Many enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes involve injecting an agent, such as steam or CO{sub 2}, that is much more mobile than the resident oil. Other EOR processes attempt to improve sweep efficiency by adding polymer or surfactant to the injected water to create a favorable mobility ratio. This study examines the effect of statistically generated heterogeneity on miscible displacements at unfavorable and favorable mobility ratios. The principal goal is to delineate the effects of fingering, dispersion and channeling on volumetric sweep efficiency. Two-dimensional heterogeneous permeability fields are generated with variability (heterogeneity) and spatial correlation as characterizing parameters. Four levels of correlation and three of variability make up a 12 element matrix. At each element of the matrix, a miscible displacement simulation at unit mobility ratio shows the effect of the heterogeneity, and simulations at mobility ratios of 10 and 0.5 show the effect of viscous force differences combined with heterogeneity. 20 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

We review the status of Green's Function Monte Carlo (GFMC) methods as applied to problems in nuclear physics. New methods have been developed to handle the spin and isospin degrees of freedom that are a vital part of any realistic nuclear physics problem, whether at the level of quarks or nucleons. We discuss these methods and then summarize results obtained recently for light nuclei, including ground state energies, three-body forces, charge form factors and the coulomb sum. As an illustration of the applicability of GFMC to quark models, we also consider the possible existence of bound exotic multi-quark states within the framework of flux-tube quark models. 44 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Identification of products formed by the reaction of plutonium metal with liquid water at 23{degree}C indicates that the plutonium-oxygen phase diagram is similar to the cerium-oxygen and praseodymium-oxygen diagrams. Quantitative measurements of H{sub 2} formation and analytical data suggest that a sequence of hydrolysis reactions produces oxide hydrides of trivalent plutonium, Pu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, mixed-valent oxides and PuO{sub 2}. The intermediate oxides are the n {equals} 7, 9, 10 and 12 members of the Pu{sub n}O{sub 2n{minus}2} homologous series. Properties of the residue formed by thermal decomposition of the initial hydrolysis product, plutonium monoxide monhydride (PuOH), are consistent with the formation of metastable plutonium monoxide. Crystal-chemical, thermodynamic, and kinetic factors are evaluated, but definitive assignment of the equilibrium Pu-O diagram is not possible. 22 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

A geothermal gradient core hole (TCB-1) was drilled to a depth of 700+ m at the Tecuamburro geothermal site, Guatemala during February and March, 1990. The core hole is located low on the northern flank of the Tecuamburro Volcano complex. Preliminary analysis of cores (>98% core recovery) indicates that the hydrothermal system may be centered in the 4-km-diameter Chupadero Crater, which has been proposed as the source of pyroxene pumice deposits in the Tecuamburro area. TCB-1 is located 300 m south of a 300-m-diameter phreatic crater, Laguna Ixpaco; the core hole penetrates the thin edge of a tuff ring surrounding Ixpaco and zones of hydrothermal brecciation within the upper 150 m may be related to the phreatic blast, dated at 2,910 {sup 14}C years. At the time of this writing, the unequilibrated temperature at a depth of 570m was 180{degree}C. Data on fracturing, permeability, hydrothermal alteration, and temperature will be presented. 3 refs., 3 figs.

We have investigated a new continuum {gamma}-ray spectroscopy technique which is based on the detection of all emitted {gamma} rays in a 4{pi} detector system, and ordering them according to their energies on an event-by-event basis. The technique allows determination of gamma strength functions, and rotational damping width as a function of spin and temperature. Thus, it opens up the possibility of studying the onset of motional narrowing, order-to-chaos transition, and the mapping of the evolution of nuclear collectivity with a spin and temperature. Application of the technique for preferential entry-state population, exit-channel selection, and feeding of the discrete states via selective pathways will be discussed. 20 refs., 4 figs.

