This article discusses a T-shaped three-coordinate nickel(l) carbonyl complex and the geometric preferences of three-coordinate d9 complexes.

Uranium mining and processing for nuclear weapons and fuel have left thousands of sites with toxic levels of this actinide in soil and ground water. An emerging strategy for remediating such environments involves using organic carbon to promote microbially-mediated reduction and precipitation of insoluble U(IV) minerals. Although previous U bioreduction studies have shown promising results, they were of short duration (up to a few months). Our longer-term (20 months) laboratory study using historically contaminated sediment has alarmingly shown that microbial reduction of U was transient even under reducing (methanogenic) conditions. Uranium was reductively immobilized during the first 100 days, but later (150 to 600 days) reoxidized and mobilized, although a microbial community capable of reducing U(VI) remained through the end of the experiment. The formation of Ca{sub 2}UO{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3} complexes (caused by the elevated carbonate concentration from microbial respiration and presence of calcium) drove the U(IV)/U(VI) reduction potential to much more reducing conditions. Fe(III) and Mn(IV) were found to be likely terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) for U reoxidation. Thus, U remediation by organic carbon based reductive precipitation is not sustainable in calcareous, neutral to alkaline soils and ground waters.

A screen for the systematic identification of cis-regulatory elements within large (>100 kb) genomic domains containing Hox genes was performed by using the basal chordate Ciona intestinalis. Randomly generated DNA fragments from bacterial artificial chromosomes containing two clusters of Hox genes were inserted into a vector upstream of a minimal promoter and lacZ reporter gene. A total of 222 resultant fusion genes were separately electroporated into fertilized eggs, and their regulatory activities were monitored in larvae. In sum, 21 separable cis-regulatory elements were found. These include eight Hox linked domains that drive expression in nested anterior-posterior domains of ectodermally derived tissues. In addition to vertebrate-like CNS regulation, the discovery of cis-regulatory domains that drive epidermal transcription suggests that C. intestinalis has arthropod-like Hox patterning in the epidermis.

Conventional and high resolution electron microscopy havebeen applied for studying lattice defects in nonpolar a-plane GaN grownon a 4H-SiC substrate with an AlN buffer layer. Samples in plan-view andcross-section configurations have been investigated. Basal and prismaticstacking faults together with Frank and Shockley partial dislocationswere found to be the main defects in the GaN layers. High resolutionelectron microscopy in combination with image simulation supported Drum smodel for the prismatic stacking faults. The density of basal stackingfaults was measured to be ~;1.6_106cm-1. The densities of partialdislocations terminating I1 and I2 types of intrinsic basal stackingfaults were ~;4.0_1010cm-2 and ~;0.4_1010cm-2, respectively. The energyof the I2 stacking fault in GaN was estimated to be (40+-4) erg/cm2 basedon the separation of Shockley partial dislocations. To the best of ourknowledge, the theoretically predicted I3 basal stacking fault in GaN wasobserved experimentally for the first time.

Soon after the LHC is commissioned with proton beams the ATLAS experiment will begin studies of Pb-Pb collisions with a center of mass energy of {radical}s{sub NN} = 5.5 TeV. The ATLAS program is a natural extension of measurements at RHIC in a direction that exploits the higher LHC energies and the superb ATLAS calorimeter and tracking coverage. At LHC energies, collisions will be produced with even higher energy density than observed at RHIC. The properties of the resulting hot medium can be studied with higher energy probes, which are more directly interpreted through modification of jet properties emerging from these collisions, for example. Other topics which are enabled by the 30-fold increase in center of mass energy include probing the partonic structure of nuclei with hard photoproduction (in UltraPeripheral collisions) and in p-Pb collisions. Here we report on evaluation of ATLAS capabilities for Heavy Ion Physics.

Results on direct photon measurements from the PHENIX experiment at RHIC are presented. The results suggest that the photons observed are emitted from the initial stage of hard scattering. Comparisons with several theoretical calculations are also presented.

A design for a high gradient, low inductance pulsed quadrupole magnet is presented. The magnet is a circular current dominated design with a circular iron return yoke. Conductor angles are determined by a method of direct multipole elimination which theoretically eliminates the first four higher order multipole field components. Coils are fabricated from solid round film-insulated conductor, wound as a single layer ''non-spiral bedstead'' coil having a diagonal leadout entirely within one upturned end. The coils are wound and stretched straight in a special winder, then bent in simple fixtures to form the upturned ends.

