[Minutes: Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group, March 16, 2004] (open access)

[Minutes: Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group, March 16, 2004]

BRAC 2005 Intelligence Joint Cross-Service Group Meeting Minutes of March 16, 2004. The document is redacted and includes the Military Value Report brief (PowerPoint slides).
Date: March 16, 2004
Creator: United States. Department of Defense.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Solution Verification Linked to Model Validation, Reliability, and Confidence (open access)

Solution Verification Linked to Model Validation, Reliability, and Confidence

The concepts of Verification and Validation (V&V) can be oversimplified in a succinct manner by saying that 'verification is doing things right' and 'validation is doing the right thing'. In the world of the Finite Element Method (FEM) and computational analysis, it is sometimes said that 'verification means solving the equations right' and 'validation means solving the right equations'. In other words, if one intends to give an answer to the equation '2+2=', then one must run the resulting code to assure that the answer '4' results. However, if the nature of the physics or engineering problem being addressed with this code is multiplicative rather than additive, then even though Verification may succeed (2+2=4 etc), Validation may fail because the equations coded are not those needed to address the real world (multiplicative) problem. We have previously provided a 4-step 'ABCD' quantitative implementation for a quantitative V&V process: (A) Plan the analyses and validation testing that may be needed along the way. Assure that the code[s] chosen have sufficient documentation of software quality and Code Verification (i.e., does 2+2=4?). Perform some calibration analyses and calibration based sensitivity studies (these are not validated sensitivities but are useful for planning purposes). Outline the …
Date: June 16, 2004
Creator: Logan, R W & Nitta, C K
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Design and testing of a control strategy for a large naturallyventilated office building (open access)

Design and testing of a control strategy for a large naturallyventilated office building

The design for the new Federal Building for San Franciscoincludes an office tower that is to be naturally ventilated. Each flooris designed to be cross-ventilated, through upper windows that arecontrolled by the building management system (BMS). Users have controlover lower windows, which can be as much as 50 percent of the totalopenable area. There are significant differences in the performance andthe control of the windward and leeward sides of the building, andseparate monitoring and control strategies are determined for each side.The performance and control of the building has been designed and testedusing a modified version of EnergyPlus. Results from studies withEnergyPlus and CFD are used in designing the control strategy. EnergyPluswas extended to model a simplified version of the airflow patterndetermined using CFD. Wind-driven cross-ventilation produces a main jetthrough the upper openings of the building, across the ceiling from thewindward to the leeward side. Below this jet, the occupied regions aresubject to a recirculating air flow. Results show that temperatureswithin the building are predicted to be satisfactory, provided a suitablecontrol strategy is implemented uses night cooling in periods of hotweather. The control strategy has 10 window opening modes. EnergyPlus wasextended to simulate the effects of these modes, and to assess …
Date: March 16, 2004
Creator: Carrilho da Graca, Guilherme; Linden, Paul F. & Haves, Philip
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bridging the Gap between Quantum Mechanics and Large-Scale Atomistic Simulation (open access)

Bridging the Gap between Quantum Mechanics and Large-Scale Atomistic Simulation

The prospect of modeling across disparate length and time scales to achieve a predictive multiscale description of real materials properties has attracted widespread research interest in the last decade. To be sure, the challenges in such multiscale modeling are many, and in demanding cases, such as mechanical properties or dynamic phase transitions, multiple bridges extending from the atomic level all the way to the continuum level must be built. Although often overlooked in this process, one of the most fundamental and important problems in multiscale modeling is that of bridging the gap between first-principles quantum mechanics, from which true predictive power for real materials emanates, and the large-scale atomistic simulation of thousands or millions of atoms, which is usually essential to describe the complex atomic processes that link to higher length and time scales. For example, to model single-crystal plasticity at micron length scales via dislocation-dynamics simulations that evolve the detailed dislocation microstructure requires accurate large-scale atomistic information on the mobility and interaction of individual dislocations. Similarly, modeling the kinetics of structural phase transitions requires linking accurate large-scale atomistic information on nucleation processes with higher length and time scale growth processes.
Date: August 16, 2004
Creator: Moriarty, J. A.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0284 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0284

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Which entity has authority to approve retirement and medical benefits for the Jefferson County Waterway and Navigation District Board members: the Jefferson County Commissioners Court or the Waterway Navigation District Board (RQ-0243-GA)
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Climate Change: Summary and Analysis of the “Climate Stewardship Act” (S. 139/S.Amdt. 2028, and H.R. 4067) (open access)

