A QUARTERLY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOLUME … · A QUARTERLY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL...

A QUARTERLY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT JOURNALVOLUME 5, NO. 2

HomelandSecurity

Terrorism:How vulnerable are we?

Conventional explosives:Unconventional solutions

S A N D I A T E C H N O L O G Y

Sandia Technology is a quarterly journal published bySandia National Laboratories. Sandia is a multiprogramengineering and science laboratory operated by SandiaCorporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for theDepartment of Energy. With main facilities in Albuquerque,New Mexico, and Livermore, California, Sandia has broad-based research and development responsibilities for nuclearweapons, arms control, energy, the environment, economiccompetitiveness, and other areas of importance to the needsof the nation. The Laboratories’ principal mission is tosupport national defense policies, by ensuring that thenuclear weapon stockpile meets the highest standards ofsafety, reliability, security, use control, and militaryperformance. For more information on Sandia, see ourWeb site at http://www.sandia.gov.

To request additional copies or to subscribe, contact:Michelle FlemingMedia Relations Communications Dept.MS 0165Sandia National LaboratoriesP.O. Box 5800Albuquerque, NM 87185-0165Voice: (505) 844-4902Fax: (505) 844-1392e-mail: [email protected]

Sandia Technology Staff:Laboratory Directed Research & Development Program Manager: Henry WestrichMedia Relations and Communications Department Manager: Bruce FetzerEditor: Will Keener, Sandia National LaboratoriesWriting: Chris Burroughs, Nancy Garcia, Neal Singer, John German, Michael JanesPhotography: Randy J. Montoya, Bud Pelletier, Bill Doty, Sandia National LaboratoriesDesign: Douglas Prout, Technically Write

What is ?

Sandia's world-class science, technology, andengineering work define the Labs’ value to thenation. These capabilities must remain on the cuttingedge, because the security of the U.S. dependsdirectly upon them. Sandia's Laboratory DirectedResearch and Development ( ) Programprovides the flexibility to invest in long-term, high-risk, and potentially high-payoff research anddevelopment that stretch the Labs’ science andtechnology capabilities. supports Sandia's four primary strategicbusiness objectives: nuclear weapons;nonproliferation and materials assessment; energyand infrastructure assurance; and militarytechnologies and applications; and an emergingstrategic objective in homeland security. alsopromotes creative and innovative research anddevelopment by funding projects that arediscretionary, short term, and often high risk,attracting exceptional research talent from acrossmany disciplines. When the symbol appears in this issue,it indicates that at some state in the history of thetechnology or program, funding played acritical role.

On the Cover:Sandia National Laboratories is involved in the development of manytechnologies that may prove helpful to homeland defense. In thisphoto, researcher Doug Adkins works on a wind-tunnel test of"SnifferStarTM," a device used to detect harmful agents from anairborne platform. SnifferstarTM is one of a series of tools that havespun off of early Sandia "laboratory-on-a-chip" research and are nowfinding useful niches in the war against terrorism. (Sandia Photo by Randy Montoya)

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Dear Readers, This issue of SandiaTechnology explores a timely, yetworrisome topic — our homelandsecurity. Images of September11, 2001, will stir terrible memoriesin many of us for years to come.At the same time, the reaction ofAmericans to this tragic dayspeaks volumes about ournational spirit. Sandia’s reactionshave reflected this national trend.As you will learn in this issue,Sandia researchers were quick tohelp in a number of short-termprojects, including search-and-rescue efforts at the WorldTrade Center. But it is in the long-term,systematic approach to issues ofnational importance that Sandiaand the network of Departmentof Energy national laboratoriesexcel. This issue details some ofour continuing efforts. John German, a member ofthe Media Relations andCommunications staff at Sandia,was a major contributor to thisissue. So too were Mike Janesand Nancy Garcia of our Californiasite. Many others also helped,working with a dedicated technicalstaff in pursuit of answers to thetroubling questions posed indefending our homeland. Finally, new assistant secretaryPenrose Albright looks at how theDepartment of Homeland Securityand the national laboratories canbe the most productive in thislong-term effort — truly a war onterrorism — that has only justbegun.

Will KeenerEditor

F R O M T H EEditor

T A B L E O FContents

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5

6

8

14

15

17

18

18

19

23

25

26

Trial by Fire

Organizing forthe Challenge

Ready or Not

Terrorism: HowVulnerable Are We?

Unchecked Cargo:Assessing the Threat

Conventional Explosives:Unconventional Solutions

Robots to the Rescue

“Souping up”Detection Hardware

Shoe Bombs Disabled

Detecting New Weaponsof Terror

Airport Tests Bio/ChemTechnologies

Master’s Degree inNational Security

DOE’s National Laboratoriesand Homeland SecurityBy Penrose C. Albright

INSIGHTS

“Like most Americans, the peopleof Sandia National Laboratories responded,”Sandia president and director C. PaulRobinson told a Congressional committee ofthe Labs’ reaction to September 11, 2001.“As a result of strategic planning and theprior investment of resources for emergingthreats, Sandia was in a position toimmediately address some urgent needs,”he added. As the nation approaches the secondanniversary of that horrible day, the response

from Sandia’s senior managers, researchers,and supporting staff has become moreorganized, more focused on key areas, butis certainly no less passionate. Robinson outlined for Congress a numberof short-term responses by Sandia to terroristwarfare. They included:

• Dispatch of emergency personnel toNew York’s “Ground Zero.” Amongthose helping were a small teamproviding instruments for K-9 rescueunits. These instruments allowed dogs

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Trial byFIRE

entering spaces in the World Trade Centerwreckage inaccessible to humans totransmit live video and audio to rescuers.

• Supplying decontamination foam,developed by Sandia chemists, to helpeliminate anthrax in the Hart, Dirksenand Ford buildings on Capitol Hill andat other impacted sites.

• Assistance with real-time syntheticaperture radar (SAR) systems for U.S.troops dispatched to trouble spots aroundthe world. SAR systems have operatedunder every U.S. military command,enabling our forces to detect and tracktargets day or night and through inclementweather, as well as giving them a real-time topographical mapping capability.

• Deployment of an array of devicesinvented for disarming terrorist bombs.Law enforcement officials used one suchSandia-developed device to disable shoebombs recovered from accused terroristRichard Reid. He tried to detonate thebombs onboard a trans-Atlantic flight.(See story on page 18.)

These and other contributions to the waragainst terror were possible because of earlyinvestment in capabilities needed to respondto emerging threats, Robinson reported.

Researchers also recognized that a long-term approach to these issues is needed. Theyassessed relevant work under way even beforeSeptember 11, 2001, and began to developsuch an approach last year. While much of this issue of SandiaTechnologies and a significant amount ofcurrent work at the Labs is devoted tohomeland security technologies, attention alsois being paid to an overarching framework forthe conduct of this new war. The frameworkcomes as a result of efforts by Sandia’sAdvanced Concepts Group, under the directionof vice president and principal scientist GerryYonas.

Fear of fire

“At the turn of the 19th century,” explainsYonas, “people lived in fear of fire. Loss oflife was enormous.” But society learned tolive with fire by investing in technology, hecontinues. Today, water sprinklers, heatdetection sensors and fire alarms are routinelyinstalled in public buildings. Advanced Concepts Group member JohnWhitley notes that while technologicaladvances have led to major improvementsin firefighting, the threat of fire has becomemore complex. “Like fire, terrorism will not be a staticthreat. We can count on terrorists using ourvery defensive responses to create new threats,”says Whitley. The Advanced Concepts Group hassuggested that an effective response toterrorism involves “a dynamic system that can

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Sandia’scontributions tothe war against

terror werepossible becauseof early investment

in capabilitiesneeded to respond

to emergingthreats.

Sandia used SAR to produce this digital, accurate terrain mapof Park City, Utah, for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games security.


Sandia’s Richard Sparksdemonstrates K-9 collar

and camera.

re-evaluate and update both the threat and ourvulnerabilities and respond accordingly.” Examples of the Group’s ideas includeapproaches to friendly, secure borders and tobetter understanding the terrorists themselves. Friendly, secure borders: Borders shouldpermit the flow of legitimate trade and travel,while stopping the passage of harmful materialsand agents. To do this a different approach

may be needed with more cooperation fromother nations. Tracking the flow of goodsworldwide can expedite the cross-boundaryflow for some items and improve probabilitiesfor identifying actual contraband. Locating the root causes: While technologycan help minimize damage, they don’t changethe intent of others to harm. Knowledge ofwhat motivates terrorists and what can changetheir behavior is valuable. This calls for anintegration of sociology, group theory, biologyand bioscience, among other disciplines. Onepossible product from this approach could bea software tool for pattern recognition toidentify and track suspicious behavior. From the immediate work of supportingU.S. defenders at home and abroad to the long-term need to change the environments whereterrorism breeds, Sandia is making progress.The articles in this issue outline some ofthese efforts. For more information, links to a numberof Sandia capabilities for homeland securitymay be found at this site:http://www.sandia.gov/capabilities/homeland-security/

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From theimmediate work

of supporting U.S.defenders at homeand abroad to the

long-term needto change theenvironments

where terrorismbreeds, Sandia ismaking progress.

