Advanced search    Help

Clear all search criteria

Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).

• Strategic Latency and World Politics: How Technology is Changing Our Concepts of Security

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The issues associated with strategic latency are not new. Classic strategic and intelligence analysis includes technology in military threat assessments. Examination of potential proliferation paths always focuses on the spread of dual‐use technologies to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Many of the activities now highlighted through the international security prism of strategic latency, such as 'out sourcing,' 'off shore' production, 'agile manufacturing,' 'just‐in‐time' inventories and the global technological talent base, have been scrutinized in detail for decades by scientists, industry, economists, and investors. Strategic latency is like 'globalization,' with which it is tightly linked. Globalization and the advance of science and technology (S&T) at the end of the 19th century were remarkable compared with the previous one or two centuries, but globalization today is even more intense and diverse--so much so that the study of globalization has become an interdisciplinary specialty. And so it is with strategic latency. The advancement and accumulation of dual‐use technology more widely is worthy of study itself. In bringing such different perspectives as military intelligence, nuclear safeguards, bio‐security, export controls, arms control, disarmament, verification, information technology, cyber operations, innovation economics, business management, foreign trade, intellectual property law, investment strategies, science culture, education, development, and ethics together, we may not only get new insights into each of those fields, but we may also obtain transcendent insight into the dynamics of the contemporary world. Along the way, we should test ourselves for inappropriate stereotyping and mirror imaging in our assessments of others."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Nacht, Michael.; Lehman, II, Ronald F.; Davis, Zachary S., 1955-

  2014-03-23?
• Summary Report California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Evaluation of Full-Face Air-Purifying Respirators for Wildland Fire Fighting Use

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Wildland fire suppression personnel employed by the CDF [California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection] do not currently have the equipment to protect themselves from the short-term acute affects of smoke from wildland fires. In addition, no regulations exist that specify appropriate respiratory protection and the current air-purifying respirator technology and carbon monoxide monitoring has not been adapted to fit wildland fire suppression requirements. This three-year limited study evaluated the ability of wildland fire fighters to perform their normal job function while wearing full-face air-purifying respirators. In the first two years of this study we designed, developed and field tested a prototype 'smart' air-purifying respirator which incorporated a real-time carbon monoxide monitor into a commercial full-face respirator. Data on carbon monoxide exposure while fighting wildland fires was collected. During the third year of this study we evaluated eight different commercially available full-face air-purifying respirators equipped with a variety of cartridges. Apparatus to aid the fire fighter in carrying the respirator and carbon monoxide personal monitor was designed and fabricated. A smoke exposure test method was developed and a laboratory study on the penetration of smoke through respirator cartridges was conducted."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Beason, Donald G.; Johnson, James S.; Foote, Kenneth L. . . .

  1996-02
• Review of the Research on Response to Improvised Nuclear Device Events

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  This paper provides a review of research on response to an improvised nuclear device (IND) detonation in an American city. The document establishes a framework under which past findings can be understood, identifies gaps, and makes recommendations for future research.

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  2008-07-09
• Radiation Detection and Dual-Energy X-Ray Imaging for Port Security

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Millions of cargo containers are transported across the United States border annually and are inspected for illicit radioactive material and contraband using a combination of passive radiation portal monitors (RPM) and high energy X-ray non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems. As detection performance is expected to vary with the material composition of cargo, characterizing the types of material present in cargo is important to national security. This work analyzes the passive radiation and dual energy radiography signatures from on RPM and two NII system, respectively. First, the cargos were analyzed to determine their ability to attenuate emissions from an embedded radioactive source. Secondly, dual-energy X-ray discrimination was used to determine the material composition and density of the cargos."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Pashby, J.; Glenn, S.; Divin, C. . . .

