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DOE Pulse
  • Number 405  |
  • January 20, 2014

Extreme weather inspired Livermore physicist Miguel Morales

Lawrence Livermore physicist Miguel Morales

Lawrence Livermore physicist
Miguel Morales

Lawrence Livermore physicist Miguel Morales stormed into science in a manner of speaking.

His selection as a 2014 Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering (PECASE) appears to demonstrate that he is a force in the field of condensed matter physics – studying materials at extreme pressures and temperatures. This is perhaps only appropriate since it was in the aftermath of a hurricane that struck his native Puerto Rico that at age 16 he discovered an aptitude and passion for science.

As he waited for life on the island to return to normal, he picked up a science book. “After the hurricane we spent a month without electricity and water. I started reading about Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein in an encyclopedia of science,” Morales recalls. “I had no exposure to science before that and I was fascinated. I started buying and reading books about science and I became obsessed with math as well. I knew then that I would devote my life to science.”

Today, using advanced computational techniques such as density functional theory and quantum Monte Carlo, Morales studies materials at extreme pressure and temperature on some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. His work is important to Stockpile Stewardship, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA's) program to ensure the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent without underground testing.

His work simulating materials and plasmas at extreme pressures and temperatures has important implications for Livermore’s National Ignition Facility, the world’s largest and most energetic laser, and the campaign to achieve fusion ignition. “We’re building a basis in science to better understand what happens to hydrogen in the target chamber,” he said. “NIF is creating extreme conditions for these materials for the first time.”

In addition, this research also provides planetary scientists with a better understanding of planet formation. While he’s driven by the challenge of creating the mathematical models that allow the study of phenomena that would be difficult or impossible to study experimentally, Morales has developed an interest in the science to which the simulations are being applied. “I’ve developed quite an interest in planetary evolution,” he said.

Morales completed a double Bachelor of Science degree in theoretical physics and mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez (2004). He earned his Ph.D from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2009, where he studied under David Ceperley, a former Livermore scientist. Before being hired at Livermore, Morales was a postdoctoral researcher at Rice University.

His first experience at Livermore was as a summer student in 2008 and he subsequently collaborated with LLNL scientists in his work. “I always knew I wanted to come and work at Livermore.”

“I’m very happy and honored to receive this PECASE award,” said Morales, who joined LLNL’s Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Division as a staff scientist in 2010.

The early career presidential awards are the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Established by President Clinton in 1996, the awards are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education or community outreach.

Morales was one of 13 US Department of Energy and 102 recipients overall. Awardees will be honored in a ceremony later this year. The award comes with a stipend distributed over five years. Past recipients have received up to $50,000 a year.

Science is a family affair for Morales and his wife, who works as a medical physicist in radiation oncology at UC San Francisco.

Morales said he hopes the PECASE award will open new opportunities for research in the future.

Submitted by DOE's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory