The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is dedicated to finding solutions to problems related to the environment, energy, economic competitiveness, and national security. In an effort to attract and retain the expertise needed to accomplish these challenges, the INEEL is developing a program of broad educational opportunities that makes continuing education readily available to all laboratory employees, beginning in the K–12 environment and progressing through post-graduate education and beyond. One of the most innovative educational approaches being implemented at the laboratory is the application of STELLA© dynamic learning environments, which facilitate captivating K–12 introductions to the complex energy and environmental challenges faced by global societies. These simulations are integrated into lesson plans developed by teachers in collaboration with INEEL scientists and engineers. This approach results in an enjoyable and involved learning experience, and an especially positive introduction to the application of science to emerging problems of great social and environmental consequence.

Idaho National Laboratory is experimenting with electrical neutron generators, as potential replacements for californium-252 radioisotopic neutron sources in its PINS prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) system for the identification of military chemical warfare agents and explosives. In addition to neutron output, we have recently measured the x-ray output of the Thermo Scientific P385 deuterium-deuterium neutron generator. X-rays are a normal byproduct from a neutron generator and depending on their intensity and energy they can interfere with gamma rays from the object under test, increase gamma-spectrometer dead time, and reduce PGNAA system throughput. The P385 x-ray energy spectrum was measured with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector, and a broad peak is evident at about 70 keV. To identify the source of the x-rays within the neutron generator assembly, it was scanned by collimated scintillation detectors along its long axis. At the strongest x-ray emission points, the generator also was rotated 60° between measurements. The scans show the primary source of x-ray emission from the P385 neutron generator is an area 60 mm from the neutron production target, in the vicinity of the ion source. Rotation of the neutron generator did not significantly alter the x-ray count rate, and the x-ray …

Fluid hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen become metallic at 100 GPa (1 Mbar) pressures. Disorder is the primary reason for observing a metal at lower pressures in the fluid than expected for the ordered solid. This metallic transition is similar to those observed in fluid Cs and Rb by Hensel et al. All five undergo a Mott transition from a semiconducting to metallic fluid with the same electrical conductivities. In contrast, water is a proton conductor at pressures up to 200 GPa. Extreme conditions were achieved for {approx}100 ns with a reverberating shock wave generated with a two-stage light-gas gun.

A boundary plasma turbulence code BOUT is presented. The preliminary encouraging results have been obtained when comparing with probe measurements for a typical Ohmic discharge in CT-7 tokamak. The validation and benchmark of BOUT code and experimental diagnostic tools for fusion boundary plasma turbulence is proposed.

Areal density ({rho}R) is a fundamental parameter that characterizes the performance of an ICF implosion. For high areal densities ({rho}R> 0.1 g/cm{sup 2}), which will be realized in implosion experiments at NIF and LMJ, the target areal density exceeds the stopping range of charged particles and measurements with charged particle spectroscopy will be difficult. In this region, an areal density measurement method using down shifted neutron counting is a promising alternative. The probability of neutron scattering in the imploded plasma is proportional to the areal density of the plasma. The spectrum of neutrons scattered by the specific target nucleus has a characteristic low energy cut off. This enables separate, simultaneous measurements of fuel and pusher {rho}Rs. To apply this concept in implosion experiments, the detector should have extremely large dynamic range. Sufficient signal output for low energy neutrons is also required. A lithium-glass scintillation-fiber plate (LG-SCIFI) is a promising candidate for this application. In this paper we propose a novel technique based on downshifted neutron measurements with a lithium-glass scintillation-fiber plate. The details of instrumentation and background estimation with Monte Carlo calculation are reported.

This paper reviews the physics and applications of Normal-Insulator-Superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions. The current-voltage properties of NIS junctions are diode-like with a strong temperature dependence. Hence, these structures can be used as sensitive thermometers at temperatures well below the energy gap, {Delta}, of the superconducting electrode. For junction voltages comparable to {Delta}/q, current flow removes energy from the normal electrode. This property has been exploited to build refrigerators capable of cooling thin-film circuits from 0.3 K to 0.1 K. Calorimeters and bolometers for the detection of X-rays and millimeter-wave radiation, respectively, have successfully been built from NIS junctions. NIS junctions have also been used to probe the superconducting state. Finally, recent ideas for the use of NIS junctions as simple circuit elements are described.

