In recent years, the focus of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex has shifted from defense production to facility stabilization, decommissioning, and environmental restoration. This shift from production to cleanup requires a parallel shift from operations-focused management to project-focused management for an efficient facility deactivation. In the operation-focused management organization, activities are planned and executed based on production goals and are typically repetitive and cyclic. In the project-focused management environment, activities are based on a defined scope/end objective, start date, and completion date. Since the workforce used to perform production operations is also usually relied onto perform facility deactivation, it is important to shift from an operations management approach to a project management approach. It is best if the transition is accomplished quickly so the project can move forward and workers don't spend a lot of energy anticipating change. Therefore, it is essential that managers, planners, and other workers understand the key elements associated with planning a deactivation project. This paper describes a planning approach that has been used successfully to plan deactivation projects consistent with the requirements provided in DOE Order 430.1A Life Cycle Asset Management and the companion Deactivation Implementation Guide, G430. 1A-3, while exceeding schedule expectations …

A three dimensional, finite element-based, flow and dispersion model is used to simulate the transport and fate of hazardous releases in the atmosphere. Numerical results are presented for two experimental studies: (1) Airflow and dispersion over multiple blocks in a wind tunnel; and (2) Tracer study of a point release in the neighborhood of a building complex.

In fiscal year (FY) 1998 two new fusion technology programs were initiated in the US, with the goal of making marked progress in the scientific understanding of technologies and materials required to withstand high plasma heat flux and neutron wall loads. APEX is exploring new and revolutionary concepts that can provide the capability to extract heat efficiently from a system with high neutron and surface heat loads while satisfying all the fusion power technology requirements and achieving maximum reliability, maintainability, safety, and environmental acceptability. ALPS program is evaluating advanced concepts including liquid surface limiters and divertors on the basis of such factors as their compatibility with fusion plasma, high power density handling capabilities, engineering feasibility, lifetime, safety and R and D requirements. The APEX and ALPS are three-year programs to specify requirements and evaluate criteria for revolutionary approaches in first wall, blanket and high heat flux component applications. Conceptual design and analysis of candidate concepts are being performed with the goal of selecting the most promising first wall, blanket and high heat flux component designs that will provide the technical basis for the initiation of a significant R and D effort beginning in FY2001. These programs are also considering opportunities …

This paper presents our assessment of field experience related to pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary system leaks in terms of their number and rates, how aging affects frequency of leak events, the safety significance of such leaks, industry efforts to reduce leaks, and effectiveness of current leak detection systems. We have reviewed the licensee event reports to identify the events that took place during 1985 to the third quarter of 1996, and reviewed related technical literature and visited PWR plants to analyze these events. Our assessment shows that USNRC licensees have taken effective actions to reduce the number of leak events. One main reason for this decreasing trend was the elimination or reportable leakages from valve stem packing after 1991. Our review of leak events related to vibratory fatigue reveals a statistically significant decreasing trend with age (years of operation), but not in calendar time. Our assessment of worldwide data on leakage caused by thermal fatigue cracking is that the fatigue of aging piping is a safety significant issue. Our review of leak events has identified several susceptible sites in piping having high safety significance; but the inspection of some of these sites is not required by the ASME Code. …

This paper presents guidance on how to perform internal audits that get management's attention and result in effective corrective action. It assumes that the reader is already familiar with the basic constructs of auditing and knows how to perform them. Instead, it focuses on additional techniques that have proven to be effective in our internal auditing program. Examples using a theoretical audit of a calibration program are included.

The decays B{sup +} {r_arrow} D{sup *+}{sub s}{gamma} and B{sup +} {r_arrow} D{sup *+}{gamma} can be used for an extraction of {vert_bar}V{sub ub}{vert_bar}. When the b and c quarks are nearly degenerate the rate for these modes can be determined in terms of other observed rates, namely B{anti B} mixing and D{sup *} {r_arrow} D{gamma} decay. To this end the authors introduce a novel application of heavy quark and flavor symmetries. Although somewhat unrealistic, this limit provides them with a first estimate of these rates.

