MSI Participants from 2008 through 2011
Nuclear Science & Engineering
Project Title: Superconducting ultra-high energy resolution Gamma spectrometer arrays
Description: The Advanced Detector Group at LLNL is developing ultrahigh energy-
resolution Gamma and fast-neutron spectrometers for national security and fundamental
science applications. They are based on thermistors operated at the transition between the
superconducting and normal state, and they measure Gamma-ray energies from the
temperature rise upon absorption. They have achieved an energy resolution of 50 - 90 eV
FWHM at 100 keV, which exceeds that of conventional high-purity Germanium detectors
by an order of magnitude. This can increase the precision of non-destructive isotope
analysis of nuclear samples accordingly by removing statistical errors due to line overlap
and by reducing systematic errors due to baseline subtraction and efficiency variations.
One current challenge for this detector technology is to increase their sensitivity by
building pixilated detector arrays and the associated readout electronics. For this, we are
fabricating large Mo/Cu detector arrays by photolithography, and are collaborating with
Prof. Adrian Lee's group in the Physics Department at UC Berkeley on the development
of a multiplexing technique to read out these arrays with an acceptably small heat load
into the detector cold stage. The second challenge is to increase the user-friendliness of
these superconducting spectrometers by automating detector operation at 0.1 K without
the use of cryogenic liquids. We are working with VeriCold Technologies on adapting
their mechanical pulse tube refrigerator technology to cool down our superconducting
sensors without introducing additional noise due to vibrations. This student will work
with members of the Advanced Detector Group on implementing the frequency-
multiplexed readout for the gamma-detector arrays. They will also test the compatibility
of these sensors with operation in a liquid-cryogen-free pulse tube refrigerator. They will
then use the cryogen-free gamma-spectrometer for novel precision measurements of
nuclear materials.
Physics
Project Title: Surface Physics and Chemistry of Laser Irradiated Fused Silica
Microstructures
Description: The use of CO2 lasers to mitigate damage, polish surfaces and create
micro-optical elements has grown substantially in recent years. Because silica-based
materials absorb strongly in the Mid-IR and Far-IR, CO2 lasers operating at 10.6um heat
and eventually evaporate material away, forming complex surface features behind.
Characterizing the morphology and chemistry of the surface is critical to understanding
how to control the resulting optical elements and predicting how they will behave in an
optical system. This project will involve setting up and implementing a 4f optical
scattering experiment to measure surface roughness and correlation lengths of CO2
irradiated surfaces. The student will also help to develop hypotheses and models to better
understand the surface physics involved, and interact with surface scientists using a host
of advanced techniques such as SEM, AFM and white light interferometry.
Project Title: Direct Search for the Decay of the Th-229 Nuclear Isomer Accessible to
Optical Manipulation
Description: Quantum computing - with potential global security applications - and
precision clocks - with fundamental physics applications - require a long-lived quantum
transition (two-level system) that is immune to external perturbations. Nuclear transitions
would be better suited than atomic transitions for these applications except that nuclear
transitions are typically much higher in energy and therefore cannot be accessed with
table-top lasers. There is, however, one promising nuclear transition: the doublet between
the ground and first excited states of the 229Th nucleus. In order to determine the
suitability of the 229Th nuclear doublet for quantum computing and/or a precision clock,
the half-life of the excited-state needs to be measured.
Project Title: Modeling Water Mass Mixing in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Using
Coral-14C
Description: Assisted lab manager in preparing samples to be run on the Accelerator
Mass Spetrometer to test for trace levels of the naturally occurring isotope, Carbon-14.
Duties included in preparing the samples were: simple acid-base washing,
weighing, sealing off samples under vacuum, combustion, purification of carbon dioxide
obtained, and then finally, graphitization. The developed skills were then applied toward
an individual project that involved using Carbon-14 as a tracer to model water mass
mixing in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific
Project Title: Excited State Physics
Project Description: The fundamental interactions of nuclei and atomic electrons is
responsible for nuclear-atomic coupling interactions. The renewed interest in High
Energy Density Science has brought to light the need for a better understanding nuclear-
atomic fundamental physics. We are investigating the nuclear de-excitation and
excitation processes using theoretical models and tabletop laboratory based experiments.
Specifically we are investigating the way in which the nucleus shares its decay energy
following internal conversion and bound internal decay. We are studying decay half-lives
in different environmental conditions (different host materials / electron densities) and
decay modes (BIC, IC, Gamma decay). We will be adding electron spectroscopy to our
suite of measurements this summer to help study these processes.
