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Quench observation using quench antennas on RHIC IR quadrupole magnets
Quench observation using quench antennas is now being performed routinely on RHIC dipole and quadrupole magnets. Recently, a quench antenna was used on a RHIC IR magnet which is heavily instrumented with voltage taps. It was confirmed that the signals detected in the antenna coils do not contradict the voltage tap signals. The antenna also detects a sign of mechanical disturbance which could be related to a training quench. This paper summarizes signals detected in the antenna and discusses possible causes of these signals.
Solar two: A molten salt power tower demonstration
A consortium of United States utility concerns led by the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) is conducting a cooperative project with the US Department of Energy (DOE), Sandia National Laboratories, and industry to convert the 10-MW Solar One Power Tower Pilot Plant to molten nitrate salt technology. The conversion involves installation of a new receiver, a new thermal storage system, and a new steam generator; it utilizes Solar One`s heliostat field and turbine generator. Successful operation of the converted plant, called Solar Two, will reduce economic risks in building initial commercial power tow projects and accelerate the commercial acceptance of this promising renewable energy technology. The estimated cost of Solar Two, including its three-year test period, is $48.5 million. The plant will begin operation in early 1996.
Tuning shims for high field quality in superconducting magnets
A high field quality in interaction region quadrupoles is crucial to the luminosity performance of high energy colliders such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The field quality in magnets is limited in part by manufacturing tolerances in the parts and assembly. A tuning shim method has been developed to reduce the relative field errors ({Delta}B/B) from {approximately}10{sup {minus}4} to {approximately}10{sup {minus}5} at 2/3 of the coil radius. Eight tuning shims having a variable thickness of iron are inserted after the construction and measurement of field harmonics in the magnet. In this paper the tuning shim technique is described for RHIC interaction region quadrupoles. The results of calculations and measurement are also presented.
Ultra-intense, short pulse laser-plasma interactions with applications to the fast ignitor
Due to the advent of chirped pulse amplification (CPA) as an efficient means of creating ultra-high intensity laser light (I > 5{times}10{sup 17} W/cm{sup 2}) in pulses less than a few picoseconds, new ideas for achieving ignition and gain in DT targets with less than 1 megajoule of input energy are currently being pursued. Two types of powerful lasers are employed in this scheme: (1) channeling beams and (2) ignition beams. The current state of laser-plasma interactions relating to this fusion scheme will be discussed. In particular, plasma physics issues in the ultra-intense regime are crucial to the success of this scheme. We compare simulation and experimental results in this highly nonlinear regime.
The magnet system of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)
The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider now under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a colliding ring accelerator to be completed in 1999. Through collisions of heavy ions it is hoped to observe the creation of matter at extremely high temperatures and densities, similar to what may have occurred in the original "Big Bang." The collider rings will consist of 1740 superconducting magnet elements. Some of elements are being manufactured by industrial partners (Northrop Grumman and Everson Electric). Others are being constructed or assembled at BNL. A description is given of the magnet designs, the plan for manufacturing and test results. In the manufacturing of the magnets, emphasis has been placed on uniformity of their performance and on quality. Results so far indicate that this emphasis has been very successful.
Properties of a new average power Nd-doped phosphate laser glass
The Nd-doped phosphate laser glass described herein can withstand 2.3 times greater thermal loading without fracture, compared to APG-1 (commercially-available average-power glass from Schott Glass Technologies). The enhanced thermal loading capability is established on the basis of the intrinsic thermomechanical properties and by direct thermally-induced fracture experiments using Ar-ion laser heating of the samples. This Nd-doped phosphate glass (referred to as APG-t) is found to be characterized by a 29% lower gain cross section and a 25% longer low-concentration emission lifetime.
Plasma gate switch experiment on Pegasus II
The plasma gate switch is a novel technique for producing a long conduction time vacuum opening switch. The switch consists of an aluminum foil which connects the cathode to the anode in a coaxial geometry. The foil is designed so that the maximum axial acceleration is in the center of the foil and that at the appropriate time, the center opens up and magnetic flux is carried down the gun to the load region. The switch is designed to minimize the amount of mass transported into the load region. We have completed the first experimental test of this design and present results from the test. These results indicate there were some asymmetry problems in the construction of the switch but that otherwise the switch performed as expected.
Deep x-ray lithography for micromechanics
Extensions of the German LIGA process have brought about fabrication capability suitable for cost effective production of precision engineered components. The process attributes allow fabrication of mechanical components which are not capable of being made via conventional subtractive machining methods. Two process improvements have been responsible for this extended capability which involve the areas of thick photoresist application and planarization via precision lapping. Application of low-stress x-ray photoresist has been achieved using room temperature solvent bonding of a preformed photoresist sheet. Precision diamond lapping and polishing has provided a flexible process for the planarization of a wide variety of electroplated metals in the presence of photoresist. Exposure results from the 2.5 GeV National Synchrotron Light Source storage ring at Brookhaven National Laboratory have shown that structural heights of several millimeter and above are possible. The process capabilities are also well suited for microactuator fabrication. Linear and rotational magnetic microactuators have been constructed which use coil winding technology with LIGA fabricated coil forms. Actuator output forces of 1 milliNewton have been obtained with power dissipation on the order of milliWatts. A rotational microdynamometer system which is capable of measuring torque-speed data is also discussed.
