Office of Science Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge High School wins Department of Energy Tennessee Science Bowl

Posted at 8:44 pm March 8, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Winning first place in the 2019 Tennessee Science Bowl is Oak Ridge High School, pictured left to right with their trophy, David Joy, Henry Shen, George Wang, Steven Qu, and Melody Guo. Their coach is Sharon Thomas. (Submitted photo)

Team heads to National Science Bowl after third straight state win

After months of training, studying, and improving their competition skills, 55 high school teams from across the state of Tennessee gathered recently to test their knowledge in broad science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and energy.

Oak Ridge High School placed first in the annual competition and received an all-expenses-paid trip to the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., held April 25-29, as well as a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy.

The Tennessee Science Bowl is the nation’s third-largest regional competition, a press release said. Held at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus, the regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country. [Read more…]

Hearne joins ORNL as director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences

Posted at 2:51 pm February 15, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Sean Hearne (Photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has named Sean Hearne director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.

The center is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility that brings world-leading resources and capabilities to the nanoscience research community, a press release said. National and international researchers benefit from CNMS expertise in nanomaterials synthesis and nanofabrication to develop new materials, as well as from state-of-the-art imaging, characterization, and microscopy equipment used to explore material properties at the nanoscale, the press release said.

“I am very pleased and excited to add Sean to our team and look forward to continuing excellence in nanomaterial research and development under his leadership at CNMS,” said David Dean, associate laboratory director for Physical Sciences.

Hearne comes to Oak Ridge from Sandia National Laboratories, where he served as senior manager of the Ion Beam Facility and co-director of the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a DOE Office of Science User Facility jointly operated by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratory. [Read more…]

SNS completes full neutron production cycle at record power level

Posted at 3:31 pm August 9, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

As protons (pink) strike the target vessel and pass into the liquid mercury inside, the protons are absorbed, creating neutrons (blue) that are then sent through moderators and beam tubes to research instruments to study the fundamental properties of materials. (Image credit: Jill Hemman/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

The Spallation Neutron Source at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has reached a new milestone by operating a complete neutron production run cycle at 1.3 megawatts, a press release said.

“Achieving the record power level with a remarkable 94 percent accelerator beam availability establishes a new baseline of operation as well as a path to operate reliably at higher powers,” the press release said. “Increased power offers researchers the ability to conduct faster scientific analyses using neutrons on more types of materials.”

SNS, a DOE Office of Science User Facility, began operations in 2006 and is currently the world’s most powerful pulsed accelerator-based neutron scattering facility, used by scientists to reveal fundamental properties and behaviors of energy and materials at the atomic scale. Neutron contributions at SNS have resulted in advances in electronic devices, improved drug delivery, and stronger building materials for transportation infrastructure, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORISE, Rotary Club plan to package 20,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger

Posted at 10:59 am March 3, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

More than 100 volunteers from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge will package 20,000 nutritious meals for Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization, in a few hours on Thursday, March 8.

The event is marking the expansion of a warehouse on ORISE’s south campus by helping feed people around the world.

“Volunteers will follow an assembly-line process to package highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables, and 23 essential vitamins and minerals,” a media alert said. “Rise Against Hunger will distribute the meals primarily to school feeding programs in developing countries around the world.”

ORISE is managed by ORAU, a nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

Applications being accepted for research opportunities with Higher Education Research faculty program

Posted at 5:38 am February 9, 2018
By Amanda Freuler Leave a Comment

Pasquale Fulvio, Ph.D., researched carbon composites during his time in the Higher Education Research Experiences faculty program. (Photo submitted by ORAU)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is currently seeking college faculty for paid research opportunities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory through the Higher Education Research Experiences program, a press release said.

This research program provides opportunities for teaching and non-teaching faculty, like Pasquale Fulvio, to use the unique resources of ORNL to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, encourage careers in science and technology, and improve scientific literacy, the press release said.

Appointments will be located at ORNL and generally take place during the summer; part-time appointments may occur during the semester depending on the requirements of the project. Sabbatical appointments may also be available. The program provides stipends based on the certified academic institution salary for faculty, as well as limited travel and housing assistance, if eligible, the release said.

Applications are open year-round, and appointments are made throughout the year with flexible start and end dates, the press release said. [Read more…]

Applications being accepted for NSF Mathematical Sciences Internship Program

Posted at 9:46 pm January 4, 2018
By Oak Ridge Associated Universities Leave a Comment

Call for applications closes February 1, 2018

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is accepting applications for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Mathematical Sciences Graduate Internship Program, a 10-week summer program for graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree in mathematics, statistics, or applied mathematics.

To qualify, applicants must be enrolled as a graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree in mathematics, statistics, or applied mathematics at an accredited U.S. college or university, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, a press release said. For a complete list of discipline areas, visit http://www.orise.orau.gov/nsf-msgi/. Students graduating with a doctoral degree prior to the expected internship start date are not eligible, the press release said.

Selected participants will receive a stipend of $1,200 per week for their participation in the internship and limited travel reimbursement. All applications must be submitted by February 1, 2018. [Read more…]

ORNL wins nine R&D 100 Awards

Posted at 1:58 pm December 21, 2017
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

A close-up look at the Open Port Sampling Interfaces for Mass Spectrometry, one of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s seven 2016 R&D 100 Award winners. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have received nine R&D 100 Awards in recognition of their significant advancements in science and technology, a press release said. The honorees were recognized in November at the 55th annual R&D 100 Conference, sponsored by R&D Magazine.

