Nearly all the matter encountered on Earth is either a solid, liquid, or gas. Yet plasma-the fourth state of matter-comprises more than 99 percent of the visible universe. Understanding the physical characteristics of plasmas is important to many areas of scientific research, such as the development of fusion as a clean, renewable energy source. Lawrence Livermore scientists study the physics of plasmas in their pursuit to create fusion energy, because plasmas are an integral part of that process. When deuterium and tritium are heated to the extreme temperatures needed to achieve and sustain a fusion reaction (about 100 million degrees), the electrons in these light atoms become separated from the nuclei. This process of separation is called ionization, and the resulting collection of negatively charged free electrons and positively charged nuclei is known as a plasma. Although plasmas and gases have many similar properties, plasmas differ from gases in that they are good conductors of electricity and can generate magnetic fields. For the past decade, x-ray laser interferometry has been used in the laboratory for measuring a plasma's index of refraction to determine plasma density. (The index of refraction for a given material is defined as the wavelength of light …

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) describes planned data collection activities for four entry boreholes through the sediment overlying the basalt, up to three new deep rotary boreholes through the basalt and sedimentary interbeds, and one corehole through the basalt and sedimentary interbeds at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) site. The SAP will be used in concert with the quality assurance plan for the project to guide the procedure development and data collection activities needed to support borehole drilling, geophysical measurements, and sampling. This SAP identifies the American Society of Testing Materials standards, Hanford Site procedures, and other guidance to be followed for data collection activities.

The principal research effort for Phase 1 (Concept Development) of the project has been data compilation; determination of the tectonic, depositional, burial, and thermal maturation histories of the North Louisiana Salt Basin; basin modeling (geohistory, thermal maturation, hydrocarbon expulsion); petroleum system identification; comparative basin evaluation; and resource assessment. Existing information on the North Louisiana Salt Basin has been evaluated, an electronic database has been developed, and regional cross sections have been prepared. Structure, isopach and formation lithology maps have been constructed, and burial history, thermal maturation history, and hydrocarbon expulsion profiles have been prepared. Seismic data, cross sections, subsurface maps and burial history, thermal maturation history, and hydrocarbon expulsion profiles have been used in evaluating the tectonic, depositional, burial and thermal maturation histories of the basin. Oil and gas reservoirs have been found to be associated with salt-supported anticlinal and domal features (salt pillows, turtle structures and piercement domes); with normal faulting associated with the northern basin margin and listric down-to-the-basin faults (state-line fault complex) and faulted salt features; and with combination structural and stratigraphic features (Sabine and Monroe Uplifts) and monoclinal features with lithologic variations. Petroleum reservoirs include Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous fluvial-deltaic sandstone facies; shoreline, marine bar and …

The Kuwait National Seismic Network (KNSN) began operation in 1997 and consists of nine three-component stations (eight short-period and one broadband) and is operated by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. Although the region is largely believed to be aseismic, considerable local seismicity is recorded by KNSN. Seismic events in Kuwait are clustered in two main groups, one in the south and another in the north. The KNSN station distribution is able to capture the southern cluster within the footprint of the network but the northern cluster is poorly covered. Events tend to occur at depths ranging from the free surface to about 20 km. Events in the northern cluster tend to be deeper than those in south, however this might be an artifact of the station coverage. We analyzed KNSN recordings of nearly 200 local events to improve understanding of seismic events and crustal structure in Kuwait, performing several analyses with increasing complexity. First, we obtained an optimized one-dimensional (1D) velocity model for the entire region using the reported KNSN arrival times and routine locations. The resulting model is consistent with a recently obtained model from the joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave group velocities. Crustal structure …

The purpose of this report is to describe the activation of the fourth cathode installed in the DARHT-II Injector. Appendices have been used so that an extensive amount of data could be included without danger of obscuring important information contained in the body of the report. The cathode was a 612 M type cathode purchased from Spectra-Mat. Section II describes the handling and installation of the cathode. Section III is a narrative of the activation based on information located in the Control Room Log Book supplemented with time plots of pertinent operating parameters. Activation of the cathode was performed in accordance with the procedure listed in Appendix A. The following sections provide more details on the total pressure and constituent partial pressures in the vacuum vessel, cathode heater power/filament current, and cathode temperature.

