangerous high voltage buildup. To Team for Establishing avoid the suspected danger, workers had been shutting down the X-ray source when the dosimetry meter reached a prede- Material Protection, Control, termined level. The Los Alamos team joined other national laboratories and Accountability in the in analyzing the safety parameters of Pantex’s radiographic Former Soviet Union operations, experimentally validating a model showing that the radiographic work was safe. The Soviet Union’s dissolution left tons of special nuclear material open to theft and clandestine sale, so the DOE asked Tax Fraud Detection Team Los Alamos to help create a system of material protection, control and accountability in the newly independent countries. In 1993, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) asked Los The Lab team of scientists, technicians and interpreters Alamos to help combat fraud in electronically filed tax has traveled extensively throughout the former Soviet Union returns, a growing crisis that costs the country hundreds to ensure the safety of its massive nuclear stockpiles. They of millions of dollars. Electronic access to and grouping transferred the necessary instrumentation and expertise to of returns were central issues. Tax examiners had no detect and quantify nuclear materials and the computer computer-based tools to help them identify falsified or systems that will track inventories. altered tax returns. In addition, they have developed collaborative relation- To address these problems, the Tax Fraud Detection Team ships with their counterparts. developed the Electronic Fraud Detection System. Through a variety of artificial intelligence algorithms, the software Performance Assurance Project Team system selects groups of mutually suspicious returns for review. To support the Laboratory’s foremost tactical goal — Now in use at IRS service centers nationwide, the system Safety First! — and the Integrated Safety Management (ISM) already has helped uncover several major tax fraud schemes.

7 October 1997 Reflections

X Division Office, and includes a Soran selected X-Windows earns feature on an X Division employee. Earlier this year, the Kachina XCI group leader PRSA award Chapter of the Society of Technical Patrick Soran The Applied Theoretical and Communicators gave X Windows an recently was selected Computational Physics (X) Division’s Award of Excellence, said Mendius. leader for a new group quarterly newsletter, X-Windows, has in the Applied won an award from the Public Montoya elected Theoretical and Relations Society of America’s New Computational Mexico chapter. director of society Physics (X) Division, Pat Mendius of Communication Code Integration Arts and Services (CIC-1), writer and JoAnn Montoya of Materials Technology: Metallurgy (MST-6) has Patrick Soran (XCI). The group’s editor of the main focus is on devel- newsletter, shared the been elected director of the oping and integrating large-scale simu- award with Pamela International Metallographic Society. lation codes for Science-based Stockpile Payne, also of CIC-1, The four-year term runs Stewardship Program applications. and the X-Windows through 2001. “We have a strong focus on the designer. Montoya, a technician, is the first Accelerated Strategic Computing The newsletter was Hispanic woman elected director of Initiative,” said Soran. “Right now, given a second place the society, which has 43,000 members we have about 50 scientists. That Pat Mendius in the Internal number will increase to about 60 over Newsletter/ worldwide. Members the next couple of months.” He said Government category of PRSA’s 1997 of the society voted the many organizations the group will Conquistador Awards competition. Montoya into the support include the Computing, The awards were announced this director’s position Information and Communication summer by PRSA. last spring. (CIC), Theoretical (T) and Engineering The six-year-old newsletter is Montoya has Sciences and Applications (ESA) divi- distributed within X Division, to other JoAnn Montoya worked at the Lab 17 sions. The group also will work closely employees around the Lab and to years. A materials with its counterparts at Lawrence Department of Energy officials, science technician in MST-6, Montoya Livermore and Sandia national labora- Mendius said. does metallography and black and tories, Soran said. The 12-page newsletter highlights white photo darkroom processing. Soran received his bachelor’s degree unclassified work done by X Division Metallography is the study of in mechanical engineering from the personnel. “There is a good deal of the structures of metals and alloys U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in research and development going using microscopy. King’s Point, N.Y., in 1964. He received on in X Division,” said Mendius. Last spring, Montoya also was one his master’s and doctoral degrees from “What we do is feature scientists’ of several Lab women employees Columbia University. He was group unclassified work.” featured in the “Past, Present and leader for Transport Methods (XTM) The newsletter also talks about Future” display sponsored by the before this new assignment. other matters of interest from the Women’s Diversity Working Group. HR-1 to sponsor Benefits Fair Nov. 5 Compensation and Benefits (HR-1) is sponsoring a 3 to 5 p.m. in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Hall, Benefits Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 5 on the second 3600 Canyon Road, in Los Alamos. floor of the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center. The third presentation is from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 13 at the Information for active University of California Marriott Hotel, 2102 Louisiana Blvd. N.E., in Albuquerque. Laboratory employees on the new health-care-benefits plan The final presentation is from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 14 in for 1998 will be available at the fair. Members of the Lab’s Sweeney Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St., in Santa Fe. benefits team also will be available to answer questions The university in July selected Blue Cross/Blue Shield employees may have on the new health-care plan and of New Mexico as the new health-care provider for Laboratory other benefits-related questions, said Rosella Atencio-Gerst. employees. The new health-care contract is effective Jan. 1, 1998. Compensation and Benefits also is giving presentations Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Mexico will offer fully in Los Alamos, Española, Santa Fe and Albuquerque for UC insured health maintenance organization and point-of- annuitants, she said. service options to Laboratory employees and retirees. The first meeting is from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at the The Lab’s present contract for employee health care with Northern New Mexico Community College in Española. Prudential Insurance Co. expires Dec. 31. Prudential will In the afternoon, the same presentation will be made from maintain its service objectives through the end of the contract.

