Nuclear materials were first used to end the World War II. They were produced and maintained during the cold war for global security reasons. In the succeeding 50 years since the Atoms for Peace Initiative, nuclear materials were produced and used in global civilian reactors and fuel cycles intended for peaceful purposes. The Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1970 established a framework for appropriate applications of both defense and civilian nuclear activities by nuclear weapons states and non-nuclear weapons states. As global inventories of nuclear materials continue to grow, in a diverse and dynamically changing manner, it is time to evaluate current and future trends and needed actions: what are the current circumstances, what has been done to date, what has worked and what hasn't? The aim is to identify mutually reinforcing programmatic directions, leading to global partnerships that measurably enhance international security. Essential elements are material protection, control and accountability (MPC&A) of separated nuclear materials, interim storage, and geologic repositories for all nuclear materials destined for final disposal. Cooperation among key partners, such as the MPC&A program between the U.S. and Russia for nuclear materials from dismantled weapons, is necessary for interim storage and final disposal of nuclear materials. Such …

One of the major motivations driving recent interest in FFAGs is their use for the cost-effective acceleration of muons. This paper summarizes the progress in this area that was achieved leading up to and at the FFAG workshop at KEK from July 7-12, 2003. Much of the relevant background and references are also given here, to give a context to the progress we have made.

Our identification research for the past several years has focused on the problem of correctly discriminating small-magnitude explosions from a background of earthquakes, mining tremors, and other events. Small magnitudes lead to an emphasis on regional waveforms. The goal is to reduce the variance within the population of each type of event, while increasing the separation between the explosions and the other event types. We address this problem for both broad categories of seismic waves, body waves, and surface waves. First, we map out the effects of propagation and source size in advance so that they can be accounted for and removed from observed events. This can dramatically reduce the population variance. Second, we try to optimize the measurement process to improve the separation between population types. For body waves we focus on the identification power of the short-period regional phases Pn, Pg, Sn and Lg, and coda that can often be detected down to very small magnitudes. It is now well established that particular ratios of these phases, such as 6- to 8-Hz Pn/Lg, can effectively discriminate between closely located explosions and earthquakes. To extend this discrimination power over broad areas, we developed a revised Magnitude and Distance Amplitude …

The standing-wave electric-field profile within multilayer coatings is significantly perturbated by a nodular defect. The intensity, which is proportional to the electric field squared, is increased in the high index material by {>=}3x at normal incidence and {>=}12x at 45 degrees incidence angle. Therefore it is not surprising that nodular defects are initiation sites of laser-induced damage. In this study, the impact of reflectance-band centering and incident angle are explored for a 1 {micro}m diameter nodular defect seed overcoated with a 24 layer high-reflector constructed of quarter-wave thick alternating layers of hafnia and silica. The modeling was performed using a three-dimensional finite-element analysis code.

This project has built a unique historic database of regional distance nuclear explosion, earthquake, and mine-related digital broadband seismograms for the western United States (US). The emphasis is on data from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)-managed stations MNA, ELK, KNB and LAC that recorded many nuclear tests and nearby earthquakes in broadband digital form since 1980, along with a small number of earlier events that were digitized from tapes. Through the generous cooperation of Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) we have also included waveforms from their Leo Brady network (BMN, DWN, LDS, NEL,TON). In addition we include data from other open broadband stations in the western US with long operating histories and/or ties to the International Monitoring System (IMS) (e.g. PFO, YKA, CMB, NEW, DUG, ANMO, TUC). These waveforms are associated with a reconciled catalog of events and station response information to facilitate analysis. The goal is to create a high-quality database that can be used in the future to analyze fundamental regional monitoring issues such as detection, location, magnitude, and discrimination. In the first stage of the project, we collected six different regional network catalogs from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), to provide accurate independent location information for events …

The neutron-induced fission cross section on the {sup 235}U, T{sub 1/2} {approx} 26 min isomer has been deduced for incident neutron energies in the range E{sub n}=0.1-2.5 MeV, using the surrogate-reaction technique. In this technique, {sup 236}U fission probabilities measured in the {sup 234}U(t, pf) reaction have been converted into {sup 235}U(n,f) and {sup 235m}U(n,f) cross sections, using reaction theory to compensate for the differences in angular-momentum and parity distributions in the fissioning systems, transferred by the (t,p) and neutron-induced reactions. Based on the comparison between the {sup 235}U(n,f) cross section extracted in this work and independent experimental data, the deduced {sup 235m}U(n,f) cross section is believed to be reliable to 20% below E{sub n} {approx} 0.5 MeV and 10% at higher energies. The surrogate-reaction technique, its validation in the case of the {sup 235}U(n,f) cross section, and the deduced {sup 235m}U(n,f) cross section are discussed. Validation of this method allows (n,f) cross sections for many short-lived nuclei, as well as isomeric nuclei, to be extracted from measured fission probabilities.

