The Department of Energy (DOE) National Environmental Research Park at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is composed of second-growth forest stands characteristic of much of the eastern deciduous forest of the Ridge and Valley Province of Tennessee. Human use of natural ecosystems in this region has facilitated the establishment of at least 167 nonnative, invasive plant species on the Research Park. Our objective was to assess the distribution, abundance, impact, and potential for control of the 18 most abundant invasive species on the Research Park. In 2000, field surveys were conducted of 16 management areas on the Research Park (14 Natural Areas, 1 Reference Area, and Walker Branch Watershed) and the Research Park as a whole to acquire qualitative and quantitative data on the distribution and abundance of these taxa. Data from the surveys were used to rank the relative importance of these species using the ''Alien Plant Ranking System, Version 5.1'' developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Microstegium (Microstegium vimineum) was ranked highest, or most problematic, for the entire Research Park because of its potential impact on natural systems, its tendency to become a management problem, and how difficult it is to control. Microstegium was present in 12 of the 16 …

As part of its continuing Environmental Surveillance Program, regional river and lake-bottom sediments have been collected annually by Los Alamos National Laboratory (the Laboratory) since 1974 and 1979, respectively. These background samples are collected from three drainage basins at ten different river stations and five reservoirs located throughout northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Radiochemical analyses for these sediments include tritium, strontium-90, cesium-137, total uranium, plutonium-238, plutonium-239,-240, americium-241, gross alpha, gross beta, and gross gamma radioactivity. Detection-limit radioactivity originates as worldwide fallout from aboveground nuclear weapons testing and satellite reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Spatial and temporal variations in individual analyte levels originate from atmospheric point-source introductions and natural rate differences in airborne deposition and soil erosion. Background radioactivity values on sediments reflect this variability, and grouped river and reservoir sediment samples show a range of statistical distributions that appear to be analyte dependent. Traditionally, both river and reservoir analyte data were blended together to establish background levels. In this report, however, we group background sediment data according to two criteria. These include sediment source (either river or reservoir sediments) and station location relative to the Laboratory (either upstream or downstream). These grouped data are statistically evaluated through 1997, and background …

The Smackover Formation, a major hydrocarbon-producing horizon in the Mississippi Interior Salt Basin (MISB), conformably overlies the Norphlet Formation and is conformably overlain by the Buckner Anhydrite Member of the Haynesville Formation. The Norphlet-Smackover contact can be either gradational or abrupt. The thickness and lithofacies distribution of the Smackover Formation were controlled by the configuration of incipient paleotopography. The Smackover Formation has been subdivided into three informal members, referred to as the lower, middle and upper members.

This study consists of work done in support of the U.S. delegation to the NATO SAS-023 Antipersonnel Landmine Study Group, supplemented by additional work done for the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense Antipersonnel Landmine Alternative Concept Exploration Program (Track III). It explores the battlefield utility of current antipersonnel landmines (APL) in both pure and mixed APL/antitank minefields and evaluates the value of military suggested non-materiel alternatives. The historical record is full of examples where the presence (or absence) of antipersonnel landmines made a critical difference in battle. The current generation of military thinkers and writers lack any significant combat experience employing either mixed or antipersonnel minefields, which leaves a critical gap in available expert advice for policy and decision-makers. Because of this lack of experienced-based professional military knowledge, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory analyzed the employment of antipersonnel landmines in tactical mixed minefields and in protective antipersonnel minefields. The scientific method was employed where hypotheses were generated from the tactics and doctrine of the antipersonnel landmine era and tested in a simulation laboratory. A high-resolution, U.S. Joint Forces Command combat simulation model (the Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation--JCATS) was used as the laboratory instrument. A realistic European scenario was …

On March 25, 2002 the FNAL Linac had been running at a decreased 40 ma of beam current for some time. Both the 400 MeV Linac and the 8GeV Booster had been tuned to optimum running during that time. Optimum running for the Booster was at 4.1e12 per pulse. Losses at injection and at transition were limiting intensity at the time. By March 26, 2002 the Linac beam current had been increased to 49 ma. The optimum Booster intensity immediately jumped to 4.5e12 per pulse and increased in the next few days to 4.8e12 and 5e12 per pulse. Booster was not retuned until early April when a low-loss 5.0e12 was obtained for stacking operations. Linac current had sagged to 47 ma by then. Measurements were made on the 25th at 40 ma and the 26th and 27th at 49 ma. This is a report and discussion of those measurements.

