LOS ALAMOS RESEARCHERSDEVELOP

MULTI-CHIP MODULE

MICROELECTRONIC MODULE OUTPERFORMS AND

OUTLASTS CURRENT SATELLITE CHIPS

J ust as a person can’t function without a brain and nervoussystem, a satellite can’t functionwithout micro-circuit chips. A typicalsatellite may need thousands of thesechips to perform its manyinformation-gathering and dis-seminating jobs. Los Alamosresearchers, working with TexasInstruments of Dallas, have developedan advanced electronic module thathouses many of these chips in a smallpackage. The module demonstratesbetter performance, lower powerconsumption, and higher reliabilitythan what were previously possible.

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ÓSangkoo Hahnholds themult i -ch ipmoduledeveloped atLos A lamos. The chipsand c i rcuitshave beencompacted to a l low formore complexfunct ions andless powerconsumption.

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THEPUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE OF

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY, ANAFFIRMATIVE ACTION / EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, IS OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIA FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF ENERGY UNDER CONTRACTNO. W-7405-ENG-36

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORYPUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, MS-A118

LOS ALAMOS, NM 87545

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EDITORDiane Banegas

MANAGING EDITORMeredith Coonley

(505) 665-3982 • suki@lanl.gov

STAFF WRITERSJulie Anne Overton • Theresa Salazar

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJim Danneskiold • John R. Gustafson

Gary Kliewer • James Rickman

PHOTOGRAPHERSR.J. Black • Loren Cambello • John Flower

Henry Ortega • Fred Rick • LeRoy N. Sanchez

ILLUSTRATOREdwin Vigil

PRINTING COORDINATORG.D. Archuleta

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, MS P355

LOS ALAMOS, NM 87545

Satellites are by no meanscheap. Even small, rela-tively inexpensive onescost millions of dollars tobuild and launch. Theweight of a satellite hasdirect bearing on its cost— the heavier the satel-lite, the more expensive itis to launch and operate.So there is a strong incen-tive to build satellites as

light as possible without sacrificing functionality. The key to construct-ing a small, inexpensive spacecraft is to design it to run on low power,because components that generate, store, and distribute power aboard asatellite take up a large portion of the total weight.

Another important aspect of satellite operation is reliability. Oncelaunched, a malfunctioning satellite is usually too costly and risky toretrieve and repair, so a great deal of work goes into ensuring its relia-bility in orbit. Toward that end, Los Alamos researchers have developeda multi-chip module in a smaller package that will perform better athigher reliability than other available technologies.

ÈThe mult i -ch ip

module next tocoins shows i ts

d iminut ive s ize.The t iny square

below themodule is oneof e ight chipsthat comprise

the module.

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Satellites are used for many purposes, including communication, weath-er study, navigation, and military observation. Various scientific researchsatellites from nearly 30 nations and international organizations areorbiting Earth, the moon, the sun, Venus, and Mars. Currently, hun-dreds of functioning satellites circle Earth alone.

A satellite gathers and stores information in the form of electronic sig-nals and communicates with ground stations through radio link.Satellites have on-board computers thatnot only receive, store, and transmit infor-mation, but also control the satellite’soperation and orbit. This is why electronicchips are vital for satellite operation.

The Los Alamos multi-chip module is com-posed of several integrated circuit chips.The module is slightly larger than an arrayof individual chips and performs morepowerful functions than a single chip.

The multi-chip module consists of fouranalog and four digital chips mounted onthe same substrate, or material. The analogchips receive signals from silicon stripdetectors that generate charge pulses fromhigh-energy particles randomly “hitting”the detectors. An analog chip amplifies thecharge pulse signals and decides if a “hit”has occurred. The digital chip stores the“hit” information in temporary memoryuntil an external command requests a readout. Measuring only1 square inch, the module has 256 analog input lines and 60 digitalinterface connections.

