Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "A gunman forced bank employees at Brookwood National Bank Friday to lie on the floor while his accomplice jumped the counter and rifled money trays, an FBI spokesman said."

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "A gunman forced bank employees at Brookwood National Bank to lie on the floor while his accomplice jumped the counter and rifled money trays, an FBI spokeman said."

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This progress report describes work ongoing at U of Oklahoma aimed at the development and utilization of double-sided solid state detectors. The devices are basically 300 {mu}m thick silicon detectors, operated in a highly depleted mode. A particle passing through deposits approximately 90 keV of energy. This signal is read out from electrodes on one face. The authors are developing devices with readouts on both faces, which should allow better spatial resolution in multistripe detectors. If signal to noise ratios can be kept high, and noise levels made low enough, for detector preamplifier systems, then such detectors may be part of a B {bar B} collider proposal. Results are included on signal correlations from a `micron` double-sided mini-stripe detector.

In this two chapter report, instrumentation used to collect seismic data is described. This data acquisition system has two parts: (1) portable anolog seismic recorders and related ``hand-held-testers`` (HHT) and (2) portable digitizing units. During the anolog recording process, ground motion is sensed by a 2-Hz vertical-component seismometer. The voltage output from the seismometer is split without amplification and sent to three parallel amplifier circuit boards. Each circuit board amplifiers the seismic signal in three stages and then frequency modulates the signal. Amplification at the last two stages can be set by the user. An internal precision clock signal is also frequency modulated. The three data carrier frequencies, the clock carrier frequency, and a tape-speed compensation carrier frequency are summed and recorded on a recorded on a cassette tape. During the digitizing process, the cassette tapes are played back and the signals are demultiplexed and demodulated. An anolog-to-digital converter converts the signals to digital data which are stored on 8-inch floppy disks. 7 refs., 19 figs., 6 tabs.

This document describes activities for the year ending 30 June 1988 by staff members of the Seismological Laboratory in support of the Yucca Mountain site assessment program. Activities during the year centered largely around acquisition of equipment to be used for site assessment and around a review of the draft site characterization plan for Yucca Mountain. Due to modifications in the scheduling and level of funding, this work has not progressed as originally anticipated. The report describes progress in seven areas, listed in approximate order of significance to the Yucca Mountain project. These are: (1) equipment acquisition, (2) review of the draft site characterization plan, (3) studies of earthquake sequence related to the tectonic problems at Yucca Mountain, (4) a review of the work of Szymanski in relation to Task 4 concerns, (5) coordination meetings with USGS, DOE, and NRC personnel, (6) studies related to Yucca Mountain, and (7) other studies.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) has established a formal environmental protection, auditing, monitoring, and planning program which has been in effect since 1978. The significant environmental projects and issues Western was involved with in 1988 are discussed in this annual site environmental report. It is written to demonstrate the nature and effectiveness of the environmental protection program. Western is responsible for the operation and maintenance of 16,376 miles of transmission lines, 254 substations, and various appurtenant power facilities in the above geographic areas. Western also is responsible for planning, construction, and operation and maintenance of additional Federal transmission facilities that may be authorized in the future. There is a combined total of 51 hydroelectric power generating plants in the service areas. Additionally, Western markets the US entitlement from the large Navajo coal-fired plant near Page, Arizona, and power generated at a wind farm in Wyoming. The Department of Energy requires the preparation of an annual site environmental report. Because Western has numerous facilities located in these states, this report was written to address the environmental activities in all of the facilities as one site.

The goals of the Calorimetry Sample Program are: 1. Discuss measurement differences, 2. Review and improve analytical measurements and methods, 3. Discuss new measurement capabilities, 4. Provide data to DOE on measurement capabilities to evaluate shipper- receiver differences, 5. Provide characterized or standard materials as necessary for exchange participants, 6. Provide a measurement control program for plutonium analysis. A sample of PuO{sub 2} powder is available at each participating site for NDA measurement, including either or both calorimetry and high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy, the elements which are typically combined to provide a calorimetric assay of plutonium. The facilities measure the sample as frequently and to the level of precision which they desire, and then submit the data to the Exchange for analysis. Statistical tests are used to evaluate the data and to determine if there are significant differences from accepted values for the exchange or from data previously reported by that facility. Data included in this report is a compilation of all exchange data received in 1988. Since a large number of data points were recorded, a change was made to the analysis method to account for the uncertainty in the accepted values.

