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An idealized geometry corresponding to a premixed flame in stagnation-point flow is used to investigate the effects of catalysis on extending the extinction limits of on adiabatic stretched flames. Specifically, a surface catalytic reaction is assumed to occur on the stagnation plane, thereby augmenting combustion in the bulk gas with a exothermic surface reaction characterized by a reduced activation energy. Assuming the activation energies remain large, an asymptotic analysis of the resulting flame structure yields a formula for the extinction limit as a function of various parameters. In particular, it is demonstrated that the presence of a surface catalyst can extend the burning regime, thus counterbalancing the effects of heat loss and flame stretch that tend to shrink it. The analysis is relevant to small-volume combustors, where the increased surface-to-volume ratio can lead to extinction of the nonadiabatic flame in the absence of a catalyst.

Technical support is important for all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities facing difficult technical issues, aggressive remediation schedules, and tight budgets. It is especially vital for closure sites, which typically are smaller and have fewer resources available to apply to remediation activities. In many cases, closure sites and other small sites no longer have staff with the expertise required to overcome technical barriers on their own. As closure deadlines approach, special technical expertise is needed to identify, evaluate, and implement new and innovative approaches that will result in significant cost and schedule improvement for the waste disposition pathway. Site ''problem holders'' must have access to world-class scientific and engineering expertise from DOE national laboratories and research facilities, private industry, and universities to address immediate critical problems. In order to have confidence in the feasibility and results of innovative approaches, site contractors need to have the benefit of the valuable experiences of technicians who have faced similar problems and found solutions. The DOE Environmental Management (EM) Science and Technology (S&T) program recognizes the need of the closure sites to solve problems aggressively and is highly responsive to this need. Technical support from the S&T program can take many forms, such …

Drift waves are investigated in a real three-dimensional stellarator geometry. A linear system, based on the cold ion fluid model and a ballooning mode formalism, is solved numerically in the geometry of the stellarator H1-NF. The spectra of stable and unstable modes, as well as localization, are discussed. The dependence of the spectrum of the unstable modes on the wavevector, plasma density variation, and the location in the plasma is presented.

All known experimental results on fundamental particles and their interactions can be described to great accuracy by a theory called the Standard Model. In the Standard Model of particle physics, the masses of particles are explained through the Higgs mechanism. The Higgs boson is the only Standard Model particle not discovered yet, and its observation or exclusion is an important test of the Standard Model. While the Standard Model predicts that a Higgs boson should exist, it does not exactly predict its mass. Direct searches have excluded a Higgs with m{sub H} < 114.4 GeV at 95% confidence level, while indirect measurements indicate that the mass should be less than 144 GeV. This analysis looks for W{sup {+-}}H {yields} {mu}{nu}{sub {mu}}b{bar b} in 1 fb{sup -1} of data collected with the D0 detector in p{bar p} collisions with {radical}s = 1.96 TeV. The analysis strategy relies on the tracking, calorimetry and muon reconstruction of the D0 experiment. The signature is a muon, missing transverse energy (E{sub T}) to account for the neutrino and two b-jets. The Higgs mass is reconstructed using the invariant mass of the two jets. Backgrounds are W{sup {+-}}b{bar b}, W{sup {+-}} c{bar c}, W{sup {+-}} + …

The Tank Farm Vadose Zone Project is led by CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. Their goals include defining risks from past and future single-shell tank farm activities, identifying and evaluating the efficacy of interim measures, and collecting geo-technical information and data. The purpose of these activities is to support future decisions made by the U.S. Department of Energy regarding near-term operations, future waste retrieval, and final closure activities for the single-shell tank Waste Management Areas. To help in this effort, CH2M HILL contracted with scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to analyze sediment samples collected from borehole 299-W23-19. The conclusions reached from this study support specific mechanisms influencing subsurface migration of contaminants. The mechanisms are supported by the distributions of contaminants beneath tank farms. These observations will help DOE and CH2M HILL identify and implement viable remediation and closure activities.

During the period of June through October 2006, three deep boreholes and one corehole were drilled beneath the site of the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The boreholes were drilled to provide information on ground-motion attenuation in the basalt and interbedded sediments underlying the WTP site. This report describes the geophysical logging of the deep boreholes that was conducted in support of the Seismic Boreholes Project, defined below. The detailed drilling and geological descriptions of the boreholes and seismic data collected and analysis of that data are reported elsewhere.