Climate Change: Summary and Analysis of the “Climate Stewardship Act” (S. 139/S.Amdt. 2028, and H.R. 4067)

None
Date: June 16, 2004
Creator: Parker, Larry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Retirement: Major Legislative Issues (open access)

Military Retirement: Major Legislative Issues

This report includes information regarding the major legislative issues concerning military retirement. TERA, survivor benefit COLAs, and retirement budgeting are among topics discussed in this report.
Date: November 16, 2004
Creator: Goldich, Robert L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Accounting Problems at Fannie Mae (open access)

Accounting Problems at Fannie Mae

This report summarizes the critiques the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Supervision (OFHEO) made of accounting practices at Fannie Mae. The OFHEO's two main issues are under the domains of: amortization of discounts, premiums, fees involved in the purchase of home mortgages, and the other being accounting for financial derivatives contracts. The report emphasizes that these discrepancies created a false image of the company's earnings and in one case was the cause of the company's executives to receive bonuses.
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Consolidation Loan Provisions in the Federal Family Education Loan and Direct Loan Programs (open access)

Consolidation Loan Provisions in the Federal Family Education Loan and Direct Loan Programs

This report provides comprehensive descriptive information on major provisions of the law pertaining to the consolidation loans available to federal student loan borrowers through the FFEL and DL programs.
Date: November 16, 2004
Creator: Stoll, Adam
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
In-situ Diffraction Studies of Shock Compressed Single-Crystal Iron (open access)

In-situ Diffraction Studies of Shock Compressed Single-Crystal Iron

The technique of in-situ wide angle diffraction has been used to study materials such as Si and Cu. We have extended our studies of shocked single crystal materials to include Fe (001) that is shock compressed by direct laser irradiation using the OMEGA and Janus lasers. A series of experiments was conducted in Fe at pressures above the Hugoniot Elastic Limit. Transient x-ray was used to record the response of multiple lattice planes simultaneously. This technique of wide-angle diffraction provides information on the lattice response both parallel and oblique to the shock propagation direction. In these experiments, compressions of up to 14% in the (002) planes were observed. Details on the experiments and analysis of the dynamic lattice compression will be presented.
Date: July 16, 2004
Creator: Kalantar, D H; Colvin, J D; Eggert, J; Lorenzana, H; Stolken, J; Hawreliak, J et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fs Laser Fabrication of Photonic Structures in Glass: the Role of Glass Composition (open access)

Fs Laser Fabrication of Photonic Structures in Glass: the Role of Glass Composition

The use of fs lasers to directly write photonic structures inside a glass has great potential as a fabrication method for three-dimensional all-optical integrated components. The ability to use this technique with different glass compositions--specifically tailored for a specific photonics application--is critical to its successful exploitation. Consequently, it is important to understand how glass composition effects waveguide fabrication with fs laser pulses and how different glasses are structurally modified after exposure to fs laser pulses. We have used confocal laser spectroscopy to monitor the changes in glass structure that are associated with waveguide fabrication. Using a low power continuous wave (cw) Ar laser as excitation source we have measured both Raman and fluorescence spectra of the modified regions. Raman spectroscopy provides us with information on the network structure, whereas fluorescence measurements reveal the presence of optically active point defects in the glass. In this paper we review our work on fs-laser fabrication and characterization of photonic structures in glass and discuss the effect of glass composition on processing parameters and structural modification.
Date: June 16, 2004
Creator: Krol, D M; Chan, J W; Huser, T R; Risbud, S H & Hayden, J S
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Intelligence and Policymaking: The Iraq Experience (open access)

U.S. Intelligence and Policymaking: The Iraq Experience

This report explores in broad terms the relationship between the production of intelligence and the making of policy as reflected in the period prior to the war against Iraq in March 2003 and the implications for Congress.
Date: January 16, 2004
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Status of The General Atomics Low Speed Urban Maglev Technology Development Program (open access)

Status of The General Atomics Low Speed Urban Maglev Technology Development Program