  2017
• Stewardship of U.S. Nuclear Weapons

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "My topic today is stewardship of U.S. nuclear weapons: Where we are. How we got there. And where we are going. Because of the congressional debates that are likely next year about a comprehensive test ban treaty and the interest in nuclear weapons reductions, I thought you would want to know how the Department of Energy and its laboratories are going to approach nuclear weapons in the coming decades. […] Then I will tell you the solution we have crafted -- the stockpile stewardship program. It is a point solution, but it turns out to have a lot more dimensions than one point. It is still a work in progress. In fact, you will be part of the discussion and debate on how that work in progress evolves."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Tarter, C. Bruce

  1998-01-15
• Challenge of Determining the Need for Remediation Following a Wide-Area Biological Release

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Recovering from a biological attack is a complex process requiring the successful resolution of numerous challenges. The Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration program is one of the first multiagency efforts to develop strategies and tools that could be effective following a wide-area release of 'B. anthracis' [Bacillus anthracis] spores. Nevertheless, several key policy issues and associated science and technology issues still need to be addressed. For example, more refined risk assessment and management approaches are needed to help evaluate 'true' public health risk. Once the risk is understood, that information can be considered along with the types of characterization activities deemed necessary to determine whether the cost and time of decontamination are actually warranted. This commentary offers 5 recommendations associated with decision making regarding decontamination and clearance options that should accompany a comprehensive risk analysis leading to more effective risk management decisions and summarizes some of the most important technological gaps that still need to be addressed."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Raber, Ellen

  2011-11
• Improvements to High-Speed Monitoring of Events in Extreme Environments Using Fiber-optic Bragg Sensors

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  The program objectives focused on: "High speed system for pressure, temperature, velocity and position during burn, deflagration and detonation; Incorporate system into appropriate test bed; Demonstrate effectiveness of approach, [and] evaluate[d] results." There are two sensor types: "(1) A chirped fiber grating with 'masked' regions to allow position measurement and investigate pressure/temperature shifts 135mm in length[.] (2) Uniform 6mm long fiber gratings written into side-hole optical fiber (second approach to objective of first time high speed pressure measurement, 1000 C fiber gratings)[.]"

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Benterou, J J; Udd, Eric; May, Chadd M. . . .

  2012-02-22
• DOE SciDAC's Earth System Grid Center for Enabling Technologies Final Report

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  This document provides information about the the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program. "The mission of the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) is to provide the worldwide climate-research community with access to the data, information, model codes, analysis tools, and intercomparison capabilities required to make sense of enormous climate data sets. Its specific goals are to (1) provide an easy-to-use and secure web-based data access environment for data sets; (2) add value to individual data sets by presenting them in the context of other data sets and tools for comparative analysis; (3) address the specific requirements of participating organizations with respect to bandwidth, access restrictions, and replication; (4) ensure that the data are readily accessible through the analysis and visualization tools used by the climate research community; and (5) transfer infrastructure advances to other domain areas."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Williams, Dean N.

  2011-09-29
• Bazaar Diplomacy: Examining Iran's Nuclear Bargaining Tactics

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Since undeclared elements of Iran's nuclear program were revealed in 2002, Tehran has engaged in a decade of bargaining to justify and advance its nuclear program. During these ten years, Iran enhanced its sensitive nuclear capabilities despite international opposition. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has come to monitor 16 declared Iranian nuclear facilities, including three uranium enrichment facilities, three uranium fabrication and conversion facilities, and six nuclear reactors. […] This research examines Iran's nuclear bargaining with international community from 2003 onwards to understand how Iran has withstood international pressure to proceed with its nuclear program. Unlike North Korea's withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has maximized advantage and minimized backlash by maneuvering within and near the borders of the NPT system. To do so, Iran has embraced a three-pronged approach that 'divides' international opposition and 'delays' and 'defies' international monitoring and sanctions. While it is unclear what long-term strategic objectives Iran wishes to achieve with its nuclear capabilities, Tehran has successfully bargained to gain time for its nuclear program. This research first explores Iranian bargaining behavior before dissecting the divide, delay, and defy tactics that Iran has and currently uses to complicate international efforts to check its nuclear program. The paper concludes by examining how various factors may be changing Iran's ability to bargain with the international community."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Lin, Bonny

  2012-10-23
• Emergency Response Capability Baseline Needs Assessment Requirements Document

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "This document was prepared by John A. Sharry, LLNL [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory] Fire Marshal and LLNL Division Leader for Fire Protection and reviewed by LLNL Emergency Management Department Head James Colson. The document follows and expands upon the format and contents of the DOE [Department of Energy] Model Fire Protection Baseline Capabilities Assessment document contained on the DOE Fire Protection Web Site, but only address emergency response."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Sharry, John A.

  2012-12-27
• 2012 Emergency Response Capability BNA Compliance Assessment

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "This document was prepared by John A. Sharry, LLNL [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory] Fire Marshal and Division Leader for Fire Protection and was reviewed by LLNL Emergency Management Department Head , James Colson . This document is the second of a two - part analysis of Emergency Response Capabilities of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The first part, 2009 Baseline Needs Assessment [BNA] Requirements Document established the minimum performance criteria necessary to meet mandatory requirements. This second part analyses the performance o f Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Emergency Management Department to the contents of the Requirements Document. The document was prepared based on an extensive review of information contained in the 2009 BNA, a review of Emergency Planning Hazards Assessments, a review of building construction, occupancy , fire protection features, dispatch records, LLNL alarm system records, fire department training records, and fire department policies and procedures. On October 1, 2007 LLNL contracted with the Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) to provide emergency response services. The emergency response services contract was again awarded to the ACFD in 2011 with a start date of July 1, 2012. The new contract included some staffing changes that were considered equivalent to those previously provided. Those changes are reflected in this document."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Sharry, John A.

  2013-01-03
• Underground Nuclear Detonations

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Since 1952 eight nuclear explosions have been fired underground at the Atomic Energy Commission's Nevada Test Site. The explosions have varied in energy release from 55 tons to 19,000 tons of TNT equivalent and were carried out at depths varying from shallow burial to produce cratering to those depths at which no visible effects appeared on the surface. The major experimental data from these explosions, as well as the phenomenology of the deeper shots, is summarized here."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Violet, Charles E.; Johnson, Gerald W.; Higgins, G.H.

  1959-07-08
• Reboot: Defining Paths to Cyber Policy, Law, and Technology Solutions

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "As numerous studies, reports, and public discussions have clearly articulated over the past several years, the threat and potential impact of cyberattacks against the United States is growing daily. Moreover, there is an increasing awareness and recognition that given the relative 'lawless' nature of cyberspace-the 'Wild West' analogy-governments must step up to the challenge of more closely partnering with the private sector, which ultimately owns, operates, and continues to develop the technologies and systems that comprise the network. This partnership must be genuine and built solidly on a trust relationship. At the federal level, the United States government must develop and nurture a security environment where all parties, to include individual citizens, understand and execute their roles and responsibilities in creating and maintaining a secure, functional, and interdependent communication network. Government has the responsibility, authority, and resources to establish parameters and incentivize secure behaviors before, during, and after some cyber 'event.' The private sector has the means and often the business drivers to ensure operational continuity of the nation's information networks. What is required is the motivation to more routinely work within industry sectors and more closely with government to organize comprehensive and robust solutions with reasonable expectations of protection from unreasonable exposure and liability that such cooperation currently exposes."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  2010-03-25
• More Than Meets the Eye: Clandestine Funding, Cutting-Edge Technology and China's Cyber Research & Development Program

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Over the course of the last decade the central government of the People's Republic of China has utilized a national grant system to invest in the research and development of new dualuse cyber capabilities. In order to understand the defense implications of these investments, this research will examine how China is investing resources to develop new cyber capabilities for national security applications. Through the collection of publicly available sources in Mandarin and English, this research will analyze how the Chinese leadership views information technology research and development (R&D), as well as the role cyber R&D plays in China's various strategic development plans. This work also explores the organizational structure of China's cyber R&D base. The paper will conclude with a projection of how China might field new cyber capabilities for intelligence platforms, advanced weapons systems, and systems designed to support asymmetric warfare operations."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Conklin, C.; Bahney, B. W.

  2012-10-23
• Border Security Analysis Between Ports of Entry

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "We discuss the application of systems analysis tools and techniques to the development of counters to WMD smuggling across borders between legal ports of entry. This specific problem space is a mixture of threats, terrain, defensive technologies, and both smuggler and border enforcement tactics -- all of which are subject to analysis. Various analytic techniques have been combined into a set applicable to border enforcement operations. This analysis leads to selection of specific Border Security solution sets which are then tested in a virtual test bed. We show an example illustrating employment of these techniques on a segment of the Iraq-Iran border."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Hibbard, Wilthea J.; Greenwalt, Robert; Henderer, Bruce D.
• Plutonium at 150 Years: Going Strong and Aging Gracefully

