In hierarchical structure formation, merging of galaxies is frequent and known to dramatically affect their properties. To comprehend these interactions high-resolution simulations are indispensable because of the nonlinear coupling between pc and Mpc scales. To this end, we present the first adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulation of two merging, low mass, initially gas-rich galaxies (1.8 x 10{sup 10} M{sub {circle_dot}} each), including star formation and feedback. With galaxies resolved by {approx} 2 x 10{sup 7} total computational elements, we achieve unprecedented resolution of the multiphase interstellar medium, finding a widespread starburst in the merging galaxies via shock-induced star formation. The high dynamic range of AMR also allows us to follow the interplay between the galaxies and their embedding medium depicting how galactic outflows and a hot metal-rich halo form. These results demonstrate that AMR provides a powerful tool in understanding interacting galaxies.

Corrosion has prevented use of SiC/Mg multilayers in applications requiring good lifetime stability. We have developed Al-based barrier layers that dramatically reduce corrosion, while preserving high reflectance and low stress. The aforementioned advances may enable the implementation of corrosion-resistant, high-performance SiC/Mg coatings in the 28-75 nm region in applications such as tabletop EUV/soft x-ray laser sources and solar physics telescopes. Further study and optimization of corrosion barrier structures and coating designs is underway.

A parametric study was conducted using EnergyPlus version 6.0 to investigate humidity issues on a typical mid-1990s reference home, a 2006 International Energy Conservation Code home, and a high-performance home in a hot-humid climate. The impacts of various dehumidification equipment and controls are analyzed on the high performance home. The study examined the combined effects of infiltration and mechanical ventilation with balanced and unbalanced mechanical ventilation systems. Indoor relative humidity excursions were examined; specifically, the number of excursions, average excursion length, and maximum excursion length. Space relative humidity, thermal comfort, and whole-house source energy consumption were analyzed for indoor relative humidity set points of 50%, 55%, and 60%. The study showed and explained why similar trends of high humidity were observed in all three homes regardless of energy efficiency, and why humidity problems are not necessarily unique in high-performance homes. Thermal comfort analysis indicated that occupants are unlikely to notice indoor humidity problems. The study confirmed that supplemental dehumidification should be provided to maintain space relative humidity below 60% in a hot-humid climate.

Elucidating the in situ metabolic activity of phylogenetically diverse populations of sulfate-reducing microorganisms that populate anoxic sedimentary environments is key to understanding subsurface ecology. Previous pure culture studies have demonstrated that transcript abundance of dissimilatory (bi)sulfite reductase genes is correlated with the sulfate reducing activity of individual cells. To evaluate whether expression of these genes was diagnostic for subsurface communities, dissimilatory (bi)sulfite reductase gene transcript abundance in phylogenetically distinct sulfate-reducing populations was quantified during a field experiment in which acetate was added to uranium-contaminated groundwater. Analysis of dsrAB sequences prior to the addition of acetate indicated that Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae, and Syntrophaceae-related sulfate reducers were the most abundant. Quantifying dsrB transcripts of the individual populations suggested that Desulfobacteraceae initially had higher dsrB transcripts per cell than Desulfobulbaceae or Syntrophaceae populations, and that the activity of Desulfobacteraceae increased further when the metabolism of dissimilatory metal reducers competing for the added acetate declined. In contrast, dsrB transcript abundance in Desulfobulbaceae and Syntrophaceae remained relatively constant, suggesting a lack of stimulation by added acetate. The indication of higher sulfate-reducing activity in the Desulfobacteraceae was consistent with the finding that Desulfobacteraceae became the predominant component of the sulfate-reducing community. Discontinuing acetate additions resulted in a …

Plasma-facing components (PFCs) will be exposed to 14 MeV neutrons from deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactions, and tungsten, a candidate PFC for the divertor in ITER, is expected to receive a neutron dose of 0.7 displacement per atom (dpa) by the end of operation in ITER. The effect of neutron-irradiation damage has been mainly simulated using high-energy ion bombardment. While this prior database of results is quite valuable for understanding the behavior of hydrogen isotopes in PFCs, it does not encompass the full range of effects that must be considered in a practical fusion environment due to short penetration depth, damage gradient, high damage rate, and high PKA energy spectrum of the ion bombardment. In addition, neutrons change the elemental composition via transmutations, and create a high radiation environment inside PFCs, which influence the behavior of hydrogen isotope in PFCs, suggesting the utilization of fission reactors is necessary for neutron irradiation. Therefore, the effort to correlate among high-energy ions, fission neutrons, and fusion neutrons is crucial for accurately estimating tritium retention under a neutron-irradiation environment. Under the framework of the US-Japan TITAN program, tungsten samples (99.99 at. % purity from A.L.M.T. Co.) were irradiated by neutron in the High Flux Isotope …

