A project to implement a life-cycle engineering approach to tritium reservoirs has been initiated through the DOE - Technology Investment Projects. The first task in the project was to develop a comprehensive list of microstructural features that impact the aging performance of the tritium reservoirs. Each of the participating sites (SRNL, SNL, LANL, KCP) independently developed a list of features deemed integral to tritium reservoir performance based upon operational and design experience. An integrated list of features was ultimately developed by the project team that could be included in the modeling process. The features of interest were chosen based upon their impact on the following key factors in controlling crack growth: (1) the H/He solubility or diffusivity within the materials, (2) the stress/strain state at the crack tip, (3) material threshold for crack extension, and (4) microstructure based fracture distance, commonly estimated by grain size for intergranular fracture. Wherever possible, key references were identified to substantiate the effects on the tritium embrittlement phenomenon of the various microstructural features. Each of these features was chosen based upon their impact to the cracking phenomenon of interest. The features chosen were typically associated with orientation, morphology, and distribution of phases and inclusions, grain …

The rapid development of the Chinese economy over the past two decades has led to significant growth in China's energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Between 1980 and 2000, China's energy consumption more than doubled from 602 million to 1.3 billion tons of coal-equivalent (NBS, 2003). In 2000, China's GHG emissions were about 12% of the global total, ranked second behind only the US. According to the latest national development plan issued by the Chinese government, China's energy demand is likely to double again by 2020 (DRC, 2004), based on a quadrupling of its gross domestic product (GDP). The objectives of the national development plan imply that China needs to significantly raise the energy efficiency of its economy, i.e., cutting the energy intensity of its economy by half. Such goals are extremely ambitious, but not infeasible. China has achieved such reductions in the past, and its current overall level of energy efficiency remains far behind those observed in other developed economies. However, challenges remain whether China can put together an appropriate policy framework and the institutions needed to improve the energy efficiency of its economy under a more market-based economy today. Shanghai, located at the heart of the Yangtze …

Double-shell ignition is complementary to the baseline approach by virtue of not requiring: (1) cryogenic preparation and fielding, (2) high-contrast pulse-shaping for shock-timing, and (3) demanding x-ray flux symmetry control. The use of simpler low-contrast pulse-shaping potentially allows more benign hohlraum conditions by reducing the risk of laser backscatter. In addition, the associated higher laser fluence threshold for optics damage initiation allows the possibility of more routine high-fluence shots with 2{omega} on the NIF. Based on LDRD-sponsored research in FY01-03 on NIF double-shell ignition target designs, the feasibility of this approach was advanced through both a highly successful implosion campaign on the Omega laser facility and a variety of design improvements for mitigating instability. The double-shell implosion campaign on Omega achieved the important milestone of repeatably demonstrating dominant primary (2.45 MeV) neutron production from the mix-susceptible compressional phase of a double-shell implosion, using fall-line design optimization and exacting fabrication standards. Showing effective control of fuel-pusher mix during final compression is an essential element for achieving ignition. In our studies to control mix by reducing hydrodynamic instability a new pathway for destructive Rayleigh-Taylor growth on the outer surface of the inner shell at ignition scales was identified. However, highly resolved multi-mode …

This version of the communication primer comprises two interlocking parts: Pat 1, a practical section, intended to prepare you for public interactions, and Part 2, a theoretical section that provides social and technical bases for the practices recommended in Part 1. The mutual support of practice and theory is very familiar in science and clearly requires a willingness to observe and revise our prior assumptions--in this document, we invoke both. We hope that is offering will represent a step both towards improving practice and maturing the theory of practical science communication.

This report describes the geological component of the interdisciplinary study of the experimental aquifer at Oyster, Virginia, by the NABIR program, Department of Energy (Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research), between 1997 and 2003, as conducted by the Sediment dynamics group of Old Dominion University. The Geological component of the Oyster study was designed to (1) predict patterns of physical heterogeneity in sedimentary aquifers that control groundwater flow by application of geological first principles, (2) determine the geophysical imaging signatures of these patterns, and (3) relate patterns of physical heterogeneity thus sampled to observed microbial populations. The geological study began in 1997 at the North Oyster site, but in 2002, moved to the South Oyster site.

This report assesses the impact of the September 11, 2001 attacks on public and private information infrastructures in the context of critical infrastructure protection, continuity of operations (COOP) planning, and homeland security.

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A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In July 2002, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued two memorandums directing agencies expected to be part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to temporarily cease funding for new information technology (IT) infrastructure and business systems investments and submit information to OMB on current or planned investments in these areas. GAO was asked to (1) explain OMB's implementation of these memorandums, (2) identify any resulting changes to applicable IT investments, and (3) ascertain if DHS has initiated its own investment management reviews and, if so, what the results of these reviews have been."