Perfluoroisobutylene (PFIB) is an extremely toxic organofluoride that can be produced during pyrolysis of tetrafluoroethylene polymers, including Teflon{reg sign}. Inhalation of PFIB at very low concentrations causes acute lung injury, the hallmark of which is pulmonary edema. Several lines of evidence have suggested that hydrolysis of PFIB and resulting production of hydrofluoric acid may be responsible for pulmonary damage. In order to investigate the potential involvement of hydrofluoric acid in producing lung injury and its relationship to the mechanism of fluorocarbon toxicity, we have compared the pulmonary injury produced by PFIB, by dissociated (H{sup +} and F{sup {minus}}), and by undissociated (HF) hydrofluoric acid in the deep lung. By delivering hydrofluoric acid by intratracheal instillation in neutral buffer, we demonstrate that F{sup {minus}} produces no significant pulmonary injury as assessed by increased in lung weight and ultrastructural changes. Similarly, instillation of acid buffer alone demonstrated that H{sup +} did not produce detectable lung injury. Instillation of HF produced changes in lung weight and ultrastructure similar to those observed in PFIB-treated rats. However, the ultrastructural studies show that in contrast to inhalation of PFIB, which produces both endothelial and epithelial cell damage, instillation of HF appears to exert its injurious effects …

A variety of experiments have been performed on the TFTR tokamak utilizing ICFR heating. Of special interest has been the insight into plasma performance gained by utilizing a different heating scheme other than the usual NBI. Utilizing ICRF heating allows control over the power deposition profile independent of the plasma fueling profile. In addition, by varying the minority concentration the power split between ion and electron heating can be varied. Confinement has been examined in high recycling gas fueled discharges, low recycling supershot plasmas, and peaked density pellet fueled discharges. Global confinement is found not to be affected by the method or localization of plasma heating, but the calculated local diffusivities vary with the power deposition profile to yield similar local values. In addition, sawtooth stabilization observed with ICRF heating has been investigated and found to occur in qualitative agreement with theory. ICRF sawtooth stabilized discharges exhibit peaked temperature and density profiles and have a safety factor q which appears to fall well below unity on axis. 11 refs., 10 figs.

In situ fluid operations were conducted at VC-2B in January 1990 using two flow-through tools of different designs. Of eight attempts, no runs obtained samples from their intended depth of collection or, if they did, the tools gained additional fluid by inward leakage during their trips back to the surface. Interpretation of the salinity and mass of the fluid samples indicates that they were collected from apparent depths of about 204 to 1045 m, at collection temperatures of about 125{degree} to 240{degree}C. The data show a remarkable two-fold increase in fluid salinity (>9000 versus about 4000 mg/kg Cl) near the top of the well and a relatively thin, dilute cap'' of condensed steam at the top of the water column. Various criteria suggest that these salinity gradients are caused by boiling and condensation of steam in the wellbore during a seven month period of logging, stimulation, flow testing, and other in-hole experiments. 8 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.

The interaction of plasma with rf fields from an ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) antenna has been studied to estimate the amount of Faraday shield erosion expected in normal ICRF heating operation. Plasma parameters and ion energies have been measured in the near field of an antenna and used in a model to estimate the erosion rate of the Faraday shield surface. Experiments were conducted on the RF Test Facility, a magnetic mirror device at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, using a single-strap resonant loop antenna with a two-tier Faraday shield. The outer tier, facing the plasma, was layered with graphite tiles. The antenna was operated at currents and voltages within 50% of those expected in tokamaks. The time-varying floating potential was measured with a capacitively coupled probe, and the time-averaged floating potential, electron temperature, and electron density were measured with a Langmuir probe. Ion energies were measured with a gridded energy analyser located below the antenna, and samples of silicon were placed on the Faraday shield surface to estimate the incident ion energy. The capacitive probe measurements show that the rf floating potential follows the magnetic field pattern of the antenna, indicating that the electromagnetic fields are responsible for …

Within fifty to a hundred years a new class of organisms is likely to emerge. These organisms will be artificial in the sense that they will originally be designed by humans. However, they will reproduce, and will evolve into something other than their initial form; they will be alive'' under any reasonable definition of the word. These organisms will evolve in a fundamentally different manner than contemporary biological organisms, since their reproduction will be under at least partial conscious control, giving it a Lamarckian component. The pace of evolutionary change consequently will be extremely rapid. The advent of artificial life will be the most significant historical event since the emergence of human beings. The impact on humanity and the biosphere could be enormous, larger than the industrial revolution, nuclear weapons, or environmental pollution. We must take steps now to shape the emergence of artificial organisms; they have potential to be either the ugliest terrestrial disaster, or the most beautiful creation of humanity. 22 refs., 3 figs.

