Hydrogen storage is one of the challenges to be overcome for implementing the ever sought hydrogen economy. Here we report a novel cycle to reversibly form high density hydrogen storage materials such as aluminium hydride. Aluminium hydride (AlH{sub 3}, alane) has a hydrogen storage capacity of 10.1 wt% H{sub 2}, 149 kg H{sub 2}/m{sup 3} volumetric density and can be discharged at low temperatures (< 100 C). However, alane has been precluded from use in hydrogen storage systems because of the lack of practical regeneration methods. The direct hydrogenation of aluminium to form AlH{sub 3} requires over 10{sup 5} bars of hydrogen pressure at room temperature and there are no cost effective synthetic means. Here we show an unprecedented reversible cycle to form alane electrochemically, using alkali metal alanates (e.g. NaAlH{sub 4}, LiAlH{sub 4}) in aprotic solvents. To complete the cycle, the starting alanates can be regenerated by direct hydrogenation of the dehydrided alane and the alkali hydride being the other compound formed in the electrochemical cell. The process of forming NaAlH{sub 4} from NaH and Al is well established in both solid state and solution reactions. The use of adducting Lewis bases is an essential part of this cycle, …

One of the challenges of implementing the hydrogen economy is finding a suitable solid H{sub 2} storage material. Aluminium (alane, AlH{sub 3}) hydride has been examined as a potential hydrogen storage material because of its high weight capacity, low discharge temperature, and volumetric density. Recycling the dehydride material has however precluded AlH{sub 3} from being implemented due to the large pressures required (>10{sup 5} bar H{sub 2} at 25 C) and the thermodynamic expense of chemical synthesis. A reversible cycle to form alane electrochemically using NaAlH{sub 4} in THF been successfully demonstrated. Alane is isolated as the triethylamine (TEA) adduct and converted to unsolvated alane by heating under vacuum. To complete the cycle, the starting alanate can be regenerated by direct hydrogenation of the dehydrided alane and the alkali hydride (NaH) This novel reversible cycle opens the door for alane to fuel the hydrogen economy.

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) was created to develop predictive capabilities for the aging of cementitious barriers over long timeframes. The CBP is a multi-agency, multi-national consortium working under a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management (EM-21) funded Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) as the lead laboratory. Members of the CBP are SRNL, Vanderbilt University, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), SIMCO Technologies, Inc. (Canada), and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). A first step in developing advanced tools is to determine the current state-of-the-art. A review has been undertaken to assess the treatment of cementitious barriers in Performance Assessments (PA). Representatives of US DOE sites which have PAs for their low level waste disposal facilities were contacted. These sites are the Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nevada Test Site, and Hanford. Several of the more arid sites did not employ cementitious barriers. Of those sites which do employ cementitious barriers, a wide range of treatment of the barriers in a PA was present. Some sites used conservative, simplistic models that even though conservative still showed …

The momentum transfer {Delta}k required for a photon to scatter from a target and emerge as a {rho}{sup 0} decreases as the photon energy k rises. For k > 3 x 10{sup 14} eV, {Delta}k is small enough that the interaction cannot be localized to a single nucleus. At still higher energies, photons may coherently scatter elastically from bulk matter and emerge as a {rho}{sup 0}, in a manner akin to kaon regeneration. Constructive interference from the different nuclei coherently raises the cross section and the interaction probability rises linearly with energy. At energies above 10{sup 23} eV, coherent conversion is the dominant process; photons interact predominantly as {rho}{sup 0}. We compute the coherent scattering probabilities in slabs of lead, water and rock, and discuss the implications of the increased hadronic interaction probabilities for photons on ultra-high energy shower development.