Material and processing issues for the monolithic integration of microelectronics with surface-micromachined polysilicon sensors and actuators
The monolithic integration of micromechanical devices with their controlling electronics offers potential increases in performance as well as decreases in cost for these devices. Analog Devices has demonstrated the commercial viability of this integration by interleaving the micromechanical fabrication steps of an accelerometer with the microelectronic fabrication steps of its controlling electronics. Sandia`s Microelectronics Development Laboratory has integrated the micromechanical and microelectronic processing sequences in a segregated fashion. In this CMOS-first, micromechanics-last approach, conventional aluminum metallization is replaced by tungsten metallization to allow CMOS to withstand subsequent high-temperature processing during the micromechanical fabrication. This approach is a further development of an approach originally developed at UC Berkeley. Specifically, the issues of yield, repeatability, and uniformity of the tungsten/CMOS approach are addressed. Also, material issues related to the development of high-temperature diffusion barriers, adhesion layers, and low-stress films are discussed. Processing and material issues associated with alternative approaches to this integration such as micromechanics- first, CMOS-last or the interleaved process are also discussed.
Using the CAVE virtual-reality environment as an aid to 3-D electromagnetic field computation
One of the major problems in three-dimensional (3-D) field computation is visualizing the resulting 3-D field distributions. A virtual-reality environment, such as the CAVE, (CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment) is helping to overcome this problem, thus making the results of computation more usable for designers and users of magnets and other electromagnetic devices. As a demonstration of the capabilities of the CAVE, the elliptical multipole wiggler (EMW), an insertion device being designed for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) now being commissioned at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), wa made visible, along with its fields and beam orbits. Other uses of the CAVE in preprocessing and postprocessing computation for electromagnetic applications are also discussed.
Multidimensional DDT modeling of energetic materials
A nonequilibrium continuum mixture model has been incorporated into the CTH shock physics code to describe deflagration-to-detonation transition in granular energetic materials. This approach treats multiple thermodynamic and mechanics fields including the effects of relative material motion, rate-dependent compaction and interphase exchange of mass, momentum and energy. A finite volume description is formulated and internal state variables are solved using an operator-splitting method. Numerical simulations of low-velocity impact on a weakly-confined porous propellant bed are presented which display lateral wall release leading to curved compaction and reaction wave behavior.
Light U(1) gauge boson coupled to baryon number
The authors discuss the phenomenology of a light U(1) gauge boson, {gamma}{sub B}, that couples only to baryon number. Gauging baryon number at high energies can prevent dangerous baryon-number violating operators that may be generated by Planck scale physics. However, they assume at low energies that the new U(1) gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken and that the {gamma}{sub B} mass m{sub B} is smaller than m{sub z}. They show for m{sub {Upsilon}} < m{sub B} < m{sub z} that the {gamma}B coupling {alpha}{sub B} can be as large as {approximately} 0.1 without conflicting with the current experimental constraints. The authors argue that {alpha}{sub B} {approximately} 0.1 is large enough to produce visible collider signatures and that evidence for the {gamma}{sub B} could be hidden in existing LEP data. They show that there are realistic models in which mixing between the {gamma}{sub B} and the electroweak gauge bosons occurs only as a radiative effect and does not lead to conflict with precision electroweak measurements. Such mixing may nevertheless provide a leptonic signal for models of this type at an upgraded Tevatron.
Nonlinear Waves in Reaction Diffusion Systems: The Effect of Transport Memory
Motivated by the problem of determining stress distributions in granular materials, we study the effect of finite transport correlation times on the propagation of nonlinear wavefronts in reaction diffusion systems. We obtain new results such as the possibility of spatial oscillations in the wavefront shape for certain values of the system parameters and high enough wavefront speeds. We also generalize earlier known results concerning the minimum wavefront speed and shape-speed relationships stemming from the finiteness of the correlation times. Analytic investigations are made possible by a piece-wise linear representation of the nonlinearity.
Characterization of the LiSi/CsBr-LiBr-KBr/FeS(2) System for Potential Use as a Geothermal Borehole Power Source
We are continuing to study the suitability of modified thermal-battery technology as a potential power source for geothermal borehole applications. Previous work focused on the LiSi/FeS{sub 2} couple over a temperature range of 350 C to 400 C with the LiBr-KBr-LiF eutectic, which melts at 324.5 C. In this work, the discharge processes that take place in LiSi/CsBr-LiBr-KBr eutectic/FeS{sub 2} thermal cells were studied at temperatures between 250 C and 400 C using pelletized cells with immobilized electrolyte. The CsBr-LiBr-KBr eutectic was selected because of its lower melting point (228.5 C). Incorporation of a quasi-reference electrode allowed the determination of the relative contribution of each electrode to the overall cell polarization. The results of single-cell tests and limited battery tests are presented, along with preliminary data for battery stacks tested in a simulated geothermal borehole environment.
