View source for Sandia National Laboratories

{{Short description|National laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico}}
{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = March 2019}}
{{Infobox laboratory
| name             = Sandia National Laboratories
| image            = [[File:Sandia National Laboratories logo.svg]]
| established      = 1949
| director         = [[Laura McGill|Laura J. McGill]] (May 1, 2025 – )<ref name="McGill1">{{cite news|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/business/article_13d17656-f93b-11ef-aacb-97479614d2f4.html|title=Laura McGill named new director of Sandia Labs|date=March 4, 2025|work=Albuquerque Journal|first=Justin|last=Garcia}}</ref><ref name="McGill2">{{cite news|url=https://www.rdworldonline.com/sandia-labs-taps-national-security-veteran-laura-j-mcgill-as-next-director/|title=Sandia Labs taps national security veteran Laura J. McGill as next director|first=Heather|last=Hall|work=R&D World}}</ref>
| city             = [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]] ({{Coord|35.050657|-106.543136|region:US-NM_type:landmark|display=title,inline}})<br/>[[Livermore, California]]
| budget           = [[United States dollar|US$]]5.1 billion<ref name="Sandia Facts and Figures">{{cite web|url=https://www.sandia.gov/about/facts-figures/ |title=Sandia Facts and Figures |publisher=Sandia.gov |access-date=2025-08-18}}</ref>
| type             = National security, nuclear science
| staff            = 16,988<ref name="Sandia Facts and Figures" />
| students         = 1,116<ref name="Sandia Facts and Figures" />
| campus           = {{convert|8699|acre|km2|abbr=on}}
|free_label        = Named after
|free              = [[Sandia Mountains]] in the [[Albuquerque metropolitan area]]
| operating_agency = National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, under the direction of [[Honeywell International]] (since May 1, 2017)
| website          = {{URL|https://www.sandia.gov/|sandia.gov}}
}}

'''Sandia National Laboratories''' ('''SNL'''), also known as '''Sandia''',<ref name="sandia.gov">{{Cite web |title=70 Ways Sandia Has Changed The Nation |url=https://www.sandia.gov/70-ways/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=70 Ways Sandia has Changed the Nation |language=en-US}}</ref> is one of three [[research and development]] laboratories of the [[United States Department of Energy]]'s [[National Nuclear Security Administration]] (NNSA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Sandia |url=https://www.sandia.gov/about/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=About Sandia |language=en-US}}</ref> Headquartered in [[Kirtland Air Force Base]] in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], it has a second principal facility next to [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]] in [[Livermore, California]], and a test facility in [[Waimea, Kaua{{okina}}i County, Hawaii|Waimea, Kaua{{okina}}i, Hawaii]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sandia National Laboratories: Locations: Kaua{{okina}}i Test Facility |url=http://www.sandia.gov/locations/kauai_test_facility.html |access-date=2017-11-09 |website=www.sandia.gov |language=en}}</ref> Sandia is owned by the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]] but [[Privately held company|privately]] managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, a wholly owned subsidiary of [[Honeywell International]].<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/honeywell-unit-wins-2-6-billion-contract-to-manage-sandia-national-laboratories-1481947893|title=Honeywell Unit Wins $2.6 Billion Contract to Manage Sandia National Laboratories|agency=Associated Press|date=17 December 2016|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref><ref name="energy.gov">{{cite web|url=https://nnsa.energy.gov/mediaroom/pressreleases/nnsa-awards-sandia-national-laboratories-management-operating-contract|title=NNSA Awards Sandia National Laboratories Management & Operating Contract to National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (NTESS)}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/910533/sandia-national-laboratories-contract-awarded-unm-will-play-a-role.html|title=Updated: Honeywell selected to manage Sandia labs|author1=Michael Coleman |author2= Kevin Robinson-Avila }}</ref>

Established in 1949, SNL is a "multimission laboratory"<ref name="sandia.gov"/> with the primary goal of advancing [[National security of the United States|U.S. national security]] by developing various [[High tech|science-based technologies]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fact Sheets |url=https://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/fact-sheets/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=News |language=en-US}}</ref> Its work spans roughly 70 areas of activity, including [[nuclear deterrence]], [[arms control]], [[nonproliferation]], [[hazardous waste|hazardous waste disposal]], and [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sandia National Laboratories: News Releases : Climate Change |url=https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/category/climate_change/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |language=en}}</ref> Sandia hosts a wide variety of research initiatives, including [[computational biology]], [[physics]], [[materials science]], [[alternative energy]], [[psychology]], [[Microelectromechanical systems|MEMS]], and [[cognitive science]]. Most notably, it hosted some of the world's earliest and fastest [[supercomputer]]s, [[ASCI Red]] and [[Red Storm (computing)|ASCI Red Storm]], and is currently home to the [[Z Pulsed Power Facility|Z Machine]], the largest [[X-ray]] generator in the world, which is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme [[temperature]] and [[pressure]].

