The Glassdoor numbers are reasonable. You have to take into account that the Bay Area is the mecca of tech and startups. This makes the cost of living ridiculous. While the Livermore or Berkeley salary might be higher than other national labs they still can't compete with the private market in...
Lots of organizations would like a person with your background, DOE/NNSA, DTRA, DARPA to name a few. Are you on good terms with your NPS advisor? They would be a good first point of contact. He/She should have sponsor funding which would be your foot in the door.
Search through "Modern Review of Physics". You aren't going to find one paper that captures all the areas of the cuprates. The subject is just to broad.
What is sounds like your asking is: Can you reach the same physical state through multiple lower amplitude shocks as would be reached through a single higher amplitude shock?
There a few threads around here about how airplanes fly. I would suggest you read a few of them and then repostulate your initial assumptions on what creates lift. Why do you assume that they atmosphere and the wing has to stay together?
That's not really a job posting. They have someone picked out for the job already. In fact they probably used the persons CV to make the job posting. Then they are sure the person will meet all the requirements.