In this paper we will describe the synthesis of several amino- and nitro-substituted heterocycles, examples from a continuing research project targeted at the synthesis of new, insensitive energetic materials that possess at least 80% the power of HMX (28% more power than TATB). Recently we reported the synthesis and scale-up of the insensitive energetic material, 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyrazine-1-oxide (LLM-105). The energy content (81% the power of HMX) and thermal stability of LLM-105 make it a viable candidate material for insensitive boosters and deep oil perforation. We will report on recent synthetic improvements and several performance and safety tests performed on LLM-105, including a 1 in. cylinder shot and plate dent. We will also report on the synthesis and characterization of 4-amino-3,5-dinitropyrazole (LLM-116), an interesting new insensitive energetic material with a measured crystal density of 1.90 g/cc, to our knowledge the highest density yet measured for a five-membered heterocycle containing amino- and nitro-substituents. LLM-116 was synthesized by reacting 3,5-dinitropyrazole with 1,1,1-trimethylhydrazinium iodide (TMHI) in DMSO in the presence of base. The synthesis and characterization of 4-amino-5-nitro-1,2,3-triazole (ANTZ) and 43-dinitro-1,2,3-triazole (DNTZ), first described by Baryshnikov and coworkers, will also be presented along with the synthesis of several new energetic materials derived from ANTZ and …

The properties of highly charged ions and their interaction with electrons and atoms is being studied in-situ at the LLNL electron beam ion traps, EBIT-II and SuperEBIT. Spectroscopic measurements provide data on electron-ion and ion-atom interactions as well as accurate transition energies of lines relevant for understanding QED, nuclear magnetization, and the effects of relativity on complex, state-of-the-art atomic calculations.

Free electron lasers have the promise of producing extremely high-intensity short pulses of coherent, monochromatic radiation in the 1-10 keV energy range. For example, the Linac Coherent Light Source at Stanford is being designed to produce an output intensity of 2 x 10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2} in a 230 fs pulse. These sources will open the door to many novel research studies. However, the intense x-ray pulses may damage the optical components necessary for studying and controlling the output. At the full output intensity, the dose to optical components at normal incidence ranges from 1-10 eV/atom for low-Z materials (Z < 14) at photon energies of 1 keV. It is important to have an understanding of the effects of such high doses in order to specify the composition, placement, and orientation of optical components, such as mirrors and monochromators. Doses of 10 eV/atom are certainly unacceptable since they will lead to ablation of the surface of the optical components. However, it is not precisely known what the damage thresholds are for the materials being considered for optical components for x-ray free electron lasers. In this paper, we present analytic estimates and computational simulations of the effects of high-intensity x-ray pulses …

MSO is a good alternative to incineration for the treatment of a variety of organic wastes including obsolete explosives, low-level mixed waste streams, PCB contaminated oils, spent resins and carbon. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has demonstrated the MSO process for the effective destruction of explosives, explosives-contaminated materials, and other wastes on a 1.5 kg/hr bench-scale unit and in an integrated MSO facility capable of treating 8 kg/hr of low-level radioactive mixed wastes. LLNL, under the direction and support of the Joint Demilitarization Technology (JDT) program, is currently building an integrated MSO plant for destroying explosives, explosives-contaminated sludge and explosives-contaminated activated charcoal. In a parallel effort, LLNL also provides technical support to DOE for the implementation of the MSO technology at industrial scale at Richland, Washington. Over 30 waste streams have been demonstrated with LLNL-built MSO systems. In this paper we will present our latest experimental data, our operational experience with MSO and also discuss its process capabilities.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), currently under construction at the University of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a 192-beam, 1.8-Megajoule, 500-Terawat, 351-nm laser for inertial confinement fusion and high energy density experimental studies. NIF is being built by the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Agency to provide an experimental test bed for the U.S. Stockpile Stewardship Program to ensure the country's nuclear deterrent without underground nuclear testing. A number of significant technology breakthroughs have been achieved in the course of designing NIF. This presentation will discuss some of the technology challenges and solutions that have made NIF possible.