Sandia conducts research through partnership agreements with academic, governmental, and commercial entities;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Working with Sandia |url=https://www.sandia.gov/working-with-sandia/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Working with Sandia |language=en-US}}</ref> educational opportunities are available through several programs, including the Securing Top Academic Research & Talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (START HBCU) Program and the Sandia University Partnerships Network (a collaboration with [[Purdue University]], [[University of Texas at Austin]], [[Georgia Institute of Technology]], [[University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign]], and [[University of New Mexico]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://user-cd6tqbe.cld.bz/SAA-Collab-Report-2020-21-Sandia-FINAL/86/|title=SAA Collab Report 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sandia.gov/working-with-sandia/academic-partnerships/securing-top-academic-research-talent-at-historically-black-colleges-universities-program/|title=START HBCU}}</ref>

== Lab history ==<!-- This section is linked from [[List of Soviet agents in the United States]] -->
[[File:Sandia-Building800-1951.gif|thumb|One of Sandia's first permanent buildings (Building 800) was completed in 1949]]
Sandia National Laboratories' roots go back to [[World War II]] and the [[Manhattan Project]]. Prior to the United States formally entering the war, the [[U.S. Army]] leased land near an Albuquerque, New Mexico airport known as Oxnard Field to service transient Army and [[U.S. Navy]] aircraft. In January 1941 construction began on the Albuquerque Army Air Base, leading to establishment of the ''Bombardier School-Army Advanced Flying School'' near the end of the year. Soon thereafter it was renamed Kirtland Field, after early Army military pilot Colonel [[Roy C. Kirtland]], and in mid-1942 the Army acquired Oxnard Field. During the war years facilities were expanded further and [[Kirtland Field]] served as a major Army Air Forces training installation.

In the many months leading up to successful detonation of the first [[atomic bomb]], the [[Trinity site|Trinity]] test, and delivery of the first airborne atomic weapon, [[Project Alberta]], [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]], Director of [[Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos Laboratory]], and his technical advisor, Hartly Rowe, began looking for a new site convenient to Los Alamos for the continuation of weapons development{{spaced ndash}} especially its non-nuclear aspects. They felt a separate division would be best to perform these functions. Kirtland had fulfilled Los Alamos' transportation needs for both the Trinity and Alberta projects, thus, Oxnard Field was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps to the U.S. Army Service Forces Chief of Engineer District, and thereafter, assigned to the Manhattan Engineer District. In July 1945, the forerunner of Sandia Laboratory, known as "Z" Division, was established at Oxnard Field to handle future weapons development, testing, and bomb assembly for the Manhattan Engineer District. The District-directive calling for establishing a secure area and construction of "Z" Division facilities referred to this as "[[Sandia Base]]"&nbsp;, after the nearby [[Sandia Mountains]] – apparently the first official recognition of the "Sandia" name.

Sandia Laboratory was operated by the [[University of California]] until 1949, when President [[Harry S. Truman]] asked [[Western Electric]], a subsidiary of [[American Telephone and Telegraph]] (AT&T), to assume the operation as an "opportunity to render an exceptional service in the national interest." Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Electric, was formed on October 5, 1949, and, on November 1, 1949, took over management of the Laboratory.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tech Area II: A history|url=https://www.sandia.gov/about/history/_assets/documents/UllrichTechAreaII981617.pdf|last=Ullrich|first=Rebecca|date=July 1, 1998|website=sandia.gov|publisher=Ktech Corporation|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref> The [[United States Congress]] designated Sandia Laboratories as a National laboratory in 1979. In October 1993, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) was managed and operated by '''Sandia Corporation''', a wholly owned subsidiary of [[Lockheed Martin]]. In December 2016, it was announced that National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, under the direction of [[Honeywell International]], would take over the management of Sandia National Laboratories beginning May 1, 2017;<ref name="Younger" /><ref name="energy.gov"/> this contract remains in effect as of November 2022,<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="Younger"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sandia National Laboratories: About Sandia: Sandia's Government Owned/Contractor Operated heritage|url=https://www.sandia.gov/about/history/goco.html|website=www.sandia.gov|access-date=2020-05-19}}</ref> covering government-owned facilities in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]] (SNL/NM); [[Livermore, California]] (SNL/CA); [[Tonopah, Nevada]]; [[Shoreview, Minnesota]]; and [[Kaua{{okina}}i, Hawaii]]. SNL/NM is the headquarters and the largest laboratory, employing more than 12,000 employees, while SNL/CA is a smaller laboratory, with around 1,700 employees. Tonopah and Kaua{{okina}}i are occupied on a "campaign" basis, as test schedules dictate. The lab also managed the DOE/SNL [[Scaled Wind Farm Technology Facility|Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) Facility]] in [[Lubbock, Texas]].