The combustion of fossil fuels is profoundly altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from approximately 280 to 370 {micro}l l{sup -1} in 2004, and it is expected to exceed 550 {micro}l l{sup -1} by 2050. Tropospheric ozone has risen even more rapidly than CO{sub 2} and average summer concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere are expected to continue to increase by 0.5-2.5% per year over the next 30 years. Although elevated CO{sub 2} stimulates photosynthesis and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems, ozone (O{sub 3}) is deleterious. In addition to directly affecting the physiology and productivity of crops, increased concentrations of tropospheric CO{sub 2} and O{sub 3} are predicted to lower the nutritional quality of leaves, which has the potential to increase herbivory as insects eat more to meet their nutritional demands. We tested the hypothesis that changes in tropospheric chemistry affect the relationship between plants and insect herbivores by changing leaf quality. The susceptibility to herbivory of soybean grown in elevated CO{sub 2} or O{sub 3} was examined using free air gas concentration enrichment (SoyFACE). FACE technology has the advantage that plants are cultivated under realistic …

A method is described for jointly using time-lapse multiple-offset cross-borehole ground-penetrating radar (GPR) travel time measurements and hydrological measurements to estimate field-scale soil hydraulic parameters and parameters of the petrophysical function, which relates soil porosity and water saturation to the effective dielectric constant. We build upon previous work to take advantage of a wide range of GPR data acquisition configurations and to accommodate uncertainty in the petrophysical function. Within the context of water injection experiments in the vadose zone, we test our inversion methodology with synthetic examples and apply it to field data. The synthetic examples show that while realistic errors in the petrophysical function cause substantial errors in the soil hydraulic parameter estimates,simultaneously estimating petrophysical parameters allows for these errors to be minimized. Additionally, we observe in some cases that inaccuracy in the GPR simulator causes systematic error in simulated travel times, making necessary the simultaneous estimation of a correction parameter. We also apply the method to a three-dimensional field setting using time-lapse GPR and neutron probe (NP) data sets collected during an infiltration experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford site in Washington. We find that inclusion of GPR data in the inversion procedure allows for …

The accumulator ring of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at ORNL employs in its straight sections closely packed quadrupole doublemagnets with large aperture of R=15.1 cm an relatively short iron-to-iron distance of 51.4 cm. These quads have much extended fringe field, and magnetic interferences among them in the doublet assemblies is not avoidable. Though each magnet in the assemblies has been individually mapped to high accuracy of lower than 0.01 percent level, the experimental data including the magnetic interference effect will not be available. We have performed 3D computing simulations on a quadrupole doublet model in order to assess the degree of the interference and to obtain relevant data for the SNS commissioning and operation.

We present non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of wave propagation in nanocrystals. We find that the width of the traveling wave front increases with grain size, d, as d{sup 1/2}. This width also decreases with the pressure behind the front. We extrapolate our results to micro-crystals and obtain reasonable agreement with experimental data. In addition, our extrapolation agrees with models that only take into account the various velocities of propagation along different crystalline orientations, without including grain boundary effects. Our results indicate that, even at the nanoscale, the role of grain boundaries as scattering centers or as sources of plasticity does not increase significantly the width of the traveling wave.

This paper explores some of the system dynamics and control issues for a short-stroke rotary actuator that we designed and tested for a new fast tool servo referred to as the 10 kHz rotary fast tool servo. The use of a fast tool servo (FTS) with a diamond turning machine for producing non-axisymmetric or textured surfaces on a workpiece is well known. In a previous paper [1] the authors provide details on the mechanical design and trade-off issues that were considered during the design phase for the fast tool servo. At the heart of that machine is the normal-stress variable reluctance rotary actuator described in more detail in this paper. In addition to producing the torque that is needed for the 10 kHz rotary fast tool servo, the actuator produces a force and is therefore referred to as a hybrid rotary/linear actuator. The actuator uses bias and steering magnetic fluxes for linearizing the torque versus current relationship. Certain types of electric engraving heads use an actuator similar in principle to our hybrid actuator. In the case of the engraving heads, the actuator is used to produce and sustain a resonating mechanical oscillator. This is in sharp contrast to the arbitrary …

The nuclear waste package design for Yucca Mountain (Nevada, USA), in its current configuration, consists of a double wall cylindrical container fabricated using a highly corrosion resistant Ni-based Alloy 22 for the outer barrier and type 316 stainless steel for the inner structural vessel. A mailbox-shaped drip shield fabricated primarily using Ti Grade 7 will cover the waste packages. The environmental degradation of the relevant materials have been extensively studied and modeled for over ten years. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art understanding of the degradation modes of Alloy 22 (N06022) due to its interaction with the predicted in-drift mountain conditions including temperature and types of electrolytes. Subjects discussed include thermal aging and phase stability, dry oxidation, general and localized corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen induced cracking.