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The principal research effort for the first half of Year 3 of the project has been resource assessment. Emphasis has been on estimating the total volume of hydrocarbons generated and the potential amount of this resource that is classified as deep (>15,000 ft) gas in the North Louisiana Salt Basin, the Mississippi Interior Salt Basin, the Manila Subbasin and the Conecuh Subbasin. The amount of this resource that has been expelled, migrated and entrapped is also the focus of the first half of Year 3 of this study.

The 100-F-42 waste site is the portion of the former emergency overflow spillway for the 1904-F Outfall Structure formerly existing above the ordinary high water mark of the Columbia River. The spillway consisted of a concrete flume designed to discharge effluent from the 107-F Retention Basin in the event that flows could not be completely discharged via the river outfall pipelines. The results of verification sampling show that residual contaminant concentrations do not preclude any future uses and allow for unrestricted use of shallow zone soils. The results also demonstrate that residual contaminant concentrations are protective of groundwater and the Columbia River.

This procedure requires the binder and uncoated RDX be prepared in separate steps, see Figure 1: (1) The binder and dye are mixed by agitation with a water-insoluble organic solvent (e.g., toluene), I; (2) The RDX/PETN is agitated thoroughly with water, II; (3) The binder solution I is added to the RDX/water mixture at II with thorough mixing to form a slurry III; (4) In the next step the solvent is distilled off at IV leaving resulting granules; (5) The next step is followed by filtration at V, which may be done by vacuum; (6) The composition is then dried at VI to a dough-like consistency.

This report documents the deactivation, decontamination, decommissioning, and demolition of 16 buildings in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. The D4 of these facilities included characterization, engineering, removal of hazardous and radiologically contaminated materials, equipment removal, utility disconnection, deactivation, decontamination, demolition of the structure, and stabilization or removal of the remaining slab and foundation as appropriate.

Overview This 2005 EMSL Annual Report describes the research and accomplishments of staff and users of the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), located in Richland, Washington. Essential to the success of resolving environmental and other critical scientific issues important to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the implementation of EMSL Grand Challenges, which are research projects that address complex, large-scale scientific and engineering problems using multi-institutional teams with high-performance scientific resources. Mission EMSL strives for simultaneous excellence in 1) high-impact science and marquee capabilities, 2) outstanding management and operations, and 3) exceptional user outreach and services, and uses these tenets to deliver its mission and implement its strategy. The central focus of EMSL’s strategy is delivery on the mission of the scientific user facility. In addition to its mission, EMSL has a vision and strategy that show where the user facility intends to be in the next 10 years and the progress that will be made during the next 5 years, respectively. The management of EMSL, together with DOE, its Pacific Northwest Site Office, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) management, has developed the following mission statement for EMSL. EMSL, a national scientific user facility at …

Evaluating the chemical background in the GC/MS system (system background) and solvent purity. This procedure will allow the analyst to verify that the GC/MS is free of chemical interferences or contamination and verify the solvent being utilized is free of interferences - Conduct a GC/MS analysis without injecting a solvent (system background) and Conduct a GC/MS analysis inject 1uL of CH2Cl2 solvent (Solvent background). GC conditions: (1) Injector Temperature (C): Injector Temperature is typically set at 250; (2) Transferline Temperature (C) - The Transferline Temperature is typically set at 280 C; (3) Constant flow (Sec./cm2) - This value, in seconds per cubic cm. Typically, set at 32; (4) Splitless mode (Sec.) - This value, in seconds, is the time before the purge valve opens. Typically, set at 45 seconds; (5) Starting Temperature (C): The Starting Temperature value can be set at 40 C; (6) Hold Time 1 (Min.) - Hold Time 1 is the amount of time, in minutes at the Starting Temperature that Ramp 1 Temperature is held. Typically set at 3 minutes; (7) Ramp 1 Rate (C/Min.) - Ramp 1 Rate is the temperature rise per unit time and has a typically value of 8 C per minute …

