A summary of the results of several recent studies of charm mixing is presented. A number of different methods were used, including the measurement of lifetime ratios for final states of different CP, time dependence of wrong-sign hadronic decays, fits to time-dependent Dalitz plots, and searches for wrong-sign semi-leptonic decays. Taken together, they suggest mixing is of order 1%. The status of searches for indirect CP violation is also reported.

This talk briefly reviews three types of time-asymmetry in physics, which I classify as universal, macroscopic and microscopic. Most of the talk is focused on the latter, namely the violation of T-reversal invariance in particle physics theories. In sum tests of microscopic T-invariance, or observations of its violation, are limited by the fact that, while we can measure many processes, only in very few cases can we construct a matched pair of process and inverse process and observe it with sufficient sensitivity to make a test. In both the cases discussed here we can achieve an observable T violation making use of flavor tagging, and in the second case also using the quantum properties of an antisymmetric coherent state of two B mesons to construct a CP-tag. Both these tagging properties depend only on very general properties of the flavor and/or CP quantum numbers and so provide model independent tests for T-invariance violations. The microscopic laws of physics are very close to T-symmetric. There are small effects that give CP- and T-violating processes in three-generation-probing weak decays. Where a T-violating observable can be constructed we see the relationships between T-violation and CP-violation expected in a CPT conserving theory. These microscopic …

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) was established to achieve the safe and compliant disposition of legacy wastes and facilities from defense nuclear applications. The scope of work is diverse, with projects ranging from single acquisitions to collections of projects and operations that span several decades and costs from hundreds of millions to billions US$. The need to be able to manage and understand the technical risks from the project to senior management level has been recognized as an enabler to successfully completing the mission. In 2008, DOE-EM developed the Technical Risk Rating as a new method to assist in managing technical risk based on specific criteria. The Technical Risk Rating, and the criteria used to determine the rating, provides a mechanism to foster open, meaningful communication between the Federal Project Directors and DOE-EM management concerning project technical risks. Four indicators (technical maturity, risk urgency, handling difficulty and resolution path) are used to focus attention on the issues and key aspects related to the risks. Pressing risk issues are brought to the forefront, keeping DOE-EM management informed and engaged such that they fully understand risk impact. Use of the Technical Risk Rating and criteria during reviews …

We present a measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV using approximately 1 fb{sup -1} of data collected with the D0 detector. We consider decay channels containing two high p{sub T} charged leptons where one lepton is identified as an electron or a muon while the other lepton can be an electron, a muon or a hadronically decaying {tau} lepton. For a mass of the top quark of 170 GeV, the measured cross section is 7.5{sub -1.0}{sup +1.0}(stat){sub -0.06}{sup +0.7}(syst){sub -0.5}{sup 0.6}(lumi) pb. Using {ell}{sub {tau}} events only, they measure: {sigma}{sub t{bar t}} x B(t{bar t} {yields} {ell}{sub {tau}}b{bar b}) = 0.13{sub -0.08}{sup +0.09}(stat){sub -0.06}{sup 0.06}(syst)+{sub -0.02}{sup +0.02}(lumi) pb. Comparing the measured cross section as a function of the mass of the top quark with a partial next-to-next-to leading order Quantum Chromodynamics theoretical prediction, we extract a mass of the top quark of 171.5{sub -8.8}{sup +9.9} GeV, in agreement with direct measurements.

In this paper we report on large scale multi-physics simulation of beam dynamics in electron linacs for next generation free electron lasers (FELs). We describe key features of a parallel macroparticle simulation code including three-dimensional (3D) space-charge effects, short-range structure wake fields, longitudinal coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) wake fields, and treatment of radiofrequency (RF) accelerating cavities using maps obtained from axial field profiles. A macroparticle up-sampling scheme is described that reduces the shot noise from an initial distribution with a smaller number of macroparticles while maintaining the global properties of the original distribution. We present a study of the microbunching instability which is a critical issue for future FELs due to its impact on beam quality at the end of the linac. Using parameters of a planned FEL linac at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), we show that a large number of macroparticles (beyond 100 million) is needed to control numerical shot noise that drives the microbunching instability. We also explore the effect of the longitudinal grid on simulation results. We show that acceptable results are obtained with around 2048 longitudinal grid points, and we discuss this in view of the spectral growth rate predicted from linear theory. As an …