Irradiation embrittlement in nuclear reactor pressure vessel steels results from the formation of a high number density of nanometer-sized copper rich precipitates and sub-nanometer defect-solute clusters. We present results of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) characterization of the nanostructural features formed in binary and ternary Fe-Cu-Mn alloys irradiated at {approx}290 C. These complementary techniques provide insight into the composition and character of both types of nanoscale features. The SANS measurements indicate populations of copper-manganese precipitates and smaller vacancy-copper-manganese clusters. The PAS characterization, including both Doppler broadening and positron lifetime measurements, indicates the presence of essentially defect-free Cu precipitates in the Fe-Cu-Mn alloy and vacancy-copper clusters in the Fe-Cu alloy. Thus the SANS and PAS provide a self-consistent picture of nanostructures composed of copper-rich precipitates and vacancy solute cluster complexes and tend to discount high Fe concentrations in the CRPs.

Progress in development of CFD models has shown their great potential for prediction of air flow, heat dissipation, and dispersion of air pollutants in the urban environment. Work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has progressed using the finite element code FEM3 which has been ''massively parallelized'' to produce flow fields and pollutant dispersion in a grid encompassing many city blocks and with high resolution. While it may be argued that urban CFD models are not yet economical for emergency response applications, there are many applications in assessments and air quality management where CFD models are unrivaled in the level of detail that they provide. We have conducted field experiments to define the flow field and air tracer dispersion around buildings as a means of critiquing and evaluating the CFD models. The first experiment, the ''B170 study'', was a study of flow field, turbulence, and tracer dispersion in separation zones around a complex, single building. The second was the URBAN 2000 experiment in downtown Salt Lake City where flow fields and tracers were studied in nested resolution from the single building scale up to larger scales of 25 city blocks, and out to 6 km. For the future an URBAN 2003 …

The National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program (NSNFP), operating from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), developed the standardized Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canister. This canister is designed to be loaded with DOE SNF (including other radioactive materials) and then be used during interim storage, during transportation to the nation’s repository, and for final disposal at the repository without having to be reopened. The canister has been fully designed and has completed significant testing that clearly demonstrates that it can safely achieve its intended design goals. During 1999, nine 457-mm diameter test canisters were fabricated at the INEEL to represent the standardized DOE SNF canister design. Various "worst case" internals were incorporated. Seven of the test canisters were 4.57 m long and weighed approximately 2721 kg, while two were 3.00 m long and weighed approximately 1360 kg and 1725 kg. Seven of the test canisters were dropped from 9 m onto an essentially unyielding flat surface and one of the test canisters was dropped from 1 m onto a 15-cm diameter puncture post. The final test canister was dropped from 61 cm onto a 50.8 mm thick vertically oriented steel plate, and then fell over …

This paper presents a triple-continuum conceptual model forsimulating flow and transport processes in fractured rock. Field datacollected from the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, a repository siteof high-level nuclear waste, show a large number of small-scalefractures. The effect of these small fractures has not been considered inprevious modeling investigations within the context of a continuumapproach. A new triple-continuum model (consisting of matrix,small-fracture, and large-fracture continua) has been developed toinvestigate the effect of these small fractures. This paper derives themodel formulation and discusses the basic triple-continuum behavior offlow and transport processes under different conditions, using bothanalytical solutions and numerical approaches. The simulation resultsfrom the site-scale model of the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountainindicate that these small fractures may have an important effect onradionuclide transport within the mountain

Localized hot corrosion can occur on the cold-side of air-ports in Kraft recovery boilers. Depending on the basicity of the molten salt, either acidic or basic fluxing takes place, with a solubility minima at the transition between the two reactions. For stainless steel, if the basicity of the fused salt is between the iron and chromium oxide solubility minima, then a synergistic effect can occur that leads to rapid corrosion. The products of one reaction are the reactants of the other, which eliminates the need for rate-controlling diffusion. This effect can explain why stainless steel is attacked more readily than carbon steel.

The purpose of this project is to develop tools that can be used to interpret tracer tests and obtain estimates of reservoir and operational parameters. These tools (mostly in the form of spreadsheet applications) can be used to optimize geothermal resource management.

