For about two decades, a population of relative small and nearby molecular clouds has been known to exist at high Galactic latitudes. Lying more than 10{sup o} from the Galactic plane, these clouds have typical distances of {approx}150 pc, angular sizes of {approx}1{sup o}, and masses of order tens of solar masses. These objects are passive sources of high-energy {gamma}-rays through cosmic ray-gas interactions. Using a new wide-angle CO survey of the northern sky, we show that typical high-latitude clouds are not bright enough in {gamma}-rays to have been detected by EGRET, but that of order 100 of them will be detectable by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on GLAST. Thus, we predict a new steady population of {gamma}-ray sources at high Galactic latitudes, perhaps the most numerous after active galactic nuclei.

The non-scaling Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAG-from now on) accelerator provides few advantages with respect to the other fixed field accelerators like CYCLOTRONS or scaling-FFAG's. One of the advantages is smaller required aperture due to small orbit offsets during acceleration. The large and heavy magnets are avoided. The beam is very well controlled in a strong focusing regime. This concept has been extensively investigated during the last eight FFAG workshops in Japan, USA, Canada, and CERN in Europe.

The ASTM standard B 575 provides the requirements for the chemical composition of Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum (Ni-Cr-Mo) alloys such as Alloy 22 (N06022) and Alloy 686 (N06686). The compositions of each element are given in a range. For example, the content of Mo is specified from 12.5 to 14.5 weight percent for Alloy 22 and from 15.0 to 17.0 weight percent for Alloy 686. It was important to determine how the corrosion rate of welded plates of Alloy 22 using Alloy 686 weld filler metal would change if heats of these alloys were prepared using several variations in the composition of the elements even though still in the range specified in B 575. All the material used in this report were especially prepared at Allegheny Ludlum Co. Seven heats of plate were welded with seven heats of wire. Immersion corrosion tests were conducted in a boiling solution of sulfuric acid plus ferric sulfate (ASTM G 28 A) using both as-welded (ASW) coupons and solution heat-treated (SHT) coupons. Results show that the corrosion rate was not affected by the chemistry of the materials within the range of the standards.

Dust grains control the chemistry and cooling, and thus the gravitational collapse of interstellar clouds. Energetic particles, shocks and ionizing radiation can have a profound influence on the structure, lifetime and chemical reactivity of the dust, and therefore on the star formation efficiency. This would be especially important in forming galaxies, which exhibit powerful starburst (supernovae) and AGN (active galactic nucleus) activity. How dust properties are affected in such environments may be crucial for a proper understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The authors present the results of experiments at LLNL which show that irradiation of the interstellar medium (ISM) dust analog forsterite (Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}) with swift heavy ions (10 MeV Xe) and a large electronic energy deposition amorphizes its crystalline structure, without changing its chemical composition. From the data they predict that silicate grains in the ISM, even in dense and cold giant molecular clouds, can be amorphized by heavy cosmic rays (CR's). This might provide an explanation for the observed absence of crystalline dust in the ISM clouds of the Milky Way galaxy. This processing of dust by CR's would be even more important in forming galaxies and galaxies with active black holes.

In this report I will give an experimental overview on nuclear stopping in hadron collisions, and relate observations to understanding of baryon transport. Baryon number transport is not only evidenced via net-proton distributions but also by the enhancement of strange baryons near mid-rapidity. Although the focus is on high-energy data obtained from pp and heavy ions from RHIC, relevant data from SPS and ISR will be considered. A discussion how the available data at higher energy relates and gives information on baryon junction, quark-diquark breaking will be made.

We show that changes in the orientation of the inner accretion disk of Cygnus X-1 affect the shape of the broad Fe K{alpha} emission line emitted from this object, in such a way that eV-level spectral resolution observations (such as those that will be carried out by the ASTRO-E2 satellite) can be used to analyze the dynamics of the disk. We here present a new diagnosis tool, supported by numerical simulations, by which short observations of Cygnus X-1, separated in time, can determine whether its accretion disk actually processes, and if so, determine its period and precession angle. Knowing the precession parameters of Cygnus X-1 would result in a clarification of the origin of such precession, distinguishing between tidal and spin-spin coupling. This approach could also be used for similar studies in other microquasar systems.