This paper presents the status of General Atomics Urban Maglev Program. The development provides an innovative approach for low speed transportation suitable for very challenging urban environments. Permanent magnets arranged in a 'Halbach' array configuration produce a relatively stiff magnetic suspension operating with an air gap of 25 mm. The project has progressed from design and prototype hardware testing, to the construction of a 120-meter full-scale test track, located in San Diego, California. Dynamic testing of the levitation, propulsion and guidance systems is being performed.
Date: June 16, 2004
Creator: Gurol, S; Baldi, R; Bever, D & Post, R
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Criminal Charges in Corporate Scandals (open access)

Criminal Charges in Corporate Scandals

Since the collapse of Enron Corp. in late 2001, there has been a series of scandals involving major U.S. corporations. Recurring elements in the scandals include improper or fraudulent accounting, self-enrichment by corporate officers, stock trading on inside information, and the destruction or falsification of business records. This report tracks post-Enron criminal charges.
Date: July 16, 2004
Creator: Jickling, Mark & Janov, Paul H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Astro-E2 XRS/EBIT Microcalorimeter XC-ray Spectrometer (open access)

The Astro-E2 XRS/EBIT Microcalorimeter XC-ray Spectrometer

The X-ray Spectrometer (XRS) instrument is a revolutionary non-dispersive spectrometer that will form the basis for the Astro-E2 observatory to be launched in 2005. We have recently installed a flight spare XRS microcalorimeter spectrometer at the EBIT-I and SuperEBIT facility at LLNL replacing the XRS from the earlier Astro-E mission and providing twice the resolving power. The XRS microcalorimeter is an x-ray detector that senses the heat deposited by the incident photon. It achieves a high energy resolution by operating at 0.06K and by carefully engineering the heat capacity and thermal conductance. The XRS/EBIT instrument has 32 pixels in a square geometry and achieves an energy resolution of 6 eV at 6 keV, with a bandpass from 0.1 to 12 keV (or more at higher operating temperature). The instrument allows detailed studies of the x-ray line emission of laboratory plasmas. The XRS/EBIT also provides an extensive calibration 'library' for the Astro-E2 observatory.
Date: April 16, 2004
Creator: Porter, F S; Brown, G V; Boyce, K R; Kelley, R L; Kilbourne, C A; Beiersdorfer, P et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur (open access)

Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur

This report discusses the crisis in Darfur, which began in February 2003, when two rebel groups emerged to challenge the National Islamic Front (NIF) government in DarfurThe report describes the mechanisms used to cleanse the area of non-Arabs by “total disengagement of administration and suspension of all government services.”
Date: June 16, 2004
Creator: Dagne, Ted
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Massive Data Pre-Processing with a Cluster Based Approach (open access)

Massive Data Pre-Processing with a Cluster Based Approach

Data coming from complex simulation models reach easily dimensions much greater than available computational resources. Visualization of such data still represents the most intuitive and effective tool for scientific inspection of simulated phenomena. To ease this process several techniques have been adopted mainly concerning the use of hierarchical multi-resolution representations. In this paper we present the implementation of a hierarchical indexing schema for multiresolution data tailored to overwork the computational power of distributed environments.
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Borgo, R.; Cignoni, P.; Pascucci, V. & Scopigno, R.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Role of Initial Condition of the Dynamics of Rayleigh-Taylor Mixing (open access)

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Role of Initial Condition of the Dynamics of Rayleigh-Taylor Mixing

Experiments and direct numerical simulations have been performed to examine the effects of initial conditions on the dynamics of a Rayleigh-Taylor mixing layer. Experiments were performed on a water channel facility to quantify the interfacial and velocity perturbations initially present at the two-fluid interface in a small Atwood number mixing layer. The measurements have been parameterized for implementation in numerical simulations of the experiment, and two- and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the experiment have been performed. It is shown that simulations implemented with initial velocity perturbations are required to match experimentally-measured statistics. Data acquired from both the experiment and numerical simulations are used to elucidate the role of initial conditions on the evolution of integral-scale, turbulence, and mixing statistics. Early-time turbulence and mixing statistics will be shown to be strongly dependent upon the early-time transition of the initial perturbation from a weakly- to a strongly-nonlinear flow.
Date: August 16, 2004
Creator: Mueschke, N
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Measurements on Binary U-6Nb Cubes (open access)

Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight Measurements on Binary U-6Nb Cubes