Sandia bomb disablement expert ChrisCherry shows news media a replica of

Richard Reid’s shoe bomb.

Demonstrating Sandia’s decontamination foam.

y the timePresident Bushannounced plans toform a Department ofHomeland Security(DHS) and pronouncedits role as a pre-eminent responsibility

of federal government, Sandia researchers had the message.And they were busy. At the executive level, Sandia Vice President Mim Johnwas named to head a Homeland Security strategic initiativeat the Labs. “The initiative will focus on establishing ourties with the DHS and assure coordination of efforts withinSandia,” she says. She sees development of a robust sponsorshiparrangement between DHS and the Department of Energy,including an effective model for partnering with industryand academia, as an important next step. This will be donein part through the Homeland Security Tri-Lab Council. Thisgroup presently includes Sandia, Lawrence Livermore andLos Alamos national laboratories. Assisting Mim John as Sandia’s lead for the HomelandSecurity Office is T. J. Allard. He is coordinating a full-fledged effort to address security issues. “Sandia startedwork in anti-terrorism following the 1972 Munich Olympics,”

says Allard. “As ever, the Labs todayare focused on tomorrow’sproblems. Now, the problems areeven more challenging thanthose of the past.”

“Our primary mission alwayshas been to ensure the safety, security

and reliability of the nation’s nuclearweapon stockpile. Now many of the

technologies and capabilities we developedfor weapons and nonproliferation programscan support our mission of defending againstterrorist threats,” he says. “Sandia is preparedto support the Department of HomelandSecurity as a core mission at the same time

it continues to support existing missionsand commitments.”

Galvanizing Sandia

Another key to addressing the new threats posed byterrorism has been the Laboratory Directed Research andDevelopment program. “The events of September11, 2001, galvanized Sandia,” says Labs’ Deputy DirectorJoan Woodard. “Sandians responded with an astonishingoutpouring of ideas that could help the country counterterrorist threats, now and in the future.” Based on the outpouring of ideas, the Sandia MissionCouncil in the spring of 2002 selected five “Grand Challenge”projects to represent Sandia’s strategic response to terrorism.The Grand Challenge projects allow Sandiaresearchers to take on critical problems that are muchbigger than any one individual or group could attempt. This year, Sandia leadership agreed to keep the focuson Homeland Security. In May, Woodard announced asenior management decision to defer new Grand Challengeproposals until 2005, instead continuing work on theprojects under way. “Our collective experiences at homeand in the Persian Gulf confirm that Sandia’s GrandChallenge focus on homeland security and the war againstterrorism is the best strategic investment for FY2004,”she announced.

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Organizing for the

Challenge

Mim John

T. J. Allard

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ey decision-makers and governmententities — including public health officials,hospital administrators, a regional FBIWeapons of Mass Destruction expert,emergency management personnel, and mediarepresentatives — gathered in June at Sandia’sWeapons of Mass Destruction DecisionAnalysis Center (WMD-DAC) at Livermore,California. They were facing a simulated crisis:Highly infectious, weapons-grade anthrax hadbeen released in the marina area near Berkeley,California. Two dozen officials with responsibilitiesfor Alameda County and neighboring ContraCosta County actively addressed the problem.They discussed and developed a strategy toapply effective countermeasures to reduce thedestructive impact of the hypothetical anthraxattack. In the background, Sandia researcherswatched, learned and provided informationand news of developments at the marinaand elsewhere. It was just an exercise this time, althoughit could have been the real thing, notes Dr.Tony Iton, who participated in the exercise.“The scenario, while vast in scale, was quiterealistic,” he says. Dr. Iton is the AlamedaCounty Public Health Officer. “This is the first exercise I’ve been in thatactually feels like the real thing to me, becausewe were forced to make some decisionswithout knowing what the outcome would be,”adds Dr. Poki Namkung, City of BerkeleyPublic Health Officer.

Sandia’s Howard Hirano, manager of theLabs’ Advanced Technologies department,and his staff have been developing thesophisticated analysis center tools meant toassist decision-makers involved in emergencyresponse. Commissioned by Vice PresidentMim John three years ago, researchers beganwith the idea that it was only a matter of timeuntil the U.S. suffered a terrorist attack. “TheDepartment of Defense was coming to thesame conclusion and scenarios began to emergerecognizing the likelihood of a big U.S. event,”says Hirano.

Multiple-view concept

Beginning with a broad scope and many,often disconnected, ideas, the late Rich Palmer,a Sandian who worked on the project in itsearly stages, suggested a war game tool to mixhistorical data, real action and virtual play intoan interactive format. In this concept, outcomescould change as events moved along. Later,other Sandia researchers added a multiple-view concept. “We wanted to show the samething from many perspectives,” says Hirano. “If an event like this one were to occur,decision-makers would have to act quicklyand efficiently, but without the luxury of havingall of the information at their fingertipsimmediately,” says Hirano. “What we’re doingis creating the situation ahead of time so that— by playing through various scenarios —the involved decision-makers can examine


READYOR

NOT

by Mike Janes

Systems analyst Dawn Manley (standing) describes the Weapons of Mass Destruction Decision Analysis Centercomputer program to a group of observers. The center uses medical data and sophisticated computer simulationsto provide a realistic response tool for a terrorist event.

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various protection andreaction schemes and figureout what works best underdifferent conditions.” The WMD-DACprogram will help answersome of the more pressingquestions facing decision-makers at all levels, fromcity officials all the way upto the White House:• How much of an emphasis should we place on building up stockpiles

of anthrax prophylaxis?• What portion of our investment should

go into developing a stronger informationnetwork among physicians?

• How important are early warning

sensor technologies?

The hub of the program is Sandia’sVisualization Design Center that allows usersto comprehend complex issues and situationsmore easily. The program utilizes advanceddisplay systems and software that simulate anattack based on real and projected data. For the original Bay area model, researchersintegrated historical information on illnessesand deaths that was obtained from local hospitalreports. Designers used this information toaccurately simulate the impact of medicaltrends. Decision-makers examined and testedresponse strategies using this and other data,such as air measurements and physicians’reports. “The idea is that a public health directoror other key official can take the informationthey learn from the simulated event andintegrate it into their own emergency plans,”says Hirano. Dr. Iton agrees. “The benefits of the planningprocess are in establishing relationships andunderstanding what our various roles are.” This simulation capability began with asix-month “program definition study” —completed in June 2001. Researchers analyzednew threats and the site’s unique capabilitiesin combating those threats. The researchersthen determined that a more integrated approach

was necessary, one that brought together theperspectives of the many decision-makers asthey sought to deal with an event that unfoldsover days and weeks, having to make decisionsalong the way with information that is oftenincomplete.

Many dimensions

While Sandia researchers were examiningthe many dimensions and decisions that arefundamental during a biological attack, theevents of September 2001 — and thesubsequent anthrax deaths — added a senseof urgency to the work. Officials with theDepartment of Energy and Department ofDefense, anticipating the next wave of attacks,sought new strategies to protect citizens. First prototyped for the San Francisco Bayarea, scenarios are now being considered foraddressing other threats and applications.Following a demonstration, Alameda Countyofficials inquired about using the prototype inan exercise. “Even though the capabilities of the currentWMD-DAC prototype are somewhat limited,the simulation has really resonated with thephysicians and other decision-makers we’veworked with to date,” says Hirano. “It’s clearthey’ve thought about the problems anddecisions they’d be faced with during an attack,and consequently they’ve helped us to focuson key details and information they will need.” “I feel this was a tremendous opportunityto not only test out the Sandia system,” saysJim Morrissey, “but also to try our combinedskills and expertise in a particular type ofsimulated event." Morrissey is a disastercoordinator with the Emergency MedicalServices division of the Alameda County PublicHealth Department.

Editor’s Note: Sandia’s Nancy Garcia andBrooke Kuhn, Alameda County Public HealthDepartment, contributed to this article.

The researchersthen determined

that a moreintegrated

approach wasnecessary, one

that broughttogether theperspectivesof the many

decision-makers...

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Public health workers from Alameda County participate in anexercise at Sandia simulating release of anthrax.

