We present a new cubic ({gamma}) Li{sub 3}N phase discovered above 40({+-}5) GPa. Structure and electronic bands are examined at high pressure with synchrotron x-ray diffraction and inelastic x-ray scattering in a diamond anvil cell, and also with first-principles calculations. We observe a dramatic band-gap widening and volume collapse at the phase transition. {gamma}-Li{sub 3}N remains extremely stable and ionic to 200 GPa, with predicted metallization near 8 TPa. The high structural stability, wide band-gap and simple electronic structure of {gamma}-Li{sub 3}N are analogous to that of such lower valence closed-shell solids as NaCl, MgO and Ne, meriting its use as a low-Z internal pressure standard.

By the end of August, 2005, the Russia Federation delivered to the United States (U.S.) more than 7,000 metric tons (MT) of low enriched uranium (LEU) containing approximately 46 million SWU and 75,000 MT of natural uranium. This uranium was blended down from weapons-grade (nominally enriched to 90% {sup 235}U) highly enriched uranium (HEU) under the 1993 HEU Purchase Agreement that provides for the blend down of 500 MT HEU into LEU for use as fuel in commercial nuclear reactors. The HEU Transparency Program, under the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), monitored the conversion and blending of the more than 250 MT HEU used to produce this LEU. The HEU represents more than half of the 500 MT HEU scheduled to be blended down through the year 2013 and is equivalent to the elimination of more than 10,000 nuclear devices. The HEU Transparency Program has made considerable progress in its mission to develop and implement transparency measures necessary to assure that Russian HEU extracted from dismantled Russian nuclear weapons is blended down into LEU for delivery to the United States. U.S. monitor observations include the inventory of in process containers, observation of plant operations, nondestructive assay measurements to determine {sup …

Early detection of cancer is a key element in successful treatment of the disease. Understanding the particular type of cancer involved, its origins and probable course, is also important. PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6 phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine), a heterocyclic amine produced during the cooking of meat at elevated temperatures, has been shown to induce mammary cancer in female, Sprague-Dawley rats. Tumors induced by PhIP have been shown to contain discreet cytogenetic signature patterns of gains and losses using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). To determine if a protein signature exists for these tumors, we are analyzing expression levels of the protein products of the above-mentioned tumors in combination with a new bulk protein subtractive assay. This assay produces a panel of antibodies against proteins that are either on or off in the tumor. Hybridization of the antibody panel onto a 2-D gel of tumor or control protein will allow for identification of a distinct protein signature in the tumor. Analysis of several gene databases has identified a number of rat homologs of human cancer genes located in these regions of gain and loss. These genes include the oncogenes c-MYK, ERBB2/NEU, THRA and tumor suppressor genes EGR1 and HDAC3. The listed genes have been shown to …

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) counts individual rare, usually radio-, isotopes such as radiocarbon at high efficiency and specificity in milligram-sized samples. AMS traces very low chemical doses ({micro}g) and radiative doses (100 Bq) of isotope labeled compounds in animal models and directly in humans for pharmaceutical, nutritional, or toxicological research. Absorption, metabolism, distribution, binding, and elimination are all quantifiable with high precision after appropriate sample definition.

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An understanding of both the hydraulic properties of the aquifer and the depth distribution of salts is critical for evaluating the potential of groundwater for conjunctive water use and for maintaining suitable groundwater quality in agricultural regions where groundwater is used extensively for irrigation and drinking water. The electrical conductivity profiles recorded in a well using the flowing fluid electric conductivity logging (FEC logging) method can be analyzed to estimate interval specific hydraulic conductivity and estimates of the salinity concentration with depth. However, irrigation wells that are common in agricultural regions have limited access into them because these wells are still in operation, and the traditional equipment used for FEC logging cannot fit through the small access pipe intersecting the well. A modified, miniaturized FEC logging technique was developed such that this logging method could be used in wells with limited access. In addition, a new method for injecting water over the entire screened interval of the well was developed to reduce the time required to perform FEC logging. Results of FEC logging using the new methodology and miniaturized system in two irrigation wells are also summarized.

While the purpose of geologic storage of CO{sub 2} in deep saline formations is to trap greenhouse gases underground, the potential exists for CO{sub 2} to escape from the target reservoir, migrate upward along permeable pathways, and discharge at the land surface. Such discharge is not necessarily a serious concern, as CO{sub 2} is a naturally abundant and relatively benign gas in low concentrations. However, there is a potential risk to health, safety and environment (HSE) in the event that large localized fluxes of CO{sub 2} were to occur at the land surface, especially where CO{sub 2} could accumulate. In this paper, we develop possible scenarios for large CO{sub 2} fluxes based on the analysis of natural analogues, where large releases of gas have been observed. We are particularly interested in scenarios which could generate sudden, possibly self-enhancing, or even eruptive release events. The probability for such events may be low, but the circumstances under which they might occur and potential consequences need to be evaluated in order to design appropriate site selection and risk management strategies. Numerical modeling of hypothetical test cases is needed to determine critical conditions for such events, to evaluate whether such conditions may be possible …

In support of Stockpile Stewardship activities, accelerated aging tests on a plutonium alloy enriched with 7.3 atomic percentage of {sup 238}Pu is underway using dilatometry at 35, 50, and 65 C and immersion density measurements of material stored at 50 C. Changes in density are expected from radiation damage in the lattice and helium in-growth. After twenty-five equivalent years of aging, the dilatometry data shows that the alloys at 35 C have expanded in volume by 0.11% to 0.12% and have started to exhibit a near linear expansion behavior primarily caused by the helium accumulation. The average He-to-vacancy ratio from tested specimens was determined to be around 2.3. The model for the lattice damage and helium in-growth accurately represents the volume swelling at 35 C. The density converted from the dilatometry corresponds well to the decreasing density trend of reference plutonium alloys as a function of time.

State selective nl-electron capture cross sections are presented for highly charged ions with Z = 6-10 colliding with atoms and molecules. The energy range investigated was from 1 eV/amu (v = 0.006 a.u.) to 100 keV/amu (v =2.0 a.u.). The energy dependence of the l-level populations is investigated. The K-shell x-ray emission cross sections are determined by using the calculated state-selective electron capture results as input and then applying hydrogenic branching and cascading values for the photon emission. A major shift in the line emission from being almost solely Lyman-{alpha} transitions at the highest collisions energies to strong high-n to 1s transitions at the lowest energies is observed. The calculated cross sections are in reasonable accord with measurements made by Greenwood et al, Phys. Rev. A 63, 062707 (2001), using O{sup 8+} and Ne{sup 10+} on various targets at 3 keV/amu. The calculations are also in accord with x-ray emission cross section data obtained on the EBIT machine at LLNL where O{sup 8+} and Ne{sup 10+} high resolution measurements were made at a temperature of 10 eV/amu for a series of targets with varying ionization potentials. The Ne{sup 10+} data clearly shows the contribution from multiple capture followed by Auger …

The DECOVALEX project is an international cooperative project initiated by SKI, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, with participation of about 10 international organizations. The general goal of this project is to encourage multidisciplinary interactive and cooperative research on modeling coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geologic formations in support of the performance assessment for underground storage of radioactive waste. One of the research tasks, initiated in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), addresses the long-term impact of geomechanical and geochemical processes on the flow conditions near waste emplacement tunnels. Within this task, four international research teams conduct predictive analysis of the coupled processes in two generic repositories, using multiple approaches and different computer codes. Below, we give an overview of the research task and report its current status.

The mechanical properties and microstructural evolution ofmetal-ceramic bonds produced using a transient liquid phase (TLP) aredescribed. Alumina (Al2O3) was joined at 500 degrees C, 600 degrees C,and 700 degrees C using a multilayer In/Cusil-ABA (R) (commercialcopper-silver eutectic brazing alloy)/In interlayer. The introduction ofthin In cladding layers allows the system to bond at much lowertemperatures than those typically used for brazing with Cusil-ABA (R),thereby protecting temperature-sensitive components. After chemicalhomogenization, the interlayers retain an operating temperature rangesimilar to that of the brazed joints. TLP bonds made at 500 degrees C,600 degrees C, and 700 degrees C with holding times ranging from as lowas 1.5 h to 24 h had average fracture strengths above 220 MPa. Theeffects of bonding temperature and time on fracture strength aredescribed. Preliminary analysis of the interlayers shows that the Ag-Inor Cu-In intermetallic phases do not form. Considerations unique tosystems with two-phase core layers are discussed. Experiments usingsingle-crystal sapphire indicate rapid formation of a reaction layer at700 degrees C, suggesting the possibility of making strong bonds usinglower temperatures and/or shorter processing times.