Sandia led a project that studied how to decontaminate a subway system in the event of a biological weapons attack (such as [[anthrax]]). As of September 2017, the process to decontaminate subways in such an event is "virtually ready to implement," said a lead Sandia engineer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/24445-plan-ready-decontaminate-subways-event-biological-attack/|title=Plan ready to decontaminate subways in the event of a biological attack|last=Carey|first=Liz|date=2017-09-28|work=Homeland Preparedness News|access-date=2017-10-11|language=en-US}}</ref>

Sandia's integration with its local community includes a program through the Department of Energy's Tribal Energy program to deliver alternative renewable power to remote Navajo communities, spearheaded by senior engineer [[Sandra Begay]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sandia National Laboratories: News Releases : 'Iconic' Sandia researcher wins Indigenous Excellence Award|url=https://share-ng.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/indigenous_excellence/|access-date=2021-04-09|language=en|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416072352/https://share-ng.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/indigenous_excellence/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=PEOPLE – All Together|url=https://alltogether.swe.org/2020/10/people-6/|access-date=2021-04-09|website=alltogether.swe.org|date=October 27, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Lab directors and presidents==

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Lab directors and presidents
|-
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}} !! Image !! Name !! Term start !! Term end !! {{abbr|Refs.|References}}
|-
| 1 || || [[George Landry]] || October 1949 || February 1952 || <ref name="news2008"/>
|-
| 2 || [[File:Donald A. Quarles.jpg|70px]] || [[Donald A. Quarles]] || March 1952 || August 1953 || <ref name="news2008"/>
|-
| 3 || || [[James W. McRae]] || September 1953 || September 1958 || <ref name="news2008"/>
|-
| 4 || || [[Julius Molnar]] || October 1958 || August 1960 || <ref name="news2008"/>
|-
| 5 || || Siegmund P. "Monk" Schwartz || September 1960 || October 1966 || <ref name="news2008">{{cite web |url=https://www.sandia.gov/LabNews/ln01-18-08/labnews01-18-08.pdf |title=Lab News |publisher=www.sandia.gov |date=January 1, 2018 |access-date=2020-05-18 |archive-date=September 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924152045/https://www.sandia.gov/LabNews/ln01-18-08/labnews01-18-08.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 6 || || John A. Hornbeck || November 1966 || September 1972 || <ref name="news2008"/>
|-
| 7 || || [[Morgan Sparks]] || October 1972 || July 1981 || <ref name="news2008"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.llnl.gov/community/retiree-and-employee-resources/in-memoriam/morgan-sparks|title=Morgan Sparks &#124; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory|website=www.llnl.gov}}</ref>
|-
| 8 || || [[George Clement Dacey|George C. Dacey]] || August 1981 || January 1986 || <ref name="news2008"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.nap.edu/read/18477/chapter/13|title=Read "Memorial Tributes: Volume 17" at NAP.edu|year=2013 |doi=10.17226/18477 |isbn=978-0-309-29193-4 |via=www.nap.edu}}</ref>
|-
| 9 || || [[Irwin Welber]] || February 1986 || March 1989 || <ref name="news2008"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/labnews/articles/2017/20-01/welber.html|title=Sandia National Laboratories: Irwin Welber, Sandia's 9th president, passes away at 92|first=Sandia|last=Labs|date=January 19, 2017|website=Sandia Labs}}</ref>
|-
| 10 || || [[Albert Narath (born 1933)|Albert Narath]] || 1989 || 1995 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.aip.org/phn/11508007.html|title=Narath, Albert, 1933–|website=history.aip.org}}</ref>
|-
| 11 || || [[C. Paul Robinson]] || August 1995 || April 28, 2005 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://share-ng.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2005/other/mgt-changes.html|title=Sandia National Labs: News: Sandia Labs undergoes management changes|website=share-ng.sandia.gov|access-date=December 2, 2019|archive-date=December 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202222324/https://share-ng.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2005/other/mgt-changes.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sandia.gov/labnews/2005/04/15/050415-2/ |title=Paul Robinson leaving Sandia after 10 years as President; Tom Hunter named successor |first=Chris |last=Miller |date=April 15, 2005 |publisher=SNL}}</ref>
|-
| 12 || || Thomas Hunter || April 29, 2005 || July 8, 2010 || <ref>{{cite web |last=Fleck |first=John |date=13 May 2010 |title=Update: Hunter to Step Down as Sandia Head |url=https://www.abqjournal.com/3530/update-hunter-to-step-down-as-sandia-head.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202222219/https://www.abqjournal.com/3530/update-hunter-to-step-down-as-sandia-head.html |archive-date=2 December 2019 |website=[[Albuquerque Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sandia.gov/labnews/2005/04/15/050415-3/ |title=Tom Hunter brings decades of research, engineering, and leadership experience to Labs’ top position |first=Bill |last=Murphy |date=April 15, 2005 |publisher=SNL}}</ref>
|-
