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 …

We investigate the discretized version of the compact Randall-Sundrum model. By studying the mass eigenstates of the lattice theory, we demonstrate that for warped space, unlike for flat space, the strong coupling scale does not depend on the IR scale and lattice size. However, strong coupling does prevent us from taking the continuum limit of the lattice theory. Nonetheless, the lattice theory works in the manifestly holographic regime and successfully reproduces the most significant features of the warped theory. It is even in some respects better than the KK theory, which must be carefully regulated to obtain the correct physical results. Because it is easier to construct lattice theories than to find exact solutions to GR, we expect lattice gravity to be a useful tool for exploring field theory in curved space.

Experiments have been conducted using laser-driven cylindrical hohlraums whose walls are machined from Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} foams of 100 mg/cc and 4 g/cc densities. Measurements of the radiation temperature demonstrate that the lower density walls produce higher radiation temperatures than the high density walls. This is the first experimental demonstration of the prediction that this would occur [M. D. Rosen and J. H. Hammer, Phys. Rev. E 72, 056403 (2005)]. For high density walls, the radiation front propagates subsonically, and part of the absorbed energy is wasted by the flow kinetic energy. For the lower wall density, the front velocity is supersonic and can devote almost all of the absorbed energy to heating the wall.

A microcalorimeter with event mode capability for time-resolved soft-x-ray spectroscopy, and a high-resolution flat-field EUV spectrometer have been employed at the Livermore EBIT-I electron beam ion trap for observations and wavelength measurements of M1, E2, and M3 decays of long-lived levels in the Ni-like ions Xe{sup 26+}, Cs{sup 27+}, and Ba{sup 28+}. Of particular interest is the lowest excited level, 3d{sup 9}4s {sup 3}D{sub 3}, which can only decay via a magnetic octupole (M3) transition. For this level in Xe an excitation energy of (590.40 {+-} 0.03eV) and a level lifetime of (11.5 {+-} 0.5 ms) have been determined.

We classify all bifurcations from traveling waves to non-trivial time-periodic solutions of the Benjamin-Ono equation that are predicted by linearization. We use a spectrally accurate numerical continuation method to study several paths of non-trivial solutions beyond the realm of linear theory. These paths are found to either re-connect with a different traveling wave or to blow up. In the latter case, as the bifurcation parameter approaches a critical value, the amplitude of the initial condition grows without bound and the period approaches zero. We propose a conjecture that gives the mapping from one bifurcation to its counterpart on the other side of the path of non-trivial solutions. By experimentation with data fitting, we identify the form of the exact solutions on the path connecting two traveling waves, which represents the Fourier coefficients of the solution as power sums of a finite number of particle positions whose elementary symmetric functions execute simple orbits in the complex plane (circles or epicycles). We then solve a system of algebraic equations to express the unknown constants in the new representation in terms of the mean, a spatial phase, a temporal phase, four integers (enumerating the bifurcation at each end of the path) and one …

The ultra-fast switching of power MOSFETs, in {approx}1ns, is very challenging. This is largely due to the parasitic inductance that is intrinsic to commercial packages used for both MOSFETs and drivers. Parasitic gate and source inductance not only limit the voltage rise time on the MOSFET internal gate structure but can also cause the gate voltage to oscillate. This paper describes a hybrid approach that substantially reduces the parasitic inductance between the driver and MOSFET gate as well as between the MOSFET source and its external connection. A flip chip assembly is used to directly attach the die-form power MOSFET and driver on a PCB. The parasitic inductances are significantly reduced by eliminating bond wires and minimizing lead length. The experimental results demonstrate ultra-fast switching of the power MOSFET with excellent control of the gate-source voltage.