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Planning the future needs of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile as well as the nuclear weapons complex depends in part on maintaining confidence in the long-term stability of the pit, or core, of plutonium-239 residing inside every weapon. Scientists and engineers who ensure the safety and reliability of the nation's stockpile had long been concerned that the damage accumulated over decades as plutonium-239 self-irradiates could eventually compromise weapon performance. In 1997, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) launched a comprehensive study at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories to examine in detail how plutonium pits age and provide a firmer scientific basis for estimating the service life of these components. The study's results, announced in late 2006, showed that the slow degradation of plutonium in U.S. nuclear weapons would not affect warhead reliability for decades. […] Now, six years later, these same naturally aged samples are 50 years old, and the accelerated alloy samples have reached an equivalent age of 150 years. Both sample lots continue to age gracefully, and extremely sensitive tests and high-resolution electron microscope images by Livermore chemists validate the confidence-building conclusions of the earlier study."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Chung, Brandon; Heller, Arnie

  2012-12-04
• National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) Modeling and Decision Support System for Radiological and Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response [2007]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "This paper describes the tools and services provided by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for modeling the impacts of airborne hazardous materials. NARAC provides atmospheric plume modeling tools and services for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear airborne hazards. NARAC can simulate downwind effects from a variety of scenarios, including fires, industrial and transportation accidents, radiation dispersal device explosions, hazardous material spills, sprayers, nuclear power plant accidents, and nuclear detonations. NARAC collaborates with several government agencies and laboratories in order to accomplish its mission. The NARAC suite of software tools include simple stand-alone, local-scale plume modeling tools for end-user's computers, and Web- and Internet-based software to access advanced modeling tools and expert analyses from the national center at LLNL. Initial automated, 3-D predictions of plume exposure limits and protective action guidelines for emergency responders and managers are available from the center in 5-10 minutes. These can be followed immediately by quality-assured, refined analyses by 24 x 7 on-duty or on-call NARAC staff. NARAC continues to refine calculations using updated on-scene information, including measurements, until all airborne releases have stopped and the hazardous threats are mapped and impacts assessed. […] NARAC provides an easy-to-use Geographical Information System (GIS) for display of plume predictions with affected population counts and detailed maps, and the ability to export plume predictions to other standard GIS capabilities. Data collection and product distribution is provided through a variety of communication methods, including dial-up, satellite, and wired and wireless networks."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Sugiyama, Gayle; Baskett, Ronald L.; Nasstrom, John S.

  2007
• National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center/Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center Overview

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  This presentation gives an overview of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center [NARAC] and the Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center [IMAAC]. Topics discussed include: "NARAC/IMAAC Provides Critical Information to Protect the Public and the Environment"; "NARAC's First Emergency Response was for Three Mile Island (Dept. of Energy / Nuclear Regulatory Commission)"; "NARAC/IMAAC Provides Operational Services, Tools, and Expertise for Preparedness, Response, & Recovery"; "Center Has a 30-Year Record of Timely and Accurate Multi-Hazard Atmospheric Release Assessments"; "NARAC Successfully Supports A Wide Range of DOE [Department of Energy], DHS [Department of Homeland Security], DoD [Department of Defense], NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration], and Other Missions"; "IMAAC Coordinates Federal Dispersion Modeling Under the National Response Framework"; "IMAAC is Available to Respond to Major Atmospheric Release Emergencies"; "NARAC/IMAAC Products Guide Response Decisions on Evacuation, Sheltering, Relocation and Worker Protection"; "NARAC/IMAAC Provides Integrated Emergency Response in Collaboration with Over 300 Agencies"; "NARAC/IMAAC Provides Actionable Information to Inform Emergency Response Decisions"; "Key Information is Needed to Drive NARAC/IMAAC Plume Modeling Analyses"; "Additional Information Can be Valuable During an NARAC/IMAAC Response"; "NARAC/IMAAC Provides Auxiliary Analyses For Situational Awareness"; "Standard Operational Procedures Couple Modeling and Monitoring in a Cyclical Process"; "NARAC/IMAAC Products"; "NARAC/IMAAC Products Inform Decisions on Evacuation, Sheltering, Relocation, Worker Protection, and Sampling Plans"; and other related topics.

