A high contrast 12.6 keV Kr K{alpha} source has been demonstrated on the petawatt-class Titan laser facility. The contrast ratio (K{alpha} to continuum) is 65, with a competitive ultra short pulse laser to x-ray conversion efficiency of 10{sup -5}. Filtered shadowgraphy indicates that the Kr K{alpha} and K{beta} x-rays are emitted from a roughly 1 x 2 mm emission volume, making this source suitable for area backlighting and scattering. Spectral calculations indicate a typical bulk electron temperature of 50-70 eV (i.e. mean ionization state 13-16), based on the observed ratio of K{alpha} to K{beta}. Kr gas jets provide a debris-free high energy K{alpha} source for time-resolved diagnosis of dense matter.

We are studying the feasibility of utilizing K{alpha} x-ray sources in the range of 20 to 100 keV as a backlighters for imaging various stages of implosions and high areal density planar samples driven by the NIF laser facility. The hard x-ray K{alpha} sources are created by relativistic electron plasma interactions in the target material after a radiation by short pulse high intensity lasers. In order to understand K{alpha} source characteristics such as production efficiency and brightness as a function of laser parameters, we have performed experiments using the 10 J, 100 fs JanUSP laser. We utilized single-photon counting spectroscopy and x-ray imaging diagnostics to characterize the K{alpha} source. We find that the K{alpha} conversion efficiency from the laser energy is {approx} 3 x 10{sup -4}.

A 60 TeV center of mass hadron collider is proposed, which has capability of using Superbunch beam. With Superbunch beam, the luminosity is expected to be increased by a factor of 20, compared with conventional acceleration using RF cavities. This hadron collider will be built in two stages with a low field magnet ring first and a high field magnet ring later in the same tunnel. The low field magnet rig will be built with Pipetron scheme, with 7 TeV and 7 TeV proton beams, making a 14 TeV center of mass energy high luminosity collider, using Superbunch beams. In the second stage 10 Tesla high field magnets with twin beams, will be installed. It also utilizes Superbunch beams, realizing high luminosity collider. To accelerate Superbunch beams, the barrier bucket and acceleration induction cells will be used, which are made of induction cells, utilizing FINEMET material. The core loss of the FINEMET is estimated for the whole collider is estimated. The synchrotron radiation of the collider is also estimated. Merits of Superbunch beams over RF bunched beams for the high energy experiments is described.

Cellulose, a key component of the plant cell wall, comprises the most abundant source of organic carbon on the planet and its microbial degradation is of considerable biological and industrial importance. Indeed, the microbial degradation of cellulose and other plant structural polysaccharides is critical to the maintenance of the carbon cycle in terrestrial and marine microbial ecosystems, host invasion by several phytopathogens, and herbivore nutrition. While the enzymes that attack cellulose are already widely used in several biotechnology-based industries, the major future application of these biocatalysts is the conversion of plant biomass into bio-ethanol and other forms of energy. In that context, the 2007 Conference will present the latest breakthroughs in our understanding of the enzymology, structural biology and (meta)genomics underpinning the conversion of plant structural polysaccharides into fermentable sugars, both in natural and engineered processes. There is also an increased emphasis on the roles of other carbohydrate active enzymes in plant biomass conversion. The themes for the scientific sessions include: (1) crystallographic and biochemical analyses of enzyme structure and function; (2) molecular mechanisms underpinning enzyme catalysis, processivity and specificity; (3) functional and comparative analyses of carbohydrate binding modules and enzyme-substrate interactions; (4) directed evolution for the development of catalytically …

We propose an importance truncation scheme for the no-core shell model, which enables converged calculations for nuclei well beyond the p-shell. It is based on an a priori measure for the importance of individual basis states constructed by means of many-body perturbation theory. Only the physically relevant states of the no-core model space are considered, which leads to a dramatic reduction of the basis dimension. We analyze the validity and efficiency of this truncation scheme using different realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions and compare to conventional no-core shell model calculations for {sup 4}He and {sup 16}O. Then, we present the first converged calculations for the ground state of {sup 40}Ca within no-core model spaces including up to 16{h_bar}{Omega}-excitations using realistic low-momentum interactions. The scheme is universal and can be easily applied to other quantum many-body problems.

Article on ab initio transport properties of nanostructures from maximally localized Wannier functions.