Multifidelity modeling, in which one component of a system is modeled at a significantly different level of fidelity than another, has several potential advantages. For example, a higher-fidelity component model can be evaluated in the context of a lower-fidelity full system model that provides more realistic boundary conditions and yet can be executed quickly enough for rapid design changes or design optimization. Developing such multifidelity models presents challenges in several areas, including coupling models with differing spatial dimensionalities. In this report we describe a multifidelity algorithm for thermal radiation problems in which a three-dimensional, finite-element model of a system component is embedded in a system of zero-dimensional (lumped-parameter) components. We tested the algorithm on a prototype system with three problems: heating to a constant temperature, cooling to a constant temperature, and a simulated fire environment. The prototype system consisted of an aeroshell enclosing three components, one of which was represented by a three-dimensional finite-element model. We tested two versions of the algorithm; one used the surface-average temperature of the three dimensional component to couple it to the system model, and the other used the volume-average temperature. Using the surface-average temperature provided somewhat better temperature predictions than using the volume-average temperature. …

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) stands among the keystone technologies for analysis of biological sequence data. PCR is used to amplify DNA, to generate many copies from as little as a single template. This is essential, for example, in processing forensic DNA samples, pathogen detection in clinical or biothreat surveillance applications, and medical genotyping for diagnosis and treatment of disease. It is used in virtually every laboratory doing molecular, cellular, genetic, ecologic, forensic, or medical research. Despite its ubiquity, we lack the precise predictive capability that would enable detailed optimization of PCR reaction dynamics. In this LDRD, we proposed to develop Virtual PCR (VPCR) software, a computational method to model the kinetic, thermodynamic, and biological processes of PCR reactions. Given a successful completion, these tools will allow us to predict both the sequences and concentrations of all species that are amplified during PCR. The ability to answer the following questions will allow us both to optimize the PCR process and interpret the PCR results: What products are amplified when sequence mixtures are present, containing multiple, closely related targets and multiplexed primers, which may hybridize with sequence mismatches? What are the effects of time, temperature, and DNA concentrations on the concentrations …

We have studied the spin relaxation in diluted spin ice Ho{sub 2-x} Y{sub x} Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} by means of neutron spin echo spectroscopy. Remarkably, the geometrical frustration is not relieved by doping with non-magnetic Y, and the dynamics of the freezing is unaltered in the spin echo time window up to x {approx_equal} 1.6. At higher doping with non-magnetic Y (x {ge} 1.6) a new relaxation process at relatively high temperature (up to at least T {approx_equal} 55 K) appears which is more than 10 times faster than the thermally activated main relaxation process. We find evidence that over the whole range of composition all Ho spins participate in the dynamics. These results are compared to a.c. susceptibility measurements of the diluted Ho and Dy spin ice systems. X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra and x-ray diffraction show that the samples are structurally well ordered.

The {delta} to {alpha}' phase transformation in Pu-Ga alloys is intriguing for both scientific and technological reasons. On cooling, the ductile fcc {delta}-phase transforms martensitically to the brittle monoclinic {alpha}'-phase at approximately -120 C (depending on composition). This exothermic transformation involves a 20% volume contraction and a significant increase in resistivity. The reversion of {alpha}' to {delta} involves a large temperature hysteresis beginning just above room temperature. In an attempt to better understand the underlying thermodynamics and kinetics responsible for these unusual features, we have investigated the {delta} {leftrightarrow} {alpha}' phase transformations in a Pu-0.6 wt% Ga alloy using a combination of experimental and modeling techniques.

We have developed a 10-plexed PCR assay coupled to a 12-plexed liquid bead array to rapidly screen environmental samples for B. anthracis, Y. pestis, F. tularensis, and B. melitensis. Highly validated species -specific primer sets were used to simultaneously amplify multiple diagnostic regions unique to each individual pathogen. Resolution of the mix of amplified products was achieved by PCR product hybridization to corresponding probe sequences, attached to unique sets of fluorescent beads. The hybridized beads were processed through a flow cytometer, which detected presence and quantity of each PCR product. The assay was optimized to allow for maximum sensitivity in a multiplexed format. A high- throughput demonstration was performed where 384 simulated environmental samples were spiked with different amounts of B. thuringensis spores and pathogen DNA. The samples were robotically processed to extract DNA and arrayed for multiplexed PCR-liquid bead detection. The assay correctly identified the presence or absence of each pathogen and collected over 3,000 individual data points within a single 8-hour shift for approximately $1.20 per sample in a 10-plexed assay.