In 2000 the Hanford Tank Farms had one of the worst safety records in the Department of Energy Complex. By the end of FY08 the safety performance of the workforce had turned completely around, resulting in one of the best safety records in the DOE complex for operations of its kind. This paper describes the variety of programs and changes that were put in place to accomplish such a dramatic turn-around. The U.S. Department of Energy's 586-square-mile Hanford Site in Washington State was established during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear materials to end the war. For the next several decades it continued to produce plutonium for the nation's defense, leaving behind vast quantities of radioactive and chemical waste. Much of this waste, 53,000,000 gallons, remains stored in 149 aging single-shell tanks and 28 newer double-shell tanks. One of the primary objectives at Hanford is to safely manage this waste until it can be prepared for disposal, but this has not always been easy. These giant underground tanks, many of which date back to the beginning of the Manhattan Project, range in size from 55,000 gallons up to 1.1 million gallons, and are buried …

The authors present measurements of the semileptonic decays B{sup -} {yields} D{sup 0} {tau}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {tau}}, B{sup -} {yields} D*{sup 0} {tau}{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub {tau}}, {bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup +} {tau}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {tau}}, and {bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup +} {tau}{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub {tau}}, which are sensitive to non-Standard Model amplitudes in certain scenarios. The data sample consists of 232 x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} collider. They select events with a D or D* meson and a light lepton ({ell} = e or {mu}) recoiling against a fully reconstructed B meson. They perform a fit to the joint distribution of lepton momentum and missing mass squared to distinguish signal B {yields} D{sup (*)}{tau}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {tau}} ({tau}{sup -} {yields} {ell}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {ell}}{nu}{sub {tau}}) events from the backgrounds, predominantly B {yields} D{sup (*)} {ell}{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub {ell}}. They measure the branching-fraction ratios R(D) {triple_bond} {Beta}(B {yields} D{tau}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {tau}})/{Beta}(B {yields} D{ell}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {ell}}) and R(D*) {triple_bond} {Beta}(B {yields} D*{tau}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {tau}})/{Beta}(B {yields} D* {ell}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {ell}}) and, from a combined fit …

Identifying the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in the recently-discovered ferrooxypnictide family of superconductors, RFeAsO{sub 1-x}F{sub y}, where R is a rare earth, is a high priority. Many of the proposed order parameters have internal {pi} phase shifts, like the d-wave order found in the cuprates, which would result in direction-dependent phase shifts in tunneling. In dense polycrystalline samples, these phase shifts in turn would result in spontaneous orbital currents and magnetization in the superconducting state. We perform scanning SQUID microscopy on a dense polycrystalline sample of NdFeAsO{sub 0.94}F{sub 0.06} with T{sub c} = 48K and find no such spontaneous currents, ruling out many of the proposed order parameters.

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.

On October 9, 2008, NREL hosted a workshop to provide an opportunity for external stakeholders to offer insights and recommendations on the design and functionality of DOE's planned Energy Systems Infrastructure Facility (ESIF). The goal was to ensure that the planning for the ESIF effectively addresses the most critical barriers to large-scale energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) deployment. This technical report documents the ESIF workshop proceedings.

In this work, computer simulations are used to determine the influence of edge conditions on the overall performance of mesa diodes under dark and illuminated conditions. In particular, we examine the effect of edge shape on the I-V characteristics of the diode.

MINOS is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that uses two detectors separated by 734 km. The readout systems used for the two detectors are different and have to be independently calibrated. To verify and make a direct comparison of the calibrated response of the two readout systems, test beam data were acquired using a smaller calibration detector. This detector was simultaneously instrumented with both readout systems and exposed to the CERN PS T7 test beam. Differences in the calibrated response of the two systems are shown to arise from differences in response non-linearity, photomultiplier tube crosstalk, and threshold effects at the few percent level. These differences are reproduced by the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to better than 1% and a scheme that corrects for these differences by calibrating the MC to match the data in each detector separately is presented. The overall difference in calorimetric response between the two readout systems is shown to be consistent with zero to a precision of 1.3% in data and 0.3% in MC with no significant energy dependence.

