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A fast-neutron pinhole camera with high detection efficiency and nanosecond time-resolution has been developed and applied to the investigation of the spatial and temporal distributions of DD- and DT-neutrons produced by thermonuclear plasmas. The pinhole consists of a specially designed 1.15 m long copper collimator with an effective aperture of 1 mm diameter. Several different types of spatial resolution detectors have been used at the image plane: (1) a multi-element, scintillation-photomultiplier system used for time-resolved measurements consisting of sixty-one individual detectors, (2) a scintillation-fiber-chamber coupled to a gated image-intensifier tube used for direct photographing of the neutron image, and (3) a propane bubble chamber used for time-integrated recording with a capability to distinguish DD- from DT-neutrons. Pulsed neutron sources with typical dimensions of 1 cm emitting of the order of 10/sup 12/ neutrons over a time period of 10-100 nsec have been investigated. A spatial resolution of 1 mm and a time resolution of approximately 10 nsec was achieved in the investigations of dense plasma compression phenomena.

A serious problem in the development of geothermal energy is the availability of durable and economical materials of construction for handling hot brine and steam. Hot brine and other aerated geothermal fluids are highly corrosive and they attack most conventional materials of construction. Brookhaven National Laboratory has been investigating the use of concrete polymer materials as alternate materials of construction for geothermal processes. To date, successful field tests have been demonstrated at the Geysers, US Bureau of Mines Corrosion Facility, and at the East Mesa Geothermal Facility. This is a survey of field and laboratory evaluations of concrete polymer materials which have been shown to be durable and economical as alternate materials of construction.

This report reviews the role of ion-cyclotron frequency instability in magnetic mirrors. The modes discussed here are loss-cone or anisotropy driven. The discussion includes quasilinear theory, explosive instabilities of 3-wave interaction and non-linear Landau damping, and saturation due to non-linear orbits. (JDH)

Software has been developed for use with the Fermilab Advanced Computer Program (ACP) multiprocessor system. The software was designed to make a system of a hundred independent node processors as easy to use as a single, powerful CPU. Subroutines have been developed by which a user's host program can send data to and get results from the program running in each of his ACP node processors. Utility programs make it easy to compile and link host and node programs, to debug a node program on an ACP development system, and to submit a debugged program to an ACP production system.

An article written by Kit King for the Denton Record-Chronicle about Mary Lee Kendrick and her reception of the CARA award. The article covers her work in the Denton art scene and also with Hopewell Junction, New Yorks's Community Cultural Arts Center and pottery with Crafts Student League and the 92nd Street Y Pottery in New York.

This report contains information about a meeting held to discuss the decontamination and decommissioning of the Fernald site in Ohio. This site contains two major types of waste. First is the legacy waste. This waste consists of the wastes which were left over from production which is stored in various drums and containers across the site. Second is the waste generated from the remedial activities.

B and N K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements have been performed on three BN thin films grown on Si substrates using ion- assisted pulsed laser deposition. Comparison of the films` spectra to those of several single-phase BN powder standards shows that the films consist primarily of sp{sup 2} bonds. Other features in the films`s spectra suggest the presence of secondary phases, possibly cubic or rhombohedral BN. Films grown at higher deposition rates and higher ion-beam voltages are found to be more disordered, in agreement with previous work.

Search and optimization in the context of blackbox objective function evaluation subject to blackbox constraints satisfaction is the thesis of this work. The SEARCH (Search Envisioned As Relation and Class Hierarchizing) framework introduced by Kargupta (1995) offered an alternate perspective of blackbox optimization in terms of relations, classes, and partial ordering. The primary motivation comes from the observation that sampling in blackbox optimization is essentially an inductive process and in the absence of any relation among the members of the search space, induction is no better than enumeration. SEARCH also offers conditions for polynomial complexity search and bounds on sample complexity using its ordinal, probabilistic, and approximate framework. In this work the authors extend the SEARCH framework to tackle constrained blackbox optimization problems. The methodology aims at characterizing the search domain into feasible and infeasible relations among which the feasible relations can be explored further to optimize an objective function. Both -- objective function and constraints -- can be in the form of blackboxes. The authors derive results for bounds on sample complexity. They demonstrate their methodology on several benchmark problems.

Ultrashort laser pulse tissue ablation has demonstrated advantages of greatly reduced required energy and collateral damage. These advantages stem directly from the fact that laser energy is absorbed nonlinearly in a time too hsort for significant thermal dn hydrodynamic response. The high peak power and short pulse duration both have implications for practical fiber delivery systems.

