At Fermilab, a pixel detector multichip module is being developed for the BTeV experiment. The module is composed of three layers. The lowest layer is formed by the readout integrated circuits (ICs). The back of the ICs is in thermal contact with the supporting structure, while the top is flip-chip bump-bonded to the pixel sensor. A low mass flex-circuit interconnect is glued on the top of this assembly, and the readout IC pads are wire-bounded to the circuit. This paper presents recent results on the development of a multichip module prototype and summarizes its performance characteristics.

The purpose of this report is to review and document the capability of potential products of depleted UF{sub 6} conversion to meet the current waste acceptance criteria and other regulatory requirements for disposal at the facility in Clive, Utah, owned by Envirocare of Utah, Inc. The investigation was conducted by identifying issues potentially related to disposal of depleted uranium (DU) products at Envirocare and conducting an initial analysis of them. Discussions were then held with representatives of Envirocare, the state of Utah (which is a NRC Agreement State and, thus, is the cognizant regulatory authority for Envirocare), and DOE Oak Ridge Operations. Provisional issue resolution was then established based on the analysis and discussions and documented in a draft report. The draft report was then reviewed by those providing information and revisions were made, which resulted in this document. Issues that were examined for resolution were (1) license receipt limits for U isotopes; (2) DU product classification as Class A waste; (3) use of non-DOE disposal sites for disposal of DOE material; (4) historical NRC views; (5) definition of chemical reactivity; (6) presence of mobile radionuclides; and (7) National Environmental Policy Act coverage of disposal. The conclusion of this analysis …

In 1967, a series of critical experiments were conducted at the Westinghouse Reactor Evaluation Center (WREC) using mixed-oxide (MOX) PuO{sub 2}-UO{sub 2} and/or UO{sub 2} fuels in various lattices and configurations . These experiments were performed under the joint sponsorship of the Empire State Atomic Development Associates (ESADA) plutonium program and Westinghouse . The purpose of these experiments was to develop experimental data to validate analytical methods used in the design of a plutonium-bearing replacement fuel for water reactors. Three different fuels were used during the experimental program: two MOX fuels and a low-enriched UO{sub 2} fuel. The MOX fuels were distinguished by their {sup 240}Pu content: 8 wt% {sup 240}Pu and 24 wt% {sup 240}Pu. Both MOX fuels contained 2.0 wt % PuO{sub 2} in natural UO{sub 2} . The UO{sub 2} fuel with 2.72 wt % enrichment was used for comparison with the plutonium data and for use in multiregion experiments.

The Buildings for the 21st Century newsletter is produced by the Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs and contains information on building programs, events, products, and initiatives, with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The summer issue includes information on technology roadmap initiatives, new energy computer simulation software, an educational CD with energy lessons for teachers, a CD with energy-saving tips, a study on the efficiency of clothes washers, a loan program in New York, and a calendar of meetings and conferences.

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The objective of this research was to enhance the basic understanding of the role of glass batch chemistry (more specifically via control of frit composition) on the overall melting process for Macrobatch 3 (MB3). The overall strategy for the frit development activities was to explore frit compositional regions which challenged ''acceptable'' predicted property behavior.

The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator has been successfully used for conducting wakefield experiments in dielectric loaded structures and plasmas. Although the initial wakefield experiments were successful, higher drive beam quality would substantially improve the wakefield accelerating gradients. For this reason they have built a new 1-1/2 cell L-band photocathode RF gun. This gun is expected to produce 10-100 nC bunches with 2-5 ps rms pulse length and normalized emittance less than 100 mm mrad. The gun will initially have a copper photocathode, which will soon be replaced by a high quantum efficiency cesium telluride one, allowing the generation of a train of high charge bunches. the beam energy at the exit of the gun cavity will be in the range 7.5-10 MeV. A standing-wave linac structure operating at the same frequency (1.3 GHz) will increase the beam energy to about 15 MeV. This beam will be used in high-gradient wakefield acceleration experiments and other high intensity electron beam applications. Traveling-wave dielectric loaded structures, operating at 7.8 and 15.6 GHz, will be excited by the propagation of single bunches or by trains of up to 32 electron bunches, reaching gradients in excess of 100 MV/m over distances of the order of 1 …

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is currently undergoing an upgrading program, a part of which is to increase the diameters of two of the four radiation beam tubes (HB-2 and HB-4). This change will cause increased neutron and gamma radiation dose rates at and near locations where the tubes penetrate the vessel wall. Consequently, the rate of radiation damage to the reactor vessel wall at those locations will also increase. This report summarizes calculations of the neutron and gamma flux (particles/cm{sup 2}/s) and the dpa rate (displacements/atom/s) in iron at critical locations in the vessel wall. The calculated dpa rate values have been recently incorporated into statistical damage evaluation codes used in the assessment of radiation induced embrittlement. Calculations were performed using models based on the discrete ordinates methodology and utilizing ORNL two-dimensional and three-dimensional discrete ordinates codes. Models for present and proposed beam tube designs are shown and their results are compared. Results show that for HB-2, the dpa rate in the vessel wall where the tube penetrates the vessel will be increased by {approximately}10 by the proposed enlargement. For HB-4, a smaller increase of {approximately}2.6 is calculated.

