The on-site version of Balance of Power reached a total audience of 21,331 between November 10, 1994 and January 31, 1996; in addition, the Physics on Wheels van offered exhibits and programs to an additional 30,000 students in the 1995-1996 school year. The program provided a groundbreaking new approach to informal science education, combining a dynamic demonstration with an intensely interactive game show. Between the on-site programming and the Physics on Wheels van programs, 51,331 students were impacted by the activities, exhibits and energy-conservation message of Balance of Power.

This Statement of Basis/Proposed Plan is being issued by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), which functions as the lead agency for the Savannah River Site (SRS) remedial activities, with concurrence by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). The purpose of this Statement of Basis/Proposed Plan is to describe the preferred alternative for addressing the Grace Road site (GRS) located at the Savannah River Site (SRS), in Aiken, South Carolina and to provide an opportunity for public input into the remedial action selection process.

A Draft Technical Information Document (HNF-1855) is being prepared to evaluate proposed interim tritium and medical isotope production at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). This report examines the potential health and safety impacts associated with transportation of irradiated tritium targets from FFTF to the Savannah River Site for processing at the Tritium Extraction Facility. Potential risks to workers and members of the public during normal transportation and accident conditions are assessed.

Potential activities associated with medical isotope processing at the Hanford Site 325 Building laboratory and hot cell facilities are evaluated to assess the health and safety consequences if these activities are to be implemented as part of a combined tritium and medical isotope production mission for the Fast Flux Text Facility (FFTF). The types of activities included in this analysis are unloading irradiated isotope production assemblies at the 325 Building, recovery and dissolution of the target materials, separation of the product isotopes as required, and preparation of the isotopes for shipment to commercial distributors who supply isotopes to the medical conunuriity. Possible consequences to members of the public and to workers from both radiological and non-radiological hazards are considered in this evaluation. Section 2 of this docinnent describes the assumptions and methods used for the health and safety consequences analysis, section 3 presents the results of the analysis, and section 4 summarizes the results and conclusions from the analysis.

This report summarizes the results of thermal hydraulic computer modeling supporting Project W-320 for process control and SAR documentation. Parametric analyses were performed for the maximum steady state waste temperature. The parameters included heat load distribution, tank heat load, fluffing factor and thermal conductivity. Uncertainties in the fluffing factor and heat load distribution had the largest effect on maximum waste temperature. Safety analyses were performed for off normal events including loss of ventilation, loss of evaporation and loss of secondary chiller. The loss of both the primary and secondary ventilation was found to be the most limiting event with saturation temperature in the bottom waste reaching in just over 30 days. An evaluation was performed for the potential lowering of the supernatant level in tank 241-AY-102. The evaluation included a loss of ventilation and steam bump analysis. The reduced supernatant level decreased the time to reach saturation temperature in the waste for the loss of ventilation by about one week. However, the consequence of a steam bump were dramatically reduced.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos) generates radioactive and liquid wastes that must be treated before being discharged to the environment. Presently, the liquid wastes are treated in the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (Treatment Facility), which is over 30 years old and in need of repair or replacement. However, there are various ways to satisfy the treatment need. The objective of the audit was to determine whether Los Alamos cost effectively managed its Treatment Facility operations. The audit determined that Los Alamos` treatment costs were significantly higher when compared to similar costs incurred by the private sector. This situation occurred because Los Alamos did not perform a complete analysis of privatization or prepare a {open_quotes}make-or-buy{close_quotes} plan for its treatment operations, although a {open_quotes}make-or-buy{close_quotes} plan requirement was incorporated into the contract in 1996. As a result, Los Alamos may be spending $2.15 million more than necessary each year and could needlessly spend $10.75 million over the next five years to treat its radioactive liquid waste. In addition, Los Alamos has proposed to spend $13 million for a new treatment facility that may not be needed if privatization proves to be a cost effective alternative. We recommended that the Manager, Albuquerque …

R2BaNiO5 (R = rare earth) quasi-1-D antiferromagnets are structurally equivalent to the well-studied 1-D S = 1 Haldane-gap compound Y2BaNiO5. Unlike the Y-nickelate though, these materials undergo 3-D magnetic ordering at finite temperatures. Recent inelastic neutron scattering studies of Pr2BaNiO5 and (Nd(x)Y(1-x))2BaNiO5 revealed purely one-dimensional gap excitations that propagate exclusively on the Ni-chains and are strikingly similar to Haldane gap modes in Y2BaNiO5. In the ordered phase these excitations survive and actually coexist with conventional spin waves. The results suggest that the Haldane singlet ground state of the Ni-chains is not fully destroyed by Neel ordering.

