Electroweak physics: measurement of the forward-backward charge asymmetry of electron-positron pairs in p anti-p collisions at s**(1/2) = 1.96 tev (open access)

Electroweak physics: measurement of the forward-backward charge asymmetry of electron-positron pairs in p anti-p collisions at s**(1/2) = 1.96 tev

We report a measurement of the forward-backward charge asymmetry of electrons from W boson decays in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV using a data sample of 170 pb{sup -1} collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. The asymmetry is measured as a function of electron rapidity and transverse energy and provides new input on the momentum fraction dependence of the u and d quark parton distribution functions within the proton.
Date: February 23, 2005
Creator: Acosta, D.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Saving Potentials and Air Quality Benefits of Urban HeatIslandMitigation (open access)

Energy Saving Potentials and Air Quality Benefits of Urban HeatIslandMitigation

Urban areas tend to have higher air temperatures than their rural surroundings as a result of gradual surface modifications that include replacing the natural vegetation with buildings and roads. The term ''Urban Heat Island'' describes this phenomenon. The surfaces of buildings and pavements absorb solar radiation and become extremely hot, which in turn warm the surrounding air. Cities that have been ''paved over'' do not receive the benefit of the natural cooling effect of vegetation. As the air temperature rises, so does the demand for air-conditioning (a/c). This leads to higher emissions from power plants, as well as increased smog formation as a result of warmer temperatures. In the United States, we have found that this increase in air temperature is responsible for 5-10% of urban peak electric demand for a/c use, and as much as 20% of population-weighted smog concentrations in urban areas. Simple ways to cool the cities are the use of reflective surfaces (rooftops and pavements) and planting of urban vegetation. On a large scale, the evapotranspiration from vegetation and increased reflection of incoming solar radiation by reflective surfaces will cool a community a few degrees in the summer. As an example, computer simulations for Los Angeles, …
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Akbari, Hashem
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Aging and weathering of cool roofing membranes (open access)

Aging and weathering of cool roofing membranes

Aging and weathering can reduce the solar reflectance of cool roofing materials. This paper summarizes laboratory measurements of the solar spectral reflectance of unweathered, weathered, and cleaned samples collected from single-ply roofing membranes at various sites across the United States. Fifteen samples were examined in each of the following six conditions: unweathered; weathered; weathered and brushed; weathered, brushed and then rinsed with water; weathered, brushed, rinsed with water, and then washed with soap and water; and weathered, brushed, rinsed with water, washed with soap and water, and then washed with an algaecide. Another 25 samples from 25 roofs across the United States and Canada were measured in their unweathered state, weathered, and weathered and wiped. We document reduction in reflectivity resulted from various soiling mechanisms and provide data on the effectiveness of various cleaning approaches. Results indicate that although the majority of samples after being washed with detergent could be brought to within 90% of their unweathered reflectivity, in some instances an algaecide was required to restore this level of reflectivity.
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Akbari, Hashem; Berhe, Asmeret A.; Levinson, Ronnen; Graveline,Stanley; Foley, Kevin; Delgado, Ana H. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cool Colored Roofs to Save Energy and Improve Air Quality (open access)

Cool Colored Roofs to Save Energy and Improve Air Quality

Urban areas tend to have higher air temperatures than their rural surroundings as a result of gradual surface modifications that include replacing the natural vegetation with buildings and roads. The term ''Urban Heat Island'' describes this phenomenon. The surfaces of buildings and pavements absorb solar radiation and become extremely hot, which in turn warm the surrounding air. Cities that have been ''paved over'' do not receive the benefit of the natural cooling effect of vegetation. As the air temperature rises, so does the demand for air-conditioning (a/c). This leads to higher emissions from power plants, as well as increased smog formation as a result of warmer temperatures. In the United States, we have found that this increase in air temperature is responsible for 5-10% of urban peak electric demand for a/c use, and as much as 20% of population-weighted smog concentrations in urban areas. Simple ways to cool the cities are the use of reflective surfaces (rooftops and pavements) and planting of urban vegetation. On a large scale, the evapotranspiration from vegetation and increased reflection of incoming solar radiation by reflective surfaces will cool a community a few degrees in the summer. As an example, computer simulations for Los Angeles, …
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Akbari, Hashem; Levinson, Ronnen; Miller, William & Berdahl, Paul
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Monitoring Plan (open access)