The objective of this research was to arrive at a quantitative and qualitative assessment of nonpoint sources of potential excess N under different land use/land cover (LULC) categories in the Neuse River Basin on a seasonal time scale. This assessment is being supplied to EPA's Landscape Characterization Branch, National Exposure Research Laboratory, in Research Triangle Park, NC, for inclusion in a hydrologic model to predict seasonal fluxes of N from the terrestrial landscape to surface receiving waters and groundwater in the Neuse River Basin. The analysis was performed in the following five steps: (1) development of a conceptual model to predict potential excess N on land, (2) a literature review to parameterize N fluxes under LULC categories found in the Neuse River Basin, (3) acquisition of high resolution (15-m pixel) LULC data from EPA's Landscape Characterization Branch, National Exposure Research Laboratory, in Research Triangle Park, NC, (4) acquisition of a soil N inventory map for the Neuse River Basin, (5) calculations of potential excess N on a seasonal basis for the entire Neuse River Basin.

In this document the results of neutronics studies of <<100%Pu>> MOX LTA design are presented. The parametric studies of infinite MOX-UOX grids, MOX-UOX core fragments and of VVER-1000 core with 3 MOX LTAs are performed. The neutronics parameters of MOX fueled core have been performed for the chosen design MOX LTA using the Russian 3D code BIPR-7A and 2D code PERMAK-A with the constants prepared by the cell spectrum code TVS-M.

The HLW salt waste (salt cake and supernate) now stored at the SRS must be treated to remove insoluble sludge solids and reduce the soluble concentration of radioactive cesium radioactive strontium and transuranic contaminants (principally Pu and Np). These treatments will enable the salt solution to be processed for disposal as saltstone, a solid low-level waste.

The objective of this project is to design, construct and field demonstrate a 3-MMscfd membrane system to recover natural gas liquids (NGL) and remove water from raw natural gas. An extended field test to demonstrate system performance under real-world conditions is required to convince industry users of the efficiency and reliability of the process. The system will be designed and fabricated by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) and then installed and operated at British Petroleum (BP)-Amoco's Pascagoula, MS plant. The Gas Research Institute will partially support the field demonstration and BP-Amoco will help install the unit and provide onsite operators and utilities. The gas processed by the membrane system will meet pipeline specifications for dewpoint and Btu value and can be delivered without further treatment to the pipeline. Based on data from prior membrane module tests, the process is likely to be significantly less expensive than glycol dehydration followed by propane refrigeration, the principal competitive technology. At the end of this demonstration project the process will be ready for commercialization. The route to commercialization will be developed during this project and may involve collaboration with other companies already servicing the natural gas processing industry.

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The objective of this project is to provide DOE with improved methods to assess risks from contaminants to wildlife populations. The current approach for wildlife risk assessment consists of comparison of contaminant exposure estimates for individual animals to literature-derived toxicity test endpoints. These test endpoints are assumed to estimate thresholds for population-level effects. Moreover, species sensitivities to contaminants is one of several criteria to be considered when selecting assessment endpoints (EPA 1997 and 1998), yet data on the sensitivities of many birds and mammals are lacking. The uncertainties associated with this approach are considerable. First, because toxicity data are not available for most potential wildlife endpoint species, extrapolation of toxicity data from test species to the species of interest is required. There is no consensus on the most appropriate extrapolation method. Second, toxicity data are represented as statistical measures (e.g., NOAEL s or LOAELs) that provide no information on the nature or magnitude of effects. The level of effect is an artifact of the replication and dosing regime employed, and does not indicate how effects might increase with increasing exposure. Consequently, slight exceedance of a LOAEL is not distinguished from greatly exceeding it. Third, the relationship of toxic effects on …

BestPractices Steam tip sheet about using low grade waste steam to power absorption chillers in steam systems.

The aim of this work is to describe the basic aspects of the codes TNG and GENOA. These codes have been developed and used at ORNL in the last decades for the analysis and evaluation of neutron induced nuclear data, in the energy region of the unresolved resonances range and high energies range. These evaluations have been performed in support of various projects and were included in the ENDF/B library. The implementation of these codes into the code SAMMY has been performed, as part of a program of the creation of a general Nuclear Data evaluation tool for the analysis of reactions in a broad energy range, from few eV up to about 150 MeV.

A short review of physics results obtained in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) is given with an emphasis on the local features of magnetic reconnection in a controlled environment. Stable two-dimensional current sheets are formed and sustained by induction using two internal coils. The observed reconnection rates are found to be quantitatively consistent with a generalized Sweet-Parker model which incorporates compressibility, unbalanced upstream-downstream pressure, and the effective resistivity. The latter is significantly enhanced over its classical values in the low collisionality regime. Strong local ion heating is measured by an optical probe during the reconnection process, and at least half of the increased ion energy must be due to nonclassical processes, consistent with the resistivity enhancement. Characteristics of high-frequency electrostatic and electromagnetic fluctuations detected in the current sheet suggest presence of the lower-hybrid-drift-like waves with significant magnetic components. The detailed structures of the current sheet are measured and compared with Harris theory and two-fluid theory.

