Los Alamos National Laboratory Announces Security Demo at Sunport October 13

LOS ALAMOS, N.M.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--A potential next-generation liquid- and gel-scanning system for airport travelers will be demonstrated at the Albuquerque International Sunport for the public, media, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials on Wednesday, October 13 at 11:00 a.m. Los Alamos National Laboratory’s MagViz (Magnetic Vision) Bottled Liquid Scanner (BLS) will be displayed, employing ultra-low-field nuclear magnetic resonance technology for the checkpoint detection of liquid explosives.

Time:		11:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Location:		Press Room, ticketing level, then moving to security access portal, departure level

Senior Homeland Security and Laboratory officials and science staff will speak in the press room, then the equipment will be demonstrated at the security portal area throughout the day. Both science and program staff will be available for media interviews.

The MagViz Bottled Liquid Scanner uses an innovative application of a technology first used for medical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tool distinguishes potential-threat liquids from the harmless shampoos and sodas a regular traveler might take aboard an aircraft. Currently, all liquids, except those that are medically exempted must be in 3-ounce or less containers, in a 1-quart zip-top bag, one bag per traveler. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is actively working with industry to develop the technologies that meet its strict detection standards to address liquids screening while keeping the traveling public safe.

A video about the technology will be posted to the LANL YouTube channel, (http://www.youtube.com/user/LosAlamosNationalLab). A live webcast of the event will be transmitted to Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration and other interested parties in Washington, D.C.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory (www.lanl.gov)

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

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