Article discussing the temporal complexity of the order parameter at the phase transition.

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.

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 …

FACET is a new facility under construction at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The FACET beam line is designed to provide 23 GeV tightly focused and compressed electron and positron bunches for beam driven plasma wakefield acceleration research and other experiments. Achieving optimal beam parameters for various experimental conditions requires the optics capability for tuning in a sufficiently wide range. This will be achieved by using optics tuning systems (knobs). Design of such systems for FACET is discussed.

The SUPER-B detector solenoid has a strong 1.5 T field in the Interaction Region (IR) area, and its tails extend over the range of several meters. The main effect of the solenoid field is coupling of the horizontal and vertical betatron motion which must be corrected in order to preserve the small design beam size at the Interaction Point. The additional effects are orbit and dispersion caused by the angle between the solenoid and beam trajectories. The proposed correction system provides local compensation of the solenoid effects independently for each side of the IR. It includes 'bucking' solenoids to remove the solenoid field tails and a set of skew quadrupoles, dipole correctors and anti-solenoids to cancel linear perturbations to the optics. Details of the correction system are presented.

We investigate the nature of the mass-metallicity (M-Z) relation for long gamma-ray burst (LGRB) host galaxies. Recent studies suggest that the M-Z relation for local LGRB host galaxies may be systematically offset towards lower metallicities relative to the M-Z relation defined by the general star forming galaxy (SDSS) population. The nature of this offset is consistent with suggestions that low metallicity environments may be required to produce high mass progenitors, although the detection of several GRBs in high-mass, high-metallicity galaxies challenges the notion of a strict metallicity cut-off for host galaxies that are capable of producing GRBs. We show that the nature of this reported offset may be explained by a recently proposed anti-correlation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the metallicity of star forming galaxies. If low metallicity galaxies produce more stars than their equally massive, high-metallicity counterparts, then transient events that closely trace the SFR in a galaxy would be more likely to be found in these low metallicity, low mass galaxies. Therefore, the offset between the GRB and SDSS defined M-Z relations may be the result of the different methods used to select their respective galaxy populations, with GRBs being biased towards low metallicity, high SFR, …

The final beam cooling stages of a Muon Collider may require DC solenoid magnets with magnetic fields of 30-50 T. In this paper we present progress in insert coil development using commercially available YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} Coated Conductor. Technological aspects covered in the development, including coil geometry, insulation, manufacturing process and testing are summarized and discussed. Test results of double pancake coils operated in liquid nitrogen and liquid helium are presented and compared with the performance of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} tape short samples.

Evaporation rates of K2O, Na2O, and FeO from chondrule-like liquids and the associated potassium isotopic fractionation of the evaporation residues were measured to help understand the processes and conditions that affected the chemical and isotopic compositions of olivine-rich Type IA and Type IIA chondrules from Semarkona. Both types of chondrules show evidence of having been significantly or totally molten. However, these chondrules do not have large or systematic potassium isotopic fractionation of the sort found in the laboratory evaporation experiments. The experimental results reported here provide new data regarding the evaporation kinetics of sodium and potassium from a chondrule-like melt and the potassium isotopic fractionation of evaporation residues run under various conditions ranging from high vacuum to pressures of one bar of H2+CO2, or H2, or helium. The lack of systematic isotopic fractionation of potassium in the Type IIA and Type IA chondrules compared with what is found in the vacuum and one-bar evaporation residues is interpreted as indicating that they evolved in a partially closed system where the residence time of the surrounding gas was sufficiently long for it to have become saturated in the evaporating species and for isotopic equilibration between the gas and the melt. A diffusion …

We present a new approach (demonstrated experimentally and through modeling) to characterize the spectral envelope of a terahertz (THz) pulse in a single shot. The coherent THz pulse is produced by a femtosecond electron bunch and contains information on the bunch duration. The technique, involving a single low-power laser probe pulse, is an extension of the conventional spectral encoding method (limited in time resolution to hundreds of femtoseconds) into a regime only limited in resolution by the laser pulse length (tens of femtoseconds). While only the bunch duration is retrieved (and not the exact charge profile), such a measurement provides a useful and critical parameter for optimization of the electron accelerator.

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This article is an introduction to the Monte Carlo method as used in particle transport. After a description at an elementary level of the mathematical basis of the method, the Boltzmann equation and its physical meaning are presented, followed by Monte Carlo integration and random sampling, and by a general description of the main aspects and components of a typical Monte Carlo particle transport code. In particular, the most common biasing techniques are described, as well as the concepts of estimator and detector. After a discussion of the different types of errors, the issue of Quality Assurance is briefly considered.