Together with Texas Instruments, Los Alamos has produced a prototypeof the multi-chip module, known as SDC-1. Los Alamos supplied thechips and layout designs, while Texas Instruments worked on the fabri-cation. Ultimately, High-Density Interconnect, or HDI, multi-chiptechnology is going to allow for cheaper, faster, and more reliable elec-tronics. The outcome — smaller and smarter satellites.

The multi-chip module developed at Los Alamos achieves at least twicethe density of circuit interconnections found in other multi-chip moduletechnologies. Los Alamos has achieved the higher density as more

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ÕResearcher MaxKatko uses asca led-upmodel todemonstratechip layout andmodule des ign.

interconnections between circuits are compacted into asmaller space. Another technology, surface mount, allows themodule to be connected to an external printed circuit boardto interface with the rest of the electronics. Conventionalprinted circuit boards would need up to 20 times more boardarea than that needed by the HDI multi-chip module.

The HDI multi-chip module is not limited to space applications. It canbe used wherever there is a demand for computer chips with tightvolume, low mass, low power usage, and fast operation.

The SDC-1 design is a spin-off of the Superconducting SupercolliderProject. Los Alamos researchers, including David Lee and Geoffrey Millsof the Physics Division, were developing a detector subsystem for theSSC, and the use of a multi-chip module was the only approach feasibleto accommodate the extremely large number of signals and very highspeed needed to process data at low overall power.

C O N T A C T S : S A N G K O O H A H N A N D G A R Y S M I T H

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ÕResearcher

MaureenCafferty

performs aqual i ty controlstep on a new

mult i -ch ipmodule.

Inset : Theneedle

monitorsvoltages

in jected intothe module.

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PHYSICISTS HIT NEW LOWIN HIGH-MAGNETIC GAME

REFRIGERATION COOLS SAMPLES

TO NEAR ABSOLUTE ZERO

FOR STUDY IN HIGH MAGNETIC FIELDS

A new refrigerator at Los Alamos can cool a sample down to a world-record-breaking few thousandths of adegree above absolute zero and hit it with an extremely highmagnetic pulse at the same time. Scientists will use the technology to investigate materials and organicstructures that are otherwise difficult to study. The research has applica-tions, for example, in the development of new semiconductor materialsand superconductivity.

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, or NHMFL, at LosAlamos achieved the record using an Oxford Instruments dilution refrig-erator. The unique non-metallic design of the Oxford Instrumentsdevice eliminates eddy currents in the pulsed magnetic fields that wouldraise the temperature.

The refrigerator’s base temperature is twenty-five-thousandths of onedegree above absolute zero, in Celsius units — about minus 460 degrees

Fahrenheit. Tests were conducted with a magnetic field of 50 tesla,more than a million times Earth’s magnetic field.

NHMFL was the first laboratory in the world to use the innovativetechnology. Dilution refrigerators and pulsed magnetic fields arenow compatible tools for the discovery and study of new phenome-na in the realm of high magnetic fields and low temperatures.

NHMFL is a consortium that includes Los Alamos, Florida StateUniversity, and the University of Florida. It is funded by the NationalScience Foundation. Los Alamos’ magnetic facility makes possible

research in pulsed magnetic fields — high-intensity fields that last up to afew seconds. As a national user facility, the NHMFL is available to allqualified academic and industrial users. (See related article, March 1995.)

C O N T A C T : L A R R Y C A M P B E L L

C E N T E R F O R M A T E R I A L S S C I E N C E

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ResearcherAlex Lacerda

makesadjustments to

the d i lut ionrefr igerator

attached to the50-tes la

magnet onthe left .

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COMPUTER MODELHELPS MASTERCARD FIGHT

CREDIT CARD FRAUDFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS USE

ADAPTIVE COMPUTING METHODS

TO PREDICT FRAUD, ASSESS RISK

F raud costs the credit card industry an estimated$1 billion annually, and much of that cost is ultimatelypassed on to the cardholders. Many financial institutionsalready use sophisticated computer programs to identifyfraud by analyzing cardholder information. Researchers atLos Alamos are working with MasterCard International todevelop a new computer model that uses different data toidentify new classes of fraud.The model uses advanced computer technologies Los Alamos developedfor the U.S. Department of Energy to detect signs of nuclear prolifera-

tion, process anomalies in satellite images, andsearch an archival database from nuclearweapons tests conducted by the United States.

