A collaboration from KEK, INS, Osaka, TRIUMF, Princeton, and BNL is currently running E787 at the AGS. The experiment is designed primarily to search for the rare decay K{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{nu}{bar {nu}}, with an expected branching ratio of {approximately} 10{sup {minus}10}. The authors report evidence that they have observed this decay. They also discuss the future outlook for the experiment.

We calculate ab initio values of tight-binding parameters for the f- electron metal Ce and various phases of Si, from local-density functional one-electron Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements. Our approach allows us to unambiguously test the validity of the common minimal basis and two-center approximations as well as to determine the degree of transferability of both nonorthogonal and orthogonal hopping parameters in the cases considered.

Accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) is one approach for reducing the amount of actinides and long-lived fission products that eventually will be sent to a repository. The ATW accelerator generates high-energy protons, which strike a target and produce spallation neutrons. The spallation neutrons transmute waste in a region that surrounds the spallation target. It is desirable for the waste transmutation region (WTR) to have significant neutron multiplication (a factor of 10 or higher) to keep the required accelerator size reasonable. The WTR is subcritical and is thus not required to generate a self-sustaining fission reaction in the waste. The elimination of this requirement allows the ATW system to be optimized for reducing the hazard from nuclear waste without the concerns associated with safely maintaining criticality. Subcritical operation allows waste compositions with positive prompt reactivity feedback coefficients to be considered, allows waste forms optimized for processing to be considered, and allows additional design flexibility. The WTR will be designed so that criticality cannot be achieved during any credible accident scenario. The primary advantage of the ATW approach is thus the design and operational flexibility gained from subcritical operation. The primary disadvantage of the ATW approach is the expense and complexity of …

Thin films of light atomic weight elements in amorphous, partially-crystalline, or crystalline forms have applications in a broad range of technologies. For example, amorphous tetrahedral carbon (a-tC) and polymeric thin films impact electronic materials technology as electron- and light-emitting device elements, respectively. A lack of crystallinity introduces complexity in the experimental and theoretical characterization of these materials but is not necessarily a limiting factor in their performance. While the growth process is clearly a major factor governing the physical properties of a film, interactions with the substrate are also important, so surface and interface analysis provides an important complement to bulk measurements. This paper focuses on several approaches in the characterization and modification of thin films made possible by recent experimental advances. The structural and electronic properties of two model systems are considered as examples: a-tC thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and polyaniline thin films grown by vapor deposition. First, scanning probe microscopies and X-ray scattering are used to investigate the structural aspects of a-tC films as a function of PLD growth conditions. The possible connection of nanoscale surface modification and characterization with electron emission properties will be discussed. Second, the results of inelastic scattering spectroscopy and …

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer a pollution-free technology to electrochemically generate electricity at high efficiencies. These fuel cells consist of an oxygen ion conducting electrolyte, electronic or mixed electronic and ionic conducting electrodes, and an electronic conducting interconnection. This paper reviews the ceramic materials used for the different cell components, and discusses the performance of cells fabricated using these materials. The paper also discusses the materials and processing studies that are underway to reduce the cell cost, and summarizes the recently built power generation systems that employed state-of-the-art SOFCs.

Damage studies show that the majority of damage on ultraviolet grade fused silica initiates at the front or rear surface. The grinding and polishing processes used to produce the optical surfaces of transparent optics play a key role in the development of defects which can ultimately initiate damage. These defects can be on or breaking through the surface or can be sub-surface damage. Total Internal Reflection Microscopy has been documented as a tool for revealing both sub-surface and surface defects in transparent materials. Images taken which compare both Total Internal Reflection Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy show that the observed defects can be less than one micron in size. Total Internal Reflection Microscopy has the added benefit of being able to observe large areas (1 square millimeter) with sub-micron detection. Both off-line and in-situ systems have been applied in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s damage laboratory in order to understand defects in the surface and subsurface of polished fused silica. There is a preliminary indication that TIRM quality can be related to the damage resistance. The in-situ microscope is coupled into a 355 run, 7.5 ns, 10 Hz Nd:YAG laser system in order to study damage occurring at localized scatter …

Standardized experimentation and sensitivity testing are prerequisites for ascertaining the fidelity of new physical and dynamical elements of model formulations. To this end, the climate- modeling community has adopted the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP), a World Climate Research Program/Working Group on Numerical Experimentation initiative, as one of many vehicles for model validation. The benefit of this experimental design is that the models were integrated in a standardized fashion, all using the same SST boundary conditions, solar constant and CO{sub 2} concentration for the 10-year period 1979-1988. Thus, differences among the simulations are directly attributable to the wide variety of model formulations.

The electronic structure of both Ce and U heavy fermions appears to consist of extremely narrow, nearly temperature independent bands (i.e., no spectral weight loss or transfer with temperature). A small dispersion of the f-bands above the Kondo temperature is easily measurable so that a Kondo resonance, as defined by NCA, is not evident. Preliminary results, however, indicate that the Periodic Anderson Model captures some of the essential physics. Angle-integrated resonant photoemission results on {delta}-Pu indicate a narrow 5f feature at E{sub F}, similar in width to f-states in Ce and U compounds, but differing in that cross-section behavior of the near-E{sub F} feature suggests substantial 6D admixture.