Environmental Monitoring Plan

The purpose of the environmental monitoring plan (EMP) is to promote the early identification of, and response to, potential adverse environmental impacts associated with DOE operations. Environmental monitoring supports the Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) to detect, characterize, and respond to releases from DOE activities; assess impacts; estimate dispersal patterns in the environment; characterize the pathways of exposure to members of the public; characterize the exposures and doses to individuals and to the population; and to evaluate the potential impacts to the biota in the vicinity of the DOE activity. In addition, the EMP addresses the analytical work supporting environmental monitoring to ensure the following: (1) A consistent system for collecting, assessing, and documenting environmental data of known and documented quality; (2) A validated and consistent approach for sampling and analysis of radionuclide samples to ensure laboratory data meets program-specific needs and requirements within the framework of a performance-based approach for analytical laboratory work; and (3) An integrated sampling approach to avoid duplicative data collection. Until recently, environmental monitoring at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was required by DOE Order 5400.1, which was canceled in January 2003. LLNL is in the process of adopting the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems …
Date: November 23, 2005
Creator: Althouse, P. E.; Bertoldo, N. A.; Bowen, B. M.; Brown, R. A.; Campbell, C. G.; Christofferson, E. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Compatibility and Outgassing Studies for Directed Stockpile Work (FY05) (open access)

Compatibility and Outgassing Studies for Directed Stockpile Work (FY05)

Compatibility and outgassing studies of non-nuclear materials were carried out in support of the W80 Life Extension Program. These studies included small-scale laboratory experiments as well as participation in Sandia's Materials Aging and Compatibility test (MAC-1). Analysis of the outgassing signature of removable epoxy foam (REF) revealed unusually high levels of volatile organic compounds in the material. REF was replaced with the polyurethane PMDI. Laboratory compatibility tests of high priority materials were performed and revealed incompatibilities between Viton A (LX-07 binder) and syntactic polysulfide as well as Viton A and REF. With the removal of REF from the system, the incompatibility with Viton A is not an issue. In the case of the viton/polysulfide, both of these materials have a history of reliability in the stockpile, and the observed results, while scientifically interesting, appear to be a laboratory anomaly. Participation in the MAC-1 test led to a detailed study of Viton A degradation. At elevated temperatures up to 70 C, the Viton A samples darkened and exhibited increased crosslinking. Laboratory experiments were pursued to correlate the observed changes to exposure to specific compounds that were present in the MAC-1 canister atmospheres. Exposure to siloxanes resulted in changes similar to those …
Date: November 23, 2005
Creator: Alviso, C; Harvey, C & Vance, A
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Outgassing Studies of Foams for the W80 LEP (FY05) (open access)

Outgassing Studies of Foams for the W80 LEP (FY05)

Removable epoxy foam (REF) is a novel material developed by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories to simplify the removal of encapsulants from electronic components [McElhanon, et al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2002, 85, 1496-1502]. The material is based on a resin that includes a thermally reversible chemical bond. When the material is heated at relatively mild temperatures ({approx}50-90 C) in the presence of appropriate solvents, the reversible bonds are broken, and the material is easily rinsed away. In order to ease the removal of the encapsulant for surveillance purposes, it was proposed to use REF in the W80 LEP in place of the polyurethane TDI (toluene diisocyanate), which is being phased out at the Kansas City Plant due to toxicity concerns. Colleagues at Sandia noted that REF exhibited especially high outgassing of the liquid fluorinert, FC-72, which is used at a level of 5 wt% as the blowing agent in the foaming process. After obtaining a sample of the material from Sandia, headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME GC/MS) measurements were performed. These measurements revealed significant outgassing of fluorinert as well as other solvents and siloxanes [Memo, Vance, 3/3/05 & Vance, Foam PRT presentation UCRL-PRES-212462]. This report …
Date: November 23, 2005
Creator: Alviso, C; Harvey, C & Vance, A
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
IDENTIFICATION OF AIRCRAFT HAZARDS (open access)

