The central goal of DOE`s Ocean Margin Program (OMP) has been to determine whether continental shelves are quantitatively significant in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and isolating it via burial in sediments or exporting it to the open ocean. The overall objective of this work within OMP was to develop an instrument package to measure the large aggregate population of particles in the shelf/slope environment at a rate sufficient to integrate the observed particle distributions into the coupled physical and biogeochemical models necessary to understand the shelf and slope as a system. Pursuant to this the authors have developed a video and optical instrument package (LAPS: Large Aggregate Profiling System) and assembled the computer and software methods to routinely measure a wide spectrum of the large aggregate population of particles in the shelf/slope environment. This particle population, encompassing the `marine snow` size particles (dia. > 0.5 mm), is thought to be the major pathway of material flux in the ocean. The instrument package collects aggregate abundance and size spectrum data using two video camera/strobe subsystems with a third subsystem collecting CTD, beam attenuation and fluorescence data. Additionally, measurements of particle flux were made with sediment traps deployed on the …

The Seventh Annual Human Genome Conference: Beyond the Identification of Transcribed Sequences (BITS) was held November 16-19, 1997 at the Asilomar Conference Center in Monterey, California. The format for the meeting was a combination of oral presentations, group discussions and poster sessions. The original workshop was held to discuss methodologies for the identification of transcribed sequences in mammalian genomes. Over the years, the focus of the workshops has gradually shifted towards functional analysis, with the most dramatic change in emphasis at this meeting, as reflected in the modest change in the workshop title. Topics presented and discussed included: (1) large scale expression and mutational analysis in yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila and zebrafish, (2) comparative mapping of zebrafish, chicken and Fugu; (3) functional analysis in mouse using promoter traps, mutational analysis of biochemical pathways, and Cre/lox constructs; (4) construction of 5 foot end and complete cDNA libraries; (5) expression analysis in mammalian organisms by array screening and differential display; (6) genome organization as determined by detailed transcriptional mapping and genomic sequence analysis; (7) analysis of genomic sequence, including gene and regulatory sequence predictions, annotation of genomic sequence, development of expression databases and verification of sequence analysis predictions; and (8) structural/functional relationships …

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos national Laboratory (LANL). The overall goal of the project was to evaluate the performance of Los Alamos technology in selected geothermal fields, to adapt the technology to the existing industry infrastructure where necessary, and to facilitate its application through demonstration and communication. The primary specific objective was to identify, collaborate, and partner with geothermal energy- producing companies in an evaluation of the application of Los Alamos microseismic mapping technology for locating fracture permeability in producing geothermal fields.

This report summarizes a preliminary design study to explore the plausibility of using pulse tube refrigeration to cool instruments in a hot down-hole environment. The original motivation was to maintain Dave Reagor`s high-temperature superconducting electronics at 75 K, but the study has evolved to include three target design criteria: cooling at 30 C in a 300 C environment, cooling at 75 K in a 50 C environment, cooling at both 75 K and 30 C in a 250 C environment. These specific temperatures were chosen arbitrarily, as representative of what is possible. The primary goals are low cost, reliability, and small package diameter. Pulse-tube refrigeration is a rapidly growing sub-field of cryogenic refrigeration. The pulse tube refrigerator has recently become the simplest, cheapest, most rugged and reliable low-power cryocooler. The authors expect this technology will be applicable downhole because of the ratio of hot to cold temperatures (in absolute units, such as Kelvin) of interest in deep drilling is comparable to the ratios routinely achieved with cryogenic pulse-tube refrigerators.

A message-passing version of the PAGOSA shock-wave physics code has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories for multiple-instruction, multiple-data stream (MIMD) computers. PAGOSA is an explicit, Eulerian code for modeling the three-dimensional, high-speed hydrodynamic flow of fluids and the dynamic deformation of solids under high rates of strain. It was originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) Connection Machine parallel computers. The performance of Sandia`s message-passing version of PAGOSA has been measured on two MIMD machines, the nCUBE 2 and the Intel Paragon XP/S. No special efforts were made to optimize the code for either machine. The measured scaled speedup (computational time for a single computational node divided by the computational time per node for fixed computational load) and grind time (computational time per cell per time step) show that the MIMD PAGOSA code scales linearly with the number of computational nodes used on a variety of problems, including the simulation of shaped-charge jets perforating an oil well casing. Scaled parallel efficiencies for MIMD PAGOSA are greater than 0.70 when the available memory per node is filled (or nearly filled) on hundreds to a thousand or more computational nodes on these two machines, indicating that …