The Solid-State, Heat-Capacity Laser (SSHCL) program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a multigeneration laser development effort scalable to the megawatt power levels. Wavefront quality is a driving metric of its performance. A deformable mirror with over 100 degrees of freedom situated within the cavity is used to correct both the static and dynamic aberrations sensed with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. The laser geometry is an unstable, confocal resonator with a clear aperture of 10 cm x 10 cm. It operates in a pulsed mode at a high repetition rate (up to 200 Hz) with a correction being applied before each pulse. Wavefront information is gathered in real-time from a low-power pick-off of the high-power beam. It is combined with historical trends of aberration growth to calculate a correction that is both feedback and feed-forward driven. The overall system design, measurement techniques and correction algorithms are discussed. Experimental results are presented.

We summarize four of our group's high-risk/high-payoff research projects funded by the Intelligence Technology Innovation Center (ITIC) in conjunction with our DHS-funded pathogen informatics activities. These are (1) quantitative assessment of genomic sequencing needs to predict high quality DNA and protein signatures for detection, and comparison of draft versus finished sequences for diagnostic signature prediction; (2) development of forensic software to identify SNP and PCR-RFLP variations from a large number of viral pathogen sequences and optimization of the selection of markers for maximum discrimination of those sequences; (3) prediction of signatures for the detection of virulence, antibiotic resistance, and toxin genes and genetic engineering markers in bacteria; (4) bioinformatic characterization of virulence factors to rapidly screen genomic data for potential genes with similar functions and to elucidate potential health threats in novel organisms. The results of (1) are being used by policy makers to set national sequencing priorities. Analyses from (2) are being used in collaborations with the CDC to genotype and characterize many variola strains, and reports from these collaborations have been made to the President. We also determined SNPs for serotype and strain discrimination of 126 foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) genomes. For (3), currently >1000 probes …

There is compelling empirical [1] and theoretical [2] evidence that the global confinement of H-mode discharges increases as the pedestal pressure or temperature increases. Therefore, confidence in the performance of future machines requires an ability to predict the pedestal conditions in those machines. At this time, both the theoretical and empirical understanding of transport in the pedestal are incomplete and are inadequate to predict pedestal conditions in present or future machines. Recent empirical results might be evidence of a fundamental relation between the electron temperature T{sub e} and electron density n{sub e} profiles in the pedestal. A data set from the ASDEX-Upgrade tokamak has shown that {eta}{sub e}, the ratio between the scale lengths of the n{sub e} and T{sub e} profiles, exhibits a value of about 2 throughout the pedestal, despite a large range of the actual density and temperature values [3]. Data from the DIII-D tokamak show that over a wide range of pedestal density, the width of the steep gradient region for the T{sub e} profile is about 1-2 times the corresponding width for the n{sub e} profile, where both widths are measured from the plasma edge [4]. Thus, the barrier in the density might form a …

A brief review of BRAHMS measurements of bulk particle production in RHIC Au+Au collisions at {radical}s{sub NN} 200GeV is presented, together with some discussion of baryon number transport. Intermediate p{sub T} measurements in different collision systems (Au+Au, d+ Au and p+p) are also discussed in the context of jet quenching and saturation of the gluon density in Au ions at RHIC energies. This report also includes preliminary results for identified particles at forward rapidities in d+Au and Au+Au collisions.

