An experimental evaluation has been conducted to assess the operational performance of a coded-aperture, thermal neutron imaging system and its detection and imaging capability for shielded nuclear material in pulsed photonuclear environments. This evaluation used an imaging system developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory. The active photonuclear environment was produced by an operationallyflexible, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) pulsed electron accelerator. The neutron environments were monitored using INL photonuclear neutron detectors. Results include experimental images, operational imaging system assessments and recommendations that would enhance nuclear material detection and imaging performance.

The Idaho National Laboratory: An Historical Trash Trove Historians and archaeologists love trash, the older the better. Sometimes these researchers find their passion in unexpected places. In this presentation, the treasures found in a large historic dump that lies relatively untouched in the middle of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) will be described. The U.S. military used the central portion of the INL as one of only six naval proving grounds during World War II. They dumped trash in dry irrigation canals during and after their wartime activities and shortly before the federal government designated this arid and desolate place as the nation’s nuclear reactor testing station in 1949. When read critically and combined with memories and photographs, the 60-year old trash provides a glimpse into 1940s’ culture and the everyday lives of ordinary people who lived and worked during this time on Idaho’s desert. Thanks to priceless stories, hours of research, and the ability to read the language of historic artifacts, the dump was turned from just another trash heap into a treasure trove of 1940s memorabilia. Such studies of American material culture serve to fire our imaginations, enrich our understanding of past practices, and humanize history. Historical archaeology …

The Idaho National Laboratory: An Historical Trash Trove Historians and archaeologists love trash, the older the better. Sometimes these researchers find their passion in unexpected places. In this presentation, the treasures found in a large historic dump that lies relatively untouched in the middle of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) will be described. The U.S. military used the central portion of the INL as one of only six naval proving grounds during World War II. They dumped trash in dry irrigation canals during and after their wartime activities and shortly before the federal government designated this arid and desolate place as the nation’s nuclear reactor testing station in 1949. When read critically and combined with memories and photographs, the 60-year old trash provides a glimpse into 1940s’ culture and the everyday lives of ordinary people who lived and worked during this time on Idaho’s desert. Thanks to priceless stories, hours of research, and the ability to read the language of historic artifacts, the dump was turned from just another trash heap into a treasure trove of 1940s memorabilia. Such studies of American material culture serve to fire our imaginations, enrich our understanding of past practices, and humanize history. Historical archaeology …

We present new techniques for finding anomaly-free sets of fermions. Although the anomaly cancellation conditions typically include cubic equations with integer variables that cannot be solved in general, we prove by construction that any chiral set of fermions can be embedded in a larger set of fermions which is chiral and anomaly-free. Applying these techniques to extensions of the Standard Model, we find anomaly-free models that have arbitrary quark and lepton charges under an additional U(1) gauge group.

This article introduces a novel phase shifting pixelated interferometer based on a liquid crystal spatial light modulator and simulates the expected performance. The phase shifted frames are captured simultaneously which reduces the problems arising from vibrations and air turbulence. The liquid crystal spatial light modulator is very flexible and can be configured to provide a large number of phase shift levels and geometries to reduce the measurement error.

The RELAP5-3D© computer code is being improved for the analysis of very high temperature gas-cooled reactors. Diffusion and natural circulation can be important phenomena in gas-cooled reactors following a loss-of-coolant accident. Recent improvements to the code include the addition of models that simulate pressure loss across a pebble bed and molecular diffusion. These models were assessed using experimental data. The diffusion model was assessed using data from inverted U-tube experiments. The code’s capability to simulate natural circulation of air through a pebble bed was assessed using data from the NACOK facility. The calculated results were in reasonable agreement with the measured values.

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The ATR is one of the world’s premiere test reactors for performing long term, high flux, and/or large volume irradiation test programs. It is a very versatile facility with a wide variety of experimental test capabilities for providing the environment needed in an irradiation experiment. These different capabilities include passive sealed capsule experiments, instrumented and/or temperature-controlled experiments, and pressurized water loop experiment facilities. The Irradiation Test Vehicle (ITV) installed in 1999 enhanced these capabilities by providing a built in experiment monitoring and control system for instrumented and/or temperature controlled experiments. This built in control system significantly reduces the cost for an actively monitored/temperature controlled experiments by providing the thermocouple connections, temperature control system, and temperature control gas supply and exhaust systems already in place at the irradiation position. Although the ITV in-core hardware was removed from the ATR during the last core replacement completed in early 2005, it (or a similar facility) could be re-installed for an irradiation program when the need arises. The proposed Gas Test Loop currently being designed for installation in the ATR will provide additional capability for testing of not only gas reactor materials and fuels but will also include enhanced fast flux rates for testing …