We construct a large class of non-supersymmetric AdS-like throat geometries in string theory by taking non-supersymmetric orbifolds of supersymmetric backgrounds. The scale of SUSY breaking is the AdS radius, and the dual field theory has explicitly broken supersymmetry. The large hierarchy of energy scales in these geometries is stable. We establish this by showing that the dual gauge theories do not have any relevant operators which are singlets under the global symmetries. When the geometries are embedded in a compact internal space, a large enough discrete subgroup of the global symmetries can still survive to prevent any singlet relevant operators from arising. We illustrate this by embedding one case in a non-supersymmetric orbifold of a Calabi-Yau manifold. These examples can serve as a starting point for obtaining Randall-Sundrum models in string theory, and more generally for constructing composite Higgs or technicolor-like models where strongly coupled dynamics leads to the breaking of electro-weak symmetry. Towards the end of the paper, we briefly discuss how bulk gauge fields can be incorporated by introducing D7-branes in the bulk, and also show how the strongly coupled dynamics can lead to an emergent weakly coupled gauge theory in the IR with matter fields including scalars.

The Prismatic Modular Reactor (PMR) is one of the High Temperature Reactor (HTR) design concepts that have existed for some time. Several prismatic units have operated in the world (DRAGON, Fort St. Vrain, Peach Bottom) and one unit is still in operation (HTTR). The deterministic neutronics and thermal-fluids transient analysis tools and methods currently available for the design and analysis of PMRs have lagged behind the state of the art compared to LWR reactor technologies. This has motivated the development of more accurate and efficient tools for the design and safety evaluations of the PMR. In addition to the work invested in new methods, it is essential to develop appropriate benchmarks to verify and validate the new methods in computer codes. The purpose of this benchmark is to establish a well-defined problem, based on a common given set of data, to compare methods and tools in core simulation and thermal hydraulics analysis with a specific focus on transient events. The benchmark-working group is currently seeking OECD/NEA sponsorship. This benchmark is being pursued and is heavily based on the success of the PBMR-400 exercise.

In modern storage rings the transverse emittance of electron beams can be comparable to that from state-of-art photoinjectors, but the intrinsic low peak current and large energy spread pre-cludes the possibility of realizing short-wavelength high-gain free electron lasers (FELs) in storage rings. In this note I propose a technique to significantly increase beam peak current without greatly increasing beam energy spread, which is achieved by transferring part of the longitudinal emittance to transverse plane. It is shown that by properly repartitioning the emittance in 6-D phase space, the beam from a large storage ring may be used to drive a single-pass high-gain FEL in soft x-ray wavelength range.

In cyanobacteria CO2 fixation is localized in a special proteinaceous organelle, the carboxysome. The CO2 fixation enzymes are encapsulated by a selectively permeable protein shell. By structurally and functionally characterizing subunits of the carboxysome shell and the encapsulated proteins, we hope to understand what regulates the shape, assembly and permeability of the shell, as well as the targeting mechanism and organization of the encapsulated proteins. This knowledge will be used to enhance CO2 fixation in both cyanobacteria and plants through synthetic biology. The same strategy can also serve as a template for the production of modular synthetic bacterial organelles. Our research is conducted using a variety of techniques such as genomic sequencing and analysis, transcriptional regulation, DNA synthesis, synthetic biology, protein crystallization, Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), protein-protein interaction assays and phenotypic characterization using various types of cellular imaging, e.g. fluorescence microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Soft X-ray Tomography (SXT).

Establishing how and when large N/Z values require modified or new theoretical tools is a major quest in nuclear physics. Here we report the first measurement of the lifetime of the 2{sup +}{sub 1} state in the near-dripline nucleus {sup 20}C. The deduced value of {tau}{sub #28;2{sup +}{sub 1}} = 9.8 ± 2.8(stat){sup +0.5}{sub −1.1}(syst) ps gives a reduced transition probability of B(E2;2{sup +}{sub 1}{yields}0{sup +}{sub g.s.}) = 7.5{sup +3.0}{sub −1.7}(stat){sup +1.0}{sub −0.4}(syst) e{sup 2}fm{sup 4} in good agreement with a shell model calculation using isospin-dependent effective charges.

Radioactive material packages are withdrawn from use for various reasons; loss of mission, decertification, damage, replacement, etc. While the packages themselves may be decertified, various components may still be able to perform to their required standards and find useful service. The Packaging Technology and Pressurized Systems group of the Savannah River National Laboratory has been reducing the cost of producing new Type B Packagings by reclaiming, refurbishing, and returning to service the containment vessels from older decertified packagings. The program and its benefits are presented.

We combine different wavelengths from an intense high-order harmonics source with variable delay at the focus of a split-mirror interferometer to conduct pump-probe experiments on gas-phase molecules. We report measurements of the time resolution (< 44fs) and spatial profiles (4 {micro}m x 12 {micro}m) at the focus of the apparatus. We demonstrate the utility of this two-color, high-order-harmonic technique by time resolving molecular hydrogen elimination from C{sub 2} H{sub 4} excited into its absorption band at 161nm.

