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Simulation studies for transmission of microwaves through electron clouds show good agreement with analytic results. The electron cloud produces a shift in phase of the microwave. Experimental observation of this phenomena would lead to a useful diagnostic tool for accessing the local density of electron clouds in an accelerator. These experiments are being carried out at the CERN SPS and the PEP-II LER at SLAC and is proposed to be done at the Fermilab main injector. In this study, a brief analysis of the phase shift is provided and the results are compared with that obtained from simulations.

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The ''Drift Shadow'' is defined as the relatively drier region that forms below subsurface cavities or drifts in unsaturated rock. Its existence has been predicted through analytical and numerical models of unsaturated flow. However, these theoretical predictions have not been demonstrated empirically to date. In this project they plan to test the drift shadow concept through field investigations and compare our observations to simulations. Based on modeling studies they have an identified suitable site to perform the study at an inactive mine in a sandstone formation. Pretest modeling studies and preliminary characterization of the site are being used to develop the field scale tests.

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When hot radioactive waste is placed in subsurface tunnels, a series of complex changes occurs in the surrounding medium. The water in the pore space of the medium undergoes vaporization and boiling. Subsequently, vapor migrates out of the matrix pore space, moving away from the tunnel through the permeable fracture network. This migration is propelled by buoyancy, by the increased vapor pressure caused by heating and boiling, and through local convection. In cooler regions, the vapor condenses on fracture walls, where it drains through the fracture network. Slow imbibition of water thereafter leads to gradual rewetting of the rock matrix. These thermal and hydrological processes also bring about chemical changes in the medium. Amorphous silica precipitates from boiling and evaporation, and calcite from heating and CO{sub 2} volatilization. The precipitation of amorphous silica, and to a much lesser extent calcite, results in long-term permeability reduction. Evaporative concentration also results in the precipitation of gypsum (or anhydrite), halite, fluorite and other salts. These evaporative minerals eventually redissolve after the boiling period is over, however, their precipitation results in a significant temporary decrease in permeability. Reduction of permeability is also associated with changes in fracture capillary characteristics. In short, the coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical …

Very large multidimensional arrays are commonly used in data intensive scientific computations as well as on-line analytical processingapplications referred to as MOLAP. The storage organization of such arrays on disks is done by partitioning the large global array into fixed size sub-arrays called chunks or tiles that form the units of data transfer between disk and memory. Typical queries involve the retrieval of sub-arrays in a manner that access all chunks that overlap the query results. An important metric of the storage efficiency is the expected number of chunks retrieved over all such queries. The question that immediately arises is"what shapes of array chunks give the minimum expected number of chunks over a query workload?" The problem of optimal chunking was first introduced by Sarawagi and Stonebraker who gave an approximate solution. In this paper we develop exact mathematical models of the problem and provide exact solutions using steepest descent and geometric programming methods. Experimental results, using synthetic and real life workloads, show that our solutions are consistently within than 2.0percent of the true number of chunks retrieved for any number of dimensions. In contrast, the approximate solution of Sarawagi and Stonebraker can deviate considerably from the true result with …

Photocatalytic lithography is an emerging technique that couples light with coated mask materials in order to pattern surface chemistry. We excite porphyrins to create radical species that photocatalytically oxidize, and thereby pattern, chemistries in the local vicinity. The technique advantageously does not necessitate mass transport or specified substrates, it is fast and robust and the wavelength of light does not limit the resolution of patterned features. We have patterned proteins and cells in order to demonstrate the utility of photocatalytic lithography in life science applications.

Studies of submicron dust using Mie scattering from Nd:YAG lasers and video data of micron to sub-millimeter sized dust on DIII-D tokamak have provided the first data of dust sources and transport during tokamak discharges. During normal operation on DIII-D dust observation rates are low, a few events per discharge or less. The net carbon content of the dust corresponds to a carbon atom density a few orders of magnitude below the core impurity density. Statistical analysis of Mie data collected over months of operation reveal correlation of increased dust rate with increased heating power and impulsive wall loading due to edge localized modes (ELMs) and disruptions. Generation of significant amounts of dust by disruptions is confirmed by the camera data. However, dust production by disruptions alone is insufficient to account for estimated in-vessel dust inventory in DIII-D. After an extended entry vent, thousands of dust particles are observed by cameras in the first 2-3 plasma discharges. Individual particles moving at velocities up to {approx}300 m/s, breakup of larger particles into pieces, and collisions of particles with walls are observed. After {approx}70 discharges, dust levels are reduced to a few events per discharge. In order to calibrate diagnostics and benchmark …

Plant mounds or blow-sand mounds are accumulations of soil particles and plant debris around large shrubs and are common features in deserts in the southwestern United States. Believed to be an important factor in their formation, the shrubs create surface roughness that causes wind-suspended particles to be deposited and resist further suspension. Shrub mounds occur in some plant communities on the Nevada Test Site, the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), and Tonopah Test Range (TTR), including areas of surface soil contamination from past nuclear testing. In the 1970s as part of early studies to understand properties of actinides in the environment, the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) examined the accumulation of isotopes of Pu, {sup 241}Am, and U in plant mounds at safety test sites. The NAEG studies found concentrations of these contaminants to be greater in shrub mounds than in the surrounding areas of desert pavement. For example, at Project 57 on the NTTR, it was estimated that 15 percent of the radionuclide inventory of the site was associated with shrub mounds, which accounted for 17 percent of the surface area of the site, a ratio of inventory to area of 0.85. At Clean Slate III at the …

In case of porous fluid-saturated medium the Biot's poroelasticity theory predicts a movement of the pore fluid relative to the skeleton on seismic wave propagation through the medium. This phenomenon opens an opportunity for investigation of the flow properties of the hydrocarbon-saturated reservoirs. It is well known that relative fluid movement becomes negligible at seismic frequencies if porous material is homogeneous and well cemented. In this case the theory predicts an underestimated seismic wave velocity dispersion and attenuation. Based on Biot's theory, Helle et al. (2003) have numerically demonstrated the substantial effects on both velocity and attenuation by heterogeneous permeability and saturation in the rocks. Besides fluid flow effect, the effects of scattering (Gurevich, et al., 1997) play very important role in case of finely layered porous rocks and heterogeneous fluid saturation. We have used both fluid flow and scattering effects to derive a frequency-dependent seismic attribute which is proportional to fluid mobility and applied it for analysis of reservoir permeability.

When hot radioactive waste is placed in subsurface tunnels, a series of complex changes occurs in the surrounding medium. The water in the pore space of the medium undergoes vaporization and boiling. Subsequently, vapor migrates out of the matrix pore space, moving away from the tunnel through the permeable fracture network. This migration is propelled by buoyancy, by the increased vapor pressure caused by heating and boiling, and through local convection. In cooler regions, the vapor condenses on fracture walls, where it drains through the fracture network. Slow imbibition of water thereafter leads to gradual rewetting of the rock matrix. These thermal and hydrological processes also bring about chemical changes in the medium. Amorphous silica precipitates from boiling and evaporation, and calcite from heating and CO2 volatilization. The precipitation of amorphous silica, and to a much lesser extent calcite, results in long-term permeability reduction. Evaporative concentration also results in the precipitation of gypsum (or anhydrite), halite, fluorite and other salts. These evaporative minerals eventually redissolve after the boiling period is over, however, their precipitation results in a significant temporary decrease in permeability. Reduction of permeability is also associated with changes in fracture capillary characteristics. In short, the coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) …

High level radioactive liquid waste generated as a result of the production of nuclear material for the United States defense program at the Savannah River Site has been stored as 36 million gallons in underground tanks. About ten percent of the waste volume is sludge, composed of insoluble metal hydroxides primarily hydroxides of Mn, Fe, Al, Hg, and most radionuclides including fission products. The remaining ninety percent of the waste volume is saltcake, composed of primarily sodium (nitrites, nitrates, and aluminates) and hydroxides. Saltcakes account for 30% of the radioactivity while the sludge accounts for 70% of the radioactivity. A pilot plant salt disposition processing system has been designed at the Savannah River Site for interim processing of salt solution and is composed of two facilities: the Actinide Removal Process Facility (ARPF) and the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU). Data from the pilot plant salt processing system will be used for future processing salt at a much higher rate in a new salt processing facility. Saltcake contains significant amounts of actinides, and other long-lived radioactive nuclides such as strontium and cesium that must be extracted prior to disposal as low level waste. The extracted radioactive nuclides will be …

We determined the composite thermal conductivity (ktheta) ofa porous methanehydrate sample (composedof hydrate, water, and methan egas) as a function of density using iTOUGH2. X-ray computed tomography(CT) was used to visualize and quantify the density changes that occurredduring hydrate formation from granular ice. The composite thermalconductivity was estimated and validated by minimizing the differencesbetween the observed and the predicted thermal response using historymatching. The estimated density-dependent composite thermal conductivityranged between 0.25 and 0.58 W/m/K.