The combined sensitivity of CDF's current Standard Model Higgs boson searches is presented. The expected 95% CL limits on the production cross section times the relevant Higgs boson branching ratios are computed for the W{sup {+-}}H {yields} {ell}{sup {+-}}{nu}b{bar b}, ZH {yields} {nu}{bar {nu}}b{bar b}, gg {yields} H {yields} W{sup +}W{sup -} W{sup {+-}}H {yields} W{sup {+-}}W{sup +}W{sup -} channels as they stand as of the October 2005, using results which were prepared for Summer 2005 conferences and a newer result form the gg {yields} H {yields} W{sup +}W{sup -} channel. Correlated and uncorrelated systematic uncertainties are taken into account, and the luminosity requirements for 95% CL exclusion, 3{sigma} evidence, and 5{sigma} discovery are computed for median experimental outcomes. A list of improvements required to achieve the sensitivity to a SM Higgs boson as quantified in the Higgs Sensitivity Working Group's report is provided.

A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been created to model hightemperature steam electrolysis in a planar solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). The model represents a single cell as it would exist in an electrolysis stack. Details of the model geometry are specific to a stack that was fabricated by Ceramatec2, Inc. and tested at the Idaho National Laboratory. Mass, momentum, energy, and species conservation and transport are provided via the core features of the commercial CFD code FLUENT2. A solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) model adds the electrochemical reactions and loss mechanisms and computation of the electric field throughout the cell. The FLUENT SOFC user-defined subroutine was modified for this work to allow for operation in the SOEC mode. Model results provide detailed profiles of temperature, Nernst potential, operating potential, anode-side gas composition, cathode-side gas composition, current density and hydrogen production over a range of stack operating conditions. Mean model results are shown to compare favorably with experimental results obtained from an actual ten-cell stack tested at INL.

Most thermochemical cycles being considered for producing hydrogen include a processing stream in which dilute sulfuric acid is concentrated, vaporized and then decomposed over a catalyst. The sulfuric acid vaporizer is exposed to highly aggressive conditions. Liquid sulfuric acid will be present at a concentration of >96 wt% (>90 mol %) H2SO4 and temperatures exceeding 400oC [Brown, et. al, 2003]. The system will also be pressurized, 0.7-3.5 MPa, to keep the sulfuric acid in the liquid state at this temperature and acid concentration. These conditions far exceed those found in the commercial sulfuric acid generation, regeneration and handling industries. Exotic materials, e.g. ceramics, precious metals, clad materials, etc., have been proposed for this application [Wong, et. al., 2005]. However, development time, costs, reliability, safety concerns and/or certification issues plague such solutions and should be considered as relatively long-term, optimum solutions. A more cost-effective (and relatively near-term) solution would be to use commercially-available metallic alloys to demonstrate the cycle and study process variables. However, the corrosion behavior of commercial alloys in sulfuric acid is rarely characterized above the natural boiling point of concentrated sulfuric acid (~250oC at 1 atm). Therefore a screening study was undertaken to evaluate the suitability of various …

Article on comparative plant genomics resources at plant GDB.

Murray Gell-Mann, after co-inventing QCD, recognized the interplay of the scale anomaly, the renormalization group, and the origin of the strong scale, {Lambda}{sub QCD}. I tell a story, then elaborate this concept, and for the sake of discussion, propose a conjecture that the physical world is scale invariant in the classical, {h_bar}, limit. This principle has implications for the dimensionality of space-time, the cosmological constant, the weak scale, and Planck scale.

We have explored the distributions of fully conservedungapped blocks in genome-wide pairwise alignments of recently completedspecies of Drosophila: D.yakuba, D.ananassae, D.pseudoobscura, D.virilisand D.mojavensis. Based on these distributions we have found that nearlyevery functional sequence category possesses its own distinctiveconservation pattern, sometimes independent of the overall sequenceconservation level. In the coding and regulatory regions, the ungappedblocks were longer than in introns, UTRs and non-functional sequences. Atthe same time, the blocks in the coding regions carried 3N+2 signaturecharacteristic to synonymic substitutions in the 3rd codon positions.Larger block sizes in transcription regulatory regions can be explainedby the presence of conserved arrays of binding sites for transcriptionfactors. We also have shown that the longest ungapped blocks, or'ultraconserved' sequences, are associated with specific gene groups,including those encoding ion channels and components of the cytoskeleton.We discussed how restrained conservation patterns may help in mappingfunctional sequence categories and improving genomeannotation.