The Heavy-Ion Fusion Sciences Virtual National Laboratory is pursuing an approach to target heating experiments in the Warm Dense Matter regime, using space-charge-dominated ion beams that are simultaneously longitudinally bunched and transversely focused. Longitudinal beam compression by large factors has been demonstrated in the LBNL Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment (NDCX) experiment with controlled ramps and forced neutralization. The achieved peak beam current and energy can be used in experiments to heat targets and create warm dense matter. Using an injected 30 mA K{sup +} ion beam with initial kinetic energy 0.3 MeV, axial compression leading to {approx}50x current amplification and simultaneous radial focusing to beam radii of a few mm have led to encouraging energy deposition approaching the intensities required for eV-range target heating experiments. We discuss experiments that are under development to reach the necessary higher beam intensities and the associated beam diagnostics.

The author reports on a Dalitz plot analysis of B{sup -} {yields} D{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup -} decays, based on a sample of about 383 million {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. They find the total branching fraction of the three-body decay: {Beta}(B{sup -} {yields} D{sup +} {pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup -}) = (1.08 {+-} 0.01 {+-} 0.05) x 10{sup -3}. the masses and widths of D*{sub 2}{sup 0} and D*{sub 0}{sup 0}, the 2{sup +} and 0{sup +} c{bar u} P-wave states decaying to D{sup +}{pi}{sup -}, are measured: m{sub D*{sub 2}{sup 0}} = (2460.4 {+-} 1.2 {+-} 1.2 {+-} 1.9) MeV/c{sup 2}, {Lambda}{sub D*{sub 2}{sup 0}} = (41.8 {+-} 2.5 {+-} 2.1 {+-} 2.0) MeV, m{sub D*{sub 0}{sup 0}} = (2297 {+-} 8 {+-} 5 {+-} 19) MeV/c{sup 2} and {Lambda}{sub D*{sub 0}{sup 0}} = (273 {+-} 12 {+-} 17 {+-} 45) MeV. The stated errors reflect the statistical and systematic uncertainties, and the uncertainty related to the assumed composition of signal events and the theoretical model.

Metastable vacua in supersymmetric QCD in the presence of single and multitrace deformations of the superpotential are explored, with the aim of obtaining an acceptable phenomenology. The metastable vacua appear at one loop, have a broken R-symmetry, and a magnetic gauge group that is completely Higgsed. With only a single trace deformation, the adjoint fermions from the meson superfield are approximately massless at one loop, even though they are massive at tree level and R-symmetry is broken. Consequently, if charged under the standard model, they are unacceptably light. A multitrace quadratic deformation generates fermion masses proportional to the deformation parameter. Phenomenologically viable models of direct gauge mediation can then be obtained, and some of their features are discussed.

'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.

The order parameter of the recently-discovered ferric arsenide family of superconductors remains uncertain. Some early experiments on polycrystalline samples suggested line nodes in the order parameter, however later experiments on single crystals have strongly supported fully-gapped superconductivity. An absence of nodes does not rule out unconventional order: {pi} phase shifts between the separate Fermi sheets and time-reversal symmetry-breaking components in the order parameter remain possibilities. One test for unconventional order is scanning magnetic microscopy on well-coupled polycrystalline samples: d- or p-wave order would result in orbital frustration, leading to spontaneous currents and magnetization in the superconducting state. We have performed scanning SQUID microscopy on SmFeAsO{sub 0.85} and NdFeAsO{sub 0.94}F{sub 0.06}, and in neither material do we find spontaneous orbital currents, ruling out p- or d-wave order.

The generic unparticle propagator may be modified in two ways. Breaking the conformal symmetry effectively adds a mass term to the propagator, while considering vacuum polarization corrections adds a width-like term. Both of these modifications result naturally from the coupling of the unparticle to standard model (SM) fields. We explore how these modifications to the propagator affect the calculation of the lepton anomalous magnetic moment using an integral approximation of the propagator that is accurate for d {approx}< 1.5, where d is the unparticle dimension. We find that for this range of d and various values of the conformal breaking scale {mu}, the value of g-2 calculated when allowing various SM fermions to run in the unparticle self-energy loops does not significantly deviate from the value of g-2 when the width term is ignored. We also investigate the limits on a characteristic mass scale for the unparticle sector as a function of {mu} and d.