The branching fraction is measured for the decay channels B{sup 0} {yields} {eta}{sub c}K{sub S}{sup 0} and B{sup +} {yields} {eta}{sub c}K{sup +} where {eta}{sub c} {yields} K{bar K}{pi}, using the BABAR detector. The {eta}{sub c} {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sup +}{pi}{sup -} and {eta}{sub c} {yields} K{sup +}K{sup -}{pi}{sup 0} decay channels are used, including non-resonant decays and possibly those through intermediate resonances.

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The project employed new processes to make emulsion polymers from reduced levels of petroleum-derived chemical feedstocks. Most waterborne paints contain spherical, emulsion polymer particles that serve as the film-forming binder phase. Our goal was to make emulsion polymer particles containing 30 percent feedstock that would function as effectively as commercial emulsions made from higher level feedstock. The processes developed yielded particles maintained their film formation capability and binding capacity while preserving the structural integrity of the particles after film formation. Rohm and Haas Company (ROH) and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) worked together to employ novel polymer binders (ROH) and new, non-volatile, biomass-derived coalescing agents (ADM). The University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science utilized its unique microscopy capabilities to characterize films made from the New Emulsion Polymers (NEP).

Inyo County has participated in oversight activities associated with the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository since 1987. The overall goal of these studies are the evaluation of far-field issues related to potential transport, by ground water, or radionuclides into Inyo County, including Death Valley, and the evaluation of a connection between the Lower Carbonate Aquifer (LCA) and the biosphere. Our oversight and completed Cooperative Agreement research, and a number of other investigators research indicate that there is groundwater flow between the alluvial and carbonate aquifers both at Yucca Mountain and in Inyo County. In addition to the potential of radionuclide transport through the LCA, Czarnecki (1997), with the US Geological Survey, research indicate potential radionuclide transport through the shallower Tertiary-age aquifer materials with ultimate discharge into the Franklin Lake Playa in Inyo County. The specific purpose of this Cooperative Agreement drilling program was to acquire geological, subsurface geology, and hydrologic data to: (1) establish the existence of inter-basin flow between the Amargosa Basin and Death Valley Basin; (2) characterize groundwater flow paths in the LCA through Southern Funeral Mountain Range, and (3) Evaluation the hydraulic connection between the Yucca Mountain repository and the major springs in Death Valley through the …

This summer I worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in a bioforensics collection and extraction research group under David Camp. The group is involved with researching efficiencies of various methods for collecting bioforensic evidence from crime scenes. The different methods under examination are a wipe, swab, HVAC filter and a vacuum. The vacuum is something that has particularly gone uncharacterized. My time was spent mostly on modeling and calculations work, but at the end of the summer I completed my internship with a few experiments to supplement my calculations. I had two major projects this summer. My first major project this summer involved fluid mechanics modeling of collection and extraction situations. This work examines different fluid dynamic models for the case of a micron spore attached to a fiber. The second project I was involved with was a statistical analysis of the different sampling techniques.

The overall objective of this program is to develop low temperature curing technologies for UF and PF resins. This will be accomplished by: • Identifying the rate limiting UF and PF curing reactions for current market resins; • Developing new catalysts to accelerate curing reactions at reduced press temperatures and times. In summary, these new curing technologies will improve the strength properties of the composite wood products and minimize the detrimental effects of wood extractives on the final product while significantly reducing energy costs for wood composites. This study is related to the accelerated curing of resins for wood composites such as medium density fiberboard (MDF), particle board (PB) and oriented strandboard (OSB). The latter is frequently manufactured with a phenol-formaldehyde resin whereas ureaformaldehyde (UF) resins are usually used in for the former two grades of composite wood products. One of the reasons that hinder wider use of these resins in the manufacturing of wood composites is the slow curing speed as well as inferior bondability of UF resin. The fast curing of UP and PF resins has been identified as an attractive process development that would allow wood to be bonded at higher moisture contents and at lower press …