We show that the current accelerated expansion of the Universe can be explained without resorting to dark energy. Models of generalized modified gravity, with inverse powers of the curvature can have late time accelerating attractors without conflicting with solar system experiments. We have solved the Friedman equations for the full dynamical range of the evolution of the Universe. This allows us to perform a detailed analysis of Supernovae data in the context of such models that results in an excellent fit. Hence, inverse curvature gravity models represent an example of phenomenologically viable models in which the current acceleration of the Universe is driven by curvature instead of dark energy. If we further include constraints on the current expansion rate of the Universe from the Hubble Space Telescope and on the age of the Universe from globular clusters, we obtain that the matter content of the Universe is 0.07 {le} {omega}{sub m} {le} 0.21 (95% Confidence). Hence the inverse curvature gravity models considered can not explain the dynamics of the Universe just with a baryonic matter component.

Polyphosphazenes are hybrid polymers having organic pendant groups attached to an inorganic backbone. Phosphazene polymers can be tailored to specific applications through the attachment of a variety of different pendant groups to the phosphazene backbone. Applications for which these polymers have proven useful include solid polymer electrolytes for batteries and fuel cells, as well as, membranes for gas and liquid separations. In past work, phosphazene polymers have been synthesized using mixtures of pendant groups with differing chemical affinities. Specific ratios of hydrophobic and hydrophilic pendant groups were placed on the phosphazene backbone with a goal of demonstrating control of solubility, and therefore chemical selectivity. In this work, a series of phosphazene homo-polymers were synthesized having varying amounts of hydrophobic and hydrophilic character on each individual pendant group. Polymers were synthesized having a hydrophilic portion next to the polymer backbone and the hydrophobic portion on the terminal end of the pendant group. The effects of these combined hydrophobic/hydrophilic pendant groups on polymer morphology and gas transport properties are presented. The following data will be addressed: thermal characterization, pure gas permeability on seven gases (Ar, H2, O2, N2, CO2, and CH4 ), and ideal selectivity for the gas pairs: O2/N2, H2/CO2, CO2/H2, …

Thermochemical water splitting processes for generating hydrogen have been researched for at least thirty years in which over one-hundred chemical cycles have been proposed that use heat and/or electrochemistry to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Proposed heat sources include nuclear reactors and solar reflectors. One of the most promising cycles is the Sulfur-Iodine (S-I) process, where aqueous HI is thermochemically decomposed into H2 and I2 at approximately 350 degrees Celsius. Regeneration of HI is accomplished by the Bunsen reaction (reaction of SO2, water, and iodine to generate H2SO4 and HI). Furthermore, SO2 is regenerated from the decomposition of H2SO4 at 850 degrees Celsius yielding the SO2 as well as O2. Thus, the cycle actually consists of two concurrent oxidation-reduction loops. As HI is regenerated, co-produced H2SO4 must be separated so that each may be decomposed. Current flowsheets employ a large amount (~83 mol% of the entire mixture) of elemental I2 to cause the HI and the H2SO4 to separate into two phases. Removal of water from this system has the direct result of lowering the required quantity of I2, thus reducing the amount of material that must be physically moved within and S-I plant. Recent efforts at the INL …

Polyphosphazenes are an intriguing class of polymers because molecular substitutions can be made onto the phosphorus and nitrogen backbone after polymerization. Chemical functionality is supplied through selection of pendant group. In general, regardless of pendant group, polyphosphazenes embody a high degree of thermal and chemical stability, although some pendant groups yield more stable polymers as compared to others. For example, many aryloxyphosphazene formulations are stable at temperatures as high as 300 - 400 degrees Celsius, while many alkoxy-substituted polymers decompose at lower temperatures. It has been thought that permeation of the more condensable gases, such as CO2 and H2S, could be enhanced by selection of pendant groups that exhibit higher affinities for these gases. In this paper, over 20 polyphosphazenes with a wide array of pendant groups will be discussed in terms of their CO2 transport properties. From this work, we have concluded that the chemical characteristics of the pendant group largely do not play a role in CO2 or permanent gas transport. More important are the physical characteristics of the polymer. For example, permeabilities were found to correlate well to the glass transition temperature of the polymer, regardless of the polarity of the pendant group. Thus, segmental chain motion …