The first generation of TCAP hydrogen isotope separation process has been in service for tritium separation at the Savannah River Site since 1994. To prepare for replacement, a next-generation TCAP process has been developed. This new process simplifies the column design and reduces the equipment requirements of the thermal cycling system. An experimental twelve-meter column was fabricated and installed in the laboratory to demonstrate its performance. This new design and its initial test results were presented at the 8th International Conference on Tritium Science and Technology and published in the proceedings. We have since completed the startup and demonstration the separation of protium and deuterium in the experimental unit. The unit has been operated for more than 200 cycles. A feed of 25% deuterium in protium was separated into two streams each better than 99.7% purity.

In e-beam lithography, fabrication of sub-20 nm dense structures is challenging. While there is a constant effort to develop higher resolution resist processes, the progress of increasing pattern density is slow. For zone plates, consisting of dense lines and spaces, the outermost zone width has been limited to slightly less than 20 nm due to effects such as low aerial image contrast, forward scattering, intrinsic resist resolution, and development issues. To circumvent these effects, we have successfully developed a new double patterning HSQ process, and as a result, we have fabricated zone plates of 10 and 12 nm using the process. We previously developed a double patterning process in which a dense zone plate pattern is sub-divided into two semi-isolated, complementary zone set patterns. These patterns are fabricated separately and then overlaid with high accuracy to yield the desired pattern. The key to success with this process is the accuracy of the overlay. For diffraction-limited zone plates, accuracy better than one-third of the smallest zone width is needed. In our previous work, the zone set patterns were formed using PMMA and gold electroplating, which were overlaid and aligned to the zero-level mark layer with sub-pixel accuracy using our internally developed …

'Static' structure functions are the probabilistic distributions computed from the square of the light-front wavefunctions of the target hadron. In contrast, the 'dynamic' structure functions measured in deep inelastic lepton-hadron scattering include the effects of rescattering associated with the Wilson line. Initial- and final-state rescattering, neglected in the parton model, can have a profound effect in QCD hard-scattering reactions, producing single-spin asymmetries, diffractive deep inelastic scattering, diffractive hard hadronic reactions, the breakdown of the Lam-Tung relation in Drell-Yan reactions, nuclear shadowing, and non-universal nuclear antishadowing|novel leading-twist physics not incorporated in the light-front wavefunctions of the target computed in isolation. I also review how 'direct' higher-twist processes--where a proton is produced in the hard subprocess itself--can explain the anomalous proton-to-pion ratio seen in high centrality heavy ion collisions.

Epitaxial thin films of CaVO{sub 3} were synthesized on SrTiO{sub 3}, LaAlO{sub 3} and (La{sub 0.27}Sr{sub 0.73})(Al{sub 0.65}Ta{sub 0.35})O{sub 3} substrates by pulsed laser deposition. All CaVO{sub 3} films, independent of epitaxial strain, exhibit metallic and Pauli paramagnetic behavior as CaVO{sub 3} single crystals. X-ray absorption measurements confirmed the 4+ valence state for Vanadium ions. With prolonged air exposure, an increasing amount of V{sup 3+} is detected and is attributed to oxygen loss in the near surface region of the films.

Light-front holography allows hadronic amplitudes in the AdS/QCD fifth dimension to be mapped to frame-independent light-front wavefunctions of hadrons in physical space-time, thus providing a relativistic description of hadrons at the amplitude level. The AdS coordinate z is identified with an invariant light-front coordinate {zeta} which separates the dynamics of quark and gluon binding from the kinematics of constituent spin and internal orbital angular momentum. The result is a single-variable light-front Schroedinger equation for QCD which determines the eigenspectrum and the light-front wavefunctions of hadrons for general spin and orbital angular momentum. A new method for computing the hadronization of quark and gluon jets at the amplitude level using AdS/QCD light-front wavefunctions is outlined.

