The concordance model of cosmology and structure formation predicts the formation of isolated very massive stars at high redshifts in dark matter dominated halos of 10{sup 5} to 10{sup 6} Msun. These stars photo-ionize their host primordial molecular clouds, expelling all the baryons from their halos. When the stars die, a relic H II region is formed within which large amounts of molecular hydrogen form which will allow the gas to cool efficiently when gravity assembles it into larger dark matter halos. The filaments surrounding the first star hosting halo are largely shielded and provide the pathway for gas to stream into the halo when the star has died. We present the first fully three dimensional cosmological radiation hydrodynamical simulations that follow all these effects. A novel adaptive ray casting technique incorporates the time dependent radiative transfer around point sources. This approach is fast enough so that radiation transport, kinetic rate equations, and hydrodynamics are solved self-consistently. It retains the time derivative of the transfer equation and is explicitly photon conserving. This method is integrated with the cosmological adaptive mesh refinement code enzo, and runs on distributed and shared memory parallel architectures. Where applicable the three dimensional calculation not only …

The Vulcan laser facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory was used to study the interaction of a 75 J 10 ps, high intensity laser beam with low-mass solid, Cu targets. Two instruments were fielded as diagnostics of the Cu K-shell emission from the targets: A single photon counting CCD spectrometer provided the absolute K{sub {alpha}} yield and a spherically bent Bragg crystal recorded 2D monochromatic images with a spatial resolution of 10 {micro}m. Due to the shifting and broadening of the K{sub {alpha}} spectral lines with increasing temperature, there is a temperature dependence of the crystal collection efficiency. This provides a temperature diagnostic when cross calibrated against a single hit CCD spectrometer, and it affects measurements of the spatial pattern of electron transport. The experimental data showing changing collection efficiency are presented. The results are discussed in light of modeling of the temperature-dependent spectrum of Cu K-shell emission.

Coarsening of Ni3Al, Ni3Ga, Ni3Ge and Ni3Si precipitates in aged binary single-crystal Ni-Al, Ni-Ga, Ni-Ge and Ni-Si alloys under applied compressive stress was measured experimentally over the temperature range 600 to 700 °C. Experiments were also performed on binary Ni-Al single crystals deformed in tension at 640 °C. The orientation of the crystals was [100] in all the experiments. Compared to the kinetics of coarsening in unstressed alloys, coarsening was slightly slower in specimens aged under compression and slightly faster in specimens aged in tension. The effect of applied stress on morphology and spatial correlation was also measured and found to be small. Ni3Al precipitates of a given size generally tended to become more non-equiaxed and their interfaces more planar, with increasing compressive stress. Ni3Ge precipitates behaved differently, becoming more spherical in specimens aged under compression. The effect of applied stress on kinetics is attributed to the influence of elastic deformation on diffusion. A model was developed that predicts slightly slower diffusion under compression and slightly faster diffusion in tension. The elastic constants of single crystals of Ni-Al, Ni-Si, Ni-Ga and Ni-Ge solid solutions were measured from room temperature to about 1100 K using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy.

We present measurements of the total production rates and momentum distributions of the charmed baryon {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} in e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} hadrons at a center-of-mass energy of 10.54 GeV and in {Upsilon}(4S) decays. In hadronic events at 10.54 GeV, charmed hadrons are almost exclusively leading particles in e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} c{bar c} events, allowing direct studies of c-quark fragmentation. We measure a momentum distribution for {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} baryons that differs significantly from those measured previously for charmed mesons. Comparing with a number of models, we find none that can describe the distribution completely. We measure an average scaled momentum of (x{sub p}) = 0.574 {+-} 0.009 and a total rate of N{sub {Lambda}{sub c}}{sup q{bar q}} = 0.057 {+-} 0.002(exp.) {+-} 0.015(BF) {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} per hadronic event, where the experimental error is much smaller than that due to the branching fraction into the reconstructed decay mode, pK{sup -} {pi}{sup +}. In {Upsilon}(4S) decays we measure a total rate of N{sub {Lambda}{sub c}}{sup {Upsilon}} = 0.091 {+-} 0.006(exp.) {+-} 0.024(BF) per {Upsilon}(4S) decay, and find a much softer momentum distribution than expected from B decays into a {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} plus an antinucleon and one to …