The tritium breeding blanket is one of the most important components of a fusion reactor because it directly involves both energy extraction and tritium production, both of which are critical to fusion power. Because of their overall desirable properties, lithium-containing ceramic solids are recognized as attractive tritium breeding materials for fusion reactor blankets. Indeed, their inherent thermal stability and chemical inertness are significant safety advantages. In numerous in-pile experiments, these materials have performed well, showing good thermal stability and good tritium release characteristics. Tritium release is particularly facile when an argon or helium purge gas containing hydrogen, typically at levels of about 0.1%, is used. However, the addition of hydrogen to the purge gas imposes a penalty when it comes to recovery of the tritium produced in the blanket. In particular, a large amount of hydrogen in the purge gas will necessitate a large multiple-stage tritium purification unit, which could translate into higher costs. Optimizing tritium release while minimizing the amount of hydrogen necessary in the purge gas requires a deeper understanding of the tritium release process, especially the interactions of hydrogen with the surface of the lithium ceramic. This paper reviews the status of ceramic breeder research and highlights …

Metallic waste is a residual of the electrometallurgical treatment of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) spent fuel. The treatment is based on electrorefining the fuel in molten salt, and currently it remains in the demonstration phase at the Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W). A reference metallic waste form is produced by mixing 15% zirconium with the stainless steel cladding hulls, which remain in the fuel dissolution baskets (FDB's) after electrorefining, to form a metal alloy. Estimates of uranium in this waste form are of importance to both operations and sensitive materials control and accountability (MC and A). Accurate estimates of the uranium in this product provide important information regarding the dissolution of uranium and the efficiency of the electrorefining process. Under certain operating conditions, non-negligible amounts of uranium were found in this stream, which made it an area of interest for MC and A. The estimates of uranium in this waste stream are currently provided through analysis of cladding hulls samples. The collected cladding hulls data and the errors associated with the data are discussed here, in addition to the effects of these errors on the overall facility ID variance.

The capability to calculate effective delayed neutron fractions has now been implemented into MCNP4B and is in the testing phase. This option should prove to be most useful for multiplying systems which are not easily modeled using deterministic codes.

Humidity is shown to be a strong factor in the wear of rubbing surfaces in polysilicon micromachines. We demonstrate that very low humidity can lead to very high wear without a significant change in reliability. We show that the volume of wear debris generated is a function of the humidity in an air environment. As the humidity decreases, the wear debris generated increases. For the higher humidity levels, the formation of surface hydroxides may act as a lubricant. The dominant failure mechanism has been identified as wear. The wear debris has been identified as amorphous oxidized silicon. Large slivers (approximately 1 micron in length) of debris observed at the low humidity level were also amorphous oxidized silicon. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed that the wear debris forms spherical and rod-like shapes. We compared two surface treatment processes: a fluorinated si- lane chain, (FITl) and supercritical C02 dried (SCC02). The microengines using the SCC02 process were found to be less reliable than those released with the FIX process under two humidity levels.

Computational models have the potential of being used to make credible predictions in place of physical testing in many contexts, but success and acceptance require a convincing model validation. In general, model validation is understood to be a comparison of model predictions to experimental results but there appears to be no standard framework for conducting this comparison. This paper gives a statistical framework for the problem of model validation that is quite analogous to calibration, with the basic goal being to design and analyze a set of experiments to obtain information pertaining to the `limits of error' that can be associated with model predictions. Implementation, though, in the context of complex, high-dimensioned models, poses a considerable challenge for the development of appropriate statistical methods and for the interaction of statisticians with model developers and experimentalists. The proposed framework provides a vehicle for communication between modelers, experimentalists, and the analysts and decision-makers who must rely on model predictions.

Continuing education is a critical issue in the workplace. Rapid change, the emergence of new technology, and the lack of trained individuals make continuing education an imperative for employers. The desire for individual growth and marketability make it an imperative for the employee also. While there are many options for continuing education, an increasingly popular vehicle is the short course. Time, cost efficiency and instruction by those experienced in real industrial practice are key factors in the success of this educational format. Over the past couple of decades, short course offerings and the number and type of sponsoring organizations have grown significantly. Within the scientific community, courses in basic disciplines (e.g., materials characterization), emergent technologies (e.g., Micro-Electro- Mechanical Systems), equipment operation (e.g., electron microscopes) and even business practices (e.g., ES&H, proposal writing) have emerged and are taught by universities, technical societies and equipment manufacturers. Short course offerings and formats are evolving. Presently, it is possible to find series of courses which define specific curricula. These curricula set the stage for new developments in the future, including increased certification and licensing (e.g., technologists). Along with such certifications will come the need for accreditation. Who will offer such programs, and especially, who …

High wire number, 25-mm diameter tungsten wire arrays have been imploded on the 8-MA Saturn generator, operating in a long-pulse mode. By varying the mass load from 710 to 6140 ps/cm, implosion times of 130 to 250 ns have been obtained with implosion velocities of 50 to 25 cn-dys, respectively. These z-pinch implosions produced plasmas with millimeter diameters that radiated 600 to 800 kJ of x-rays, with powers of 20 to 49 TW; the corresponding pulse widths were 19 to 7.5 ns, with risetimes ranging from 6.5 to 4.0 ns. These powers and pulse widths are similar to those achieved with 50 ns implosion times on Saturn. Two-dimensional, radiation- magnetohydrodynamic calculations indicate that the imploding shells in these long implosion time experiments are comparable in width to those in the short pulse cases. This can only be due to lower initial perturbations. A heuristic wire array model suggests that the reduced perturbations, in the long pulse cases, may be due to the individual wire merger occurring well before the acceleration of the shell. The experiments and modeling suggest that 150 to 200 ns implosion time z-pinches could be employed for high-power, x-ray source applications.

