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Knowledge of the production and destruction of long-lived species via neutrons, photons, and charged-particles is required in many fusion energy applications, such as reactor first-wall and blanket design, radioactive waste management, etc. Here we describe our calculational results for the production, via the (n,2n) reaction, of the following long-lived species: {sup 150}Eu(t{sub 1/2} = 36 y), {sup 152}Eu(t{sub 1/2} = 13 y), and {sup 192m2}Ir(t{sub 1/2} = 241 y). Some comments on calculations that we`ve made for destruction reactions of these species are also included.

Conversion electrons from the decay of low-lying levels of /sup 237/Np have been measured to detect the population of these levels by gamma-ray decay of the /sup 237/Np shape isomer. Analysis of the 208-keV transition L conversion-electron peak gives an upper limit of about 17 ..mu..b for the population of the 3/2/sup -/ 267-keV level in /sup 237/Np from the shape isomer decay. Model calculations are compared with the measured limit. Improvements are suggested for this experiment. 9 refs., 4 figs.

Requirements of minimum beam loss for hand-on maintenance and flexibility for future operations are essential for the lattice design of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accumulator ring. During the past seven years, the lattice has evolved from an all-FODO to a FODO/doublet hybrid, the circumference has been increased to accommodate for a higher energy foreseen with a super-conducting RF linac, and the layout has evolved from an {alpha}- to an {Omega}-geometry. Extensive studies are performed to determine working points that accommodate injection painting and minimize beam losses due to space charge and resonances. In this paper, we review the evolution of the SNS ring lattice and discuss the rationales.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing a Surplus Plutonium Disposition (SPD) Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). Included in the evaluation are up to 6 metric tons (MT) of plutonium in the form of impure oxides and metals for which a disposition plan has not been decided, among options that include preparation as feed for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility; disposing to high-level waste through the Savannah River Site (SRS) HB Line and H Canyon; can-in-canister disposal using the SRS Defense Waste Processing Facility; and preparation for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). DOE and SRS have identified at least 0.5 MT of plutonium that, because of high levels of chemical and isotopic impurities, is impractical for disposition by methods other than the WIPP pathway. Characteristics of these items and the disposition strategy are discussed.

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In direct drive ICF, nonuniformities in laser illumination seed ripples at the ablation front in a process called imprint. These non nonuniformities grow during the capsule implosion and, if initially large enough, can penetrate the capsule shell, impede ignition, or degrade burn. Imprint has been simulated for recent experiments performed on the Nova laser at LLNL examining a variety of beam smoothing conditions. Most used laser intensities similar to the early part of an ignition capsule pulse shape, I=10X13 W/cm3. The simulations matched most of the measurements of imprint modulation. The effect of imprint upon National Ignition Facility (NIF) direct drive ignition capsules has also been simulated. Imprint is predicted to give modulation comparable to an intrinsic surface finish of 10 nm RMS. Modulation growth was examined using the Haan model, with linear growth as a function of spherical harmonic mode number obtained from an analytic dispersion relation. Ablation front amplitudes are predicted to become substantially nonlinear, so that saturation corrections are large. Direct numerical simulations of two- dimensional multimode growth were also performed. The capsule shell is predicted to remain intact, which gives a basis for believing that ignition can be achieved.

The angular resolution of long-exposure images from ground-based telescopes equipped with laser guide star adaptive optics systems is fundamentally limited by the the accuracy with which the tip-tilt aberrations introduced by the atmosphere can be corrected. Assuming that a natural star is used as the tilt reference, the residual error due to tilt anisoplanatism can significantly degrade the long-exposure resolution even if the tilt reference star is separated from the object being imaged by a small angle. Given the observed distribution of stars in the sky, the need to find a tilt reference star quite close to the object restricts the fraction of the sky over which long-exposure images with diffraction limited resolution can be obtained. In this paper, the authors present a comprehensive performance analysis of tip-tilt compensation systems that use a natural star as a tilt reference, taking into account properties of the atmosphere and of the Galactic stellar populations, and optimizing over the system operating parameters to determine the fundamental limits to the long-exposure resolution. Their results show that for a ten meter telescope on Mauna Kea, if the image of the tilt reference star is uncorrected, about half the sky can be imaged in the V …