The need for intense muon beams for muon colliders and for neutrino factories based on muon storage rings leads to a concept of 1-4 MW proton beams incident on a moving target that is inside a 20-T solenoid magnet, with a mercury jet as a preferred example. Novel technical issues for such a system include disruption of the mercury jet by the proton beam and distortion of the jet on entering the solenoid, as well as more conventional issues of materials lifetime and handling of activated materials in an intense radiation environment. As part of the R&D program of the Neutrino Factory and Muon Collider Collaboration, an R&D effort related to targetry is being performed within the context of experiment E951 at Brookhaven National Laboratory, first results of which are reported here.

A new multi-scale simulation method is formulated for the study of shocked materials. The method combines molecular dynamics and the Euler equations for compressible flow. Treatment of the difficult problem of the spontaneous formation of multiple shock waves due to material instabilities is enabled with this approach. The method allows the molecular dynamics simulation of the system under dynamical shock conditions for orders of magnitude longer time periods than is possible using the popular non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach. An example calculation is given for a model potential for silicon in which a computational speedup of 10{sup 5} is demonstrated. Results of these simulations are consistent with the recent experimental observation of an anomalously large elastic precursor on the nanosecond timescale.

The measurement of diffusivity at low temperature in the Ni-CrMo alloy system, relative to the melt point, is accomplished through the use of a composition-modulated structure. The composition-modulated structure consists of numerous pairs of alternating Ni and Cr-Mo layers that are each just a few nanometers thick. A direct assessment of alloy stability is made possible through measurement of the atomic diffusion between these layers that occurs during anneal treatments. X ray diffraction under the Bragg condition in the {theta}/2{theta} mode is the method used to quantify the changes that occur in the short-range order, i.e. the artificial composition fluctuation. The relative intensities of satellite reflections about the Bragg peaks are monitored as a function of the time at temperature. The decay rate of the artificial composition fluctuation of Ni with Cr-Mo is analyzed using the microscopic theory of diffusion to quantify a macroscopic diffusion coefficient D as 1.52 x 10{sup -19} cm{sup 2} {center_dot} sec{sup -1} for Ni{sub 2}(Cr,Mo) at 760 K.

We have measured the production of h{nu} {approx}> 4.5 keV x-rays from low-density Ti-doped aerogel targets at the OMEGA laser facility (University of Rochester). The targets were 2.2 mm long by 2 mm diameter beryllium cylinders filled with Ti-doped (3 atomic percent) SiO{sub 2} foam. The doped-foam density was {approx} 3 mg/cc. Forty beams of the OMEGA laser ({gamma} = 351 nm) illuminated the two cylindrical faces of the target with a total power that ranged from 7 to 14 TW. The laser interaction fully ionizes the target (n{sub e}/n{sub crit} {approx}< 0.1), and allows the laser-bleaching wave to excite, supersonically, the high-Z emitter ions in the sample. The heating of the target was imaged with a gated (200 ps time resolution) x-ray framing camera filtered to observe > 4 keV. 2-D radiative hydrodynamic calculations predict rapid and uniform heating over the whole target volume with minimal energy losses into hydrodynamic motion. An x-ray streak camera, also filtered to observe > 4 keV, was used to measure the rate of heat propagation in the target. Ti K-shell x-ray emission was spectrally resolved with a two-channel crystal spectrometer and recorded with a set of calibrated aluminum x-ray diodes. Back-scattered laser energy …

The utilization of nanomaterials in the synthesis and processing of energetic materials (i.e., pyrotechnics, explosives, and propellants) is a relatively new area of science and technology. Previous energetic nanomaterials have displayed new and potentially beneficial properties, relative to their conventional analogs. Unfortunately some of the energetic nanomaterials are difficult and or expensive to produce. At LLNL we are studying the application of sol-gel chemical methodology to the synthesis of energetic nanomaterials components and their formulation into energetic nanocomposites. Here sol-gel synthesis and formulation techniques are used to prepare Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Al pyrotechnic nanocomposites. The preliminary characterization of their thermal properties and the degree of mixing between fuel and oxidizer phases is contrasted with that of a conventional pyrotechnic mixture.

