We have produced single bursts of helicity from the source in the SSPX spheromak in order to study the efficiency of the simplest example of helicity injection. We find that the helicity injection rate can be written in terms of the injected current and an inductance, and that a simple circuit analogue demonstrates unambiguously the relationship of helicity to energy: helicity injection is the addition of inductive loops. While helicity balance points to the conservation of helicity, the electrical efficiency is around 15%. However, in the expulsion of the loop, electrical energy is converted to directional motion, which may be recoverable usefully as heat by collisions, thus the efficiency of the injection process is arguably quite high. Integral to this notion of helicity injection is the idea that reconnection is necessary: without disconnection from the source by a reconnection event, the spheromak fields are just proportional to the injected current. Sometimes the multiple bursts occur spontaneously and cause a step-wise increase in the field (and helicity). However, in all instances when the current remains above the ejection threshold for t > 50 {micro}s, the n=l mode initiates and builds field, although with much reduced efficiency, and to a level which …

The high frequency behavior of the bulk modulus of fluid-saturated rock can be obtained from a double-porosity constitutive model, which is a direct conceptual extension of Biot's (1941) constitutive equations and which provides additional stiffening due to unrelaxed induced pore pressures in the soft porosity phase. Modeling the stiffening of the shear modulus at high frequency requires an effective medium average over the unequal induced pore pressures in cracks of different orientations. The implicit assumptions are that pore fluid equilibration does not occur between cracks of different orientations and between cracks and porous matrix. The correspondence between the constitutive equations of Berryman and Wang (1995) and Mavko and Jizba (1991) is explicitly noted.

This paper presents the Simulation, Tactical Operations and Mission Planning (STOMP) software architecture and framework for simulating, controlling and communicating with unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) servicing large distributed sensor networks. STOMP provides hardware-in-the-loop capability enabling real UAVs and sensors to feedback state information, route data and receive command and control requests while interacting with other real or virtual objects thereby enhancing support for simulation of dynamic and complex events.

In this paper, we present results demonstrating the effectiveness of a sensitivity analysis approach to uncertainty quantification of a variably saturated flow model. The basis for our method is a software system which simultaneously solves for solutions of large-scale nonlinear systems of equations and the sensitivity of the solutions to selected parameters. We present test cases showing the effects on the relative uncertainty of pressure due to heterogeneity in the absolute permeability and to differences in parameterizing the Van Genuchten curve soil parameters, {alpha} and n.

A major challenge in the development of optical glasses for high-power lasers is reducing or eliminating laser-induced damage to the interior (bulk) and the polished surface of the glass. Bulk laser damage in glass generally originates from inclusions. With the development of novel glass melting and forming processes it is now possible to make both fused silica and a suit of meta-phosphate laser glasses in large sizes ({approx}>0.5-lm diameter), free of inclusions and with high optical homogeneity ({approx} 10{sup -6}). Considerable attention also has been focused on improving the laser damage resistance to polished optical glass surfaces. Studies have shown that laser-induced damage to surfaces grows exponentially with the number of shots when illuminated with nano-second pulses at 351-nm above a given fluence threshold. A new approach for reducing and eliminating laser-induced surface damage relies on a series of post-polishing treatment steps. This damage improvement method is briefly reviewed.

There have been many papers that have focused on the attachment of wires to surfaces. The focus of this paper will be on wires connected to arbitrarily shaped surfaces, a body that may be modeled with triangles as described in [1]. The basis function for the wire-to-surface junction is constructed by building the 1/r variation of the surface current near the junction into the surface current. In the following we summarize junction bases as currently used. In the presentation we consider their numerical implementation, examine alternative formulations, and review validation studies that prove the approach is robust with respect to wire orientation and surface geometry at the junction.

Plutonium gamma-ray data analysis, in the 100-keV region, using MGA has been improved to overcome the original maximum limit of 2% {sup 238}Pu relative plutonium content in a sample in order perform an analysis. MGA analysis results of elevated {sup 238}Pu samples are compared to the results from mass spectrometry.

TATB containing explosives tend to permanently expand as their temperatures are increased or thermally cycled, a phenomenon known as ''ratchet-growth.'' Several mechanisms as to the cause of the non-reversible growth have been proposed, and are taken up here using various different modeling techniques. High-level quantum chemistry calculations have been used in parameterization of a classical potential function suitable for atomistic simulations of TATB. The quantum-chemistry-based force field for TATB was validated by comparing condensed phase properties obtained from molecular dynamics simulations with available experimental data. No permanent growth was manifest at the molecular level. Dissipative particle dynamics simulations were carried out in order to study the geometric packing effects on the mesoscopic scale, similar to the scales representative of Ultrafine. No permanent growth was identified when only simple packing effects were considered in the TATB model. However, non-reversible growth was displayed when crystal fracture capabilities were incorporated in the model, suggesting that crystal fracture induced by the anisotropic volume expansion of TATB is the root cause for the permanent growth seen in TATB containing explosives.

