| Four decades of nuclear weapons production at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities across the nation have resulted in the storage of millions of gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes in hundreds of underground tanks. Conducting experiments to understand the chemistry of radioactive elements, such as those in tank waste, is expensive and hazardous. Taking a different approach, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, collaborating with universities and other national labs, are using the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory's high-performance supercomputer to calculate molecular properties and chemical reactions of radioactive elements. Theory and experiment work together synergistically to lead to new fundamental insights into the chemistry of these hazardous materials. This knowledge will contribute to the development of new, effective, low-cost remediation technologies critical to DOE's mission for public health, homeland security, and environmental cleanup. |
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Molecular Science Computing Facility