I performed contact ultrasonic time-of-flight measurements on three binary U-6 wt-% Nb alloy (U-6Nb) cubes. Using the time-of-flight measurement results, thickness, and density, the Acoustic Velocity, Poisson's Ratio, Shear Modulus, and Modulus of Elasticity are calculated. A detailed data is summarized in the spreadsheets 1-6. The calculated data compares the material properties of each cube before and after a heat treatment (HT). The time-of-flight measurements were performed using the pulse/echo signal overlap technique discussed in the Review of Ultrasonic Pulse/Echo Signal Overlap Technique section of this report. The measurements were made using both the longitudinal and shear ultrasonic modes and acquired in the X, Y, and Z axes of each cube, as represented in Figure 1. Thickness and density measurements on the three cubes were performed by the Manufacturing and Materials Engineering Division, Dimensional Inspection Group. The HT was performed on all three cubes in the Manufacturing and Materials Engineering Division, Heat Treat Shop. The process consisted of 200 C for 2 hours in a vacuum furnace, followed by an argon purge to 25 C.
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Souza, P. R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Assistance Authorization Act, FY2005 (open access)

Foreign Assistance Authorization Act, FY2005

None
Date: March 16, 2004
Creator: Nowels, Larry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Software Quality Assurance for Nuclear Safety Systems (open access)

Software Quality Assurance for Nuclear Safety Systems

The US Department of Energy has undertaken an initiative to improve the quality of software used to design and operate their nuclear facilities across the United States. One aspect of this initiative is to revise or create new directives and guides associated with quality practices for the safety software in its nuclear facilities. Safety software includes the safety structures, systems, and components software and firmware, support software and design and analysis software used to ensure the safety of the facility. DOE nuclear facilities are unique when compared to commercial nuclear or other industrial activities in terms of the types and quantities of hazards that must be controlled to protect workers, public and the environment. Because of these differences, DOE must develop an approach to software quality assurance that ensures appropriate risk mitigation by developing a framework of requirements that accomplishes the following goals: {sm_bullet} Ensures the software processes developed to address nuclear safety in design, operation, construction and maintenance of its facilities are safe {sm_bullet} Considers the larger system that uses the software and its impacts {sm_bullet} Ensures that the software failures do not create unsafe conditions Software designers for nuclear systems and processes must reduce risks in software applications …
Date: May 16, 2004
Creator: Sparkman, D R & Lagdon, R
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
K-Alpha Emission Spectra From Non-Equilibrium Ionizing Plasmas (open access)

K-Alpha Emission Spectra From Non-Equilibrium Ionizing Plasmas

K{alpha} X-ray emission spectra from highly charged Fe ions have been theoretically predicted using a detailed and systematic spectral model. Account has been taken of the fundamental atomic radiative-emission processes associated with inner-shell electron collisional excitation and ionization, as well as dielectronic recombination. Particular emphasis has been directed at extreme non-equilibrium or transient-ionization conditions, which can occur in astrophysical and tokamak plasmas. Good agreement has been found in comparisons with spectral observations on the EBIT-II electron beam ion trap at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. We have identified spectral features that can serve as diagnostics of the electron density, the line-formation mechanism, and the charge-state distribution.
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Jacobs, V L; Decaux, V & Beiersdorfer, P
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Parallel Computation of the Topology of Level Sets (open access)

Parallel Computation of the Topology of Level Sets

This paper introduces two efficient algorithms that compute the Contour Tree of a 3D scalar field F and its augmented version with the Betti numbers of each isosurface. The Contour Tree is a fundamental data structure in scientific visualization that is used to preprocess the domain mesh to allow optimal computation of isosurfaces with minimal overhead storage. The Contour Tree can also be used to build user interfaces reporting the complete topological characterization of a scalar field, as shown in Figure 1. Data exploration time is reduced since the user understands the evolution of level set components with changing isovalue. The Augmented Contour Tree provides even more accurate information segmenting the range space of the scalar field in portion of invariant topology. The exploration time for a single isosurface is also improved since its genus is known in advance. Our first new algorithm augments any given Contour Tree with the Betti numbers of all possible corresponding isocontours in linear time with the size of the tree. Moreover we show how to extend the scheme introduced in [3] with the Betti number computation without increasing its complexity. Thus, we improve on the time complexity from our previous approach [10] from O(m …
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Pascucci, V & Cole-McLaughlin, K
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Reform (open access)

Social Security Reform

None
Date: August 16, 2004
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library