The Steven test and associated modeling has greatly increased the fundamental knowledge of practical predictions of impact safety hazards for confined and unconfined explosive charges. Building on a database of initial work, experimental and modeling studies of crush, puncture, and perforation scenarios were investigated using the Steven impact test. The descriptions of crush, puncture, and perforation arose from safety scenarios represented by projectile designs that ''crush'' the energetic material or either ''puncture'' with a pinpoint nose or ''perforate'' the front cover with a transportation hook. As desired, these scenarios offer different aspects of the known mechanisms that control ignition: friction, shear and strain. Studies of aged and previously damaged HMX-based high explosives included the use of embedded carbon foil and carbon resistor gauges, high-speed cameras, and blast wave gauges to determine the pressure histories, time required for an explosive reaction, and the relative violence of those reactions, respectively. Various ignition processes were modeled as the initial reaction rate expression in the Ignition and Growth reaction rate equations. Good agreement with measured threshold velocities, pressure histories, and times to reaction was calculated for LX-04 impacted by several projectile geometries using a compression dependent ignition term and an elastic-plastic model with a …

Modern Bioinformatics data sources are widely used by molecular biologists for homology searching and new drug discovery. User-friendly and yet responsive access is one of the most desirable properties for integrated access to the rapidly growing, heterogeneous, and distributed collection of data sources. The increasing volume and diversity of digital information related to bioinformatics (such as genomes, protein sequences, protein structures, etc.) have led to a growing problem that conventional data management systems do not have, namely finding which information sources out of many candidate choices are the most relevant and most accessible to answer a given user query. We refer to this problem as the query routing problem. In this paper we introduce the notation and issues of query routing, and present a practical solution for designing a scalable query routing system based on multi-level progressive pruning strategies. The key idea is to create and maintain source-capability profiles independently, and to provide algorithms that can dynamically discover relevant information sources for a given query through the smart use of source profiles. Compared to the keyword-based indexing techniques adopted in most of the search engines and software, our approach offers fine-granularity of interest matching, thus it is more powerful and …

Radiative strength functions and level densities have been extracted from primary {gamma}-ray spectra for {sup 27,28}Si, {sup 56,57}Fe, {sup 96,97}Mo, and several rare earth nuclei. An unexpectedly strong ({approx} 1 mb MeV) resonance at 3 MeV in the radiative strength function has been observed for well-deformed rare earth nuclei. The physical origin of this resonance and its connection to the scissors mode is discussed.

Conference abstract book contains seven sections: Plenary-4 abstracts; Chemical-9 abstracts; Radiation-7 abstracts; Ultra Low Doses and Medicine-6 abstracts; Biomedical-11 abstracts; Risk Assessment-5 abstracts and Poster Sessions-25 abstracts. Each abstract was provided by the author/presenter participating in the conference.

Crosswell seismic and electromagnetic data sets taken before and during CO2 flooding of an oil reservoir are inverted to produce crosswell images of the change in compressional velocity, shear velocity and electrical conductivity during a CO2 injection pilot study. A rock properties model is developed using measured log porosity, fluid saturations, pressure, temperature, bulk density, sonic velocity and electrical conductivity. The parameters of the rock properties model are found by an L1-norm simplex minimization of predicted and observed compressional velocity and density. A separate minimization using Archie's law provides parameters for modeling the relations between water saturation, porosity and the electrical conductivity. The rock properties model is used to generate relationships between changes in geophysical parameters and changes in reservoir parameters. The electrical conductivity changes are directly mapped to changes in water saturation. The estimated changes in water saturation are used with the observed changes in shear wave velocity to predict changes in reservoir pressure. The estimation of the spatial extent and amount of CO2 relies on first removing the effects of the water saturation and pressure changes from the observed compressional velocity changes, producing a residual compressional velocity change. The residual compressional velocity change is then interpreted in terms …

Away from a conductive body, secondary magnetic fields due to currents induced in the body by a time varying external magnetic field are approximated by (equivalent) magnetic dipole fields. Approximating the external magnetic field by its value at the location of the equivalent magnetic dipoles, the equivalent magnetic dipoles' strengths are linearly proportional to the external magnetic field, for a given time dependence of external magnetic field, and are given by the equivalent dipole polarizability matrix. The polarizability matrix and its associated equivalent dipole location is estimated from magnetic field measurements made with at least three linearly independent polarizations of external magnetic fields at the body. Uncertainties in the polarizability matrix elements and its equivalent dipole location are obtained from analysis of a linearized inversion for polarizability and dipole location. Polarizability matrix uncertainties are independent of the scale of the polarizability matrix. Dipole location uncertainties scale inversely with the scale of the polarizability matrix. Uncertainties in principal polarizabilities and directions are obtained from the sensitivities of eigenvectors and eigenvalues to perturbations of a symmetric matrix. In application to synthetic data from a magnetic conducting sphere and to synthetic data from an axially symmetric elliptic conducting body, the estimated polarizability matrices, …