The Grayburg Formation (middle Guadalupian) is a major producing interval in the Permian Basin and has yielded more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil in West Texas. Grayburg reservoirs have produced, on average, less than 30 percent of their original oil in place and are undergoing secondary and tertiary recovery. Efficient design of such enhanced recovery programs dictates improved geological models to better understand and predict reservoir heterogeneity imposed by depositional and diagenetic controls. The Grayburg records mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentation on shallow-water platforms that rimmed the Delaware and Midland Basins. Grayburg outcrops in the Guadalupe and Brokeoff Mountains region on the northwest margin of the Delaware Basin present an opportunity to construct a detailed, three-dimensional image of the stratigraphic and facies architecture. This model can be applied towards improved description and characterization of heterogeneity in analogous Grayburg reservoirs. Four orders of stratigraphic hierarchy are recognized in the Grayburg Formation. The Grayburg represents a long-term composite sequence composed of four high-frequency sequences (HFS 1-4). Each HFS contains several composite cycles comprising two or more cycles that define intermediate-scale transgressive-regressive successions. Cycles are the smallest scale upward-shoaling vertical facies successions that can be recognized and correlated across various facies tracts. Cycles thus …

In 1996, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) proposed an oxidant delivery technique involving injection and recirculation of the oxidant solution into a contaminated aquifer through multiple horizontal and vertical wells. This technique would be applicable to saturated, hydraulically conductive formations. In the spring of 1997, the Department of Energy (DOE) at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) agreed to collaborate with the DOE`s Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area to conduct a field-scale treatability study using in situ chemical oxidation through recirculation (ISCOR). PORTS agreed to support the demonstration at the X-701B site where the technology can potentially be used to remediate TCE-contaminated groundwater and sediments. The ISCOR field demonstration took advantage of existing infrastructure and extensive site characterization data generated from previous field demonstrations at X-701B. The field test was implemented using a pair of previously installed horizontal wells that transect an area of DNAPL contamination. Groundwater was extracted from one horizontal well, pumped to an existing pump and treat facility, dosed with KMnO{sub 4}, and re-injected into a parallel horizontal well approximately 90 ft away. The field demonstration lasted approximately one month. Treatment effectiveness was determined by comparing contaminant levels in pre-treatment, during, and post-treatment groundwater samples and …

A Task Force, comprising eight US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and two Agreement State program staff members, developed the guidance contained in this report. This report describes a systematic approach for effectively managing radiation safety programs at medical facilities. This is accomplished by defining and emphasizing the roles of an institution`s executive management, radiation safety committee, and radiation safety officer. Various aspects of program management are discussed and guidance is offered on selecting the radiation safety officer, determining adequate resources for the program, using such contractual services as consultants and service companies, conducting audits, and establishing the roles of authorized users and supervised individuals; NRC`s reporting and notification requirements are discussed, and a general description is given of how NRC`s licensing, inspection and enforcement programs work.

This is the final report for a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The principal goal of this project was to investigate the speciation of lead in the environment at LANL and to determine the feasibility of using thermal remediation methods to immobilize lead in the environment. Lead occurs as pyromorphite [Pb(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}(Cl, OH)], cerussite (PbCO{sub 3}) and galena (PbS) in vapor-phase-altered Bandelier Tuff samples. LANL soils primarily contain cerussite and PbO. Thermal remediation experiments at high temperatures (up to 400 C) suggest that thermal immobilization of highly-reactive Pb compounds in the environment may be feasible, but that this technique is not optimal for more refractory lead phases such as cerussite and PbO.

This final report describes activities carried out in support of a demonstration of a hydrogen powered vehicle fleet and construction of a solar powered hydrogen generation system. The hydrogen generation system was permitted for construction, constructed, and permitted for operation. It is not connected to the utility grid, either for electrolytic generation of hydrogen or for compression of the gas. Operation results from ideal and cloudy days are presented. The report also describes the achievement of licensing permits for their hydrogen powered trucks in California, safety assessments of the trucks, performance data, and information on emissions measurements which demonstrate performance better than the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle levels.

Geothermal, or ground-source, heat pumps (GHP) are much more efficient than air-source units such as conventional air conditioners. A major obstacle to their use is the relatively high initial cost of installing the heat-exchange loops into the ground. In an effort to identify drivers which influence installation cost, a number of site visits were made during 1996 to assess the state-of-the-art in drilling for GHP loop installation. As an aid to quantifying the effect of various drilling-process improvements, we constructed a spread-sheet based on estimated time and material costs for all the activities required in a typical loop-field installation. By substituting different (improved) values into specific activity costs, the effect on total project costs can be easily seen. This report contains brief descriptions of the site visits, key points learned during the visits, copies of the spread-sheet, recommendations for further work, and sample results from sensitivity analysis using the spread-sheet.