We present measurements of the flavor-changing neutral current decays B {yields} K{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} and B {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}, where {ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} is either an e{sup +}e{sup -} or {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -} pair. The data sample comprises 229 x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} storage ring. Flavor-changing neutral current decays are highly suppressed in the Standard Model and their predicted properties could be significantly modified by new physics at the electroweak scale. We measure the branching fractions {Beta}(B {yields} K{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}) = (0.34 {+-} 0.07 {+-} 0.02) x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}(B {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}) = (0.78{sub -0.17}{sup +0.19} {+-} 0.11) x 10{sup -6}, the direct CP asymmetries of these decays, and the relative abundances of decays to electrons and muons. For two regions in {ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} mass, above and below m{sub J/{psi}}, we measure partial branching fractions and the forward-backward angular asymmetry of the lepton pair. In these same regions we also measure the K* longitudinal polarization in B {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} decays. Upper limits are obtained for the lepton flavor-violating decays B {yields} Ke{mu} and B {yields} K*e{mu}. All measurements …

We search for the charmed pentaquark candidate reported by the H1 collaboration, the {Theta}{sub c}(3100){sup o}, in e{sup +}e{sup -} interactions at a center-of-mass (c.m.) energy of 10.58 GeV, using 124 fb{sup -1} of data recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} facility at SLAC. We find no evidence for such a state in the same pD*{sup -} decay mode reported by H1, and we set limits on its production cross section times branching fraction into pD*{sup -} as a function of c.m. momentum. The corresponding limit on its total rate per e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} q{bar q} event, times branching fraction, is about three orders of magnitude lower than rates measured for the charmed {Lambda}{sub c} and {Sigma}{sub c} baryons in such events.

A study of exclusive production of the D{bar D} system through initial-state radiation is performed in a search for charmonium states, where D = D{sup 0} or D{sup +}. The D{sup 0} mesons are reconstructed in the D{sup 0} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}, D{sup 0} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup 0}, and D{sup 0} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} decay modes. The D{sup +} is reconstructed through the D{sup +} {yields} K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup +} decay mode. The analysis makes use of an integrated luminosity of 288.5 fb{sup -1} collected by the BABAR experiment. The D{bar D} mass spectrum shows a clear {psi}(3770) signal. Further structures appear in the 3.9 and 4.1 GeV/c{sup 2} regions. No evidence is found for Y(4260) decays to D{bar D}, implying an upper limit {Beta}(Y(4260) {yields} D{bar D})/{Beta}(Y(4260) {yields} J/{psi}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) < 7.6 (95% confidence level).

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U.S. animal agriculture is seeking to improve its ability to trace the movement of livestock from their birthplace to slaughter. The livestock and meat industries are working with the U.S. government to develop a national animal identification (ID) plan for livestock disease tracking purposes. This report focuses on animal ID and, to a lesser extent, on meat traceability.

Today it is generally accepted in the ion source and accelerator communities to communicate emittance data with units of {pi} mm mrad or {pi} cm mrad. The emittance of a beam with 2 cm diameter or width and an opening angle of 200 mrad then is written as E=100 {pi} cm mrad. This example shows that {pi} has not been involved when calculating the half-axis product which is the numerical definition for the emittance. Why should we add {pi} to the dimensions? We will explain that this convention is not at all a logical one and is confusing to all those who are entering the field as freshmen or just do not want to become experts by adjusting to strange rules. We therefore propose to skip the ''{pi}'' in the dimension and to add characters as sub- or superscripts to the variable E, which describe the specific kind of emittance formulation used, e.g., E{sub r,r'}, E{sub x,x'}, E{sub rms}, E{sub 4*rms}, E{sub norm}, E{sub area}, and E{sub ellipse}. In a real case, such an emittance naming could appear as E{sub x,x',4rms}{sup norm}. Additionally--to be consistent with cleaning up--the dimension of emittances should be given in centimeters or meters, because rad …