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In March 2001, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) completed the replacement of 720 radioactively contaminated HEPA filters for $5.7M. This project was completed five months ahead of schedule and $6.0M under budget with no worker injuries or contaminations. Numerous health and safety, environmental, and waste disposal problems were overcome, including having to perform work in a radioactively contaminated work environment, that was also contaminated with perchlorates (potential explosive). High waste disposal costs were also an issue. A project risk analysis and government cost estimate determined that the cost of performing the work would be $11.8M. To reduce risk, a $1.2M comprehensive condition assessment was performed to determine the degree of toxic and radioactive contamination trapped on the HEPA filters; and to determine whether explosive concentrations of perchlorates were present. Workers from LANL and personnel from Waldheim International of Knoxville, TN collected hundreds of samples wearing personnel protective gear against radioactive, toxic, and explosive hazards. LANL also funded research at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to determine the explosivity of perchlorates. The data acquired from the condition assessment showed that toxic metals, toxic organic compounds, and explosive concentrations of perchlorates were absent. The data also showed that …

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High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are relied upon at the Hanford site to support several different activities. Each facility relies upon the filters to provide the same function; remove radioactive particulate from various air streams. However, HEPA filters are operated in differing environmental conditions from one facility to another and the constituents in the air streams also differ. In addition, some HEPA filters at the Hanford site have been in service for several years. As a result, an assessment was performed which evaluated the service life and conditions of the HEPA filters at the Hanford site.

P-channel, backside illuminated silicon CCDs were developed and fabricated on high-resistivity n-type silicon. Devices have been exposed up to 1x1011 protons/cm2 at 12 MeV. The charge transfer efficiency and dark current were measured as a function of radiation dose. These CCDs were found to be significantly more radiation tolerant than conventional n-channel devices. This could prove to be a major benefit for long duration space missions.

The uranium and transuranic content of site soils and building rubble can be accurately measured using a NaI(Tl) well counter, without significant soil preparation. Accurate measurements of total uranium in uranium-transuranic mixtures can be made, despite a wide range (0.3% to 97%) of uranium enrichment, sample mass, and activity concentrations. The appropriate uranium scaling factors needed to include the undetected uranium isotopes, particularly U 234 can be readily determined on a sample by sample basis as a part of the field analysis, by comparing the relative response of the U 235 186 keV peak versus the K shell X rays of U 238 , U 235, and their immediate ingrowth daughters. The ratio of the two results is a sensitive and accurate predictor of the uranium enrichment and scaling factors. The case study will illustrate how NaI(Tl) gamma spectrometry was used to provide rapid turnaround uranium and transuranic activity levels for soil and building rubble with sample by sample determination of the appropriate scaling factor to include the U234 and Uranium238 content.

Nuclear waste management is more then finding a technical answer to a technical problem. Dealing with nuclear, or any other form of hazardous waste, for that matter, not only implies solving a technical problem, it also means solving a societal problem. And societal questions cannot be resolved in a technical laboratory. Of course, the technical aspect of nuclear waste management and disposal is a very important one, but the societal aspect is of equal importance. In order to find an implementable solution to deal with nuclear waste, attention should be paid to what kind of solution the society wants and under what conditions a proposed solution might be acceptable. This, however, cannot be achieved by simply adding a number of ''societal parameters'' to a technical concept modeling. It is something that can only be established through interaction with the public concerned. And that, in addition, is not something that can be preformed as an accidental spin off of a vastly elaborated technical program. Communicating or interacting with the public does not mean sweeping them off their feet with smoothly edited leaflets explaining how technically sound the proposed solution is and how wonderful it would fit in their back yard. Adding, …

Weiss Associates (WA) performs a broad range of environmental restoration/waste management (ER/WM) activities for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the former Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research (LEHR), University of California, Davis (UC Davis). Over the last three years, the LEHR ER/WM program transitioned from a baseline packaging system of steel, 2.7 cubic meter (3.5-cubic yard) B-25 boxes to a 7.0 cubic meter (9.1-cubic yard) soft-sided container (Lift Liner) system. The transition increased efficiencies in processing, packaging, and storage, and when combined with decreased procurement costs, achieved a $402,000 cost savings (Table I). Additional disposal costs between $128,600 and $182,600 were avoided by minimizing void space. Future cost savings by the end of fiscal year 2003 are projected between $250,640 and $1,003,360.

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The Pulp Process (PP) Treatment option was conceived as a replacement for the current Filter Leaching System (FLS). The FLS has operated at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory since 1995 to treat radioactive, mixed waste HEPA filters. In recent years, the FLS has exhibited difficulty in removing mercury from the HEPA filters as the concentration of mercury in the spent HEPA filters has increased. The FLS leaches and washes the whole filter without any preparation or modification. The filter media and the trapped calcine particles are confined in a heavy filter housing that contributes to poor mixing zones around the edges of the filter, low media permeability, channeling of the liquid through cracks and tears in the filter media, and liquid retention between leach and rinse cycles. In the PP, the filter media and the trapped calcine particles are separated from the filter housing and treated as a pulp, taking advantage of improved contact with the leach solution that cannot be achieved when the media is still in the HEPA filter housing. In addition to removing the mercury more effectively, the PP generates less volume of liquid waste, requires a …