The United States Department of Energy has set long-term national goals for the development of geothermal energy that are significantly accelerated compared to historical development of the resource. To achieve these goals, it is crucial to evaluate the performance of previous and existing efforts to create enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Two recently developed EGS sites are evaluated from the standpoint of geomechanics. These sites have been established in significantly different tectonic regimes: 1. compressional Cooper Basin (Australia), and 2. extensional Soultz-sous-Fôrets (France). Mohr-Coulomb analyses of the stimulation procedures employed at these sites, coupled with borehole observations, indicate that pre-existing fractures play a significant role in the generation of permeability networks. While pre-existing fabric can be exploited to produce successful results for geothermal energy development, such fracture networks may not be omnipresent. For mostly undeformed reservoirs, it may be necessary to create new fractures using processes that merge existing technologies or use concepts borrowed from natural hydrofracture examples (e.g. dyke swarms).

Abstract: To assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd demographics influence reproductive behaviors, we examined 24-h diel movements of female whitetailed deer relative to parturition and breeding in a low-density population with a near even sex ratio at the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina. We conducted a series of intensive, 24-h radio-tracking periods of 13 females during spring and fall 2002. We compared daily range (ha), rate of travel (m/h), and distance between extreme daily locations (m), among the periods of pre-parturition and post-parturition and pre-, peak-, and post-rut. From pre-parturition to post-parturition, we observed decreases in diel range size (–38.2%), distance between extreme diel locations (–17.0%), and diel rate of travel (–18.2%). Diel range size, distance between extreme diel locations, and diel rate of travel during the pre-rut and rut exceeded those observed during post-rut. We further identified substantial increases in mobility during 12 24-h diel periods for eight females during our fall monitoring. Our data suggest that female white-tailed deer reduce mobility post-fawning following exaggerated movements during pre-parturition. Furthermore, despite a near equal sex ratio, estrous does may be required to actively seek potential mates due to low population density.

A research and development collaboration has been started with the goal of producing a prototype hadron calorimeter section for the purpose of proving the Particle Flow Algorithm concept for the International Linear Collider. Given the unique requirements of a Particle Flow Algorithm calorimeter, custom readout electronics must be developed to service these detectors. This paper introduces the DCal or Digital Calorimetry Chip, a custom integrated circuit developed in a 0.25um CMOS process specifically for this International Linear Collider project. The DCal is capable of handling 64 channels, producing a 1-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of the input (i.e. hit/no hit). It maintains a 24-bit timestamp and is capable of operating either in an externally triggered mode or in a self-triggered mode. Moreover, it is capable of operating either with or without a pipeline delay. Finally, in order to permit the testing of different calorimeter technologies, its analog front end is capable of servicing Particle Flow Algorithm calorimeters made from either Resistive Plate Chambers or Gaseous Electron Multipliers.

The United States Department of Energy’s Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program will be irradiating eight particle fuel tests in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at the newly formed Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to support development of the next generation Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) in the United States. The ATR has a long history of irradiation testing in support of reactor development and the INL has been designated as the new United States Department of Energy’s lead laboratory for nuclear energy development. These AGR fuel experiments will be irradiated over the next ten years to demonstrate and qualify new particle fuel for use in high temperature gas reactors. The experiments will be irradiated in an inert sweep gas atmosphere with on-line temperature monitoring and control combined with on-line fission product monitoring of the sweep gas. The final design phase has just been completed on the first experiment (AGR-1) in this series and the support systems and fission product monitoring system that will monitor and control the experiment during irradiation. This paper discusses the development of the experimental hardware and support system designs and the status of the experiment.

We consider a Super-NOVA-like experimental configuration based on the use of two detectors in a long-baseline experiment as NOVA. We take the far detector as in the present NOVA proposal and add a second detector at a shorter baseline. The location of the second off-axis detector is chosen such that the ratio L/E is the same for both detectors, being L the baseline and E the neutrino energy. We consider liquid argon and water- Cerenkov techniques for the second off-axis detector and study, for different experimental setups, the detector mass required for the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy, for different values of {theta}{sub 13}. We also study the capabilities of such an experimental setup for determining CP-violation in the neutrino sector. Our results show that by adding a second off-axis detector a remarkable enhancement on the capabilities of the current NOVA experiment could be achieved.

A series of 1-m long Nb3Sn dipole magnets have been built at Fermilab in an attempt to refine the wind-and-react technology for Nb{sub 3}Sn conductor. Models have been made with MJR and PIT strand with varying degrees of success. Subsequently two new dipole ''mirror'' magnets based on RRP Nb{sub 3}Sn coils were constructed and tested. This paper describes the design, fabrication and test results of those magnets.