The awards, known as the “Oscars of Invention,” honor innovative breakthroughs in materials science, biomedicine, consumer products, and more from academia, industry, and government-sponsored research agencies. This year’s nine honors bring ORNL’s total of R&D 100 awards to 210 since their inception in 1963, the press release said.

ORNL researchers were recognized for the following innovations:

ACMZ Cast Aluminum Alloys were developed by a team of researchers from ORNL with Fiat Chrysler Automobile U.S. and Nemak U.S.A.

ACMZ aluminum alloys are a new class of affordable, lightweight superalloys capable of withstanding temperatures of almost 100-degree Celsius more than current commercial alloys while providing exceptional thermomechanical performance and hot tear resistance.

Common commercial alloys soften rapidly at high temperatures, limiting their use in next-generation vehicles, while other alloys that can withstand elevated temperatures are cost prohibitive and difficult to cast. ACMZ alloys were developed using a suite of atomic-level characterization and computation tools, resulting in a strong, stable, and versatile material capable of withstanding the stressful conditions of next-generation high-efficiency combustion engines, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORNL names director of artificial intelligence

Posted at 9:23 am November 22, 2017
By John Huotari 1 Comment

David Womble

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has hired David Womble, a leader in high-performance computing and former executive at Sandia National Laboratories, to direct its artificial intelligence work.

Womble began as AI Program Director on October 30, a press release said. AI stands for artificial intelligence.

Womble’s responsibilities include guiding ORNL’s AI and machine learning strategy for high-performance computing, ensuring broad scientific impacts to the missions of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and providing long-range program planning and project leadership, the press release said.

“In more than three decades in computing, Womble has won two R&D100 awards and the Association for Computing Machinery’s Gordon Bell Prize, awarded each year ‘to recognize outstanding achievement in high-performance computing,'” the press release said. [Read more…]

Two ORNL-led research teams receive $10.5 million for quantum computing research

Posted at 9:36 am October 26, 2017
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

ORNL’s Pavel Lougovski, left, and Raphael Pooser will lead research teams working to advance quantum computing for scientific applications. (Photo credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

By Scott Jones/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

By harnessing the power of quantum mechanics, researchers hope to create quantum computers capable of simulating phenomenon at a scale and speed unthinkable on traditional architectures, an effort of great interest to agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy tasked with tackling some of the world’s most complex science problems, a press release said.

DOE’s Office of Science has awarded two research teams, each headed by a member of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Quantum Information Science Group, more than $10 million over five years to both assess the feasibility of quantum architectures in addressing big science problems and to develop algorithms capable of harnessing the massive power predicted of quantum computing systems. The two projects are intended to work in concert to ensure synergy across DOE’s quantum computing research spectrum and maximize mutual benefits.

ORNL’s Raphael Pooser will oversee an effort titled, “Methods and Interfaces for Quantum Acceleration of Scientific Applications,” part of the larger Quantum Computing Testbed Pathfinder program funded by DOE’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research office. [Read more…]

ORNL reports strong interest in voluntary separations, but still needs to review applications

Posted at 10:56 am September 27, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory

There has been strong interest in a voluntary separation program that could reduce the workforce at Oak Ridge National Laboratory by up to 350 positions, but the lab still has to review applications and finalize who qualifies, a spokesperson said Wednesday, the deadline to apply.

The laboratory is still in the middle of reviewing the applications and determining who qualifies, said Morgan McCorkle, ORNL communications media manager.

The workforce could be reduced by up to 350 positions through both voluntary and involuntary separations.

“We still expect to use both mechanisms,” McCorkle said.

The 350-position reduction would decrease the workforce of 4,800 employees by about 7.3 percent. The workforce reduction, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, was announced by ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia in an August 8 email to employees. [Read more…]

DOE, NNSA computing project names new director, to be based at ORNL

Posted at 5:23 pm September 20, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Doug Kothe

A collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration has named a new director of the project to build computing systems that are at least 50 times faster than the nation’s most powerful supercomputers in use today—and the new director will be based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The collaborative project is the Exascale Computing Project. It’s a collaboration between DOE’s Office of Science and the NNSA, which is a semi-autonomous agency within DOE.

The new director is Doug Kothe, a 32-year veteran of DOE’s national laboratory system who most recently served in ORNL’s Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate and as the applications development lead for the Exascale Computing Project, or ECP. For the preceding five years, he led the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, DOE’s first Energy Innovation Hub, which uses supercomputers to improve nuclear reactor performance.

Kothe will be ECP director effective October 1. He will replace Paul Messina, who is stepping down after two years to return to Argonne National Laboratory, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORNL: Neutrons peer into a running engine

Posted at 3:25 pm September 3, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Researchers used neutrons to probe a running engine at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source, giving them the opportunity to test an aluminum-cerium alloy under operating conditions. From left, researchers Orlando Rios, Ke An, and Lt. Eric Stromme show off a cylinder head made from the new alloy. (Photo by ORNL/U.S. Department of Energy)

By Ashley C. Huff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In a first-of-a-kind experiment, researchers used neutrons to investigate the performance of a new aluminum alloy in a gasoline-powered engine—while the engine was running.

A team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked with industry partners to perform the test, which looked at whether a high-performance alloy that is promising for automotive applications held up under the heat and stress of an internal combustion engine.

Researchers used neutrons to probe a running engine at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source, giving them the opportunity to test an aluminum-cerium alloy under operating conditions.

The feat was a first for the Spallation Neutron Source, said Ke An, lead instrument scientist for the facility’s VULCAN instrument.

“This was the first time an internal combustion engine has been run on our diffractometer, and, as far as we know, on any other,” he said. [Read more…]