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Sugiyama, Gayle; Baskett, Ronald L.; Nasstrom, John S.

  2010
• National Multi-agency Support for Airborne Hazard Prediction

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provides hazardous material plume modeling tools and services for a large number of federal, state and local emergency managers and responders. The primary sponsors of this work are the Office of Emergency Response in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Naval Reactors program. The National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, located at LLNL, is an integral part of the DOE's contribution to the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC), and also provides support to over 40 individual DOE and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) facilities. NARAC also supports DOE's International Emergency Management and Cooperation (IEMC) Program which cooperates with other governments on nuclear emergency preparedness technology. According to the new U.S. National Response Plan , the DHS-led IMAAC generates the single Federal prediction of atmospheric dispersions and their consequences utilizing the best available resources from the Federal Government and 'provides a single point for the coordination and dissemination of Federal dispersion modeling and hazard prediction products that represent the Federal position during an Incident of National Significance'. Current collaborating agencies include the Department of Commerce's (DOC) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The IMAAC was created under the auspices of the Homeland Security Council on April 15, 2004 and NARAC is the designated primary initial provider of IMAAC capabilities."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Sugiyama, Gayle; Baskett, Ronald L.; Nasstrom, John S.

  2005-11-28
• Operational Perspective on Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  Topics in this presentation on Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling include: "Operational Systems Provide Timely Information to Protect the Public and the Environment Via End-to-End Capabilities"; "Higher-Resolution Data and Data Assimilation Methods are Key to Reducing Meteorological Uncertainty"; "Higher-Resolution Data and New Data Assimilation Methods are Key to Reducing Uncertainty"; "Methods are Needed that Integrate Physical Processes Across a Range of Scales (Micro-to-MesoscaleGap)"; "Release Source Term is Often the Greatest Unknown During a Real-World Response"; "User Community is Asking Questions Requiring Higher Fidelity Integrated Models: IND [Improvised nuclear device] Example"; "Incorporation of Building Information Improves Estimates of Casualties and Protective Action Guidance for INDs"; "Health Effect and Detailed Population are Necessary for Realistic Casualty Projections"; "Degradation, Deposition, and Secondary Transport Information are Needed for Response and Recovery"; "Uncertainty Estimation Relies on a Wide Range of Methods and Sampling and Lacks Operational Robustness"; "Standard Operational Procedures Couple Modeling and Monitoring in a Cyclical Process to Reduce Uncertainty"; "Real-Time Field Data Acquisition and Processing Reduce the Delivery Time for Data-Model Products"; and "Interagency Briefing Products Were Tailored to Convey Actionable Information to Decision Makers".

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Sugiyama, Gayle

  2010
• IMAAC Support of the Top Officials 3 National Exercise

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Top Official 3 (TOPOFF3) Full-Scale Exercise provided a major test for the new Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center (IMAAC). Under the National Response Plan, IMAAC 'provides a single point for the coordination and dissemination of Federal dispersion modeling and hazard prediction products that represent the Federal position during an Incident of National Significance'. By designation of the Homeland Security Council, NARAC is the interim provider of IMAAC capabilities. IMAAC provided significant support to the TOPOFF3 exercise including extensive scenario development (in collaboration with the LLNL Forensic Science Center and the Lawrence Berkeley and Sandia National Laboratories) and the simultaneous, real-time support for the Connecticut and New Jersey Venues (chemical and biological weapon scenarios, respectively). To illustrate the IMAAC operational response, we focus on the Connecticut Venue in this poster."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Baskett, Ronald L.; Dillon, Michael B.

  2006-04-07
• Telecommunications Network Security and Reliability in the 21st Century

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  Major issues for the security of electronic commerce include authentication, reliability, avoidance of fraud, availability, non-repudiation, and privacy. From a technical perspective, new approaches are required. The most promising solutions appear to be in the area of model-based processing, automatic detection and repair, and automatic re-configuration as appropriate. These solutions in turn will lead to resilient information systems that perform as desired when attacked. There are no generally accepted criteria for how much security is enough. Metrics are needed to help quantify the new security and reliability issues arising as telecommunication and computer networks are converging and systems become more interdependent. Metrics and standards will play a long-term role in measuring performance and establishing benefits of possible enhancements. Speakers discussed the need to conduct rigorous risk-based analyses, and to identify the high priority problems before undertaking any remediation efforts. Establishing metrics will be an ongoing challenge for both industry and government, requiring the two communities to work together on the development.