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risk assessment of U.S. Mint facilitiesin the mid-1990s may have been Sandia’s firstproject of its kind. Government officials wanteda thorough study of all federal circulation andcommemorative coin manufacturing facilitiesand the bullion depositories to understand thepotential threat to them from terrorism. Theycame to Sandia. “They wanted more than avulnerability assessment,” recalls BettyBiringer, a Sandia risk analysis expert. “Wehad good physical protection effectivenesstools, but they wanted to examine threats andconsequences as well — a full risk assessment.” Shortly after work began on the U.S. Mintrisk analysis, Sandia’s architectural suretyprogram leaders embarked on an analysis ofU.S. dams. Other projects in drinking waterinfrastructure and power transmission systemsfollowed. “Sandia has been recognized as thephysical security research and developmentlab for the Department of Energy complex fora long time,” explains Sandia’s JeffreyDanneels, manager of the Labs’ Civilian SuretyPrograms department. He became involved indeveloping a risk assessment methodologyfor the drinking water infrastructure severalyears ago.

The methodologies are based on formalrisk-assessment tools and techniques originallyused by Sandia to protect nuclear weaponsfacilities, explains Gordon Smith, manager ofthe Labs’ Public Safety Technologiesdepartment. Congressional and presidential requestsfor various infrastructure groups to look atvulnerabilities and risks resulted in severalSandia projects. These, in turn, led to thecreation of a number of valuable assessmentproducts.

Uniqueness a key

Sandia’s reputation for thoroughness andits willingness to go to the field and addressthe uniqueness of a given infrastructure havebrought industry and government leaders toSandia, Danneels adds. “While the coremethodology is the same and some modulesof these tools are similar, there is a lot ofuniqueness in each infrastructure,” he notes.“You have to tailor the assessment tool to theindustry to make it useful.” Sandia’s systems approach to the interlacingweb of infrastructure systems involvesthree steps:

Sandia isaddressing the

protection ofsystems for water

resources, gasand electric

distribution, publictransportation,

national defense,chemical plants,

power generation,and a host ofother critical

infrastructures withsystematic, risk-

based assessmentprocesses.


Terrorism:How vulnerable are we?

A

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• Analysis to understand the potentialthreats, including characterizing the siteto understand security operations andeffectiveness, developing a list of criticalassets, and understanding potentialconsequences (pre-event)

• Addressing the vulnerabilities of theprioritized critical assets identified (event)

• Proposals for dealing with theconsequences of an attack (post-event.)

Each of these steps reduces the likelihoodof a successful attack on a U.S. asset. In thepre-event phase, analysts must understand thetypes of threats. This depends on a vigorousintelligence program to gather informationand work cooperatively with U.S. agencies toanticipate where and how terrorists mightstrike. As an example, one key effort inpreventing a catastrophic attack is to keepweapons of mass destruction — biological,chemical, and nuclear — out of the UnitedStates. Programs under way with theindependent states of the former Soviet Union(FSU) focus on preventing the theft of nuclearmaterials there. Other efforts focus onmonitoring borders and checkpoints and FSUchemical and biological facilities. In the next step, analysts study the layout,security and operations of a given asset. Theylook at potential targets in terms of the possiblethreats determined from step one. Knowingthe most likely forms of attack, they assessvulnerabilities and suggest ways to strengthenprotection systems. These evaluations can bedone by walk-through inspections or insimulated attacks. Evaluations also can bedone using a numerical approach, plottingpotential paths using adversary sequencediagrams and data on the effectiveness ofprotection systems. The latter method is a risk-management approach and results in a morecomplete analysis. If a facility is attacked, responders mustmanage the consequences. In step three,analysts look at actions that can reduce theconsequences of an attack, such as evacuationsand emergency response. From these actions,managers can create a contingency plan.

Drinking water

Jeff Danneels has some answers about howdrinking water systems in this country can remainsecure. And he knows how important thesesystems are. According to a National IntelligenceCouncil report, half of the world’s populationwill lack access to fresh water by 2015, causinggeopolitical tension in many regions in the world. Working with the Environmental ProtectionAgency, the American Water Works AssociationResearch Foundation, and a host of others,Danneels led the effort to develop a program totrain water utility employees to assess thevulnerabilities of their systems and developmeasures to reduce the risks and mitigate theconsequences of a terrorist or criminal attack. Many of the nation’s primary water supplysystems are more than 60 years old and werebuilt without concern for security, explainsDanneels. Further, their different configurationsresult in different security issues for manyutilities. “We started to explore the possibility ofworking to enhance the security of America’swater infrastructure — supply, treatment anddistribution — well before the attacks on theWorld Trade Center and the Pentagon,” saysDanneels. “We put a program in place thatinvolves on-site assessments and trainingsessions for utility personnel.”

Many of thenation’s primary

water supplysystems are morethan 60 years old

and were builtwithout concern for

security. Further,their different

configurationsresult in different

security issues formany utilities.


Jeff Danneels assesses drinkingwater systems.

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To date, hundreds of water utilities haveused the assessment method to analyzepotential threats and plan accordingly.

Dams and power transmission

Operators of dams, hydroelectric facilitiesand power transmission systems in this countrycan make their sites less attractive to terroristsby using a step-by-step security assessmentdeveloped by the Interagency Forum onInfrastructure Protection. The Forum is a teamof government dam owners, transmissionoperators and anti-terrorism experts. Two processes, Risk AssessmentMethodology for Dams and Risk AssessmentMethodology for Transmission, take owners,operators and security managers through adetailed examination of their facilities. Theylook at potential adversaries, vulnerabilities,consequences of attack and existing securityto provide analyses that could lead to securityupgrades. “These processes are much more thanchecklists,” says Rudy Matalucci, formerSandia project leader and currently aconsultant. “They begin with an event youdon’t want to happen, identify who might wantto do it and what their resources are, andquantify how much risk reduction you getwith a given security upgrade. In this way, theprocesses help owners make decisions abouthow to balance security needs with cost andother considerations.”

The two methodologies are based on formalrisk-assessment tools and insights gained inother Sandia security work at nuclear weaponsfacilities. The Forum conducted trialassessments on four actual U.S. dams anda regional transmission system to verifythe process. Hundreds of high-risk dams in the U.S.have been assessed using the methodology,which has been adopted for use by the Bureauof Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers.

Assessing building risks

Sandia has created a software program torate the risks to buildings from natural hazards,crime and terrorism. The tool, called RiskAssessment Method – Property Analysis andRanking Tool, was originally designed to helpthe General Services Administration assessrisk to nearly 8,000 federal buildings. Thesoftware earned high praise from a group ofindustry advisors, who found it highly effectivein determining facility risk. “This tool isunique because it lets the property manager

Risk AssessmentMethodology for

Dams and RiskAssessment

Methodology forTransmission takeowners, operators

and securitymanagers through

a detailedexamination oftheir facilities.

Richard Griffith studies building blueprints.

The processrequires communityleaders to identify10 to 20 facilities

they feel arepotential security

targets, eitherbecause of their

symbolic value orbecause of the

possibility of severeconsequences if an

attack weresuccessful.

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determine and manage hisbuilding’s risk without havingto consult an expert in riskanalysis,” says Regina Hunter,the principal investigator. “Allthe expertise and data are builtin. If the property managerdetermines that a risk is high,the software tells him whatsteps to take next, often to getexpert advice.” Modeling and simulationtools also are available forassessing specific chemicaland biological attacks onbuildings. The tools look athow lethal agents — such asanthrax, smallpox, or poison

gases — might move through a building. Theythen help develop strategies to guide detection,emergency response, and effective cleanup anddecontamination. Sandia manager RichardGriffith began working on simulation tools forairborne attacks in the wake of the 1995 saringas release in a Tokyo subway system. Using sophisticated Sandia computermodeling and visualization capabilities,researchers map out a building using blueprintswith information on air-handling systems. Thecomputer model, known by the acronymKCNBC , then predicts where a lethal agentwill move over time. It produces a movie toshow researchers the transport and concentrationinformation. Tracer experiments and selectedpressure and flow measurements are used tovalidate the model and ensure that researchershave an accurate understanding of lethal agenttransport and deposition inside the facility. KCNBC modeling has been applied to anumber of facilities, including an eight-storyfederal courthouse, a military command centerand two large airport terminals. (See story onpage 23.) “The information from the simulations helpsdetermine cost-effective strategies for figuring outwhere to put detectors, developing requirements forsensors, developing emergency response strategies,and deciding on cleanup tactics,” says Griffith.