October 1997 8 Reflections July and August service anniversaries July James Abbott, ESA-EPE 20 years George Busch, CST-1 William Eisele Jr., ESH-12 J.S. Herrera-Ortiz, CST-3 35 years Kathleen Hirons, CIC-DO Stephen McLin, ESH-18 Doreen Montoya, CIC-10 Ernest Aragon Jr., DX-5 Richard Henderson, ESH-12 Thomas Granich, FSS-14 Samuel Gonzales, CIC-9 Timothy Pollat, DX-5 Leonardo Trujillo, NMT-4 Danny Gallant, ESA-EPE 30 years Alexander Gancarz, CST-DO William Louis III, P-25 Walter Sandoval, CST-12 Jessica Fernandez, ESA-FM-ESH Arvid Lundy, NIS-8 Vincent Thomas, X-PA David Schiferl, CST-6 Daniel Naranjo, ESA-FM-ESH Phillip Devargas, ESA-WMM 25 years Gary Garrett, EM-SWO 5 years Edward Lopez, EM-SWO Dino Farfan, ESA-WMM Allen Schmiedicke, CIC-13 Eugene Gavrilov, CIC-ACL Richard Martin, ESA-DE Charles Nylander, ESH-18 Garry Allen, CST-7 John Reynders, CIC-ACL John Hanlon, ESA-MT Perry Hewlett, FSS-12 Crail Hammond, CST-8 Sarah Williams, CST-11 John Newmyer, ESA-WE Mary Lyerly, FSS-15 Thomas Davis Jr., ESA-DE Pamela Mascarenas, CST-26 Michael Jensen, ESH-4 Joyce Ortega, HR-DO Robert Anderson, ESH-5 Michael Inbody, ESA-EPE Alfonso Martinez, FSS-9 Diana Gonzales, HR-6 Marvin Tillery, ESH-5 Donnette Ehler, ESA-FM-ESH William Clark, LANSCE-1 Timothy Pierce, MST-10 Eralio Trujillo, MST-4 Byron Denny, ESA-TSE Richard Ryder, LANSCE-6 Randall Edwards, MST-6 Roger Bartlett, P-22 J. Patrick Garcia, ESA-WE William Hults, MST-STC Wilma Garcia, NMT-4 Peter O’Rourke, T-3 Gerald George, ESH-1 Robert Sebring, MST-5 Francisco Bailon, NMT-5 Don Marshall, X-CM Eric McNamara, ESH-17 George Eccleston, NIS-7 Robert Webster, X-CM William Krauser, X-TA Aden Jackson, ESH-19 Deborah Clark, P-25 Michael Macinnes, X-TA Ruben Rangel, ESH-20 Harvey Rose, T-13 20 years Richard Clement, ESH-4 Milton Shaw, T-14 Patty Martinez, BUS-4 Martin Price, FSS-6 John Ireland, TSA-DO 5 years Cynthia Gallegos, BUS-5 Todd Conklin, HR-TI Richard Bowers, X-PA James Loud, AA-2 Alan VanVessem, BUS-7 Brian Ray, LANSCE-6 Claire Harmon, BUS-1 Ronald Wilkins, CIC-5 Robert Dingler, NIS-3 Lorraine Ostrem, BUS-1 Jerry Martinez, CIC-9 15 years Christopher Romero, NIS-6 T.H. Zhangwilliams, BUS-2 Gregg Woodfin, CST-3 Earl Salazar, BUS-2 Thomas Burr, NIS-7 Nancy Vaughn, BUS-3 James Craig, EES-1 Joan Farnum, CIC-1 Ronald Wieneke, NMT-7 Michael Krogh, CIC-ACL William Armstrong, EES-8 