Adaptive computing and neural networks playkey roles in the system under development.These are computer programs that mimic thehuman brain by identifying patterns throughpositive feedback and can actually “learn” fromtrial and error. They are particularly useful inhandling massive amounts of data that wouldotherwise require much more time and effortto analyze in conventional ways.

Credit card companies are already using standard neural networks.Extensive data on cardholders’ credit histories, including where peopleuse their cards and how much they usually charge, go into the system,and if anything changes dramatically the computer flags it as a potentialstolen credit card. Banks then call the cardholder to verify the transac-tion. MasterCard estimates that neural network technology has alreadysaved its member institutions more than $50 million, a significant reduc-tion in fraud loss.

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ÓPick a card,any MasterCard.Thanks to asophist icatedcomputermodel be ingdeveloped atLos A lamos,merchants andtheir customerscan rest eas ierover cost lycredit cardfraud.

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So when MasterCard executives decided to take current technology astep further to incorporate new kinds of data, they turned to Los Alamosbecause of the Laboratory’s ability to invent and combine technologiesto investigate high-risk, high-payoff approaches to complex problems. Inaddition to neural nets, researchers are working with fuzzy logic, a formof artificial intelligence that makes decisions by reading shades of grayrather than strictly black-or-white situations, and genetic algorithms,evolutionary mathematical processes that find the best results by select-ing and combining competing solutions.

The new system, exclusive to MasterCard, will allow its member institu-tions to factor in even more information, such as merchant locations andtransaction category codes. After Laboratory researchers test the com-puter model this summer, MasterCard will conduct its own analysis andbegin pilot tests with selected members in 1996.

Over the past two years, the Adaptive Computational Group at LosAlamos has worked on several financial industry problems with clientsranging from large banks to governmental organizations. Besides frauddetection, the team is looking at customer behavioral patterns, operationsscheduling, and financial derivatives modeling. Although details of theseprojects remain proprietary, the team’s results to date have been promis-ing, and Los Alamos welcomes inquiries from other companies that canbenefit from applying adaptive computation to financial analysis.

C O N T A C T : S T E P H E N C O G G E S H A L L

A D A P T I V E C O M P U T A T I O N A L G R O U P

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MasterCard®

Point-of-Sale Merchant Merchant’s Bank MasterCard BanknetPredictive Fraud Model

Card-Issuing Bank

YES or NO?

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E-PRINT ARCHIVES SPEEDCOMMUNICATION

OF RESEARCH RESULTSLOS ALAMOS ELECTRONIC ARCHIVAL EFFORT

FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Los Alamos scientists recently received more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation for a three-yeareffort to advance the concept of “electronic print archives,” aform of scientific communication that already has supplantedtraditional research journals in some fields of physics.Pioneered by Los Alamos theorist Paul Ginsparg, an electronic printarchive provides an interactive repository where researchers can posttheir latest articles and preprints or search for information from others.The archives are available at http://xxx.lanl.gov/ on the World Wide Web.

In 1991, Ginsparg developed an electronic archive specific to his field ofhigh-energy particle theory research. Since then, the archive has expand-ed to include 25 other fields, and it now processes more than 45,000electronic transactions per day and serves 25,000 users worldwide.

The heavy usage demonstrates how electronic archives are changing theway scientific information is exchanged. An e-print archive gets infor-mation into the hands of more researchers quicker than traditionaljournals, whose lengthy review and publication schedules dictate thatresearch appears in print long after it was completed.

An e-print archive is also cheaper because it eliminates much of thewaste of the hard-copy distribution system, and it will always be easierand less expensive to connect a computer to the Internet than to build,stock, and maintain conventional libraries.

At the end of the three-year, NSF-funded effort, the researchers expect tohave expanded the database to cover all fields of physics and as manyother scientific fields as appropriate. They also expect to improve the soft-ware to give a wider network of researchers access to the e-print archives.