The Department of Energy (DOE) at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP), near Cincinnati, Ohio, has successfully impacted the safety, cost and schedule goals of the Decontamination and Dismantling (D&D) Program by using the art of implosions. An implosion is the act of bringing a structure down in a well planned and directed manner using explosive materials. Three major structures in three separate projects were imploded using this well known commercial technology. Safety is, and will always be, the major consideration with each of the projects. As each project succeeded another, the work process used new and improved methods to lower the risk to the environment, provide a safer workplace by reducing the exposure of high risk work and reducing the spread of lead, asbestos and radioactive materials. The time frame for dismantlement of the steel structures was greatly improved, thus reducing the total project cost. The lessons learned were incorporated from one project to another, to continually improve the work process. A number of alternatives were considered for the removal of the structures, seven, four and three stories in height. The subcontractor and its demolition sub-tier contractor worked in a fixed price lump sum contract environment. While skeptical at …

Atomic and molecular physics of supernovae is discussed with an emphasis on the importance of detailed treatments of the critical atomic and molecular processes with the best available atomic and molecular data. The observations of molecules in SN 1987A are interpreted through a combination of spectral and chemical modelings, leading to strong constraints on the mixing and nucleosynthesis of the supernova. The non-equilibrium chemistry is used to argue that carbon dust can form in the oxygen-rich clumps where the efficient molecular cooling makes the nucleation of dust grains possible. For Type Ia supernovae, the analyses of their nebular spectra lead to strong constraints on the supernova explosion models.

{l_brace}222{r_brace}MgO/Cu is one of the most extensively characterized ceramic/metal interfaces, with atom-probe field-ion-microscopy, Z-contrast scanning-transmission-electron-microscopy (STEM), and spatially-resolved electron-energy-loss-spectroscopy (EELS) measurements recently performed by the present authors, as well as high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) of this system by others. Atomistic simulations with local density functional theory (LDFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) have been performed to gain additional insight into the structure of this interface. This presentation describes an interface interatomic potential for {l_brace}222{r_brace}MgO/Cu derived from LDFT total energy calculations, and its application to structural properties, including the terminating species, the absence of dislocation standoff, and the symmetry of the interfacial dislocation network.

Particle production and correlation functions from Au+Au reactions have been measured as a function of both beam energy (2--10.7 AGeV) and impact parameter. These results are used to probe the dynamics of heavy-ion reactions, confront hadronic models over a wide range of conditions and to search for the onset of new phenomena.

In order to improve the speed and reproducibility of restoring the beam in the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) 45 MeV injector after a full or partial shutdown of the accelerator, a program has been written using the Tcl/Tk scripting language to automate most of the required steps. The procedure is separated into four main parts. The first part performs preliminary checks that verify that the hardware is set correctly and then turns on the main interlocked systems including high power magnets and RF. The second step turns on the gun high voltage. The final steps turn on the beam and verify that the beam quality is satisfactory by measuring the transmission, orbit, transverse beam size, and bunch length. Minor corrections for phasing are also performed in the program. In order to identify inefficiencies in the startup, each is timed and parameter changes are logged so that system drifts can be tracked. This paper describes the software implementation, the logic to achieve a successful startup, and efficiency results.

This talk summarizes the status of the calculations of B{sub K}, B{sub 7}, B{sub 8}, and B{sub s}, done in collaboration with T. Bhattacharya, C. Kilcup, and S. Sharpe. Results for staggered, Wilson, and Clover fermions are presented.

When implementing a Quality Assurance (QA) program, compliance and cost must be balanced. A QA program must be developed that hits the mark in terms of adequate control and documentation, but does not unnecessarily expand resources. As the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has moved towards certification, Sandia National Laboratories has learned much about balancing compliance and costs. Some of these lessons are summarized here.

The Bean model is almost solely used to interpret ac losses in the powder-in-tube processed composite conductor, Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}/Ag. In order to examine the limits of the applicability of the model, a detailed comparison was made between the values of critical current density J{sub c} for Bi(2223)/Ag tapes which were determined by standard four-probe-dc measurement, and which were deduced from the field dependence of the ac losses utilizing the model. A significant inconsistency between these values of J{sub c} were found, particularly at high fields. Possible sources of the discrepancies are discussed.

An explosion is the result of a rapid chemical reaction which generates transient air pressure waves called blast waves. There has been much research on the processes of blast wave formation, propagation of blast waves, and quantification of the incident and reflected blast overpressures. The magnitude of blast overpressure, in a partially vented environment, is mainly a function of the type and quantity of detonating material, the amount of available venting, and the orientation and configuration of the reflecting surfaces. In addition to blast overpressure, an explosion can also generate high energy missiles (such as fragments), shock loads, and rapid rise of temperature in the confined space. This study concentrates on the effects of blast overpressure on a 40 feet diameter reinforced concrete cylinder with a hemispherical dome roof, supported on a 3 feet thick reinforced concrete pad, and buried under a minimum of 15 feet of soil used for radiation shielding at the top of the dome. The scope of this study is to determine whether the structure can withstand the blast overpressure generated by the postulated explosion without exceeding allowable design criteria.