The asymptotically singular stress state found at the tip of a rigid, square inclusion embedded within a thin, linear elastic disk has been determined for both uniform cooling and an externally applied pressure. Since these loadings we symmetric, the singular stress field is characterized by a single stress intensity factor, and the applicable calibration relationship has been determined for both fully bonded and unbended inclusions. A lack of interfacial bonding has a profound effect on inclusion-tip stress fields. A large radial compressive stress is generated in front of the inclusion tip when the inclusion is well bonded, whereas a large tensile hoop stress is generated when the inclusion is unbended, and frictionless sliding is allowed. Consequently, an epoxy disk containing an unbended inclusion appears more likely to crack when cooled than a disk containing a fully bonded inclusion. Elastic-plastic calculations show that when the inclusion is unbended, encapsulant yielding has a significant effect on the inclusion-tip stress state. Yielding relieves stress parallel to the interface and greatly reduces the radial compressive stress in front of the inclusion. As a result, the encapsulant is subjected to a nearly uniaxial tensile stress at the inclusion tip. For a typical high-strength epoxy, the …

Florida legislation enacted in 1976 directed the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to develop standards for solar energy systems manufactured or sold in the state, establish criteria for testing the performance of solar energy systems, and provide a means to display compliance with approved performance tests for these systems. This mandate has been effectively implemented for both solar domestic water heating and solar pool heating systems. With growing interest and markets for photovoltaic systems, plans are presently being developed to expand the scope of the mandate to include photovoltaic technology. This paper discusses four complementary facets of a photovoltaic (PV) system certification program. They include PV module performance characterization and rating; PV system design review and approval; examination and authorization of photovoltaic system installers; and inspection and acceptance testing of PV system installation. The suggested photovoltaic system process builds on lessons learned from over 20 years of testing, certifying and labeling of solar thermal collectors, and the certification of solar thermal systems.

There have been many versions of spin-dependent parton distributions in the literature. Although most agree with present data within uncertainties, they are based upon different physical assumptions. Some physical models are discussed and the corresponding predictions for double spin asymmetries are shown. A summary of the most feasible measurements in the appropriate kinematic regions at RHIC, which should yield the most useful information about the polarized gluon distribution, is given.

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Electrodialysis technology for recovering salt from aluminum salt cake is being developed at Argonne National Laboratory. Salt cake, a slag-like aluminum-industry waste stream, contains aluminum metal, salt (NaCl and KCl), and nonmetallics (primarily aluminum oxide). Salt cake can be recycled by digesting with water and filtering to recover the metal and oxide values. A major obstacle to widespread salt cake recycling is the cost of recovering salt from the process brine. Electrodialysis technology developed at Argonne appears to be a cost-effective approach to handling the salt brines, compared to evaporation or disposal. In Argonne's technology, the salt brine is concentrated until salt crystals are precipitated in the electrodialysis stack; the crystals are recovered downstream. The technology is being evaluated on the pilot scale using Eurodia's EUR 40-76-5 stack.

The intrinsic dissolution rates of nine borosilicate waste glasses were extracted from the results of MCC-1 tests conducted for durations long enough that the solution pH reached a nearly constant value but short enough that the buildup of dissolved species did not affect the dissolution rate. The effects of the pH and temperature on the measured rates were deconvoluted to determine the sensitivity of the rate to the glass composition. The intrinsic dissolution rates were similar for all of these glasses and were not correlated with the glass composition. The mean and standard deviation of the intrinsic dissolution rates of these glasses are log k{sub 0}/[g/(m{sup 2}{center_dot}d)] = 8.2 {+-} 0.2.

The authors have grown epitaxial Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3} (PMN) and (1-x)(Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3})-x(PBTiO{sub 3})(PMN-PT)thin films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition at 700 -- 780 C on (100) SrTiO{sub 3} and SrRuO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. The zero-bias permittivity and loss measured at room temperature and 10 kHz for 220 nm thick pure PMN films were 900 and 1.5%, respectively. For PMN-PT films the small-signal permittivity ranged from 1000 to 1500 depending on deposition conditions and Ti content; correspondingly low values for the zero-bias dielectric loss between 1 and 5% were determined for all specimens. For PMN-PT with x of approximately 0.30--0.35, polarization hysteresis with P{sub r}{approximately}18{mu}C/cm{sup 2} was obtained. Initial piezoresponse data are discussed.