Twenty-four monitoring wells were drilled and completed in December 1994 as part of a water and mass balance study for the shallow perched aquifer in the Mortandad Canyon alluvium and in the lower part of Ten-Site Canyon. The wells penetrated the alluvium containing the aquifer and were completed into the top of the weathered tuff. Twelve of these wells encountered the Tshirege Member (Cooing Unit 1 g) of the Bandelier Tuff below the canyon alluvium, while ten wells made contact with the Cerro Toledo interval, which lies between the Tshirege and Otowi Members of the Bandelier Tuff. The remaining two wells were completed into the alluvium above the weathered tuff contact. These wells provide access for continuous water level measurement and water sampling. Data from these new wells will be used to determine changes in alluvial aquifer water storage, water quality sampling, and estimation of seepage into the unsaturated Bandelier Tuff below the alluvium. This report documents drilling activities and well completion logs for the water and mass balance study. These wells also provide critical new data for fourteen north-south vertical cross-sections constructed for the canyon alluvium.

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) of semiconductor heterostructures for advanced electronic and opto-electronic devices requires precise control of the surface composition and strain. The development of advanced in situ diagnostics for real-time monitoring and process control of strain and composition would enhance the yield, reliability and process flexibility of material grown by MBE and benefit leading-edge programs in microelectronics and photonics. The authors have developed a real-time laser-based technique to measure the evolution of stress in epitaxial films during growth by monitoring the change in the wafer curvature. Research has focused on the evolution of stress during the epitaxial growth of Si{sub x}Ge{sub 1{minus}x} alloys on Si(001) substrates. Initial studies have observed the onset and kinetics of strain relaxation during the growth of heteroepitaxial layers. The technique has also been used to measure the segregation of Ge to the surface during alloy growth with monolayer sensitivity, an order of magnitude better resolution than post-growth characterization. In addition, creation of a 2-dimensional array of parallel beams allows rapid surface profiling of the film stress that can be used to monitor process uniformity.

Most research on polymer degradation is for single polymers, even though the thermal decomposition of polymer mixtures is of interest both practically and theoretically. Polymer degradation rates depend on the mixture type, and adding a polymer can increase, decrease, or leave unchanged the degradation rate of the first polymer. We show how distribution-kinetics theory, based on molecular-weight distributions (MWDs), provides expressions for degradation rates of binary polymer mixtures. The approach accounts for initiation, termination, hydrogen abstraction, and radical chain scission in the governing equations for MWDS. Molecular-weight moments yield expressions for molar and mass concentrations and rate coefficients for combinations of random and chain-end scission. Experimental data show the concentration effect of poly((x-methyl styrene)) (PAMS) on the degradation of polystyrene dissolved in mineral oil at 275 {degrees}C in a batch reactor. Samples analyzed by gel permeation chromatography yielded the time evolution of the MD. The results indicated that, owing to the interaction of mixed radicals with polymer by hydrogen abstraction, polystyrene degradation rate decreases with increasing PAMS concentration.

For more than three decades, Mortandad Canyon has been the primary release area of treated liquid radioactive waste from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (Laboratory). In this survey, six water samples and seven stream sediment samples collected in Mortandad Canyon were analyzed by thermal ionization mass spectrometry to determine the plutonium and uranium activity levels and atom ratios. By measuring the {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atom ratios, the Laboratory plutonium component was evaluated relative to that from global fallout. Measurements of the relative abundance of {sup 235}U and {sup 236}U were also used to identify non-natural components. The survey results indicate that the Laboratory plutonium and uranium concentrations in waters and sediments decrease relatively rapidly with distance downstream from the major industrial sources. Plutonium concentrations in shallow alluvial groundwater decrease by approximately 1,000-fold along a 3,000-ft distance. At the Laboratory downstream boundary, total plutonium and uranium concentrations were generally within regional background ranges previously reported. Laboratory-derived plutonium is readily distinguished from global fallout in on-site waters and sediments. The isotopic ratio data indicate off-site migration of trace levels of Laboratory plutonium in stream sediments to distances approximately two miles downstream of the Laboratory boundary.

This report summarizes the investigation and evaluation of several {open_quotes}compact{close_quotes} drill rigs which could be used for drilling geothermal production wells. Use of these smaller rigs would save money by reducing mobilization costs, fuel consumption, crew sizes, and environmental impact. Advantages and disadvantages of currently-manufactured rigs are identified, and desirable characteristics for the {open_quotes}ideal{close_quotes} compact rig are defined. The report includes a detailed cost estimate of a specific rig, and an evaluation of the cost/benefit ratio of using this rig. Industry contacts for further information are given.