C O N T A C T : P A U L G I N S P A R G

E L E M E N T A R Y P A R T I C L E S A N D F I E L D T H E O R Y

g i n s p a r g @ l a n l . g o v

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ÕWith tongue incheek, PaulG insparg takesto h is b ike witha laptopcomputer todemonstratehow e lectronicpr int archivesare changingthe waysc ient i f icinformat ion isexchanged.

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LOS ALAMOS,HOUSTON COMPANY

STUDY NEWHEAT TREATMENT PROCESS

CERAMIC MICROBEADS HEAT AND COOL

METALS MORE EFFICIENTLY

Heating and cooling metals under controlled conditions are critical to the manufacturing process for auto andaircraft parts, appliances, machine tools and dies — virtuallyeverything made of metal. Under two cooperative researchand development agreements, Los Alamos researchers areworking with Kemp Development Corp. in Houston to refinea new automated machine that promises to bring greaterprecision and thermal control to the heat treatment industry.Traditional heat treatment furnaces change the properties of metals bythermal radiation much like a household oven transforms batter into acake. In contrast, the Mechanically Fluidized Vacuum, or MFV, machinetreats metals by immersing them in a bed of preheated ceramic beads thesize of dust. These microspheres act like a fluid, transferring heat to themetal parts faster and more efficiently than traditional radiation or con-vection heat. The effect is like dropping something in a hot tub of waterrather than putting it in a sunny window to warm.

After a metal part isimmersed, the MFV cham-ber rotates so the parts“float” in the microspheres.The movement allows evencloser contact between themetal part and the heatwhich allows for consistentheating. In a traditional fur-nace, the part must “sit” onsome kind of surface. Whenheat or gases are applied,the bottom of that part isnot going to receive the

W.E. “B i l l ”Kemp, who ca l l sh imself a “wi ld-eyed inventor,”demonstrateshis innovat iveheat treatmentmachine. LosAlamos ishelp ing Kemptest h ismachineagainstconvent ionalheat treatmentmethods.Photo courtesyof the HoustonChronic le .

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same exposure as the other surfaces. In the MFV machine, the fluidizedbeads cover all surfaces evenly.

Some heat treatments require that a part be cooled rapidly at extremelycold temperatures. The MFV machine is ideal for those processesbecause the ceramic beads can be brought to the desired temperature ina separate chamber and then blown into the furnace chambers by pres-surized, inert gas. Hot microspheres can be exchanged for cold onesand vice versa.

Kemp Development Corp. came up with the idea behind the MFVmachine but turned to Los Alamos for the in-depth performance analy-sis required before commercial production becomes a reality.Researchers in the Laboratory’s Materials Technology: Metallurgy Groupare compiling baseline data that compares the quality of metals treatedby the MFV machine to those treated in conventional furnaces. Detailedmetallurgical analyses will tell scientists whether the new process pro-duces different properties in the final product.

At the same time, researchers in the Energy and Process EngineeringGroup are studying how temperature changes over time affect the newprocess. They will attach a gas chromatograph and other instruments tothe MFV machine to study the composition of the gases in the furnacechamber and the effect of the gases on the surface chemistry of the parts.

Another question is whether the ceramic beads can introduce impuritiesto the materials being treated. Composed of zirconium oxide, the micro-spheres should not react chemically with anything in the furnace. Butbecause they are somewhat sorptive, researchers want to see if the beads’surfaces pick up impurities from prior furnace runs and transfer themto subsequent runs.

The new machine lends itself to a variety of treatments: steel tempering;annealing, which removes internal stresses and makes parts less brittle;surface hardening of metals and alloys; diffusion hardening; and con-verting metallic powders to true ceramics. Kemp executives areoptimistic that the Laboratory’s research will confirm the MFV machine’scommercial promise.