The BESTCapsule will maintain appropriate biological specimens for decades or centuries at cryogenic temperatures in the living state. Maintenance at temperatures below {approximately} {minus}140 C is not a problem. No ordinary chemical reactions in aqueous solutions can occur. The only source of damage will be the slow accumulation of physical damage to DNA from background ionizing radiation. But this source of damage should not become serious in less than a millennium. Rather, the main problem in cryopreservation is to devise procedures for cooling the biological specimens to {minus}196 C and returning them to normal temperatures without inflicting lethal injury. Regardless of the cell type, there are certain encompassing biophysical factors and constraints that determine whether they will survive or die during freezing and thawing. Superimposed on these may be special biological factors that apply to specific cell types. This paper will emphasize the former and give illustrative examples of the latter.

Reducing implant energy is an effective way to eliminate transient enhanced diffusion (TED) due to excess interstitials from the implant. It is shown that TED from a fixed Si dose implanted at energies from 0.5 to 20 keV into boron doping-superlattices decreases linearly with decreasing Si ion range, virtually disappearing at sub-keV energies. However, for sub-keV B implants diffusion remains enhanced and x{sub j} is limited to {ge} 100 nm at 1,050 C. The authors term this enhancement, which arises in the presence of B atomic concentrations at the surface of {approx} 6%, Boron-Enhanced-Diffusion (BED).

Most calculations of air shower development have been based on the Bethe-Heitler cross sections for bremsstrahlung and pair production. However, for energetic enough particles, a number of different external factors can reduce these cross sections drastically, slowing shower development and lengthening the showers. Four mechanisms that can suppress bremsstrahlung and pair production cross sections are discussed, and their effect on extremely high energy air showers considered. Besides lengthening the showers, these mechanisms greatly increase the importance of fluctuations in shower development, and can increase the angular spreading of showers.

Hellman-Feynman forces on atoms surrounding the gallium site in a Pu{sub 31}Ga supercell are calculated with the full-potential LMTO method in the local density approximation. These forces are minimized by adjusting atomic positions using an iterative Broyden scheme. At equilibrium the nearest-neighbor shell of plutonium atoms relaxes inward by 1.04% of the initial theoretical bond length (2.86 {angstrom}). A similar calculation on a Pu{sub 32} supercell shows no relaxation.

Movement of water through fractures plays an important role in performance assessments of the potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The magnitude and frequency of water flowing through individual fractures impacts predictions of the near-field environment and waste-package corrosion. Discrete fracture flow paths, referred to as ``weeps``, have been derived from dual continuum models of fracture flow. The required parameters include the geometric fracture spacing, an assumed width of each weep, and a scaling factor that accounts for reduced flow between fracture and matrix elements in dual continuum models. The formulation provides a convenient means to determine discrete weep spacing and flow rates that are mathematically consistent with the dual continuum model. Specific applications and examples related to seepage into drifts are also discussed.

During November and December of 1996, the Los Alamos Portable Pulser (LAPP) facility was used to evaluate the accuracy of time tags produced by the Blackbeard instrument, a payload on the ALEXIS (Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors) satellite. Over a two-month period, LAPP transmitted 65 broadband electromagnetic pulses to Blackbeard during satellite passes over North America. Of the 65 pulses transmitted, 31 were successfully received by Blackbeard. Ground-based diagnostics and a timing system disciplined by GPS allowed precise determinations of LAPP firing times to be made. Knowledge of the range to ALEXIS for each of the pulser shots allowed them to determine pulse propagation delays. The firing times were used in conjunction with propagation delays to compute estimated times of arrival (ETOAs) for pulses reaching Blackbeard. ETOAs were compared to Blackbeard reported times of arrival (RTOAs), which were computed from information returned by Blackbeard using an algorithm presented in this paper. For the 31 pulser shots received by Blackbeard, the mean difference between ETOA and RTOA was 1.97 milliseconds, with RTOAs occurring later than ETOAs. The standard deviation of the difference was 0.43 milliseconds. As a result of the study, the algorithm used for accurate Blackbeard time tat …

The goal of this study is to determine the signatures that would allow monitors to detect diversion of nuclear fuel (by a diverter) from a storage area such as a geological repository. Due to the complexity of operations surrounding disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a geologic repository, there are several places that a diversion of fuel could take place. After the canister that contains the fuel rods is breached, the diverter would require a hot cell to process or repackage the fuel. A reference repository and possible diversion scenarios are discussed. When a canister is breached, or during reprocessing to extract nuclear weapons material (primarily Pu), several important isotopes or signatures including tritium, {sup 85}Kr, and {sup 129}I are released to the surrounding environment and have the potential for analysis. Estimates of release concentrations of the key signatures from the repository under a hypothetical diversion scenario are presented and discussed. Gas analysis data collected from above-ground storage casks at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Test Area North (TAN) are included and discussed in the report. In addition, LANL participated in gas sampling of one TAN cask, the Castor V/21, in July 1997. Results of xenon analysis from …