The BSW series wells are located in the Mixed Waste Management Facility and are part of the groundwater monitoring program at Savannah River Site. These wells have had persistent problems that prevent successful sampling that dates back to their installation. Only thirty-two of the fifty-three BSW wells were successfully sampled during 4th quarter, 2001. These problems were previously investigated by looking at field sampling logbooks from 4th quarter 2001 and other background information to try to identify causes for the high rate of sampling failure. Several possible causes were identified and reported in memorandum, SRT-EST-2002-00059. The memorandum recommended that an evaluation be performed on each well to identify problems and their causes and to correct them when possible. Environmental Restoration Division followed up on this recommendation and requested Savannah River Technology Center to perform an evaluation. This report includes the results of the evaluation performed on the BSW wells.

Predictions of increasing levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and the specter of global warming have intensified research efforts to identify ways to sequester carbon. A number of novel avenues of research are being considered, including bioprocessing methods to promote and accelerate biosequestration of CO{sub 2} from the environment through the growth of organisms such as coccolithophorids, which are capable of sequestering CO{sub 2} relatively permanently. Calcium and magnesium carbonates are currently the only proven, long-term storage reservoirs for carbon. Whereas organic carbon is readily oxidized and releases CO{sub 2} through microbial decomposition on land and in the sea, carbonates can sequester carbon over geologic time scales. This proposal investigates the use of coccolithophorids--single-celled, marine algae that are the major global producers of calcium carbonate--to sequester CO{sub 2} emissions from power plants. Cultivation of coccolithophorids for calcium carbonate (CaCO{sub 3}) precipitation is environmentally benign and results in a stable product with potential commercial value. Because this method of carbon sequestration does not impact natural ecosystem dynamics, it avoids controversial issues of public acceptability and legality associated with other options such as direct injection of CO{sub 2} into the sea and ocean fertilization. Consequently, cultivation of coccolithophorids could be carried …

The research program investigates the casting characteristics of selected aluminum die casting alloys. Specifically, the alloys' tendencies towards die soldering and sludge formation, and the alloys' fluidity and machinability are evaluated. It was found that: When the Fe and Mn contents of the alloy are low; caution has to be taken against possible die soldering. When the alloy has a high sludge factor, particularly a high level of Fe, measures must be taken to prevent the formation of large hardspots. For this kind of alloy, the Fe content should be kept at its lowest allowable level and the Mn content should be at its highest possible level. If there are problems in die filling, measures other than changing the alloy chemistry need to be considered first. In terms of alloy chemistry, the elements that form high temperature compounds must be kept at their lowest allowable levels. The alloys should not have machining problems when appropriate machining techniques and machining parameters are used.

The Nonproliferation Technology Section (NTS) was requested by the Environmental Restoration Division (ER) to aid in completing ground-truth measurements of aerial overflight data in support of the Integrator Operable Unit (IOU) program at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The IOU's at the SRS are under investigation as a possible pathway for the release of contamination from past SRS activities to off-unit receptors and the environment. The IOU's are defined as surface water bodies and associated wetlands, including the water, sediment and related biota. The objective of the IOU program is to: assess the risk to potential human and ecological receptors from IOU contamination; evaluate the impact of inactive and active waste units and operating facilities on the IOU quality; determine if IOU early actions, including reprioritization of operable units implementation schedules, are necessary; and complete the remedial investigation/feasibility study process, defining the nature and extent of IOU contamination, remedial action objectives, and final remediation goals.

The long-term objective of research has been to perform the enabling materials research necessary for the development of a battery oriented to the consumer market with special requirements in terms of safety, cycling life, and high specific energy and power. We have discovered novel processing of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} gels that leads to aerogel (ARG) and xerogel (XRG) films with specific energy and Li insertion capacity that are much higher than for other amorphous or crystalline forms of V{sub 2}O{sub 5}. We have also found that the new materials will host Mg{sup +2} and other cations which should be the basis for novel high-energy, high-power consumer battery systems. The investigation has examined (1) low-temperature synthesis of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} aerogel host materials, (2) characterization of insertion of Mg{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+}, and Al{sup 3+} into the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} hosts, (3) anode materials for the new systems, and alternate anode materials to replace the intrinsically unsafe lithium metal for lithium batteries, and (4) the feasibility of safer, nonaqueous, high-performance battery designs.