Unstable austenitic stainless steels undergo a strain-induced martensite transformation. The effect of hydrogen on this transformation is not well understood. Some researchers believe that hydrogen makes the transformation to martensite more difficult because hydrogen is an austenite stabilizer. Others believe that hydrogen has little or no effect at all on the transformation and claim that the transformation is simply a function of strain and temperature. Still other researchers believe that hydrogen should increase the ability of the metal to transform due to hydrogen-enhanced dislocation mobility and slip planarity. While the role of hydrogen on the martensite transformation is still debated, it has been experimentally verified that this transformation does occur in hydrogen-charged materials. What is the effect of strain-induced martensite on hydrogen embrittlement? Martensite near crack-tips or other highly strained regions could provide much higher hydrogen diffusivity and allow for quicker hydrogen concentration. Martensite may be more intrinsically brittle than austenite and has been shown to be severely embrittled by hydrogen. However, it does not appear to be a necessary condition for embrittlement since Type 21-6-9 stainless steel is more stable than Type 304L stainless steel but susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. In this study, the effect of hydrogen on strain-induced …

Homologous recombination (HR) repairs chromosome damage and is indispensable for tumor suppression in humans. RAD51 mediates the DNA strand pairing step in HR. RAD51AP1 (RAD51 Associated Protein 1) is a RAD51-interacting protein whose function has remained elusive. Knockdown of RAD51AP1 in human cells by RNA interference engenders sensitivity to different types of genotoxic stress. Moreover, RAD51AP1-depleted cells are impaired for the recombinational repair of a DNA double-strand break and exhibit chromatid breaks both spontaneously and upon DNA damaging treatment. Purified RAD51AP1 binds dsDNA and RAD51, and it greatly stimulates the RAD51-mediated D-loop reaction. Biochemical and cytological results show that RAD51AP1 functions at a step subsequent to the assembly of the RAD51-ssDNA nucleoprotein filament. Our findings provide the first evidence that RAD51AP1 helps maintain genomic integrity via RAD51 recombinase enhancement.

We report a theoretical study on the role of shallow d states in the screened-exchange local density approximation (sX-LDA) band structure of binary semiconductor systems. We found that the inaccurate pseudo-wavefunctions can lead to (1) an overestimation of the screened-exchange interaction between the localized d states and the delocalized higher energy s and p states and (2) an underestimation of the screened-exchange interaction between the d states. The resulting sX-LDA band structures have substantially smaller band gaps compared with experiments. We correct the pseudo-wavefunctions of d states by including the semicore s and p states of the same shell in the valence states. The correction of pseudo-wavefunctions yields band gaps and the d state binding energy with good agreements with experiments and the full potential linearized augmented planewave (FLAPW) calculations. Compared with the quasi-particle GW method, our sX-LDA results shows not only similar quality on the band gaps but also much better d state binding energy. Combined with its capability of ground state structure calculation, the sX-LDA is expected to be a valuable theoretical tool for the II-VI and III-V (especially the III-N) bulk semiconductors and nanostructure studies.

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Local transient hydrogen concentrations were evaluated inside a large process room when the hydrogen gas was released by three postulated accident scenarios associated with the process tank leakage and fire leading to a loss of gas confinement. The three cases considered in this work were fire in a room, loss of confinement from a process tank, and loss of confinement coupled with fire event. Based on these accident scenarios in a large and unventilated process room, the modeling calculations of the hydrogen migration were performed to estimate local transient concentrations of hydrogen due to the sudden leakage and release from a glovebox system associated with the process tank. The modeling domain represented the major features of the process room including the principal release or leakage source of gas storage system. The model was benchmarked against the literature results for key phenomena such as natural convection, turbulent behavior, gas mixing due to jet entrainment, and radiation cooling because these phenomena are closely related to the gas driving mechanisms within a large air space of the process room. The modeling results showed that at the corner of the process room, the gas concentrations migrated by the Case 2 and Case 3 scenarios …

The Silicon Detector proposed for the International Linear Collider (ILC) requires electronic read-out that can be tightly coupled to the silicon detectors envisioned for the tracker and the electromagnetic calorimeter. The KPiX is a 1024-channel read-out chip that bump-bonds to the detector and communicates through a few digital signals, power, and detector bias. The KPiX front-end is a low-noise dual-range charge-amplifier with a dynamic range of 17 bit, achieved by autonomous switching of the feedback capacitor. The device takes advantage of the ILC duty cycle of 1 ms trains at 5 Hz rate by lowering the supply current after the data acquisition cycle for an average power consumption of <20 {micro}W/channel. During the 1 ms train, up to four events exceeding a programmable threshold can be stored, the amplitude as a voltage on a capacitor for subsequent digitization, the event time in digital format. The chip can be configured for other than ILC applications.