Understanding the stability physics of the H-mode pedestal in tokamak devices requires an accurate measurement of plasma current in the pedestal region with good spatial resolution. Theoretically, the high pressure gradients achieved in the edge of H-mode plasmas should lead to generation of a significant edge current density peak through bootstrap and Pfirsh-Schlueter effects. This edge current is important for the achievement of second stability in the context of coupled magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) modes which are both pressure (ballooning) and current (peeling) driven [1]. Many aspects of edge localized mode (ELM) behavior can be accounted for in terms of an edge current density peak, with the identification of Type 1 ELMs as intermediate-n toroidal mode number MHD modes being a natural feature of this model [2]. The development of a edge localized instabilities in tokamak experiments code (ELITE) based on this model allows one to efficiently calculate the stability and growth of the relevant modes for a broad range of plasma parameters [3,4] and thus provides a framework for understanding the limits on pedestal height. This however requires an accurate assessment of the edge current. While estimates of j{sub edge} can be made based on specific bootstrap models, their validity …

We have developed a 3D wavelet-based filter for visualizing structural features in volumetric data. The only variable parameter is a characteristic linear size of the feature of interest. The filtered output contains only those regions that are correlated with the characteristic size, thus denoising the image. We demonstrate the use of the filter by applying it to 3D data from a variety of electron microscopy samples including low contrast vitreous ice cryogenic preparations, as well as 3D optical microscopy specimens.

Articles in this month's issue include: (1) Einstein's Legacy Alive at Livermore--Commentary by Michael R. Anastasio; (2) Applying Einstein's Theories of Relativity--In their efforts to understand the cosmos, Livermore physicists must account for the relativistic effects postulated by Albert Einstein; (3) Locked in Rock: Sequestering Carbon Dioxide Underground--Livermore scientists are examining technologies to reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide by burying it deep underground; (4) Modeling the Subsurface Movement of Radionuclides--Using data from past underground nuclear tests, a Livermore team is modeling radionuclide migration at the Nevada Test Site; and (5) Novel Materials from Solgel Chemistry--Livermore chemists are developing a method for fabricating solgels to better control the physical properties of the new materials.

Understanding the evolution of microstructure in welds is an important goal of welding research because of the strong correlation between weld microstructure and weld properties. To achieve this goal it is important to develop a quantitative measure of phase transformations encountered during welding in order to ultimately develop methods for predicting weld microstructures from the characteristics of the welding process. To aid in this effort, synchrotron radiation methods have been developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for direct observation of microstructure evolution during welding. Using intense, highly collimated synchrotron radiation, the atomic structure of the weld heat affected and fusion zones can be probed in real time. Two synchrotron-based techniques, known as spatially resolved (SRXRD) and time resolved (TRXRD) x-ray diffraction, have been developed for these investigations. These techniques have now been used to investigate welding induced phase transformations in titanium alloys, low alloy steels, and stainless steel alloys. This paper will provide a brief overview of these methods and will discuss microstructural evolution during the welding of low carbon (AISI 1005) and medium carbon (AISI 1045) steels where the different levels of carbon influence the evolution of microstructures during welding.

Artificially creviced Alloy 22 (N06022) is susceptible to crevice corrosion in presence of high chloride aqueous solution when high temperatures and high anodic potentials are applied. The presence of oxyanions in the electrolyte, especially nitrate, inhibits the nucleation and growth of crevice corrosion. Crevice corrosion may initiate when a constant potential above the crevice repassivation potential is applied. The occurrence of crevice corrosion can be divided into three characteristic domains: (1) nucleation, (2) growth and (3) stifling and arrest. That is, crevice corrosion reaches a critical stage after which growth stops and the specimens start to regain the passive behavior displayed prior to localized attack.

The modeling of dielectric and magnetic materials in the time domain is required for pulse power applications, pulsed induction accelerators, and advanced transmission lines. For example, most induction accelerator modules require the use of magnetic materials to provide adequate Volt-sec during the acceleration pulse. These models require hysteresis and saturation to simulate the saturation wavefront in a multipulse environment. In high voltage transmission line applications such as shock or soliton lines the dielectric is operating in a highly nonlinear regime, which require nonlinear models. Simple 1-D models are developed for fast parameterization of transmission line structures. In the case of nonlinear dielectrics, a simple analytic model describing the permittivity in terms of electric field is used in a 3-D finite difference time domain code (FDTD). In the case of magnetic materials, both rate independent and rate dependent Hodgdon magnetic material models have been implemented into 3-D FDTD codes and 1-D codes.

