LANL Official Defends Neutron Center
By John Fleck, Albuquerque Journal Staff WriterA top federal nuclear official this week endorsed continued operation of a Los Alamos National Laboratory research complex, splitting with Obama administration budget officials who had said the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center was no longer needed.
Tom D'Agostino, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, told members of a Senate subcommittee that the Neutron Science Center is important to maintaining U.S. nuclear weapons.
The Office of Management and Budget, in a budget-cutting report released last month, said the center's "usefulness ... is ebbing," and recommended terminating plans to refurbish the machine's aging components.
The proposed $19 million funding reduction was one of 121 cuts nationwide singled out by the Obama administration as evidence of its commitment to reduced federal spending.
Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation have pledged to fight the cut, calling LANSCE vital for Los Alamos and the nation's nuclear weapons program.
The machine makes X-ray-like images of nuclear weapon parts and does other related research. Without the money for refurbishment, the three-decades-old machine's life is limited, according to a Los Alamos report.
D'Agostino, testifying Tuesday before the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, disagreed with the budget report's assessment of LANSCE's future usefulness.
He said decisions about LANSCE's long-term future will have to await completion of a Pentagon report on the future of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.
Just, FYI, yes, we know D'Agostino is an NNSA official, not a LANL official. All of us, that is, other than (apparently) the editor who wrote the headline after I went home Thursday night. :-(
ReplyDeleteIt could be worse, John. You could have Ralph Damiani for an editor...
ReplyDeleteJohn, just so you know... we love your reporting on the NNSA complex. Keep up the excellent work! Both you and Frank Munger over at the Knoxville News are first rate reporters.
ReplyDeleteI'll change that headline if you want, John. And dittos to what 6/6/09 1:15 PM said.
ReplyDeleteLANSCE is a typical LANL facility. It is old, increasingly useless, and justified with hyperbole and pipe dreams (MARIE) instead of a scientific basis. Everything LANSCE does can be done better, more cost-effectively elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteTo 6/6/09 5:17 PM:
ReplyDeletePlease provide the objective evidence relevant to the following questions/points:
1. Where else in the United States exists a high-energy white neutron source like WNR? In particular, where else in the United States exists the capability to perform accelerated testing of neutron-induced upsets for emergent semiconductor technology for world-wide manufacturers, for which WNR is the present world standard?
2. Where else in the United States is it possible to perform proton radiography experiments in support of the stockpile, particularly when high explosives (HE) and actinides are used together?
3. Another source of certain proton-generated medical radioisotopes in the United States is Brookhaven National Laboratory. LANSCE and BNL appear to share this function, and the National Isotope Program is considering asking LANSCE to extend operation of this function to meet the national need. Where else in the United States can this function be provided, other than BNL and LANL/LANSCE?
4. Please identify another Ultra-Cold Neutron Source in the United States with the production rate of the source driven by the LANSCE accelerator.
5. Please discuss why the neutron science programs at the Lujan Center and WNR are typically over-subscribed by factors of 2-3. Please discuss how external peer-review panels for selection of experiments, together with highly favorable external peer reviews of the quality of science at these facilities constitutes "useless." Please also discuss why a "useless" facility attracts over 500 unique users not from LANL each year.
6. The annual operating budget of LANSCE is about 55% of that of either the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) or the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at ORNL. Please explain how the ~23 end-stations at LANSCE (viz 9 or so at SNS today, and commissioning activities for two end stations at the XFEL at SLAC) are cost-ineffective at this relative budget level.
I look forward to reading your fact-based technical rebuttal.
And yes, John Fleck and Frank Munger both do good work!
The reason that LANL decided on MaRIE as the so-called signature program for lab growth is because of the jobs associated with the beam. LANL knew it was due to be moth balled and were looking at any way they could find to keep the old machine up and running.
ReplyDeleteAs for 6:27 PM's questions:
Item 1. Not important.
Item 2. Not important.
Item 3. Not important.
Item 4. Not important.
Item 5. ANY beam would likely be over-subscribed if researchers could use it. Not relevant.
Item 6. Comparing apples to oranges. LANSCE is expensive in terms of what it offers.
Cuts have to begin somewhere at LANL as the NNSA budget is being reduced. LANSCE looks like a pretty good place to begin the footprint reduction efforts.
Wow, a posting that started off with real discussion. A few disagreements and civil challenges and response. There is hope.
ReplyDeleteGo figure.
ReplyDeleteTo respond to 6:27, why does the facility need to be in the United States? The science missions can be met elsewhere in collaborative efforts with other nations. The high-explosive diagnostic needs can be supplied elsewhere too. While proton radiography may be a unique way of using LANSCE, it is not a unique way to diagnose explosives with or without actinides. Socorro comes to mind along the NTS, DARHT, and about a dozen military labs that do explosive work more cost effectively.
ReplyDeleteSNS has long since eclipsed LANSCE as a neutron source and could be readily adapted to production of medical isotopes. Sure, LANSCE has an esoteric widget here and there, but nothing world-changing and nothing worth the continued investment. Indeed, if LANSCE has such high user demand, why must it be funded by the weapons program at all?
It isn't enough to be unique. One must also justify the need and the cost benefit compared to other needs and other facilities. Almost every research university on earth can make similar uniqueness claims, 6:27. Should we fund them with an endless stream of taxpayer dollars too? If LANSCE closed tomorrow, the impact couldn't even be measured...except in jobs to Los Alamos physicists. Due to the high overhead of LANS, those jobs now cost about 2x that of similar jobs performed elsewhere in the world.