Community assessments

Last fall, Sandia’s security experts addedto their list of risk-assessment tools a scientificmethodology for making entire communitiesmore resistant to terrorism. The Community Risk AssessmentMethodology was in the works for more thantwo years, says former project leader GloriaChavez. Funded by the National Institute ofJustice’s Office of Science and Technology,the approach was developed as part of anagreement between Sandia and PublicTechnologies, Inc., a nonprofit technologyorganization of the National League of Cities,the National Association of Counties, and theInternational City/County ManagementAssociation. Several metro areas have tested the newmethodology, says Chavez, including SterlingHeights, Michigan (north of Detroit); Bismarck,North Dakota; Dade County (Miami), Florida;Hennepin County, Minnesota (the Minneapolis-St. Paul area); Tucson, Arizona; Norfolk,Virginia; and Rochester, New York. Othercommunities are becoming involved. The process requires community leaders toidentify 10 to 20 facilities they feel are potentialtargets, either because of their symbolic valueor because of the possibility of severeconsequences if an attack were successful.Then, a step-by-step, scientific risk-assessmentprocess helps leaders define threats, analyzeconsequences and evaluate the effectivenessof current security measures. Sandia is working with homeland securityofficials in Kentucky on assessments for anumber of communities. Sandia just completedtraining 25 instructors from Kentucky’sDepartment of Criminal Justice Training andother senior law enforcement officials from thestate. This cadre is ready to conduct riskassessments, focusing on security for smallercommunities. “Our lessons learned from these pilotassessments will eventually help us guide aself-assessment program for the state,” saysClay Bailey, Kentucky special projectscoordinator for the Criminal Justice Training

C

C

Department. “The training we received fromSandia was absolutely first rate, right on targetwith our program goals.”

Chemical plant security

Another Sandia product is helping shoreup anti-terrorism defenses at the nation’schemical plants. As a part of a project initiallysponsored by the Department of Justice, Labsexperts developed a vulnerability assessmentapproach (Risk Assessment Methodology forChemical Facilities) to improve security atmore than 10,000 U.S. facilities that store,manufacture and use hazardous chemicals. Sandia’s Cal Jaeger managed the projectand visited several facilities with colleaguesto review security practices and develop amethodology that can be used to assesschemical plant security. After developmentand review, the methodology was madeavailable to interested users. The approach isrecommended by the American ChemicalCouncil, a trade group representing the major

chemical manufacturers, and is one of theprimary security risk assessment tools beingused within the chemical/petrochemicalindustry. Support also has been provided bythe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “We ask, if I am a bad guy, what could Ido?” says Jaeger, who also leads the communityassessment project. (See page 11.) “Then weevaluate the effectiveness of current protectionmeasures and the likelihood and consequencesof each threat scenario.” The methodologyallows plant owners and security managers toassess their facilities for a wide range ofpotential threats, he says.

Screening DOI sites

Sandia is also working with the Departmentof Interior (DOI) on a security screeningassessment tool to help that agency set prioritiesfor security resource management among itsmany assets. These include such national iconsas Mount Rushmore and the JeffersonMemorial Arch, a large number of dams, andmany thousands of public sites, buildings, andother property, according to Tommy Woodall,manager of the Labs’ Security Systems andVulnerability Analysis department. DOI is moving ahead on the assessment ofsome obvious potential targets. Sandia willcontinue to work with DOI to establish aranking system for other assets and developappropriate assessment methods.

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The RiskAssessment

Methodology forChemical

Facilities helpsplant owners andsecurity managers

to assess theirfacilities for awide range of

potential threats.


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The National Infrastructure Simulation and AnalysisCenter (NISAC) was established in 2000 by Sandia and LosAlamos National Laboratory. The Center builds on afoundation of modeling, simulation and analysis activitiesat the two national laboratories. The events of September 11, 2001, led to the enactmentof the USA Patriot Act, which established NISAC “to serveas a source of national competence to address criticalinfrastructure protection and continuity through supportfor activities related to counter-terrorism, threat assessmentand risk mitigation.” The Act defines the need for extensivemodeling and simulation to evaluate “appropriatemechanisms to ensure the stability of these complex andinterdependent systems,...” Today, NISAC is a program under the Department ofHomeland Security, providing science-based informationand analysis and working to expand its capabilities toaddress the full spectrum of consequences of disruptionsto the nation’s infrastructure. These include:

• direct consequences, such as lives lost, propertydestruction and contamination;

• secondary consequences, including economic,commodity disruptions and national defense threats;and

• cascading consequences, based on regional orinfrastructure interdependencies.

NISAC has developed an initial suite of modeling,simulation and analysis capabilities that address urban,regional and national interdependent infrastructures andtheir complexities. These capabilities, which are not available

in private industry, can be used or adapted to address newissues, new regions and new infrastructures. NISAC offers a growing capability in micro-economicsimulation, telecommunications, agriculture, and national-international transportation. The center also offers extensivecapabilities in the energy field, including electric power,oil, natural gas, and fuels. Another capability simulatesthe activities and movements of a large population inseveral major urban areas for detailed assessment oftransportation and public health problems. Modeling information and telecommunications systemsis important because of the link between these systemsand actual hardware. Systems connected to the internet,called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, or SCADA,systems can control valves, move power from one wire toanother, and monitor the health of various operationsremotely. The pervasiveness of internet use by Americanbusinesses and government entities means efforts to protectinformation systems are more and more important. NISAC's technical program is building alongseveral lines:

• Architecture development. NISAC is coordinatingdifferent infrastructure models, simulations anddatabases in a seamless, secure way.

• Data. NISAC is working to collect, correctly identify,validate, store and retrieve large volumes of datafor analysis. The system must permit secure sharingand protection of the data.

• Model development. NISAC is building on its broadtechnology base to develop analytical capabilitieson local, regional and national levels.

In two recent projects, NISAC has:• Conducted a port security analysis with stakeholder

workshops to analyze the balance between securityinvestments and port throughput and economics.

• Developed a Port Simulator for Seattle and Portlandusers. With the input of operating conditions andthe status of infrastructures supporting the portoperations, the simulator analyzes consequences ofproposed security measures.

The events ofSeptember 11,

2001, led to theenactment of theUSA Patriot Act,

which establishedNISAC “to serve

as a sourceof national

competence toaddress critical

infrastructureprotection and

continuity throughsupport for activitiesrelated to counter-

terrorism, threatassessment andrisk mitigation.”

NISAC improves predictive resources

Forty percent of all goods enteringthe United States by sea in containerscome through the Port of Los Angelesor the Port of Long Beach. The Merchandise arrives in truck-sized metal boxes, called transpor-tainers. The two ports process some15,000 transportainers during a typicalday. They are often packed in the FarEast or the Middle East. Although the U.S. Customs Serviceinspects a small percentage of the

containers for contraband, relatively few of the incomingcontainers are opened until they arrive at their manifesteddestinations within the country. From a security standpoint, the picture isn’t pretty. So,after consulting with security vendors and other experts,officials at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach askedSandia to conduct a threat assessment and offerrecommendations to improve the security of the ports andtheir supply chains. "Everybody has a device that will solve the securityproblem," says Sandia port security program managerCharles Massey of the Labs’ International Physical Protectiongroup and a former U.S. Merchant Mariner. "But ratherthan simply having vendors tell them they must put somegizmos on a pier, the ports wanted someone to understandthe threats and ask, ‘What is the combination of proceduraland technical solutions that would cost-effectively address those threats?’" The Sandia team includesnonproliferation experts from theInternational Security Programs center,whose specialties include detecting andpreventing smuggling of materials neededto create weapons of mass destruction. It also includes experts from the SecuritySystems and Technology center, whereprograms to protect valuable assets byassessing security threats and correctingvulnerabilities have been underdevelopment for several years. The team began conducting the securityassessments last fall with private funding

from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach through awork-for-others agreement. An $8.2 million grant proposalrecently approved by the Transportation SecurityAdministration will provide additional support. One of the team's first questions was, “How could aship or cargo or persons aboard a ship be used to causesubstantial loss of life or long-term denial of usage of theport?” Working backwards from each set of undesirableconsequences, the team identified threats that could bringabout those consequences and security vulnerabilities thatcould allow the threats to be realized. Sandia security experts and system analysts areworking with the ports to identify the most cost-effectivemeans of dealing with the most significant vulnerabilities.The team is looking at port security from a systemsperspective, although technology could be part of theoverall solution, adds Massey. “Procedural improvements,as well as training, are likely to be as important astechnology improvements.” Ultimately, Sandia's recommendations to improvesecurity at Long Beach and Los Angeles could be sharedwith ports around the world. "What the ports and carriershope is that improved security doesn't solely occur throughexpensive new government mandates," Massey says, "butrather through an industry-driven effort with independentrecommendations adopted as best management practices."

SeveralSandians are

working with portauthorities andcompanies that

operate and utilizethe country's two

busiest portsto reduce the

potential threatsto homeland

security posedby sea cargo.

14


Unchecked cargo:Assessing the threat

onventional explosives haveproven to be a major weapon ofterrorists worldwide. A critical factor in the fightagainst the use of explosives isdetection: finding the explosivesbefore they can be brought into atarget building or complex, militarybase, embassy or special event. Tobe successful, detection technologiesmust be able to identify a telltaletrace of explosives so authorities canstop a shipment before it crosses aborder or a checkpoint or is loadedon to a truck, ship or aircraft. A second key factor isdisablement. In a scenario wheredetection technology or other intelligence leadsofficials to a terrorist bomb, experts must beequipped to disable it safely. Mitigating foams,robots and an array of technologies andtechniques can help in this effort. Sandia researchers are successful in boththese areas.