In exploring methods to recycle boiler ash (BA) and waste water treatment sludge (WWTS), by-products generated from Keyspan's power plants, into commercially viable materials, we synthesized chemically bonded cements (CBC) offering the following three specific characteristics; (1) immobilization of hazardous heavy metals, such as Pb, Ni, and V, (2) rapid hardening and setting properties, and (3) development of high mechanical strength. The CBCs were prepared through an acid-base reaction between these by-products acting as the solid base reactants and the sodium polyphosphate solution as the cement-forming acid reactant, followed by a hydrating reaction. Furthermore, two additives, the calcium aluminate cements (CAC) and the calcium silicate cements (CSC) were incorporated into the CBC systems to improve their properties. Using a CBC formulation consisting of 53.8 wt% WWTS, 23.1 wt% CSC, and 23.1 wt% [40 wt% -(-NaPO{sub 3}-)-{sub n}]{sub 2} the Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) tests showed that the concentrations of Pb, Ni, and V metals leached out from the specimens were minimal. This formulation originally contained {approx} 28800 mg/kg of Pb, {approx} 6300 mg/kg of Ni, and {approx} 11130 mg/kg of V; the amounts leaching into the acid extraction fluid were only 0.15 mg/L of Pb, 0.15 mg/L of Ni, …

The objective of this project is to develop a technology for clean metal processing that is capable of consistently providing a metal cleanliness level that is fit for a given application. The program has five tasks: Development of melt cleanliness assessment technology, development of melt contamination avoidance technology, development of high temperature phase separation technology, establishment of a correlation between the level of melt cleanliness and as cast mechanical properties, and transfer of technology to the industrial sector. Within the context of the first task, WPI has developed a standardized Reduced Pressure Test that has been endorsed by AFS as a recommended practice. In addition, within the context of task1, WPI has developed a melt cleanliness sensor based on the principles of electromagnetic separation. An industrial partner is commercializing the sensor. Within the context of the second task, WPI has developed environmentally friendly fluxes that do not contain fluorine. Within the context of the third task, WPI modeled the process of rotary degassing and verified the model predictions with experimental data. This model may be used to optimize the performance of industrial rotary degassers. Within the context of the fourth task, WPI has correlated the level of melt cleanliness at …

This report evaluates MTI-derived surface water temperature near the tropical Pacific island of Nauru. The MTI sea-surface temperatures were determined by the Los Alamos National Laboratory based on the robust retrieval.

The purpose of this study is to identify options and issues for aging commercial spent nuclear fuel received for disposal at the Yucca Mountain Mined Geologic Repository. Some early shipments of commercial spent nuclear fuel to the repository may be received with high-heat-output (younger) fuel assemblies that will need to be managed to meet thermal goals for emplacement. The capability to age as much as 40,000 metric tons of heavy metal of commercial spent nuclear he1 would provide more flexibility in the design to manage this younger fuel and to decouple waste receipt and waste emplacement. The following potential aging location options are evaluated: (1) Surface aging at four locations near the North Portal; (2) Subsurface aging in the permanent emplacement drifts; and (3) Subsurface aging in a new subsurface area. The following aging container options are evaluated: (1) Complete Waste Package; (2) Stainless Steel inner liner of the waste package; (3) Dual Purpose Canisters; (4) Multi-Purpose Canisters; and (5) New disposable canister for uncanistered commercial spent nuclear fuel. Each option is compared to a ''Base Case,'' which is the expected normal waste packaging process without aging. A Value Engineering approach is used to score each option against nine technical …

The vitrification programs at Hanford and Savannah River may benefit from higher temperature glass formulations that are processable in advanced melters (e.g., induction-heated, cold-crucible melter (ICCM)) or by changing the current liquidus temperature (TL) limit for Joule heated ceramic melters (JHCM). The focus of this report was on the glass formulation activities in support of the ICCM and JHCM demonstrations with C-106/AY-102 simulant. The intent was to provide preliminary (non-optimized) glass formulations for a specific waste stream that met processing requirements, DOE product quality specifications, and programmatic objectives for the two melter types.

A method of producing holograms of three-dimensional optical pulses is proposed. It is shown that both the amplitude and the phase profile of three-dimensional optical pulse can be stored in dynamic perturbations of a Raman medium, such as plasma. By employing Raman scattering in a nonlinear medium, information carried by a laser pulse can be captured in the form of a slowly propagating low-frequency wave that persists for a time large compared with the pulse duration. If such a hologram is then probed with a short laser pulse, the information stored in the medium can be retrieved in a second scattered electromagnetic wave. The recording and retrieving processes can conserve robustly the pulse shape, thus enabling the recording and retrieving with fidelity of information stored in optical signals. While storing or reading the pulse structure, the optical information can be processed as an analogue or digital signal, which allows simultaneous transformation of three-dimensional continuous images or computing discrete arrays of binary data. By adjusting the phase fronts of the reference pulses, one can also perform focusing, redirecting, and other types of transformation of the output pulses.