Results are presented for the 500 GeV/c pion production asymmetry and polarization of the {Lambda}{sub c} ({bar {Lambda}}{sub c}) charmed baryon from Fermilab experiment E791. An analysis of the decay to the p{bar K}{pi} final state is described. Resonant sub-channel fractions and phases are given and possible resonant effects in the low mass p{bar K} system discussed. Significant decay to {Lambda}{sub c} {yields} {Delta}{sup 2}K{sup -} establishes for the first time the importance of a W exchange mechanism in charmed baryon decay.

Available open literature on thermophysical properties of both MOX and UO{sub 2} fuels has been reviewed, and the best set of thermal properties has been selected. The properties reviewed are solidus and liquidus temperatures of the uranium-plutonium dioxide system (melting temperature), thermal expansion, density, heat of fusion, enthalpy, specific heat, and thermal conductivity. Only fuel properties are studied in this report. The selected properties are used in thermal-hydraulic codes to study design basis accidents. The majority of the properties presented are for solid fuel.

High-Harmonic Fast-Wave (HHFW), a radio-frequency technique scenario applicable to high-beta plasmas, has been selected as one of the main auxiliary heating systems on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). The HHFW antenna assembly comprises 12 toroidally adjacent current elements, extending poloidally and centered on the equatorial plane. This paper reviews experimental results obtained with a symmetrical (vacuum) launching spectrum with k|| = 14 m(superscript ''-1'') at a frequency of 30 MHz. We describe results obtained when HHFW power is applied to helium and deuterium plasmas, during the plasma-current flattop period of the discharge. Application of 1.8-MW HHFW pulse to MHD quiescent plasmas resulted in strong electron heating, during which the central electron temperature T(subscript ''eo'') more than doubled from approximately 0.5 keV to 1.15 keV. In deuterium plasmas, HHFW heating was found less efficient, with a central electron temperature increase of the order of 40% during a 1.8-MW HHFW pulse, from approximately 400 eV to approximately 550 eV. (At HHFW power of 2.4 MW, central electron temperature increased by 60%, reaching 0.625 keV.) HHFW heating in presence of MHD activity is also discussed. A short neutral-beam pulse was applied to permit charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) measurement of the impurity ion …

TO characterize the human HRDAD9 gene and evaluate its potential as a biomarker to predict susceptibility to the deleterious health effects potentially caused by exposure to radiations or chemicals present at DOE hazardous waste cleanup sites. HRAD9 is a human gene that is highly conserved throughout evolution. Related genes have been isolated from yeasts and mice, underscoring its biological significance. Most of our previous work involved characterization of the yeast gene cognate, wherein it was determined that the corresponding protein plays a significant role in promoting resistance of cells to radiations and chemicals, and in particular, controlling cell growth in response to DNA damage.

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This work is part of a Joint US/Russian Project with Weapons-Grade Plutonium Disposition in VVER Reactors and presents the results of spatial kinetics calculational benchmarks. The examinations were carried out with the following purposes: to verify one of spatial neutronic kinetics model elaborated in KI, to understand sensibility of the model to neutronics difference of UOX and MOX cores, to compare in future point and spatial kinetics models (on the base of a set of selected accidents) in view of eventual creation of RELAP option with 3D kinetics. The document contains input data and results of model operation of three emergency dynamic processes in the VVER-1000 core: central control rod ejection by pressure drop caused by destroying of the moving mechanism cover; overcooling of the reactor core caused by steam line rupture and non-closure of steam generator stop valve; and the boron dilution of coolant in part of the VVER-1000 core caused by penetration of the distillate slug into the core at start up of non-working loop.

Smad proteins mediate transforming growth factor-b signaling to regulate cell growth and differentiation. SnoN is an important negative regulator of TGFb signaling that functions to maintain the repressed state of TGFb target genes in the absence of ligand. Upon TGFb stimulation, Smad3 and Smad2 translocate into the nucleus and induce a rapid degradation of SnoN, allowing activation of TGFb target genes. Here we show that Smad2- or Smad3-induced degradation of SnoN requires the ubiquitin-dependent proteasome and can be mediated by the anaphase promoting complex (APC) and the UbcH5 family of ubiquitin conjugating enzymes. Smad3 and to a lesser extent, Smad2, interact with both the APC and SnoN, resulting in the recruitment of the APC to SnoN and subsequent ubiquitination of SnoN in a destruction box-dependent manner. In addition to the destruction box, efficient degradation of SnoN also requires the Smad3 binding site in SnoN as well as key lysine residues necessary for ubiquitin attachment. Mutation of either the Smad3 binding site or lysine residues results in stabilization of SnoN and in enhanced antagonism of TGFb signaling. Our studies elucidate an important pathway for the degradation of SnoN and reveal a novel role of the APC in regulation of TGFb signaling.