This work represents the second phase of a program to demonstrate precision laser drilling with minimal Heat Affected Zone. The technique uses a Diode Pumped Solid State Laser with two wavelengths and two modes of operation. The fundamental mode of the DPSSL at 1.06 microns is used to drill a hole with a diameter of a fraction of a millimeter diameter in a millimeter thick substrate quickly, but with low precision. This hole is then machined to precision dimensions using the second harmonic of the DPSSL Laser at 532 nm using a trepanning technique. Both lasers operate in the ablative mode with peak powers at or above a giga-watt per square centimeter and pulse durations in the 80 - 100 ns range. Under these conditions, the thermal diffusion distance is of the order of a micron or less and that fact coupled with the ablative nature of the process results in little or no HAZ (heat affected zone). With no HAZ, there isn't any change in the crystalline structure surrounding the hole and the strength of the substrate is maintained. Applications for these precision holes include cooling passages in turbine blades, ports for diesel injectors, suction holes for boundary layer …

This report contains top-level requirements for the various areas of radiological protection for workers. Detailed quotations of the requirements for applicable regulatory documents can be found in the Radiological Design Summary Report Implementation Guide. For the purposes of demonstrating compliance with these requirements, per Engineering Standard 01064, ''shall consider / shall evaluate'' indicates that the designer must examine the requirement for the design and either incorporate or provide a technical justification as to why the requirement is not incorporated. This report describes how the Building 512-S, Actinide Removal Process meets the required radiological design criteria and requirements based on 10CFR835, DOE Order 420.1A, WSRC Manual 5Q and various other DOE guides and handbooks. The analyses supporting this Radiological Design Summary Report initially used a source term of 10.6 Ci/gallon of Cs-137 as the basis for bulk shielding calculations. As the project evolved, the source term was reduced to 1.1 Ci/gallon of Cs-137. This latter source term forms the basis for later dose rate evaluations.

The dipole mode synchrotron frequency is a basic beam parameter; it and a few similarly basic quantities measured at small time intervals serve to characterize the longitudinal beam dynamics throughout the acceleration cycle. The effective accelerating voltage, in conjunction with the amount of rf voltage required for the acceleration, is important for the estimate of the beam energy loss per turn. The dipole mode frequency can be used to obtain the effective accelerating rf voltage, providing that it can be measured precisely. The synchrotron frequency measured from the synchrotron phase detector signal (SPD) generally agrees well with calculation, and it can be applied for such purposes as inferring the effective rf voltage.

The CTR Vehicle Systems and Fuels team a diesel hybrid powertrain. The goal of this experiment was to investigate and demonstrate the potential of diesel engines for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in a fuel economy and emissions. The test set-up consisted of a diesel engine coupled to an electric motor driving a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). This hybrid drive is connected to a dynamometer and a DC electrical power source creating a vehicle context by combining advanced computer models and emulation techniques. The experiment focuses on the impact of the hybrid control strategy on fuel economy and emissions-in particular, nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) and particulate matter (PM). The same hardware and test procedure were used throughout the entire experiment to assess the impact of different control approaches.

Natural gas combustion turbines are rapidly becoming the primary technology of choice for generating electricity. At least half of the new generating capacity added in the US over the next twenty years will be combustion turbine systems. The Department of Energy has cosponsored with Siemens Westinghouse, a program to maintain the technology lead in gas turbine systems. The very ambitious eight year program was designed to demonstrate a highly efficient and commercially acceptable power plant, with the ability to fire a wide range of fuels. The main goal of the Advanced Turbine Systems (ATS) Program was to develop ultra-high efficiency, environmentally superior and cost effective competitive gas turbine systems for base load application in utility, independent power producer and industrial markets. Performance targets were focused on natural gas as a fuel and included: System efficiency that exceeds 60% (lower heating value basis); Less than 10 ppmv NO{sub x} emissions without the use of post combustion controls; Busbar electricity that are less than 10% of state of the art systems; Reliability-Availability-Maintainability (RAM) equivalent to current systems; Water consumption minimized to levels consistent with cost and efficiency goals; and Commercial systems by the year 2000. In a parallel effort, the program was …