This paper summarizes the development of a reliable methodology for the prediction of peak spent nuclear fuel cladding temperature within the waste disposal package. The effective thermal conductivity method replaces other older methodologies.

A three-dimensional world model is crucial for many robotic tasks. Modeling techniques tend to be either fully manual or autonomous. Manual methods are extremely time consuming but also highly accurate and flexible. Autonomous techniques are fast but inflexible and, with real-world data, often inaccurate. The method presented in this paper combines the two, yielding a highly efficient, flexible, and accurate mapping tool. The segmentation and modeling algorithms that compose the method are specifically designed for industrial environments, and are described in detail. A mapping system based on these algorithms has been designed. It enables a human supervisor to quickly construct a fully defined world model from unfiltered and unsegmented real-world range imagery. Examples of how industrial scenes are modeled with the mapping system are provided.

This DOE-funded research into seismic detection of natural fractures is one of six projects within the DOE`s Detection and Analysis of Naturally Fractured Gas Reservoirs Program, a multidisciplinary research initiative to develop technology for prediction, detection, and mapping of naturally fractured gas reservoirs. The demonstration of successful seismic techniques to locate subsurface zones of high fracture density and to guide drilling orientation for enhanced fracture permeability will enable better returns on investments in the development of the vast gas reserves held in tight formations beneath the Rocky Mountains. The seismic techniques used in this project were designed to capture the azimuthal anisotropy within the seismic response. This seismic anisotropy is the result of the symmetry in the rock fabric created by aligned fractures and/or unequal horizontal stresses. These results may be compared and related to other lines of evidence to provide cross-validation. The authors undertook investigations along the following lines: Characterization of the seismic anisotropy in three-dimensional, P-wave seismic data; Characterization of the seismic anisotropy in a nine-component (P- and S-sources, three-component receivers) vertical seismic profile; Characterization of the seismic anisotropy in three-dimensional, P-to-S converted wave seismic data (P-wave source, three-component receivers); and Description of geological and reservoir-engineering data that …

The chemistry of uranium and plutonium in conjunction with the storage, retrieval and treatment of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) has been the subject of increasing scrutiny due to concerns with nuclear criticality safety. Previous studies focused on determining the solubilities of plutonium and uranium in alkaline salt solutions that encompass the compositions present during storage and evaporation of fresh and aged. Recent studies extend the chemistry to include the effects of coprecipitation on the liquid phase concentrations of plutonium and uranium. Particle size, morphology and identification of crystalline phases in the precipitated solids as well as the plutonium and uranium dissolution characteristics upon dilution of the liquid phases were also determined.

Some code improvements have been made during the course of this study. One immediately obvious need was for more flexibility in the constitutive representation for materials in shell elements. To remedy this situation, a model with a tabular representation of stress versus strain and rate dependent effects was implemented. This was required in order to obtain reasonable results in the IED cylinder simulation. Another deficiency was in the ability to extract and plot variables associated with shell elements. The pipe whip analysis required the development of a scheme to tally and plot time dependent shell quantities such as stresses and strains. This capability had previously existed only for solid elements. Work was initiated to provide the same range of plotting capability for structural elements that exist with the DYNA3D/TAURUS tools. One of the characteristics of these problems is the disparity in zoning required in the vicinity of the charge and bubble compared to that needed in the far field. This disparity can cause the equipotential relaxation logic to provide a less than optimal solution. Various approaches were utilized to bias the relaxation to obtain more optimal meshing during relaxation. Extensions of these techniques have been developed to provide more powerful …

Interim and long-term storage of carefully prepared plutonium material within hermetically sealed containers may generate dangerous gas pressures and compositions. The authors have been investigating the application of acoustic resonance spectroscopy to non-intrusively monitor changes in these parameters within sealed containers. In this approach a drum-like gas cavity is formed within the storage container which is excited using a piezoelectric transducer mounted on the outside of the container. The frequency response spectrum contains a series of peaks whose positions and widths are determined by the composition of the gas and the geometry of the cylindrical resonator; the intensities are related to the gas pressure. Comparing observed gas frequencies with theory gives excellent agreement. Small changes in gas composition, better than 1:1000, are readily measurable.