C O N T A C T : J I M C O T T O N

M A T E R I A L S T E C H N O L O G Y : M E T A L L U R G Y

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RESEARCHERS USESUPERCOMPUTER TO STUDY

HEAT TREATMENTAND MODEL A BETTER GEAR

Los Alamos researchers are also taking a look at how heat treatment affects thesteel gears that make automobile transmissions work. The American autoindustry needs millions of gears for the estimated 15 million cars and trucksthat come off domestic assembly lines every year. Giants like Ford and GeneralMotors know how to make those gears quickly and cheaply, but in auto partswhere metal meets metal even subtle variations in high-precision gears can makethem unusable.

To improve part quality and manufacturing efficiencies, an industry-led programthrough the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences asked researchers at fournational laboratories to help study exactly how heat treatmentchanges the common gear. Using three-dimensional modelingcodes on a Cray supercomputer, Los Alamos researchers are help-ing to develop a computational model that can predict the stressand distortion caused by heat treatment.

As part of the manufacturing process, gears are heated to1,544 degrees Fahrenheit, then dropped into a cooling bath. Thetremendous heat transfer hardens the surface of the steel, but itcan also create distortions. Researchers are pushing the frontiers of computation-al modeling by looking at chemical changes, heat transport, and mechanical stressin a single calculation.

The project also uses neutron and X-ray diffraction techniques available at the LosAlamos Neutron Scattering Center to measure residual stresses in manufacturedgears. Researchers use the test data to evaluate the computer models.

Because the modeling requires a great deal of computer power, the challenge toresearchers is to come up with software that can one day be run on a computerwork station at the gear plant. Engineers on site will be able to change the param-eters of heat treatment during the process and make a better gear.

C O N T A C T : T E R R Y L O W E

M A T E R I A L S R E S E A R C H A N D P R O C E S S I N G S C I E N C E

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SUPERCONDUCTIVITYBREAKTHROUGH

HAS HUGECOMMERCIAL POTENTIAL

THREE-LAYER, FLEXIBLE TAPE CARRIES

WORLD-RECORD CURRENT

S ince the concept of superconductivity, or zero electrical resistance, was discovered in 1911, ithas challenged science to come up withtechnologies to make effortless transmission ofelectricity a reality. In a major breakthrough,researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratoryhave taken a giant step in that direction with thedevelopment of a flexible metal-ceramic tape that

can carry record-breaking levels of electric current atrelatively high temperatures.Because it can carry a great deal of current in a very small area, thethick-film superconductor created by researchers at the Los AlamosSuperconductivity Technology Center could eventually lead to super-conducting power lines, magnetically levitated trains, and eventoaster-sized magnetic resonance imaging machines (MRIs) in everydoctor’s office. The potential energy saving is significant in a nation thatexpects to double its demand for electricity by the year 2030.

The researchers began with a superconducting ceramic called yttrium-barium-copper-oxide, or YBCO. They already knew that YBCO, unlike anearlier class of superconductors, loses its resistance to electricity at the rel-atively balmy temperature of minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit — thetemperature of liquid nitrogen. Before YBCO and its class of ceramic mate-rials, superconductivity was achieved only by using liquid helium to chillcertain metals to absolute zero — about minus 460 degrees Fahrenheit. Inpractical terms, liquid nitrogen is superior to liquid helium because it’seasier to handle, plentiful, and cheap — about 7 cents a liter.

But YBCO superconductors had some problems as well. They were brit-tle and difficult to make into wire. So the researchers turned to atechnology used in semiconductor manufacturing that layers thin filmsof atoms. Starting with an inexpensive, malleable nickel metal tape, the

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ÕA short

segment of theLos A lamos-

developedthick-f i lm

superconductingtape is f lexed

around a spool .

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superconductivity team applied a layer of cubic zirconia, the same mate-rial used for artificial diamonds. Next they added a layer of YBCOcrystals. Superconducting crystals must be aligned like rows of bricksfor current to flow smoothly through them. But if YBCO were depositeddirectly on the nickel, the crystals would align themselves randomly,making a poor superconductor. The zirconia provides a textured surfaceon which to deposit YBCO crystals.