IDENTIFICATION OF AIRCRAFT HAZARDS

Aircraft hazards were determined to be potentially applicable to a repository at Yucca Mountain in the ''Monitored Geological Repository External Events Hazards Screening Analysis'' (BSC 2004, Section 6.4.1). That determination was conservatively based on limited knowledge of flight data in the area of concern and on crash data for aircraft of the type flying near Yucca Mountain. The purpose of this report is to identify specific aircraft hazards that may be applicable to a Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) at Yucca Mountain using NUREG-0800, ''Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants'' (NRC 1987, Section 3.5.1.6), as guidance for the inclusion or exclusion of identified aircraft hazards. NUREG-0800 is being used here as a reference because some of the same considerations apply. The intended use of this report is to provide inputs for further screening and analysis of the identified aircraft hazards based on the criteria that apply to Category 1 and 2 event sequence analyses as defined in 10 CFR 63.2 (see Section 4). The scope of this technical report includes the evaluation of military, private, and commercial use of airspace in the 100-mile regional setting of the MGR at Yucca Mountain with the …
Date: March 23, 2005
Creator: Ashley, K. L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measurement of the Branching Ratios Gamma(D*+s -> D+s pi0)/Gamma(D*+s ->D+s gamma) and Gamma(D*0 ->D0 pi0)/Gamma(D*0 -> D0gamma) (open access)

Measurement of the Branching Ratios Gamma(D*+s -> D+s pi0)/Gamma(D*+s ->D+s gamma) and Gamma(D*0 ->D0 pi0)/Gamma(D*0 -> D0gamma)

Data samples corresponding to the isospin-violating decay D*{sub s}{sup +} {yields} D{sub s}{sup +}{pi}{sup 0} and the decays D*{sub s}{sup +} {yields} D{sub s}{sup +}, D*{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0} and D*{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{gamma} are reconstructed using 90.4 fb{sup -1} of data recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e{sup +}e{sup -} collider. The following branching ratios are extracted: {Lambda}(D*{sub s}{sup +} {yields} D{sub s}{sup +}{pi}{sup 0})/{Lambda}(D*{sub s}{sup +} {yields} D{sub s}{sup +}{gamma}) = 0.062 {+-} 0.005(stat.) {+-} 0.006(syst.) and {Lambda}(D*{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0})/{Lambda}(D*{sup 0} {yields} D{sup 0}{gamma}) = 1.74 {+-} 0.02(stat.) {+-} 0.13(syst.). Both measurements represent significant improvements over present world averages.
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Aubert, B.; Barate, R.; Boutigny, D.; Couderc, F.; Karyotakis, Y.; Lees, J. P. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measurement of Time-Dependent CP-Violating Asymmetries in B^0 Meson Decays to eta' K^0_L (open access)

Measurement of Time-Dependent CP-Violating Asymmetries in B^0 Meson Decays to eta' K^0_L

The authors present a preliminary measurement of CP-violating parameters S and C from fits of the time-dependence of B{sup 0} meson decays to {eta}'K{sub L}{sup 0}. The data were recorded with the BABAR detector at PEP-II and correspond to 232 x 10{sup 6} B{bar B} pairs produced in e{sup +}e{sup -} annihilation through the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance. By fitting the time-dependent CP asymmetry of the reconstructed B{sup 0} {yields} {eta}'K{sub L}{sup 0} events, they find S = 0.60 {+-} 0.31 {+-} 0.04 and C = 0.10 {+-} 0.21 {+-} 0.03, where the first error quoted is statistical and the second is systematic. They also perform a combined fit using both {eta}'K{sub S}{sup 0} and {eta}'K{sub L}{sup 0} data, and find S = 0.36 {+-} 0.13 {+-} 0.03 and C = -0.16 {+-} 0.09 {+-} 0.02.
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Aubert, B.; Barate, R.; Boutigny, D.; Couderc, F.; Karyotakis, Y.; Lees, J. P. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oxidation Resistance of Ru-Capped EUV Multilayers (open access)