The order parameter of the recently-discovered ferric arsenide family of superconductors remains uncertain. Some early experiments on polycrystalline samples suggested line nodes in the order parameter, however later experiments on single crystals have strongly supported fully-gapped superconductivity. An absence of nodes does not rule out unconventional order: {pi} phase shifts between the separate Fermi sheets and time-reversal symmetry-breaking components in the order parameter remain possibilities. One test for unconventional order is scanning magnetic microscopy on well-coupled polycrystalline samples: d- or p-wave order would result in orbital frustration, leading to spontaneous currents and magnetization in the superconducting state. We have performed scanning SQUID microscopy on SmFeAsO{sub 0.85} and NdFeAsO{sub 0.94}F{sub 0.06}, and in neither material do we find spontaneous orbital currents, ruling out p- or d-wave order.

Identifying the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in the recently-discovered ferrooxypnictide family of superconductors, RFeAsO{sub 1-x}F{sub y}, where R is a rare earth, is a high priority. Many of the proposed order parameters have internal {pi} phase shifts, like the d-wave order found in the cuprates, which would result in direction-dependent phase shifts in tunneling. In dense polycrystalline samples, these phase shifts in turn would result in spontaneous orbital currents and magnetization in the superconducting state. We perform scanning SQUID microscopy on a dense polycrystalline sample of NdFeAsO{sub 0.94}F{sub 0.06} with T{sub c} = 48K and find no such spontaneous currents, ruling out many of the proposed order parameters.

Article investigating if the exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) can alter commensal lung microbiota, thereby promoting alterations in the lung’s immune and inflammatory responses. This article also explores if diet contributes to the alteration of the commensal lung microbiome.

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Article asserts that spare parts inventory management is complex due to the combined impact of intermittent and variable demand patterns. This study proposes a novel nonparametric Bayesian forecasting approach with its roots in the empirical Bayes paradigm.

The activation of five structural materials and seven coolant/breeder/multiplier materials in a common reference neutron environment was calculated with the FORIG activation code. The reference environment was the neutron flux and spectrum at the first wall of the mirror advanced reactor study (MARS) reactor. Qualitative comparison of these activated materials were made with respect to worker protection requirements for gamma radiation in handling the materials and with respect to their classifications for near-surface disposal of radioactive waste.

Laboratory measurements are required to establish relationships between the physical properties of unconsolidated sediments and P- and S-wave propagation through them. Previous work has either focused on measurements of compressional wave properties at depths greater than 500 m for oil industry applications or on measurements of dynamic shear properties at pressures corresponding to depths of less than 50 m for geotechnical applications. Therefore, the effects of lithology, fluid saturation, and compaction on impedance and P- and S-wave velocities of shallow soils are largely unknown. We describe two state-of-the-art laboratory experiments. One setup allows us to measure ultrasonic P-wave velocities at very low pressures in unconsolidated sediments (up to 0.1 MPa). The other experiment allows P- and S-wave velocity measurements at low to medium pressures (up to 20 MPa). We summarize the main velocity and attenuation results on sands and sand - clay mixtures under partially saturated and fully saturated conditions in two ranges of pressures (0 - 0.1 MPa and 0.1 - 20 MPa) representative of the top few meters and the top 1 km, respectively. Under hydrostatic pressures of 0.1 to 20 MPa, our measurements demonstrate a P- and S-wave velocity-dependence in dry sands around a fourth root (0.23 …

Article presents a case study of a 35 year-old Caucasian woman who experienced multiple vertebral fractures two months after her second pregnancy. The results suggest a potential role of heterozygous WNT1 variants in the pathogenesis of early-onset osteoporosis. The authors suggest that teriparatide is one of the most appropriate available therapies for such cases.

This article updates the second part of a compendium of phase change enthalpies published in 2010 to include the period 1880-2015.