| 13 || || Paul Hommert || July 9, 2010 || July 16, 2015 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.llnl.gov/news/paul-hommert-named-director-sandia|title=Paul Hommert named director for Sandia &#124; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory|website=www.llnl.gov}}</ref><ref name="Hruby" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/new_snldirector/ |title=Sandia Corp. names new director for Sandia National Laboratories |date=May 13, 2010 |publisher=SNL}}</ref>
|-
| 14 || [[File:Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Jill M. Hruby.jpg|70px]] || [[Jill Hruby|Jill M. Hruby]] || July 17, 2015 || April 30, 2017 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nti.org/about/leadership-and-staff/jill-hruby/|title=Jill Hruby &#124; Leadership & Staff &#124; About &#124; NTI|website=www.nti.org}}</ref><ref name="Hruby">{{cite web| url=https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/new_director/ | title=New Sandia director will be first woman to lead national security lab | date=2015-07-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722123200/https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/new_director/|archive-date=2015-07-22| publisher=Sandia National Laboratories}}</ref>
|-
| 15 || || Stephen Younger || May 1, 2017 || December 31, 2019 || <ref name="Younger">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2017/01/25/director-deputy-director-of-sandia-national-labs.html |title=Director, deputy director of Sandia National Labs announced|last=Ortega |first=May |date=January 25, 2017 |website=www.bizjournals.com|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ladailypost.com/former-lanl-manager-steve-younger-lands-top-job-at-sandia/ |title=Former LANL Manager Steve Younger Lands Top Job At Sandia |date= February 3, 2017 |newspaper=Los Alamos Daily Post |first=Roger |last=Snodgrass}}</ref>
|-
| 16 || || James S. Peery || January 1, 2020 || April 30, 2025 || <ref name="Peery1">{{cite web|url=https://share-ng.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/labs_director/|title=Sandia National Laboratories: News Releases : New Sandia Labs Director named|access-date=December 2, 2019|archive-date=June 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616103622/https://share-ng.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/labs_director/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Peery2">{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2024/10/10/sandia-labs-director-announces-retirement.html|title=Sandia Labs director James Peery announces retirement|last= Callaghan|first=Molly |date=October 10, 2025|website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/labs_director/ |title=New Sandia Labs Director named |date=December 2, 2019 |publisher=SNL}}</ref>
|-
| 17 || [[File:Laura McGill (40266418395).jpg|70px]] || [[Laura McGill|Laura J. McGill]] || May 1, 2025 || present || <ref name="McGill1"/><ref name="McGill2" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/national-security-leader-laura-j-mcgill-named-next-director-of-sandia-labs/ |title=National security leader Laura J. McGill named next director of Sandia Labs |date=March 4, 2025 |publisher=SNL}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Legal issues ==
On February 13, 2007, a New Mexico State Court found Sandia Corporation liable for $4.7 million in damages for the firing of a former network security analyst, [[Shawn Carpenter]], who had reported to his supervisors that hundreds of military installations and defense contractors' networks were compromised and sensitive information was being stolen{{spaced ndash}} including hundreds of sensitive [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed]] documents on the [[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]] project. When his supervisors told him to drop the investigation and do nothing with the information, he went to intelligence officials in the [[United States Army]] and later the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] to address the national security breaches. When Sandia managers discovered his actions months later, they revoked his [[security clearance]] and fired him.<ref>Scott Sandlin, "[http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/602547metro10-14-07.htm Analyst, Sandia Settle Suit]", ''Albuquerque Journal'', 14 October 2007</ref>

In 2014, an investigation determined Sandia Corp. used lab operations funds to pay for lobbying related to the renewal of its $2 billion contract to operate the lab. Sandia Corp. and its parent company, Lockheed Martin, agreed to pay a $4.8 million fine.<ref>Coleman, Michael. (August 24, 2015). "Feds fine Sandia for improper lobbying" [https://www.abqjournal.com/633395/sandia-corp-pays-4-8-million-fine-for-improper-lobbying.html Albuquerque Journal website] Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref>

== Technical areas ==
[[File:Sandia national laboratories researcher (46702906002).jpg|thumb|A researcher displays a model of the Big Hill cavern field in Texas, part of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve]]
SNL/NM consists of five technical areas (TA) and several additional test areas. Each TA has its own distinctive operations; however, the operations of some groups at Sandia may span more than one TA, with one part of a team working on a problem from one angle, and another subset of the same team located in a different building or area working with other specialized equipment. A description of each area is given below.

TA-I operations are dedicated primarily to three activities: the design, research, and development of [[weapon]] systems; limited production of weapon system components; and energy programs. TA-I facilities include the main [[library]] and offices, [[laboratory|laboratories]], and shops used by administrative and technical staff.

TA-II is a {{convert|45|acre|m2|adj=on|abbr=on}} facility that was established in 1948 for the assembly of chemical [[explosive material|high explosive]] main [[explosive material|charges]] for [[nuclear weapons]] and later for production scale assembly of nuclear weapons. Activities in TA-II include the [[decontamination]], [[nuclear decommissioning|decommissioning]], and [[Environmental remediation|remediation]] of facilities and [[landfills]] used in past research and development activities. Remediation of the Classified Waste Landfill which started in March 1998, neared completion in FY2000. A testing facility, the Explosive Component Facility, integrates many of the previous TA-II test activities as well as some testing activities previously performed in other remote test areas. The Access Delay Technology Test Facility is also located in TA-II.

TA-III is adjacent to and south of TA-V [both are approximately {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} south of TA-I]. TA-III facilities include extensive design-test facilities such as [[rocket sled]] tracks, [[centrifuge]]s and a radiant [[heat]] facility. Other facilities in TA-III include a paper destructor, the Melting and Solidification Laboratory and the Radioactive and Mixed Waste Management Facility (RMWMF). RMWMF serves as central processing facility for packaging and storage of low-level and mixed waste. The remediation of the Chemical Waste Landfill, which started in September 1998, is an ongoing activity in TA-III.

TA-IV, located approximately {{convert|1/2|mi|km}} south of TA-I, consists of several inertial-confinement [[nuclear fusion|fusion]] research and pulsed power research facilities, including the High Energy Radiation Megavolt Electron Source (Hermes-III), the [[Z Pulsed Power Facility|Z Facility]], the Short Pulsed High Intensity Nanosecond X-Radiator (SPHINX) Facility, and the Saturn Accelerator. TA-IV also hosts some computer science and cognition research.

TA-V contains two research [[nuclear reactor technology|reactor]] facilities, an intense [[gamma ray|gamma]] irradiation facility (using [[cobalt|cobalt-60]] and [[caesium|caesium-137]] sources), and the [[Hot Cell]] Facility.

SNL/NM also has test areas outside of the five technical areas listed above. These test areas, collectively known as Coyote Test Field, are located southeast of TA-III and/or in the canyons on the west side of the Manzanita Mountains. Facilities in the Coyote Canyon Test Field include the Solar Tower Facility (34.9623 N, 106.5097 W), the Lurance Canyon Burn Site and the Aerial Cable Facility.

=== DOE/SNL Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWIFT) Facility ===
In collaboration with the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) of [[United States Department of Energy|U.S. Department of Energy]], [[Texas Tech University]], and the [[Vestas]] wind turbine corporation, SNL operates the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) Facility in Lubbock, Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DOE/SNL Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) Facility {{!}} National Wind Institute {{!}} TTU |url=https://www.depts.ttu.edu/nwi/research/facilities/swift.php |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.depts.ttu.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sandia National Laboratories |url=https://energy.sandia.gov/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Energy |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Open-source software ==
[[File:Solar panel testing, Sandia National Laboratories.jpg|thumb|Solar panel testing]]

In the 1970s, the Sandia, Los Alamos, Air Force Weapons Laboratory Technical Exchange Committee initiated the development of the [[SLATEC]] library of mathematical and statistical routines, written in [[FORTRAN 77]].

Today, Sandia National Laboratories is home to several [[open-source software]] projects:

* FCLib (Feature Characterization Library) is a library for the identification and manipulation of coherent regions or structures from spatio-temporal data.<ref name="fclib">
{{cite web
 |title       = Main Page&nbsp;– FCLib
 |publisher   = Sandia National Laboratories
 |url         = http://www.sandia.gov/csit/research/visualization/fclib.php
 |access-date  = 2010-10-04
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100527132750/http://www.sandia.gov/csit/research/visualization/fclib.php
 |archive-date = 2010-05-27
}}
</ref> FCLib focuses on providing data structures that are "feature-aware" and support feature-based analysis.<ref name="fclib" /> It is written in C and developed under a "[[BSD licenses|BSD]]-like" license.<ref name="ASCe">
{{cite web
| title = Award Winning Data Analysis Toolkit Released
| work = ASCe News Quarterly Newsletter
| date = January 2007
| publisher = Sandia National Laboratories
| url = http://www.sandia.gov/NNSA/ASC/enews/0107/0107eNewsPrintable.pdf
| access-date = 2010-10-04
}}
</ref>
* [[LAMMPS]] (Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator) is a molecular dynamics library that can be used to model parallel atomic/subatomic processes at large scale.<ref name="LAMMPS">
{{cite web
| title = LAMMPS Molecular Dynamics Simulator
| publisher = Sandia National Laboratories
| url = http://lammps.sandia.gov/
| access-date = 2010-10-03
}}
</ref> It is produced under the [[GNU General Public License]] (GPL) and distributed on the Sandia National Laboratories website as well as [[SourceForge]].<ref name="LAMMPS" />
* LibVMI is a library for simplifying the reading and writing of memory in running virtual machines, a technique known as virtual machine introspection.<ref name="LibVMI">
{{cite web
 |title       = The LibVMI Project
 |publisher   = Sandia National Laboratories
 |url         = http://vmitools.sandia.gov/
 |access-date  = 2011-11-18
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120304225647/http://vmitools.sandia.gov/
 |archive-date = 2012-03-04
}}
</ref> It is licensed under the [[GNU Lesser General Public License]].<ref name="LibVMI" />
* MapReduce-MPI Library is an implementation of [[MapReduce]] for distributed-memory parallel machines, utilizing the [[Message Passing Interface]] (MPI) for communication. It is developed under a modified [[BSD licenses|Berkeley Software Distribution license]].<ref>
{{cite web
| title = MapReduce-MPI Library
| publisher = Sandia National Laboratories
| url = http://www.sandia.gov/~sjplimp/mapreduce.html
| access-date = 2010-10-03
}}
</ref>
* MultiThreaded Graph Library (MTGL) is a collection of graph-based algorithms designed to take advantage of parallel, shared-memory architectures such as the Cray XMT, Symmetric Multiprocessor (SMP) machines, and multi-core workstations.<ref name="MTGL">
{{cite web
| title = MTGL
| publisher = Sandia National Laboratories
| url = https://software.sandia.gov/trac/mtgl
| access-date = 2010-10-04
}}
</ref><ref name="Berry">
{{cite book
| last = Berry
| first = Jonathan W.
|author2=Bruce Hendrickson |author3=Simon Kahan |author4=Petr Konecny
 | title = 2007 IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium
| chapter = Software and Algorithms for Graph Queries on Multithreaded Architectures
| pages = 1–14
| date = March 2007
| doi = 10.1109/IPDPS.2007.370685
| isbn = 978-1-4244-0909-9
| citeseerx = 10.1.1.421.7457
| s2cid = 351906
}}
</ref> It is developed under a BSD License.<ref name="MTGL" />
* [[ParaView]] is a cross-platform application for performing data analysis and visualization.<ref name="Paraview">
{{cite web
| title = ParaView&nbsp;– Open Source Scientific Visualization
| publisher = Kitware
| url = http://www.paraview.org/
| access-date = 2010-10-03
}}
</ref> It is a collaborative effort, developed by Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratories, and the [[United States Army Research Laboratory]], and funded by the [[Advanced Simulation and Computing Program]].<ref name="Paraview" /> It is developed under a BSD license.<ref name="Paraview" />
* [[Pyomo]] is a python-based optimization [[Algebraic modeling language|Mathematical Programming Language]] which supports most commercial and open-source solver engines.
* Soccoro, a collaborative effort with [[Wake Forest University|Wake Forest]] and [[Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt]] Universities, is [[Object-oriented programming|object-oriented]] software for performing electronic-structure calculations based on density-functional theory.<ref name="Soccoro">{{cite web
| title = Sandia National Laboratories:Soccoro
| publisher = Sandia National Laboratories
| url = http://dft.sandia.gov/socorro/mainpage.html
| access-date = 2010-10-03
| archive-date = September 19, 2010
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100919193935/http://dft.sandia.gov/Socorro/mainpage.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> It utilizes libraries such as MPI, [[BLAS]], and [[LAPACK]] and is developed under the GNU General Public License.<ref name="Soccoro" />
* Titan Informatics Toolkit is a collection of cross-platform libraries for ingesting, analyzing, and displaying scientific and informatics data.<ref name="Titan">
{{cite web
 |title       = Titan Toolkit
 |publisher   = Sandia National Laboratories
 |url         = http://titan.sandia.gov/
 |access-date  = 2010-10-03
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20101216061255/http://titan.sandia.gov/
 |archive-date = 2010-12-16
}}
</ref><ref name="Infovis">
{{cite web
 |title       = Main Page&nbsp;– InfovisWiki
 |publisher   = [[Kitware|Kitware, Inc.]]
 |url         = http://www.kitware.com/InfovisWiki/index.php/Main_Page
 |access-date  = 2010-10-03
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100918104659/http://www.kitware.com/InfovisWiki/index.php/Main_Page
 |archive-date = 2010-09-18
}}
</ref> It is a collaborative effort with [[Kitware|Kitware, Inc.]], and uses various open-source components such as the [[Boost C++ Libraries|Boost Graph Library]].<ref name="Titan" /> It is developed under a [[New BSD License#3-clause|New BSD license]].<ref name="Titan" />
* [[Trilinos]] is an object-oriented library for building scalable scientific and engineering applications, with a focus on linear algebra techniques.<ref name="Trilinos">
{{cite web
| title = The Trilinos Project
| publisher = Sandia National Laboratories
| url = http://trilinos.org/
| access-date = 2017-01-04
}}
</ref> Most Trilinos packages are licensed under a [[Modified BSD License]].<ref name="Trilinos" />
* [https://xyce.sandia.gov/ Xyce] is an open source, [[SPICE]]-compatible, high-performance analog circuit simulator, capable of solving extremely large circuit problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://xyce.sandia.gov/|title=Sandia National Laboratories: Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator (Xyce)}}</ref>
* [https://charon.sandia.gov/ Charon] is a [[Technology CAD|TCAD]] simulator which was open-sourced by Sandia in 2020.<ref>
{{cite web |url=https://charon.sandia.gov/ |title=Charon TCAD |last= |first= |date= |website= |publisher= |access-date=2022-02-01}}
</ref><ref name="devsim news charon">
{{cite web |url=https://devsim.com/charon-open-source/ |title=Charon TCAD software open source release |last= |first= |date=2020-05-24 |website=DEVSIM LLC |publisher= |access-date=2022-02-01}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=https://tcadcentral.com/Software.html |title=TCAD Central – Open Source TCAD Software |last= |first= |date= |website= |publisher= |access-date=}}
</ref> It is significant as previously there were no major TCAD simulators for large-scale simulations that were open source.<ref name="devsim news charon" />
* [https://tracktable.sandia.gov/ Tracktable] is a Sandia-developed open source platform for processing, analyzing, and visualizing the paths of moving objects (trajectories).<ref name="traj">
{{cite web
 |title       = Large-Scale Trajectory Analysis via Feature Vectors
 |url         = https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1770825
 |access-date  = 2025-02-27
}}
</ref>

In addition, Sandia National Laboratories collaborates with Kitware, Inc. in developing the [[VTK|Visualization Toolkit]] (VTK), a cross-platform graphics and visualization software suite.<ref name="VTK">
{{cite web
| title = VTK&nbsp;– The Visualization Toolkit
| publisher = [[Kitware|Kitware, Inc.]]
| url = http://vtk.org/
| access-date = 2010-10-03
}}
</ref> This collaboration has focused on enhancing the information visualization capabilities of VTK and has in turn fed back into other projects such as ParaView and Titan.<ref name="Paraview" /><ref name="Titan" /><ref name="VTK" />

== Self-guided bullet ==
On January 30, 2012, Sandia announced that it successfully test-fired a self-guided [[Dart (missile)|dart]] that can hit targets at {{convert|2000|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}. The dart is {{convert|4|inch|mm|abbr=on}} long, has its center of gravity at the nose, and is made to be fired from a small-caliber [[smoothbore]] gun. It is kept straight in flight by four [[electromagnetism|electromagnetically]] actuated fins encased in a plastic puller [[Sabot (firearms)|sabot]] that falls off when the dart leaves the bore. The dart cannot be fired from conventional [[rifling|rifled]] barrels because the gyroscopic stability provided by rifling grooves for regular bullets would prevent the self-guided bullet from reliably turning towards a target when in flight, so fins are responsible for stabilizing rather than spinning. A [[laser]] designator marks a target, which is tracked by the dart's optical sensor and 8-bit [[CPU]]. Its small size allows it to make corrections quickly without an [[inertial measurement unit]], which keeps its cost down. The natural body frequency{{clarify|date=May 2023}} of the bullet is about 30 [[hertz]], so corrections can be made 30 times per second in flight. Muzzle velocity with commercial gunpowder is {{convert|2400|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} (Mach 2.1), but military customized gunpowder can increase its speed and range. Computer modeling shows that a standard bullet would miss a target at {{convert|1000|m|yd|0|abbr=on}} by {{convert|9.8|yd|m|0|abbr=on}}, while an equivalent guided bullet would hit within {{convert|8|in|cm|abbr=on}}. Accuracy increases as distances get longer, since the bullet's motions settle more the longer it is in flight.<ref>[http://www.guns.com/2012/02/02/laser-guided-bullets-sub-moa-at-over-a-mile/ Laser-Guided Bullets: Sub-MOA at Over a Mile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101231649/http://www.guns.com/2012/02/02/laser-guided-bullets-sub-moa-at-over-a-mile/ |date=November 1, 2014 }} – Guns.com, 2 February 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/01/31/the-first-self-guided-bullet/ The First Self Guided Bullet] – Thefirearmblog.com, 31 January 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.gizmag.com/sandia-self-guided-bullet/21286/ Self-guided bullet could hit laser-marked targets from a mile away] – Gizmag.com, 31 January 2012</ref>

==Supercomputers==
Since 1990s, the Sandia National Laboratories has been home and site of high-performance and supercomputers in the United States:

* [[Intel Paragon]] XP/S 140, 1993 to ?
* [[ASCI Red]], 1997 to 2006
* [[Red Storm (computing)|Red Storm]], 2005 to 2012
* [[Cielo (supercomputer)|Cielo]], 2010 to 2016
* [[Trinity (supercomputer)|Trinity]], 2015 to current
* Astra, 2018 to current, based on ARM processors
* Attaway, 2019 to current

== See also ==
* [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]]
* [[Decontamination foam]]
* [[Jess (programming language)]]
* [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]]
* [[National Renewable Energy Laboratory]]
* [[Test Readiness Program]]
* [[Titan Rain]]
* [[VxInsight]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{Div col start|colwidth=30em}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071021201217/http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=17&articleId=9016884&intsrc=hm_topic ''Computerworld'' article "Reverse Hacker Case Gets Costlier for Sandia Labs"]
* [http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6280088?nclick_check=1 ''San Jose Mercury News'' article "Ill Lab Workers Fight For Federal Compensation"]
* [https://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2007/05/ff_linkinpark?currentPage=all ''Wired Magazine'' article "Linkin Park's Mysterious Cyberstalker"]
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2169088/nav/fix/ ''Slate'' article "Stalking Linkin Park"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826082833/http://www.slate.com/id/2169088/nav/fix/ |date=August 26, 2011 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070807160953/http://www.fedsmith.com/articles/articles.showarticle.db.php?intArticleID=1295 ''FedSmith.com'' article "Linkin Park, Nuclear Research and Obsession"]
* [http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/59339.html# ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' article "Judge Upholds $4.3 Million Jury Award to Fired Sandia Lab Analyst"]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071012212617/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1589735,00.html ''TIME'' article "A Security Analyst Wins Big in Court"]
* [http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56982.html ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' article "Jury Awards Fired Sandia Analyst $4.3 Million"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928004328/http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc-bin/artread.pl?direction=Current&articlenumber=16490 ''HPCwire'' article "Sandia May Unwittingly Have Sold Supercomputer to China"]
* [https://archive.today/20070625054539/http://www.fcw.com/article97746-02-26-07-Print ''Federal Computer Weekly'' article "Intercepts: Chinese Checkers"]
* [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL30143.pdf#search=%22sandia%20chinese%20computer%20china%22 ''Congressional Research Service'' report "China: Suspected Acquisition of U.S. Nuclear Weapon Secrets"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080227100728/http://www.cmc.sandia.gov/isn/mar03isn.pdf ''Sandia National Laboratory Cooperative Monitoring Center'' article "Engagement with China"]
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3018728.stm ''BBC News'' "Security Overhaul at US Nuclear Labs"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060607065653/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90239,00.html ''Fox News'' "Iowa Republican Demands Tighter Nuclear Lab Security"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310230233/http://pub10.bravenet.com/news/846727896/23174/1 ''UPI'' article "Workers Get Bonus After Being Disciplined"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060316083859/http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=190&SectionID=38 ''IndustryWeek'' article "3D Silicon Photonic Lattice"]
* [http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/33305.html October 6, 2005 ''The Santa Fe New Mexican'' article "Sandia Security Managers Recorded Workers' Calls"]
* [http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2002/05/20/story3.html May 17, 2002 ''New Mexico Business Weekly'' article "Sandia National Laboratories Says it's Worthless"]
{{Div col end}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Sandia National Laboratories}}
* {{official website|https://www.sandia.gov/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041108135635/http://www.er.doe.gov/production/er-07/page2a9.html DOE Laboratory Fact Sheet]

{{U.S. National Labs}}
{{Honeywell}}
{{Lockheed Martin}}
{{Livermore, California}}
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