Heavy metals such as chromium and arsenic are widespread in the environment due to their usage in many industrial processes. These metals may pose significant health risks to humans, especially children, due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Typically, the health risks associated with the ingestion of soil-bound metals are estimated by assuming that the metals are completely absorbed through the human intestinal tract (100% bioavailable). This assumption potentially overestimates the risk since soils are known to strongly sequester metals thereby potentially lowering their bioavailability. Beginning in 2000, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with funding from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), studied the effect of soil properties on the bioaccessibility of soil-bound arsenic and chromium. Representative A and upper-B horizons from seven major U.S. soil orders were obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. The soils were spiked with known concentrations of arsenic (As(III) and As(V)) and chromium (Cr(III) and Cr(VI)), and the bioaccessibility was measured using a physiologically based extraction test that mimics the gastric activity of children. Linear regression models were then developed to relate the bioaccessibility measurements to the soil …

Aged alloys of Al-0.5Si-0.5Ge (at.%) contain diamond cubic (A4) precipitates in a dispersion that is much finer than is found in alloys with Si or Ge alone. To help understand this aging behavior, the present work was undertaken to determine alloy composition as a function of aging temperature. The composition was estimated theoretically using a CALPHAD approach, and measured experimentally with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in a high-resolution electron microscope. Theory and experiment are in reasonable agreement. As the aging temperature rises, the precipitates become enriched in Si, changing from 50 at. % in the low-temperature limit to about 80 at.% Si as temperature approaches 433 C, the high-temperature limit of the precipitate field.

Titanium was exposed to dilute solutions of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to better characterize the interaction at the interface between the solution and metal. The intensity of light passing through films of known thickness of titanium on quartz was measured as a function of time in contact with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in concentrations of 0.3% and 1.0%. An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to record deflection-distance (force) curves as a probe approached the interface of titanium in contact with solution containing 0.3% of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. The interaction layer measured using AFM techniques was much greater than the thickness of the titanium films used in this study. Raman spectroscopy taken during interaction shows the emergence of a Ti-peroxy gel and titania after 2 hours in contact with 0.3% H2O2 solution.

In this work, we focus on the ordered structures of V-X systems, where X=Ru, Rh, Pd, and relate the variation in the difference of the numbers of valence electrons of the alloy constituents to the information contained in the constitution phase diagrams, and the electronic and stability properties. The electronic properties deduced from the low-temperature specific heat studies are presented for the V-Ru and V-Rh systems and compared with those of the V-Pd alloys for which new experimental results are also included. The theoretical analysis based on first-principles electronic structure calculations confirms the measured variation of the electronic specific heat coefficients with alloy composition, and predicts specific ordering trends in the V-X systems. The superconducting properties are described for the V-X disordered alloys, the ordered V{sub 1}-{sub x}Rh{sub X} and V{sub 1}-{sub x}Ru{sub x} systems, and related to their structural instability.

This document provides a summary of the ''LLNL Workshop on Extreme States of Materials: Warm Dense Matter to NIF'' which was held on 20, 21, and 22 February 2002 at the Wente Conference Center in Livermore, CA. The warm dense matter regime, the transitional phase space region between cold material and hot plasma, is presently poorly understood. The drive to understand the nature of matter in this regime is sparking scientific activity worldwide. In addition to pure scientific interest, finite temperature dense matter occurs in the regimes of interest to the SSMP (Stockpile Stewardship Materials Program). So that obtaining a better understanding of WDM is important to performing effective experiments at, e.g., NIF, a primary mission of LLNL. At this workshop we examined current experimental and theoretical work performed at, and in conjunction with, LLNL to focus future activities and define our role in this rapidly emerging research area. On the experimental front LLNL plays a leading role in three of the five relevant areas and has the opportunity to become a major player in the other two. Discussion at the workshop indicated that the path forward for the experimental efforts at LLNL were two fold: First, we are doing …