Oxidation Resistance of Ru-Capped EUV Multilayers

Differently prepared Ru-capping layers, deposited on Mo/Si EUV multilayers, have been characterized using a suite of metrologies to establish their baseline structural, optical, and surface properties in as-deposited state. Same capping layer structures were tested for their thermal stability and oxidation resistance. Post-mortem characterization identified changes due to accelerated tests. The best performing Ru-capping layer structure was studied in detail with transmission electron microscopy to identify the grain microstructure and texture. This information is essential for modeling and performance optimization of EUVL multilayers.
Date: February 23, 2005
Creator: Bajt, S.; Dai, Z.; Nelson, E. J.; Wall, M. A.; Alameda, J.; Nguyen, N. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
An assumed partition algorithm for determining processor inter-communication (open access)

An assumed partition algorithm for determining processor inter-communication

The recent advent of parallel machines with tens of thousands of processors is presenting new challenges for obtaining scalability. A particular challenge for large-scale scientific software is determining the inter-processor communications required by the computation when a global description of the data is unavailable or too costly to store. We present a type of rendezvous algorithm that determines communication partners in a scalable manner by assuming the global distribution of the data. We demonstrate the scaling properties of the algorithm on up to 32,000 processors in the context of determining communication patterns for a matrix-vector multiply in the hypre software library. Our algorithm is very general and is applicable to a variety of situations in parallel computing.
Date: September 23, 2005
Creator: Baker, A H; Falgout, R D & Yang, U M
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Scalable Parallel Algebraic Multigrid Solvers (open access)

Scalable Parallel Algebraic Multigrid Solvers

The authors propose a parallel algebraic multilevel algorithm (AMG), which has the novel feature that the subproblem residing in each processor is defined over the entire partition domain, although the vast majority of unknowns for each subproblem are associated with the partition owned by the corresponding processor. This feature ensures that a global coarse description of the problem is contained within each of the subproblems. The advantages of this approach are that interprocessor communication is minimized in the solution process while an optimal order of convergence rate is preserved; and the speed of local subproblem solvers can be maximized using the best existing sequential algebraic solvers.
Date: March 23, 2005
Creator: Bank, R; Lu, S; Tong, C & Vassilevski, P
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Characterizing Network Services through Cluster-Set Variations (open access)

Characterizing Network Services through Cluster-Set Variations

Common Internet services can be reliably distinguished based solely upon the locations of clusters in traffic-based features (ratios of inbound to outbound packets, ratios of packets to payloads, etc.) This capability has value in revealing the nature of ''hidden'' (tunneled) services and in detecting anomalous changes to known services. We provide measures of session capture volumes sufficient to make confidence-level assertions regarding ''unknown'' services, and outline a throughput system for providing alarms for service anomalies.
Date: March 23, 2005
Creator: Bartoletti, A & Tang, N
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
UXO Engineering Design. Technical Specification and ConceptualDesign (open access)