Powder Metallurgy (PM) Alloy 690N{sub 2}, the PM derivative of Inconel 690 (IN 690), has been shown to have a higher elevated temperature yield strength and superior stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance than conventionally processed IN 690. The property improvements seen in Alloy PM 690N{sub 2} are due to interstitial nitrogen strengthening and precipitation hardening resulting from the formation of fine Titanium/Chromium-nitrides. The application of Alloy PM 690N{sub 2} has had limited use due to the high costs involved in producing wrought products from powder. Laser Powder Deposition (LPD) offers another technique to take advantage of PM 690N{sub 2} properties. Three different variations of the Alloy 690 chemistry have been deposited, PM chemistry-nitrogen atomized (PM 690N{sub 2}), Ingot Metallurgy (IM) chemistry--nitrogen atomized (IM 690N{sub 2}), and IM chemistry--argon atomized (IM 690Ar). The microstructural and mechanical property variations of these LPD deposited materials are reported. Alloy PM 690N{sub 2} powder was laser deposited at rates from .1 to over 12 cubic inches per hour at laser input powers ranging from 250 to 5000 watts using both CO{sub 2} and Nd:YAG lasers. in all cases a fully dense material has been produced. There is a question however of how the properties of …

Potential applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diagnostic techniques to tokamak experiments are evaluated. NMR frequencies for hydrogen isotopes and low-Z nuclei in such experiments are in the frequency range approximately equal to 20-200 MHz, so existing RF [radio-frequency] antennas could be used to rotate the spin polarization and to make the NMR measurements. Our tentative conclusion is that such measurements are possible if highly spin polarized H or (superscript)3He gas sources (which exist) are used to fuel these plasmas. In addition, NMR measurements of the surface layers of the first wall (without plasma) may also be possible, e.g., to evaluate the inventory of tritium inside the vessel.

Effective management of available groundwater resources and strategies for remediation of water impacted by past nuclear testing practices depend on knowledge about the migration of radionuclides in groundwater away from the sites of the explosions. A primary concern is to assess the relative mobilities of the different radionuclide species found near sites of underground nuclear tests and to determine the concentration, extent, and speed of this movement. Ultimately the long term transport behavior of radionuclides with half-lives long enough that they will persist for decades, their interaction with groundwater, and the resulting flux of these contaminants is of paramount importance. As part of a comprehensive approach to these assessments, more than three decades of site-specific sites studies have been undertaken at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) which have focused on the means responsible for the observed or suspected movement of radionuclides away from underground nuclear tests (RNM, 1983). More recently regional and local models of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport have been developed as part of a federal and state of Nevada program to assess the long-term effects of underground nuclear testing on human health and environment (e.g., U.S. DOE/NV, 1997a; Tompson et al., 1999; Pawloski et al., 2001). Necessary …

Semidefinite programming (SDP) is an extension of linear programming, with vector variables replaced by matrix variables and component wise nonnegativity replaced by positive semidefiniteness. SDP's are convex, but not polyhedral, optimization problems. SDP is well on its way to becoming an established paradigm in optimization, with many current potential applications. Consequently, efficient methods and software for solving SDP's are of great importance. During the award period, attention was primarily focused on three aspects of computational semidefinite programming: General-purpose methods for semidefinite and quadratic cone programming; Specific applications (LMI problems arising in control, minimizing a sum of Euclidean norms, a quantum mechanics application of SDP); and Optimizing matrix stability.

We implemented a secure prototype for collaborative tool for code development.

We have developed a prototype for remote HEP data selection.

Most chemistry in nature occurs within a closed and confined space. In contrast to this time-evolved [m?] organic chemists have focused their interests in developing reaction methods in solution. The price for this is paid in terms of non-selectivity in product formation, expensive reagents, and enormous wastes. Eventually 'man-developed' solution methods to make molecules have to be replaced by more selective, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive strategies. One approach in this direction would be to use controlled environments. The project focused towards developing energy efficient methods to prepare energy rich molecules that were useful to the public. In this context synthetic zeolites, the counterpart of naturally occurring minerals, were explored as the reaction media.

The ''Rhodopseudomonas palustris'' genome workshop took place in Iowa City on April 6-8, 2001. The purpose of the meeting was to instruct members of the annotation working group in approaches to accomplishing the 'human' phase of the 'R. palustris' genome annotation. A partial draft of a paper describing the 'Rhodopseudomonas palustris' genome has been written and a full version of the paper should be ready for submission by the end of the summer 2002.