The design and packaging of laser-optical system was tested to harsh environments outside lab conditions and post mortem activities will be discussed. Previously, custom mounts and bonded optical assemblies were environmentally tested to ensure their survivability. The results verified the sub-assemblies would enable the design of a laser-optical initiation system that could be fielded for use in extreme conditions. The design package, which utilized the proven opto-mechanical sub-assemblies, was then tested to the same levels as the sub-assemblies. The test regiment encompassed the harshest environments currently utilized. Temperature tests were performed ranging from a maximum of +75 degrees C to a minimum of -55 degrees C, allowing for two hour soak at each temperature set point. Vibration tests were performed to a maximum level of 15.5 grms for forty seconds in each of three critical axes. Shock tests were performed to a maximum impulse level of 5700 G’s for the sub-assemblies with a 1.1 millisecond long pulse; whereas the packaged laser system maximum level reached was 3700 G’s at 1.1 millisecond long pulse. The laser-optical assembly was visually inspected and functionally tested before and after each test to verify survival. As designed, the system covers were laser welded shut for …

CdMnTe can be a good candidate for gamma-ray detection because of its wide band-gap, high resistivity, and good electro-transport properties. Further, the ability to grow CMT crystals at relatively low temperatures ensures a high yield for manufacturing detectors with good compositional uniformity and few impurities. Our group at Brookhaven National Laboratory is investigating several CMT crystals, selecting a few of them to make detectors. In this paper, we discuss our initial characterization of these crystals and describe our preliminary results with a gamma-ray source.

As a market segment for solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption, new homes have a number of attractive attributes. Homebuyers can easily roll the cost of the PV system into their mortgage and, with rebates or other financial incentives, potentially realize an immediate net positive cash flow from the investment. PV system performance can be optimized by taking roof orientation, shading, and other structural factors into account in the design of new homes. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which are subject to fewer aesthetic concerns than traditional, rack-mounted systems, are well-suited to new construction applications. In large new residential developments, costs can be reduced through bulk purchases and scale economies in system design and installation. Finally, the ability to install PV as a standard feature in new developments - like common household appliances - creates an opportunity to circumvent the high transaction costs and other barriers typically confronted when each individual homeowner must make a distinct PV purchase decision.

Thermal damage was applied to LX-17 at 190 C for several hours. The damaged LX-17 samples, after cooled down to room temperature, were characterized for their material properties (density, porosity, permeability, moduli), safety, and performance. Weight losses upon thermal exposure were insignificant (< 0.1% wt.). The damaged LX-17 samples expanded, resulting in a bulk density reduction of 4.3%. Subsequent detonation measurements (cylinder tests) were conducted on the thermally-damaged LX-17 samples. The results showed that the fractions of damaged LX-17 reacted were slightly lower than those of pristine LX-17. The thermally damaged LX-17 had a detonation velocity of 7.315 mm/{micro}s, lower than that (7.638 mm/{micro}s) of pristine LX-17. Detonation energy density for the damaged LX-17 was 5.08 kJ/cm{sup 3}, about 9.0% lower than the detonation energy density of 5.50 kJ/cm{sup 3} for the pristine LX-17. The break-out curves showed reaction zone lengths for pristine LX-17 and damaged LX-17 were similar but the damaged samples had ragged detonation fronts.

The goal of this study was to determine the impacts of glass compositions with high aluminum concentrations on melter performance, crystallization and chemical durability for Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford waste streams. Glass compositions for Hanford targeted both high aluminum concentrations in waste sludge and a high waste loading in the glass. Compositions for SRS targeted Sludge Batch 5, the next sludge batch to be processed in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), which also has a relatively high aluminum concentration. Three frits were selected for combination with the SRS waste to evaluate their impact on melt rate. The glasses were melted in two small-scale test melters at the V. G. Khlopin Radium Institute. The results showed varying degrees of spinel formation in each of the glasses. Some improvements in melt rate were made by tailoring the frit composition for the SRS feeds. All of the Hanford and SRS compositions had acceptable chemical durability.