UXO Engineering Design. Technical Specification and ConceptualDesign

The design and fabrication of the UXO detector has numerous challenges and is an important component to the success of this study. This section describes the overall engineering approach, as well as some of the technical details that brought us to the present design. In general, an array of sensor coils is measuring the signal generated by the UXO object in response to a stimulation provided by the driver coil. The information related to the location, shape and properties of the object is derived from the analysis of the measured data. Each sensor coil is instrumented with a waveform digitizer operating at a nominal digitization rate of 100 kSamples per second. The sensor coils record both the large transient pulse of the driver coil and the UXO object response pulse. The latter is smaller in amplitude and must be extracted from the large transient signal. The resolution required is 16 bits over a dynamic range of at least 140 dB. The useful signal bandwidth of the application extends from DC to 40 kHz. The low distortion of each component is crucial in order to maintain an excellent linearity over the full dynamic range and to minimize the calibration procedure. The …
Date: April 23, 2005
Creator: Beche, J-F.; Doolittle, L.; Greer, J.; Lafever, R.; Radding, Z.; Ratti, A. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analysis of a signal transduction pathway involved in leaf epidermis differentiation. (open access)

Analysis of a signal transduction pathway involved in leaf epidermis differentiation.

The major objective of this study was to identify and analyze signal transduction factors that function with the CR4 receptor kinase. We pursued this analysis in Arabidopsis. Analysis of other members of the ACR4 related receptor (CRR) family produced biochemical evidence consistent with some of them functioning in ACR4 signal transduction. Yeast 2-hybrid identified six proteins that interact with the cytoplasmic domain of ACR4, representing putative downstream signal transduction components. The interactions for all 6 proteins were verified by in vitro pull down assays. Five of the interacting proteins were phosphorylated by ACR4. We also identified candidate interactors with the extracellular TNFR domain. We hypothesize this may be the ligand binding domain for ACR4. In one approach, yeast 2-hybrid was again used and five candidate proteins identified. Nine additional candidates were identified in a genome wide scan of Arabidopsis amino acid sequences that threaded onto the TNF structure.
Date: May 23, 2005
Creator: Becraft, Philip W.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pore Fluid Effects on Shear Modulus in a Model of Heterogeneous Rocks, Reservoirs, and Granular Media (open access)

Pore Fluid Effects on Shear Modulus in a Model of Heterogeneous Rocks, Reservoirs, and Granular Media

To provide quantitative measures of the importance of fluid effects on shear waves in heterogeneous reservoirs, a model material called a ''random polycrystal of porous laminates'' is introduced. This model poroelastic material has constituent grains that are layered (or laminated), and each layer is an isotropic, microhomogeneous porous medium. All grains are composed of exactly the same porous constituents, and have the same relative volume fractions. The order of lamination is not important because the up-scaling method used to determine the transversely isotropic (hexagonal) properties of the grains is Backus averaging, which--for quasi-static or long-wavelength behavior--depends only on the volume fractions and layer properties. Grains are then jumbled together totally at random, filling all space, and producing an overall isotropic poroelastic medium. The poroelastic behavior of this medium is then analyzed using the Peselnick-Meister-Watt bounds (of Hashin-Shtrikman type). We study the dependence of the shear modulus on pore fluid properties and determine the range of behavior to be expected. In particular we compare and contrast these results to those anticipated from Gassmann's fluid substitution formulas, and to the predictions of Mavko and Jizba for very low porosity rocks with flat cracks. This approach also permits the study of arbitrary numbers …
Date: March 23, 2005
Creator: Berger, E. L.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
NARAC: An Emergency Response Resource for Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion and Assessing the Consequences of Airborne Radionuclides (open access)

NARAC: An Emergency Response Resource for Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion and Assessing the Consequences of Airborne Radionuclides

Hazardous radioactive materials can be released into the atmosphere by accidents at nuclear power plants, fuel processing facilities, and other facilities, and by transportation accidents involving nuclear materials. In addition, the post-cold-war proliferation of nuclear material has increased the potential for terrorism scenarios involving radiological dispersal devices, improvised nuclear devices, and inadequately secured military nuclear weapons. To mitigate these risks, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) serves as a national resource for the United States, providing tools and services to quickly predict the environmental contamination and health effects caused by airborne radionuclides, and to provide scientifically based guidance to emergency managers for the protection of human life. NARAC's expert staff uses computer models, supporting databases, software systems, and communications systems to predict the plume paths and consequences of radiological, chemical, and biological atmospheric releases.
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Bradley, M M
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of the Table of Initial Isolation Distances and Protective Action Distances for the 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook. (open access)

Development of the Table of Initial Isolation Distances and Protective Action Distances for the 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook.