The scaling behavior of basic earthquake source parameters such as the energy release per unit area of fault slip, quantitatively measured as the apparent stress, is currently in dispute. There are compelling studies that show apparent stress is constant over a wide range of moments (e.g. Choy and Boatwright, 1995; McGarr, 1999; Ide and Beroza, 2001, Ide et al. 2003). Other equally compelling studies find the apparent stress increases with moment (e.g. Kanamori et al., 1993; Abercrombie, 1995; Mayeda and Walter, 1996; Izutani and Kanamori, 2001; Richardson and Jordan, 2002). The resolution of this issue is complicated by the difficulty of accurately accounting for attenuation, radiation inhomogeneities, bandwidth and determining the seismic energy radiated by earthquakes over a wide range of event sizes in a consistent manner. As one part of our LDRD project we convened a one-day workshop on July 24, 2003 in Livermore to review the current state of knowledge on this topic and discuss possible methods of resolution with many of the world's foremost experts.

A viable thermophotovoltaic power conversion system requires an electrically connected network of diodes that is designed to be fault tolerant for a prescribed power rating and generator life. This paper describes simulation studies investigating the sensitivity of various series/parallel network configurations to diode variability. The results show the effect of diode mismatch and reverse breakdown behavior on network performance.

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Judicial nominations are submitted to the Senate by the President. Once a nomination is submitted, the Senate refers it to the Judiciary Committee. Either the Senate or the Senate Judiciary Committee may choose not to act when considering the nomination. If the Judiciary Committee does act and schedules a vote on a nominee, any of four motions can be made.

This report tracks the progress of the bill providing FY2004 appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED). This report summarizes L-HHS-ED discretionary funding issues but not authorization or entitlement issues.

The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) January 2004 budget report for FY2005 (the Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2005-2014) estimated the FY2005 baseline deficit at $362 billion, not much different from that proposed by the Administration. Selected alternative policies included in the CBO report, estimates for the cost of extending the tax cuts, reforming the AMT, and letting discretionary spending grow at the rate of gross domestic product (GDP) growth, would increase the deficit, particularly in the years beyond FY2009.

China has ambitious goals for economic development, and mustfind ways to power the achievement of those goals that are bothenvironmentally and socially sustainable. Integration into the globaleconomy presents opportunities for technological improvement and accessto energy resources. China also has options for innovative policies andmeasures that could significantly alter the way energy is acquired andused. These opportunities andoptions, along with long-term social,demographic, and economic trends, will shape China s future energysystem, and consequently its contribution to emissions of greenhousegases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). In this study, entitled China sSustainable Energy Future: Scenarios of Energy and Carbon Emissions, theEnergy Research Institute (ERI), an independent analytic organizationunder China's Na tional Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), soughtto explore in detail how China could achieve the goals of the TenthFive-Year Plan and its longer term aims through a sustainable developmentstrategy. China's ability to forge a sustainable energy path has globalconsequences. China's annual emissions of greenhouse gases comprisenearly half of those from developing countries, and 12 percent of globalemissions. Most of China's greenhouse gas emissions are in the form ofCO2, 87 percent of which came from energy use in 2000. In that year,China's carbon emissions from energy use and cement production were 760million metric tons (Mt-C), …

In response to concerns expressed by the California Legislature and the citizenry of the State of California, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), implemented a program to assess groundwater quality, and provide a predictive capability for identifying areas that are vulnerable to contamination. The program was initiated in response to concern over public supply well closures due to contamination by chemicals such as MtBE from gasoline, and solvents from industrial operations. As a result of this increased awareness regarding groundwater quality, the Supplemental Report of the 1999 Budget Act mandated the SWRCB to develop a comprehensive ambient groundwater-monitoring plan, and led to the initiation of the Ambient Groundwater Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The primary objective of the GAMA Program is to assess the water quality and to predict the relative susceptibility to contamination of groundwater resources throughout the state of California. Under the GAMA program, scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) collaborate with the SWRCB, the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Department of Health Services (DHS), and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to implement the groundwater assessment program in cooperation with local water purveyors. In 2001 and 2002, LLNL carried out this vulnerability study in …

We contacted 125 scientists, ethicists, legal scholars, social scientists and informal science educators to participate in a short survey designed to identify critical issues related to nanotechnology. Fifty-six (45%) responded positively, and 46 completed the survey. We then conducted a series of interviews and site visits based on scientific area, and regional representation. Key points are summarized in the attached table. Based on the results of our surveys, we were able to construct three strong areas of ethical, legal, social, and environmental issues around which to build socratic dialogs in a standard Fred Friendly Seminar format. We were also able to identify 4 science center/museum partnerships and a proposal has been submitted to NSF's NISE Program. We are preparing to submit proposals to other agencies and foundations for support.

