Understanding the aqueous chemistry of plutonium, in particular in environmental conditions, is often complicated by plutonium's complex redox chemistry. Because plutonium possesses four oxidation states, all of which can coexist in solution, a reliable method for the identification of these oxidation states is needed. The identification of plutonium oxidation states at low levels in aqueous solution is often accomplished through an indirect determination using series of liquid-liquid extraction procedures using oxidation state specific reagents such as HDEHP and TTA. While these methods, coupled with radioactive counting techniques provide superior limits of detection they may influence the plutonium redox equilibrium, are time consuming, waste intensive and costly. Other analytical methods such as mass spectrometry and radioactive counting as stand alone methods provide excellent detection limits but lack the ability to discriminate between the oxidation states of the plutonium ions in solution.

Global temperature series have contributions from different sources, such as volcanic eruptions and El Nino Southern Oscillation variations. We investigate independent component analysis as a technique to separate unrelated sources present in such series. We first use artificial data, with known independent components, to study the conditions under which ICA can separate the individual sources. We then illustrate the method with climate data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.

A micro-mechanistic understanding of bone fracture thatencompasses how cracks interact with the underlying microstructure anddefines their local failure mode is lacking, despite extensive research nthe response of bone to a variety of factors like aging, loading, and/ordisease.

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Recent data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) place important bounds on the neutrino sector. The precise determination of the baryon number in the universe puts a strong constraint on the number of relativistic species during Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis. WMAP data, when combined with the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS), also directly constrain the absolute mass scale of neutrinos. These results impinge upon a neutrino oscillation interpretation of the result from the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND).We also note that the Heidelberg-Moscow evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay is only consistent with the WMAP+2dFGRS data for the largest values of the nuclear matrix element.

The spreading of Sn-3Ag-xBi solders on Fe-42Ni has been studied using a drop transfer setup. Initial spreading velocities as fast as {approx}0.5 m/s have been recorded. The results are consistent with a liquid front moving on a metastable, flat, unreacted substrate and can be described by using a modified molecular-kinetic model for which the rate controlling step is the movement of one atom from the liquid to the surface of the solid substrate. Although the phase diagram predicts the formation of two Fe-Sn intermetallics at the solder/substrate interface in samples heated at temperatures lower than 513 C, after spreading at 250 C only a thin FeSn reaction layer could be observed. Two interfacial layers (FeSn and FeSn2) were found after spreading at 450 C.

No abstract prepared.

Numerical simulations of transport and isotope fractionation provide a method to quantitatively interpret vadose zone pore water stable isotope depth profiles based on soil properties, climatic conditions, and infiltration. We incorporate the temperature-dependent equilibration of stable isotopic species between water and water vapor, and their differing diffusive transport properties into the thermodynamic database of the reactive transport code TOUGHREACT. These simulations are used to illustrate the evolution of stable isotope profiles in semiarid regions where recharge during wet seasons disturbs the drying profile traditionally associated with vadose zone pore waters. Alternating wet and dry seasons lead to annual fluctuations in moisture content, capillary pressure, and stable isotope compositions in the vadose zone. Periodic infiltration models capture the effects of seasonal increases in precipitation and predict stable isotope profiles that are distinct from those observed under drying (zero infiltration) conditions. After infiltration, evaporation causes a shift to higher 18O and D values, which are preserved in the deeper pore waters. The magnitude of the isotopic composition shift preserved in deep vadose zone pore waters varies inversely with the rate of infiltration.

Alternating solenoid focused muon cooling ring without special bending magnets is considered and investigate in detail. Both fringe field between solenoid coils with opposite directed current, and an inclination of the coils in vertical plane are used to provide a bending and closing of the particle trajectories. Realistic (Maxwellian) magnetic field is calculated and used for a simulation. Methodic is developed and applied to find closed orbit at any energy, dispersion, region of stability, and other conventional accelerator characteristics. Earlier proposed RFOFO cooling ring with 200 MHz RF system and liquid hydrogen absorbers is investigated in detail. After an optimization, normalized 6D emittance about 20 mm{sup 3} and transmission 57% are obtained.

The geometric structure of the alpha-Ga(010)-(1x1) room temperature structure and its (2rt2xrt2) R45 degrees reconstruction below 232 K have been determined using Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) structure analysis. The room temperature structure conforms to the cut-dimer model, forming a two-dimensional metallic structure with only minimal lateral displacements of the atoms. The topmost interlayer distance is 1.53 Angstrom, corresponding to a spacing expansion of 2 percent from the bulk. In the low-temperature structure, the surface atoms shift to dimerize within the top two layers, resulting in a network of mostly covalent bonds, which form both parallel and perpendicular to the surface plane. The bond lengths of some of these dimers are about 10 percent shorter than the bond length found in the alpha-Ga bulk and are thus shorter than any Ga-Ga bonds reported so far.