Led by Xin Di Wu, Paul Arendt, and Steven Foltyn, the Los Alamos teamuses Ion-Beam Assisted Deposition, similar to spray-painting at theatomic level, to deposit the cubic zirconia layer on the nickel. Then apulsed laser process deposits the YBCO on top of the cubic zirconia. Theresulting tape can carry one million amperes of electricity per squarecentimeter, a current density nearly 100 times greater than other high-temperature superconductors and 1,250 times greater than the copperwire standard in houses.

One of the most remarkable things about the ceramic-metal tape is itsflexibility. It can be wrapped tightly around an object as thin as a sodastraw and stands up to repeated twisting and bending without cracking,and unlike other superconductors in its class, the Los Alamos tape losesnone of its superconductivity in strong magnetic fields. That’s importantbecause so many electrical applications, from motors to medical devices,require wires to function in magnetic fields.

Although researchers have so far produced theribbon-like tape only in 2-inch lengths, theypredict it could one day be used in power-conserving industrial motors, small MRImachines, and even portable magnetic soilseparators that remove contaminants from soilright at the site. The SuperconductivityTechnology Center is working on prototypemotors, an underground transmission lineprogram, and other projects. Los Alamosis looking for corporate partners to helpdevelop commercial applications for thesuperconducting tape.

C O N T A C T : D E A N P E T E R S O N

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Paul Arendt( left ) , X in D i Wu(center ) , andSteve Foltyn ofLos A lamos’SuperconductivityTechnologyCenter stand infront of an Ion-Beam Ass istedDeposit ionmachine, whichdeposits one oftwo layers ofsuperconductingmater ia l ontoa th in, nickel-alloy tape.

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TOOL RAPIDLY IDENTIFIESCHEMICALS IN CLOSED

CONTAINERSNEW TECHNOLOGY ELIMINATES DANGERS

ASSOCIATED WITH MONITORING

CHEMICAL WEAPONS MUNITIONS

L os Alamos researchers have developed the Acoustic Resonance Spectroscopy, or ARS, Chemical Fill Detectorthat identifies chemicals inside closed containers. Thisportable detector is the first acoustic-based system thatprovides a quick, safe, and easy way of identifying thechemical contents of a closed container. Inspectors will nolonger run the risk of being exposed to chemicals incontainers because identifying the chemicals will no longerrequire extracting samples. Eliminating the extraction processwill also prevent chemical leaks into the environment.Traditional methods of verifying the contents of chemical munitionsrequire the “drill and tap” procedure, which involves drilling a hole intothe container, extracting a sample of the fill, and analyzing the sample ina laboratory. This method is time-consuming andcan expose workers to chemical weapons agentssuch as nerve gas. The ARS system relies on theacoustic resonances of the container’s contentsrather than on drilling and extracting samples ofthe fill material.

The acoustic resonance technique in the ARSsystem looks for the natural vibration frequenciesof a container and relies on the changes inducedby different fill materials to identify chemicalcontents. Two transducers are connected to amunition or container by magnets. One trans-ducer induces vibration while the other analyzesthe vibration pattern. They are then matchedwith a chemical fill’s signature pattern for identi-fication. In less than a minute the detectoridentifies the fill material.

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ÈResearcherPaul Lewis

demonstratesat a stockpi le

in Utah howthe ARS

Chemica l F i l lDetector

analyzes thev ibrat ions of

munit ions forident i f icat ion.

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This method of measuring the vibrational modes of objects is a well-established technology; however, the use of acoustic signatures to iden-tify fill materials and the software algorithms that implement thisidentification put this instrument ahead of traditional technologies.

The ARS system consists of a few electronic pieces such as a digital syn-thesizer and analyzer, and a notepad computer for readouts. Thesecomponents make the detector efficient because it is battery powered,lightweight, and user friendly. A shoulder tote carries the entire system,and the operator can remove and replace the notepad before and after use.

