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Researchers are studying the brain’s response to eucalyptus wood smoke extract. Eucalyptus trees are of particular interest due to their high levels of toxicity when burned and their abundance across California, with some reaching between 150–200 feet tall.
// S&T Highlights

LLNL researchers and the Environmental Protection Agency seek to close the knowledge gap on how wildfire smoke exposure can affect the blood–brain barrier. 

From top left, clockwise: Paul Grabowski, Adriana Sweet, Kevin Quinlan, Ye Zhou and Laura Wendelberger are recipients of the Lab’s FY25 Academic Collaboration Team awards.
// Recognition

Four LLNL teams were recently granted awards through the Lab’s Fiscal Year 2025 Academic Collaboration Team (ACT) annual call for proposals.

At left, a small plate test, modeled with tantalum/LX-14 and tantalum/LX-17. At right, a cylinder test, modeled with tantalum/LX-17.
// S&T Highlights

For the first time, a team of LLNL researchers quantified and rigorously studied the effect of metal strength on accurately modeling coupled metal/high explosive (HE) experiments.

Photo of the drilling of the Citizen Green well on King Island, California, adjacent to Rindge Tract, as part of the WestCarb regional sequestration partnership which preceded the CarbonSAFE initiative. Data from the Citizen Green well was key in evaluating the CO2 storage potential of the southern Sacramento Basin and establishing it as a promising place for CO2 storage.
// S&T Highlights
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has awarded $6 million to LLNL researchers, as part of a $45.2 million award towards developing a regional CO2 storage hub in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California.
Diagram illustrating the integrated computational framework used to design materials for solid-state batteries. The framework incorporates atomistic simulations of local bulk and interfacial properties, representative multi-phase polycrystalline microstructures, effective property calculations and a machine-learning analysis to correlate microstructure features with effective properties.
// S&T Highlights

LLNL researchers have developed a novel, integrated modeling approach to identify and improve key interface and microstructural features in complex materials typically used for advanced batteries.

The Secretary's Honor Achievement Awards recognized three LLNL teams for their achievements.
// Recognition

LLNL employees participating in three project teams were recently recognized with Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary’s Honor Awards.

Line-replaceable units (LRUs), also known as pulsers, power the Scorpius electron beam accelerator, which will capture multiple X-ray images of dynamic explosives experiments important to ensuring the nation’s nuclear deterrent remains safe and effective without full-scale nuclear explosive testing.
// S&T Highlights

The first four line-replaceable units, also referred to as pulsers, have been delivered to LLNL from vendors for installation into Scorpius, a particle accelerator that will be the first accelerator to be powered with solid-state pulse power technology. 

Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and CEO Antonio Neri (left) and AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su toured Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's El Capitan and Tuolumne supercomputers, signing an El Capitan compute rack.
// S&T Highlights

More than 300 LLNL employees, government officials and industry leaders gathered at LLNL on Jan. 9 to celebrate the dedication of El Capitan, the world’s fastest supercomputer. 

Tomi Akindele, Holly Carlton and Kelli Humbird were awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by President Biden.
// Recognition

President Biden awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) to nearly 400 distinguished scientists and engineers, including three distinguished LLNL researchers.

The NIF lasers overlap onto the millimeter-scale cylindrical silver foam target. The resultant heating creates X-rays, which are then imaged as shown on the right.
// S&T Highlights

By combining the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser and ultra-light metal foams, LLNL researchers have produced the brightest X-ray source to date.