A linear ionization cooling channel for neutrino factory or muon collider is considered. It includes short Li lenses, matching solenoids, and 201 MHz RF cavities. The basic challenge is a suppression of chromatic effects in a wide energy range typical for muon beams. A special lattice is proposed to reach this, and methodic of an optimization is developed to minimize the chromatic aberrations by suppression of several betatron resonances. The most engineering constraint is a high field of matching solenoids. A channel with less of 10 T field is considered in detail. It is capable to cool transverse emittance of a beam from 2-3 mm to 0.5 mm at the channel length of about 130 m. Because there is no emittance exchange, longitudinal emittance increases in the process from 10 to 20 mm at transmission of about 90%.

The proton lifetime in the Tevatron depends sensitively on chromaticities. Too low chromaticities can make the beam unstable due to the weak head-tail instability. One way to compensate this effect is to introduce octupoles to create a larger amplitude dependent betatron tune spread. However, the use of octupoles will also introduce additional side effects such as second order chromaticity, differential tune shifts and chromaticities on both proton and anti-proton helices. The non-linear effects may also reduce the dynamic aperture. There are 67 octupoles in 4 different circuits in the Tevatron which may be used for this purpose. We report on a simulation study to find the best combinations of polarities and strengths of the octupoles.

The challenge of achieving the Tevatron Run II luminosity goal of 3 {center_dot} 10{sup 32} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} requires high level of engineering and machine operation, good and reliable diagnostics, and clear understanding of the underlying accelerator physics. Recent history demonstrated steady increase of the Tevatron luminosity, which was supported by each of the three listed above items. This report reviews major developments in the accelerator physics, which contributed in the Run II luminosity growth. Present limitations of the luminosity and projections of further luminosity growth are also discussed.

The Yellowstone geothermal system provides an ideal opportunity to test the ability of reactive transport models to accurately simulate water-rock interaction. Previous studies of the Yellowstone geothermal system have characterized water-rock interaction through analysis of rocks and fluids obtained from both surface and downhole samples. Fluid chemistry, rock mineralogy, permeability, porosity, and thermal data obtained from the Y-8 borehole in Upper Geyser Basin were used to constrain a series of reactive transport simulations of the Yellowstone geothermal system using TOUGHREACT. Three distinct stratigraphic units were encountered in the 153.4 m deep Y-8 drill core: volcaniclastic sandstone, perlitic rhyolitic lava, and nonwelded pumiceous tuff. The main alteration phases identified in the Y-8 core samples include clay minerals, zeolites, silica polymorphs, adularia, and calcite. Temperatures observed in the Y-8 borehole increase with depth from sub-boiling conditions at the surface to a maximum of 169.8 C at a depth of 104.1 m, with near-isothermal conditions persisting down to the well bottom. 1-D models of the Y-8 core hole were constructed to determine if TOUGHREACT could accurately predict the observed alteration mineral assemblage given the initial rock mineralogy and observed fluid chemistry and temperatures. Preliminary simulations involving the perlitic rhyolitic lava unit are consistent …

The mission of the NABIR program is to provide the fundamental science that will serve as the basis for the development of cost-effective bioremediation and long-term stewardship of radionuclides and metals in the subsurface at DOE sites. The focus of the program is on strategies leading to long-term immobilization of contaminants in situ to reduce the risk to humans and the environment. Contaminants of special interest are uranium, technetium, plutonium, chromium, and mercury. The focus of the NABIR program is on the bioremediation of these contaminants in the subsurface below the root zone, including both vadose and saturated zones. The program consists of four interrelated Science Elements (Biotransformation, Community Dynamics/Microbial Ecology, Biomolecular Science and Engineering, and Biogeochemistry). The program also has a cross-cutting Assessment Element that supports development of innovative approaches and technologies to support the science elements. An element called Bioremediation and its Societal Implications and Concerns (BASIC) addresses potential societal issues of implementing NABIR scientific findings. The material presented at this year's workshop focuses on approximately 60 research projects funded in FY 2000-2003 by the Environmental Remediation Sciences Division in DOE's Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) in the Office of Science. Abstracts of NABIR research projects …

Major issues at Tevatron injection are the effects of 72 long-range beam-beam interactions together with the machine nonlinearity on protons and anti-protons. We look at particle tracking calculations of Dynamic Aperture (DA) under present machine conditions. Comparisons of calculations with observations and experiments are also presented in this report.

The binding sites of sequence specific transcription factors are an important and relatively well-understood class of functional non-coding DNAs. Although a wide variety of experimental and computational methods have been developed to characterize transcription factor binding sites, they remain difficult to identify. Comparison of non-coding DNA from related species has shown considerable promise in identifying these functional non-coding sequences, even though relatively little is known about their evolution. Here we analyze the genome sequences of the budding yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. bayanus, S. paradoxus and S. mikataeto study the evolution of transcription factor binding sites. As expected, we find that both experimentally characterized and computationally predicted binding sites evolve slower than surrounding sequence, consistent with the hypothesis that they are under purifying selection. We also observe position-specific variation in the rate of evolution within binding sites. We find that the position-specific rate of evolution is positively correlated with degeneracy among binding sites within S. cerevisiae. We test theoretical predictions for the rate of evolution at positions where the base frequencies deviate from background due to purifying selection and find reasonable agreement with the observed rates of evolution. Finally, we show how the evolutionary characteristics of real binding motifs can be …