We have developed a Bayesian approach to the analysis of neural electromagnetic (MEG/EEG) data that can incorporate or fuse information from other imaging modalities and addresses the ill-posed inverse problem by sarnpliig the many different solutions which could have produced the given data. From these samples one can draw probabilistic inferences about regions of activation. Our source model assumes a variable number of variable size cortical regions of stimulus-correlated activity. An active region consists of locations on the cortical surf ace, within a sphere centered on some location in cortex. The number and radi of active regions can vary to defined maximum values. The goal of the analysis is to determine the posterior probability distribution for the set of parameters that govern the number, location, and extent of active regions. Markov Chain Monte Carlo is used to generate a large sample of sets of parameters distributed according to the posterior distribution. This sample is representative of the many different source distributions that could account for given data, and allows identification of probable (i.e. consistent) features across solutions. Examples of the use of this analysis technique with both simulated and empirical MEG data are presented.

Controlling the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere without limiting access to fossil energy resources is only possible if carbon dioxide is collected and disposed of away from the atmosphere. While it may be cost-advantageous to collect the carbon dioxide at concentrated sources without ever letting it enter the atmosphere, this approach is not available for the many diffuse sources of carbon dioxide. Similarly, for many older plants a retrofit to collect the carbon dioxide is either impossible or prohibitively expensive. For these cases we investigate the possibility of collecting the carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. We conclude that there are no fundamental obstacles to this approach and that it deserves further investigation. Carbon dioxide extraction directly from atmosphere would allow carbon management without the need for a completely changed infrastructure. In addition it eliminates the need for a complex carbon dioxide transportation infrastructure, thus at least in part offsetting the higher cost of the extraction from air.

This paper describes the development of incipient yield and subsequent collapse surfaces for a plate containing a large number of small circular penetrations arranged in an equilateral triangular array. The collapse surface developed here is appropriate for formulating a generic elastic-plastic flow theory for perforated materials. A unit cell is defined to characterize the mechanical response of an equilateral triangular array of penetrations. An elastic-perfectly plastic [EPP] finite element analysis [FEA] computer program is used to calculate the EPP response of the unit cell. A sufficient number of load cases are solved to define the complete incipient yield and collapse surfaces for the unit cell. A fourth order yield function is defined by squaring the Von Mises quadratic yield function and retaining only those terms that are required for the symmetry dictated by the triangular array. Curve fitting is used to determine the coefficients of the fourth order function to match the incipient yield and collapse data calculated for the unit cell by FEA. The incipient yield function in the plane of the plate incorporating the penetration pattern is shown to be almost rhomboidal in shape while the collapse curve is more elliptical. The fourth order yield function which passes …

Narrow band gap semiconductors such as ReSi{sub 2{minus}x} (Eg {approximately} 0.12 eV) are potential materials for infrared detectors. Further, ReSi{sub 2{minus}x} is in thermodynamic equilibrium and has a very small lattice mismatch with Si offering the potential of developing ReSi{sub 2{minus}x} heterojunction devices where the detector element and the signal processing circuitry can be integrated on one Si chip. In a previous study, strong crystallographic alignment between ReSi{sub 2{minus}x} film and (001)Si substrate was observed by ion channeling. In this study, a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study has been performed on ReSi{sub 2{minus}x} epitaxial films on (001) Si. Comparisons are made to our previous microscopy study on the defect structures in bulk single crystals of ReSi{sub 2{minus}x}.

The Department of Energy - Environmental Management (DOE-EM) National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program (NSNFP) is charged with the disposition of legacy spent nuclear fuel (SNF). While direct repository disposal of the SNF is the preferred disposition option, some DOE SNF may need treatment to meet acceptance criteria at various disposition sites. The treatments may range from electrometallurgical treatment (EMT) and chemical dissolution to engineering controls. As a planning basis, a need is assumed for a treatment process, either as a primary or backup technology, that is compatible with, and cost-effective for, this portion of the DOE-EM inventory. The current planning option for treating this SNF, pending completion of development work and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, is the EMT process under development by Argonne National Laboratory - West (ANL-W). A decision on the deployment of the EMT is pending completion of an engineering scale demonstration currently in progress at ANL-W. For this study, a set of questions was developed for the EMT process for fuels at several locations. The set of questions addresses all issues associated with design, construction, and operation of a production facility. A matrix table was developed to determine questions applicable to various fuel treatment options. …