Screening devices

A walkthrough personnel portal, now inoperation in several countries, uses Sandiatechnology to screen individuals for thepresence of explosives. The Sandia effortbegan in the 1990s, after the crash of Pan AmFlight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, whenSandia explored innovative concepts withsponsors from the Federal AviationAdministration, now the TransportationSecurity Administration (TSA). The portal uses Sandia-patented airflowdesign and preconcentration technologies todetect explosives residues at trace levelspreviously considered impossible to analyze,says Kevin Linker of Sandia’s Entry Control

and Contraband Detection department.Trace explosives are collected using Sandia’sair sampling and preconcentration technologyand identified with a commercial chemicaldetector. The air sampling and preconcentrationtechnologies have been licensed to SmithsDetection for application. The Sentinelpersonnel portal, developed by Smiths, is inuse at the Canadian National Tower in Toronto,Canada, and a U.S. facility. The Sentinelportal also is undergoing field testing at LondonHeathrow Airport. In the U.S., acceptancetesting for the Sentinel is underway at theTransportation Security Laboratory. Sandia has adapted this air sampling andpreconcentrator technology to develop aprototype to screen vehicles for explosives.The vehicle portal prototype can screenvehicles of various sizes and detect severalcommon explosives compounds. The system uses engineered airflows toremove vapor or trace particle explosivescontamination from the exterior and interiorof the vehicle. The sample is then

Sandiaresearchers are

busy on two frontsin the war againstterrorist explosives.

First, they areworking to detectexplosives beforethey can be used.

In the event thata terrorist bomb

is discovered,Sandia’s experts

are bringing state-of-the-art “render

safe” technologiesto bear.

15


Conventional explosives:

UnconventionalsolutionsC

The Sentinel, a commercial version ofa Sandia-designed personnel

portal, is now in use.

Bomb tech in protective gear uses PAN® disrupter on mock briefcase bomb.

preconcentrated and analyzed witha commercial ion mobilityspectrometer. In contrast to otherscreening technologies, the vehicleportal screening times are lessfour minutes per vehicle andrequire the passengers to exitthe vehicle. The Department of Energy’sOffice of Security and the TechnicalSupport Working Group funded thevehicle portal prototype development. Sandia is exploringcommercialization opportunities.

Releasing the hounds

“Preconcentration and sampling are avery important part of trace detection ofexplosives, and it’s an area where Sandia hasmade a real gain,” says Linker, who has beenprincipal investigator of the personnel portalsince 1995. Sandia’s next step was to takethat technology and integrate it with acommercial handheld detector. The Hound IITM can operate in either vaporor swipe collection mode. In swipe mode, a

sampling substrate is swiped across a suspectsurface and then inserted into the devicefor analysis. The collection and preconcentration devicecan be combined with a variety of commercialdetectors. The Hound IITM is undergoing fieldtrials and Sandia hopes to commercialize thistechnology as well. Finally, researchers worked to integratethe sample collection and preconcentrationtechnology with Sandia’s own microsensortechnology. Dubbed the MicroHoundTM, thecompletely integrated package weighs about12 pounds, reports Linker. Designed to befast, inexpensive, and easy to use, the handheldMicroHoundTM is intended for use by firstresponders and can be used to check people,packages, or vehicles for the presence of traceexplosives. Engineers continue to refinethe MicroHoundTM.

Disrupting the bomb

When Gov. Tom Ridge, now Secretary ofHomeland Security, visited Sandia in early2002, he saw technologies that can make adifference in the war on terrorism. For example,Sandia researchers demonstrated thePercussion-Actuated Non-electric (PAN®)disrupter. This device uses echnologydeveloped at Sandia to disable bombs and atthe same time preserve their parts as evidence.(See story on page 18.)

16


Kevin Linker, one of the developers of Sandia's MicroHoundTM, displays a unitsimilar to those now being evaluated by federal emergency first responders.

Sandia bomb experts demonstrate the PAN® disrupter.

When possible, robots and not human members of thebomb squad will relocate and disable bombs or suspectarticles. But steering a police robot under emergencyconditions can be frustrating for officers. To help, researchershave developed the Sandia Modular Architecture for Roboticsand Tele-operation (SMART) software and sensors. Licensedto a commercial robot manufacturer, this software makesit much easier to design and control the robots, as well asintegrate specialized sensors for characterization of thesuspect device. The Wolverine police robot, shown here, is a commercialproduct of REMOTEC, Inc., a subsidiary of NorthropGrumman. Sandia modified it from a remote-controlledvehicle to a robot by using SMART software. It can movea briefcase or bomb-containing package to a safe locationfor bomb-squad technicians. The software also can helpexperts operate bomb disablement equipment, such asSandia's PAN® disrupter, remotely. (See story on page 16.)

17


The PAN® disrupter was already on thefront lines with bomb squads nationwide bythe time of Ridge’s visit. In fact, Sandia hasbeen considered at the forefront in bombdisablement technology since 1992, when theLabs began development of some of the mosttechnically advanced and widely used “render-safe” technologies. In 1994, Sandia beganhosting bomb-squad training conferences inAlbuquerque. These conferences haveevolved into “Operation America,” a regionaltraining program held in communities aroundthe country. “This is the honors program for bombtechs,” says Sandia’s Chris Cherry, principalinvestigator for the Labs’ explosivesdisablement work. “We are proud to work withsome of the country’s best bomb squads todiscuss and practice the art and science ofdisabling increasingly complex terrorist bombs,

while protecting the lives of the public and ourfirst responders.” “These are not your run-of-the-mill pipebombs,” says Cherry. “Our goal is to givebomb techs the training they’ll need to dealwith the kinds of terrorist devices we thinkthey’ll encounter in the next 10 to 20 years.” Regional conferences have been held inRiverside and San Diego, California; Astoria,Oregon; Orlando, Florida; and Portsmouth,Virginia. Specialists from state and local bombsquads, federal law enforcement agencies andall branches of the U.S. armed forces attendthe five-day conferences. An "Operation America" regional trainingprogram is scheduled to be held in Forsyth,Georgia later this year.

“Our goal is togive bomb techs

the training they’llneed to deal withthe kinds of terroristdevices we thinkthey’ll encounter

in the next 10to 20 years.”

Robots to the rescueSandia-designedsoftware makes

it easier tocontrol robots.

The Wolverine robot with SMART software handles asimulated briefcase bomb.

Sandia’s Ed Tarver, of the Analytical Materials Sciencedepartment, is working on a way to make the faint signalsfed to ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) stronger and cleaner,reducing the number of false alarms for important detectionequipment. He describes it as comparable to a fuel injectionreplacement for carburetors. Working on a number of approaches for funding hisresearch during recent years, Tarver now believes a contractwith the Department of Defense to develop and manufacturethe contraband-detector devices will bring them into usewithin the next 18 months. Tarver’s technological solution involves providing abetter signal to any ion mobility spectrometer device andadding a computer chip that makes use of a sophisticatedmathematical approach to deconstruct the resultinginformation and identify contaminants. Current approachesuse signals that take less than one percent of a sample (therest is exhausted) and rely on averaging results over manycycles to achieve an adequate signal-to-noise ratio for thechemical signature. The result of averaging is a blurredsignature and potentially inaccurate identification. Hardware he’s developing captures about fifty percentof the ions formed from a sample, but varies the samplingrate to accommodate the different speeds at which they

travel. By varying the amount of time allowed for each ofthe ions to move through a gate, all of the ion velocities aremonitored during a single sample cycle. “There is no blurringof the chemical signature,” Tarver says. He makes an analogybetween pedestrians lined up single file behind one anotherto cross a street (conventional IMS technology) and anothergroup of pedestrians crossing the street shoulder-to-shoulder(his IMS detector technology.) The latter approach allows more pedestrians (or ions)of different sizes and speeds to cross the street at the timebest suited for their speed. This offers the potential for moreaccurate estimates of the ion population.

18

Sandia bomb-disablement expertChris Cherry.

‘Souping up’ detection hardware

Shoe bombs disabled

Artist’s drawing of gated sampling device to improve signalsfor detectors.