Challenges in the Twentieth Century and Beyond: Computer codes and data
The second half of the twentieth century has seen major changes in computer architecture. In the early fifties to the early seventies, the word ``computes`` demanded reverence, respect and even fear. Computers, then, were almost ``untouchable``. Today, computers have become the mainstreams of communication on the rapidly expanding communication highways. They have become necessities of life. With the computers came the establishment of information centers -- tasked with the dissemination of newly developed computer codes and generated data. The Radiation Shielding Information Center (RSIC) was founded in 1962 as a valuable resource for programs and cross section data concerned with the effects of radiation. Through the years, RSIC has collected computer codes developed for the early machines (IBM 360, DEC PDP-10, CDC 660, UNIVAC 1100), to the more modern and powerful desktops (Pentium based Personal Computers, UNIX workstations like the IBM RISC 6000, DEC Alpha, SUN) and supercomputers (Cray XMP, Cray YMP, Cray C90, IBM SP2).
Network improvement problems
The authors study budget constrained optimal network improvement problems. Such problems aim at finding optimal strategies for improving a network under some cost measure subject to certain budget constraints. As an example, consider the following prototypical problem: Let G = (V, E) be an undirected graph with two cost values L(e) and C(e) associated with each edge e, where L(e) denotes the length of e and C(e) denotes the cost of reducing the length of e by a unit amount. A reduction strategy specifies for each edge e, the amount by which L(e) is to be reduced. For a given budget B, the goal is to find a reduction strategy such that the total cost of reduction is at most B and the minimum cost tree (with respect to some measure M) under the modified L costs is the best over all possible reduction strategies which obey the budget constraint. Typical measures M for a tree are the total weight and the diameter. They provide both hardness and approximation results for the two measures M mentioned above. For the problem of minimizing the total weight of a spacing tree, they provide an algorithm that, for any fixed {gamma},{var_epsilon} > 0, finds a solution whose weight is at most (1 + 1/{gamma}) times that of a minimum length spanning tree plus an additive constant of at most {var_epsilon} and the total cost of improvement is at most (1 + {gamma}) times the budget B. This result can be extended to obtain approximation algorithms for more general network design problems considered in [GW, GG+94].
Using artificial neural networks to predict the performance of a liquid metal reflux solar receiver: Preliminary results
Three and four-layer backpropagation artificial neural networks have been used to predict the power output of a liquid metal reflux solar receiver. The networks were trained using on-sun test data recorded at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The preliminary results presented in this paper are a comparison of how different size networks train on this particular data. The results give encouragement that it will be possible to predict output power of a liquid metal receiver under a variety of operating conditions using artificial neural networks.
Conceptual design of the National Ignition Facility
DOE commissioned a Conceptual Design Report (CDR) for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in January 1993 as part of a Key Decision Zero (KDO), justification of Mission Need. Motivated by the progress to date by the Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program in meeting the Nova Technical Contract goals established by the National Academy of Sciences in 1989, the Secretary requested a design using a solid-state laser driver operating at the third harmonic (0.35 {mu}m) of neodymium (Nd) glass. The participating ICF laboratories signed a Memorandum of Agreement in August 1993, and established a Project organization, including a technical team from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester. Since then, we completed the NIF conceptual design, based on standard construction at a generic DOE Defense Program`s site, and issued a 7,000-page, 27-volume CDR in May 1994.2 Over the course of the conceptual design study, several other key documents were generated, including a Facilities Requirements Document, a Conceptual Design Scope and Plan, a Target Physics Design Document, a Laser Design Cost Basis Document, a Functional Requirements Document, an Experimental Plan for Indirect Drive Ignition, and a Preliminary Hazards Analysis (PHA) Document. DOE used the PHA to categorize the NIF as a low-hazard, non-nuclear facility. On October 21, 1994 the Secretary of Energy issued a Key Decision One (KD1) for the NIF, which approved the Project and authorized DOE to request Office of Management and Budget-approval for congressional line-item FY 1996 NIF funding for preliminary engineering design and for National Environmental Policy Act activities. In addition, the Secretary declared Livermore as the preferred site for constructing the NIF. The Project will cost approximately $1.1 billion and will be completed at the end of FY …
CP Violation in B Decays at the Tevatron
Between 1992 to 1996, the CDF and D0 detectors each collected data samples exceeding 100 pb{sup {minus}1} of p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron. These data sets led to a large number of precision measurements of the properties of B hadrons including lifetimes, masses, neutral B meson flavor oscillations, and relative branching fractions, and to the discovery of the B{sub 0} meson. Perhaps the most exciting result was the first look at the CP violation parameter sin ({vert_bar}2{beta}){vert_bar} using the world's largest sample of fully reconstructed B{sup 0}/{bar B}{sup 0} {r_arrow} J/{psi}K{sub s}{sup 0} decays. A summary of this result is presented here. In the year 2000, the Tevatron will recommence p{bar p} collisions with an over order of magnitude expected increased in integrated luminosity (1 fb{sup {minus}1} per year). The CDF and D0 detectors will have undergone substantial upgrades, particularly in the tracking detectors and the triggers. With these enhancements, the Tevatron B physics program includes precision measurements of sin(2{beta}) and B{sub s}{sup 0} flavor oscillations, as well as studies of rare B decays that are sensitive to new physics. The studies of B{sub s}{sup 0} mesons will be particularly interesting as this physics will be unique to the Tevatron during the first half of the next decade.