The high price of gasoline was an important consideration during the debate on the Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6. As prices continued to surge, the continuing crisis renewed attention on some issues that were dropped or compromised in the debate over P.L. 109-58, as well as to a number of initiatives to reduce the impact of high prices on consumers. A large number of factors have combined to put pressure on gasoline prices, including increased world demand for crude oil and limited U.S. refinery capacity to supply gasoline to a growing national economy. Among the issues receiving new attention were vehicle fuel economy standards, leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf, and refinery "revitalization" provisions.

The continuing crisis of high gasoline prices has led to a broad spectrum of proposed new legislation. Despite passage of the major Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) in 2005, many Members are exploring a variety of measures to increase supply and reduce demand in the short term, and to reduce the impact of high prices on consumers. Some are also proposing to revisit longer term policies, some of which were passed up in the process of reaching agreement on P.L. 109-58. This report reviews the major legislative initiatives to deal with the gasoline price issue. To put these proposals in perspective, it first describes some of the factors that have led to the high prices of both crude oil and gasoline.

The Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Radioactive Waste Management Committee in co-operation with the European Commission (EC) is conducting a project to develop a greater understanding of how to achieve the necessary integration for successful design, construction, testing, modeling, and assessment of engineered barrier systems. The project also seeks to clarify the role that the EBS plays in assuring the overall safety of a repository. A framework for the EBS Project is provided by a series of workshops that allow discussion of the wide range of activities necessary for the design, assessment and optimization of the EBS, and the integration of this information into the safety case. The topics of this series of workshops have been planned so that the EBS project will work progressively through the main aspects comprising one cycle of the design and optimization process. This paper seeks to communicate key results from the EBS project to a wider audience. The paper focuses on two topics discussed at the workshops: process issues and the role of modeling.

Ground based Cherenkov telescope systems measure astrophysical {gamma}-ray emission against a background of cosmic-ray induced air showers. The subtraction of this background is a major challenge for the extraction of spectra and morphology of {gamma}-ray sources. The unprecedented sensitivity of the new generation of ground based very-high-energy {gamma}-ray experiments such as H.E.S.S. has lead to the discovery of many previously unknown extended sources. The analysis of such sources requires a range of different background modeling techniques. Here we describe some of the techniques that have been applied to data from the H.E.S.S. instrument and compare their performance. Each background model is introduced and discussed in terms of suitability for image generation or spectral analysis and possible caveats are mentioned. We show that there is not a single multi-purpose model, different models are appropriate for different tasks. To keep systematic uncertainties under control it is important to apply several models to the same data set and compare the results.

Rare hadronic B-meson decays allow us to study CP violation. The class of B-decays final states containing two vector mesons provides a rich set of angular correlation observables to study. This article reviews some of the recent experimental results from the BABAR and Belle collaborations.

The paper addresses technological and operational challenges of developing a global plug-and-play Maritime Domain Security testbed for the Global War on Terrorism mission. This joint NPS-LLNL project is based on the NPS Tactical Network Topology (TNT) composed of long-haul OFDM networks combined with self-forming wireless mesh links to air, surface, ground, and underwater unmanned vehicles. This long-haul network is combined with ultra-wideband (UWB) communications systems for wireless communications in harsh radio propagation channels. LLNL's UWB communication prototypes are designed to overcome shortcomings of the present narrowband communications systems in heavy metallic and constricted corridors inside ships. In the center of our discussion are networking solutions for the Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) Experiments in which geographically distributed command centers and subject matter experts collaborate with the Boarding Party in real time to facilitate situational understanding and course of action selection. The most recent experiment conducted via the testbed extension to the Alameda Island exercised several key technologies aimed at improving MIO. These technologies included UWB communications from within the ship to Boarding Party leader sending data files and pictures, advanced radiation detection equipment for search and identification, biometric equipment to record and send fingerprint files to facilitate rapid positive identification of …

