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The Atomic and Molecular Interactions Gordon Conferences is justifiably recognized for its broad scope, touching on areas ranging from fundamental gas phase and gas-condensed matter collision dynamics, to laser-molecule interactions, photophysics, and unimolecular decay processes. The meeting has traditionally involved scientists engaged in fundamental research in gas and condensed phases and those who apply these concepts to systems of practical chemical and physical interest. A key tradition in this meeting is the strong mixing of theory and experiment throughout. The program for 2010 conference continues these traditions. At the 2010 AMI GRC, there will be talks in 5 broadly defined and partially overlapping areas of intermolecular interactions and chemical dynamics: (1) Photoionization and Photoelectron Dynamics; (2) Quantum Control and Molecules in Strong Fields; (3) Photochemical Dynamics; (4) Complex Molecules and Condensed Phases; and (5) Clusters and Reaction Dynamics. These areas encompass many of the most productive and exciting areas of chemical physics, including both reactive and nonreactive processes, intermolecular and intramolecular energy transfer, and photodissociation and unimolecular processes. Gas phase dynamics, van der Waals and cluster studies, laser-matter interactions and multiple potential energy surface phenomena will all be discussed.

The 2010 Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Stress Responses provides an open and exciting forum for the exchange of scientific discoveries on the remarkable mechanisms used by microbes to survive in nearly every niche on the planet. Understanding these stress responses is critical for our ability to control microbial survival, whether in the context of biotechnology, ecology, or pathogenesis. From its inception in 1994, this conference has traditionally employed a very broad definition of stress in microbial systems. Sessions will cover the major steps of stress responses from signal sensing to transcriptional regulation to the effectors that mediate responses. A wide range of stresses will be represented. Some examples include (but are not limited to) oxidative stress, protein quality control, antibiotic-induced stress and survival, envelope stress, DNA damage, and nutritional stress. The 2010 meeting will also focus on the role of stress responses in microbial communities, applied and environmental microbiology, and microbial development. This conference brings together researchers from both the biological and physical sciences investigating stress responses in medically- and environmentally relevant microbes, as well as model organisms, using cutting-edge techniques. Computational, systems-level, and biophysical approaches to exploring stress responsive circuits will be integrated throughout the sessions alongside the …

The Plant Molecular Biology Conference has traditionally covered a breadth of exciting topics and the 2010 conference will continue in that tradition. Emerging concerns about food security have inspired a program with three main themes: (1) genomics, natural variation and breeding to understand adaptation and crop improvement, (2) hormonal cross talk, and (3) plant/microbe interactions. There are also sessions on epigenetics and proteomics/metabolomics. Thus this conference will bring together a range of disciplines, will foster the exchange of ideas and enable participants to learn of the latest developments and ideas in diverse areas of plant biology. The conference provides an excellent opportunity for individuals to discuss their research because additional speakers in each session will be selected from submitted abstracts. There will also be a poster session each day for a two-hour period prior to dinner. In particular, this conference plays a key role in enabling students and postdocs (the next generation of research leaders) to mingle with pioneers in multiple areas of plant science.

A sixteen-run, Resolution IV, fractional factorial screening design has been used to evaluate the relative significance of seven independent material and process variables for an electrically deposited commercial acrylic paint. A Resolution IV design was chosen so that variable interactions could be detected without any interference from the effects of the variables themselves. Because resource limitations did not permit use of a Resolution V design, the two-way interactions were confounded with one another in groups of three, which unfortunately made interpretation of the results more complicated. Each design point was replicated once and a pair of centerpoints were run at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the design points. A total of 38 test panels were prepared. Independent variables used in this experiment were total charge, current density, mixer speed, silica content, crossover point, temperature and solids fraction. The magnitude of each independent variable's effect on the dependent response variables was estimated by fitting a first-order model with two-way interaction terms. Three-way interactions were assumed to be insignificant. Interaction confounding was eliminated by using the significance of the independent variables to determine which of the three possible interactions was significant. Data analysis was performed using the …

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Develop and test advanced near vertical to wide-angle seismic methods for structural imaging and material properties estimation of the shallow subsurface for environmental characterization efforts.