The recent development of metallic glass-matrix composites represents a particular milestone in engineering materials for structural applications owing to their remarkable combinations of strength and toughness. However, metallic glasses are highly susceptible to cyclic fatigue damage and previous attempts to solve this problem have been largely disappointing. Here we propose and demonstrate a microstructural design strategy to overcome this limitation by matching the microstructural length scales (of the second phase) to mechanical crack-length scales. Specifically, semi-solid processing is used to optimize the volume fraction, morphology, and size of second phase dendrites to confine any initial deformation (shear banding) to the glassy regions separating dendrite arms having length scales of {approx} 2 {micro}m, i.e., to less than the critical crack size for failure. Confinement of the damage to such interdendritic regions results in enhancement of fatigue lifetimes and increases the fatigue limit by an order of magnitude making these 'designed' composites as resistant to fatigue damage as high-strength steels and aluminum alloys. These design strategies can be universally applied to any other metallic glass systems.

The vibrational spectra of platinum nanoparticles (12 nm) capped with tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, C{sub 14}TAB, were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. We have shown that the thermal decay of Pt-C{sub 14}TAB nanoparticles in N{sub 2}, H{sub 2} and O{sub 2} atmospheres leads to the release of hydrocarbon chain of surfactant and the formation of strongly bonded layer of ammonium cations on the platinum surface. The platinum atoms accessible to CO chemisorptions were not reducible by hydrogen in the temperature ranging from 30 C to 200 C. A FTIR spectrum of C{sub 14}TAB adsorbed on Pt nanoparticles dramatically perturbed as compared with pure C{sub 14}TAB. New intense and broad bands centered at 1450 cm{sup -1} and 760 cm{sup -1} are making their appearance in Pt-C{sub 14}TAB. It may be speculated, that new bands are result of coupling between conducting electrons of Pt and molecular vibrations of adsorbed C{sub 14}TAB and as a consequence specific vibrational modes of ammonium cation transformed into electron-vibrational modes.

There have been numerous studies of electron beam exposed hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) development conditions in order to improve the developer contrast. For TMAH based development, improvements were made by going to higher TMAH normalities and heating the developer. Yang and Berggren showed development of electron beam exposed (HSQ) by NaOH with added Na salts (various anions) significantly improves the contrast. Here, we study the contrast and etching rates of 100 keV exposed HSQ in NaOH in the presence of LiCl, NaCl, and KCl salts and use this as a segway to understand the mechanisms governing contrast during development HSQ development. The basic mechanism of development of HSQ can be understood by comparing to etching of quartz in basic solutions. Hydroxide ions act as nucleophiles which attack silicon. When a silicon-oxygen bond of the Si-O-Si matrix is broken, Si-O{sup -} and Si-OH are formed which can reversibly react to form the original structure. When a Si-H bond is broken via reaction with hydroxide, Si-O{sup -} and H{sub 2} gas are formed. Salts can change the etching rates as a function of dose in a non-linear fashion to increase etch contrast. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show contrast curves for HSQ developed …

We demonstrate the formation of superparamagnetic/ferromagnetic regions within ZnO(0001) single crystals sequently implanted with B and Co. While the pre-implantation with B plays a minor role for the electrical transport properties, its presence leads to the formation of amorphous phases. Moreover, B acts strongly reducing on the implanted Co. Thus, the origin of the ferromagnetic ordering in local clusters with large Co concentration is itinerant d-electrons as in the case of metallic Co. The metallic amorphous phases are non-detectable by common X-ray diffraction.

Cylindrical fuel casks often have impact limiters surrounding just the ends of the cask shaft in a typical 'dumbbell' arrangement. The primary purpose of these impact limiters is to absorb energy to reduce loads on the cask structure during impacts associated with a severe accident. Impact limiters are also credited in many packages with protecting closure seals and maintaining lower peak temperatures during fire events. For this credit to be taken in safety analyses, the impact limiter attachment system must be shown to retain the impact limiter following Normal Conditions of Transport (NCT) and Hypothetical Accident Conditions (HAC) impacts. Large casks are often certified by analysis only because of the costs associated with testing. Therefore, some cask impact limiter attachment systems have not been tested in real impacts. A recent structural analysis of the T-3 Spent Fuel Containment Cask found problems with the design of the impact limiter attachment system. Assumptions in the original Safety Analysis for Packaging (SARP) concerning the loading in the attachment bolts were found to be inaccurate in certain drop orientations. This paper documents the lessons learned and their applicability to impact limiter attachment system designs.