The story of Richard Reid, who tried to detonate hisexplosives-packed shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami, iswell known. Reid was arrested in Boston, where Massachusettsstate bomb squad members and FBI agents subsequentlydisabled the shoe bombs using the Sandia-developedPercussion-Actuated Nonelectric (PAN®) disrupter. The PAN® disrupter enabled bomb technicians to disarmReid’s shoe bombs without detonating them so the FBI coulduse the deactivated bombs during its criminal investigation.The device interrupts a bomb’s internal electronics beforethe bomb can detonate. Bomb specialists initiate PAN®

remotely, waiting a safe distance away. Sandia bomb-disablement expert Chris Cherry and ateam of Labs’ researchers developed the PAN® disrupter inthe early 1990s as a way to keep technicians safe and retainvaluable evidence. It is one of several advanced bomb-disablement tools developed at Sandia. In 1995, PAN® waslicensed to Ideal Products of Lexington, Kentucky. It has

become the primary tool used by bomb squads nationwidefor disabling conventional, hand-made bombs remotely. In April 1996, Cherry and his team were called toMontana by the FBI to disarm a bomb found in a remotecabin following the arrest of Theodore Kazcynski, known asthe Unabomber. The PAN® disrupter was used to disable thebomb, Unabomber Device #17. The PAN® disrupter also was instrumental in safelydisabling suspect bombs in Atlanta during the 1996 SummerOlympic Games and was deployed by bomb squads in SaltLake City during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Currentapproaches usesignals that take

less than onepercent of a

sample and relyon averaging

results over manycycles to achieve

an adequatesignal-to-noise ratio

for the chemicalsignature.

19

e want fast, accurate, simple, small andcheap. But “the perfect system to detect thenew weapons of terrorism does not yet exist,”says Duane Lindner, Sandia’s deputy directorfor Chemical and Biological Programs. Becauseno current technologies fit the ideal, “peopleare forced to make compromises,” he continues. Accurate detectors tend to be slow, bulky,complex and expensive. On the other hand,faster detectors continue to be inaccurate —prone to “false positive” readings, or readings

where dangerous substances appear to bepresent when they aren’t. Although there are no simple answers,researchers at Sandia realize that many differentapproaches are likely to be needed to recognizethe variety of conceivable threats. At Sandia,these approaches include airborne and portablepoint detection units to detect lethal agents,laser beam scanners for harmful airborneparticles, and a detection system that detectsradioactive materials as they move past.

W


µChemLabTM systems provide a fast, portable means for first responders to detect harmful chemical andbiological agents.

Sandia and otherresearch institutionsare adapting the

motto “faster,better, cheaper” in

their efforts todetect biological,

chemical andradioactive

weapons. Addsmaller, too.

Detecting new weapons of

Terror

µChemLabTM

µChemLabTM units are portable, hand-heldanalysis systems incorporating “lab-on-a-chip”technologies for detection of chemical orbiological agents. µChemLabTM devices arenow being developed for detection of a broadrange of biological and chemical threat agentsincluding chemical warfare agents, industrialchemicals, biotoxins and pathogens. These systems provide a fast, portablemeans of detecting harmful agents on abattlefield, at the scene of a terrorist attack, orin a host of civilian applications where extremesensitivity and specificity are required.

Chem detector The µChemLabTM Chem Detector Systemidentifies chemical warfare agents and toxicindustrial chemicals. The Chem DetectorSystem detects gas contaminants in a three-stage process. First, samples are collected froman air stream passing across a film layer thatselectively absorbs substances of interest. Thelayer is heated to release the concentratedanalytes. In the next 30 seconds, gas flows from thefilm layer through a chromatography column.Coatings in the column briefly retaincompounds of interest and an image, called achromatogram, is produced for identification. Finally, as each analyte exits the chromato-graph, film coatings on an array briefly absorbit. The absorption changes vibrations in thearray, which help identify the substanceof interest.

Bio detector The µChemLabTM Bio Detector System isa laboratory demonstration unit designed forrapid detection of proteins in a liquid medium.The Bio Detector system uses fabricatedmicrochannels for performing chemicalseparations with high sensitivity and rapidresponse in a compact, low-power device.Many different separations can be runsimultaneously, and identification ofcompounds of interest is determined fromunique patterns of retention times. Designed for the rapid detection of proteins,the current laboratory demonstration unit has

been used to identify biotoxins such as ricin,

staphylococcal enterotoxin B, and botulinumtoxin. The unit’s capability is being extendedto enable identification of viruses and bacteriausing protein signatures. Parallel analysis channels provide highlyaccurate detection at nanomolar sensitivities.Portable, stand-alone devices for the analysisof bio agents have been developed and testedat the research prototype stage. Current researchis focused on improving the performanceand expanding the capability of these andrelated devices.

SnifferStarTM flies high

A half-ounce “sniffer,” intended to ride onsmall aerial drones for the protection of militaryforces, can detect nerve gases and blister agentsand operates on only a half watt of electricalpower. Sandia, in partnership with LockheedMartin Corporation, has patented the devicewhich is based on µChemLabTM technology. While other gas monitors exist, “this issmall, lightweight, low power and offers rapidanalysis,” says Sandia researcher Doug Adkins.“Rapid analysis currently is not possible withany other package near this size.” The invention, smaller than a deck of cards,consists of a series of tiny sensors on a platformthe size of a pat of butter, atop a credit-card-

20


Sandia researcher Doug Adkins checks wind tunnel performancefor SnifferStarTM.

“A terroristwith a nuclear

weapon and theknowledge and

skill to use it, willuse it if he is

not stopped.”

21


sized microprocessor board. Forward motionof the vehicle carrying SnifferStarTM forces airthrough the device. Air samples are absorbedand concentrated, then heated. The heatedsample passes over thin stripes of coatedmaterials, to which it temporarily sticks. Thepolymer stripes are fixed to a quartz surfacethat vibrates. The mass of incoming “stuck”particles changes the frequency of vibration foreach stripe. Data from these frequency changes is passedto a processing unit on the SnifferStarTM module,then relayed to a processor on the drone orradio-linked to processors on the ground. Thereit is compared to a library of patterns createdby a range of known gases. “SnifferStarTM ignores most commoninterferents (likely to cause false positives),”says Adkins. Sampling is repeated every 20seconds: 15 seconds for intake and 5 secondsfor analysis. Expertise in microsensors,microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS,and application-specific integrated circuitshelped Sandia pack a lot of analytical powerinto this small package.

Chemiresistor sensors

Hazardous chemicals thatcould pollute undergroundwater resources are gettingeasier to detect thanks toSandia’s work with a kind ofdetector called a“chemiresistor.” Sensorprobes can be installedunderground or underwaterto detect a variety ofchemicals from leaks,deliberate contamination, orother pollution sources. Chemiresistors take

advantage of Sandia’s microfabricationtechnologies to create small, robust sensorprobes. These probes can be linked so that real-timeinformation reaches a data collection station

and immediate action can be taken. Thechemiresistor system offers advantages overcurrent systems, which require manual collectionof samples and days of waiting for laboratoryanalysis.

RAID system

In addition to addressing chemical andbiological threats, Sandia researchers aredeveloping detectors for radioactive materials.With the potential for terrorists to explode so-called “dirty bombs,” radioactive materialsdetection has become even more of an issue inthe new war on terrorism. “A terrorist with a nuclear weapon and theknowledge and skill to use it, will use it if heis not stopped,” one Sandia executive told aCongressional committee last year. “A nuclear bomb is a product of scienceand technology and it is this same technologythat must be used to protect against its useby terrorists.” Sandia’s Radiation Assessment Identificationand Detection (RAID) system is able to detectand identify radioactive materials moving pastthe detection unit. The unit can be placed atcontrol points such as facility entrances,passenger terminals, border crossings, mailcenters and maritime ports. The system makes use of a number ofdetectors and links information with videoimages of persons or containers present at thetime of detection. Knowing what characteristicsto look for, how to sense emissions, and howto interpret what is detected are key aspects ofthe RAID system. Sandia researchers are working to see thatRAID technology is quickly transferred to thecommercial sector and rapidly deployed.

Sandia sky scanner

Someday soon the skies over U.S. citiesmay be scanned for airborne biological agentsusing Sandia’s “Ares” technology. Named afterthe Greek god of war, the first Ares prototypescanner is mounted inside the back of a large

Chemiresistor sensor housing and cable.

22


Sandia is developing technologies andsystems that can be used to rapidly andeffectively assess and decontaminatefacilities contaminated with chemical andbiological agents. Rapid restoration ofoperations is critical to minimize the socialand economic impacts of a chemical orbiological attack.

• Initial responders to a contaminatedscene must be able todecontaminate the area quickly toa safe level so that casualties canbe treated and evacuated.

• Rapid, safe, and complete restoration of the affectedfacilities is necessary, so that the facilities can bereadied for re-use in a timely manner without lossof critical services and expensive equipment.

Sandia has developed a non-toxic, non-corrosiveaqueous formulation for rapid decontamination and

mitigation of chemical and biologicalagents to protect and restore civilian andmilitary targets. The Sandia DeconFormulation can be deployed as a foam,liquid spray, or fog. Nontoxic to humans,the foam can be sprayed quickly over wideareas. When deployed as a foam, theformulation can be designed to remainstable and reactive for long or short periods,depending on user needs. The Sandia Foam has already assumedan important role in the nation’s counter-terrorism toolkit. It was used successfullyto help decontaminate anthrax in portions

of congressional office buildings in Washington and buildingsin New York in late 2001. Sandia has licensed the foam technology to commercialmanufacturers. Small systems that look like a twin canisterfire extinguisher are already on the market and couldwell become standard issue for police, fire andemergency vehicles.