It is well known that at present, exact averaging of the equations for flow and transport in random porous media have been proposed for limited special fields. Moreover, approximate averaging methods--for example, the convergence behavior and the accuracy of truncated perturbation series--are not well studied, and in addition, calculation of high-order perturbations is very complicated. These problems have for a long time stimulated attempts to find the answer to the question: Are there in existence some, exact, and sufficiently general forms of averaged equations? Here, we present an approach for finding the general exactly averaged system of basic equations for steady flow with sources in unbounded stochastically homogeneous fields. We do this by using (1) the existence and some general properties of Green's functions for the appropriate stochastic problem, and (2) some information about the random field of conductivity. This approach enables us to find the form of the averaged equations without directly solving the stochastic equations or using the usual assumption regarding any small parameters. In the common case of a stochastically homogeneous conductivity field we present the exactly averaged new basic nonlocal equation with a unique kernel-vector. We show that in the case of some type of global …

The hydride anion H- would not be bound in the absence ofelectron correlation. Electron correlation drives the doublephotoionization process and, thus should impact double photoionizationresults most strongly for H-. We present fully differential crosssections for the three-body breakup of H- by single photon absorption.The absolute triple-differential and single-differential cross sectionswere yielded by ab initio calculations making use of exterior complexscaling within a discrete variable representation partialwave basis.Results calculated at photon energies of 18eV and 30eV are compared withreported cross sections for helium calculated at 20eV above the doubleionization threshold. These comparisons show a clear signature of initialstate correlation that differentiate the He and H- cases.

To better understand the role of groundwater-level changes on rock-slope deformation and damage, a carbonate rock slope (30 m x 30 m x 15 m) was extensively instrumented for mesoscale hydraulic and mechanical measurements during water-level changes. The slope is naturally drained by a spring that can be artificially closed or opened by a water gate. In this study, a 2-hour slope-dewatering experiment was analyzed. Changes in fluid pressure and deformation were simultaneously monitored, both at discontinuities and in the intact rock, using short-base extensometers and pressure gauges as well as tiltmeters fixed at the slope surface. Field data were analyzed with different coupled hydromechanical (HM) codes (ROCMAS, FLAC{sup 3D}, and UDEC). Field data indicate that in the faults, a 40 kPa pressure fall occurs in 2 minutes and induces a 0.5 to 31 x 10{sup -6} m normal closure. Pressure fall is slower in the bedding-planes, lasting 120 minutes with no normal deformation. No pressure change or deformation is observed in the intact rock. The slope surface displays a complex tilt towards the interior of the slope, with magnitudes ranging from 0.6 to 15 x 10{sup -6} rad. Close agreement with model for both slope surface and internal measurements …

We report a detailed comparison of a slow gravity driven sheared granular flow with a computational model performed with the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS). To our knowledge, this is the first thorough test of the LAMMPS model with a laboratory granular flow. In the experiments, grains flow inside a silo with a rectangular cross-section, and are sheared by a rough boundary on one side and smooth boundaries on the other sides. Individual grain position and motion are measured using a particle index matching imaging technique where a fluorescent dye is added to the interstitial liquid which has the same refractive index as the glass beads. The boundary imposes a packing order, and the grains are observed to flow in layers which get progressively more disordered with distance from the walls. The computations use a Cundall--Strack contact model between the grains, using contact parameters that have been used in many other previous studies, and ignore the hydrodynamic effects of the interstitial liquid. Computations are performed to understand the effect of particle coefficient of friction, elasticity, contact model, and polydispersity on mean flow properties. After appropriate scaling, we find that the mean velocity of the grains and the number density …

For Pt, the best single-element catalyst for many reactions, the question of content and loading is exceedingly important because of its price and availability. Using platinum as a fuel-cell catalyst in automotive applications will cause an unquantifiable increase in the demand for this metal. This big obstacle for using fuel cells in electric cars must be solved by decreasing the content of Pt, which is a great challenge of electrocatalysis Over the last several years we inaugurated a new class of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) based on a monolayer of Pt deposited on metal or alloy carbon-supported nanoparticles. The possibility of decreasing the Pt content in the ORR catalysts down to a monolayer level has a considerable importance because this reaction requires high loadings due to its slow kinetics. The Pt-monolayer approach has several unique features and some of them are: high Pt utilization, enhanced (or decreased) activity, enhanced stability, and direct activity correlations. The synthesis of Pt monolayer (ML) electrocatalysts was facilitated by our new synthesis method which allowed us to deposit a monolayer of Pt on various metals, or alloy nanoparticles [1, 2] for the cathode electrocatalyst. In this synthesis approach Pt is laid down …