Beam-induced energy deposition in the LHC high luminosity interaction region components is one of the serious limits for the machine performance. The results of further optimization and comprehensive MARS14 calculations in the IP1 and IP5 inner and outer triplets are summarized for the updated lattice, calculation model, baseline pp-collision source term, and for realistic engineering constraints on the hardware design. It is shown that the optimized layout and absorbers would provide a sufficient reduction of peak power density and dynamic heat load in the superconducting components with an adequate safety margin. Accumulated dose and residual dose rates in and around the region components are also kept below the tolerable limits in the proposed design.

This report describes studies performed in the framework of the Collimation Task Force organized to support the work of the International Linear Collider Technical Review Committee. The post-linac beam-collimation systems in the TESLA, JLC/NLC and CLIC linear-collider designs are compared using the same computer code under the same assumptions. Their performance is quantified in terms of beam-halo and synchrotron-radiation collimation efficiency. The performance of the current designs varies across projects, and does not always meet the original design goals. But these comparisons suggest that achieving the required performance in a future linear collider is feasible.

We report on development of a new storage ring operations tool for measurement of longitudinal beam density profile. The technique mixes synchrotron light with light from a mode locked solid-state laser oscillator in a non-linear crystal and detects the up-converted radiation with a photo-multiplier. The laser is phase locked to the storage ring RF system. The laser choices available for repetition frequency, pulse length and phase modulation give a very wide range of options for matching the bunch configuration of particular storage rings. Progress in the technology of solid-state lasers ensures this system can be made robust for routine use in storage ring operations. A very large number of important applications are possible including measurement of the fraction of untrapped particles prior to acceleration, the population of particles in the nominally unfilled RF buckets in a bunch train (''ghost bunches''), longitudinal tails, the diffusion of particles into the beam abort gap and th e normal bunch parameters of longitudinal shape and intensity. We are currently investigating application to two devices: (1) the 1.9 GeV ALS electron storage ring at LBNL with 328 RF buckets, 2ns bucket spacing, 276 nominally filled bunches, 15-30ps rms bunch length and (2) the 7 TeV …

The CDF collaboration will vigorously pursue a comprehensive program of electroweak physics during Run II at the Tevatron based strongly on the successful Run I program. The Run IIa integrated luminosity goal of 2 fb{sup -1} will lead to a CDF dataset twenty times larger than that collected in Run I. In addition, an increase in the energy of the colliding beams from {radical}s = 1.80 TeV to {radical}s = 1.96 TeV for Run II provides a 10% increase in the W and Z boson production cross sections and a corresponding enlargement of the electroweak event samples. In the near term, CDF expects to collect a dataset with 2-3 times the integrated luminosity of Run I by September of 2003. Utilizing these new datasets CDF will be able to make improved, precision measurements of Standard Model electroweak parameters including M{sub W}, M{sub top}, {Lambda}{sub W}, and sin{sup 2}{theta}{sub W}{sup eff}. The goal of these measurements will be to improve our understanding of the self-consistency of the Standard Model and knowledge of the Higgs boson mass within the model. The top plot in Fig. 1 illustrates our current knowledge of the Standard Model Higgs mass based on measurements of M{sub W} …

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Identifying moving objects from a video sequence is a fundamental and critical task in many computer-vision applications. A common approach is to perform background subtraction, which identifies moving objects from the portion of a video frame that differs significantly from a background model. There are many challenges in developing a good background subtraction algorithm. First, it must be robust against changes in illumination. Second, it should avoid detecting non-stationary background objects such as swinging leaves, rain, snow, and shadow cast by moving objects. Finally, its internal background model should react quickly to changes in background such as starting and stopping of vehicles. In this paper, we compare various background subtraction algorithms for detecting moving vehicles and pedestrians in urban traffic video sequences. We consider approaches varying from simple techniques such as frame differencing and adaptive median filtering, to more sophisticated probabilistic modeling techniques. While complicated techniques often produce superior performance, our experiments show that simple techniques such as adaptive median filtering can produce good results with much lower computational complexity.

We report on the performance characterization and issues associated with using Fibre Channel (FC) over a highly turbulent free-space optical (FSO) link. Fibre Channel is a storage area network standard that provides high throughput with low overhead. Extending FC to FSO links would simplify data transfer from existing high-bandwidth sensors such as synthetic aperture radars and hyperspectral imagers. We measured the behavior of FC protocol at 1 Gbps in the presence of synthetic link dropouts that are typical of turbulent FSO links. Results show that an average bit error rate of less than 2 x 10{sup -8} is mandatory for adequate throughput. More importantly, 10 ns dropouts at a 2 Hz rate were sufficient to cause long (25 s) timeouts in the data transfer. Although no data was lost, this behavior is likely to be objectionable for most applications. Prospects for improvements in hardware and software will be discussed.