Project Title: Context Aware Nuclear Analysis System
Project Description: There is a growing concern that a terrorist may try to use the
global shipping system to deliver a nuclear weapon, or the parts to assemble a nuclear
weapon, into the United States. The consequences of such an occurrence would be
devastating. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) we have been tasked
by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to combine our specialized knowledge
of nuclear weapons with the latest advances in radiation physics, signal processing, and
computer science to find ways to improve the security of our ports. DHS has already
deployed radiation detection instruments at the ports, and these system are confronted by
about 10,000 shipments a day that contain some legitimate radioactive material. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) agents must analyze each one of these radiation alarms
looking for a possible threat. At LLNL we are developing computer-based techniques to
help CBP find hidden threat, and quickly approve legitimate shipments. In a collaboration
with the Auton Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, we are using cutting-edge machine
learning algorithms (such as Mixed-attribute-type Bayesian Networks) to combine
gamma-ray and neutron measurements with non-radiation and contextual information to
dramatically improve the accuracy and false alarm discrimination for radiation alarms.
Computer Science
Project Title: Cyber Security for Smart Meters
Project Description: In this assignment we will investigate a scenario regarding smart
meter cyber security and evaluate if we can create a simulation using NS3 tool of this
scenario to gain understanding and insights for improved protection of the network. An
example of a scenario is the characterization of widespread disruption in the smart meter
network. Over the past five years, California Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) have been
deploying smart meter technology to residential customers, with well over nine million
smart meters deployed thus far. There are numerous concerns about vulnerabilities of the
smart meter infrastructure. Cyber security companies have discovered a number of
vulnerabilities in individual smart meters; for example, a report by Red Tiger Security
has documented the vulnerabilities in a common smart meter. As the electric grid is
considered critical infrastructure protecting it is a national security concern. The research
questions that may be be considered in this project include:
* Is it possible to communicate malicious firmware updates or commands over the smart
meter networks and perform illicit operations such as remote disconnects on a large scale
* Is it possible to maliciously alter the smart meter communication protocols for an
adversary to gain control of smart meters
* Is it possible to gain privileged access to the meters in large-scale to gain access to
customer private information
* On what scale would a simultaneously and distributed remote disconnect action of the
smart meters require manual intervention to re-establish service or cause damage to the
power distribution system
Project Title: Programming in View
Project Description: Use Java Swing to convert existing GUIs to a Model-View-
Controller pattern. Work includes writing the View component, testing and verifying
correct behavior. This will provide a much-needed improvement to our code.
Project Title: Extending Babel's Suite of Tests and Examples
Description: The goal of the summer project is to build a suite of new tests and examples for
the Babel language interoperability tool. Babel has a new remote method invocation (RMI)
capability, and the summer student will design and implement tests to ensure that the RMI
feature works correctly on a variety of platforms. The expectation is that the new tests will be
integrated into Babel's existing nightly regression testing. In addition to making an RMI test,
the student will make documented examples of how to use Babel for various common tasks.
This project will provide the summer student with a chance to learn Babel and creatively
design interesting tests and examples.
Project Title: Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparsion (PCMDI)
Description: To create front-end artifacts that interface with Earth System Grid's data-node
application stack. A web front-end for creating a light weight status interface, and a more
heavy weight, Java Swing application for directly communicating with the back-end data-
node application stack components. To also participate in distributed algorithm investigation
and development.
Project Title: Enterprise Reporting Workbench (ERW) Project
Description: The ERW is the Lab's premiere data warehousing application. It is a robust
tool that is used for various types of reporting: financial, travel, plant engineering, etc. We
have maintenance on current components as well as new development on other components
of the application.
Project Title: Core Operating Environment Quality Assurance Project
Description: SMSG provides the applications and operating systems that make up the
LLNL Core Operating Environment for desktop Windows computers. As part of this service
new application versions and configuration are created and rigorous testing is required to
ensure compatibility with LLNL standard operating systems and applications. This project
will involve the participation in providing QA testing, research into problems, documenting
of findings, as well as end user documentation as needed. Participants will work closely with
SMSG personal in accomplishing this project.