Practical cooling rings could lead to lower cost or improved performance in neutrino factory or muon collider designs, The ring modeled here uses realistic 3-dimensional fields and includes such ''real-world'' effects as windows on the absorbers and RF cavities and leaving empty lattice cells for injection and extraction. The ring increases the density of muons in a fixed acceptance volume by a factor of 4.2.

This paper presents experimental results and computational simulations of spherical wave propagation in Danby marble. The experiment consisted of a 2-cm-diameter explosive charge detonated in the center of a cylindrical rock sample. Radial particle velocity histories were recorded at several concentric locations in the sample. An extensively damaged region near the charge cavity and two networks of cracks were evident in the specimen after the test. The first network consists of radial cracks emanating form the cavity and extending about halfway through the specimen. The second network consists of circumferential cracks occurring in a relatively narrow band that extends from the outer boundary of the radially cracked region toward the free surface. The experiment was simulated using the GEODYN code and a multi-directional damage model. The model is developed within the framework of a properly invariant nonlinear thermomechanical theory with damage represented by a second order tensor that admits load-induced anisotropy such as was observed in the experiment.

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The success of reducing the risk of nuclear proliferation through physical protection and material control/accounting systems depends upon the development of an effective design that includes consideration of the objectives of the systems and the resources available to implement the design. Included among the objectives of the design are facility characterization, definition of threat, and identification of targets. When considering resources, the designer must consider funds available, rapid low-cost elements, technology elements, human resources, and the availability of resources to sustain operation of the end system. The Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC) is a multi-function nuclear facility located in the Tomsk region of Siberia, Russia. Beginning in 1996, SCC joined with the United States Department of Energy (US/DOE) Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) Program to develop and implement MPC&A upgrades for the Radiochemical, Chemical Metallurgical, Conversion, Uranium Enrichment, and Reactor Plants of the SCC. At the Radiochemical Plant the MPC&A design and implementation process has been largely completed for the Plutonium Storage Facility and related areas of the Radiochemical Plant. Design and implementation of upgrades for the Radiochemical Plant include rapid physical protection upgrades such as bricking up of doors and windows, and installation of security-hardened doors. Rapid material control …

Prediction of the plastic strength of single crystals based on the collective dynamics of dislocations has been a challenge for computational materials science for a number of years. The difficulty lies in the inability of the existing dislocation dynamics (DD) codes to handle a sufficiently large number of dislocation lines, in order to be statistically representative and to reproduce experimentally observed microstructures. A new massively-parallel DD code is developed that is capable of modeling million-dislocation systems by employing thousands of processors. We discuss the general aspects of this code that make such large scale simulations possible, as well as a few initial simulation results.

In the field of composite energetic materials, properties such as ingredient distribution, particle size, and morphology, affect both sensitivity and performance. Since the reaction kinetics of composite energetic materials are typically controlled by the mass transport rates between reactants, one would anticipate new and potentially exceptional performance from energetic nanocomposites. We have developed a new method of making nanostructured energetic materials, specifically explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics, using sol-gel chemistry. A novel sol-gel approach has proven successful in preparing metal oxide/silicon oxide nanocomposites in which the metal oxide is the major component. Two of the metal oxides are tungsten trioxide and iron(III) oxide, both of which are of interest in the field of energetic materials. Furthermore, due to the large availability of organically functionalized silanes, the silicon oxide phase can be used as a unique way of introducing organic additives into the bulk metal oxide materials. As a result, the desired organic functionality is well dispersed throughout the composite material on the nanoscale. By introducing a fuel metal into the metal oxide/silicon oxide matrix, energetic materials based on thermite reactions can be fabricated. The resulting nanoscale distribution of all the ingredients displays energetic properties not seen in its microscale counterparts due …

Recent simulations have shown that muon cooling rings can effectively reduce both longitudinal and transverse emittance. The muon collaboration is investigating several varieties of muon cooling rings. This study looks at the first of these ring cooling scenarios that was proposed by V. Balbekov. This simulation of this ring shows significant cooling in the hard-edge field approximation. We discuss the status of using realistic fields in the tetra simulation.