The design of remote sensing systems is driven by the need to provide cost-effective, substantive answers to questions posed by our customers. This is especially important for space-based systems, which tend to be expensive, and which generally cannot be changed after they are launched. We report here on the approach we employed in developing the desired attributes of a satellite mission, namely the Multispectral Thermal Imager. After an initial scoping study, we applied a procedure which we call: "End-to-end modeling and analysis (EEM)." We began with target attributes, translated to observable signatures and then propagated the signatures through the atmosphere to the sensor location. We modeled the sensor attributes to yield a simulated data stream, which was then analyzed to retrieve information about the original target. The retrieved signature was then compared to the original to obtain a figure of merit: hence the term "end-to-end modeling and analysis." We base the EEM in physics to ensure high fidelity and to permit scaling. As the actual design of the payload evolves, and as real hardware is tested, we can update the EEM to facilitate trade studies, and to judge, for example, whether components that deviate from specifications are acceptable.

This paper proposes a structure for the diesel combustion process based on a combination of previously published and new results. Processes are analyzed with proven chemical kinetic models and validated with data from production-like direct injection diesel engines. The analysis provides new insight into the ignition and particulate formation processes, which combined with laser diagnostics, delineates the two-stage nature of combustion in diesel engines. Data are presented to quantify events occurring during the ignition and initial combustion processes that form soot precursors. A framework is also proposed for understanding the heat release and emission formation processes.

The conference consisted of two sessions with the following subtopics: (1) Heterogeneous Session: Novel Catalytic Materials; Photocatalysis; Novel Processing Conditions; Metals and Sulfides; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; Metal Oxides and Partial Oxidation; Electrocatalysis; and Automotive Catalysis. (2) Homogeneous Catalysis: H-Transfer and Alkane Functionalization; Biocatalysis; Oxidation and Photocatalysis; and Novel Medical, Methods, and Catalyzed Reactions.

This paper describes the formulation of an elastic-perfectly plastic flow theory applicable to equivalent solid [EQS] modeling of perforated materials. An equilateral triangular array of circular penetrations is considered. The usual assumptions regarding geometry and loading conditions applicable to the development of elastic constants for EQS modeling of perforated plates are considered to apply here. An elastic-perfectly plastic [EPP] EQS model is developed for a collapse surface that includes fourth-order stress terms. The fourth order yield function has been shown to be appropriate for plates with a triangular array of circular holes. A complete flow model is formulated using the consistent tangent modulus approach based on the fourth order yield function.

This paper provides a comparison between finite element analysis results and test data from the Pressure Vessel Research Council (PVRC) burst disk program. Testing sponsored by the PVRC over 20 years ago was done by pressurizing circular flat disks made from three different materials until failure by bursting. The purpose of this re-analysis is to investigate the use of finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the primary stress limits of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (1998) and to qualify the use of elastic-plastic (EP-FEA) for limit load calculations. The three materials tested represent the range of strength and ductility found in modern pressure vessel construction and include a low strength high ductility material, a medium strength medium ductility material, and a high strength low ductility low alloy material. Results of elastic and EP-FEA are compared to test data. Stresses from the elastic analyses are linearized for comparison of Code primary stress limits to test results. Elastic-plastic analyses are done using both best-estimate and elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) stress-strain curves. Both large strain-large displacement (LSLD) and small strain-small displacement (SSSD) assumptions are used with the EP-FEA. Analysis results are compared to test results to evaluate the various analysis methods, models, …

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Mixed radioactive and hazardous wastes were buried at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Subsurface Disposal Area from 1952 to 1969. To begin the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) remediation process for the Subsurface Disposal Area, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the INEEL to its National Priorities List in 1989. DOE's Office of Environmental Restoration is planning several CERCLA treatability studies of remedial technologies that will be evaluated for potential remediation of the buried waste in the Subsurface Disposal Area. This paper discusses the in situ treatability studies that will be performed, including in situ vitrification, in situ grouting, and in situ thermal desorption. The in situ treatability studies will be conducted on simulated and actual buried wastes at the INEEL in 1999 and 2000. Results from the treatability studies will provide substantial information on the feasibility, implementability, and cost of applying these technologies to the INEEL Subsurface Disposal Area. In addition, much of the treatability study data will be applicable to buried waste site remediation efforts across the DOE complex.

Uniaxial strain impact experiments have been performed to obtain shock compression and release response of a 0.22 g/cm{sup 3} polyurethane foam in a configuration where the foam impacts a thin target witness plate. Wave profiles from a suite of ten experiments have been obtained, where shock amplitudes range from 40 to 500 MPa. A traditional P-{alpha} porous material model generally captures the material response. A fully three-dimensional explicit representation of the heterogeneous foam structure modeled with numerical simulations recovers some of the high frequency aspects of the particle velocity records.