Alloy 22 (N06022) has been extensively tested for general and localized corrosion behavior both in the wrought and annealed condition and in the as-welded condition. The specimens for testing were mostly prepared from flat plates of material. It was important to determine if the process of fabricating a full diameter Alloy 22 container will affect the corrosion performance of the alloy. Specimens were prepared directly from a fabricated container and tested for corrosion resistance. Results show that both the anodic corrosion behavior and the localized corrosion resistance of specimens prepared from a welded fabricated container was the same as from flat welded plates.

This data package is a compilation of existing geologic data from the Integrated Disposal Facility Site for use in the 2005 Performance Assessment. The data were compiled from both surface and subsurface geologic sources. The surface mapping has been published previously. The quality and uncertainty of the data are discussed. The 2004 report was modified to include results of studies of the shearwave velocity of sediments at and near the IDF site, which were performed for the Waste Treatment Plant and groundwater monitoring wells 299-E17-26 and 299-E24-24. The conclusions of the original report have not changed with the new data.

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Silicone pressure pads are currently deployed in the W80. The mechanical properties of these pads are largely based on the degree of crosslinking between the polymer components that comprise the raw gumstock from which they are formed. Therefore, it is desirable for purposes of both production and systematic study of these materials to have a rapid, reliable means of assaying the extent of crosslinking. The present report describes the evaluation of Raman spectroscopy in this capacity.

It has been suggested that x-ray free electron lasers will enable single-particle diffraction imaging of biological molecules. In this paper we present a model to estimate the required pulse parameters based on a trade-off between minimizing image degradation due to damage and maximizing the image signal-to-noise ratio. We discuss several means to alleviate the photon requirements, and compare the requirements with existing or planned x-ray sources such as short-pulse x-ray free-electron lasers.

The original definition of pH is: pH = -log a{sub H}. Where a{sub H} is the (relative) hydrogen ion activity. However, a single ion activity cannot be measured. Activities of individual ionic species are necessarily conventional. The pH number, of course, has in itself little absolute significance. As the negative of the logarithm of a product of a concentration (c or m) and an activity coefficient (y or {gamma}), it acquires its magnitude from the numerical scale adopted for the latter. Experimental pH measurements are nonetheless widely applied to the determination of thermodynamic equilibrium data such as pK values, on the assumption that they represent -log a{sub H} (or paH). The single ion activity coefficient approaches unity as the ionic strength goes to zero, so that activity becomes m or c and paH becomes pmH or pcH. pH is therefore defined operationally in terms of the operation or method used to measure it, that is, by means of a cell called an operational cell. The cell is standardized by solutions of assigned pH value (Reference Value pH Standard, Primary pH Standards and Operational Standards). Such standard reference solutions are buffer solutions whose pH values are assigned from measurements on cells …

The High Performance Storage System (HPSS) provides scalable hierarchical storage management (HSM), archive, and file system services. Its design, implementation and current dominant use are focused on HSM and archive services. It is also a general-purpose, global, shared, parallel file system, potentially useful in other application domains. When HPSS design and implementation began over a decade ago, scientific computing power and storage capabilities at a site, such as a DOE national laboratory, was measured in a few 10s of gigaops, data archived in HSMs in a few 10s of terabytes at most, data throughput rates to an HSM in a few megabytes/s, and daily throughput with the HSM in a few gigabytes/day. At that time, the DOE national laboratories and IBM HPSS design team recognized that we were headed for a data storage explosion driven by computing power rising to teraops/petaops requiring data stored in HSMs to rise to petabytes and beyond, data transfer rates with the HSM to rise to gigabytes/s and higher, and daily throughput with a HSM in 10s of terabytes/day. This paper discusses HPSS architectural, implementation and deployment experiences that contributed to its success in meeting the above orders of magnitude scaling targets. We also discuss …