The work carried out in this CRADA addressed the development of computational algorithms to simulate the response for commonly used electrochemical techniques. The goal was the incorporation of these algorithms into DigiSim^R, a generalized simulator for cyclic voltammetry (CV). CV, a ubiquitously applied electroanalytical technique used by nonelectrochemists as well as electrochemists, is sometimes referred to as "electrochemical spectroscopy". The latest version, DigiSim^R 2.1, is now being sold by the industrial partner, Bioanalytical Systems, Inc. The response of the electrochemical community to this latest program (as well as its predecessors, DigiSim^R 2.0 and the DOS version; versions 2.0 and 2.1 are for Windows), has been uniformly positive and numerous publications are now appearing which feature its application.

Over the past several years, Congress has directed the Department of Energy (DOE), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to abandon their efforts to assess an array of potential candidate geologic repository sites for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear reactor fuel and high level radioactive waste, to develop generally applicable requirements for licensing geologic repositories, and to develop generally applicable radiation protection standards for geologic repositories, and instead to focus their efforts to determine whether a single site located at Yucca Mountain, Nevada can be developed as a geologic repository which providing reasonable assurance that public health and safety and the environment will be adequately protected. If the Yucca Mountain site is found to be suitable for development as a geologic repository, then at each stage of development DOE will have to provide the NRC with progressively more detailed information regarding repository design and long-term performance. NRC regulations reflect the fact that it will not be until the repository has been operated for a number of years that the NRC will be able to make a final determination as to long-term repository performance. Nevertheless, the NRC will be able to allow DOE to construct …

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains the environmental sample collection objectives and the criteria for conducting site investigation activities at the Area 3 Compound, specifically Corrective Action Unit (CAU) Number 427, which is located at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR). The TTR, included in the Nellis Air Force Range, is approximately 255 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The Corrective Action Unit Work Plan, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada divides investigative activities at TTR into Source Groups. The Septic Tanks and Lagoons Group consists of seven CAUs. Corrective Action Unit Number 427 is one of three septic waste system CAUs in TTR Area 3. Corrective Action Unit Numbers 405 and 428 will be investigated at a future data. Corrective Action Unit Number 427 is comprised of Septic Waste Systems Number 2 and 6 with respective CAS Numbers 03-05-002-SW02 and 03-05-002-SW06.

This compendium contains papers presented at the W. E. Henry Symposium, The Importance of Magnetism in Physics and Material Science. The one-day symposium was conducted to recognize the achievements of Dr. Warren Elliot Henry as educator, scientist, and inventor in a career spanning almost 70 years. Dr. Henry, who is 88 years old, attended the symposium. Nobel Laureate, Dr. Glenn Seaborg, a friend and colleague for over 40 years, attended the event and shared his personal reminiscences. Dr. Seaborg is Associate Director-At-Large at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Compendium begins with three papers which demonstrate the ongoing importance of magnetism in physics and material science. Other contributions cover the highlights of Dr. Henry`s career as a researcher, educator, and inventor. Colleagues and former students share insights on the impact of Dr. Henry`s research in the field of magnetism, low temperature physics, and solid state physics; his influence on students as an educator; and his character, intellect and ingenuity, and passion for learning and teaching. They share a glimpse of the environment and times that molded him as a man, and the circumstances under which he made his great achievements despite the many challenges he faced.

On December 15, 1997, contractor workers supporting the National Ignition Facility (NIF) construction uncovered bones suspected to be of paleontological importance. The NIF workers were excavating a utility trench near the southwest corner of the NIF footprint area, located at the northeast corner of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Livermore Site, and were excavating at a depth of approximately 30 feet. Upon the discovery of bone fragments, the excavation in the immediate vicinity was halted and the LLNL archaeologist was notified. The archaeologist determined that there was no indication of cultural resources. Mark Goodwin, Senior Curator for the University of California Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley, was then contacted. Mr. Goodwin visited the site on December 16th and confirmed that the bones consisted of a section of the skull, a portion of the mandible, several teeth, upper palate, and possibly the vertebrae of a mammoth, genus Mammuthus columbi. This supplement analysis evaluates the potential for adverse impacts of excavating skeletal remains, an activity that was only generally assessed by the NIF Project-Specific Analysis in the Final Programmatic Environmental impact Statement for Stockpile Stewardship and Management (SS and M PEIS) published in September 1996 (DOE/EIS-0236) and …