Sandiahas developed

a versatiledecontamination

foam that canneutralize many

chemical andbiological agents,including anthrax.

Spraying the threat away

passenger van formobility. Thisbiological weaponsstandoff detectionsystem can be takenanywhere thatconcern for aterrorist attackexists. It can beused to detectbiological agents inthe air, such asanthrax, smallpox,

tularemia, plague, botulinum toxin or otherdeadly germs. Ares works by scanning a 90-degree wedgeof the sky once every 30 seconds with between600 and 1,000 ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses.A camera mounted on the end of a telescopeand wired to a computer-based locationsystem follows the beam. The camera looksfor bright spots that could indicate the presenceof smoke, diesel fumes, dust clouds orsomething more sinister. Sandia project leader Phil Hargis explainsthat the beam uniformly illuminates floatingdust and other contaminants in the atmosphere.

Because biological materials react to UV lightby emitting characteristic colors (aphenomenon known as fluorescence), the Aressystem can tell if a coud contains biologicalaerosols by looking for these characteristicwavelengths. The entire process of detection,location and analysis takes about 10 seconds. Sandia continues to test and develop Ares.The system works to a range of about threemiles currently, says Al Lang, programmanager for Ares. “Right now, it’s a ‘detectand warn’ system. It can’t identify a particularbug, but it can tell you if a cloud has bio-content, so you can get out of the way.” The technical challenge for this detectoris to distinguish between normal airbornecontaminants, such a pollen or diesel exhaust,and deadly bio-warfare agents, quickly andwith few false alarms. The problem is mademore difficult by the added number ofparticulates found in urban and battlefieldenvironments, Lang says.

Sandia's Randy Schmittand Mark Johnson (right)examine the Ares standoff

detection system.

23

unded by the Department ofHomeland Security’s Protective andResponsive Options for AirportCounter-Terrorism (PROACT), Sandia’swork with the San FranciscoInternational Airport (SFO) wasunveiled to the general public for thefirst time this spring. “We’re really pleased and excited to be Sandia’stestbed for some of their latest and greatest technology,”SFO’s community affairs director, Mike McCarron, toldnews media gathered at the terminal. “Hopefully, we’llbe a less attractive target because of it.” In collaboration with the airport, PROACT researchersare exploring issues and options to protect facilities fromchemical or biological attack. The program also isdemonstrating key elements of a protective system suchas detection and information technologies and is in theprocess of developing guidance that is broadly useful forthe nation’s airports. Sandia systems analysts first began looking intobioweapon defense and domestic preparedness in 1995,after the cult Aum Shinrikyo launched a deadly sarin gasattack on a Tokyo subway. Sandia’s John Hinton, of the Labs’ Systems Studiesdepartment, was an early participant in the Bay AreaTerrorism Working Group with regional representatives ofthe FBI, local law enforcement and other agencies. Whilethere, he met the emergency preparedness manager ofthe airport. In June 1998, the two developed a proposalto collaborate.

Testing an empty terminal

Taking advantage of construction underway in the newbillion-dollar SFO international terminal in 2000, Sandiansteamed up with airport personnel to test possible dispersalof an agent in the unoccupied facility, using theatricalsmoke and harmless tracer gas to trace airflow, and suggestoperational strategies to minimize exposure andcontamination, including evacuation routes and air-handlingoperation and responses. The group also fielded commercialor prototype detectors, which could act as a sort of “smokealarm” for biological or chemical agents. They evaluatedmonitor networks that potentially could serve as an earlywarning system to prompt evacuation, switch air handlingand indicate escape routes that should minimize exposure. “The real learning has been in understanding how toput together systems that can be used in an end-to-enddefensive capability,” says Chem and Biological Programdeputy director Duane Lindner. Chemical detectors andmore experimental biological detectors were fielded andare considered prototypes for components of futureintegrated detection systems. The research team leveraged tests and evaluation toprovide operational guidance. “Over the past severalyears,” Duane elaborated, “we have developed an abilityto assess vulnerabilities in facilities, to understand the

Sandia isdeveloping aunique set of

counterterrorismtools at the

San FranciscoInternationalAirport in atechnology

demonstration thatmay become anational model

for transit facilities.

Airport Tests Bio/ChemTechnologies

by Nancy Garcia

F


Sandia conducted smoke tests like this to help model airflows in the new SFOInternational Terminal.

24


implications of a chemical orbiological attack on them and toe s t a b l i s h p r o c e d u r e s ,technologies, and decisionsuppor t systems tai loredto minimize the impactof such attacks.” After examining potentialfacility vulnerabilities, theresearchers recommendedpassive protection measures toreduce the consequences of a potential attack and suggestedimprovements to physical security measures in place. Theyalso developed processes to characterize facilities andsystem design and models to analyze trade-offs ofprotective systems. Dale Dunham, the airport’s head of emergencypreparedness, also developed an interest in acquiringdecontamination formulations as part of a responsestrategy. He plans to use a Sandia foam. (See page 22.)Harmless to people, it neutralizes chemical or biologicalagents using a combination of compounds found in suchcommon household items as toothpaste and hairconditioner. The foam currently can be used on clothingand other applications while awaiting FDA approval foruse on humans.

Custom response vehicles

After he learned about the Sandia formulation,Dunham acquired a bus from the local transit district andhad it modified to administer the foam to as many as1,800 people an hour. It is equipped to spray foam fromfour turrets mounted above the windshield, while a 100-foot hose attached near the grill can deliver the deconformula to a specific location, as well as to anyone whomay be immobilized by an injury. Once potentiallycontaminated people have lathered up, they would moveforward to shower heads that extend from either side ofthe bus and rinse there under a spray of warm water. Atthe end of the line, towels and modesty ponchos or blanketswould be dispensed. The airport is unique in having custom vehicles torespond to a potential chem/bio attack. At the same timethis 40-foot bus was purchased and reconfigured, Dunhamalso had two buses modified to provide mobile medical

care. The emergency fleet is rounded out by a mobilecommand post and a fourth modified bus that providesrepeaters for tactical communications. The airport’s public announcement comes at a timewhen the Washington, D.C. Metro is putting into operationa chemical early warning system developed earlier bySandia and Argonne National Laboratory under a relatedprogram. Work on protection of subways from chemicalattacks began in 1995, and chemical detectors have beentested in Washington since 2000. The labs have sinceexpanded their investigation of subway protectionto Boston.

A simulated attack

PROACT facility protection research is expected tocontinue through 2005. Activities will include a simulatedemergency training exercise involving a mock biologicalattack at the airport. An interactive simulation is underdevelopment that will allow decisions made during thetabletop exercise to influence the outcome, in contrast tostandard tabletops, where the scenarios and outcomesare pre-scripted. “The exercise will explore the question,‘If you had a detection system, how would you use it?’”said PROACT principal investigator Susanna Gordon, ofSandia’s Systems Research department. “This is a huge work in progress,” SFO’s McCarroncommented about the ongoing research with Sandia. Henoted that SFO has become a laboratory serving as anational model for protecting airports and other large,indoor public sites. “We’ve both benefited greatly fromthe relationship.”

Sandia researcher Susanna Gordon and Deputy Director Duane Lindner with the SFO buscustomized to administer decon foam.

Research isexpected to

continue through2005. Activities

will includea simulatedemergency

exercise involvinga mock biological

attack.

25


The program,which requires 36credit hours, willprovide students

with an under-standing of the

fundamentalprinciples of the

legal charter,presidential

executive orders,and the frame-

work that guidesthe operation ofnational security

agencies.

The University of NewHaven (UNH) graduateprogram for a Master ofSc ience degree inNational Security hascompleted its first two tri-mesters. The program,wi th weekend andevening classes, began in January. SandiaNational Laboratories’ California site isthe “host facility” for the program. The program is open to U.S. citizensholding a bachelor’s degree from anaccredited institution. It attracted about30 full-time students and more than adozen part-time enrollees during its firstsemester, according to Jason Reicks, whoadministers the program for Sandia.