By analysing the pulse to pulse intensity fluctuations ofthe radiation emitted by a charge particle in the incoherent part of thespectrum, it is possible to extract information about the spatialdistribution of the beam. At the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of theLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, we have developed and tested asimple scheme based on this principle that allows for the absolutemeasurement of the bunch length. A description of the method and theexperimental results are presented.

Status of the H-jet polarimeter development is reviewed. The preliminary results of atomic beam intensity and density measurements are presented.

The proposed Next Linear Collider (NLC) will require over 1400 adjustable quadrupoles between the main linacs' accelerator structures. These 12.7 mm bore quadrupoles will have a range of integrated strength from 0.6 to 138 Tesla, with a maximum gradient of 141 Tesla per meter, an adjustment range of +0 to {minus}20% and effective lengths from 324 mm to 972 mm. The magnetic center must remain stable to within 1 micron during the 20% adjustment. In an effort to reduce costs and increase reliability, several designs using hybrid permanent magnets have been developed. Four different prototypes have been built. All magnets have iron poles and use Samarium Cobalt to provide the magnetic fields. Two use rotating permanent magnetic material to vary the gradient, one uses a sliding shunt to vary the gradient and the fourth uses counter rotating magnets. Preliminary data on gradient strength, temperature stability, and magnetic center position stability are presented. These data are compared to an equivalent electromagnetic prototype.

Some recent advances in dielectric continuum models for static and dynamic aspects of molecular solvation are discussed, and connections with molecular-level solvent models are noted. The traditional Born-Onsager-Kirkwood (BKO) model is compared to a more flexible model (the so-called frequency-resolved cavity model (FRCM)) which assigns distinct inner and outer solute cavities in accommodating, respectively, the inertialess (optical) and inertial solvent response. Sample calculations of solvent reorganization energy ({lambda}{sub s}) are presented for various thermal and optical electron transfer (ET) processes, based on self-consistent reaction field models using molecular orbital (MO) or configuration interaction (CI) solvent wave functions.

In the mid-1990's, groups at SLAC and KEK began dedicated development of X-band (11.4 GHz) rf technology for a next generation, TeV-scale linear collider. The choice of a relatively high frequency, four times that of the SLAC 50 GeV Linac, was motivated by the cost benefits of having lower rf energy per pulse (hence fewer rf sources) and reasonable efficiencies at high gradients (hence shorter linacs). To realize such savings, however, requires operation at gradients and peak powers much higher than that hitherto achieved. During the past twelve years, these challenges were met through innovations on several fronts. This paper reviews these achievements, which include developments in the generation and transport of high power rf, and new insights into high gradient limitations.

The high volume inspection equipment currently available to support development of EUV blanks is non-actinic. The same is anticipated for patterned EUV mask inspection. Once potential defects are identified and located by such non-actinic inspection techniques, it is essential to have instrumentation to perform detailed characterization, and if repairs are performed, re-evaluation. The ultimate metric for the acceptance or rejection of a mask due to a defect, is the wafer level impact. Thus measuring the aerial image for the site under question is required. An EUV Aerial Image Microscope (''AIM'') similar to the current AIM tools for 248nm and 193nm exposure wavelength is the natural solution for this task. Due to the complicated manufacturing process of EUV blanks, AIM measurements might also be beneficial to accurately assessing the severity of a blank defect. This is an additional application for an EUV AIM as compared to today's use In recognition of the critical role of an EUV AIM for the successful implementation of EUV blank and mask supply, International SEMATECH initiated this design study with the purpose to define the technical requirements for accurately simulating EUV scanner performance, demonstrating the feasibility to meet these requirements and to explore various technical approaches …

Article about the Ballet Austin Fete Gothic event, the One Country Concert, and La Cage: Vegas in Austin.