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Pollution from diesel engines is a significant part of our nation's air-quality problem. Even under the more stringent standards for heavy-duty engines set to take effect in 2004, these engines will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, both of which affect public health. To address this problem, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) invented a self-cleaning, high temperature, cermet filter that reduces heavy-duty diesel engine emissions. The main advantage of the INEEL cermet filter, compared to current technology, is its ability to destroy carbon particles and NOx in diesel engine exhaust. As a result, this technology is expected to improve our nation's environmental quality by meeting the need for heavy-duty diesel engine emissions control. This paper describes the cermet filter technology and the initial research and development effort.

ADP-ribosylation is a widely occurring and biologically critical covalent chemical modification process in pathogenic mechanisms, intracellular signaling systems, DNA repair, and cell division. The reaction is catalyzed by ADP-ribosyltransferases, which transfer the ADP-ribose moiety of NAD to a target protein with nicotinamide release. A family of bacterial toxins and eukaryotic enzymes has been termed the mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases, in distinction to the poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases, which catalyze the addition of multiple ADP-ribose groups to the carboxyl terminus of eukaryotic nucleoproteins. Despite the limited primary sequence homology among the different ADP-ribosyltransferases, a central cleft bearing NAD-binding pocket formed by the two perpendicular b-sheet core has been remarkably conserved between bacterial toxins and eukaryotic mono- and poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases. The majority of bacterial toxins and eukaryotic mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases are characterized by conserved His and catalytic Glu residues. In contrast, Diphtheria toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin A, and eukaryotic poly-ADP-ribosyltransferases are characterized by conserved Arg and catalytic Glu residues. The NAD-binding core of a binary toxin and a C3-like toxin family identified an ARTT motif (ADP-ribosylating turn-turn motif) that is implicated in substrate specificity and recognition by structural and mutagenic studies. Here we apply structure-based sequence alignment and comparative structural analyses of all known structures of ADP-ribosyltransfeases to suggest that this ARTT …

This report is on 12th International Workshop on Plant Membrane Biology

Gravitinos with a mass in the keV range are an interesting candidate for warm dark matter. Recent measurements of the matter density of the universe and of cosmic structures at the dwarf galaxy scale rule out the simplest gravitino models with thermal freeze-out. We construct a model where the decay of the messenger particles that transmit the supersymmetry breaking to the observable sector generates the required entropy to dilute the gravitino relic density by the required factor of a few to come in line with observations. The model is natural, and requires only that the coupling of the messenger sector to the standard model be set so that the decay happens at the appropriate time.

Both ErbB1 and ErbB2 are overexpressed or amplified in breast tumors. To examine the effects of activating ErbB receptors in a context that mimics polarized epithelial cells in vivo, we activated ErbB1 and ErbB2 homodimers in preformed, growth-arrested mammary acini cultured in three-dimensional basement membrane gels. Activation of ErbB2, but not that of ErbB1, led to a reinitiation of cell proliferation and altered the properties of mammary acinar structures. These altered structures share several properties with early-stage tumors, including a loss of proliferative suppression, an absence of lumen, retention of the basement membrane and a lack of invasive properties. ErbB2 activation also disrupted tight junctions and the cell polarity of polarized epithelia, whereas ErbB1 activation did not have any effect. Our results indicate that ErbB receptors differ in their ability to induce early stages of mammary carcinogenesis in vitro and this three-dimensional model system can reveal biological activities of oncogenes that cannot be examined in vitro in standard transformation assays.

Chassis dynamometer tests were performed on 7 light heavy-duty diesel trucks comparing the emissions of a California diesel fuel with emissions from 4 other fuels: ARCO EC-diesel (EC-D) and three 20% biodiesel blends (1 yellow grease and 2 soy-based). The EC-D and the yellow grease biodiesel blend both showed significant reductions in THC and CO emissions over the test vehicle fleet. EC-D also showed reductions in PM emission rates. NOx emissions were comparable for the different fuel types over the range of vehicles tested. The soy-based biodiesel blends did not show significant or consistent emissions differences over all test vehicles. Total carbon accounted for more than 70% of the PM mass for 4 of the 5 sampled vehicles. Elemental and organic carbon ratios varied significantly from vehicle-to-vehicle but showed very little fuel dependence. Inorganic species represented a smaller portion of the composite total, ranging from 0.2 to 3.3% of the total PM. Total PAH emissions ranged from approximately 1.8 mg/mi to 67.8 mg/mi over the different vehicle/fuel combinations representing between 1.6 and 3.8% of the total PM mass.