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The challenge of chemistry in the 21st century is to achieve 100% selectivity of the desired product molecule in multipath reactions ('green chemistry') and develop renewable energy based processes. Surface chemistry and catalysis play key roles in this enterprise. Development of in situ surface techniques such as high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy, sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, time-resolved Fourier transform infrared methods, and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy enabled the rapid advancement of three fields: nanocatalysts, biointerfaces, and renewable energy conversion chemistry. In materials nanoscience, synthetic methods have been developed to produce monodisperse metal and oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in the 0.8-10 nm range with controlled shape, oxidation states, and composition; these NPs can be used as selective catalysts since chemical selectivity appears to be dependent on all of these experimental parameters. New spectroscopic and microscopic techniques have been developed that operate under reaction conditions and reveal the dynamic change of molecular structure of catalysts and adsorbed molecules as the reactions proceed with changes in reaction intermediates, catalyst composition, and oxidation states. SFG vibrational spectroscopy detects amino acids, peptides, and proteins adsorbed at hydrophobic and hydrophilic interfaces and monitors the change of surface structure and interactions with coadsorbed water. Exothermic reactions …

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We have previously presented simple elastic deformation modeling results for three classes of seismic events of concern in monitoring the CTBT--underground explosions, mine collapses and earthquakes. Those results explored the theoretical detectability of each event type using synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) based on commercially available satellite data. In those studies we identified and compared the characteristics of synthetic interferograms that distinguish each event type, as well the ability of the interferograms to constrain source parameters. These idealized modeling results, together with preliminary analysis of InSAR data for the 1995 mb 5.2 Solvay mine collapse in southwestern Wyoming, suggested that InSAR data used in conjunction with regional seismic monitoring holds great potential for CTBT discrimination and seismic source analysis, as well as providing accurate ground truth parameters for regional calibration events. In this paper we further examine the detectability and ''discriminating'' power of InSAR by presenting results from InSAR data processing, analysis and modeling of the surface deformation signals associated with underground explosions. Specifically, we present results of a detailed study of coseismic and postseismic surface deformation signals associated with underground nuclear and chemical explosion tests at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Several interferograms were formed from raw ERS-1/2 radar …

Presented at the 1958 Winter Meeting of the American Nuclear Society, December 9, 1958. Experimental and theoretical work on the selflimiting response of reactors to step and ramp insertions of reactivity is discussed along with the general characteristics of self-limiting power bursts. The static characteristics of the cores investigated are presented and the techniques of measurement are discussed. Data from step and ramp tests are presented and compared with the predictions of a theoretical formulation of reactor self- shutdown in terms of energy release. The discussion includes an evaluation of some postulated shutdown mechanisms in the light of experimental results. Some results of detailed calculations of shutdown effects due to specific mechanisms which are believed to contribute significantly to reactor self-shutdown are presented. (auth)

The goal of our research this past year was to develop a theory for spin coating that accounts for solvent evaporation, film hydrodynamics, and the rheology of the colloidal suspension being coated. This report briefly discusses work toward this goal during the 1989 to 1990 funding year. (JL)

We generally use large-scale hydrocodes to study the dynamic response of targets to influence pulsed radiation loads. However, for many applications where the desired solution does not require a detailed specification of pressure- or velocity-time histories, there are simple analytic approaches that can yield surprisingly accurate results. Examples include determining either the final velocity of a radiation-driven flying plate or the impulse delivered to a structural element. These methods are all based on relatively straightforward use of conservation of mass and momentum, but they typically need one scaling-law parameter. In this context, short pulse means short compared to the characteristic time of the desired response, which allows for the phenomena to be essentially uncoupled. High fluence means that the input energy is great enough to yield vaporization or blowoff of one or more portions of the configuration. We discuss some of these methods, give examples, and suggest limitations and criteria for their use.

We report on the development of antenna-coupled Voltage-biased Superconducting Bolometers (VSBs) which use Transition-edge Sensors (TES). Antenna coupling can greatly simplify the fabrication of large multi-frequency bolometer arrays compared to horn-coupled techniques. This simplification can make it practical to implement 1000+ element arrays that fill the focal plane of mm/sub-mm wave telescopes. We have designed a prototype device with a double-slot dipole antenna, integrated band-defining filters, and a membrane-suspended bolometer. A test chip has been constructed and will be tested shortly.