International Network of Nuclear Structure and Decay Data (NSDD) Evaluators consists of a number of evaluation groups and data service centers in several countries that appreciate the merits of working together to maintain and ensure the quality and comprehensive content of the ENSDF database (Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File). Biennial meetings of the network are held under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assign evaluation responsibilities, monitor progress, discuss improvements and emerging difficulties, and agree on actions to be undertaken by individual members. The evaluated data and bibliographic details are made available to users via various media, such as the journals ''Nuclear Physics A'' and ''Nuclear Data Sheets'', the World Wide Web, on CD-ROM, wall charts of the nuclides and ''Nuclear Wallet Cards''. While the ENSDF master database is maintained by the US National Nuclear Data Center at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, these data are also available from other nuclear data centers including the IAEA Nuclear Data Section. The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, in cooperation with the IAEA, organizes workshops on NSDD at regular intervals. The primary aims of these particular workshops are to provide hands-on training in the data …

We performed a computational and experimental analysis of fast cookoff of LX-10 (94.7% HMX, 5.3% Viton A) confined in a 2 kbar steel tube with reinforced end caps. A Scaled-Thermal-Explosion-eXperiment (STEX) was completed in which three radiant heaters were used to heat the vessel until ignition, resulting in a moderately violent explosion after 20.4 minutes. Thermocouple measurements showed tube temperatures as high as 340 C at ignition and LX-10 surface temperatures as high as 279 C, which is near the melting point of HMX. Three micro-power radar systems were used to measure mean fragment velocities of 840 m/s. Photonics Doppler Velocimeters (PDVs) showed a rapid acceleration of fragments over 80 {micro}s. A one-dimensional ALE3D cookoff model at the vessel midplane was used to simulate the heating, thermal expansion, LX-10 decomposition composition, and closing of the gap between the HE (High Explosive) and vessel wall. Although the ALE3D simulation terminated before ignition, the model provided a good representation of heat transfer through the case and across the dynamic gap to the explosive.

We are developing ALE3D models to describe the thermal, chemical and mechanical behavior during the heating, ignition and explosive phases of various cookoff phenomena. The candidate models and numerical strategies are being evaluated using benchmark cookoff experiments. ALE3D is a three-dimensional computer code capable of solving the model equations in a coupled fashion through all the phases of the cookoff in a single calculation. For the cookoff experiments, we are interested in representing behavior on widely varying timescales. We have used an implicit hydrodynamics option during the heating phase and an explicit solution method during the explosive phase. To complicate the modeling problem, high heat fluxes cause rapid temperature increases in boundary layers and lead to the formation of gaps between energetic and structural materials and ignition on surfaces. The initially solid energetic and structural materials react to produce gases, which fill the gaps. These materials can also melt and flow. Since an implicit solution method is used, simple no-strength materials models can no longer be used for liquids and gases. In this paper, we discuss and demonstrate choices of materials models for solid/liquid/gas mixtures to be used in conjunction with the implicit solution method. In addition, results are given …

Self assembling {pi}-conjugated molecules into ordered structures are of increasing interest in the field of organic electronics. One particular example is charge transfer complexes containing columnar alternative donor-acceptor (ADA) stacks, where neutral and ionic ground states can be readily tuned to modulate electrical, optical, and ferroelectrical properties. Aromatic-aromatic and charge transfer interactions have been the leading driving forces in assisting the self-assembly of ADA stacks. Various folding structures containing ADA stacks were assembled in solution with the aid of solvophobic or ion-binding interactions. Meanwhile, examples of solid ADA stacks, which are more appealing for practical use in devices, were obtained from cocrystalization of binary components or mesophase assembly of liquid crystals in bulk blends. Regardless of these examples, faster and more controllable approaches towards precise supramolecular order in the solid state are still highly desirable.

As was discussed earlier [1,2] longitudinal space charge force in initially nonuniform bunch transforms density fluctuations into energy modulation along the bunch. For characterization of the resulted energy modulation one can chirp the bunch using accelerator section, located upstream of beam spectrometer, and record energy spectrum of such chirped bunch. Measured spectrum shows structure with parameters, depending on the bunch properties. In this paper we present analysis of the structure in the bunch energy spectrum and its connection with energy modulation along the bunch.

Soft x-ray lasers in 10-30nm range are now routinely produced in hot plasmas generated either by a laser from a solid target or by an electrical discharge in a capillary. Such an x-ray laser is a convenient tool for future applications, such as probing dense plasmas of interest for fusion experiments. Their short wavelength enables plasma diagnosis beyond the capabilities of optical lasers, because the high critical plasma density ({approx}{lambda}{sup 2}) limits the optical beam propagation. In our paper, we present analytical and numerical ray tracing of an x-ray laser in dense amplifying plasmas. A general analytical formula for a beam propagation has been developed for a gradient plasma. The simplified analytical formulaes enable better understanding of processes involved. They also simplify optimization of the beam propagation and ''mapping'' the parameter space for further studies by numerical codes. We discuss implications for a transient x-ray laser that is produced from a slab target by a (sub-)picosecond laser pulse.