The capability to plot superimposed meshes has been added to MCNP{trademark}. MCNP4C featured a superimposed mesh weight window generator which enabled users to set up geometries without having to subdivide geometric cells for variance reduction. The variance reduction was performed with weight windows on a rectangular or cylindrical mesh superimposed over the physical geometry. Experience with the new capability was favorable but also indicated that a number of enhancements would be very beneficial, particularly a means of visualizing the mesh and its values. The mathematics for plotting the mesh and its values is described here along with a description of other upgrades.

A central question addressed by the VERTIGO (VERtical Transport In the Global Ocean) study was 'What controls the efficiency of particle export between the surface and subsurface ocean'? Here, we present data from sites at ALOHA (N Central Pacific Gyre) and K2 (NW subarctic Pacific) on phytoplankton processes, and relate them via a simple planktonic foodweb model, to subsurface particle export (150-500 m). Three key factors enable quantification of the surface-subsurface coupling: a sampling design to overcome the temporal lag and spatial displacement between surface and subsurface processes; data on the size-partitioning of Net Primary Production (NPP) and subsequent transformations prior to export; estimates of the ratio of algal- to faecal-mediated vertical export flux. At ALOHA, phytoplankton were characterized by low stocks, NPP, F{sub v}/F{sub m} (N-limited), and were dominated by picoplankton. The HNLC waters at K2 were characterized by both two-fold changes in NPP and floristic shifts (high to low proportion of diatoms) between deployment 1 and 2. Prediction of export exiting the euphotic zone was based on size-partitioning of NPP, a copepod-dominated foodweb and a ratio of 0.2 (ALOHA) and 0.1 (K2) for algal:faecal particle flux. Predicted export was 20-22 mg POC m{sup -2} d{sup -1} at ALOHA …

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The thermodynamics and kinetics of the fcc (delta) to monoclinic (alpha-prime) phase transformation and its reversion in a plutonium-gallium alloy have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, resistometry, and dilatometry. Under ambient conditions, the delta phase is metastable in a Pu-2.0 at% Ga alloy. Thermal cycling to below the ambient temperature results in a partial transformation to the alpha-prime phase; this transformation is composition-invariant and exhibits martensitic behavior. Because this transformation results in an unusually invariant large 25% volume contraction that cannot be fully accommodated by purely elastic adjustments, the transformation mode is expected to involve burst formation of individual alpha-prime particles. However, upon cooling, these individual bursts were not resolved by the above techniques, although signals corresponding to the overall accumulation of many alpha-prime particles were observed. On the other hand, upon heating, signals from differential scanning calorimetry, resistometry, and dilatometry showed a series of discrete changes occurring in periodic increments beginning at approximately 32 C. These features correspond to the cooperative reversion of many alpha-prime particles to the delta phase; they appear to be the result of an interplay between the autocatalytically driven reversion of a cascade of individual martensite units, and self-quenching caused by small changes of …

A new cryostat cooled by a closed-cycle Cryomech GB-37 cryocooler for superconductor measurements at temperatures down to 20 K is described. The sample is conductively coupled to the cold stage so as to minimize vibration and thermal stresses. AC losses have been measured calorimetrically in several HTSC coils that have been wound to simulate sub-scale transformer winding pairs. Stable temperatures down to 20 K were reached on these coils, allowing measurements at practical levels of ac current and I{sub c}. By using short ac current pulses, losses on individual turns could be resolved. Results are reported mainly to showcase the apparatus, measurement procedure and analytical approach.