The ARS system is one result of the Defense Nuclear Agency’s funding ofwork on nondestructive evaluation technologies at Los Alamos andother laboratories. The impetus for a field instrument came after thePersian Gulf War when United Nations inspection teams were sched-uled to go into Iraq to locate and destroy Saddam Hussein’s chemicalweapons munitions. The Defense Nuclear Agency asked Los Alamos todevelop a field instrument using the ARS technology. In October 1991, aUnited Nations inspection team used an early prototype to examineIraqi artillery shells and rocket warheads.

In December 1994, the ARS system was tested at the Tooele ArmyDepot, a U.S. chemical stockpile site in Tooele, Utah. Personnel from theU.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground analyzed a set of 155-mm artilleryshells containing the blistering agent mustard gas and nerve agents GBand VX. The detector successfully identified the fill of these chemicalweapons munitions.

The ARS system supports the Bilateral Chemical Weapons Agreementbetween the United States and Russia, and the Multilateral ChemicalWeapons Convention. These treaties require site inspections and verifi-cation of munitions. The detector also has civilian functions. It canfunction as a quality-control tool in the manufacturing and packagingof chemical products, detect salmonella in eggs, and measure intraocularpressure — an indicator of glaucoma — within the eyeball.

A patent has been granted on one application of the ARS technology, andanother is pending. Researchers are preparing to transfer this technologyto a commercial company for manufacturing and distribution worldwide.

C O N T A C T S : P A U L L E W I S A N D O C T A V I O V E L A

M E A S U R E M E N T T E C H N O L O G Y

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ÕTop photo:

Components ofthe ARS

Chemica l F i l lDetectorinc lude a

computernotepad, d ig i ta l

ana lyzer andsynthes izer ,

and a pen. Twotest munit ionss i t behind the

components.Lower photo:A researcher

analyzes aconta iner ’s

contents .

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THEPUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE OF

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Los Alamos, NMPermit No.107

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BRIEFLY …

Los Alamos scientist receives E.O. Lawrence Award. Gregory Kubas (in photo atleft) received a gold medal and a $10,000 check presented by Department of EnergySecretary Hazel O’Leary at a May ceremony in Washington, D.C. Kubas’ award wasin the chemistry category. He discovered a new kind of chemical bonding — thestable hydrogen-metal complex — that has revolutionized the way scientists thinkabout how hydrogen interacts with metals and improves the prospects for hydrogen’suse as an energy source. Established in 1959, the award is named afterErnest Orlando Lawrence, who invented the cyclotron, a particle accelerator. Twomajor DOE labs are named after Lawrence. Kubas was one of eight E.O. Lawrencewinners for 1994.

LALP-95-2-8

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IN THIS ISSUE:RESEARCHERS DEVELOPMULTI-CHIP MODULE

P A G E 1

PHYSICISTS HIT NEW LOWP A G E 5

COMPUTER MODEL FIGHTSCREDIT CARD FRAUD

P A G E 6

E-PRINT ARCHIVES SPEEDCOMMUNICATION

P A G E 8

NEW HEAT TREATMENTPROCESSP A G E 9

RESEARCHERS MODELA BETTER GEAR

P A G E 1 1

BREAKTHROUGH HAS HUGECOMMERCIAL POTENTIAL

P A G E 1 2

TOOL RAPIDLY IDENTIFIESCHEMICALS IN CLOSED

CONTAINERSP A G E 1 4

LOS ALAMOS RESEARCHERS DEVELOP MULTI-CHIP MODULEPHYSICISTS HIT NEW LOW IN HIGH-MAGNETIC GAMECOMPUTER MODEL HELPS MASTERCARD FIGHT CREDIT CARD FRAUDE-PRINT ARCHIVES SPEED COMMUNICATION OF RESEARCH RESULTSLOS ALAMOS, HOUSTON COMPANY STUDY NEW HEAT TREATMENT PROCESSRESEARCHERS USE SUPERCOMPUTER TO STUDY HEAT TREATMENT AND MODEL A BETTER GEARSUPERCONDUCTIVITY BREAKTHROUGH HAS HUGE COMMERCIAL POTENTIALTOOL RAPIDLY IDENTIFIES CHEMICALS IN CLOSED CONTAINERS