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Bosch, Olivia; Nilsson, Kent; Trost, Stanley R. . . .

  2000-12
• Assessing Terrorist Motivations for Attacking Critical 'Chemical' Infrastructure

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "This study attempts to minimize some of the ambiguities that presently impede chemical infrastructure threat assessments by providing new insight into the key motivational factors that affect terrorist organizations' propensity to attack chemical facilities. Prepared as a companion piece to the Center for Nonproliferation Studies' August 2004 study - "Assessing Terrorist Motivations for Attacking Critical Infrastructure" - it investigates three overarching research questions: 1) why do terrorists choose to attack chemical-related infrastructure over other targets; 2) what specific factors influence their target selection decisions concerning chemical facilities; and 3) which, if any, types of groups are most inclined to attack chemical infrastructure targets?"

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Moran, Kevin S.; Bale, Jeffrey M.; Ackerman, Gary, 1973-

  2004-12-20
• Resolution in Forensic Microbial Genotyping

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Resolution is a key parameter for differentiating among the large number of strain typing methods that could be applied to pathogens involved in bioterror events or biocrimes. In this report we develop a first-principles analysis of strain typing resolution using a simple mathematical model to provide a basis for the rational design of microbial typing systems for forensic applications. We derive two figures of merit that describe the resolving power and phylogenetic depth of a strain typing system. Rough estimates of these figures-of-merit for MLVA, MLST, IS element, AFLP, hybridization microarrays, and other bacterial typing methods are derived from mutation rate data reported in the literature. We also discuss the general problem of how to construct a 'universal' practical typing system that has the highest possible resolution short of whole-genome sequencing, and that is applicable with minimal modification to a wide range of pathogens."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Velsko, Stephan Paul, 1955-

  2005-09-12
• Progress in Rapid Detection Identification of Unknown Human and Agricultural Pathogens

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The biological revolution is providing new knowledge on individual life forms and their related biochemistry, on how living things interact with each other, and on new means to measure and quantify their biological properties. This knowledge is rapidly changing medicine, agricultural, environmental practice, and public health. The collective effects of this revolution are influencing qualities of human life and behavior in ways never before imagined. However, along with the positive aspects of this revolution, come potential negative aspects include, to name a few, an increased potential for human plagues caused by increased rates of human contact and resistance to antibiotics, agricultural plagues exacerbated by extensive use of single-genetic-strain crops and livestock, and purposefully induced plagues of human or agricultural pathogens. […]. Much of the international medical and agricultural industries' research is directed to the detection and identification of pathogens and to understanding their biological behavior. A consequence of this knowledge is the availability of increasingly effective vaccines, curative agents, and detection systems. In particular, these efforts are leading to pathogen detection systems that are lower in cost, more bio-chemically specific, more accurate, faster, smaller, less demanding of infrastructure, and more accessible to more people than ever before. The purpose of this paper is to describe recent progress in developing rapidly acting, specific, and low cost detection systems for a very wide variety of pathogens and their related agents. The reasons and procedures for the purposeful uses of biochemical and chemical agents, by military or terrorists, is discussed more thoroughly elsewhere."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Milanovich, Fred P.; Holzrichter, J. F.

  1999-08-13
• US Second Line of Defense: Preventing Nuclear Smuggling Across Russia's Borders

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Preventing the theft of weapons-usable highly enriched uranium and plutonium in Russia is one of the central security concerns facing the US today. The dissolution of the highly centralized USSR and the resulting societal crisis has endangered Russia's ability to protect its more than 200 metric tons of plutonium and 1000 tons of highly enriched uranium (roughly 8 kg Pu or 25 kg HEU is sufficient to make a bomb). Producing this fissile material is the most difficult and expensive part of nuclear weapons production and the US must make every effort to ensure that fissile material (and nuclear-related technologies) does not reach the hands of terrorist groups, rogue states or other potential proliferators. […]. This year the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a new program called the Second Line of Defense (SLD), the goal of which is to assist Russia in preventing the smuggling of nuclear material and weapons at its borders, either by land, sea or air. The SLD program represents an important phase in the overall effort to ensure the security of nuclear material and weapons in Russia. However, as the US engages Russian customs officials in this important project, Americans should keep in mind that providing equipment--even indigenous equipment--is insufficient by itself; material aid must be accompanied by rigorous inspection and accounting procedures. In addition, the equipment must be assessed according to international standards to ensure a high degree of confidence in its nuclear detection capability."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Ball, D. Yarsike