Three-particle azimuthal correlation measurements with a high transverse momentum trigger particle are reported for pp, d + Au, and Au + Au collisions at {radical}s{sub NN} = 200 GeV by the STAR experiment. Dijet structures are observed in pp, d + Au and peripheral Au + Au collisions. An additional structure is observed in central Au + Au data, signaling conical emission of correlated charged hadrons. The conical emission angle is found to be {theta} = 1.37 {+-} 0.02(stat){sub -0.07}{sup +0.06}(syst), independent of p{sub {perpendicular}}.

Article discussing the solubility of lamotrigine, diazepam, clonazepam, and phenobarbital in propylene glycol + water mixtures at 298.15 K.

Magnetic susceptibility measurements and X-ray data confirm that tert-butyl-substituted manganocenes [(Me{sub 3}C){sub n}C{sub 5}H{sub 5?n}]{sub 2}Mn (n = 1, 2) follow the trend previously observed with the methylated manganocenes; that is, electron-donating groups attached to the Cp ring stabilize the low-spin (LS) electronic ground state relative to Cp{sub 2}Mn and exhibit higher spin-crossover (SCO) temperatures. However, introducing three CMe{sub 3} groups on each ring gives a temperature-invariant high-spin (HS) state manganocene. The origin of the high-spin state in [1,2,4-(Me{sub 3}C){sub 3}C{sub 5}H{sub 2}]{sub 2}Mn is due to the significant bulk of the [1,2,4-(Me{sub 3}C){sub 3}C{sub 5}H{sub 2}]{sup -} ligand, which is sufficient to generate severe inter-ring steric strain that prevents the realization of the low-spin state. Interestingly, the spin transition in [1,3-(Me{sub 3}C){sub 2}C{sub 5}H{sub 3}]{sub 2}Mn is accompanied by a phase transition resulting in a significant irreversible hysteresis ({Delta}T{sub c} = 16 K). This structural transition was also observed by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) measurements. Magnetic susceptibility studies and X-ray diffraction data on SiMe{sub 3}-substituted manganocenes [(Me{sub 3}Si){sub n}C{sub 5}H{sub 5-n}]{sub 2}Mn (n = 1, 2, 3) show high-spin configurations in these cases. Although tetra- and hexasubstituted manganocenes are high-spin at all accessible temperatures, the disubstituted manganocenes exhibit …

We present a variable line-space grating spectrometer for soft x-rays that covers the photon energy range between 130 and 650 eV. The optical design is based on the Hettrick-Underwood principle and tailored to synchrotron-based studies of radiation-sensitive biological samples. The spectrometer is able to record the entire spectral range in one shot, i.e., without any mechanical motion, at a resolving power of 1200 or better. Despite its slitless design, such a resolving power can be achieved for a source spot as large as 30x3000 mu m2, which is important for keeping beam damage effects in radiation-sensitive samples low. The high spectrometer efficiency allows recording of comprehensive two-dimensional resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS) maps with good statistics within several minutes. This is exemplarily demonstrated for a RIXS map of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, which was taken within 10 min.

Two lithium evaporators were used to evaporate more than 100 g of lithium on to the NSTX lower divertor region. Prior to each discharge, the evaporators were withdrawn behind shutters, where they also remained during the subsequent HeGDC applied for periods up to 9.5 min. After the HeGDC, the shutters were opened and the LITERs were reinserted to deposit lithium on the lower divertor target for 10 min, at rates of 10-70 mg/min, prior to the next discharge. The major improvements in plasma performance from these lithium depositions include: 1) plasma density reduction as a result of lithium deposition; 2) suppression of ELMs; 3) improvement of energy confinement in a low-triangularity shape; 4) improvement in plasma performance for standard, high-triangularity discharges; 5) reduction of the required HeGDC time between discharges; 6) increased pedestal electron and ion temperature; 7) reduced SOL plasma density; and 8) reduced edge neutral density.