Diphoton production in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.8 TeV
We present measurements of the inclusive {gamma}{gamma} cross section (as a function of invariant mass and photon {epsilon}{sub {tau}}), in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.8 TeV, made using the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The next is leading order (NLO) QCD prediction is found to be in good agreement with the data. The effects of invariant mass and diphoton balance cuts, which test the next-to-leading order contributions to the cross section, are investigated. We also compare the distribution of {kappa}{sub {tau}} between samples of diphotons and highly electromagnetic jets, and find that the NLO QCD prediction models the shape of the {gamma}{gamma} {kappa}{sub {tau}} distribution quite well.
Radiation dose modeling using IGRIP and Deneb/ERGO
The Radiological Environment Modeling System (REMS) quantifies dose to humans in radiation environments using the IGRIP (Interactive Graphical Robot Instruction Program) and Deneb/ERGO (Ergonomics) simulation software products. These commercially available products are augmented with custom C code to provide the radiation exposure information to and collect the radiation dose information from the workcell simulations. The emphasis of this paper is on the IGRIP and Deneb/ERGO parts of REMS, since that represents the extension to existing capabilities developed by the authors. Through the use of any radiation transport code or measured data, a radiation exposure input database may be formulated. User-specified IGRIP simulations utilize these database files to compute and accumulate dose to human devices (Deneb`s ERGO human) during simulated operations around radiation sources. Timing, distances, shielding, and human activity may be modeled accurately in the simulations. The accumulated dose is recorded in output files, and the user is able to process and view this output. REMS was developed because the proposed reduction in the yearly radiation exposure limit will preclude or require changes in many of the manual operations currently being utilized in the Weapons Complex. This is particularly relevant in the area of dismantlement activities at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, TX. Therefore, a capability was needed to be able to quantify the dose associated with certain manual processes so that the benefits of automation could be identified and understood.
Automatic history matching of geothermal field performance
We have developed inverse modeling capabilities for the multiphase multicomponent numerical simulator TOUGH2 to facilitate automatic history matching, and parameter estimation based on data obtained during exploitation of Geothermal fields. The ITOUGH2 code allows one to estimate TOUGH2 input parameters based on any type of observation for which a corresponding TOUGH2 output can be calculated. Furthermore, a detailed residual and error analysis is performed, and the uncertainty of model predictions can be evaluated. This paper focuses on the solution of the inverse; problem, i.e. the determination of model-related parameters by automatically calibrating a conceptual model of the Geothermal system against data obtained during field operation. We first describe the modeling, approach used to simulate fluid and heat flow in fractured-porous media. The inverse problem is then formulated, followed by a brief discussion of the optimization algorithm. A sample problem is given to demonstrate the application of the method to Geothermal reservoir data.
Integrated models for plasma/material interaction during loss of plasma confinement.
A comprehensive computer package, High Energy Interaction with General Heterogeneous Target Systems (HEIGHTS), has been developed to evaluate the damage incurred on plasma-facing materials during loss of plasma confinement. The HEIGHTS package consists of several integrated computer models that follow the start of a plasma disruption at the scrape-off layer (SOL) through the transport of the eroded debris and splashed target materials to nearby locations as a result of the energy deposited. The package includes new models to study turbulent plasma behavior in the SOL and predicts the plasma parameters and conditions at the divertor plate. Full two-dimensional comprehensive radiation magnetohydrodynamic models are coupled with target thermodynamics and liquid hydrodynamics to evaluate the integrated response of plasma-facing materials. A brief description of the HEIGHTS package and its capabilities are given in this work with emphasis on turbulent plasma behavior in the SOL during disruptions.
Probing coal reactivity by time-resolved small angle x-ray scattering.
The objective of this study is to observe changes in coal structure in situ with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) during solvent swelling and during pyrolysis. We have built a SAXS instrument at the Basic Energy Sciences Synchrotrons Research Center at the Advanced Photon Source that allows us to obtain scattering patterns in the millisecond time domain. The eight Argonne Premium Coal samples were used in this study. The information that can be derived from these experiments, such as changes in fractal dimensionality and in size and type of porosity, was found to be very rank-dependent. In the swelling experiments, it was noted that for certain coals, structural changes occurred in just a few minutes.
Detection of Depleted Uranium in Soil Using Portable Hand-Held Instruments
The Measurement Applications and Development Group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has collected and analyzed data with the purpose of evaluating the in-situ detection capabilities of common hand-held detectors for depleted uranium ({sup 238}U) in soil. Measurements were collected with one each of the following detectors: a FIDLER operated in a gross (full spectrum) mode, a FIDLER operated in a spectrum specific (windowed) mode, a 1.25'' x 1.5'' cylindrical NaI detector operated with a gross count rate system, and both open and closed-window pancake-type detectors. Representative samples were then collected at the same location and later analyzed at an ORNL laboratory. This report presents a correlation between the measurements and the soil concentration results and should be helpful to anyone interested in estimating measurement sensitivities for depleted uranium in soil.
The Effect of Shock Stress and Field Strength on Shock-Induced Depoling of Normally Poled PZT 95/5
Shock-induced depoling of the ferroelectric ceramic PZT 95/5 is utilized in a number of pulsed power devices. Several experimental and theoretical efforts are in progress in order to improve numerical simulations of these devices. In this study we have examined the shock response of normally poled PZT 95/5 under uniaxial strain conditions. On each experiment the current produced in an external circuit and the transmitted waveform at a window interface were recorded. The peak electrical field generated within the PZT sample was varied through the choice of external circuit resistance. Shock pressures were varied from 0.6 to 4.6 GPa, and peak electrical fields were varied from 0.2 to 37 kV/cm. For a 2.4 GPa shock and the lowest peak field, a nearly constant current governed simply by the remanent polarization and the shock velocity was recorded. Both decreasing the shock pressure and increasing the electrical field resulted in reduced current generation, indicating a retardation of the depoling kinetics.
The CDF TESTCLK module - Providing system level clocking and triggering for Run 2 prototyping crates
The TESTCLK module was specifically designed for use in prototyping crates for the Colliding Detector Facility (CDF) Run 2 Experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The TESTCLK Module allows the user to supply system clocks and trigger signals to stand-alone crates. This module has allowed designers of the CDF Run 2 electronics to thoroughly test their modules, despite the lack of a DAQ system supplied clock and trigger interface. This paper will explore the features that were found important to incorporate into the TESTCLK, and describe how they were implemented. The paper will also describe how the TESTCLK module has been used to support the initial implementation of the DAQ system at CDF. This has allowed data taking and testing of CDF Electronic modules before production clock and trigger modules became available.
Shallow infiltration processes in arid watersheds at Yucca Mountain, Nevada
A conceptual model of shallow infiltration processes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, was developed for use in hydrologic flow models to characterize net infiltration (the penetration of the wetting front below the zone influenced by evapotranspiration). The model categorizes the surface of the site into four infiltration zones. These zones were identified as ridgetops, sideslopes, terraces, and active channels on the basis of water-content changes with depth and time. The maximum depth of measured water-content change at a specific site is a function of surface storage capacity, the timing and magnitude of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and the degree of saturation of surficial materials overlying fractured bedrock. Measured water-content profiles for the four zones indicated that the potential for net infiltration is higher when evapotranspiration is low (i.e winter, cloudy periods), where surface concentration of water is likely to occur (i.e. depressions, channels), where surface storage capacity is low, and where fractured bedrock is close to the surface.
Zircaloy cladding degradation under repository conditions
Creep, a potential degradation mechanism of Zircaloy cladding after repository disposal of spent nuclear fuel, has been investigated. The deformation and fracture map methodology has been used to predict maximum allowable initial storage temperatures to achieve a thousand year life without rupture as a function of spent-fuel history. Maximum allowable temperatures are 340{degree}C (613 K) for typically stressed rods (70--100 MPa) and 300{degree}C (573 K) for highly stressed rods (140--160 MPa). 10 refs., 2 figs.
Report on the international workshop on cold moderators for pulsed neutron sources.
The International Workshop on Cold Moderators for Pulsed Neutron Sources resulted from the coincidence of two forces. Our sponsors in the Materials Sciences Branch of DOE's Office of Energy Research and the community of moderator and neutron facility developers both realized that it was time. The Neutron Sources Working Group of the Megascience Forum of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development offered to contribute its support by publishing the proceedings, which with DOE and Argonne sponsorship cemented the initiative. The purposes of the workshop were: to recall and improve the theoretical groundwork of time-dependent neutron thermalization; to pose and examine the needs for and benefits of cold moderators for neutron scattering and other applications of pulsed neutron sources; to summarize experience with pulsed source, cold moderators, their performance, effectiveness, successes, problems and solutions, and the needs for operational data; to compile and evaluate new ideas for cold moderator materials and geometries; to review methods of measuring and characterizing pulsed source cold moderator performance; to appraise methods of calculating needed source characteristics and to evaluate the needs and prospects for improvements; to assess the state of knowledge of data needed for calculating the neutronic and engineering performance of cold moderators; and to outline the needs for facilities for testing various aspects of pulsed source cold moderator performance.
Novel structural phenomena at the maximum T{sub c} in 123 and HgBa{sub 2}CuO{sub 4+{delta}} superconductors : evidence for a structural response that competes with superconductivity.
Structural distortions that compete with superconductivity have been investigated in two systems where oxygen content can be used to vary the doping continuously from the under doped state, through the maximum T{sub c} into the over doped state. In the 123 system, (La{sub 1{minus}x}Ca{sub x})(Ba{sub 1.75{minus}x}La{sub 0.25+x})Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7+{delta}}, the buckling of the CuO{sub 2} planes goes through a maximum at the maximum T{sub c}. In HgBa{sub 2}CuO{sub 4+{delta}}, where buckling of the CuO{sub 2} planes is not available as a structural degree of freedom, there is a plateau at the maximum T{sub c} where the unit cell volume expands as oxygen is added while the charge transfer and T{sub c} remain constant. These unusual structural phenomena upon crossing through the maximum T{sub c} are hypothesized to be a response of the crystal structure to the electronic structure, with the structural distortions competing with superconductivity, or lowering the T{sub c} from what it would otherwise be.