Sandia National Laboratories is conducting long-term aging research on representative samples of nuclear power plant Class 1E cables. The objectives of this program are to determine the suitability of these cables for extended life (beyond the 40-year design basis) and to assess various cable condition monitoring (CM) techniques for predicting remaining cable life. This paper provides the results of mechanical measurements that were performed on cable specimens cross-linked polyethylene neoprene jackets: chlorinated polyethylene jackets, fiberglass braid jackets, and chlorosulfonated polyethylene jackets aged at relatively mild, simultaneous thermal and radiation exposure conditions for periods of up to nine months. After aging, some of the aged samples, as well as some unaged samples, were exposed to accident gamma radiation at ambient temperature. The mechanical measurements discussed in this paper include tensile strength, ultimate elongation, and compressive modulus. 10 refs., 22 figs., 2 tabs.

There are stability analyses of two-dimensional plane shock waves which show the existence of unstable shock fronts for some equations of state. We present numerical evidence that these unstable two-dimensional shocks are also unstable in one dimension, at least in the sense that the Lax-Friedrichs difference scheme does not have a steady asymptotic traveling wave connecting the shocked and unshocked states. When there is instability there are also multiple solutions of the Riemann problem. In the typical case of two stable solutions and one unstable one, which of the stable ones is selected seems to depend on mesh size or the initial profile. If there is a physical selection principle, Lax-Friedrichs does not obey it. 11 refs., 13 figs.

In order for computation to emerge spontaneously and become an important factor in the dynamics of a system, the material substrate must support the primitive functions required for computation: the transmission, storage, and modification of information. Under what conditions might we expect physical systems to support such computational primitives This paper presents research on Cellular Automata which suggests that the optimal conditions for the support of information transmission, storage, and modification, are achieved in the vicinity of a phase transition. We observe surprising similarities between the behaviors of computations and systems near phase-transitions, finding analogs of computational complexity classes and the Halting problem within the phenomenology of phase-transitions. We conclude that there is a fundamental connection between computation and phase-transitions, and discuss some of the implications for our understanding of nature if such a connection is borne out. 31 refs., 16 figs.

The authors investigated the kinetics of development of the injurious effects of perfluoroisobutylene (PFIB) in the lower respiratory tract of the rat as a function of inhaled mass concentration. We additionally examined if exercise performed after exposure to PFIB can potentiate the severity of expression of PFIB-induced lung injury, while also assessing how PFIB exposure may result in reductions in work performance capacity. The severity of PFIB-induced lung injury was found to be directly proportional to inhaled PFIB mass concentration whereas the post-exposure kinetics of development of the injurious response was inversely proportional to the mass concentration of PFIB, with post-exposure latency periods prior to the onset of detectable injury increasing with decreasing inhaled mass concentration. Exercise was found to potentiate PFIB-induced lung injury only after pulmonary edema was demonstrably present using lung gravimetric and light histopathologic criteria, even though ultrastructural observations indicated significant cellular changes occur during the latency period. Our collective findings suggest that pre-existing permeability changes in the lung are a necessary prerequisite for post-exposure exercise to exert a potentiating effect. Reductions in work performance capacity occurred only after the latency period, and such reductions proportionately scaled with the severity of pulmonary edema. 9 refs., 5 figs.

Monitoring programs are difficult to design even when they focus on specific problems. Ecosystems are complex, and it is often impossible to predetermine what aspects of system structure or dynamics will respond to a specific insult. It is equally difficult to interpret whether a response is a stabilizing compensatory mechanism or a real loss of capacity to maintain the ecosystem. The problems are compounded in a broad monitoring program designed to assess ecosystem health'' at regional and continental scales. It is challenging in the extreme to monitor ecosystem response, at any scale, to past insults as well as an unknown future array of impacts. The present paper will examine some of the fundamental issues and challenges raised by large-scale monitoring efforts. The challenges will serve as a framework and as an excuse to discuss several important topics in more detail. Following the discussion of challenges, we suggest some basic innovations that could be important across a range of monitoring programs. The innovations include integrative measures, innovative methodology, and creative interpretation. 59 refs., 1 tab.

A new microwave electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) multicusp plasma ion source that has two ECR plasma production regions and uses multicusp plasma confinement has been developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This source has been operated to produce uniform and dense plasma over large areas of 300 to 400 cm{sup 2} and could be scaled up to produce uniform plasma over 700 cm{sup 2} or larger. The plasma source has been operated with continuous argon gas feed and pulsed microwave power. The working gases used were argon, helium, hydrogen, and oxygen. The discharge initiation phenomena and plasma properties have been investigated and studied as functions of the discharge parameters. The discharge characteristics and a hypothetical discharge mechanism for this plasma source are described and discussed. Potential applications, including plasma and ion-beam sources for manufacturing advanced microelectronics, for space electric propulsion, and for fusion research, are discussed. 10 refs., 10 figs.