During 1987, SSRL achieved many significant advances and reached several major milestones utilizing both SPEAR and PEP as synchrotron radiation sources as described in this report. Perhaps the following two are worthy of particular mention: (1) SPEAR reached an all time high of 4,190 delivered user-shifts during calendar year 1987, highlights of the many scientific results are given; (2) during a 12 day run in December of 1987, PEP was operated in a low emittance mode (calculated emittance 6.4 nanometer-radians) at 7.1 GeV with currents up to 33 mA. A second undulator beam line on PEP was commissioned during this run and used to record many spectra showing the extremely high brightness of the radiation. PEP is now by far the highest brightness synchrotron radiation source in the world. The report is divided into the following sections: (1) laboratory operations; (2) accelerator physics programs; (3) experimental facilities; (4) engineering division; (5) conferences and workshops; (6) SSRL organization; (7) experimental progress reports; (8) active proposals; (9) SSRL experiments and proposals by institution; and (10) SSRL publications.

A computer vision system has been integrated with a modified light-sectioning microscope for quality control and inspection of a machined part whose critical dimensions are 30 to 300 {mu}m. Height measurements were determined by analysis of the projected light-section line. Transverse measurements were made using the microscope in a traditional configuration with illumination from selected elements of an external LED ring array. The light section irradiance was under computer control to accommodate the spatial variations in surface reflectance whose dynamic range exceeded that of the vision system. Part features are located by the vision system. Edges and line centers are then measured to sub-pixel resolution with a gray-level analysis algorithm. This paper describes the design and operation of this system. Details of the measurement process and analysis algorithms are provided.

The authors systematically analyze impact evaluation results of three commercial lighting rebate DSM programs. The research includes (1) analysis of ex ante and ex post estimates of program performance, broken down into critical program parameters: hours of operation, watts saved per measure, and measures installed per site; (2) construction of probability distributions of program performance, both in the aggregate and for these critical program parameters; and (3) use of these analyses and distributions to draw conclusions about the accuracy of savings estimates from a variety of evaluation methods. The analysis suggests that realization rates (a ratio of metered savings estimates to tracking database savings estimates) for the sample of participants they examine are subject to tremendous variability, calling into question the usefulness of a point estimate of the realization rate. Discrepancies in estimates of hours of operation are responsible for most of the uncertainty in the realization rate. Finally, the impact of shorter measure lifetimes on savings estimates suggest that persistence studies should be an evaluation priority.

Root grafting has long been observed in forest trees but the adaptive significance of this trait has not been fully explained. Various authors have proposed that root grafting between trees contributes to mechanical support by linking adjacent root systems. Keeley proposes that this trait would be of greatest advantage in swamps where soils provide poor mechanical support. He provides as evidence a greenhouse study of Nyssa sylvatica Marsh in which seedlings of swamp provenance formed between-individual root grafts more frequently than upland provenance seedlings. In agreement with this within-species study, Keeley observed that arid zone species rarely exhibit grafts. Keeley also demonstrated that vines graft less commonly than trees, and herbs never do. Since the need for mechanical support coincides with this trend, these data seem to support his model. In this paper, the authors explore the mechanisms and ecological significance of root grafting, leading to predictions of root grafting incidence. Some observations support and some contradict the mechanical support hypothesis.