Hydrogen reacts with a uranium surface to form a fine, pyrophoric metal power (UH{sub 3}). Few spectroscopic studies have been conducted to study this reaction. Advances in Raman spectroscopy permit the application of the Raman method to formally difficult areas of chemistry such as the hydrogen corrosion of uranium: availability of multiple laser excitation wavelengths; fiber optics delivery and collection systems; upgraded instrumentation and detection techniques; and development of special enclosed in situ reactor cells. UH{sub 3} vibrations are expected to occur at low frequencies due to extended U-H-U structure.

These lectures give a pedagogical discussion of the computation of QCD tree amplitudes for collider physics. The tools reviewed are spinor products, color ordering, MHV amplitudes, and the Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten recursion formula.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN promises a major step forward in the understanding of the fundamental nature of matter. The ATLAS experiment is a general-purpose detector for the LHC, whose design was guided by the need to accommodate the wide spectrum of possible physics signatures. The major remit of the ATLAS experiment is the exploration of the TeV mass scale where groundbreaking discoveries are expected. In the focus are the investigation of the electroweak symmetry breaking and linked to this the search for the Higgs boson as well as the search for Physics beyond the Standard Model. In this report a detailed examination of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector is provided, with a major aim being to investigate the experimental sensitivity to a wide range of measurements and potential observations of new physical processes. An earlier summary of the expected capabilities of ATLAS was compiled in 1999 [1]. A survey of physics capabilities of the CMS detector was published in [2]. The design of the ATLAS detector has now been finalised, and its construction and installation have been completed [3]. An extensive test-beam programme was undertaken. Furthermore, the simulation and reconstruction software code and frameworks have …

A unique application of the pulsed-wire measurement method has been implemented for alignment of 2.5 T pulsed solenoid magnets. The magnetic axis measurement has been shown to have a resolution of better than 25 {micro}m. The accuracy of the technique allows for the identification of inherent field errors due to, for example, the winding layer transitions and the current leads. The alignment system is developed for the induction accelerator NDCX-II under construction at LBNL, an upgraded Neutralized Drift Compression experiment for research on warm dense matter and heavy ion fusion. Precise alignment is essential for NDCX-II, since the ion beam has a large energy spread associated with the rapid pulse compression such that misalignments lead to corkscrew deformation of the beam and reduced intensity at focus. The ability to align the magnetic axis of the pulsed solenoids to within 100 pm of the induction cell axis has been demonstrated.

Currently, proliferation risk assessment models are designed to evaluate only a portion of the overall risk, focusing exclusively on either technological or social factors to determine the extent of a threat. Many of these models are intended to act as a means of predicting proliferation potential rather than assessing the system as a whole, ignoring the ability to enhance mitigating factors and manage, rather just establish the presence of, the threat. While the information garnered through these forms of analysis is necessary, it remains incomplete. By incorporating political, social, economic and technical capabilities as well as human factors such as intent into a single, multi-faceted risk management model, proliferation risk can be evaluated more effectively. Framing this information around how to improve and expand the Regime already in place and establishing where there are gaps in the system allows for a more complete approach to risk management, mitigation and resource allocation. The research conducted here seeks to combine all three elements (intent, capability and opportunity) in a comprehensive evaluation which incorporates an assessment of state-level variables, possible proliferation pathways and technical capability. Each portion of the analysis is carried out independently then combined to illustrate the full scope of a …

The subjects of discussion included: VUV photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Synchrotron-radiation-based photoelectron spectroscopy, Soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy, Soft x-ray emission spectroscopy, Inverse photoelectron spectroscopy, Bremstrahlung Isochromat Spectroscopy, Low energy IPES, Resonant inverse photoelectron spectroscopy.