Stephen Agnew, CST-4 Alison Dorries, TSA-11 Mona Mosier, CIC-14 Raymond Steele, ESA-EPE Paul Littleton, DX-5 Robert Gore, X-NH Brenda Aikin, CIC-4 Arsenio Montaño, ESA-WMM Alvin Luginbill, DX-5 Judith Mourant, CST-4 Tommy Monoya, ESH-10 Carl Geisik, ESA-TSE Duncan McBranch, CST-6 Lily Reese, ESH-14 August David Trujillo, ESA-WE David Zerkle, CST-6 Joni Powell, FSS-15 30 years Bryan O’Malley, ESH-5 Lynda Brashar, CST-9 Malcolm Smith, LANSCE-2 Robert Judd, CIC-6 Edward Hoth, FSS-8 Cynthia Mahan, CST-9 Rosalind Newmyer, MST-5 John McAfee, DX-4 Barbara Aamodt, HR-5 Raymond Flesner, DX-2 Charlene McHale, NIS-NAC Jose Trujillo, DX-7 Eileen Carter, HR-5 Gregory Cunningham, DX-3 M. Clark Thompson, P-22 Matilda Voos, EES-DO Richard Haffner, LANSCE-2 Dan Thomas, EES-DO Terrence Goldman, T-5 Alan Hack, ESH-5 Kevin Jones, LANSCE-6 Daniel Stout, EM-ER Hazel Kutac, TSA-9 Walter Carlson, FSS-21 Bruce Carlsten, LANSCE-9 Alan Bond, EM-RLW James Stovall, LANSCE-1 Billy Baker, MST-6 Emily Martinez, ESH-DO 15 years Joe Griego, LANSCE-6 R. Roussel-Dupre, NIS-1 Maxine Valdez, ESH-DO Faye Miller, BUS-DO Miles Hindman, NIS-3 Joan Prommel, NIS-7 John Taschner, ESH-10 Karyn Ames, CIC-1 Timothy Neal, NWT-PO Catherine Conn, NIS-8 Alice Baumann, ESH-17 Gloria Sharp, CIC-1 Lynn Veeser, P-DO Brenda Grasmick, NIS-8 Hilary Noskin, ESH-19 Gary Cort, ESH-14 Dean Preston, X-NH Adan Ortega, ESH-3 David Chastain, FSS-6 25 years Robert Plale, ESH-3 Beverly James, HR-5 M. Evelyn Lucero, CIC-10 10 years Michael Mallett, ESH-4 Carl Friedrichs Jr., LANSCE-5 Alton McNeil, CIC-9 Richard Gonzales, BUS-1 David Padilla, FSS-6 Mike Ulibarri, NIS-4 Kenneth Bostick, EES-15 Clyde Sanchez, BUS-2 Michelle Kirsch, LC-BPL Thomas Gorman, X-NH Sumner Barr, EES-8 Jacqueline Hurshman, BUS-3 Michael Altherr, LS-3 Ross Garcia Jr., FSS-6 Ronnie Trujillo, BUS-4 Paige Pardington, LS-6 10 years Michael Lynch, LANSCE-5 George Valdez, BUS-4 Karen Hill, LS-7 Stephen Donahue, CIC-12 Hugh Casey, NIS-CISA Geraldine Edwards, CIC-1 Dan Thoma, MST-6 Carleton Tait, CST-4 Leroy Cope, NIS-4 Lee Ankeny, CIC-12 Carolyn Zerkle, NMSM-NCR Steven Goldstein, CST-9 Gene Taylor, NIS-8 Margarita Duran, CIC-13 Leo Terrill, PA-3 Dale Dalmas, DX-6 Charlie Stallings, NMT-8 Susie Marquez, CIC-9 Niels Jensen, T-11 Debra Archuleta, DX-7 D.C. Wolkerstorfer, NWT-PO Judith Machen, CIO Raymond LaFlamme, T-6