A key lesson learned from the earliest optics installed in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) was that the traditional approach for maintaining cleanliness, such as the use of cleanrooms and associated garments and protocols, is inadequate. Assembly activities often negate the benefits provided by cleanrooms, and in fact generate contamination with high damage potential. As a result, NIF introduced ''clean assembly protocols'' and related practices to supplement the traditional clean room protocols. These new protocols included ''clean-as-you-go'' activities and regular bright light inspections. Introduction of these new protocols has greatly reduced the particle contamination found on more recently installed optics. In this paper we will describe the contamination mechanisms we have observed and the details of the clean assembly protocols we have successfully introduced to mitigate them.

We present modeling results for the propagation of strong shock waves in metals. In particular, we use an arbitrary Lagrange Eulerian (ALE3D) code to model the propagation of strong pressure waves (P {approx} 300 to 400 kbars) generated with high explosives in contact with aluminum cylinders. The aluminum cylinders are assumed to be both flat-topped and have large-amplitude curved surfaces. We use 3D Lagrange mechanics. For the aluminum we use a rate-independent Steinberg-Guinan model, where the yield strength and shear modulus depend on pressure, density and temperature. The calculation of the melt temperature is based on the Lindermann law. At melt the yield strength and shear modulus is set to zero. The pressure is represented as a seven-term polynomial as a function of density. For the HMX-based high explosive, we use a JWL, with a program burn model that give the correct detonation velocity and C-J pressure (P {approx} 390 kbars). For the case of the large-amplitude curved surface, we discuss the evolving shock structure in terms of the early shock propagation experiments by Sakharov.

We report on searches for B{sup -} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -} {phi} and B{sup -} {yields} D*{sub s}{sup -} {phi}. In the context of the Standard Model, these decays are expected to be highly suppressed since they proceed through annihilation of the b and {bar u} quarks in the B{sup -} meson. Our results are based on 234 million {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. We find no evidence for these decays, and we set Bayesian 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions {Beta}(B{sup -} {yields} D{sub s}{sup -}{phi}) < 1.9 x 10{sup -6} and {Beta}(B{sup -} {yields} D*{sub s}{sup -} {phi}) < 1.2 x 10{sup -5}. These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.

We report a full-vector, three-dimensional, numerical solution of Maxwell's equations for optical propagation within, and scattering by, a random medium of macroscopic dimensions. The total scattering cross-section is determined using the pseudospectral time-domain technique. Specific results reported in this Paper indicate that multiply scattered light also contains information that can be extracted by the proposed cross-correlation analysis. On a broader perspective, our results demonstrate the feasibility of accurately determining the optical characteristics of arbitrary, macroscopic random media, including geometries with continuous variations of refractive index. Specifically, our results point toward the new possibilities of tissue optics--by numerically solving Maxwell's equations, the optical properties of tissue structures can be determined unambiguously.

Cubic, single-crystal, transparent Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub 12} has a density of 7.10 g/cm{sup 3}, a Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) of 30 GPa, and undergoes a continuous phase transition from 65 GPa to a quasi-incompressible (QI) phase at 120 GPa. Only diamond has a larger HEL. The QI phase of Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub 12} is more incompressible than diamond from 170 to 260 GPa. Electrical conductivity measurements indicate the QI phase has a bandgap of 3.1 eV. Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub 12} can be used to obtain substantially higher pressures and lower temperatures in metallic fluid hydrogen than was achieved previously by shock reverberation between Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} disks. Dynamic compression achieves pressures, densities, and temperatures that enable investigation of ultracondensed matter at conditions yet to be achieved by any other technique. The prototypical example is observation of minimum metallic conductivity (MMC) of dense fluid hydrogen at 140 GPa, nine-fold compression of liquid density, and {approx}3000 K [1-3]. The high pressure and density and relatively low temperature are achieved by multiple-shock compression [2]. Temperature T is relatively low in the sense that T/TP{sub F} {approx} 0.01, where T{sub F} is the Fermi temperature. The time scale of compression is sufficiently long to …

We have developed a security model that facilitates control of resources by autonomous peers who act on behalf of collaborating users. This model allows a gradual build-up of trust. It enables secure interactions among users that do not necessarily know each other and allows them to build trust over the course of their collaboration. This paper describes various aspects of our security model and describes an architecture that implements this model to provide security in pure peer-to-peer environments.