Unique opportunity

“Our University feels quite privilegedto be affiliated with one of our nation’spremiere laboratories, as it provides aunique opportunity to work with scientistswho share our interest in national security,”said Dr. Thomas Johnson, Dean andDirector of the University’s School of PublicSafety and Professional Studies. “Ourgraduate concentration in InformationProtection and Security, with researchissues related to cyber-terrorism andissues related to cyber-intelligence, willbe enhanced by our ability to work withSandia scientists. They are among thebest in the world.” The strategic collaboration betweenthe Connecticut-based UNH and Sandiawill permit greater attention to issues

directly related to thenation’s homeland securityfocus,” Dr. Johnson added. The plan of the programis to create a structure forteamwork between the UNHfaculty, Sandia scientists,and members of the

corporate community for exchange ofideas and the critical assessment oftheories fundamental to the study ofnational security and public safety. The pool of potential students for theprogram may include current governmentworkers, who may already be involved inhomeland security issues; those in thecommercial sector, including governmentcontractors or those who do business withthe government; and college graduates,who may be looking for guidance andlearning opportunities that will lead tonational service. The program, which requires 36 credithours, will provide students with anunderstanding of the fundamentalprinciples of the legal charter, presidentialexecutive orders and the framework thatguides the operation of national securityagencies. Students also will analyze therole and function of the U.S. agenciesin the intelligence community, focusinglargely on information protectionand security. Those interested in learning moreabout the program should visithttp://www.newhaven.edu/psps/nationalsecurity.html

Master’s degree inNational Security

“Homeland securityis fundamentally

a systemsengineering task.

The particular assetsof Sandia National

Laboratories,including their well-regarded systems

engineeringcapability, are of

particular relevanceto our mission.”

DOE’s NationalLaboratories andHomeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security(DHS), including its Science and TechnologyDirectorate, is drawing upon the expertiseand capabilities of the national laboratoriesto address some of our nation’s greatestthreats. These threats include biological,chemical, radiological and nuclear, highexplosives, and cyber threats. The Department of Energy’s (DOE)national laboratories have long been aresource for solving difficult problemsassociated with national security. Over thepast few years, through , some DOEfunding, as well as some work for otheragencies, these labs began investing in thehomeland security mission — anticipatingand responding to threats well before muchof the Nation’s research and developmententerprise had engaged on the issue. Thus, when the President asked Congressto create the DHS, it was natural and logicalto provide that Department with access tothe talent housed in the laboratories. Theidea was (and is) to provide the DHS witha capability for conducting sensitive researchand development activities with scientistsand engineers of the highest caliber. Anintellectually stimulating environment wouldattract them to places where they could haverewarding careers dedicated to the DHSmission. Note the use of the words “careers” and“dedicated” — the DHS is now by statute aprimary customer for the labs, which arenow truly national labs engaged in anenduring effort to protect the homeland in

the same manner that they conduct theirmissions for the DOE. The DHS’s laboratorycomplex will continue to be essential tomeeting the challenges and requirements ofthe Department. The particular assets ofSandia National Laboratories, including theirwell-regarded systems engineeringcapability, are of particular relevance to ourmission. Homeland security is fundamentally asystems engineering task. At all levels thereare concerns about efficiencies, costs,maintainability, and performance. ThePresident has said that we must not just makethe Nation safer, we must also render ourcommonplace tasks more efficient where itis possible to do so. If the investments wemake now to better secure our borders canalso improve the flow of legitimate traffic,and if the communications systems we buildto better respond to a terrorist event improveour ability to respond to a natural disaster,then the Nation is enriched Conversely, if in securing cyberspacewe restrict flexibilities and reduce theproductivities associated with the digitalage, or if the installation of portal monitorsat the borders serves to restrict commerce,the Nation will be the poorer. Everyoneengaged in research and development forhomeland security must thus become a littlebit of an operations analyst. They mustcarefully consider how the system will bedeployed, who will operate it, and what theconsequences of its operation will be. Cost-benefit trades must be made between thevarious technical and operational conceptsin play, and, at the overall systems level,between the investments we make indetection and warning, mitigation,and recovery.

26


INSIGHTSBy Penrose C. Albright

DHS Assistant SecretaryPenrose "Parney" Albright

checks out a SafeGuardsTransport unit while

visiting Sandia.

27


With this set of imperatives in mind, weare asking our laboratories to engage stateand local public safety entities; federalagencies at our borders and airports; operatorsand protectors of our ports and airports andcritical infrastructures; in order to betterunderstand the operational environment, anddevelop systems that can fit well with theirpractices and procedures. However, thediscipline of systems engineering is only partof the story. Homeland security also requiresa deep understanding of the fundamentalaspects of physical, biological, and socialsciences, and cutting edge technology. Puttingall this together has been a historical strengthof the laboratories, and we are excited aboutengaging these capabilities in securingour nation. The Department of Homeland SecurityAct emphasizes the important role of industryin performing research and developingtechnologies. The national laboratories havewell-established and recognized collaborative,cooperative relationships with private industryand the academic community that areimportant for developing and thencommercializing solutions. Finally, andimportantly, the national laboratories aremembers of the Intelligence Community,allowing them to play a significant analyticrole for the Department in assessing thecurrent and emerging threats. Existing programs totaling about $118million dollars to counter homeland securitythreats were transferred from the DOE andthe National Nuclear Security Administrationto the DHS. Many of these programs werealready being executed by the nationallaboratories and continue today. Nationallaboratory personnel played a key role as theDepartment was being “stood-up,” andcontinue today in the development of the

science-based technology roadmaps thatguide our investments to thwart these threats. The Science and Technology Directoratehas developed these roadmaps in responseto our key missions: to serve as the principalDepartmental component for countering thethreat of weapons of mass destruction; toperform research and development aimed atenhancing the capabilities of the othercomponents of the Department; and toprovide systems engineering expertise forthe Department. Thus, we are focused on thedevelopment of countermeasures to the threatof biological, chemical, radiological, andnuclear threats, and also on improvementsto our border operations, to our ability toanalyze and process information, and torespond to natural and man-madecatastrophes. The Department of Homeland Security’slaboratories are a crucial, and integral, partof our strategy to accomplish those missions.

INSIGHTS“Homelandsecurity also

requires a deepunderstanding ofthe fundamental

aspects ofphysical, bio-

logical, and socialsciences, andcutting edge

technology. Puttingall this together hasbeen a historical

strength of thelaboratories, and

we are excitedabout engaging

these capabilitiesin securing

our nation.”

Sandia researchers briefed DHS Undersecretary CharlesMcQueary on a number of Sandia programs during aMay 2003 visit.

The author is President Bush’s recentlyconfirmed nominee for Assistant Secretary ofHomeland Security - Science and Technology,for Plans, Programs and Budgets.

28


Sandia’s Advanced Concepts GroupGerry Yonas, 505-845-9820, [email protected] John Whitley, 505-845-9763, [email protected]

Sandia Office of Homeland SecurityTJ Allard, 505-844-5581, [email protected]

Weapons of Mass Destruction – DecisionAnalysis CenterHoward Hirano, 925-294-2053, [email protected]

Risk Assessment MethodologiesDrinking Water Systems,Jeff Danneels, 505-284-3897, [email protected]

Dams and Electrical Transmission Systems andScreening for Department of InteriorTommy Woodall, 505-844-7541,[email protected]

Property Analysis and RankingRegina Hunter, 505-844-5837, [email protected]

Building VulnerabilitiesRichard Griffith, 505-844-8232, [email protected]

Community Risk Assessments andChemical Plant SecurityCal Jaeger, 505-844-4986, [email protected]

Ports of Los Angeles and LongBeach SecurityCharles Massey, 505-845-0773,[email protected]

National Infrastructure Simulation and AnalysisCenterLillian Snyder, 505-284-3378, [email protected]

Explosives DetectionKevin Linker, 505-844-6999, [email protected]

Bomb DisablementChris Cherry, 505-845-7480, [email protected]

Ion Mobility Signal StrengtheningEd Tarver, 925-294-1396, [email protected]

SnifferStarTM

Doug Adkins, 505-844-0611, [email protected]

µChemLabTM

Art Pontau, 925-294-3159, [email protected]

ChemiresistorsClifford Ho, 505-844-2384, [email protected]

Radiation Assessment Identification andDetection (RAID) SystemDavid Waymire, 505-844-1175,[email protected]

or Dean Mitchell, 505-844-8868,[email protected]

ARES Sandia Sky ScannerPhil Hargis, 505-844-2821, [email protected]

or Al Lang, 505-845-8170, [email protected]

Decontamination FoamMark Tucker, 505-844-7264, [email protected]

EnvirofoamRobert Comstock, 256-319-0137ModecBrian Kalamanka, 800-967-7887

Protective and Response Options for AirportCounter-Terrorism (PROACT)Susanna Gordon, 925-294-3634,[email protected]

University of New Haven MastersDegree ProgramContact the university at:www.newhaven.edu/psps/nationalsecurity.html

F o rf u r t h e r

i n f o r m a t i o n…

SAND 2003-2864P

PRSRT STDU.S. PostagePAID

Albuquerque, NMPermit NO. 232

Media Relations & Communications Dept.MS 0165Sandia National LaboratoriesP.O. Box 5800Albuquerque, NM 87185-0165

"Sandia started work in antiterrorism followingthe 1972 Munich Olympics.

As ever, the Labs today are focused ontomorrow's problems. Now, the

problems are even more challenging than thoseof the past."

T. J. AllardSandia Office of Homeland Security

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