Simulated calorimeter performance in the SiD detector is examined. The software calibration procedures are described, as well as the perfect pattern recognition PFA reconstruction. Performance of the SiD calorimeters is summarized with jet energy resolutions from calorimetry only, perfect pattern recognition and the SiD PFA algorithm. Presented at LCWS08[1]. Our objective is to simulate the calorimeter performance of the SiD detector, with and without a Particle Flow Algorithm (PFA). Full Geant4 simulations using SLIC[2] and the SiD simplified detector geometry (SiD02) are used. In this geometry, the calorimeters are represented as layered cylinders. The EM calorimeter is Si/W, with 20 layers of 2.5mm W and 10 layers of 5mm W, segmented in 3.5 x 3.5mm{sup 2} cells. The HAD calorimeter is RPC/Fe, with 40 layers of 20mm Fe and a digital readout, segmented in 10 x 10mm{sup 2} cells. The barrel detectors are layered in radius, while the endcap detectors are layered in z(along the beam axis).

Assimilation of radar velocity and precipitation fields into high-resolution model simulations can improve precipitation forecasts with decreased 'spin-up' time and improve short-term simulation of boundary layer winds (Benjamin, 2004 & 2007; Xiao, 2008) which is critical to improving plume transport forecasts. Accurate description of wind and turbulence fields is essential to useful atmospheric transport and dispersion results, and any improvement in the accuracy of these fields will make consequence assessment more valuable during both routine operation as well as potential emergency situations. During 2008, the United States National Weather Service (NWS) radars implemented a significant upgrade which increased the real-time level II data resolution to 8 times their previous 'legacy' resolution, from 1 km range gate and 1.0 degree azimuthal resolution to 'super resolution' 250 m range gate and 0.5 degree azimuthal resolution (Fig 1). These radar observations provide reflectivity, velocity and returned power spectra measurements at a range of up to 300 km (460 km for reflectivity) at a frequency of 4-5 minutes and yield up to 13.5 million point observations per level in super-resolution mode. The migration of National Weather Service (NWS) WSR-88D radars to super resolution is expected to improve warning lead times by detecting small scale …

The SRS sludge that was to become a major fraction of Sludge Batch 5 (SB5) for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) contained a large fraction of H-Modified PUREX (HM) sludge, containing a large fraction of aluminum compounds that could adversely impact the processing and increase the vitrified waste volume. It is beneficial to reduce the non-radioactive fraction of the sludge to minimize the number of glass waste canisters that must be sent to a Federal Repository. Removal of aluminum compounds, such as boehmite and gibbsite, from sludge can be performed with the addition of NaOH solution and heating the sludge for several days. Preparation of SB5 involved adding sodium hydroxide directly to the waste tank and heating the contents to a moderate temperature through slurry pump operation to remove a fraction of this aluminum. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked with demonstrating this process on actual tank waste sludge in our Shielded Cells Facility. This paper evaluates some of the impacts of aluminum dissolution on sludge washing and DWPF processing by comparing sludge processing with and without aluminum dissolution. It was necessary to demonstrate these steps to ensure that the aluminum removal process would not adversely impact …

We report on our observations of light-activated passivation of silicon surfaces by iodine-ethanol solution.

A plasma assistance system was investigated with the goal to operate high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) at lower pressure than usual, thereby to enhance the utilization of the ballistic atoms and ions with high kinetic energy in the film growth process. Gas plasma flow from a constricted plasma source was aimed at the magnetron target. Contrary to initial expectations, such plasma assistance turned out to be contra-productive because it led to the extinction of the magnetron discharge. The effect can be explained by gas rarefaction. A better method of reducing the necessary gas pressure is operation at relatively high pulse repetition rates where the afterglow plasma of one pulse assists in the development of the next pulse. Here we show that this method, known from medium-frequency (MF) pulsed sputtering, is also very important at the much lower pulse repetition rates of HiPIMS. A minimum in the possible operational pressure is found in the frequency region between HiPIMS and MF pulsed sputtering.

The author presents some of the most recent BABAR measurements for rare B decays. These include rate asymmetries in the B decays to K{sup (*)}l{sup +}l{sup -} and K{sup +}{pi}{sup -} and branching fractions in the B decays to l{sup +}{nu}{sub l}, K{sub 1}(1270){sup +}{pi}{sup -} and K{sub 1}(1400){sup +}{pi}{sup -}. The author also reports a search for the B{sup +} decay to K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sub S}{sup 0}{pi}{sup +}.