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A new type of X-ray imaging crystal spectrometer for Doppler measurements of the radial profiles of the ion temperature and plasma rotation velocity in tokamak plasmas is presently being developed in a collaboration between various laboratories. The spectrometer will consist of a spherically bent crystal and a two-dimensional position sensitive detector; and it will record temporally and spatially resolved X-ray line spectra from highly-charged ions. The detector must satisfy challenging requirements with respect to count rate and spatial resolution. The paper presents the results from a recent test of a PILATUS II detector module on Alcator C-Mod, which demonstrate that the PILATUS II detector modules will satisfy these requirements.

Ever-stringent environmental constraints dictate that future coal cleaning technologies be compatible with micron-size particles. For super-clean coal production, the degree of liberation needed to separate coal from mineral matter, including pyrite, requires grinding to 10 mm or below. In addition, large amounts of fine coal are discharged to refuse ponds because current coal cleaning technology cannot adequately treat such finely divided materials. This research program seeks to develop an advanced coal cleaning technology uniquely suited to micron-size particles, i.e., aqueous biphase extraction. This technique relies on the ability of an aqueous system consisting of a water-soluble organic polymer and an inorganic metal salt to separate into two immiscible aqueous phases. Differences in the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of particulates can then be exploited to effect selective transfers to either the upper polymer-rich phase, or the lower salt-rich phase. An experimental program is proposed involving phase diagram determination, phase separation rate measurements, partition measurements, and washing experiments.

The goal of this study was to select one or more commercially available aqueous sorbents to solidify the zinc bromide solution stored in C-Area, identify the polymer to zinc bromide solution ratio (waste loading) for the selected sorbents, and identify processing issues that require further testing in pilot-scale testing.

High resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of highly overdoped Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} with a T{sub c} = 51K indicates that the basic transport processes in this material are fundamentally different from both the lesser doped cuprates as well as model metallic compounds. The overdoped sample has sharp ARPES peaks at the Fermi energy throughout the Brillouin zone even in the normal state, unlike the lesser-doped compounds. In particular, the spectra near ({pi},0) point show the presence of a sharp peak well above T{sub c}. The ARPES lineshapes, and thus the self energy, at a given energy are almost independent of k. Further, the quasiparticle scattering rate at the Fermi energy seems to be closely tied to direct resistivity measurements. This leads us to the conclusion that overdoped Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} is best described as a quasiparticle liquid. However, the energy dependence of the scattering rates is quite similar to that found in the lesser-doped compounds and quite different from that seen in a typical metal.

Calibration of hydroacoustic and T-phase stations for Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) monitoring will be an important element in establishing new operational stations and upgrading existing stations. Calibration of hydroacoustic stations is herein defined as precision location of the hydrophones and determination of the amplitude response from a known source energy. T-phase station calibration is herein defined as a determination of station site attenuation as a function of frequency, bearing, and distance for known impulsive energy sources in the ocean. To understand how to best conduct calibration experiments for both hydroacoustic and T-phase stations, an experiment was conducted in May, 1999 at Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The experiment made use of a British oceanographic research vessel and collected data that will be used for CTBT issues and for fundamental understanding of the Ascension Island volcanic edifice.

The database of Alignable Tight Genomic Clusters (ATGCs) consists of closely related genomes of archaea and bacteria, and is a resource for research into prokaryotic microevolution. Construction of a data set with appropriate characteristics is a major hurdle for this type of studies. With the current rate of genome sequencing, it is difficult to follow the progress of the field and to determine which of the available genome sets meet the requirements of a given research project, in particular, with respect to the minimum and maximum levels of similarity between the included genomes. Additionally, extraction of specific content, such as genomic alignments or families of orthologs, from a selected set of genomes is a complicated and time-consuming process. The database addresses these problems by providing an intuitive and efficient web interface to browse precomputed ATGCs, select appropriate ones and access ATGC-derived data such as multiple alignments of orthologous proteins, matrices of pairwise intergenomic distances based on genome-wide analysis of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates and others. The ATGC database will be regularly updated following new releases of the NCBI RefSeq. The database is hosted by the Genomics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National laboratory and is publicly available at http://atgc.lbl.gov.

In this report the event data model (EDM) relevant for tracking in the ATLAS experiment is presented. The core component of the tracking EDM is a common track object which is suited to describe tracks in the innermost tracking sub-detectors and in the muon detectors in offline as well as online reconstruction. The design of the EDM was driven by a demand for modularity and extensibility while taking into account the different requirements of the clients. The structure of the track object and the representation of the tracking-relevant information are described in detail.

Monthly newsletter discussing news and activities related to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, articles about weather and atmospheric phenomena, and other related topics.