  1998-11-16
• Proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Terrorist Use, Capability, and Strategic Implications

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "There has been unparalleled proliferation and technological advancement of consumer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across the globe in the past several years. As witnessed over the course of insurgency tactics, it is difficult to restrict terrorists from using widely available technology they perceive as advantageous to their overall strategy. Through a review of the characteristics, consumer market landscape, tactics, and countertactics, as well as operational use of consumer-grade UAVs, this opensource report seeks to provide an introductory understanding of the terrorist-UAV landscape, as well as insights into present and future capabilities. The caveat is evaluating a developing technology haphazardly used by terrorists in asymmetric conflicts."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Ball, Ryan Jokl

  2017-10-17
• Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability: Real-Time Modeling of Airborne Hazardous Materials

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a centralized federal project for assessing atmospheric releases of hazardous materials in real time. Since ARAC began making assessments in 1974, the project has responded to over 60 domestic and international incidents. ARAC can model radiological accidents in the United States within 30 to 90 rein, using its operationally robust, three-dimensional atmospheric transport and dispersion models, extensive geophysical and dose-factor databases, meteorological data acquisition systems, and experienced staff. Although it was originally conceived and developed as an emergency response and assessment service for providing dose-assessment calculations after nuclear accidents, it has proven to be an extremely adaptable system, capable of being modified to respond also to nonradiological hazardous releases. In 1991, ARAC responded to three major events: the oil fires in Kuwait, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, and an herbicide spill into the upper Sacramento River in California. Modeling the atmospheric effects of these events added significantly to the range of problems that ARAC can address and demonstrated that the system can be adapted to assess and respond to concurrent, multiple, unrelated events at different locations."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Ellis, James S.; Foster, Kevin T.; Sullivan, Thomas J.

  1993-12
• Modeling of Air Currerts in the Gulf Region

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability modeled the wind flow in the Gulf Region in order to make projections of the Kuwait oil fires pollution dispersion. Extensive meteorological models incorporating explicit terrain influences to the flow fields were routinely employed through a six month international assessment support effort organized by the World Meteorological Organization and U.S. scientific research agencies. Results show generally close agreement with visible imagery of the smoke plumes as detected by meteorological satellites. However, there are some examples of significant disagreement or failure of the meteorological models. These failures are most likely directly linked to missing or unavailable weather observations."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Ellis, James S.; Sullivan, Thomas J.; Foster Connee, S.

  1992-04-14
• Atmospheric Modeling of the July 1991 Metam Sodium Spill into California's Upper Sacramento River

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "The California Office of Emergency Services asked the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to determine the maximum credible air concentrations from a spill of metam sodium into California's Upper Sacramento River. About 19,000 gallons of metam sodium herbicide were spilled into the river approximately 3 miles north of Dunsmuir, California, due to a tank-car derailment on the night of July 14, 1991. The herbicide moved in the river toward the northernmost finger of California's largest reservoir, Lake Shasta, 45 miles to the south. As it flowed down the deep canyon, the water-soluble metam sodium decomposed into hydrogen sulfide and methylamine gases. Residents along the river were advised to evacuate the area, and a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 5 was temporarily closed Response officials were also concerned that sunlight would readily evaporate the enlarged slick once it arrived into the still water of Lake Shasta on July 16. On July 15, ARAC used its three-dimensional emergency response modeling system to determine the highest instantaneous and 8-hour average air concentrations of toxic gas by-products over upper Lake Shasta. A quick response was possible using on-line topographic and geographic data bases in combination with forecasted southwestern surface winds. The worst-case calculation showed that the gases would be well below any health hazard."

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  Baskett, Ronald L.; Nasstrom, John S.; Ellis, James S.

  1992-03-05