Emergency radiological monitoring and analysis: Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center
The US Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP) provides the framework for integrating the various Federal agencies responding to a major radiological emergency. The FRERP authorizes the creation of the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC), which is established to coordinate all Federal agencies involved in the monitoring and assessment of the off-site radiological conditions in support of the impacted State(s) and the Lead Federal Agency (LFA). Within the FRMAC, the Monitoring and Analysis Division (M&A) is responsible for coordinating all FRMAC assets involved in conducting a comprehensive program of environmental monitoring, sampling, radioanalysis, and quality assurance. To assure consistency, completeness, and the quality of the data produced, a methodology and procedures manual is being developed. This paper discusses the structure, assets, and operations of the FRMAC M&A and the content and preparation of the manual.
Two implementations of shared virtual space environments.
While many issues in the area of virtual reality (VR) research have been addressed in recent years, the constant leaps forward in technology continue to push the field forward. VR research no longer is focused only on computer graphics, but instead has become even more interdisciplinary, combining the fields of networking, distributed computing, and even artificial intelligence. In this article we discuss some of the issues associated with distributed, collaborative virtual reality, as well as lessons learned during the development of two distributed virtual reality applications.
Ordering in classical Coulombic systems.
The author discusses the properties of classical Coulombic matter at low temperatures. It has been well known for some time [1,2] that infinite Coulombic matter will crystallize in body-centered cubic form when the quantity {Lambda} (the dimensionless ratio of the average two-particle Coulomb energy to the kinetic energy per particle) is larger than {approximately}175. But the systems of such particles that have been produced in the laboratory in ion traps, or ion beams, are finite with surfaces defined by the boundary conditions that have to be satisfied. This results in ion clouds with sharply defined curved surfaces, and interior structures that show up as a set of concentric layers that are parallel to the outer surface. The ordering does not appear to be cubic, but the charges on each shell exhibit a ''hexatic'' pattern of equilateral triangles that is the characteristic of liquid crystals. The curvature of the surfaces prevents the structures on successive shells from interlocking in any simple fashion. This class of structures was first found in simulations [3] and later in experiments [4].
Modeling the post-yield flow behavior after neutron and electron irradiation of steels and iron-base alloys.
Irradiation hardening is an issue of practical importance as it relates to the remanent life and the nature of failure of reactor components exposed to displacement-producing radiation. For example, irradiation-induced yield strength increases in pressure vessel steels are directly related to increases in the ductile-to-brittle-transition-temperature of these materials. Other issues associated with hardening, such as reductions in ductility, toughness and fatigue life of structural steels are also of concern. Understanding these phenomena requires studies of fundamental microstructural mechanisms of hardening. Because of the limited supply of neutron-irradiated surveillance material, difficulties posed by the radioactivity of neutron-exposed samples and the uncertainty of irradiation conditions in this case, fundamental studies are often conducted using well-controlled experiments involving irradiation by electrons instead of neutrons. Also, in such studies, simple model alloys are used in place of steels to focus on the influence of specific alloy constituents. It is, therefore, important to understand the relationship between the results of this kind of experiment and the effects of in-reactor neutron exposure in order to use them to make predictions of significance to reactor component life. In this paper, we analyze the tensile behavior of pressure vessel steels (A212B and A350) irradiated by neutrons and electrons. The results show that the post-yield true stress/true strain behavior can provide fingerprints of the different hardening effects that result from irradiation by the two particles, which also reflect the influence of alloy content. Microstructurally-based models for irradiation-induced yield strength increases, combined with a model for strain hardening, are used to make predictions of the different effects of irradiation by the two particles on the entire flow curve that agree well with data.
Progress and future plans for MPC and A at Chelyabinsk-70
This paper describes that portion of the Nuclear Materials Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC and A) program that is directed specifically to the needs of the All Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics (VNIITF), also called Chelyabinsk-70. Chelyabinsk-70 is located in the Ural Mountains, approximately 2000 km east of Moscow and 100 km south of Ekaterinburg. The MPC and A work that has been completed, is underway and planned at the facility will be described. During the first two years of the VNIITF project, emphasis was on the Pulse Research Reactor Facility (PRR), which contains one metal and two liquid pulse reactors and associated nuclear material storage rooms and a control center. A commissioning of the PRR was held in May of 1998. With the completion of the MPC and A work in the PRR, new physical protection work is focusing on other areas. VNIITF-wide physical protection initiatives underway include access control and computerized badging systems, and a central MPC and A control system. Measured physical inventory taking is a high priority for the VNIITF Project Team. A VNIITF-wide computerized accounting system is also being developed for the large and diverse inventory of nuclear material subject to MPC and A.
Preparation of multilayered materials in cross-section for in situ TEM tensile deformation studies
The success of in-situ transmission electron microscopy experimentation is often dictated by proper specimen preparation. We report here a novel technique permitting the production of cross-sectioned tensile specimens of multilayered films for in-situ deformation studies. Of primary importance in the development of this technique is the production of an electron transparent micro-gauge section using focused ion beam technology. This microgauge section predetermines the position at which plastic deformation is initiated; crack nucleation, growth and failure are then subsequently observed.