Rock melting technology can provide in-situ glass liners in nuclear waste package emplacement holes to reduce permeability and increase borehole stability. Reduction of permeability would reduce the time and probability of groundwater contacting the waste packages. Increasing the stability of the storage boreholes would enhance the retrievability of the nuclear waste packages. The rock melting hole forming technology has already been tested in volcanic tuff similar to the geology at the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. 6 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Burial grounds 4, 5, and 6 were used sequentially from 1951 to the present for the disposal of solid, low-level radioactive waste by burial in shallow trenches and auger holes. Abundant rainfall, a generally thin unsaturated zone, geologic media of inherently low permeability, and the operational practices employed have contributed to partial saturation of the buried waste, leaching of radionuclides, and transport of dissolved matter from the burial areas. Two primary methods of transport from these sites are by dissolution in circulating ground water, and the overflow of fluids in trenches and subsequent flow across land surface. The waste-disposal areas are underlain by the Conasauga Group (Cambrian age), a complex sequence of mudstone, siltstone, and limestone interbeds grading from one lithotype to the other, both laterally and vertically. Compressional forces that caused regional thrust faulting also caused much internal deformation of the beds. Folds, bedding-plane faults, and joints are widespread. Small solution openings have developed in some areas where the structurally-related openings have provided ingress to ground water.

Perchloroethylene (PCE) is a persistent environmental contaminant whose chemical stability and hydrophobicity have made it difficult to remove from contaminated groundwater. PCE is also toxic and has been implicated as a carcinogen. This study was aimed at assessing methods for biological degradation of PCE. As a part of the study, the authors have characterized possible products of the degradation of PCE, and have determined the effects of detergents and solvents on the water solubility of PCE and on the toxic effects of PCE on bacteria. The authors have also isolated PCE-resistant microorganisms from monitoring wells at Y-12. To date all of the PCE-resistant bacteria isolated from the monitoring wells have been of the genus Bacillus. One of these isolates appears to be able to degrade PCE, as indicated by the disappearance of PCE from cultures of growing cells. The organism does not grow on PCE as the sole carbon source, so degradation of the solvent must occur by cometabolism.

Under the direction of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) program, the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) project is evaluating a candidate repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a participant in the NNWSI project, is developing waste package designs to meet the NRC requirements. One aspect of this waste package is the nondestructive testing of the final closure of the waste container. The container closure weld can best be nondestructively examined (NDE) by a combination of ultrasonics and liquid penetrants. This combination can be applied remotely and can meet stringent quality control requirements common to nuclear applications. Further development in remote systems and inspection will be required to meet anticipated requirements for flaw detection reliability and sensitivity. New research is not required but might reduce cost or inspection time. Ultrasonic and liquid penetrant methods can examine all closure methods currently being considered, which include fusion welding and inertial welding, among others. These NDE methods also have a history of application in high radiation environments and a well developed technology base for remote operation that can be used to reduce development …

Repeatable high-precision gravity surveys provide a method of monitoring temporal variations in the gravity field. Fluctuations in the gravity field may indicate water table changes, crustal deformation, or precursors to volcanism and earthquakes. This report describes a high-precision gravity loop which has been established across Yucca Mountain, Nevada in support of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) program. The purpose of this gravity loop is to monitor temporal variations in gravity across Yucca Mountain in an effort to interpret and predict the stability of the tectonic framework and changes in the subsurface density field. Studies of the tectonic framework which include volcanic hazard seismicity, and faulting studies are in progress. Repeat high-precision gravity surveys are less expensive and can be made more rapidly than a corresponding leveling survey. High-precision gravity surveys are capable of detecting elevation changes of 3 to 5 cm, and thus can be employed as an efficient tool for monitoring vertical crustal movements while supplementing or partially replacing leveling data. The Yucca Mountain gravity network has been tied to absolute gravity measurements established in southern Nevada. These ties provide an absolute datum for comparing repeat occupations of the gravity network, and provide a method of monitoring …

The denitrification process at Y-12 involves the use of sludge to denitrify aqueous plating waste containing relatively high levels of NO{sub 3}. The process from time to time does not denitrify. The factors associated with the failure of the process remains to be resolved. The authors propose to resolve those factors by taking the following research approaches: (1) isolation and identification of microorganisms originating from sewage sludge which are associated with denitrification; (2) define physiological factors required for denitrification in this process system; and (3) define toxic factors associated with the aqueous waste that may affect the process of denitrification.

Yucca Mountain in southern Nye County, Nevada, has been selected by the United States Department of Energy as one of three potential sites for the nation`s first high-level nuclear waste repository. Its deep water table, closed-basin ground-water flow, potentially favorable host rock, and sparse population have made the Yucca Mountain area a viable candidate during the search for a nuclear waste disposal site. Yucca Mountain, however, lies within the southern Great Basin, a region of known contemporary tectonism and young volcanic activity, and the characterization of tectonism and volcanism remains as a fundamental problem for the Yucca Mountain site. The United States Geological Survey has been conducting extensive studies to evaluate the geologic setting of Yucca Mountain, as well as the timing and rates of tectonic and volcanic activity in the region. A workshop was convened by the Geologic Survey in Denver, Colorado, on August 19, 20, and 21, 1985, to review the scientific progress and direction of these studies. Considerable debate resulted. This collection of papers represents the results of some of the studies presented at the workshop, but by no means covers all of the scientific results and viewpoints presented. Rather, the volume is meant to serve as …

During the preclosure time period (approximately 100 yr), the prospective geologic repository at Yucca Mountain must provide for public and worker radiological safety and retrievability of emplaced waste. During the postclosure period (10,000 yr), the repository must ensure that cumulative radionulclide releases to the accessible environment comply with EPA release limits. Substantially complete containment must be provided by the waste packages for 300-1000 yr. All of these functions must be maintained should a severe seismic event occur and must be achieved with reasonably available technology. The seismic phenomena of interest for the preclosure period are vibratory ground motion from a nearby earthquake or underground nuclear explosion (UNE), faulting beneath surface facilities that are important to safety, and faulting in underground areas of emplaced waste. For the postclosure period, earthquake ground motion, underground faulting, and seismically induced adverse changes in hydrologic conditions have been identified as the most important seismic phenomena to be characterized. The NNWSI Project Site Charcterization Plan describes a number of seismic parameters that are needed for repository design or performance assessment, along with tentative goals for each parameter. Key parameters, goals and current assessments, all subject to change as site characterization progresses, are summarized in this report. …

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The objective of the research under this contract is to carry out studies of resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) processes in molecules. In the (n+1)-REMPI process of interest an atom or molecule in a specific initial state absorbs n photons making a transition to an intermediate state from which it is subsequently ionized by absorption of an additional photon. The studies are designed to provide a quantitatively robust analysis and prediction of key spectral features in several ongoing experimental studies and potentially practical applications of this technique. The specific problems of interest to the authors in these studied are (1) the vibrational distributions of ions that can be expected in REMPI of small molecules and molecular fragments with particular emphasis on their non-Franck-Condon behavior. Such non-Franck-Condon behavior introduces serious complications in the use of the technique for state-specific production of ions, e.g., O{sub 2}{sup +}({nu}) and OH{sup +}({nu}), and in the extraction of state populations from REMPI signals, (2) rotational distributions of ions that can be produced in various REMPI schemes and how these distributions can be tuned by choice of the resonant state and influenced by the molecular character of the photoelectron, and (3) the circular dichroism in photoelectron …

This report contains vugraphs of a presentation on thermoelectric-electromagnetic pumps. It contains: engineering drawings; summary of rectangular TEMP results and comparison with GE predictions; and results of optimization study.

This research is designed to investigate analytical techniques that may be used in the study of both the basic chemistry and the radiopharmaceutical chemistry of the transition metal element technetium. The original submission funded in 1987 described possible new uses in this field of high pressure liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Since then the authors have added the significant capability of MS/MS measurements on isolated technetium complexes, making possible the study of individual species and fragments observed in the spectra. Another important technique which the authors began to use last year and have extended during this reporting period is the use of {sup 99}Tc NMR. A brief outline is presented of the investigations carried out in the past year, concentrating mainly upon MS and NMR.