Project Title: SMS Project - Evaluate Exascale Programming Models Project
Description: It is widely expected that the computer systems anticipated in the 2015 – 2020
timeframe will be qualitatively different from current and past computer systems. They will
be built using massive multi-core processors with 100’s of cores per chip, their performance
will be driven by parallelism, constrained by energy, and with all of their parts, they will be
subject to frequent faults and failures. Coined Exascale Computing, the number of nodes and
the network will not dramatically change, however the system size and the node architecture
is expected to undergo dramatic changes. There will be multiple memory types, including
programmable (scratchpad) memory along with generally more heterogeneous/hierarchical
systems than today and the memory:FLOPS ratio is expected to get worse.
For Exascale Computing, the main programming environment challenges are expected to be
within the new node rather than across nodes, since that is where the biggest changes appear
to be headed. The total number of nodes is not changing dramatically, so current practices of
MPI between nodes to this scale provides one option of utilizing the exascale systems.
Another option is to utilize unified programming models at the global level
Project Title: Environmental Restoration (ERD) - Taurus Environmental Information
Management System (TEIMS)
Project Description: The Environmental Restoration Department is tasked with
responsibility for the mitigation and remediation of soil and groundwater contamination at
LLNL sites resulting from operations dating from the time of the Livermore Naval Air
Station onward. The engineering group is integral to the design, development and operations
of treatment facility and monitoring assets in support of these goals.
Support the TEIMS web-based applications standardization project. TEIMS is comprised of
hundreds of dynamic, data-driven, web-based applications and tools that have been
developed over the past 20 years. Over the course of development, many different styles and
technologies have been employed based on available personnel and technologies at the time
of development. The goal of this project is to bring standardization to TEIMS to give users a
consistent application experience and to reduce the system software maintenance burden.
Project Title: Global Security Programming
Project Description: - Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) data from an existing format
into an Oracle database schema, which is a very large, mission critical database.
- Learn and use the approved visual tool that generates Java to create the ETL process.
- Create custom Java code or regular expressions to handle the transformation of data into the
desired formats.
- Determine the feasibility of creating reusable subjobs for ETL
- If time permits, research and derive a methodology for rectifying locations that are loaded
into the database.
Project Title: Environmental Functional Area
Project Description: The Environmental Functional Area (EFA) is responsible for
environmental monitoring and environmental regulatory interpretation and implementation
guidance in support of LLNL's programs. EFA prepares and maintains environmental plans,
reports, and permits; maintains the environmental portions of the Environment, Safety, and
Health (ES&H) Manual; informs management about pending changes in environmental
regulations pertinent to LLNL; represents LLNL in day-to-day interactions with regulatory
agencies and the public; develops and provides institutional environmental training; and
assesses the effectiveness of pollution control programs. A principal part of EFA's mission is
to work with LLNL programs to ensure that operations are conducted in a manner that limits
environmental impact and that is in compliance with regulatory requirements. The LLNL
EMS is managed within EFA through the EMS Team, which has representatives from each
Principal Directorate and the Director's Office.
Project Title: Counter-Proliferation & Operational Intelligence Support (CPOIS)
Project Description: Support the Global Security mission to:
-Advance technologies to monitor and detect the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) worldwide
-Limit or prevent the spread of materials, technology, and expertise relating to WMD
-Eliminate or secure inventories of surplus materials and infrastructure usable for nuclear
weapons
MIS
Project Title: WAs Database Support:
Project Description: Consolidate the WAs tracking from by 2 digit B&R to a single data
base (this is a copy and paste exercise); Reconcile $ values to original data; Create links for
each entry to a scanned WA; Identify gaps in the information with assistance from Budget
Dept staff; Enter the data from all ARRA WAs into the database; Identify which FWPs have
been funded on FY10 WAs; Organize old hard copy WAs that came back from scanning to
be ready for archiving; Format all the data consistently.
Monthly Program Review Support:
Identify and implement recommendations to the Monthly Program Review reports provided
by the Budget Dept.
Computer Sciences/Engineering
Projtect Title: Structure Splunk for a Distributed File System
Project Description: The assignment is based on Splunk, a tool able to collect, index and
harness the fast moving machine data generated by applications, servers and devices. The
main goal of the project is to set up Splunk for CEPH, and be able to manage the huge
amounts of data generated by real workloads using Splunk's features and capabilities.