The purpose of this project is to develop a cost-effective method to extract marketable silica (SiO{sub 2}) from fluids at the Mammoth Lakes, California geothermal power plant. Silica provides an additional revenue source for the geothermal power industry and therefore lowers the costs of geothermal power production. The use of this type of ''solution mining'' to extract resources eliminates the need for acquiring these resources through energy intensive and environmentally damaging mining technologies. We have demonstrated that both precipitated and colloidal silica can be produced from the geothermal fluids at Mammoth Lakes by first concentrating the silica to over 600 ppm using reverse osmosis (RO). The RO permeate can be used in evaporative cooling at the plant; the RO concentrate is used for silica and potentially other resource extraction (Li, Cs, Rb). Preliminary results suggest that silica recovery at Mammoth Lakes could reduce the cost of geothermal electricity production by 1.0 cents/kWh.

The purpose of this project is to develop a cost-effective method to extract marketable silica (SiO{sub 2}) from fluids at the Mammoth Lakes, California geothermal power plant. Marketable silica provides an additional revenue source for the geothermal power industry and therefore lowers the costs of geothermal power production. The use of this type of ''solution mining'' to extract resources from geothermal fluids eliminates the need for acquiring these resources through energy intensive and environmentally damaging mining technologies. We have demonstrated that both precipitated and colloidal silica can be produced from the geothermal fluids at Mammoth Lakes by first concentrating the silica to over 600 ppm using reverse osmosis (RO). The RO permeate can be used in evaporative cooling at the plant; the RO concentrate is used for silica and potentially other (Li, Cs, Rb) resource extraction. Preliminary results suggest that silica recovery at Mammoth Lakes could reduce the cost of geothermal electricity production by 1.0 cents/kWh.

This report discusses what RCTs are and identifies a number of issues regarding RCTs that might arise when Congress considers making program evaluation policy. For example, in the 109th Congress, Section 3 of S. 1934 (as introduced) would establish a priority for RCTs when evaluating offender reentry demonstration projects; Section 114 of S. 667 (Senate Finance Committee-reported bill) would require RCTs for demonstration projects for low-income families; and Section 5 of S. 1129 (as introduced) would call for RCTs for projects and policies of multilateral development banks. Issues regarding RCTs could also arise when actors in the policy process present specific program evaluations to Congress (e.g., in the President’s budget proposals) to influence Congress’s views and decision making. For many reasons, evaluations often merit scrutiny and care in interpretation.

This report discusses the department of defense recommended closures and realignments that the agency estimated would eliminate approximately 18,000 civilian support positions.

Report detailing issues and legislative concerns regarding immigration during the 109th Congress, with a focus on security concerns.

Report detailing issues and legislative concerns regarding immigration during the 109th Congress, with a focus on security concerns.

The seesaw mechanism for the small neutrino mass has been a popular paradigm, yet it has been believed that there is no way to test it experimentally. We present a conceivable outcome from future experiments that would convince us of the seesaw mechanism. It would involve a variety of data from LHC, ILC, cosmology, underground, and low-energy flavor violation experiments to establish the case.

The Savannah River National Laboratory's (SRNL) Weather INformation and Display (WIND) System was used to provide meteorological and atmospheric modeling/consequence assessment support to state and local agencies following the collision of two Norfolk Southern freight trains on the morning of January 6, 2005. This collision resulted in the release of several toxic chemicals to the environment, including chlorine. The dense and highly toxic cloud of chlorine gas that formed in the vicinity of the accident was responsible for nine fatalities, and caused injuries to more than five hundred others. Transport model results depicting the forecast path of the ongoing release were made available to emergency managers in the county's Unified Command Center shortly after SRNL received a request for assistance. Support continued over the ensuing two days of the active response. The SRNL also provided weather briefings and transport/consequence assessment model results to responders from South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), the Savannah River Site's (SRS) Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Department of Energy Headquarters, and hazmat teams dispatched from the SRS. Although model-generated forecast winds used in consequence assessments conducted during the incident were provided at 2-km horizontal grid spacing during the accident response, a high-resolution Regional …