Charged lepton-flavor violating processes are extremely rare in the Standard Model, but they are predicted to occur in several beyond-the-Standard Model theories, including Supersymmetry or models with leptoquarks or compositeness. We present a search for such processes in a sample of 117 x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(3S) decays recorded with the BABAR detector. We place upper limits on the branching fractions BF({Upsilon}(3S) {yields} e{sup {+-}}{tau}{sup {-+}}) < 5.0 x 10{sup -6} and BF({Upsilon}(3S) {yields} {mu}{sup {+-}}{tau}{sup {-+}}) < 4.1 x 10{sup -6} at 90% confidence level. These results are used to place lower limits on the mass scale of beyond-the-Standard Model physics contributing to lepton-flavor violating decays of the {Upsilon}(3S).

One method for disposition of excess plutonium is vitrification into cylindrical wasteforms. Due to the hazards of working with plutonium, the vitrification process must be carried out remotely in a shielded environment. Thus, the equipment must be easily maintained. With their simple design, induction melters satisfy this criterion, making them ideal candidates for plutonium vitrification. However, due to repeated heating and cooling cycles and differences in coefficients of thermal expansion of contacting materials fatigue failure of the induction melter is of concern. Due to the cost of the melter, the number of cycles to failure is critical. This paper presents a method for determining the cycles to failure for an induction melter by using the results from thermal and structural analyses as input to a fatigue failure model.

This paper examines several multi-model combination techniques: the Simple Multi-model Average (SMA), the Multi-Model Super Ensemble (MMSE), Modified Multi-Model Super Ensemble (M3SE) and the Weighted Average Method (WAM). These model combination techniques were evaluated using the results from the Distributed Model Intercomparison Project (DMIP), an international project sponsored by the National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Hydrologic Development (OHD). All of the multi-model combination results were obtained using uncalibrated DMIP model outputs and were compared against the best uncalibrated as well as the best calibrated individual model results. The purpose of this study is to understand how different combination techniques affect the skill levels of the multi-model predictions. This study revealed that the multi-model predictions obtained from uncalibrated single model predictions are generally better than any single member model predictions, even the best calibrated single model predictions. Furthermore, more sophisticated multi-model combination techniques that incorporated bias correction steps work better than simple multi-model average predictions or multi-model predictions without bias correction.

A review is given of the present state of knowledge concerning the condensed phases of He{sup 3}. Attention is confined to the pure substance, and emphasis is placed upon the theoretical understanding of the material.

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Contrary to the conventional wisdom, electronic states in a 'well behaved' semiconductor alloy such as Ga{sub x}In{sub 1-x}P may drastically deviate from a Bloch state, which can be true even for band edge states if they are derived from degenerate critical points. For Ga{sub x}In{sub 1-x}P in the entire composition range, k-space spectral analyses are performed for the important critical points, revealing the significance of the (near) resonant inter-and intra-valley scatterings of the fluctuation potential in the alloy. The non-trivial implications of such scatterings on the transport and strain effect are discussed.

A new stereo borescope has been investigated that would provide a time-resolved calibrated method of recording the motion and deformation of a three-dimensional (3-D) surface during explosively driven dynamic shock experiments at the Nevada Test Site. In these experiments, geometries would likely prove to be incompatible with conventional direct optical systems. Single line-of-sight borescopes lack adequate depth-of-field for quantitative imaging of the 3-D surface. To improve depth-of-field and provide time resolution, a stereo borescope has been fabricated for use with a nine-frame framing camera. At one end, stereo optics couple light from the dynamic surface into a pair of flexible 1-mm-diameter correlated fiber-optic bundles. At the other end, small-format lenses (~3 mm) interface with the framing camera, which is set up to simultaneously record the separate-perspective views. All nine frames could be recorded in a period as short as 1.8 μs, and spatial resolution is optimized to 11 line-pairs per mm. To achieve pseudo 3-D depth perception, photogrammetric analysis has been demonstrated with commercial software from ADAM technology (Australia). This paper presents the results from time-resolved stereo images of dynamic surfaces collected in a series of high-explosives experiments at the National Security Technologies, LLC, “Boom Box” in Santa Barbara, CA. …