The RadPoleCam was developed to provide Department Of Energy (DOE) first responders the capability to assess the radiological and visual condition of remote or inaccessible locations. Real time gamma isotopic identification is provided to the first responder in the form of audio feedback (i.e. spoken through head phones) from a gamma detector mounted on a collapsible pole that can extend from 1 to 9 meters (6 to 29 feet). Simultaneously, selectable direct and side looking visual images are provided from the 5cm (2in) diameter, waterproof probe tip. The lightweight, self contained, ruggedized, system will provide a rapidly deployable field system for visual and radiological search and assessment of confined spaces and extended reach locations.

This paper discusses the features of an annotation language that we believe to be essential for optimizing user-defined abstractions. These features should capture semantics of function, data, and object-oriented abstractions, express abstraction equivalence (e.g., a class represents an array abstraction), and permit extension of traditional compiler optimizations to user-defined abstractions. Our future work will include developing a comprehensive annotation language for describing the semantics of general object-oriented abstractions, as well as automatically verifying and inferring the annotated semantics.

Wide-band reflectrometry and ellipsometry have been used to determine the optical properties n and k of freshly polished uranium and of the epitaxial oxide layer, and also the rate of oxide growth in air. Results for uranium metal as well as for epitaxial oxide are compared with single wavelength ellipsometry literature values.

SPARX is an evolutionary project proposed by a collaboration among ENEA-INFN-CNR-Universita di Roma Tor Vergata aiming at the construction of a FELSASE X-ray source in the Tor Vergata Campus. The first phase of the SPARX project, funded by Government Agencies, will be focused on R&D activity on critical components and techniques for future X-ray facilities as described in this paper.

We present XMM-Newton observations of the radio pulsar PSR J1119-6127, which has an inferred age of 1,700 yr and surface dipole magnetic field strength of 4.1 x 10{sup 13} G. We report the first detection of pulsed X-ray emission from PSR J1119-6127. In the 0.5-2.0 keV range, the pulse profile shows a narrow peak with a very high pulsed fraction of (74 {+-} 14)%. In the 2.0-10.0 keV range, the upper limit for the pulsed fraction is 28% (99% confidence). The pulsed emission is well described by a thermal blackbody model with a temperature of T{infinity} = 2.4{sub -0.2}{sup +0.3} x 10{sup 6} K and emitting radius of 3.4{sub -0.3}{sup +1.8} km (at a distance of 8.4 kpc). Atmospheric models result in problematic estimates for the distance/emitting area. PSR J1119-6127 is now the radio pulsar with smallest characteristic age from which thermal X-ray emission has been detected. The combined temporal and spectral characteristics of this emission are unlike those of other radio pulsars detected at X-ray energies and challenge current models of thermal emission from neutron stars.

Storage of greenhouse gases, primarily CO2, in geologic formations has been proposed as a means by which atmospheric emissions of such gases may be reduced (Bachu et al., 1994; Orr, 2004). Possible storage reservoirs currently under consideration include saline aquifers, depleted or depleting oil and gas fields, and unmineable coal seams (Baines and Worden, 2004). The amount of CO2 emitted from fossil-fueled power plants is very large, of the order of 30,000 tons per day (10 million tons per year) for a large 1,000 MW coal-fired plant (Hitchon,1996). In order to make a significant impact on reducing emissions, very large amounts of CO2 would have to be injected into subsurface formations, resulting in CO2 disposal plumes with an areal extent of order 100 km2 or more (Pruess et al., 2003). It appears inevitable, then, that such plumes will encounter imperfections in caprocks, such as fracture zones or faults, that would allow CO2 to leak from the primary storage reservoir. At typical subsurface conditions of temperature and pressure, CO2 is always less dense than aqueous fluids; thus buoyancy forces will tend to drive CO2 upward, towards the land surface, whenever adequate (sub-)vertical permeability is available. Upward migration of CO2 could also …

Experiments were conducted to characterize organic gas sorption in residential bedrooms (n=4), bathrooms (n=2), and a furnished test chamber. Rooms were studied ''as-is'' with material surfaces and furnishings unaltered. Surface materials were characterized and areas quantified. Experiments included rapid volatilization of a volatile organic compound (VOC) mixture with the room closed and sealed for a 5-h Adsorb phase, followed by 30-min Flush and 2-h closed-room Desorb phases. The mixture included n-alkanes, aromatics, glycol ethers, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, dichlorobenzene, and organophosphorus compounds. Measured gas-phase concentrations were fit to three variations of a mathematical model that considers sorption occurring at one surface sink and one potential embedded sink. The 2-parameter sink model tracked measurements for most compounds, but improved fits were obtained for some VOCs with a 3-parameter sink-diffusion or a 4-parameter two-sink model. Sorptive partitioning and initial adsorption rates increased with decreasing vapor pressure within each chemical class.

