Advanced Computing, Mathematics and Data
Research Highlights

September 2013

2013 Key Scientific Accomplishments Report Now Available

Accomplishment Report for Fiscal Year 2013

The 2013 Key Scientific Accomplishments report is now available as a downloadable PDF. This 32-page full-color brochure highlights some of the year's most noteworthy achievements by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists, all of which have impacted science and some of the most important global challenges in energy, security, and environmental sustainability.

The report features sections on biological systems science, climate and Earth systems science, chemical imaging, chemistry and geochemistry, materials sciences, advanced computing, nuclear and particle physics, and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). Notable staff awards and achievements also are highlighted.

Research performed by PNNL scientists and their collaborators continues to advance scientific frontiers to transform understanding and control of chemical, physical, and biological processes. For example, PNNL scientists:

• Are searching for changes that can help predict, diagnose, or monitor Parkinson's disease
• Designed and built a unique probe that helps scientists obtain precise data on interfacial reactions
• Reported the first iron-based catalyst that splits hydrogen gas to make electricity
• Determined the impact of electrical power generation on water use and emissions
• Made new advances in improving lithium-ion batteries
• Used ultra-low-level detection in the search for rare radioactive decay
• Created a model that identifies power savings in exascale supercomputer workloads
• Deciphered the composition of atmospheric aerosols to better determine their impact on climate change.

Several staff members were recognized for their achievements, including a Department of Energy Early Career Research Award; awards from R&D Magazine, the World Meteorological Organization, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, an international catalysis group, and the American Society of Mass Spectrometry; and several professional and scientific society fellowships.