Computer Engineering
Project Title: Environmental Protection - Taurus Environmental Information Management
System (TEIMS) Project
Description: Support the TEIMS web-based applications standardization project. TEIMS is
comprised of hundreds of dynamic, data-driven, web-based applications and tools that have
been developed over the past 20 years. Over the course of development, many different styles
and technologies have been employed based on available personnel and technologies at the
time of development. The goal of this project is to bring standardization to TEIMS to give
users a consistent application experience and to reduce the system software maintenance
burden.
Project Title: 375nm-LS Co-alignment Tool
Description: The 375nm Alignment Light Source (ALS) is projected along pass-4 toward
TCC using a fiber launch and “flip-in” turning mirror on the TSF-D tower platform.
Alignment between the light source and the pulsed beam is commissioned and maintained
via the “co-alignment process” which consists of performing rod shots to the TAS camera
and mapping the offset between the centroids of the pulsed beam and the 375nm alignment
beam. The TSF-D fiber-launch for the 375nm ALS is mounted on an x-y stage allowing the
source to be translated in the effective focal plane of the TSF and permit co-alignment to the
pulsed beam. Typical triggers for co-alignment updates are regularly scheduled co-alignment
maintenance (annual, semi-annual, quarterly?) or TSF tower transactions.
Co-alignment errors less than 150 um will be accommodated using the 3W_LS_OFFSET
database parameter applied to the BEAMS_TO_TAS pointing loop. Co-alignment errors
greater than 150 um will be physically corrected using the 3?-LS stage. This “375nm-LS Co-
alignment Tool” will be used to implement these physical alignments.
Project Title: NIF
Description: Work with NIF CIS Test Automation Team Lead to develop new automated
test scripts using commercial regression test tool. Tests will interface with one of the web
applications developed by NIF’s Shot Data Systems software team. Tests will be developed
using Java and Eclipse.
Industrial Engineering & Management
Project Title: Design the new and improve Engineering Manufacturing capability and
infrastructure for the 21st century in supporting LLNL' programs.
Description: Coordinates small to medium scale projects to support the current and evolving
business process improvement within Engineering Directorate. Assists with planning,
research on new equipment, estimating of resources, schedule requirements, and business
case analysis. Work with other to develops out-year strategic project plan.
Project Title: Environmental Restoration (ERD)
Project Description: The Environmental Restoration Department is tasked with
responsibility for the mitigation and remediation of soil and groundwater contamination at
LLNL sites resulting from operations dating from the time of the Livermore Naval Air
Station onward. The engineering group is integral to the design, development and operations
of treatment facility and monitoring assets in support of these goals.
Electrical Engineering
Project Title: Argus Security System Project
Description: Argus provides the security system used to protect top priority assets and
nuclear material primarily for DOE
Project Title: Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization
Description: The JIEDDO Project is to develop sensors, platforms and algorithms to assist
in the JIEDDO mission.
Project Title: Variability of ADM Properties
Description: To develop a database of precursor parameters using ADM (Absorption
Distribution Model) for NIF THG (Third Harmonic Generation) crystals. This entails using
ADM to analyze various test experiments that have been performed on various boules and
collect the parameters to see if there are any correlations with relation to growth conditions.
Project Title: UCM Transfer
Description: Engage in transfering photos into the Universal Content Management
system (UCM). Assist Document Services in uploading old and new photos for use in
meetings, presentations, and publications.
Chemical Engineering
Project Title: Corrosion properties of FeCr ferritic steels Project
Description: In an exploratory effort to develop collaborative work with Prof. Nosa
Egiebor, Prof. & Chair, Environmental & Engineering Program, Tuskegee University,
focused on properties of ferritic steels for nuclear applications, the student will work on the
study of Cr segregation properties in FeCr solid solutions from the perspective of both
computer simulations and experimental corrosion work. As the participant is a sophomore
student, the proposed work plan aims at getting the student familiarized with the elementary
tools for computational materials science, such as the use of Monte Carlo codes to study
segregation, and molecular dynamics and statics to study energetics of solid solutions. The
experimental part includes familiarization with the corrosion study techniques in the Joe
Farmer's corrosion laboratory.
Chemistry
Project Title: Rapid, Automated Sample Preparation for Biological Assays
Project Description: The Sample Preparation project aims to develop a set of "virtual filter"
modules configurable to prepare samples for analysis by downstream assays and platforms.
The modules include acoustic focusing (AF) for large-particle filtration, dielectrophoresis
(DEP) for separating bacteria, sample lysis for extracting cell contents, and isotachophoresis
(ITP) for filtering nucleic acids.