9 October 1997 Reflections

physics from the California Institute of He is survived by a brother, James, Technology in 1953, first came to the of Arlington, Va., sister-in-law, Sandra Obituaries Lab in 1953, working in the Weapons Spaulding; and niece, Mary Alice Engineering (GMX) Division. Hoyt Spaulding of Santa Barbara, Calif. Wade Ellis Dunwoody worked for many years on nuclear weapons design, weapons system Scott J. Thomas Laboratory retiree Wade Ellis analysis and other programs. Laboratory retiree Scott J. Thomas Dunwoody died July 31 in Los Alamos. In 1956, Hoyt moved over to IBM died July 1 in Asheville, N. C. He He was 71. Calculations (T-5), where he became was 62. Dunwoody joined the Lab in 1951 alternate group leader four years later. Thomas retired from the Laboratory as a layout draftsman and retired in Other leadership positions Hoyt held in 1994 after 20 years of service. 1991 from the Advanced Engineering during his career included assistant Before joining the Lab, Thomas (MEE-13) Group, now part of the director for the Weapons Nuclear worked at Lawrence Livermore Engineering Sciences and Applications Engineering (W) Division, assistant National Laboratory. (ESA) Division. director for Weapon Planning, assis- The U.S. Air Force veteran began A U.S. Navy veteran, Dunwoody tant to the director for Policy, associate his scientific career as a technician earned his bachelor’s degree in director for Energy Programs and with the nuclear rocket program at mechanical engineering from Kansas assistant director for Special Programs. Lawrence Livermore. State University. When he joined the Hoyt retired from the Lab in July Later, he found his niche in laser Lab, he was principally responsible for 1976, returning shortly afterward as a research, working on projects that design, development, testing, installa- consultant. He became a Lab associate helped to develop this technology tion and maintenance of nuclear in 1990, advising the Lab on manage- from its infancy. reactor components. ment, program development, system Thomas joined the Lab as a staff He is survived by his wife, Georgia; analysis and research and develop- member in 1974 and worked on three daughters, Catherine of Roswell, ment. He fully retired in September numerous laser technology programs. Emily of Los Alamos and Amy Roybal 1995. He was responsible for development of Rio Rancho; sons Brian Hoyt is survived by his wife, Martha; and implementation of major system of Arvada, Colo., and David of a son, Brian of Houston; a daughter, components as well as contributing to Ulysses, Kan.; two brothers, Lyle Andrea Haight of Albuquerque; a sister, research in nonlinear optics and laser and Neal; sisters Ruth, Wilma and Margaret Hagerman of Battlement damage studies. Thelma; eight grandchildren; and Mesa, Colo; and other relatives. Thomas is survived by his mother other relatives. Samuel L. Reading Osa Thomas; wife, Martha; a Peter Carruthers daughter, Audrey Thomson of Samuel L. Reading , 56, died June 27 Loveland, Colo.; a son, Dan of Los Former Theoretical (T) Division after a long battle with cancer. Alamos; sisters, Belle Hawks and leader Peter Carruthers died Aug. 3 in A laser technician in the Trident Evelyn Ollis of North Carolina; a Tucson. He was 61. project in Plasma Physics (P-24), brother, Jack of North Carolina; and Carruthers joined the Laboratory as Reading joined the Lab in 1965 and five grandchildren. T Division leader in 1973 and served worked in the Rover program at NTS, as the division's leader until 1980. He the laser isotope separation program, William Whaley retired from the Laboratory as a Senior and on the Aurora project before Laboratory retiree William Whaley Fellow in 1993. At the time of his joining Trident in 1990. died June 18 in Michigan. He was 65. death, Carruthers was a physicist at He is survived by his wife, Luvella Whaley joined the Lab in 1976 as the University of Arizona. "Lou" of White Rock; his mother, Lois an electrical engineer in the Weapons Carruthers earned his bachelor's Reading; a brother and sister; four Engineering (WX-1) Group. In 1981, and master's degrees from Carnegie step-children, including Liz Trujillo of he became group leader of the Tech in Pittsburgh in 1957 and his Materials Management (BUS-4); and Detonations Systems (WX-7). doctorate in physics from Cornell six grandchildren. In 1990, Whaley became program University in New York in 1961. manager for weapons activities in the He is survived by his wife, Lucy; his Robert Spaulding Jr. Dynamic Experimentation (M) Division. mother, Nila Carruthers of Middleton, Laboratory retiree Robert “Bob” Whaley retired from the Lab in 1993. Ohio; son, Peter of Ithaca, N.Y.; Spaulding Jr., died June 27 in Los He earned a bachelor’s degree in daughters, Debra of Española and Alamos. He was 78. electrical engineering from University Kathryn Daniels of Norfolk, Va.; sister, Spaulding joined the Laboratory in of Texas, El Paso in 1953, and a Sally Hooper of Los Angeles; and other 1946 as a staff member in the master’s degree in mathematics from relatives. Detonator Group, where he remained Adelphi University in 1958. Harry Charles Hoyt until his retirement Oct. 30, 1981. Whaley is survived by his wife, Spaulding earned a bachelor’s Dorothy of Albuquerque; a daughter, Lab retiree Harry Charles Hoyt died degree from University of Virginia, and Jamy Peevy, and son, Bill Jr., both of July 11 of cancer. He was 73. a doctorate in physical chemistry from Albuquerque; and his mother, Alice Hoyt, who received his doctorate in the University of Wisconsin in 1944. Seales, also of Albuquerque.

October 1997 10

Reflections

This month DILBERT® by Scott Adams in history October

1854 — The Light Brigade mission of United Media “charges” into military defeat and poetic legend 1923 — Edwin Hubble identifies the Reprinted by per Cepheid variable star 1930 — Ernest O. Lawrence invents EXECUTIVE SUITE ® by William Wells & Jack Lindstrom the cyclotron 1945 — Norris Bradbury becomes the Lab’s second director 1957 — The Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first artificial satellite

1963 — The first Vela satellites are mission of United Media launched, carrying sensors designed in part at the Lab to monitor compliance with the Limited Test Reprinted by per Ban Treaty 1966 — The Laboratory is desig- Crossword nated a national historic landmark 1977 — The Department of Energy puzzle officially begins operating ACROSS 1 Time periods 1980 — The Very Large Array radio 5 “Hee —” 8 Caron film telescope system is dedicated on the 12 A — in one’s throat Plain of San Agustin in New Mexico 13 Eggs 14 — St. Laurent 1981 — Otowi Cafeteria at TA-3 15 Inter— (among others) opens 16 Stimpy’s friend 17 “Frasier” co-star 1990 — France, the Soviet Union, 18 Memorizes 20 Hurls Great Britain and the United States 22 — the line sign away control of a partitioned 23 Large bird 24 Fanciful visions Germany 27 Maiden 31 Hearing organ mission of United Media 1992 — The first lab-to-lab 32 Caviar contracts are signed between Los 33 Naval petty officer Alamos and Arzamas-16 to conduct 37 Horrified 40 Formery called joint experiments 41 Ms. West Reprinted by per 42 Pushes roughly 1994 — Aramark takes over oper- 54 NFL’s Dawson 24 Scottish river 45 HosieryWe'll choice take Manhattan 55 Flooring need 25 Kurosawa film aton of the Lab’s cafeterias 49 Haul 56 — tense 26 Bitter vetch 50 Type of cross 57 N.Y. time 28 Sp. woman 52 “Spin City” co-star 58 WWI plane 29 Dawn goddess 53 Moran or Gray 30 Permit DOWN 34 Devise in the mind 1 Israeli airline (two words) 35 Command to a horse July answers 2 — with an iron fist 36 Settle down comfortably TRA OPE 3 Freshwater fish 37 Sum GROG POND 4 Athens’ rival 38 With “The,” chain of clothing MOUSE PEARL 5 “They Shoot —, Don’t They?” stores FATMAN IMBUES 6 Hail! 39 “Thief of —” The latest Lab news ARIA TEE LINT 7 —: Dead or Alive 42 “— on it!” AETNA N TEDDY 8 Plaster of Paris ingredient 43 60 mins., in Mexico MOONS Check out the 9 Burl — 44 Elevator name ABBEY L AMISS

WORN SAO INEL 10 Richard of “No Mercy” 46 Jest Daily Newsbulletin EMERGE DUDLEY 11 Wife of Osiris 47 W. Coast coll. http://www.lanl.gov/Internal/News/dailynews.html BRING ENDED 19 — de plume 48 Pieced out on the World Wide Web. SCAR TILT 21 Medical suffix 51 DDE opponent OWE STE

11 October 1997 Reflections Remembering Norris E. Bradbury

Bradbury, standing on the tower at Trinity Site next to the world’s first atomic bomb, was in charge of assembling the nonnuclear components for the July 1945 Trinity test.

Norris E. Bradbury, the Lab’s second director, died at his home in Los Alamos Aug. 20. Shown above, Bradbury escorts his predecessor, J. Robert Oppenheimer, right, through the science museum during a 1964 visit by Oppenheimer.

Bradbury receives the Fermi Award, the Atomic Energy Commission’s highest honor, from Glenn Seaborg, then chairman of the AEC, in 1970.

Bradbury is congratulated by Sig Hecker, the fifth director, on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1989, while Bradbury’s wife, Lois, seated, looks on.

Nonprofit Organization Reflections U.S. Postage Paid Mail Stop C318 Albuquerque, NM Los Alamos, NM 87545 Permit No. 532

The Laboratory’s Science Museum is renamed in honor of Bradbury during a ceremony in 1970 at the museum’s previous location.

October 1997 12