The analysis of complex multiphysics astrophysical simulations presents a unique and rapidly growing set of challenges: reproducibility, parallelization, and vast increases in data size and complexity chief among them. In order to meet these challenges, and in order to open up new avenues for collaboration between users of multiple simulation platforms, we present yt (available at http://yt.enzotools.org/) an open source, community-developed astrophysical analysis and visualization toolkit. Analysis and visualization with yt are oriented around physically relevant quantities rather than quantities native to astrophysical simulation codes. While originally designed for handling Enzo's structure adaptive mesh refinement data, yt has been extended to work with several different simulation methods and simulation codes including Orion, RAMSES, and FLASH. We report on its methods for reading, handling, and visualizing data, including projections, multivariate volume rendering, multi-dimensional histograms, halo finding, light cone generation, and topologically connected isocontour identification. Furthermore, we discuss the underlying algorithms yt uses for processing and visualizing data, and its mechanisms for parallelization of analysis tasks.

Many of the sensors deployed at materials and test reactors cannot withstand the high flux/high temperature test conditions often requested by users at U.S. test reactors, such as the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). To address this issue, an instrumentation development effort was initiated as part of the ATR National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) in 2007 to support the development and deployment of enhanced in-pile sensors. This paper reports results from this effort. Specifically, this paper identifies the types of sensors currently available to support in-pile irradiations and those sensors currently available to ATR users. Accomplishments from new sensor technology deployment efforts are highlighted by describing new temperature and thermal conductivity sensors now available to ATR users. Efforts to deploy enhanced in-pile sensors for detecting elongation and real-time flux detectors are also reported, and recently-initiated research to evaluate the viability of advanced technologies to provide enhanced accuracy for measuring key parameters during irradiation testing are noted.

Many applications of neutrons for non-invasive measurements began with isotopic sources such as AmBe or Cf-252. Political factors have rendered AmBe undesirable in the United States and other countries, and the supply of Cf-252 is limited and significantly increasing in price every few years. Compact and low-power deuterium-tritium (DT) electronic neutron generators can often provide sufficient flux, but the 14-MeV neutron spectrum is much more energetic (harder) than an isotopic neutron source. A series of MCNP simulations were run to examine the extent to which the 14-MeV DT neutron spectrum could be softened through the use of high-Z and low-Z materials. Some potential concepts of operation require a portable neutron generator system, so the additional weight of extra materials is also a trade-off parameter. Using a reference distance of 30 cm from the source, the average neutron energy can be lowered to be less than that of either AmBe or Cf-252, while obtaining an increase in flux at the reference distance compared to a bare neutron generator. This paper discusses the types and amounts of materials used, the resulting neutron spectra, neutron flux levels, and associated photon production.

Synthetic CdZnTe or ''CZT'' crystals are highly suitable for {gamma}-spectrometers operating at the room temperature. Secondary phases (SP) in CZT are known to inhibit detector performance, particularly when they are present in large numbers or dimensions. These SP may exist as voids or composites of non-cubic phase metallic Te layers with bodies of polycrystalline and amorphous CZT material and voids. Defects associated with crystal twining may also influence detector performance in CZT. Using transmission electron microscopy, we identify two types of defects that are on the nano scale. The first defect consists of 40 nm diameter metallic Pd/Te bodies on the grain boundaries of Te-rich composites. Although the nano-Pd/Te bodies around these composites may be unique to the growth source of this CZT material, noble metal impurities like these may contribute to SP formation in CZT. The second defect type consists of atom-scale grain boundary dislocations. Specifically, these involve inclined ''finite-sized'' planar defects or interfaces between layers of atoms that are associated with twins. Finite-sized twins may be responsible for the subtle but observable striations that can be seen with optical birefringence imaging and synchrotron X-ray topographic imaging.

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project, managed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is authored by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, to research, develop, design, construct, and operate a prototype fourth generation nuclear reactor to meet the needs of the 21st Century. A section in this document proposes that the NGNP will provide heat for process heat applications. As with all large projects developing and deploying new technologies, the NGNP is expected to meet high performance and availability targets relative to current state of the art systems and technology. One requirement for the NGNP is to provide heat for the generation of hydrogen for large scale productions and this process heat application is required to be at least 90% or more available relative to other technologies currently on the market. To reach this goal, a RAM Roadmap was developed highlighting the actions to be taken to ensure that various milestones in system development and maturation concurrently meet required availability requirements. Integral to the RAM Roadmap was the use of a RAM analytical/simulation tool which was used to estimate the availability of the system when deployed based on current design configuration and the maturation level of the system.

Many interesting divergence measures between conjugate ensembles of nonequilibrium trajectories can be experimentally determined from the work distribution of the process. Herein, we review the statistical and physical significance of several of these measures, in particular the relative entropy (dissipation), Jeffreys divergence (hysteresis), Jensen-Shannon divergence (time-asymmetry), Chernoff divergence (work cumulant generating function), and Renyi divergence.