Mechanical Engineering
Project Title: Conventional Facility Infrastructure
Description: Help Establishing Facilities Work infrastructure:
a) Basic system (subsystem) outlines
b) Main equipments
c) Related Devices
d) Review of existing preventive maintenance procedures
e) Writing of new preventive maintenance procedures
f) Outline of data collection and retrieval
h) Water-chemistry data tabulation and analysis
Electro Mechanical Engineering
Project Title: Fabrication, design and installation of electronic systems.
Description: Support the National Security Engineering Division (NSED), specifically the
Controls Systems Group. In support of senior technical personnel, intern will participate in
conceptual design and deployment activities. The individual will receive a wide range of on-
line and on the job training experiences in his assignment. This twelve week assignment is
divided into four three week sections, including: Electronics Fabrication, Computer Aided
Design (Schematic Capture), Electronic Field Deployment and Technical Communication
(Design review preparation).
Optical Engineering
Project Title: Science and Technology of Unconventional Fiber Waveguides for Emerging
DoD and DOE Laser Missions
Project Description: Investigation of the use of novel waveguide structures to scale the
output power and pulse energy of fiber lasers for critical DOE and DoD missions.
Environmental Engineering
Project Title: Underground Coal Gasification Projects
Project Description: Assist scientists in the group by searching through old experiment data,
summarizing the results, and running the data through computer models.
Bio Sciences
Project Title: Mechanisms of inhibiting bone formation through antabonism
Project Description: An important area of research is the identification and characterization
of key molecules and pathways that promote bone formation, de novo. Currently the most
promising anabolic agent used for the systemic treatment of osteoporosis is parathyroid
hormone (PTH) and recently it has been shown that sclerostin (sost), a negative regulator of
bone formation, is a direct target of PTH, suggesting that sost regulation may play an
important role in PTH-dependent bone formation. Recently, sost has been identified as the
gene responsible for two severe hyperostoses characterized by increased bone mineral
density: sclerosteosis and Van Buchem disease, thus positioning sost as an ideal new target
for the treatment of bone loss. Since modulating the expression of proteins that regulate bone
formation is of great biomedical importance and because of the well-documented role of sost
in regulating osteoblast activity and bone formation, the overarching goal of our research is
to understand the transcriptional regulation mechanisms that control sost expression during
osteogenesis, bone patterning, and bone metabolism.
Business Administration & Accounting
Project Title: Accounting
Description: Student will assist in accounting and financial processes and procedures
including general accounting, account reconciliations, payroll support, accounts receivable
and work for other project maintenance.
Project Title: Travel Services
Description: Candidate would work in the Business Services Divison of Supply Chain
Management providing travel accounting functions. Candidate would reconcile uncosted
airfare transactions to reduce the liability of uncosted charges. Candidate would also audit
expense reports and gain exposure to the review and approval of Special Disbursements and
Conference Management activities.
Project Title: WAs Database Support
Description: Consolidate the WAs tracking from by 2 digit B&R to a single data base (this is
a copy and paste exercise); Reconcile $ values to original data; Create links for each entry to
a scanned WA; Identify gaps in the information with assistance from Budget Dept staff;
Enter the data from all ARRA WAs into the database; Identify which FWPs have been
funded on FY10 WAs; Organize old hard copy WAs that came back from scanning to be
ready for archiving; Format all the data consistently.
Project Title: Internal Audit Plan
Description: The internal audit plan is comprised of financial, compliance, and operational
audits.
Human Resources
Position Title: Recruiter Assistant
Description: Student will work in the Strategic Workforce Division of SHRM on several
recruiting and student focused activities. Working with several SWD groups, will assist in
preparing presentations for recruiting events, do research on campus contact information,
assist with web page updates, participate in IEC activities and help with updating electronic
records in the Scholar Candidate System.
Students from..
Morehouse College Tuskegge University Central State University
Voorhees College University of Turabo Denmark Technical College
Stayer University Tennessee State University Norfolk State University
North Carolina A&T Morris College Southern Univ., A&M
Bluefield State College Northern Arizona University Morgan State University
N. Carolina School of Science & Math Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Florida International University Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University
Fisk Thurgood Marshall Fund MSI Consortium
Educational Advancement Alliance
GPA … range from 2.6 to 4.0 with average of 3.536 (21 participants)