Fully-stabilized nanometric zirconia samples with varying degrees of porosity and grain sizes were analyzed using the coincidence Doppler broadening mode of the positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). A decrease in the low momentum fraction was observed and coincided with a decrease in porosity. In addition to pores, it is proposed that defects in the negatively charges grain boundary space region act as positron trapping centers; their effectiveness decreases with an increase in grain size. It is shown that PAS is sensitive to small grain size differences within the nanometric regime in these oxide materials.

Significant effort is currently being devoted to the development of noninvasive imaging systems that allow in vivo assessment of biological and biomolecular interactions in mice and other small animals. Ideally, one would like to discern these functional and metabolic relationships with in vivo radionuclide imaging at spatial resolutions approaching those that can be obtained using the anatomical imaging techniques (i.e., <100 {micro}m), which would help to answer outstanding questions in many areas of biomedicine. In this paper, we report progress on our effort to develop high-resolution focusing X-ray and gamma-ray optics for small-animal radionuclide imaging. The use of reflective optics, in contrast to methods that rely on absorptive collimation like single- or multiple-pinhole cameras, decouples spatial resolution from sensitivity (efficiency). Our feasibility studies have refined and applied ray-tracing routines to design focusing optics for small animal studies. We also have adopted a replication technique to manufacture the X-ray mirrors, and which in experimental studies have demonstrated a spatial resolution of {approx}190 {micro}m. We conclude that focusing optics can be designed and fabricated for gamma-ray energies, and with spatial resolutions, and field of view suitable for in vivo biological studies. While the efficiency of a single optic is limited, fabrication methods …

The high mass X-ray binary (HMXB) V0332+53 became active at the end of 2004, with the outburst being monitored by RXTE and INTEGRAL at hard X-rays. Here, the orbital parameters are measured with the hard X-ray data through the fitting of the Doppler-shifted spin periods. The derived orbital period and the eccentricity are consistent with those reported by Stella et al. (1985) from earlier EXOSAT observations, whereas the projected semimajor axis and the periastron longitude are found to differ, from 48 {+-} 4 to 86{sub -10}{sup +6} lt-s and from 313{sup o} {+-} 10 to 282{sup o} {+-} 14, respectively. This would indicate an angular speed of {ge} 1.6 {sup o} {+-} 0.9 yr{sup -1} for the orbit over the past 20 years. The periastron passage time, TJD 13367 {+-} 1, is just around the time when the intensity reached the maximum and, an orbital period earlier is the time when the outburst occurred. This correlation resembles the behavior of a Type I outburst. During the outburst the source spun up with {dot P}{sub spin} = 8.01{sub -1.14}{sup 1.00} x 10{sup -6} s day{sup -1}. The evolution of the pulse profile is highly intensity dependent. The separation of the double …

Paternally transmitted chromosomal damage has been associated with pregnancy loss, developmental and morphological defects, infant mortality, infertility, and genetic diseases in the offspring including cancer. There is epidemiological evidence linking paternal exposure to occupational or environmental agents with an increased risk of abnormal reproductive outcomes. There is also a large body of literature on germ cell mutagenesis in rodents showing that treatment of male germ cells with mutagens has dramatic consequences on reproduction producing effects such as those observed in human epidemiological studies. However, we know very little about the etiology, transmission and early embryonic consequences of paternally-derived chromosomal abnormalities. The available evidence suggests that: (1) there are distinct patterns of germ cell-stage differences in the sensitivity of induction of transmissible genetic damage with male postmeiotic cells being the most sensitive; (2) cytogenetic abnormalities at first metaphase after fertilization are critical intermediates between paternal exposure and abnormal reproductive outcomes; and, (3) there are maternally susceptibility factors that may have profound effects on the amount of sperm DNA damage that is converted into chromosomal aberrations in the zygote and directly affect the risk for abnormal reproductive outcomes.