Plant photosynthesis has created a unique planetary-wide geochemistry - an oxidizing atmosphere with oxidizing surface waters on a planetary body with chemically reducing conditions near or at some distance below the surface. Uranium is four orders of magnitude more soluble under chemically oxidizing conditions than it is under chemically reducing conditions. Thus, uranium tends to leach from surface rock and disposal sites, move with groundwater, and concentrate where chemically reducing conditions appear. Earth`s geochemistry concentrates uranium and can separate uranium from all other elements except oxygen, hydrogen (in water), and silicon (silicates, etc). Fissile isotopes include {sup 235}U, {sup 233}U, and many higher actinides that eventually decay to one of these two uranium isotopes. The potential for nuclear criticality exists if the precipitated uranium from disposal sites has a significant fissile enrichment, mass, and volume. The earth`s geochemistry suggests that isotopic dilution of fissile materials in waste with {sup 238}U is a preferred strategy to prevent long-term nuclear criticality in and beyond the boundaries of waste disposal facilities because the {sup 238}U does not separate from the fissile uranium isotopes. Geological, laboratory, and theoretical data indicate that the potential for nuclear criticality can be minimized by diluting fissile materials with-{sup …

The Nuclear Criticality Safety Organization (NCSO) is committed to developing and maintaining a staff of qualified personnel to meet the current and anticipated needs in Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. This document provides a listing of the roles and responsibilities of NCSO personnel with respect to training and details of the Training Management System (TMS) programs, Mentoring Checklists and Checksheets, as well as other documentation utilized to implement the program. This Training Implementation document is applicable to all technical and managerial NCSO personnel, including temporary personnel, sub-contractors and/or LMES employees on loan to the NCSO, who are in a qualification program.

The SAS4A/SASSYS-l computer code is used to perform a series of analyses for the limiting protected design basis transient events given a representative tritium and medical isotope production core design proposed for the Fast Flux Test Facility. The FFTF tritium and isotope production mission will require a different core loading which features higher enrichment fuel, tritium targets, and medical isotope production assemblies. Changes in several key core parameters, such as the Doppler coefficient and delayed neutron fraction will affect the transient response of the reactor. Both reactivity insertion and reduction of heat removal events were analyzed. The analysis methods and modeling assumptions are described. Results of the analyses and comparison against fuel pin performance criteria are presented to provide quantification that the plant protection system is adequate to maintain the necessary safety margins and assure cladding integrity.

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 …

The study conducted by Arkenol was designed to test the conversion of feedstocks such as sugar cane bagasse, sorghum, napier grass and rice straw into fermentable sugars, and then ferment these sugars using natural yeasts and genetically engineered Zymomonis mobilis bacteria (ZM). The study did convert various cellulosic feedstocks into fermentable sugars utilizing the patented Arkenol Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Process and equipment at the Arkenol Technology Center in Orange, California. The sugars produced using this process were in the concentration range of 12--15%, much higher than the sugar concentrations the genetically engineered ZM bacteria had been developed for. As a result, while the ZM bacteria fermented the produced sugars without initial inhibition, the completion of high sugar concentration fermentations was slower and at lower yield than predicted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Natural yeasts performed as expected by Arkenol, similar to the results obtained over the last four years of testing. Overall, at sugar concentrations in the 10--13% range, yeast produced 850090% theoretical ethanol yields and ZM bacteria produced 82--87% theoretical yields in 96 hour fermentations. Additional commercialization work revealed the ability to centrifugally separate and recycle the ZM bacteria after fermentation, slight additional benefits from mixed culture …

The Hynol Process for conversion of coal and natural gas to methanol as a liquid fuel consists of three consecutive unit operations: (1) hydrogasification of coal, (2) steam reforming of the methane formed and added natural gas feedstock, and (3) catalytic methanol synthesis. The Hynol Process is a total recycle process. Using a process simulation computer program, mass and energy balances and yields and efficiency data have been obtained for a range of natural gas to coal feedstock ratios. Although the methanol yield increases with natural gas to coal feed ratio, the cost of feedstock per unit methanol is insensitive over a wide range of feedstock ratios. The Hynol Process produces a 13% increase in methanol yield compared to the equivalent of two separate conventional coal gasification and natural gas reforming plants. The CO{sub 2} emissions are reduced by 22% for the Hynol plant compared to the conventional processes with greater CO{sub 2} reductions at lower gas to coal feedstock ratios. A preliminary cost estimate for a 10,000 tons/day Hynol methanol plant indicates a lower production cost than the current cost of methanol by the conventional natural gas reforming plant. The lower unit energy cost for coal is beneficial in …