This report provides technical documentation for values in the Table of Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances (PADs) in the 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2004). The objective for choosing the PADs specified in the ERG2004 is to balance the need to adequately protect the public from exposure to potentially harmful substances against the risks and expenses that could result from overreacting to a spill. To quantify this balance, a statistical approach is adopted, whereby the best available information is used to conduct an accident scenario analysis and develop a set of up to 1,000,000 hypothetical incidents. The set accounts for differences in containers types, incident types, accident severity (i.e., amounts released), locations, times of day, times of year, and meteorological conditions. Each scenario is analyzed using detailed emission rate and atmospheric dispersion models to calculate the downwind chemical concentrations from which a 'safe distance' is determined. The safe distance is defined as the distance downwind from the source at which the chemical concentration falls below health protection criteria. The American Industrial Hygiene Association's Emergency Response Planning Guideline Level 2 (ERPG-2) or equivalent is the health criteria used. The statistical sample of safe distance values for all incidents considered in the …
Date: September 23, 2005
Creator: Brown, D. F.; Freeman, W. A.; Carhart, R. A.; Krumpolc, M.; Sciences, Decision and Information & Chicago, Univ. of Illinois at
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
PIMC Simulation of Ps Annihilation: From Micro to Mesopores (open access)

PIMC Simulation of Ps Annihilation: From Micro to Mesopores

Path Integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) can reproduce the results of simple analytical calculations in which a single quantum particle is used to represent positronium within an idealized, spherical pore. Our calculations improve on this approach by explicitly treating the positronium as a two-particle e{sup -}, e{sup +} system interacting via the Coulomb interaction. We study the lifetime and the internal contact density, {kappa}, which controls the self-annihilation behavior, for positronium in model spherical pores, as a function of temperature and pore size. We compare the results with both PIMC and analytical calculations for a single-particle model.
Date: August 23, 2005
Creator: Bug, A. R. & Sterne, P. A.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effect of Shock Compression Method on the Defect Substructure in Monocrystalline Copper (open access)

Effect of Shock Compression Method on the Defect Substructure in Monocrystalline Copper

Monocrystalline copper samples with orientations of [001] and [221] were shocked at pressures ranging from 20 GPa to 60 GPa using two techniques: direct drive lasers and explosively driven flyer plates. The pulse duration for these techniques differed substantially: 40 ns for the laser experiments at 0.5 mm into the sample and 1.1 {approx} 1.4 {micro}s for the flyer-plate experiments at 5 mm into the sample. The residual microstructures were dependent on orientation, pressure, and shocking method. The much shorter pulse duration in the laser driven shock yielded microstructures closer to the ones generated at the shock front. For the flyer-plate experiments, the longer pulse duration allows shock-generated defects to reorganize into lower energy configurations. Calculations show that the post-shock cooling for the laser driven shock is 10{sup 3} {approx} 10{sup 4} faster than that for plate-impact shock, propitiating recovery and recrystallization conditions for the latter. At the higher pressure level, extensive recrystallization was observed in the plate-impact samples, while it was absent in the laser driven shock. An effect that is proposed to contribute significantly to the formation of recrystallized regions is the existence of micro-shear-bands, which increase the local temperature beyond the prediction from adiabatic compression.
Date: September 23, 2005
Creator: Cao, B. Y.; Lassila, D. H.; Schneider, M. S.; Kad, B. K.; Huang, C. X.; Xu, Y. B. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hanford Supplemental Treatment: Literature and Modeling Review of SRS HLW Salt Dissolution and Fractional Crystallization (open access)

Hanford Supplemental Treatment: Literature and Modeling Review of SRS HLW Salt Dissolution and Fractional Crystallization