Technology Base Studies of Long-Term MCFC Performance
Cathode dissolution into the electrolyte matrix and endurance of current collector/separator plate materials are the main life-limiting factors of the state-of-the art MCFC. These components are also major contributors to the total system cost. Therefore, to reduce capital cost, it is necessary to minimize hardware corrosion and increase cell life. This study consists of experimental evaluation of corrosion processes with the objective to further practical; understanding of corrosion behavior of alloys and alloy components under cathodic gas conditions. Nickel, iron, cobalt and stainless steels 310 and 316L are analyzed. The experimental study consists of: (1) Observation of open circuit potential (OCP) changes. Surface reactions occurring without net passage of current are proposed based on this measurement. (2) Applying cyclic voltammetry, which provides information about the possible electrode reactions at different stages of polarization. (3) Applying AC impedance to support the result of tasks 1 and 2 at different stages of oxidation, and data analysis by means of equivalent circuits. Open circuit conditions as well as positive and negative polarization are used in the impedance measurements. (4) Surface analysis of the electrodes by SEM-EDX and X-ray diffraction. To obtain more information from electrochemical measurements a novel approach has been applied in cell design. In this two electrode approach, one electrode is fully immersed, and the other is wetted by carbonate melt via an alumina tube which has a thin film on it. While camera observation of these two different electrode conditions will identify the effect of carbonate wetting on the state of the surface, electrochemical measurements enable a quantitative comparison between complete submersion and wetting by a film of carbonate.
A study of turbulence in an evolving stable atmospheric boundary layer using large-eddy simulation
A study is made of the effects of stable stratification on the fine-scale features of the flow in an evolving stable boundary layer (SBL). Large-eddy simulation (LES) techniques are used so that spatially and temporally varying and intermittent features of the turbulence can be resolved; traditional Reynolds-averaging approaches are not well suited to this. The LES model employs a subgrid turbulence model that allows upscale energy transfer (backscatter) and incorporates the effects of buoyancy. The afternoon, evening transition, and nighttime periods are simulated. Highly anisotropic turbulence is found in the developed SBL, with occasional periods of enhanced turbulence. Energy backscatter occurs in a fashion similar to that found in DNS, and is an important capability in LES of the SBL. Coherent structures are dominant in the SBL, as the damping of turbulent energy occurs more at the smaller, less organized scales.
An update on projection methods for transient incompressible viscous flow
Introduced in 1990 was the biharmonic equation (for the pressure) and the concomitant biharmonic miracle when transient incompressible viscous flow is solved approximately by a projection method. Herein is introduced the biharmonic catastrophe that sometimes occurs with these same projection methods.
A novel condenser for EUV lithography ring-field projection optics
A condenser for a ring-field extreme ultra-violet (EUV) projection lithography camera is presented. The condenser consists of a gently undulating mirror, that we refer to as a ripple plate, and which is illuminated by a collimated beam at grazing incidence. The light is incident along the ripples rather than across them, so that the incident beam is reflected onto a cone and subsequently focused on to the arc of the ring field. A quasistationary illumination is achieved, since any one field point receives light from points on the ripples, which are distributed throughout the condenser pupil. The design concept can easily be applied to illuminate projection cameras with various ring-field and numerical aperture specifications. Ray-tracing results are presented of a condenser for a 0.25 NA EUV projection camera.
Neutron spectroscopy of high-density amorphous ice.
Vibrational spectra of high-density amorphous ice (hda-ice) for H{sub 2}O and D{sub 2}O samples were measured by inelastic neutron scattering. The measured spectra of hda-ice are closer to those for high-pressure phase ice-VI, but not for low-density ice-Ih. This result suggests that similar to ice-VI the structure of hda-ice should consist of two interpenetrating hydrogen-bonded networks having no hydrogen bonds between themselves.
Production of heavy quark states at CDF
In this paper the author presents results on quarkonia production, B-meson production and b{bar b} correlations in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.8 TeV. These results were obtained from data taken with the CDF detector at Fermilab. The author covers recently completed analyses of the 1992-95 collider run. Prospects for the near and more distant future are also discussed.
Plasma Rotation, Dynamo, and Nonlinear Coupling in the Reversed Field Pinch
Two important effects of MHD fluctuations in the RFP and tokamak are current generation (the dynamo effect) and mode locking. In the T1 and MST RFP experiments new results reveal the mode dynamics underlying these phenomena. In T1 the effect of specific magnetic Fourier modes on the current density profile is evident. In MST, the MHD dynamo term ({delta}v x {delta}B) is measured in the plasma edge, and found to account for the time dependence of the edge current throughout a sawtooth cycle. As edge resistivity is increased in T1 the fluctuation amplitude increases to maintain the dynamo-driven current, as expected from MHD computation. The modes responsible for the dynamo often lock to the local magnetic field error at the vertical cut in MST. The plasma rotation velocity has been measured with a fast Doppler spectrometer to a time resolution of 1 {mu}s. The plasma rotation and mode phase velocity are remarkably well-correlated, with both slowing, in the presence of an impulsive field error, in a 100 {mu}s timescale.