New and advanced reactors will use integrated digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems to support operators in their monitoring and control functions. Even though digital systems are typically highly reliable, their potential for degradation or failure could significantly affect operator situation awareness and performance and, consequently, impact plant safety. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has initiated a research project to investigate the effects of degraded I&C systems on human performance and plant operations. The ultimate objective of this project is to develop the technical basis for human factors review guidance for conditions of degraded I&C, including complete failure. Based on the results of this effort, NRC will determine the need for developing new guidance or revising NUREG-0800, NUREG-0711, NUREG-0700 and other pertinent NRC review guidance. This paper reports on the first phase of the research, the development of a framework for linking degraded I&C system conditions to human performance. The framework consists of three levels: I&C subsystems, human-system interfaces, and human performance. Each level is composed of a number of discrete elements. This paper will describe the elements at each level and their integration. In the next phase of the research, the framework will be used to systematically investigate the …

Motivated by observations of supersonic argon-ion flow generated by linear helicon-heated plasma devices, a three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) code is used to study whether stationary electrostatic layers form near mechanical apertures intersecting the flow of magnetized plasma. By self-consistently evaluating the temporal evolution of the plasma in the vicinity of the aperture, the PIC simulations characterize the roles of the imposed aperture and applied magnetic field on ion acceleration. The PIC model includes ionization of a background neutral-argon population by thermal and superthermal electrons, the latter found upstream of the aperture. Near the aperture, a transition from a collisional to a collisionless regime occurs. Perturbations of density and potential, with mm wavelengths and consistent with ion acoustic waves, propagate axially. An ion acceleration region of length ~ 200−300 λD,e forms at the location of the aperture and is found to be an electrostatic double layer, with axially-separated regions of net positive and negative charge. Reducing the aperture diameter or increasing its length increases the double layer strength.

This article discusses communicating simple sentences using pictorial representations.

CD81 is a tetraspanin family member involved in diverse cellular interactions in the immune and nervous systems and in cell fusion events. However, the mechanism of action of CD81 and of other tetraspanins has not been defined. We reasoned that identifying signaling molecules downstream of CD81 would provide mechanistic clues. We engaged CD81 on the surface of Blymphocytes and identified the induced tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins by mass spectrometry. This analysis showed that the most prominent tyrosine phosphorylated protein was ezrin, an actin binding protein and a member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin family. We also found that CD81 engagement induces spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and that Syk was involved in tyrosine phosphorylation of ezrin. Ezrin colocalized with CD81 and F-actin upon stimulation and this association was disrupted when Syk activation was blocked. Taken together, these studies suggest a model in which CD81 interfaces between the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton by activating Syk, mobilizing ezrin, and recruiting F-actin to facilitate cytoskeletal reorganization and cell signaling. This may be a mechanism explaining the pleiotropic effects induced in response to stimulating cells by anti-CD81 antibodies or by the hepatitis C virus, which uses this molecule as its key receptor.

The effects of deposition temperature and in-situ post-deposition annealing on the microstructure of coevaporated Cu(InGa)Se2 thin films and on the performance of the resulting solar cell devices have been characterized. Films were deposited at substrate temperatures of 150°C, 300°C and 400°C. Films were also deposited at these temperatures and then annealed in-situ at 550°C for 10 minutes. In as -deposited films without annealing, additional XRD reflections that may be due to a polytypic modification of the chalcopyrite phase were observed. Films deposited at 150°C were Se-rich. Post-deposition annealing caused microstructural changes in all films and improved the resulting solar cells. Only films deposited at 400°C, however, yielded high-efficiency devices after post-deposition annealing that were equivalent to devices made from films grown at 550°C. Films originally deposited at 300°C yielded devices after post-deposition annealing with VOC close to that of devices made from films grown at 550°C, despite smaller grain size.