Amplified Fragment length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis allows a rapid, relatively simple analysis of a large portion of a microbial genome, providing information about the species and its phylogenetic relationship to other microbes (Vos, et al., 1995). The method simply surveys the genome for length and sequence polymorphisms. The pattern identified can be used for comparison to the genomes of other species. Unlike other methods, it does not rely on analysis of a single genetic locus that may bias the interpretation of results and it does not require any prior knowledge of the targeted organism. Moreover, a standard set of reagents can be applied to any species without using species-specific information or molecular probes. The authors are using AFLP's to rapidly identify different bacterial species. A comparison of AFLP profiles generated from a large battery of B. anthracis strains shows very little variability among different isolates (Keim, et al., 1997). By contrast, there is a significant difference between AFLP profiles generated for any B. anthracis strain and even the most closely related Bacillus species. Sufficient variability is apparent among all known microbial species to allow phylogenetic analysis based on large numbers of genetically unlinked loci. These striking differences among AFLP profiles …

The origin of the epithelial and myoepithelial cells in the human breast has not been delineated. In this study we have addressed whether luminal epithelial cells and myoepithelial cells are vertically connected, i.e., whether one is the precursor for the other. We used a primary culture assay allowing preservation of basic phenotypic traits of luminal epithelial and myoepithelial cells in culture. The two cell types were then separated immunomagnetically using antibodies directed against lineage-specific cell surface antigens into at best 100% purity. The cellular identity was ascertained by cytochemistry, immunoblotting, and 2-D gel electrophoresis. Luminal epithelial cells were identified by strong expression of cytokeratins 18 and 19 while myoepithelial cells were recognized by expression of vimentin and {alpha}-smooth muscle actin. We used a previously devised culture medium (CDM4) that allows vigorous expansion of proliferative myoepithelial cells and also devised a medium (CDM6) that allowed sufficient expansion of differentiated luminal epithelial cells based on addition of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. The two different culture media supported each lineage for at least five passages without signs of interconversion. We used parallel cultures where we switched culture media, thus testing the ability of each lineage to convert to the other. Whereas the myoepithelial …

Over a wide pressure range FeCl{sub 2} is rather compressible due to its layered structure. At low pressures h-FeCl{sub 2} condenses into a close-packed, hexagonal phase with a CdI{sub 2} structure similar to the other anhydrous divalent transition metal halides. Anhydrous FeCl{sub 2} was synthesized by a direct Fe-Cl{sub 2} reaction using Fe enriched to 25% {sup 57}Fe. The anhydrous material is colorless and transparent.

NASA's Genesis Discovery Mission is designed to collect solar matter and return it to earth for analysis. The mission consists of launching a spacecraft that carries high purity collector materials, inserting the spacecraft into a halo orbit about the L1 sun-earth libration point, exposing the collectors to the solar wind for two years, and then returning the collectors to earth. The collectors will then be made available for analysis by various methods to determine the elemental and isotopic abundance of the solar wind. In preparation for this mission, potential collector materials are being characterized to determine baseline impurity levels and to assess detection limits for various analysis techniques. As part of the effort, potential solar wind collector materials have been analyzed using resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS). RIMS is a particularly sensitivity variation of secondary neutral mass spectrometry that employs resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) to selectively postionize an element of interest, and thus discriminates between low levels of that element and the bulk material. The high sensitivity and selectivity of RIMS allow detection of very low concentrations while consuming only small amounts of sample. Thus, RIMS is well suited for detection of many heavy elements in the solar wind, …

As a result of the synchrotron radiation from a positively-charged beam, an electron cloud is expected to develop in the vacuum chamber from the combined effects of the photoelectric and secondary emission processes [1-3]. We provide here a first estimate of the electron-cloud effect on individual particles of the beam. We focus on the space-charge tune spread, the distortion of the beta function and the dispersion, and synchro-betatron coupling. We illustrate the effects with numerical applications to the PEP-II positron ring [4]. We conclude that the magnitude of the effect is not negligible, although it is not large either. However, the present calculations can only be considered as a first estimate, since they do not include details of the electron cloud formation in different regions of the ring.