To investigate the effects of heating on the mineralogical, geochemical, and mechanical properties of rock by high-level radioactive waste, cores are being examined from holes penetrating locations where electric heaters simulated the presence of a waste canister, and from holes penetration natural hydrothermal systems. Results to date indicate the localized mobility and deposition of uranium in an open fracture in heated granitic rock, the mobility of U in a breccia zone in an active hydrothermal system in tuff, and the presence of U in relatively high concentration in fracture-lining material in tuff. Mechanical -- property studies indicate that differences in compressional- and shear-wave parameters between heated and less heated rock can be attributed to differences in the density of microcracks. Emphasis has shifted from initial studies of granitic rock at Stripa, Sweden to current investigations of welded tuff at the Nevada Test Site. 7 refs., 8 figs.

The phenomenon of hot cracking is described and discussed, and criteria for tests to assess hot cracking are elucidated. The historical development of hot cracking tests is traced from the 1930s to present, with categorization of tests into several types. It is noted that the number of tests developed continues to increase dramatically. The number of literature citations also increases with time, with few popular tests receiving a major share of interest. Predominant countries of origin of both tests and citations shift with time, and a few journals account for most of the published information. Reviews of hot cracking are reviewed, and it is predicted that modeling and other developing analytical techniques will contribute greatly to an increase in our understanding of hot cracking. 30 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

We investigated a new continuum {gamma}-ray spectroscopy technique which is based on the detection of all emitted {gamma} rays in a 4{pi} detector system, and ordering them according to their energies on an event-by-event basis. The technique allows determination of growth strength functions, and rotational damping width as a function of spin and temperature. Thus, it opens up the possibility of studying the onset of motional narrowing and the mapping of the evolution of nuclear collectivity with spin and temperature. Application of the technique for preferential entry-state population, exit-channel selection, and feeding of the discrete states via selective pathways will be discussed. 19 refs., 6 figs.

The concern with the current status and trends of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry education in academic institutions was addressed in a recent workshop. The 1988 workshop considered the important contributions that scientist with nuclear and radiochemistry backgrounds have made and are continuing to make to other sciences and to various applied fields. Among the areas discussed were environmental studies, life sciences, materials science, separation technology, hot atom chemistry, cosmochemistry, and the rapidly growing field of nuclear medicine. It is intent of the organizer and participants of this symposium entitled Topics in Nuclear and Radiochemistry for College Curricula and High School Science Program'' to provide lecture material on topics related to nuclear and radiochemistry to educators. It is our hope that teachers, who may or may not be familiar with the field, will find this collections of articles useful and incorporate some of them into their lectures.

The conference consisted of ten technical sessions, with three sessions running simultaneously each day. Session topics included: regulatory updates; performance assessment;understanding remedial action efforts; low-level waste strategy and planning (Nuclear Energy); low-level waste strategy and planning (Defense); compliance monitoring; decontamination and decommissioning; waste characterization; waste reduction and minimization; and prototype licensing application workshop. Summaries are presented for each of these sessions.

The papers in this document comprise the proceedings of the Department of Energy's Twelfth Annual Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28 and 29, 1990. General subjects addressed during the conference included: mixed waste, low-level radioactive waste tracking and transportation, public involvement, performance assessment, waste stabilization, financial assurance, waste minimization, licensing and environmental documentation, below-regulatory-concern waste, low-level radioactive waste temporary storage, current challenges, and challenges beyond 1990.

The Twenty-Eighth Hanford Symposium on Health and the Environment was held in Richland, Washington, October 16--19, 1989. The symposium was sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, operated by Battelle Memorial Institute. The symposium was organized to review and evaluate some of the monitoring and assessment programs that have been conducted or are currently in place. Potential health and environmental effects of energy-related and other industrial activities have been monitored and assessed at various government and private facilities for over three decades. Most monitoring is required under government regulations; some monitoring is implemented because facility operators consider it prudent practice. As a result of these activities, there is now a substantial radiological, physical, and chemical data base for various environmental components, both in the United States and abroad. Symposium participants, both platform and poster presenters, were asked to consider, among other topics, the following: Has the expenditure of millions of dollars for radiological monitoring and assessment activities been worth the effort How do we decide when enough monitoring is enough Can we adequately assess the impacts of nonradiological components -- both inorganic and organic -- of wastes Are current regulatory requirements too restrictive or too …