Download or read book Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Nuclear Weapons Stewardship and Unique National Scientific Capabilities written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This presentation gives an overview of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and its contributions to science and the nuclear weapons program. LANSCE is made of multiple experimental facilities (the Lujan Center, the Weapons Neutron Research facility (WNR), the Ultra-Cold Neutron facility (UCN), the proton Radiography facility (pRad) and the Isotope Production Facility (IPF)) served by the its kilometer long linear accelerator. Several research areas are supported, including materials and bioscience, nuclear science, materials dynamics, irradiation response and medical isotope production. LANSCE is a national user facility that supports researchers worldwide. The LANSCE Risk Mitigation program is currently in progress to update critical accelerator equipment to help extend the lifetime of LANSCE as a key user facility. The Associate Directorate of Business Sciences (ADBS) plays an important role in the continued success of LANSCE. This includes key procurement support, human resource support, technical writing support, and training support. LANSCE is also the foundation of the future signature facility MARIE (Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes).

Download or read book Peer Review and Design Competition in the NNSA National Security Laboratories written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-01-07 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is responsible for providing and maintaining the capabilities necessary to sustain a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear weapons stockpile for the nation and its allies. Major responsibility for meeting the NNSA missions falls to the three NNSA laboratories: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The NNSA National Security Laboratories contribute to that goal by maintaining the skills and capabilities necessary for stewardship of a reliable nuclear stockpile and also by maintaining a high level of technical credibility, which is a component of the nuclear deterrent. Since 1992 it has been U.S. policy not to conduct explosion tests of nuclear weapons. The resulting technical challenges have been substantial. Whereas a nuclear test was in some sense the ultimate "peer review" of the performance of a particular NEP design, the cessation of nuclear testing necessitated a much greater reliance on both intralab and interlab expert peer review to identify potential problems with weapon designs and define the solution space. This report assesses the quality and effectiveness of peer review of designs, development plans, engineering and scientific activities, and priorities related to both nuclear and non-nuclear aspects of nuclear weapons, as well as incentives for effective peer review. It also explores how the evolving mission of the NNSA laboratories might impact peer review processes at the laboratories that relate to nuclear weapons.

Download or read book Los Alamos Science written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The View from Los Alamos written by Siegfried S. Hecker and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Quality of Science and Engineering at the NNSA National Security Laboratories written by Committee to Review the Quality of the Management and of the Science and Engineering Research at the Department of Energy’s National Security Laboratories--Phase II and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The three National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) national security laboratories--Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)--are a major component of the U.S. government's laboratory complex and of the national science and technology base. These laboratories are large, diverse, highly respected institutions with broad programs in basic sciences, applied sciences, technology development, and engineering; and they are home to world-class staff and facilities. Under a recent interagency agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the intelligence community, they are evolving to serve the needs of the broad national security community. Despite this broadening of substance and support, these laboratories remain the unique locus of science and engineering (S&E) for the U.S. nuclear weapons program, including, most significantly, the science-based stockpile stewardship program and the S&E basis for analyzing and understanding nuclear weapon developments of other nations and non-state actors. The National Research Council (NRC) was asked by Congress to assess the quality of S&E and the management of S&E at these three laboratories. The Quality of Science and Engineering at the NNSA National Security Laboratories is the second of two reports produced as part of this study. This report assesses the quality of S&E in terms of the capability of the laboratories to perform the necessary tasks to execute the laboratories' missions, both at present and in the future. The report identifies the following as four basic pillars of stockpile stewardship and non-proliferation analysis: (1) the weapons design; (2) systems engineering and understanding of the effects of aging on system performance; (3) weapons science base; and (4) modeling and simulation, which provides a capability to integrate theory, experimental data, and system design. The Quality of Science and Engineering at the NNSA National Security Laboratories offers a snapshot of the present with an eye to the future. This report discusses the current state of S&E and makes recommendations to maintain robust programs.

Download or read book Celebrating 60 Years written by Los Alamos National Laboratory and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Accompanying CD-ROM ... "contains a PDF version of 'Celebrating 60 years"--Page [8] of booklet.

Download or read book Maintaining High Scientific Quality at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-05-17 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, there has been concern about security and operations management at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LANL and LLNL). As a result, Congress directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to hold open competitions for the management and operations (M&O) contracts for both LANL and LLNL. The quality of the scientific programs, however, did not appear to be a factor in that action, and the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) wanted to ensure that the contract competitions preserve the high-quality science and engineering currently being performed at the labs. It asked the NRC to recommend how best the NNSA can create meaningful qualification and selection discriminators to help ensure world-class scientific quality is maintained in programs and activities at LANL and LLNL. This report presents those recommendations along with other important factors that should be considered in developing the request for proposals for the upcoming contract competition.

Download or read book Managing for High Quality Science and Engineering at the NNSA National Security Laboratories written by Committee to Review the Quality of the Management and of the Science and Engineering Research at the Department of Energy's National Security Laboratories - Phase 1 and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-09-03 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The three National Security Laboratories--Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)--are managed by private-sector entities under contract to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The FY2010 Defense Authorization Act mandated that NNSA task the National Research Council (NRC) to study the quality and management of Science and Engineering (S&E) at these Laboratories. This study (addressing a total of 5 tasks) is being conducted in two phases. This report covers the first phase, which addresses the relationship between the quality of the science and engineering at the Laboratory and the contract for managing and operating the Laboratory (task 4), and also addresses the management of work conducted by the Laboratory for entities other than the Department of Energy (task 5). The study's second phase will evaluate the actual quality of S&E in key subject areas. Managing for High-Quality Science and Engineering at the NNSA National Security Laboratories presents assessments of the evolution of the mission of the NNSA Labs and the management and performance of research in support of the missions, and the relationship between the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program and the ability of the Labs to fulfill their mission. The report examines the framework for managing science and engineering research at the Labs and provides an analysis of the relationships among the several players in the management of the Labs--the NNSA, the site offices, the contractors, and the Lab managers--and the effect of that relationship on the Laboratories' ability to carry out science and engineering research.