'The purpose of this project is to develop a computer code for joint in-version of seismic and electrical data, to improve underground imaging for site characterization and remediation monitoring. The computer code developed in this project will invert geophysical data to obtain direct estimates of porosity and saturation underground, rather than inverting for seismic velocity and electrical resistivity or other geophysical properties. This is intended to be a significant improvement in the state-of-the-art of under-ground imaging, since interpretation of data collected at a contaminated site would become much less subjective. The schedule of this project is as follows: In the first year, investigators perform laboratory measurements of elastic and electrical properties of sand-clay mixtures containing various fluids. Investigators also develop methods of relating measurable geophysical properties to porosity and saturation by using rock physics theories, geostatistical, and empirical techniques together with available laboratory measurements. In the second year, investigators finish any necessary laboratory measurements and apply the methods de-veloped in the first year to invert available borehole log data to predict measured properties of cores and sediments from a borehole. Investigators refine the inversion code in the third year and carry out a field experiment to collect seismic and electrical …

This report documents the work conducted in four tasks of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) project entitled Review Criteria for Human Factors Aspects of Advanced Controls and Instrumentation. The purpose of the first task was to integrate the applicable sections of NUREG-0700 into the advanced control room design review (ACRDR) guidelines to ensure that all applicable guidelines are together in one document and conveniently accessible to users. The primary objective of the second task was to formulate a strategy for the development of new ACRDR guidelines that have not otherwise been identified. The main focus of the third task was to modify the individual ACRDR guidelines generated to date to ensure that they are suitable for the intended nuclear power plant (NPP) control station system application. The goal of the fourth task was to develop human factors guidelines for two human-system interface categories that are missing from the current ACRDR guidelines document. During the first task those areas in NUREG-0700 that are not addressed by the ACRDR guidelines document were identified, the areas were subsequently reviewed against six recent industry human factors engineering review guidelines, and the NUREG-0700 guidelines were updated as necessary. In the second task 13 general categories …

This report contains the following information on the Brookhaven AGS Accelerator complex: FY 1996 AGS schedule as run; FY 1997 AGS schedule (working copy); AGS beams 1997; AGS experimental area FY 1994 physics program; AGS experimental area FY 1995 physics program; AGS experimental area FY 1996 physics program; AGS experimental area FY 1997 physics program (in progress); a listing of experiments by number; two-phage summaries of each experiment begin here, also ordered by number; listing of publications of AGS experiments begins here; and listing of AGS experimenters begins here.

Mixed manganese oxide sorbents have been investigated for high-temperature removal of hydrogen sulfide (the primary sulfur bearing compound) from hot coal gases. The sorbents were screened by thermodynamic equilibrium considerations for sulfidation. Preliminary experimental work using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated titania to be a superior substrate than alumina. Four formulations showing superior reactivity in a TGA were then tested in an ambient pressure fixed-bed reactor to determine steady state H 2 S concentrations, breakthrough times and effectiveness of the sorbent when subjected to cyclic sulfidation and regeneration testing. Eight tests were conducted with each test consisting of five cycles of sulfidation and regeneration. Sulfidation occurred at 600 o C using a simulated coal gas at an empty-bed space velocity of approximately 12,000 per hour. Manganese-based sorbents with molar ratios > 1:1 Mn:Substrate were effective in reducing the H 2 S concentration in simulated coal gases to less than 100 ppmv over five cycles. Actual breakthrough time for formulation C6-2-1100 was as high as 73% of breakthrough time based on wt% Mn in sorbent at 600 o C. Regeneration tests determined that loaded pellets can be essentially completely regenerated in an air/steam mixture at 750 o C with minimal sulfate formation. …

This Engineering Report (Conceptual Design) addresses remediation of the plutonium-bearing solutions currently in inventory at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). The recommendation from the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is that the solutions be treated thermally and stabilized as a solid for long term storage. For solutions which are not discardable, the baseline plan is to utilize a denitration process to stabilize the solutions prior to packaging for storage.

This diskette contains the PORFLOW and FACT input files described in Appendix B of the accompanying report `Composite Analysis E-Area Vaults and Saltstone Disposal Facilities`.

This report documents the Composite Analysis (CA) performed on the two active Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facilities. The facilities are the Z-Area Saltstone Disposal Facility and the E-Area Vaults (EAV) Disposal Facility. The analysis calculated potential releases to the environment from all sources of residual radioactive material expected to remain in the General Separations Area (GSA). The GSA is the central part of SRS and contains all of the waste disposal facilities, chemical separations facilities and associated high-level waste storage facilities as well as numerous other sources of radioactive material. The analysis considered 114 potential sources of radioactive material containing 115 radionuclides. The results of the CA clearly indicate that continued disposal of low-level waste in the saltstone and EAV facilities, consistent with their respective radiological performance assessments, will have no adverse impact on future members of the public.

The Canister Storage Building (CSB) will be constructed in the 200 East Area of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. The CSB will be used to stage and store spent nuclear fuel (SNF) removed from the Hanford Site K Basins. The objective of this chapter is to describe the characteristics of the site on which the CSB will be located. This description will support the hazard analysis and accident analyses in Chapter 3.0. The purpose of this report is to provide an evaluation of the CSB design criteria, the design's compliance with the applicable criteria, and the basis for authorization to proceed with construction of the CSB.