We built a bi-directional scatter diagnostics to measure and quantify losses due to scattering and absorption of harmonic conversion crystals (DKDP) for the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The main issues to be addressed are (1) amount of total energy reaching the target if the target hole was {+-}200 {micro}rad in size, (2) distribution of energy inside the target hole, (3) collateral damage of other optics by scattered light. The scatter diagnostics enables angle-resolved measurements at 351 nm, and is capable of both near specular transmission and large angle scatter measurements. In the near specular setup, the transmission can be measured within {+-}65 {micro}rad up to {+-}60 mrad acceptance angle. A silicon photo detector and a scientific-grade CCD camera provide total energy and energy distribution. A linear swing arm detection system enables large angle scatter measurements of 360{sup o}, in principal, with step sizes as small as 0.01{sup o} and different collection angle ranging between 1 and 20 mad. In this paper, scatter effects from laser damage and final finishing process of DKDP are discussed.

We study dependence of jet quenching on matter density, using 'tomography' of the fireball provided by RHIC data on azimuthal anisotropy v{sub 2} of high p{sub t} hadron yield at different centralities. Slicing the fireball into shells with constant (entropy) density, we derive a 'layer-wise geometrical limit' v{sub 2}{sup max} which is indeed above the data v{sub 2} < v{sub x}{sup max}. Interestingly, the limit is reached only if quenching is dominated by shells with the entropy density exactly in the near-T{sub c} region. We show two models that simultaneously describe the high p{sub t} v{sub 2} and R{sub AA} data and conclude that such a description can be achieved only if the jet quenching is few times stronger in the near-T{sub c} region relative to QGP at T > T{sub c}. One possible reason for that may be recent indications that the near-T{sub c} region is a magnetic plasma of relatively light color-magnetic monopoles.

Progress in development of CFD models has shown their great potential for prediction of air flow, heat dissipation, and dispersion of air pollutants in the urban environment. Work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has progressed using the finite element code FEM3 which has been ''massively parallelized'' to produce flow fields and pollutant dispersion in a grid encompassing many city blocks and with high resolution. While it may be argued that urban CFD models are not yet economical for emergency response applications, there are many applications in assessments and air quality management where CFD models are unrivaled in the level of detail that they provide. We have conducted field experiments to define the flow field and air tracer dispersion around buildings as a means of critiquing and evaluating the CFD models. The first experiment, the ''B170 study'', was a study of flow field, turbulence, and tracer dispersion in separation zones around a complex, single building. The second was the URBAN 2000 experiment in downtown Salt Lake City where flow fields and tracers were studied in nested resolution from the single building scale up to larger scales of 25 city blocks, and out to 6 km. For the future an URBAN 2003 …

A new method that combines staggered grid Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) techniques with structured local adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) has been developed for solution of the Euler equations. This method facilitates the solution of problems currently at and beyond the boundary of soluble problems by traditional ALE methods by focusing computational resources where they are required through dynamic adaption. Many of the core issues involved in the development of the combined ALEAMR method hinge upon the integration of AMR with a staggered grid Lagrangian integration method. The novel components of the method are mainly driven by the need to reconcile traditional AMR techniques, which are typically employed on stationary meshes with cell-centered quantities, with the staggered grids and grid motion employed by Lagrangian methods. Numerical examples are presented which demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the method.

The world-wide network of nuclear reaction data centers (NRDC) has, for about 40 years, provided data services to the scientific community. This network covers all types of nuclear reaction data, including neutron-induced, charged-particle-induced, and photonuclear data, used in a wide range of applications, such as fission reactors, accelerator driven systems, fusion facilities, nuclear medicine, materials analysis, environmental monitoring, and basic research. The now 13 nuclear data centers included in the NRDC are dividing the efforts of compilation and distribution for particular types of reactions and/or geographic regions all over the world. A central activity of the network is the collection and compilation of experimental nuclear reaction data and the related bibliographic information in the EXFOR and CINDA databases. Many of the individual data centers also distribute other types of nuclear data information, including evaluated data libraries, nuclear structure and decay data, and nuclear data reports. The network today ensures the world-wide transfer of information and coordinated evolution of an important source of nuclear data for current and future nuclear applications.