A program to resolve the issues associated with potential vapor space corrosion and liquid/air interface corrosion in the Type III high level waste tanks is in place. The objective of the program is to develop understanding of vapor space (VSC) and liquid/air interface (LAIC) corrosion to ensure a defensible technical basis to provide accurate corrosion evaluations with regard to vapor space and liquid/air interface corrosion. The results of the FY05 experiments are presented here. The experiments are an extension of the previous research on the corrosion of tank steel exposed to simple solutions to corrosion of the steel when exposed to complex high level waste simulants. The testing suggested that decanting and the consequent residual species on the tank wall is the predominant source of surface chemistry on the tank wall. The laboratory testing has shown that at the boundary conditions of the chemistry control program for solutions greater than 1M NaNO{sub 3}{sup -}. Minor and isolated pitting is possible within crevices in the vapor space of the tanks that contain stagnant dilute solution for an extended period of time, specifically when residues are left on the tank wall during decanting. Liquid/air interfacial corrosion is possible in dilute stagnant solutions, …

Hands-on experimental training in the physical behavior of multiplying systems is one of ten key areas of training required for practitioners to become qualified in the discipline of criticality safety as identified in DOE-STD-1135-99, ''Guidance for Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Qualification''. This document is a criticality safety evaluation of the training activities (or operations) associated with HS-3200, ''Laboratory Class for Criticality Safety''. These activities utilize the Training Assembly for Criticality Safety (TACS). The original intent of HS-3200 was to provide LLNL fissile material handlers with a practical hands-on experience as a supplement to the academic training they receive biennially in HS-3100, ''Fundamentals of Criticality Safety'', as required by ANSI/ANS-8.20-1991, ''Nuclear Criticality Safety Training''. HS-3200 is to be enhanced to also address the training needs of nuclear criticality safety professionals under the auspices of the NNSA Nuclear Criticality Safety Program.

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The two-century old theory of Young and Laplace retains apowerful influence on surface and interface studies because itquantitatively predicts the height of rise of capillary liquids from thecontact angles of drops. But the classical theory does not acknowledgethat equilibrium requires separate minimization of partial free energiesof one-component liquids bonded to immiscible solids. We generalize atheorem of Gibbs and Curie to obtain a partial equilibrium (PE) theorythat does so and that also predicts the height of capillary rise fromcontact angles of drops. Published observations and our own measurementsof contact angles of water bonded to glass and Teflon surfaces supportthe conclusion of PE theory that contact angles of meniscuses and ofdrops are different dependent variables. PE theory provides thermodynamicand kinetic guidance to nanoscale processes that the classical theoryobscures, as illustrated by examples in our concludingsection.

The primary objective of this project was to develop an energy efficient, environmentally friendly and low cost process (compared to the current process) for making tackifier dispersions that are used to make pressure-sensitive adhesives. These adhesives are employed in applications such as self-adhesive postage stamps and disposable diapers and are made by combining the tackifier dispersion with a natural or synthetic rubber latex. The current process for tackifier dispersion manufacture begins by melting a (plastic) resin and adding water to it in order to form a water-in-oil emulsion. This is then converted to an oil-in-water emulsion by phase inversion in the presence of continuous stirring. The resulting emulsion is the tackifier dispersion, but it is not concentrated and the remaining excess water has to be transported and removed. The main barrier that has to be overcome in the development of commercial quality tackifier dispersions is the inability to directly emulsify resin in water due to the very low viscosity of water as compared to the viscosity of the molten resin. In the present research, a number of solutions were proposed to overcome this barrier, and these included use of different mixer types to directly form the emulsion from the molten …

Hanford Site high-level radioactive waste tank accident analyses require chemical waste toxicity source terms to assess potential accident consequences. Recent reviews of the current methodology used to generate source terms and the need to periodically update the sources terms has brought scrutiny to the manner in which trace waste constituents are included in the source terms. This report examines the importance of trace constituents to the chemical waste source terms, which are calculated as sums of fractions (SOFs), and recommends three changes to the manner in which trace constituents are included in the calculation SOFs.