We consider a deformation of the AdS{sub 5} x S{sup 5} solution of IIB supergravity obtained by taking the boundary value of the dilaton to be time dependent. The time dependence is taken to be slowly varying on the AdS scale thereby introducing a small parameter {epsilon}. The boundary dilaton has a profile which asymptotes to a constant in the far past and future and attains a minimum value at intermediate times. We construct the sugra solution to first non-trivial order in {epsilon}, and find that it is smooth, horizon free, and asymptotically AdS{sub 5} x S{sup 5} in the far future. When the intermediate values of the dilaton becomes small enough the curvature becomes of order the string scale and the sugra approximation breaks down. The resulting dynamics is analysed in the dual SU(N) gauge theory on S{sup 3} with a time dependent coupling constant which varies slowly. When N{epsilon} << 1, we find that a quantum adiabatic approximation is applicable, and use it to argue that at late times the geometry becomes smooth AdS{sub 5} x S{sup 5} again. When N{epsilon} >> 1, we formulate a classical adiabatic perturbation theory based on coherent states which arises in the …

A new method is presented for solving Poisson's equation inside an open-ended rectangular pipe. The method uses Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs)to perform mixed convolutions and correlations of the charge density with the Green function. Descriptions are provided for algorithms based on theordinary Green function and for an integrated Green function (IGF). Due to its similarity to the widely used Hockney algorithm for solving Poisson'sequation in free space, this capability can be easily implemented in many existing particle-in-cell beam dynamics codes.

An ultrarelativistic 28.5 GeV, 700-{micro}m-long positron bunch is focused near the entrance of a 1.4-m-long plasma with a density n{sub e} between {approx}10{sup 13} and {approx}5 x 10{sup 14} cm{sup -3}. Partial neutralization of the bunch space charge by the mobile plasma electrons results in a reduction in transverse size by a factor of {approx}3 in the high emittance plane of the beam {approx}1 m downstream from the plasma exit. As n{sub e} increases, the formation of a beam halo containing {approx}40% of the total charge is observed, indicating that the plasma focusing force is nonlinear. Numerical simulations confirm these observations. The bunch with an incoming transverse size ratio of {approx}3 and emittance ratio of {approx}5 suffers emittance growth and exits the plasma with approximately equal sizes and emittances.

Compression wave analysis started nearly 50 years ago with Fowles. Coperthwaite and Williams gave a method that helps identify simple and steady waves. We have been developing a method that gives describes the non-isentropic character of compression waves, in general. One result of that work is a simple analysis tool. Our method helps clearly identify when a compression wave is a simple wave, a steady wave (shock), and when the compression wave is in transition. This affects the analysis of compression wave experiments and the resulting extraction of the high-pressure equation of state.

We have studied the formation and evolution of shock-induced mix resulting from interface features in a divergent cylindrical geometry. In this research a cylindrical core of high-explosive was detonated to create an oblique shock wave and accelerate the interface. The interfaces studied were between the high-explosive/aluminum, aluminum/plastic, and finally plastic/air. Pre-emplaced surface features added to the aluminum were used to modify this interface. Time sequence radiographic imaging quantified the resulting instability formation from the growth phase to over 60 {micro}s post-detonation. Thus allowing the study of the onset of mix and evolution to turbulence. The plastic used here was porous polyethylene. Radiographic image data are compared with numerical simulations of the experiments.

With the 12GeV upgrade underway at CEBAF, there is a need to re-characterize the beamlines after the modifications made to it to accommodate running at higher energies. We present a linear perturbation approach to calibrating the optics model of transport lines. This method is adapted from the LOCO method in use for storage rings. We consider the effect of quadrupole errors, dipole construction errors as well as beam position monitors and correctors calibrations. The ideal model is expanded to first order in Taylor series of the quadrupole errors. A set of difference orbits obtained by exciting the correctors along the beamline is taken, yielding the measured response matrix. An iterative procedure is invoked and the quadrupole errors as well as beam position monitors and corrector calibration factors are obtained. Here we present details of the method and results of first measurements at CEBAF in early 2011.

Advanced architectures can deliver dramatically increased throughput for genomics and proteomics applications, reducing time-to-completion in some cases from days to minutes. One such architecture, hybrid-core computing, marries a traditional x86 environment with a reconfigurable coprocessor, based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. In addition to higher throughput, increased performance can fundamentally improve research quality by allowing more accurate, previously impractical approaches. We will discuss the approach used by Convey?s de Bruijn graph constructor for short-read, de-novo assembly. Bioinformatics applications that have random access patterns to large memory spaces, such as graph-based algorithms, experience memory performance limitations on cache-based x86 servers. Convey?s highly parallel memory subsystem allows application-specific logic to simultaneously access 8192 individual words in memory, significantly increasing effective memory bandwidth over cache-based memory systems. Many algorithms, such as Velvet and other de Bruijn graph based, short-read, de-novo assemblers, can greatly benefit from this type of memory architecture. Furthermore, small data type operations (four nucleotides can be represented in two bits) make more efficient use of logic gates than the data types dictated by conventional programming models.JGI is comparing the performance of Convey?s graph constructor and Velvet on both synthetic and real data. We will present preliminary results on …

This paper presents a new idea to produce matter in the high energy density physics (HEDP) regime in the laboratory using an intense ion beam. A gas bubble created inside a solid metal may collapse by driving it with an intense ion beam. The melted metal will compress the gas bubble and supply extra energy to it. Simulations show that the spherical implosion ratio can be about 5 and at the stagnation point, the maximum density, temperature and pressure inside the gas bubble can go up to nearly 2 times solid density, 10 eV and a few megabar (Mbar) respectively. The proposed experiment is the first to permit access into the Mbar regime with existing or near-term ion facilities, and opens up possibilities for new physics gained through careful comparisons of simulations with measurements of quantities like stagnation radius, peak temperature and peak pressure at the metal wall.

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome …

Algaeventure Systems (AVS) has previously demonstrated an innovative technology for dewatering algae slurries that dramatically reduces energy consumption by utilizing surface physics and capillary action. Funded by a $6M ARPA-E award, transforming the original Harvesting, Dewatering and Drying (HDD) prototype machine into a commercially viable technology has required significant attention to material performance, integration of sensors and control systems, and especially addressing scaling issues that would allow processing extreme volumes of algal cultivation media/slurry. Decoupling the harvesting, dewatering and drying processes, and addressing the rate limiting steps for each of the individual steps has allowed for the development individual technologies that may be tailored to the specific needs of various cultivation systems. The primary performance metric used by AVS to assess the economic viability of its Solid-Liquid Separation (SLS) dewatering technology is algae mass production rate as a function of power consumption (cost), cake solids/moisture content, and solids capture efficiency. An associated secondary performance metric is algae mass loading rate which is dependent on hydraulic loading rate, area-specific hydraulic processing capacity (gpm/in2), filter:capillary belt contact area, and influent algae concentration. The system is capable of dewatering 4 g/L (0.4%) algae streams to solids concentrations up to 30% with capture efficiencies …

In the history of astronomy, major advances in our understanding of the Universe have come from dramatic improvements in our ability to accurately measure astronomical quantities. Aided by rapid progress in information technology, current sky surveys are changing the way we view and study the Universe. Next-generation surveys will maintain this revolutionary progress. We focus here on the most ambitious survey currently planned in the visible band, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). LSST will have unique survey capability in the faint time domain. The LSST design is driven by four main science themes: constraining dark energy and dark matter, taking an inventory of the Solar System, exploring the transient optical sky, and mapping the Milky Way. It will be a large, wide-field ground-based system designed to obtain multiple images covering the sky that is visible from Cerro Pachon in Northern Chile. The current baseline design, with an 8.4 m (6.5 m effective) primary mirror, a 9.6 deg{sup 2} field of view, and a 3,200 Megapixel camera, will allow about 10,000 square degrees of sky to be covered using pairs of 15-second exposures in two photometric bands every three nights on average. The system is designed to yield high image …

The BaBar experiment at the PEP-II B-factory gives excellent opportunities for the quarkonium spectroscopy. Investigation of the properties of new states like the X(3872), Y(3940) and Y(4260) are performed aiming to understand their nature. Recent BaBar results will be presented in this paper. At the B-factories charmonium and charmonium-like states are copiously produced via several mechanisms: in B decay (color suppressed b {yields} c transition), double charmonium production (e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} c{bar c} + c{bar c}), two photons production ({gamma}*{gamma}* {yields} c{bar c}, where the c{bar c} state has positive C-parity) and in initial state radiation (ISR) when the e{sup {+-}} in its initial state emits a photon lowering the effective center of mass energy of the e{sup +}e{sup -} interaction (e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} {gamma}{sub ISR} + c{bar c}, where the charmonium state has the quantum numbers J{sup PC} = 1{sup -2}). Many new states have been recently discovered at the B-factories, BaBar and Belle, above the D{bar D} threshold in the charmonium energy region. While some of them appear to be consistent with conventional c{sub c} states others do not fit with any expectation. Several interpretations for these states have been proposed: for some of them the …

This paper presents a comprehensive dynamic-response analysis of six offshore floating wind turbine concepts.