In order to accelerate waste treatment and disposal of Hanford tank waste by 2028, the Department of Energy (DOE) and CH2M Hill Hanford Group (CHG), Inc. are evaluating alternative technologies which will be used in conjunction with the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) to safely pretreat and immobilize the tank waste. Several technologies (Bulk Vitrification and Steam Reforming) are currently being evaluated for immobilizing the pretreated waste. Since the WTP does not have sufficient capacity to pretreat all the waste going to supplemental treatment by the 2028 milestone, two technologies (Selective Dissolution and Fractional Crystallization) are being considered for pretreatment of salt waste. The scope of this task was to: (1) evaluate the recent Savannah River Site (SRS) Tank 41 dissolution campaign and other literature to provide a more complete understanding of selective dissolution, (2) provide an update on the progress of salt dissolution and modeling activities at SRS, (3) investigate SRS experience and outside literature sources on industrial equipment and experimental results of previous fractional crystallization processes, and (4) evaluate recent Hanford AP104 boildown experiments and modeling results and recommend enhancements to the Environmental Simulation Program (ESP) to improve its predictive capabilities. This report provides a summary of this work …
Date: March 23, 2005
Creator: Choi, A. S.; Flach, G. P.; Martino, C. J.; Zamecnik, J. R.; Harris, M. K.; Wilmarth, W. R. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
CO2 Sequestration and Recycle by Photosynthesis (open access)

CO2 Sequestration and Recycle by Photosynthesis

Hydrocarbon synthesis from photocatalytic reactions of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O over various catalysts has been studied by UV-visible light. The quantum efficiencies suggest that Pd/TiO{sub 2} sol gel exhibits the highest activity for hydrocarbon synthesis from photocatalytic reactions. The in situ IR was able to monitor the adsorbed hydrocarbon species. The UV-visible, IR spectroscopy and XRD techniques were used to characterize the catalysts to obtain the information of properties of the process and catalyst before/after reaction. The UV-visible spectroscopy provides the information about the surface band gap energy of each catalyst. In situ UV-visible studies reveals that TiO{sub 2}-supported catalysts require the higher energy (i.e. shorter wavelength) to pass through the water-thin film deposited on the surface to activate the photocatalytic reaction. XRD data show there is changes in the crystal structure of TiO{sub 2} sol gel from photon energy during photo reaction. Studies on photocatalytic oxidation of methylene blue show that the photocatalytic oxidation rate is significantly higher than the photocatalytic reduction rate on TiO{sub 2} based catalysts. The information from this study can lead to a better understanding of the nature of the catalysts and photoreaction processes, which might provide the information to develop better catalysts and …
Date: September 23, 2005
Creator: Chuang, Steven
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evidence for the Spectroscopic Signature of Aging in (delta)-Pu(Ga) (open access)

Evidence for the Spectroscopic Signature of Aging in (delta)-Pu(Ga)

Plutonium, because of its radioactive nature, ages from the 'inside out' by means of self-irradiation damage and thus produces nanoscale internal defects. The self-irradiation induced defects come in the form of Frenkel-type defects (vacancies and self-interstitial atoms), helium in-growth, and defect clusters. At present there are neither experimental nor theoretical models describing the changes in the electronic structure caused by the aging in Pu. This fact appears to be associated primarily with the absence of reasonably convincing spectroscopic evidence of the changes. This paper demonstrates that Resonant Photoemission, a variant of Photoelectron Spectroscopy, has strong sensitivity to aging of Pu samples. The spectroscopic results are correlated with an extra-atomic screening model [1], and are shown to be the fingerprint of mesoscopic or nanoscale internal damage in the Pu physical structure. This means that a spectroscopic signature of internal damage due to aging in Pu has been established.
Date: November 23, 2005
Creator: Chung, B. W.; Schwartz, A. J.; Ebbinghaus, B. B.; Fluss, M. J.; Haslam, J. J.; Blobaum, K. M. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library