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Radiocarbon dating, with special reference to the modern bomb-curve, can provide useful information to elucidate the date of death of skeletonized human remains. Interpretation can be enhanced with analysis of different types of tissues within a single skeleton because of the known variability of formation times and remodeling rates. Analysis of radiocarbon content of teeth, especially the enamel in tooth crowns provides information about the date of formation in the childhood years and in consideration of the known timing of tooth formation can be used to estimate the birth date after 1950 A.D. Radiocarbon analysis of modern cortical and trabecular bone samples from the same skeleton may allow proper placement on the pre-1963 or post-1963 sides of the bomb-curve since most trabecular bone generally undergoes more rapid remodeling than does most cortical bone. Pre-1963 bone formation would produce higher radiocarbon values for most trabecular bone than for most cortical bone. This relationship is reversed for formation after 1963. Radiocarbon analysis was conducted in this study on dental, cortical and trabecular bone samples from two adult individuals of known birth (1925 and 1926) and death dates (1995 and 1959). As expected, the dental results correspond to pre-bomb bomb-curve values reflecting conditions …

We report here on modeling of non-equilibrium phase transitions in Bi samples isentropically compressed to 120 GPa by a ramped drive, which is produced using the Janus laser. In the experiments, the Bi samples are attached to windows of LiF or sapphire, and the velocity history of the sample-window interface is recorded with line VISAR. The 1D response of the targets is modeled using a multiphase Bi EOS, the Andrews-Hayes method for non-equilibrium transitions, and a Boettger-Wallace kinetics model. The pressure drive is deduced by back integration of VISAR data from shots performed with Al samples.

Although computer simulation has played a central role in the study of nucleation and growth since the earliest molecular dynamics simulations almost 50 years ago, confusion surrounding the effect of finite size on such simulations have limited their applicability. Modeling solidification in molten tantalum on the BlueGene/L computer, we report here on the first atomistic simulation of solidification that verifies independence from finite size effects during the entire nucleation and growth process, up to the onset of coarsening. We show that finite size scaling theory explains the observed maximal grain sizes for systems up to about 8,000,000 atoms. For larger simulations, a cross-over from finite size scaling to more physical size-independent behavior is observed.

The authors present a measurement of the systemic proper motion of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) from astrometry with the High Resolution Camera (HRC) of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). They observed LMC fields centered on 21 background QSOs that were discovered from their optical variability in the MACHO database. The QSOs are distributed homogeneously behind the central few degrees of the LMC. With 2 epochs of HRC data and a {approx} 2 year baseline they determine the proper motion of the LMC to better than 5% accuracy: {mu}{sub W} = -2.03 {+-} 0.08 mas yr{sup -1}, {mu}{sub N} = 0.44 {+-} 0.05 mas yr{sup -1}. This is the most accurate proper motion measurement for any Milky Way satellite thus far. When combined with HI data from the Magellanic Stream this should provide new constraints on both the mass distribution of the Galactic Halo and models of the Stream.

''Hidden'' geothermal systems are systems devoid of obvious surface hydrothermal manifestations. Emissions of moderate-to-low solubility gases may be one of the primary near-surface signals from these systems. We investigate the potential for CO2 detection and monitoring below and above ground in the near-surface environment as an approach to exploration targeting hidden geothermal systems. We focus on CO2 because it is the dominant noncondensible gas species in most geothermal systems and has moderate solubility in water. We carried out numerical simulations of a CO2 migration scenario to calculate the magnitude of expected fluxes and concentrations. Our results show that CO2 concentrations can reach high levels in the shallow subsurface even for relatively low geothermal source CO2 fluxes. However, once CO2 seeps out of the ground into the atmospheric surface layer, winds are effective at dispersing CO2 seepage. In natural ecological systems in the absence of geothermal gas emissions, near-surface CO2 fluxes and concentrations are predominantly controlled by CO2 uptake by photosynthesis, production by root respiration, microbial decomposition of soil/subsoil organic matter, groundwater degassing, and exchange with the atmosphere. Available technologies for monitoring CO2 in the near-surface environment include the infrared gas analyzer, the accumulation chamber method, the eddy covariance method, hyperspectral …