The mineral alteration in the concrete barrier and in the clay formation around long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in the French deep geological disposal concept is evaluated using numerical modeling. There are concerns that the mineralogical composition of the surrounded clay will not be stable under the high alkaline pore fluid conditions caused by concrete (pH {approx} 12). Conversely, the infiltration of CO{sub 2}-rich groundwater from the clay formation into initially unsaturated concrete, at the high temperature (T {approx} 70 C) produced from the decay of radionuclides, could cause carbonation, thereby potentially affecting critical performance functions of this barrier. This could also lead to significant changes in porosity, which would affect aqueous diffusive transport of long-lived radionuclides. All these processes are therefore intimately coupled and advanced reactive transport models are required for long-term performance assessment. The uncertainty in predictions of these models is one major question that must be answered. A mass-transfer model response to an alkaline perturbation in clay with standard model values is first simulated using the two-phase non-isothermal reactive transport code TOUGHREACT. The selection of input parameters is thereafter designed to sample uncertainties in a wide range of physico-chemical processes without making a priori assumptions about the relative …

We present a combined theoretical and experimental study of water adsorption on Ru(0001) pre-covered with 0.25 monolayers (ML) of oxygen forming a (2 x 2) structure. Several structures were analyzed by means of Density Functional Theory calculations for which STM simulations were performed and compared with experimental data. Up to 0.25 monolayers the molecules bind to the exposed Ru atoms of the 2 x 2 unit cell via the lone pair orbitals. The molecular plane is almost parallel to the surface with its H atoms pointing towards the chemisorbed O atoms of the 2 x 2 unit cell forming hydrogen bonds. The existence of these additional hydrogen bonds increases the adsorption energy of the water molecule to approximately 616 meV, which is {approx}220 meV more stable than on the clean Ru(0001) surface with a similar configuration. The binding energy shows only a weak dependence on water coverage, with a shallow minimum for a row structure at 0.125 ML. This is consistent with the STM experiments that show a tendency of the molecules to form linear rows at intermediate coverage. Our calculations also suggest the possible formation of water dimers near 0.25 ML.

Throughout fifty-three years of operations, an estimated 29,300 TBq of tritium have been released to the atmosphere at the Livermore site of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; about 75% of this was released accidentally as gaseous tritium in 1965 and 1970. Routine emissions contributed slightly more than 3,700 TBq gaseous tritium and about 2,800 TBq tritiated water vapor to the total. Mean annual doses (with 95% confidence intervals) to the most exposed member of the public were calculated for all years using the same model and the same assumptions. Because time-dependent tritium models require detailed meteorological data that were unavailable for the large releases, ingestion/inhalation dose ratios were derived from experience with UFOTRI. Even with assumptions to assure that doses would not be underestimated, all doses from routine and accidental releases were below the level (3.6 mSv) at which adverse health effects have been documented, and most were below the current regulatory limit of 100 {micro}Sv per year from releases to the atmosphere.

Small animal SPECT imaging systems have multiple potential applications in biomedical research. Whereas SPECT data are commonly interpreted qualitatively in a clinical setting, the ability to accurately quantify measurements will increase the utility of the SPECT data for laboratory measurements involving small animals. In this work, we assess the effect of photon attenuation, scatter and partial volume errors on the quantitative accuracy of small animal SPECT measurements, first with Monte Carlo simulation and then confirmed with experimental measurements. The simulations modeled the imaging geometry of a commercially available small animal SPECT system. We simulated the imaging of a radioactive source within a cylinder of water, and reconstructed the projection data using iterative reconstruction algorithms. The size of the source and the size of the surrounding cylinder were varied to evaluate the effects of photon attenuation and scatter on quantitative accuracy. We found that photon attenuation can reduce the measured concentration of radioactivity in a volume of interest in the center of a rat-sized cylinder of water by up to 50percent when imaging with iodine-125, and up to 25percent when imaging with technetium-99m. When imaging with iodine-125, the scatter-to-primary ratio can reach up to approximately 30percent, and can cause overestimation of …

The amounts of hydrocarbon gases trapped in natural hydrate accumulations are enormous, leading to a recent interest in the evaluation of their potential as an energy source. Earlier studies have demonstrated that large volumes of gas can be readily produced at high rates for long times from gas hydrate accumulations by means of depressurization-induced dissociation, using conventional technology and vertical wells. The results of this numerical study indicate that the use of horizontal wells does not confer any practical advantages to gas production from Class 1 deposits. This is because of the large disparity in permeabilities between the hydrate layer (HL) and the underlying free gas zone, leading to a hydrate dissociation that proceeds in a horizontally dominant direction and is uniform along the length of the reservoir. When horizontal wells are placed near the base of the HL in Class 2 deposits, the delay in the evolution of a significant gas production rate outweighs their advantages, which include higher rates and the prevention of flow obstruction problems that often hamper the performance of vertical wells. Conversely, placement of a horizontal well near to top of the HL can lead to dramatic increases in gas production from Class 2 and …