An initiator device structure consisting of an energetic metallic nano-laminate foil coated with a sol-gel derived energetic nano-composite has been demonstrated. The device structure consists of a precision sputter deposition synthesized nano-laminate energetic foil of non-toxic and non-hazardous metals along with a ceramic-based energetic sol-gel produced coating made up of non-toxic and non-hazardous components such as ferric oxide and aluminum metal. Both the nano-laminate and sol-gel technologies are versatile commercially viable processes that allow the ''engineering'' of properties such as mechanical sensitivity and energy output. The nano-laminate serves as the mechanically sensitive precision igniter and the energetic sol-gel functions as a low-cost, non-toxic, non-hazardous booster in the ignition train. In contrast to other energetic nanotechnologies these materials can now be safely manufactured at application required levels, are structurally robust, have reproducible and engineerable properties, and have excellent aging characteristics.

The application of high pressure affects the band structure and magnetic interactions in solids by modifying nearest-neighbor distances and interatomic potentials. While all materials experience electronic changes with increasing pressure, spin polarized, strongly electron correlated materials are expected to undergo the most dramatic transformations. In such materials, (d and f-electron metals and compounds), applied pressure reduces the strength of on-site correlations, leading to increased electron delocalization and, eventually, to loss of its magnetism. In this ongoing project, we study the electronic and magnetic properties of Group VIII, 3d (Fe, Co and Ni) magnetic transition metals and their compounds at high pressures. The high-pressure properties of magnetic 3d-transition metals and compounds have been studied extensively over the years, because of iron being a major constituent of the Earth's core and its relevance to the planetary modeling to understand the chemical composition, internal structure, and geomagnetism. However, the fundamental scientific interest in the high-pressure properties of magnetic 3d-electron systems extends well beyond the geophysical applications to include the electron correlation-driven physics. The role of magnetic interactions in the stabilization of the ''non-standard'' ambient pressure structures of Fe, Co and Ni is still incompletely understood. Theoretical studies have predicted (and high pressure experiments …

We are using laboratory and field experiments to design modeling tools and technology that will improve silica scale management practices in geothermal plants. Our work will help to lower operating costs through improved scale prediction and add new revenue streams from sale of mineral byproducts extracted from geothermal fluids. Improving the economics and effectiveness of scale control programs and/or extraction systems in geothermal operations requires a coupled kinetic-thermodynamic model of silica behavior. Silica scale precipitation is a multi-step process, involving a nucleation-related induction period, aqueous polymerization, condensation of polymers to form colloids, and deposition onto a solid surface. Many chemical and physical variables influence the rates of these steps and their impacts must be quantified and predictable in order to optimally control silica behavior. To date, in laboratory studies, we have quantified the effects on silica polymerization of the following set of chemical variables: Na at 500 and 2000 ppm, pH values from 5 to 9, temperatures of 25 and 50 C, and silica saturation values from 1.2 to 6 at initial dissolved silica concentrations of 600 ppm. Lowering pH both increases the induction time prior to polymerization and decreases the polymerization rate. We have successfully used a multiple regression …

In this paper, an approach to couple higher-order electromagnetic surface integral equations to circuit simulations is presented. Terminals are defined that connect circuit elements to contacts modeled on the distributed electromagnetic domain. A modified charge-current continuity equation is proposed for a generalized KCL connection at the contacts. The distributive electromagnetic integral equations are developed using higher-order bases and elements that allow both better convergence and accuracy for modeling. The resulting scheme enables simultaneous solution of electromagnetic integral equations for arbitrarily-shaped objects and SPICE-like modeling for lumped circuits, and permits design iterations and visualization of the interaction between the two domains.

We report on large-scale applications of the ab initio, no-core shell model with the primary goal of achieving an accurate description of nuclear structure from the fundamental inter-nucleon interactions. In particular, we show that realistic two-nucleon interactions are inadequate to describe the low-lying structure of {sup 10}B, and that realistic three-nucleon interactions are essential.

Experimental results from the Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment, SSPX, are reviewed and applied to published reactor configurations. The results include several important features, including low fluctuation levels, (apparent) good magnetic flux surfaces, and moderate beta. Additional features needed for an attractive reactor but not yet demonstrated experimentally are identified by comparison with the reactor designs, and possible alternatives to a fully steady-state device are discussed.