Today's distributed systems require simple and powerful resource discovery queries in a dynamic environment consisting of a large number of resources spanning many autonomous administrative domains. The distributed search problem is hard due to the variety of query types, the number of resources and their autonomous, partitioned and dynamic nature. We propose a generalized resource discovery framework that is built around an application level messaging protocol called Peer-to-Peer I/O (P2PIO). P2PIO addresses a number of scalability problems in a general way. It provides flexible and uniform transport-independent resource discovery mechanisms to reduce both the client and network burden in multi-hop P2P systems.

Evolving challenges and solid accomplishments define the year 2003 for us. Our scientific breakthroughs validate our strategic directions and reaffirm our critical role in fulfilling the Laboratory's missions. Our growth continues in new research projects and significant new programmatic support. Our mission is clear: to enable the Laboratory to accomplish its primary mission through excellence in the chemical and materials sciences. The directorate's common theme and determination has remained constant: Deliver on our commitments, while anticipating and capitalizing on opportunities through innovation in science and technology. In this, the 2003 Annual Report, we describe how our science is built around a strategic plan with four organizing themes, each with key scientific accomplishments by our staff and collaborators. Our strategic plan is synergistic with the Laboratory's Long-Range Science and Technology Plan, which identifies six areas of institutional research and development strategy. This 2003 CMS Annual Report is organized into two major sections: research themes and dynamic teams. The research-theme section addresses challenges, achievements, and new frontiers within each of the four research themes. The dynamic-teams section illustrates the directorate's organizational structure of divisions, centers, and institutes that supports a team environment across disciplinary and institutional boundaries. The research presented gives substantive …

We have developed a method to suppress the PCR amplification of repetitive sequences in whole chromosome painting probes by adding Cot-1 DNA to the amplification mixture. The repetitive sequences in the Cot-1 DNA bind to their homologous sequences in the probe library, prevent the binding of primers, and interfere with extension of the probe sequences, greatly decreasing PCR efficiency selectively across these blocked regions. A second labeling reaction is then done and this product is resuspended in FISH hybridization mixture without further addition of blocking DNA. The hybridization produces little if any non-specific binding on any other chromosomes. We have been able to successfully use this procedure with both human and rat chromosome probes. This technique should be applicable in producing probes for CGH, M-FISH and SKY, as well as reducing the presence of repetitive DNA in genomic libraries.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's mission is as clear today as it was in 1952 when the Laboratory was founded--to ensure our country's national security and the safety and reliability of its nuclear deterrent. As a laboratory pursuing applied science in the national interest, we strive to accomplish our mission through excellence in science and technology. We do this while developing and implementing sound and robust business practices in an environment that emphasizes security and ensures our safety and the safety of the community around us. Our mission as a directorate derives directly from the Laboratory's charter. When I accepted the assignment of Associate Director for Chemistry and Materials Science (CMS), I talked to you about the need for strategic balance and excellence in all our endeavors. We also discussed how to take the directorate to the next level. The long-range CMS strategic plan presented here was developed with this purpose in mind. It also aligns with the Lab's institutional long-range science and technology plan and its 10-year facilities and infrastructure site plan. The plan is aimed at ensuring that we fulfill our directorate's two governing principles: (1) delivering on our commitments to Laboratory programs and sponsors, and (2) anticipating change …

The Mission of the ARA Program was to develop the Corporate Infrastructure to mass-produce new bio-based materials from Soybeans. The resins were integrated with the bio-fuels program. (1) to research, develop, and commercialize low cost adhesives and resins from soy oil and protein, the co-products of the soy bio-diesel process. (2) to study structure-functionality of soy oil and proteins at molecular and genomic levels