Given that LANSCE has been received it's share of peer review, and given that Congess has seen fit to fund other facilities instead, it may just be time to move on.
Sorry to interject from the outside into what appears to be an unusually appropriate discussion. I was Riffed in '95 and found more appropriate employment. I was an unhappy employee at LANL partially because of what I saw as a policy that led to the degeneration of the principals of scientific research. I was despondent when I lost a nice job and, only then, I questioned the validity of my attitude. This blog has, quite a bit later, convinced me that I was correct in rejecting a perverted system of doing science.
ReplyDeleteI feel obliged to make a suggestion that might restore some the qualities that made LANL a respectable lab. It’s based on an economic concept, that I might not be using entirely appropriately, called Gresham’s Law, which is sometimes phrased as “bad currency debases the good.” The currency that I describe is the research grants that keeps one employed and occupied and are used for determining raises, prizes and promotions. When I was at the lab there were, for example, two sorts of awards. There were the recognitions from professional societies which usually had little or no cash and the other the lab prizes for program achievement. The latter, we knew after a while, were usually for hard, unproductive work on a failing or debased program. Similarly there were two sorts of research grants. One type was the result of grants that were won through successful peer review and a history of advancement and the other through a hare-brained, secret program funded on the basis, I guess, of Domenici’s influence.
At LANL no official distinction is made between the legitimate and the illegitimate action as long as it brings in the same amount of support. A distinction, however, must be made or the good work will drive out the bad.
How can you tell when Laboratory defenders of the status quo are lying? Their mouth begin to move.
ReplyDeleteTo 6/7/09 5:55 AM
ReplyDeleteYou can't do ANYTHING at NTS. It is actually worse and it's management more risk averse than LANL's if that is possible.
It would appear that not allowing any experiments would be part of Younger's BPIs as well.
On to more relevant subjects, I hear either Knapp or MacMillan are in-line to take Mara's position as PAD.
ReplyDeleteDon't know anything about Charlie but heard bad things on this blog about Knapp.
Mara's pretty decent. Is this the best applicant pool Anastasio can come up with????
Knapp is a first rate jackass with a phony track record who consistently manages up. Given the LANS political landscape and tendency toward mediocrity, it seems certain he will be chosen by Anastasio to replace Mara. Look for those loyal to Lord Vader (Leisure, Romero, Funk et al.) to move up as well. Mara was a stand up guy overall. Rumor has it he will replace D'Agostino. Perhaps that is the silver lining.
ReplyDelete5:34 pm: "On to more relevant subjects, I hear either Knapp or MacMillan are in-line to take Mara's position as PAD."
ReplyDeleteBoth are entirely devoted to LLNL. No loyalty to LANL, and both enjoying UC golden parachutes should they choose to return there.
6/7/09 6:51 PM,
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot of rumors about D'Agostino's replacement, including that he wants to stay and is not going to be replaced. Any idea when there will be an announcement on this?
Don't know Romero or Funk but I assume you are talking about Craig Leisure.
ReplyDeleteI hope Sith Beck won't tag along for the ride. He was another royal jackass/c*cksucker during the Kuckuck (sp?)era and couldn't manage his way out of a wet dream. I think I can speak for most of the directorate when I say we were doing backflips when he was replaced from his acting AD capacity.
"I've heard a lot of rumors about D'Agostino's replacement, including that he wants to stay and is not going to be replaced." (Frank)
ReplyDeleteGiven that neither Obama nor Dr. Chu give a damn about the NNSA complex, my guess is they'll let D'Agostino stay on and continue his work of destroying what's left of the weapons complex.
This is particularly true in terms of destroying the "intellectual integrity" component at the weapon labs that all the recent reports are so greatly concerned about.
Heckavajob! Hope you reach that goal of a 5% attrition level for LANL this next year, Captain Tom. I suggest you try for 10% the year after. Aim high.
This planned attrition of 5% per year by running off people is malfeasance. LANS loses control of the makeup of the workforce by this method. All that is assured is that those who can leave, will leave, and they are the top people.
ReplyDelete4:47 - so what?
ReplyDeleteKnapp is a first rate jackass with a phony track record who consistently manages up. Given the LANS political landscape and tendency toward mediocrity, it seems certain he will be chosen by Anastasio to replace Mara. Look for those loyal to Lord Vader (Leisure, Romero, Funk et al.) to move up as well. Mara was a stand up guy overall. Rumor has it he will replace D'Agostino. Perhaps that is the silver lining.
ReplyDelete6/7/09 6:51 PM
Man I second that. Knapp personally transferred out of the Weapons Program for "Institutional reasons". I had just given 30-years of my career to have Knapp came here from Livermore to throw me out on my ass. Knapp only know how to destroy people and programs but knows absolutely nothing about program development or developing capability. I am appalled that Anastasio has kept this guy in his current position. It's obvious that Anastasio fully endorses Knapp kicking the shit out of the LANL workers. This is what is wrong with LANS!!!!!!
"I am appalled that Anastasio has kept this guy in his current position." (8:11 PM)
ReplyDeleteMikey and his Livermore/Bechtel buddies are not here to help LANL. They're here to help destroy it. Haven't you realize that by now?
8:11 Loyalty to the United States and ability to accomplish an important mission are unimportant. Clearly stroking LANS executives is paramount now.
ReplyDeleteLANSCE is a rathole in terms of good money spent on bad science.
ReplyDeleteYounger is in the lead to replace D'Agostino, with Mara heading to replace Smollen.
It is unfortunate that Mara's replacement will be sending the remaining LANL elements of primary and secondary design to Livermore. Certainly makes LANL look more like a Pu Center of Excellence!