The primary focus of this 3-year project was to develop and put to use an instrument to test experimentally the effect of pressure on body centered cubic (BCC) metals and other materials of interest to the Stockpile Stewardship program. Well-resolved materials testing requires measurements of load and deformation rate be measured at separable conditions of temperature, pressure, and plastic strain. The new apparatus at the heart of this work, the Deformation-DIA (D-DIA), began the project as a design concept. Its principal feature would be the capability to extend the conditions for such controlled materials testing from the current pressure limit of about 3 to almost 15 GPa, a factor of 5 increase. Once constructed and successfully tested, the plan of the project was to deform samples of BCC metals at arbitrary temperature and high pressures in order to provide preliminary measurements of strength and to prove its worth to the Stockpile Stewardship program. The project has been a stunning success. Progress toward demonstrating the worth of the D-DIA as a workhorse instrument for materials strength measurement at high pressure was given a huge boost by the fact that the machine itself functioned flawlessly from the very start, allowing the investigators …

This report provides a background and analysis comparing military commissions as envisioned under Military Commission Order (M.C.O.) No. 1 and general military courts-martial conducted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The report notes some of the criticism directed at the President's Military Order (M.O.), and explains how those concerns are addressed by the military commission orders and instructions. The report concludes by summarizing legislation introduced to authorize and regulate military tribunals to try suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban members, and provides two charts to compare the proposed military tribunals under proposed legislation, the regulations issued by the Department of Defense, and standard procedures for general courts-martial under the Manual for Courts-Martial.

This report provides a background and analysis comparing military commissions as envisioned under M.C.O. No. 1 to general military courts-martial conducted under the UCMJ. The report notes some of the criticism directed at the President’s M.O., and explains how those concerns are addressed by the military commission orders and instructions. The report provides two charts to compare the regulations issued by the Department of Defense and standard procedures for general courts-martial under the Manual for Courts-Martial. The second chart, which compares procedural safeguards incorporated in the regulations with established procedures in courts martial, follows the same order and format used in CRS Report RL31262, Selected Procedural Safeguards in Federal, Military, and International Courts, in order to facilitate comparison with safeguards provided in federal court and the International Criminal Court.

This report provides a background and analysis comparing military commissions as envisioned under M.C.O. No. 1 to general military courts-martial conducted under the UCMJ. The report notes some of the criticism directed at the President’s M.O., and explains how those concerns are addressed by the military commission orders and instructions. The report provides two charts to compare the regulations issued by the Department of Defense and standard procedures for general courts-martial under the Manual for Courts-Martial. The second chart, which compares procedural safeguards incorporated in the regulations with established procedures in courts martial, follows the same order and format used in CRS Report RL31262, Selected Procedural Safeguards in Federal, Military, and International Courts, in order to facilitate comparison with safeguards provided in federal court and the International Criminal Court.

The goal of this research is to design, build and test a phoswich-based radiation detector for simultaneously monitoring all radioactive components in the effluent resulting from the cleanup of nuclear waste

This report discusses the issue facing Congress on whether to continue to support the executive branch’s prosecution of medical marijuana patients and their providers, in accordance with marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, or whether to relax federal marijuana prohibition enough to permit the medical use of botanical cannabis products by seriously ill persons, especially in states that have created medical marijuana programs under state law.

On February 11, 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush, in a speech to the National Defense University stated: ''The world must create a safe, orderly system to field civilian nuclear plants without adding to the danger of weapons proliferation. The world's leading nuclear exporters should ensure that states have reliable access at reasonable cost to fuel for civilian reactors, so long as those states renounce enrichment and reprocessing. Enrichment and reprocessing are not necessary for nations seeking to harness nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.'' This concept would require nations to choose one of two paths for civilian nuclear development: those that only have reactors and those that contain one or more elements of the nuclear fuel cycle, including recycling. ''Fuel cycle'' states would enrich uranium, manufacture and lease fuel to ''reactor'' states and receive the reactor states' spent fuel. All parties would accede to stringent security and safeguard standards, embedded within a newly invigorated international regime. Reactor states would be relieved of the financial, environmental (and political) burden of enriching and manufacturing fuel and dealing with spent fuel. Fuel cycle states would potentially earn money on leasing the fuel and perhaps on sales of reactors to the reactor states. Such …