Download or read book Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Contributions to the Development of Future Power Reactors written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) is a large spallation neutron complex centered around an 800 MeV high-currently proton accelerator. Existing facilities include a highly-moderated neutron facility (Lujan Center) where neutrons between thermal and keV energies are produced, and the Weapons Neutron Research Center (WNR), where a bare spallation target produces neutrons between 0.1 and several hundred MeV. The LANSCE facility offers a unique capability to provide high precision nuclear data over a large energy region, including that for fast reactor systems. In an ongoing experimental program the fission and capture cross sections are being measured for a number of minor actinides relevant for Generation-IV reactors and transmutation technology. Fission experiments makes use of both the highly moderated spallation neutron spectrum at the Lujan Center, and the unmoderated high energy spectrum at WNR. By combininb measurements at these two facilities the differential fission cross section is measured relative to the 235U(n, f) standard from subthermal energies up to about 200 MeV. An elaborate data acquisition system is designed to deal with all the different types of background present when spanning 10 energy decades. The first isotope to be measured was 237Np, and the results were used to improve the current ENDF/B-VII evaluation. Partial results have also been obtained for 24°Pu and 242Pu, and the final results are expected shortly. Capture cross sections are measured at LANSCE using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE). This unique instrument is highly efficient in detecting radiative capture events, and can thus handle radioactive samples of half-lives as low as 100 years. A number of capture cross sections important to fast reaction applications have been measured with DANCE. The first measurement was on 237Np(n, [gamma]), and the results have been submitted for publication. Other capture measurements in progress include 24°Pu and 242Pu. The United States recently announced the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), with the goal of closing the commercial nuclear fuel cycle while minimizing proliferation risk. GNEP achieves these goals using fast-spectrum nuclear reactors powered by new transmutation fuels that contain significant quantities of minor actinides. The proposed Materials Test Station (MTS) will provide the GNEP with a cost-effective means of obtaining domestic fast-spectrum irradiations of advanced transmutation fuel forms and structural materials, which is an important step in the fuels qualification process. The MTS will be located at the LANSCE, and will be driven by a 1.08-MW proton beam. Th epeak neutron flux in the irradiation region is 1.67 x 1015 n/cm2/s, and the energy spectrum is similar to that of a fast reactor, with the addition of a high-energy tail. The facility is expected to operate at least 4,400 hours per year. Fuel burnup rates will exceed 4% per year, and the radiation damage rate in iron will be 18 dpa (displacements per atom) per year. The construction cost is estimated to be $73M (including 25% contingency), with annual operating costs in the range of $6M to $10M. Appropriately funded, the MTS could begin operation in 2010.

Download or read book Stockpile Stewardship at Los Alamos U written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stockpile stewardship is the retention of nuclear weapons in the stockpile beyond their original design life. These older weapons have potential changes inconsistent with the original design intent and military specifications. The Stockpile Stewardship Program requires us to develop high-fidelity, physics-based capabilities to predict, assess, certify and design nuclear weapons without conducting a nuclear test. Each year, the Lab Directors are required to provide an assessment of the safety, security, and reliability our stockpile to the President of the United States. This includes assessing whether a need to return to testing exists. This is a talk to provide an overview of Stockpile Stewardship's scientific requirements and how stewardship has changed in the absence of nuclear testing. The talk is adapted from an HQ talk to the War college, and historical unclassified talks on weapon's physics.

Download or read book Defense Basic and Industrial Research at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Proceedings written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Los Alamos Science written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Operational Status and Future Plans for Los Alamos Neutron Science Center written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) continues to be a signature experimental science facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The 800 MeV linear proton accelerator provides multiplexed beams to five unique target stations to produce medical radioisotopes, ultra-cold neutrons, thermal and high energy neutrons for material and nuclear science, and to conduct proton radiography of dynamic events. Recent operating experience will be reviewed and the role of an enhanced LANSCE facility in LANL's new signature facility initiative, Matter and Radiation in Extremes (MaRIE) will be discussed.

Download or read book Los Alamos Neutron Science Center LANSCE Nuclear Science Facilities written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) facilities for Nuclear Science consist of a high-energy "white" neutron source (Target 4) with 6 flight paths, three low-energy nuclear science flight paths at the Lujan Center, and a proton reaction area. The neutron beams produced at the Target 4 complement those produced at the Lujan Center because they are of much higher energy and have shorter pulse widths. The neutron sources are driven by the 800-MeV proton beam of the LANSCE linear accelerator. With these facilities, LANSCE is able to deliver neutrons with energies ranging from a milli-electron volt to several hundreds of MeV, as well as proton beams with a wide range of energy, time and intensity characteristics. The facilities, instruments and research programs are described briefly.

Download or read book Nuclear Weapons Complex Modernization written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services. Strategic Forces Subcommittee and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006 written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 978 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book GAO Report on the Department of Energy National Laboratory Management written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science. Subcommittee on Basic Research and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 1116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: