US Naval Research Lab News Releases

NRL Researchers Hope to Shed Light on Dark Lightning Radiation

Donna McKinney — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 7:00 EDT

NRL researchers are making precise observations of dark lightning flashes from space to understand the nature of dark lightning and to quantify the radiation exposure it may present to the crew and passengers of aircraft. Read more...

Dr. Brian Houston Receives Arthur E. Bisson Naval Technology Achievement Award

Daniel Parry — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 7:00 EDT

Named in honor of the late Dr. Arthur E. Bisson, nuclear physicist and former director of science and technology for the Office of Naval Research, the award is in recognition of individuals who have successfully translated research findings into substantive fleet programs that meet critical Navy requirements. Read more...

Incoherent Combining of Fiber Lasers Developed for Directed
Energy Applications

Daniel Parry — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 7:00 EDT

Developed at NRL's Plasma Physics Division, incoherent combining of high power fiber lasers for directed energy applications has proven effective in deployed Navy laser weapon systems prototypes. Read more...

Dr. Francis Klemm presented with Navy Distinguished
Civilian Service Award

Heather Miller — Fri, 7 Jun 2013 7:00 EDT

Dr. Francis Klemm presented with Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award Read more...

NRL Scientists Recognized for Cost-Saving Paints

Donna McKinney — Wed, 5 Jun 2013 7:00 EDT

NRL scientists are recognized with the 2012 Office of Naval Research Prize for Affordability for their development of Rapid Cure Single Coat Tank Coatings, a money saving technology that has been implemented Fleet wide. Read more...

Paul Jaffe Named VADM Gravely STEM Diversity Champion of the Year

Heather Miller — Mon, 3 Jun 2013 7:00 EDT

Paul Jaffe named VADM Gravely STEM Education and Diversity Champion of the Year Read more...

NRL Geochemistry Survey at Chatham Rise Reveals Absence of Modern Day Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Daniel Parry — Wed, 29 May 2013 7:00 EDT

Scientists from Germany, New Zealand and United States aboard the German research vessel, R/V Sonne, investigate and map giant seafloor anomalies off the New Zealand coast. Read more...

NRL Technology Recognized for Innovative Operational Use

Donna McKinney — Mon, 20 May 2013 7:00 EDT

The NRL-developed Pirate Attack Risk Surface technology is recognized with Computerworld Honors Laureate. Read more...

Charles Harden Visits Ex-USS Shadwell

Heather Miller — Thu, 16 May 2013 7:00 EDT

Mr. Charles Harden, a World War II veteran who served as an ensign on the USS Shadwell in 1945, recently returned to the ex-USS Shadwell for a visit Read more...

NRL Space Test Program Experiments Ship to Japan for Flight to the ISS

Donna McKinney — Wed, 15 May 2013 7:00 EDT

The DoD Space Test Program STP-H4 payload complement, which includes three NRL experiments bound for the International Space Station, has been shipped to Japan for integration on the HTV-4 vehicle that is expected to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in August 2013. Read more...

NRL's MIGHTI Slated for Launch on ICON Mission

Donna McKinney — Mon, 13 May 2013 7:00 EDT

NRL's MIGHTI satellite instrument, designed to study the Earth's thermosphere as part of a NASA satellite mission, has been selected to move forward in development with launch expected in 2017. Read more...

NRL Shatters Endurance Record for Small Electric UAV

Public Affairs Office — Thu, 9 May 2013 7:00 EDT

Using liquid hydrogen fuel stored in a new NRL-developed cryogenic fuel storage tank, the flight shatters the previous 26-hour record set by the UAV in 2009. Read more...

NRL Hosts 2nd Gulf Coast Regional SeaPerch Challenge

Donna McKinney — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 7:00 EDT

NRL recently hosted more than 110 elementary, middle, and high school students at the Mississippi Gulf Coast's second annual SeaPerch Regional Challenge in Biloxi, Mississippi. The SeaPerches are tethered, underwater remotely operated vehicles ROVs built by the students. Read more...

NRL Researcher Looks to Gamma Rays to Uncover Origin of Cosmic Rays

Donna McKinney — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 7:00 EDT

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope team reports finding a distinctive particle-decay feature in the gamma-ray spectra of supernova remnants. Read more...

NRL's CT-Analyst Supports Presidential Inauguration

Donna McKinney — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 9:00 EDT

NRL supported both the 2009 and 2013 Presidential Inaugurations with a technology called CT-Analyst, developed by researchers in the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics. CT-Analyst is a tool that provides first-responders with accurate, instantaneous, three-dimensional predictions of chemical, biological, and radiological agent transport in urban settings. Read more...

Navy Develops High Impact, High Integrity Polymer for Air, Sea, and Domestic Applications

Daniel Parry — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 7:00 EDT

Developed at NRL, second generation polyetheretherketone-like phthalonitrile-based composites are superior to that of any other thermoset-based composites currently in use for aerospace, ship, and submarine applications. Read more...

Dr. John Montgomery Elected to National Academy of Engineering

Donna McKinney — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 7:00 EDT

Dr. John Montgomery, Director of Research at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is recognized 'for leading the Navy's electronics-warfare technical authority, and for developing critical operational systems.' Read more...

First GPS NAVSTAR Satellite Goes on Display

Daniel Parry — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:00 EDT

On display at the Smithsonian 'Time and Navigation' exhibit, Navigational Technology Satellite-2 NTS-2, launched June 23, 1977, was the first of a four-satellite constellation configured to demonstrate instantaneous navigation positioning. Read more...

NRL Scientists "See" Flux Rope Formation for the First Time

Donna McKinney — Tue, 2 Apr 2013 7:00 EDT

NRL scientists have observed, for the very first time, the formation of solar flux ropes, which are a type of solar magnetic field. They made their discovery using high-resolution images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly aboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and from the NRL-developed Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation telescopes aboard NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory. Read more...

NRL Researchers Develop New Monolayer Materials for
Chemical Vapor Sensors

Donna McKinney — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 7:00 EDT

NRL scientists have developed a vapor sensor based on new monolayer materials that show great potential for future nanoscale electronic devices. Read more...

NRL Develops Polymer Nanofibers for Chemical and Biological Decontamination

Daniel Parry — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 7:00 EDT

Scientists in the Applied Concepts in Materials Section of the Chemistry Division are developing unique systems aimed at the spontaneous decontamination of a variety of materials capable of neutralizing chemical and biological agents. Read more...

Dr. Michelle Johannes Named Fellow of the American Physical Society

Donna McKinney — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:00 EDT

Dr. Michelle Johannes, a physicist in the Materials Science and Technology Division at the Naval Research Laboratory, was recently named a Fellow of the American Physical Society, through the Division of Computational Physics. Read more...

NRL Nike Laser Focuses on Nuclear Fusion

Daniel Parry — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:00 EDT

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory successfully demonstrate a single-step focal zooming process to maximize the efficiency of the world's largest operating krypton fluoride gas laser. Read more...

NRL Researcher Discusses Benthic Fuel Cells, Electricity from Wastewater, and Fuel from CO2

Daniel Parry — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 8:00 EDT

The Benthic Unattended Generator persistently generates electrical power in marine environments. Read more...

NRL Scientists Produce Densest Artificial Ionospheric Plasma Clouds Using HAARP

Daniel Parry — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 6:00 EDT

Glow discharges in the upper atmosphere were generated to explore ionospheric phenomena and its impact on communications and space weather. Read more...

Navy Researchers, Reservists Evaluate Novel Passive Sonar Surveillance Methods

Daniel Parry — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 6:00 EDT

Operating from the University of Delaware's research vessel, R/V Hugh R. Sharp, the sea trials are part of a continuing experiment to exploit acoustic guide sources at the ocean surface for use in passive signal processing in littoral regions. Read more...

Radio Telescope, GPS Use Ionosphere to Detect Nuclear Tests

Daniel Parry — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 6:00 EDT

Analyzing radio telescope interferometry and GPS data recorded of the ionosphere, scientists are able to detect acoustic-gravity waves from surface and underground nuclear explosions. Read more...

Dr. Craig Bishop Named Fellow of the American Meteorological Society

Donna McKinney — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 6:00 EDT

Dr. Craig Bishop, an NRL meteorologist, has been elected a Fellow by the American Meteorological Society for outstanding contributions to data assimilation, numerical weather prediction, and mesoscale dynamics. Read more...

Violent Nabro Eruption Shown to Pierce Stratosphere

Daniel Parry — Fri, 8 Feb 2013 6:00 EDT

Thermal infrared imagery captured by NASA hours after the eruption provides overwhelming satellite evidence that the Nabro eruption caused a sizable and direct volcanic impact on the stratosphere. Read more...

NRL's Dr. George Carruthers Honored with
National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Donna McKinney — Mon, 4 Feb 2013 6:00 EDT

NRL scientist Dr. George Carruthers has received the 2012 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. This is the nation's highest honor for technology achievement, and it is bestowed by the president of the United States upon America's leading innovators. Read more...

NASA's SDO Provides First Sightings of How a CME Forms

NRL Public Affairs Office — Fri, 1 Feb 2013 16:00 EDT

NRL scientists see a flux rope on the sun for the very first time. Read more...

Dr. Melinda Peng Elected Fellow of the American Meteorological Society

Donna McKinney — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 6:00 EDT

Dr. Melinda Peng, a meteorologist at NRL's Marine Meteorology Division in Monterey, California, has been elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. Read more...

NRL Designs Multi-Junction Solar Cell to Break Efficiency Barrier

Daniel Parry — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 6:00 EDT

Research at the Electronics Technology and Science Division has produced a novel, realistically achievable, lattice-matched, multi-junction solar cell design with the potential to break the 50 percent power conversion efficiency barrier. Read more...

NRL's SECCHI Captures Super-Elastic Collision of
Coronal Mass Ejections

Donna McKinney — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 6:00 EDT

Scientists at NRL and the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, China, captured the super-elastic collision of two coronal mass ejections in the heliosphere. They recorded the surprising event using the Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation SECCHI suite onboard NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory STEREO. Read more...

Arthur Merat Receives Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Donna McKinney — Mon, 7 Jan 2013 6:00 EDT

NRL electronics technician Arthur Merat has received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his work at the Midway Research Center, an NRL satellite calibration facility located in Stafford, Virginia. Read more...

Naval Research Laboratory's Top Stories of 2012

John Ohab — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:05 EDT

NRL published more than 100 news stories in 2012, covering scientific and technical achievements in solar power, ocean optics, space, robotics, and more. Read more...

NRL-WISE Hosts NIST Physicist Dr. Katharine Gebbie

Claire Peachey — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:15 EDT

Dr. Katharine Blodgett Gebbie. director of NISTs Physical Measurement Laboratory, gave an illuminating presentation about physicist Dr. Katharine Burr Blodgett 1898-1979, a pioneer in molecular film technology, inventor of nonreflective glass, and above all, Dr. Gebbies aunt and inspiration. Read more...

NRL Scientist Tackles JEOPARDY! Quiz Show

Donna McKinney — Thu, 6 Dec 2012 6:00 EDT

Keith Whitener, a researcher in the Chemistry Division, had a successful run on the television quiz show, Jeopardy!, winning seven games and qualifying for the Tournament of Champions. Read more...

Dr. Stephen P. Obenschain Receives Fusion Power Associates Leadership Award

Daniel Parry — Wed, 5 Dec 2012 6:00 EDT

Presented at Fusion Power Associates annual meeting and symposium the award is given to individuals who have shown outstanding leadership qualities in accelerating the development of fusion. Read more...

NRL-SSC Transitions New Ice Model to Navy

Donna McKinney — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 6:00 EDT

Scientists have played a key role in the development and now transition of the Arctic Cap Nowcast Forecast System ACNFS from research to operational Navy use. Read more...

David Lalejini Receives Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Donna McKinney — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 6:00 EDT

David Lalejini, a physical scientist, has received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his performance as research and development lead in transitioning a Piracy Attack Risk Surface product. Read more...

Dr. Robert E. Morris Receives the NRL Sigma Xi Applied Science Award

Donna McKinney — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 6:00 EDT

Dr. Robert E. Morris, a researcher in the Chemistry Division, is the 2012 recipient of the NRL-Edison Chapter Sigma Xi Applied Science Award. He is cited for his work in coupling novel chemometric algorithms with state-of-the-art analytic methods to provide advanced diagnostic and prognostics of Navy mobility fuels. Read more...

Dr. Marc Christophersen Receives 2012 Sigma Xi
Young Investigator Award

Donna McKinney — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 6:00 EDT

Dr. Marc Christophersen, a physical scientist in the Space Science Division, is the recipient of the 2012 Young Investigator Award from the NRL-Edison Chapter of the Sigma Xi. He is recognized for "ground-breaking designs in high-energy radiation detector systems utilizing nanofabrication techniques." Read more...

Dr. Igor Vurgaftman Receives NRL Sigma Xi Award for Pure Science

Daniel Parry — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 6:00 EDT

The NRL-Edison Chapter Sigma Xi Pure Science Award is in recognition of innovative concepts and designs that have significantly advanced state-of-the-art semiconductor lasers, photodetectors and other infrared devices. Read more...

NRL Scientists Detect Carbon Dioxide Accumulation
at the Edge of Space

Donna McKinney — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:00 EDT

A team of scientists from NRL, Old Dominion University, and the University of Waterloo reports the first direct evidence that emissions of carbon dioxide caused by human activity are propagating upward to the highest regions of the atmosphere. Read more...

Dr. James Hansen Receives Navy Meritorious Civilian Award

Daniel Parry — Tue, 6 Nov 2012 9:30 EDT

Dr. James Hansen, physical scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Meteorological Applications Development Branch, the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award. Dr. Hansen receives the award for meritorious performance of service as research and development lead in the Piracy Attack Risk Surface PARS project. Read more...

Navy Researchers Look to Rotating Detonation Engines to Power the Future

Donna McKinney — Fri, 2 Nov 2012 7:00 EDT

At NRL, scientists are studying the complex physics of Rotating Detonation Engines which offer the potential for high dollar savings by way of reduced fuel consumption in gas-turbine engines. Read more...

Navy Oceanographers Delve Deeper in Wave Data to Improve Forecasts

Daniel Parry — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 7:00 EDT

The U.S. Navy has one of the most active and vital operational oceanography programs in the world. With a greater understanding of wave mechanics, scientists can improve wave forecasts in oceans around the globe. Read more...

NRL-SSC Scientists Receive Awards for Inventions and Patents

Donna McKinney — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 9:30 EDT

Four NRL researchers received PEARL Awards for their intellectual property discoveries and achievements. Read more...

NRL Researchers Discover New Route to Spin-Polarized Contacts on Silicon

Donna McKinney — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL scientists have demonstrated that graphene can serve as a low resistance spin-polarized tunnel barrier contact, which successfully enables spin injection/detection in silicon from a ferromagnetic metal. This discovery clears an important hurdle to the development of future semiconductor spintronic devices. Read more...

NRL's Ms. Judy Hope Honored by Department of the Navy

Amanda Bowie — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:00 EDT

The Department of the Navy honored Ms. Judy Hope with the Purchase Card Program Level V Agency Program Coordinator of the Year 2012 Silver Award for her outstanding work as a supply system analyst in the Supply and Information Services Division at NRL. Read more...

Naval Research Laboratory Dedicates Marine Meteorology Center

Dick Thompson — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:45 EDT

NRL senior officials were joined by The Honorable Sam Farr, U.S. Representative for California's 17th Congressional District, for the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the Marine Meteorology DIvision's new 15,000-square-foot Marine Meteorology Center research facility on Friday, October 12. Read more...

Naval Research Laboratory voted a "Best Diversity Company 2012"

Donna McKinney — Mon, 1 Oct 2012 9:00 EDT

NRL has been named a Best Diversity Company 2012 by Diversity/Careers Magazine. Read more...

Fueling the Fleet, Navy Looks to the Seas

Daniel Parry — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 7:00 EDT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory are developing a process to extract carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen gas from seawater, subsequently converting the gases into jet fuel by a gas-to-liquids process. Read more...

Dr. Paul Bernhardt Honored with NRL's E.O. Hulburt Award

Donna McKinney — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 7:00 EDT

Dr. Paul Bernhardt, a supervisory research physicist at NRL, has been honored with the 2011 E.O. Hulburt Award, the highest award the NRL Commanding Officer can confer on an NRL civilian employee. Read more...

NRL Demonstrates High Durability of Nanotube Transistors to the Harsh Space Environment

Daniel Parry — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 7:00 EDT

Investigating the effects of prolonged exposure to radiation that exists in the charged particle belts that encircle Earth, NRL researchers demonstrate the ability of single walled carbon nanotube transistors to survive harsh radiation environments. Read more...

Dr. Gurpartap Sandhoo Receives Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Donna McKinney — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 7:00 EDT

Dr. Gurpartap Sandhoo has been honored with the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award recognizing his service as the Chief of Naval Research's Science and Technology Liaison to the Director, Naval Warfare Integration Group. Read more...

Dr. Berend Jonker Receives Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Senior Professional

Donna McKinney — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 7:00 EDT

Dr. Berend Jonker, Senior Scientist for Magnetoelectronics at NRL, has received the 2011 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Senior Professional. Read more...

NRL Researchers Use Unmanned Aircraft to Probe Hurricane Outflow Jets

Daniel Parry — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 7:00 EDT

Observing hurricanes from a unique vantage point, the Global Hawk is an ideal platform to probe storms from the surface to the outflow layer providing an unprecedented opportunity to unravel some of the mysteries underlying hurricane intensity change. Read more...

NRL Supports 8th Annual CanSat Competition

Donna McKinney — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:00 EDT

NRL supported the 8th annual CanSat competition where 26 college rocket teams came together from all over the world to compete. Read more...

NRL Change of Command: Captain Anthony Ferrari relieves Captain Paul C. Stewart

Dick Thompson — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:00 EDT

Captain Anthony Ferrari, USN, assumed the duties NRL's thirty-seventh Commanding Officer during a formal Change of Command ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, August 30, 2012. Read more...

Navy Supports Science Teachers with Summer Training Camp

Shannon Breland — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL-SSC hosted science teachers for the 2012 Materials Camp teacher training. The five-day workshop provided novel hands-on demos and experiments for the teachers. Read more...

TacSat-4 Participates in Navy Fleet Experiment Trident Warrior

Daniel Parry — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

Sponsored by Navy Warfare Development Command, the three-week Trident Warrior Experiment included NRL TacSat-4 SATCOM testing and training aboard the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship, USS Essex LHD 2, the U.S. Navy submarine USS Olympia SSN 717 and at the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity at Camp Pendleton. Read more...

NRL Researchers Observe Bright Arctic Clouds Formed by Exhaust from the Final Space Shuttle Launch

Donna McKinney — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL scientist Dr. Michael Stevens is leading an international consortium of scientists in tracking the rapid transport of the exhaust plume from the final launch of the space shuttle in July 2011. Read more...

SEAP Students at NRL-SSC Conclude Internships, Present Summer Work

Shannon Breland — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

At NRL's field site located at Stennis Space Center, 10 young interns learned a lot about science and engineering by taking part in the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program this summer. Read more...

Kathy Chapman and NRL-SSC Recognize Gulf Coast Technology Innovation Potential

Shannon Breland — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

Kathy Chapman, assistant counsel for patents, at NRL-SSC, is working to connect NRL technologies with new businesses in the Gulf Coast region. Read more...

NRL's Jill Dahlburg Appointed Chair-Elect of APS Mid-Atlantic Section

Donna McKinney — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

Jill Dahlburg, Superintendent of NRL's Space Science Division, has been appointed as the inaugural Chair Elect and Chair of the Program Committee for the new American Physical Society Mid-Atlantic Section Read more...

NRL-SSC Midshipmen Interns Gain Oceanographic and Survey Experience

Donna McKinney — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:00 EDT

Two U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen recently completed summer internships working at the Marine Geosciences Division, located at Naval Research Laboratory - Stennis Space Center. Read more...

NRL Research Scientist Dr. Keith Knipling Honored with Presidential Award

Daniel Parry — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 9:00 EDT

In an award ceremony at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Science and Technology Advisor John Holdren presented the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers to the 96 outstanding researchers before they met with President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House. Read more...

NRL Research Library Team Recognized for Excellence in Mission Support

Donna McKinney — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

Staff members working in NRL's Ruth H. Hooker Research Library have been honored with the NRL Award for Excellence in Mission Support. Read more...

NRL Recognized in FY 2011 DoD Value Engineering Achievement Awards

Donna McKinney — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL scientists, Drs. Bernard Phlips and Chul Gwon, are recognized for their active role in simulation support for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Read more...

Dr. John McCormack Receives 2011 Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for Geophysical Research Letters

Donna McKinney — Mon, 6 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL's Dr. John McCormack has been selected to receive the 2011 Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for Geophysical Research Letters. Read more...

NRL Scientist Builds Model of LASR Facility: One LEGO at a Time

Donna McKinney — Fri, 3 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL researcher builds LEGO model of newly opened Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research. Read more...

Dr. Lenny Tender Receives the Arthur S. Flemming Award

Daniel Parry — Wed, 1 Aug 2012 7:00 EDT

Established in 1948, the Arthur S. Flemming Award honors outstanding federal workers in the categories of applied science, engineering and mathematics, research, and managerial or legal achievement. Read more...

Navy Scientists Demonstrate Breakthrough in Tunnel Barrier Technology

Donna McKinney — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

Scientists at NRL have demonstrated, for the first time, the use of graphene as a tunnel barrier - an electrically insulating barrier between two conducting materials through which electrons tunnel quantum mechanically. Read more...

Navy Researchers Sail Down Under to Study Internal Tides with AUVs

Donna McKinney — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

A team of ten NRL scientists from the Oceanography Division, along with researchers from the Australian Institute for Marine Science, the University of Western Australia and the University of Tasmania, have worked on an internal wave project off the northwestern coast of Australia, near one of the most active locations for internal tides in the world. Read more...

Mr. Keith Lucas Honored with Captain Robert Dexter Conrad Award

Donna McKinney — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

Mr. Keith Lucas, a materials research engineer at NRL, is honored with this year's Captain Robert Dexter Conrad Award for his research in marine corrosion control and prevention. Read more...

Scientists Bring Low Frequency, 'First Light' to the Jansky Very Large Array

Daniel Parry — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

Through the combined expertise of NRL and National Radio Astronomy Observatory scientists and engineers, a new, modern, wide-band receiver system has been developed and is being deployed onboard the JVLA. Read more...

Scientific Development Squadron ONE Commander Steingold Receives Meritorious Service Medal

Daniel Parry — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

Commander Steingold's distinguished leadership and sustained superior performance has been critical to the continued success of the United State's Navy's sole airborne science & technology research squadron. His actions directly enabled the execution of over 1,200 Class A mishap free flight hours in support of Office of Naval Research and Naval Research Laboratory missions. Read more...

NRL Brings Inertia of Space to Robotics Research

Daniel Parry — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 4:00 EDT

To emulate the classical mechanics of physics found in space on full-scale replica spacecraft on Earth, researchers at the Spacecraft Engineering Department's space robotics research facility have added a 'one-of-a-kind' precision honed Gravity Offset Table. Read more...

NRL Leads NASA Team Workshop on "Coronal Mass Ejection Initiation"

Donna McKinney — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

Dr. Mark Linton recently convened a workshop exploring coronal mass ejections. Dr. Linton is currently leading a NASA Living with a Star Targeted Research & Technology team that is tasked by NASA to study solar coronal mass ejection initiation. Read more...

Dr. Francis Klemm Receives the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award

Daniel Parry — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Aeronautical Engineer, Dr. Francis Klemm, is recognized for outstanding contributions made to U.S. Navy war-fighting capabilities in electronic warfare. Read more...

Dr. E. Joseph Friebele Named Fellow of The Optical Society of America

Donna McKinney — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL's Dr. E. Joseph Friebele has been elevated to the rank of Fellow Member in OSA - The Optical Society of America. He is recognized for significant contributions to the science of radiation effects in glass and optical fibers and their underlying defect centers. Read more...

Dr. Phillip Sprangle Receives Fred E. Saalfeld Award

Daniel Parry — Thu, 5 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

Named in honor of Dr. Fred E. Saalfeld, executive director and technical director for ONR from 1993 to 2002, the award recognizes naval research scientists for extraordinary lifetime achievements in science. Read more...

Dr. Karl Gerlach Honored with 2012 Dennis Picard Medal for Contributions to Radar Research

Donna McKinney — Tue, 3 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL retiree Dr. Karl Gerlach has been honored with the 2012 Dennis Picard Medal for his contributions to radar signal processing, clutter modeling, and electronic protection. Read more...

NRL Researchers Win Bowen Patent Invention Award for Hydrophone Transduction Mechanism

Donna McKinney — Mon, 2 Jul 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL researchers are recognized with the Bowen Invention Award for hydrophone transduction mechanism. Read more...

NRL Celebrates its 89th Birthday

Donna McKinney — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:00 EDT

The Naval Research Laboratory is celebrating a birthday - 89 years young. Read more...

LCDR Kurt Parsons Honored with Meritorious Service Medal

Donna McKinney — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

LCDR Kurt Parsons was honored with the Meritorious Service Medal at the time of his retirement from the Navy on April 27, 2012. Read more...

Ms. Cathy Wyatt Receives Commanding Officer's Award for Excellence in Secretarial Support

Donna McKinney — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:00 EDT

Ms. Cathy Wyatt, who works in the Electronics Science and Technology Division at NRL, has received the Commanding Officer's Award for Excellence in Secretarial Support. Read more...

Drs. Ishwar Aggarwal and Jas Sanghera Receive Arthur E. Bisson Prize for Naval Technology Achievement Award

Daniel Parry — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

Cmdr. Wright Welcomed as New Commanding Officer of Scientific Development Squadron ONE

Daniel Parry — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL announces Cmdr. Stacey K. Wright as the new Commanding Officer of Scientific Development Squadron ONE VXS-1, the elite military squadron responsible for supporting a wide range of scientific research projects that contribute to naval research. Read more...

NRL Scientists Track Individual Raindrops Inside Clouds

Donna McKinney — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:00 EDT

To better understand the dynamics and structure of cloud systems, NRL scientists are leading a multi-agency study, which reveals that a very high-resolution Doppler radar has the unique capacity to detect individual cloud hydrometeors in the free atmosphere. Read more...

NRL Scientists Propose Mitigation Concept of LEO Debris

Daniel Parry — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

Hundreds of near misses occur each year between orbital debris and operational satellites, physicist and engineers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Plasma Physics Division and Naval Center for Space Technology are researching a technique to 'sweep' Low Earth Orbit debris from space. Read more...

NRL Scientist Honored in Naming of Astronomical Body

Daniel Parry — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

Head of NRL's Nanoscale Materials Section, Dr. Rhonda Stroud receives the honor of being forever acknowledged by novice and professional astronomers alike as '8468 Rhondastroud.' Read more...

NRL Materials Engineer Receives Navy Meritorious Award

Daniel Parry — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Materials Research Engineer, Keith Lucas, receives the 2012 Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for comprehensive research in marine corrosion mitigation and effective cost-saving transfer to the U.S. Navy. Read more...

NRL Researchers Develop Improved Non-Skid Coating for Shipboard Applications

Donna McKinney — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

Scientists in the Chemistry Division at NRL have developed a novel two-component siloxane-based non-skid coating for use on flight-decks and walk-ways of U.S. Navy ships. Read more...

Dr. Melvin Kruer Honored with 2012 Levinstein Award

Donna McKinney — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

Dr Melvin R Kruer, the Senior Scientist for Electro-Optic Sensors at NRL, has been honored with the 2012 Levinstein Award for his contributions in the field of infrared device technology. Read more...

Photovoltaic Cells Tap Underwater Solar Energy

Daniel Parry — Thu, 7 Jun 2012 7:40 EDT

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Electronics Science and Technology Division, develop solar cells capable of producing sufficient power to operate electronic sensor systems underwater at depths of 9 meters. Read more...

Dr. Paul Lane Elected Fellow of the SPIE

Donna McKinney — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL's Dr. Paul Lane, a research physicist in the Optical Physics Branch, Optical Sciences Division, has been elected as a Fellow of the SPIE. Read more...

NRL Physicist Elected 2012 SPIE Fellow

Daniel Parry — Fri, 1 Jun 2012 9:00 EDT

Dr. Alan Schaum, theoretical physicist, Optical Sciences Division, is elected 2012 Fellow by the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers SPIE Read more...

NRL Hosts "Take Our Children to Work Day" Event

Donna McKinney — Fri, 25 May 2012 7:00 EDT

The Naval Research Laboratory hosted its annual Take Our Children to Work Day event with 140 children registered to attend the program. Read more...

Dr. C. Michael Roland Receives the 2012 Charles Goodyear Medal

Donna McKinney — Mon, 21 May 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL's Dr. C. Michael Roland has been chosen to receive the 2012 Charles Goodyear Medal, the most prestigious award given by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society. Read more...

NRL RAIDS Experiment Advances Ionospheric Remote Sensing

Donna McKinney — Thu, 17 May 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL scientists have obtained a first-ever measured altitude profile of a dim extreme-ultraviolet terrestrial airglow emission. This provides vital information needed to test and improve the accuracy of advanced techniques for remote sensing of the daytime ionosphere. Read more...

Dr. Megan Sassin Honored by American Chemical Society with Rising Star Award

Donna McKinney — Mon, 14 May 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL's Megan Sassin has been honored by the American Chemical Society with a Rising Star Award, that recognizes exceptional mid-career women chemists. Read more...

Dr. Baruch Levush Receives IEEE Harry Diamond Award

Daniel Parry — Mon, 7 May 2012 8:00 EDT

Acting Superintendent of the Electronics Science and Technology Division, Dr. Baruch Levush, is the 2011 recipient of the IEEE-USA Harry Diamond Memorial Award for contributions and leadership in the modeling and design of vacuum electronic devices. Read more...

NRL Charges Marine Corps Expeditionary Power Requirements

Daniel Parry — Thu, 3 May 2012 14:30 EDT

The need to supply sufficient electricity to Marines on the battlefield is the overarching objective of the USMC Expeditionary Energy Strategy. Researchers at NRL's Electronics Science and Technology Division are developing flexible, lightweight and efficient photovoltaic cells that will reduce energy supply needs and increase the effectiveness of forward deployed forces. Read more...

NRL Intern from Naval Academy Presents Summer Work at AGU OS12

Shannon Breland — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 7:00 EDT

Midshipman First Class Abigail M. Ellis presented work from her summer internship with NRL's Seafloor Sciences Branch at the American Geophysical Union Ocean Sciences Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 20-24. Read more...

NRL Voted as a Top Place to Work for Postdocs

Donna McKinney — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 9:00 EDT

In a survey recently conducted by The Scientist magazine, the Naval Research Laboratory ranked 17th among U.S. institutions as the best places to work for postdocs. Read more...

Space Shuttle Discovery Flies Over Washington

Public Affairs Office — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:21 EDT

NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery mounted atop flew above various parts of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Naval Research Laboratory, on Tuesday, April 17. Read more...

NRL Oceanographer Coaches Junior High Robotics Team

Shannon Breland — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 9:00 EDT

NRL-Stennis oceanographer Dr. Clark Rowley recently spent 80 hours over 10 weeks playing with LEGO blocks, teaching junior high students how to build robots. Read more...

NRL Researchers Discover New Solar Feature

Donna McKinney — Mon, 9 Apr 2012 9:00 EDT

NRL scientists have discovered a previously unreported solar feature - Coronal Cells - where high-temperature coronal emission is confined to discrete plumes that extend upward from unipolar concentrations of magnetic flux. They think future studies of these regions will lead to an improved understanding of magnetic field line reconnection at the boundaries of coronal holes, and how these changes are transmitted outward into the solar wind. Read more...

Experiment Explores Optics with iPad

Shannnon Breland — Fri, 6 Apr 2012 7:00 EDT

NRL-Stennis researchers team with Florida Atlantic University researchers to explore ocean optics. Read more...

Dr. Debra Rolison Receives Dual Honors for Advancements in Chemistry

Daniel Parry — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 7:00 EDT

Receiving two awards in the science of chemistry, Dr. Debra Rolison is recognized by the Society of Electroanalytical Chemists for outstanding contributions to analytical chemistry and by the Chemical Society of Washington for expanding the scientific frontier of nanostructured materials. Read more...

Dr. Frances Ligler Elected to American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineer's College of Fellows

Donna McKinney — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 8:00 EST

NRL's Dr. Frances Ligler has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's College of Fellows. She's honored 'for engineering automated biosensors for fast, on-site detection of pathogens, toxins, pollutants, drugs of abuse, and explosives.' Read more...

NRL Scientists Identify New Coupling Mode Between Stratosphere and Ionosphere

Donna McKinney — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:00 EDT

Scientists at NRL have identified a new mode of coupling between the stratosphere - which can drive variations at the summer mesopause - and the ionosphere, thereby establishing a new means where changes in the stratosphere can impact space weather. Read more...

NRL Scientists Optimize Arctic Sea Ice Data Products

Daniel Parry — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 7:00 EDT

Recent dramatic changes in the characteristics of the Arctic sea ice cover have sparked the demand for improved monitoring and forecasting. NRL and NASA are collecting data to aid in the validation and calibration for the development of predictive sea ice models. Read more...

Dr. Brett Dunlap named American Physical Society Fellow

Donna McKinney — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 7:00 EDT

Dr. Brett Dunlap, a research physicist in the Navy Technical Center for Safety and Survivability at the Naval Research Laboratory, has been elected to fellowship in the American Physical Society. Read more...

NRL Tests Robotic Fueling of Unmanned Surface Vessels

Daniel Parry — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 8:00 EDT

Engineers from the Spacecraft Engineering Department successfully demonstrate the Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer RAFT system, designed for the autonomous transfer of fuel to unmanned surface vehicles at sea. Read more...

White House S&T Advisor the Honorable Dr. John Holdren Tours Naval Research Laboratory

Daniel Parry — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00 EDT

Science and Technology advisor to President Barack Obama provides opening remarks at ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating the Navy's premier Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research. Read more...

Naval Research Laboratory Opens Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research

Donna McKinney — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:00 EDT

NRL has opened its Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research. This new facility will integrate science and technology components into research prototype systems and will become the nerve center for basic research that supports autonomous systems research for the Navy and Marine Corps. Read more...

Inside NRL's Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research

Donna McKinney — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:00 EDT

Alan Schultz, Director of NRL's new Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research, talks about the cutting-edge capabilities of the new facility. Read more...

NRL's CT-Analyst Operational Demo Delivered to Hamburg Germany Fire Brigade

Donna McKinney — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 7:00 EDT

CT-Analyst, NRL's rapid urban plume modeling and hazard assessment system, was handed over to the chief of the Hamburg Fire Brigade in a recent ceremony held at the City Hall in Hamburg, Germany. Read more...

TacSat-4 Enables Polar Region SatCom Experiment

Daniel Parry — Fri, 9 Mar 2012 7:30 EST

On mission in the Bering Sea, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter HEALY participates in tests of TacSat-4 communications. Read more...

NRL Designs Robot for Shipboard Firefighting

Donna McKinney — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 11:30 EST

To help further improve future shipboard firefighting, scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory have formed an interdisciplinary team to develop a humanoid robot that could fight fires on the next generation of combatants. Read more...

Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate Michael W. Seal Commissioned

Donna McKinney — Fri, 2 Mar 2012 10:00 EST

The Naval Research Laboratory held a commissioning ceremony on February 1, 2012 for Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate Michael W. Seal. Read more...

Pioneering NRL Physicist had Tuskegee Ties

Daniel Parry — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:00 EST

Shortly after World War II, the Navy began exploring the science of superconductivity. Around that same time, physicist Dr. Warren Elliot Henry had been seeking to continue research in cryogenics and magnetism. Read more...

Dr. Phillip Sprangle Honored with Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Donna McKinney — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:00 EST

Dr. Philip Sprangle, Senior Scientist for Directed Energy Physics at the Naval Research Laboratory, receives the Meritorious Civilian Service Award. Read more...

Meeting the Challenges of Spacecraft Research at NRL

John Ohab — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 7:00 EST

It takes a team to get to space, and John Schaub knows that. As superintendent of the Spacecraft Engineering Department in the Naval Research Laboratory's Naval Center for Space Technology, Schaub leads a highly skilled team of engineers, scientists, and technicians in the execution of cutting-edge spacecraft research and development programs relevant to the needs of the Department of the Navy and Department of Defense. Read more...

Hart Middle School Students Sample a Day at NRL

Donna McKinney — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:00 EST

NRL hosted a visit of 40 students from Hart Middle School, located in Washington, D.C. The students attended a program sponsored by NRL'S Diversity Committee in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Read more...

Scientists Chart High-Precision Map of Milky Way's Magnetic Fields

Donna McKinney — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 10:30 EST

Scientists at NRL are part of an international team that has pooled their radio observations into a database, producing the highest precision map to date of the magnetic field within our own Milky Way galaxy. Read more...

Scientists See "Sloshing" Galaxy Cluster

Donna McKinney — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 9:30 EST

An NRL scientist is part of a team that has recently discovered that vast clouds of hot gas are sloshing in Abell 2052, a galaxy cluster located about 480 million light years from Earth. Read more...

NRL's SoloHI Instrument Selected for Flight on Solar Orbiter Mission

Donna McKinney — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00 EST

NRL's Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager SoloHI, part of the Solar Orbiter mission, is headed for space. Read more...

Dr. Brian Bennett Named a Fellow of the American Physical Society

Donna McKinney — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 7:00 EST

Dr. Brian Bennett has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Bennett is recognized for pioneering contributions to the epitaxial growth, characterization, and design of narrow band-gap semiconductor heterostructures. Read more...

Karl Battams Co-authors Paper in Science

Donna McKinney — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:00 EST

Karl Battams has a paper published in the 20 January 2012 issue of Science reporting the observation of a Kreutz-group comet within the solar atmosphere. Read more...

Dr. Bradley Ringeisen Honored with Commanding Officer's Award for Achievement in the Field of Equal Employment Opportunity

Donna McKinney — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 7:00 EST

Research chemist Dr. Bradley Ringeisen has received the Commanding Officer's Award for Achievement in the Field of Equal Employment Opportunity for Supervisory Employees. Read more...

Dr. Robert H. Evans Recognized with Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Donna McKinney — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00 EST

Dr. Robert Evans receives Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his leadership in developing effective and novel electronic warfare technologies. Read more...

Dr. Weilin Hou and Mr. Bob Arnone Selected to Chair
SPIE Ocean Sensing and Monitoring IV

Donna McKinney — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 7:00 EST

Dr. Weilin Hou and Mr. Bob Arnone, oceanographers NRL-Stennis Space Center, will chair the International Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers SPIE Defense Security and Sensing's fourth Ocean Sensing and Monitoring conference in April 2012. Read more...

Naval Oceanography Admiral Visits NRL-SSC

Donna McKinney — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 15:00 EST

Rear Adm. Jonathan White, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, visited NRL at Stennis Space Center, Miss., on Monday, Dec. 5. Read more...

The Naval Research Laboratory's Most Popular Stories of 2011

John Ohab — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 10:30 EST

The Naval Research Laboratory published nearly 100 news stories in 2011, covering topics ranging from robotics to climate change to bio-molecular science and engineering. Here is a look back at NRL's 11 most viewed stories of 2011. Read more...

NRL-SSC Personnel Embark USNS Pathfinder

Donna McKinney — Thu, 5 Jan 2012 7:00 EST

Five NRL scientists and staff members were recently afforded the unique opportunity to embark a Navy oceanographic survey ship for a cruise and return home the same day. Read more...

Navy Researchers Investigate Small-Scale Autonomous Planetary Explorers

Daniel Parry — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 12:00 EST

NRL scientists are investigating the usability of a microbial fuel cell to power a small microrover. Small microrovers with this power system could one day support long-duration research studies on planetary surfaces without the need for large solar panels or complex power systems. Read more...