FAILPROB is a computer program that applies the Weibull statistics characteristic of brittle failure of a material along with the stress field resulting from a finite element analysis to determine the probability of failure of a component. FAILPROB uses the statistical techniques for fast fracture prediction (but not the coding) from the N.A.S.A. - CARES/life ceramic reliability package. FAILPROB provides the analyst at Sandia with a more convenient tool than CARES/life because it is designed to behave in the tradition of structural analysis post-processing software such as ALGEBRA, in which the standard finite element database format EXODUS II is both read and written. This maintains compatibility with the entire SEACAS suite of post-processing software. A new technique to deal with the high local stresses computed for structures with singularities such as glass-to-metal seals and ceramic-to-metal braze joints is proposed and implemented. This technique provides failure probability computation that is insensitive to the finite element mesh employed in the underlying stress analysis. Included in this report are a brief discussion of the computational algorithms employed, user instructions, and example problems that both demonstrate the operation of FAILPROB and provide a starting point for verification and validation.

The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) will require 6 MW of 50 keV neutral beam injection (NBI) with initial pulse lengths of 500 msec and upgradeable to pulse lengths of 1.5 sec. This paper discusses the NCSX NBI requirements and design issues, and shows how these are provided by the candidate PBX-M [Princeton Beta Experiment-Modification] NBI system.

The following Final Geologic Borehole Report briefly describes the drilling of a single borehole at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) on the Hanford, Washington, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reservation. The location of the WTP is illustrated in Figure 1-1. The borehole was designated as “C4997”, and was drilled to obtain seismic and lithologic data for the Pretreatment Facility and High-Level Waste Vitrification Plant in the WTP. Borehole C4997 was drilled and logged to a total depth of 1428 ft below ground surface (bgs) on October 8, 2006, and was located approximately 150 ft from a recently cored borehole, designated as “C4998”. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) determined the locations for C4997, C4998, and other boreholes at the WTP in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Review Panel, and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB). The total depth of Borehole C4997 was also determined by PNNL.

I give a brief introduction to the purpose and goals of the EMMA experiment and describe how they will impact the design of the main EMMA ring. I then describe the mathematical model that is used to describe the EMMA lattice. Finally, I show how the different lattice configurations were obtained and list their parameters.

This report covers research progress in the Solid State Division from April 1, 1997, through September 30, 1999. During this period, the division conducted a broad, interdisciplinary materials research program in support of Department of Energy science and technology missions. The report includes brief summaries of research activities in condensed matter theory, neutron scattering, synthesis and characterization of materials, ion beam and laser processing, and the structure of solids and surfaces. An addendum includes listings of division publications and professional activities. Over the past two years, a number of important infrastructure improvements that will provide significant new research opportunities and unique capabilities for the division in neutron scattering and synchrotron x-ray research, electron microscopy, nanostructure fabrication, and theory have been pursued. A major upgrade of neutron scattering capabilities at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), including a high-performance cold source, new beam lines and guides, and new and upgraded instrumentation, is under way. These upgrades, together with the proposed Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL, will provide the nation with unsurpassed capabilities worldwide in neutron scattering. The division is also involved in the development of two synchrotron beam lines at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, an upgrade of …

Each year, thousands of new oil and gas wells are drilled in the United States and around the world. The drilling process generates millions of barrels of drilling waste each year, primarily used drilling fluids (also known as muds) and drill cuttings. The drilling wastes from most onshore U.S. wells are disposed of by removing the liquids from the drilling or reserve pits and then burying the remaining solids in place (called pit burial). This practice has low cost and the approval of most regulatory agencies. However, there are some environmental settings in which pit burial is not allowed, such as areas with high water tables. In the U.S. offshore environment, many water-based and synthetic-based muds and cuttings can be discharged to the ocean if discharge permit requirements are met, but oil-based muds cannot be discharged at all. At some offshore facilities, drilling wastes must be either hauled back to shore for disposal or disposed of onsite through an injection process.

Reliably processing, imaging, and interpreting seismic data from areas with complicated structures, such as sub-salt, requires a thorough understanding of elastic as well as acoustic wave propagation. Elastic numerical modeling is an essential tool to develop that understanding. While 2-D elastic modeling is in common use, 3-D elastic modeling has been too computationally intensive to be used routinely. Recent advances in computing hardware, including commodity-based hardware, have substantially reduced computing costs. These advances are making 3-D elastic numerical modeling more feasible. A series of example 3-D elastic calculations were performed using a complicated structure, the SEG/EAGE salt structure. The synthetic traces show that the effects of shear wave propagation can be important for imaging and interpretation of images, and also for AVO and other applications that rely on trace amplitudes. Additional calculations are needed to better identify and understand the complex wave propagation effects produced in complicated structures, such as the SEG/EAGE salt structure.