Above and beyond basic public participation
This paper evolved out of a discussion about public participation as it is currently being brought to the fore-front of clean-up activities at hazardous waste sites. There exists much official and unofficial documentation pertaining to the need for public involvement. The purposes for public involvement efforts in Environmental Restoration are: to enable substantive input to the clean-up process; methods for establishing formal, and now informal, mechanisms for public input and awareness of on-going facility activities; and the opening of better channels for communication and conflict resolution between the public and the facility. This presentation will briefly outline the regulatory approach for public outreach because many of these terms are used with such frequency, their meanings tend to get forgotten or misconstrued. Then, the authors will critique the most common methods for conducting public involvement as attempted through advisory boards and public meetings. For illustrative purposes, they will be referring to the site they are most familiar with, which is Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
Procyon: 18-MJ, 2-{mu}s pulsed power system
The Procyon high explosive pulsed power (HEPP) system was designed to drive plasma z-pinch experiments that produce Megajoule soft x-ray pulses when the plasma stagnates on axis. In the proceedings of the Ninth IEEE Pulsed Power Conference, we published results from system development tests. At this time, we have fielded seven tests in which the focus was on either vacuum switching or load physics. Four of the tests concentrated on the performance of a Plasma Flow Switch (PFS) which employed a 1/r mass distribution in the PFS barrel. Of the four tests, two had dummy loads and one had an implosion load. In addition, one of the tests broke down near the vacuum dielectric interface, and the result demonstrated what Procyon could deliver to an 18 nH load. We will summarize PFS results and the 18 nH test which is pertinent to upcoming solid/liquid liner experiments. On our other three tests, we eliminated the PFS switching and powered the z-pinch directly with the HEPP system. From the best of these direct drive tests we obtained 1.5 MJ of radiation in a 250 ns pulse, our best radiation pulse to date. We will also summarize direct drive test results. More details are given in other papers in this conference for both the PFS and direct drive experiments, and an updated analysis of our opening switch performed is also included. The remainder of this paper describes the parameters and capabilities of our system, and we will use the data from several experiments to provide more precise information than previously available.
Strontium isotopes in carbonate deposits at Crater Flat, Nevada
Strontium isotope studies of carbonates from soils, veins, eolian dust and Paleozoic basement samples near Crater Flat, southwest of Yucca Mountain, provide evidence for the origins of these materials. Vein and soil carbonates have nearly identical ranges of {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios at the lower end of the pedogenic range. The average {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr of Paleozoic basement from Black Marble Hill is similar to the {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr in the eolian dust, perhaps indicating a local source for this material. Possible spring deposits have generally higher {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr than the other carbonates. These data are compared with similar data from areas east of Yucca Mountain. 7 refs., 5 figs.
Black-Hole Astrophysics
Black-hole astrophysics is not just the investigation of yet another, even if extremely remarkable type of celestial body, but a test of the correctness of the understanding of the very properties of space and time in very strong gravitational fields. Physicists` excitement at this new prospect for testing theories of fundamental processes is matched by that of astronomers at the possibility to discover and study a new and dramatically different kind of astronomical object. Here the authors review the currently known ways that black holes can be identified by their effects on their neighborhood--since, of course, the hole itself does not yield any direct evidence of its existence or information about its properties. The two most important empirical considerations are determination of masses, or lower limits thereof, of unseen companions in binary star systems, and measurement of luminosity fluctuations on very short time scales.
Predicting the Future at Yucca Mountain
This paper summarizes a climate-prediction model funded by the DOE for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Several articles in the open literature attest to the effects of the Global Ocean Conveyor upon paleoclimate, specifically entrance and exit from the ice age. The data shows that these millennial-scale effects are duplicated on the microscale of years to decades. This work also identifies how man may have influenced the Conveyor, affecting global cooling and warming for 2,000 years.
Crystal field in the heavy fermion compound CeAl{sub 3}.
Although the crystal field has a strong influence on the heavy fermion properties of CeAl{sub 3}, the parameters of the crystal field Hamiltonian have not been established. We present the results of an analysis of inelastic neutron scattering data on CeAl{sub 3} to resolve this issue. By combining the neutron scattering results with measurements of the single crystal magnetic susceptibility, we have obtained an unambiguous set of crystal field parameters in CeAl{sub 3}: B{sub 2}{sup 0} = (5.8 {+-} 0.2) x 10{sup {minus}2} meV and B{sub 4}{sup 0} = (2.3 {+-} 0.1) x 10{sup {minus}2} meV. The corresponding level scheme of the ground multiplet of the Ce{sup 3+} ion is characterized by a {Lambda}{sub 9} {vert_bar} {+-} 3/2&gt; ground state doublet and two close-lying excited doublets {Lambda}{sub 8} {vert_bar} {+-} 5/2&gt; and {Lambda}{sub 7} {vert_bar} {+-} 1/2&gt; at an energy of {approximately} 6.4 meV at 20 K. A comparison of the crystal field parameters along the RAl{sub 3} (R = Ce, Pr and Nd) series of isostructural compounds shows that in CeAl{sub 3}, A{sub 2}{sup 0} &lt;r{sup 2}&gt; is an order of magnitude larger, and A{sub 4}{sup 0} &lt;R{sup 4}&gt; is three times larger, than in PrAl{sub 3} and NdAl{sub 3}. These increases cannot be explained by changes in lattice parameters but are more likely to result from the enhancement of the hybridization of the cerium 4f electrons with the conduction electrons in CeAl{sub 3}. This conclusion is in an agreement with the results of our study of the RCu{sub 2}Si{sub 2} series.
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