The role of proton-nucleus (p-A) collisions in the study of strong interactions has a long history. It has been an important testing ground for QCD. At RHIC p-A studies have been recognized since the beginning as important elements of the program. These include so-called baseline measurements in cold nuclear matter, essential (along with p-p studies) to a systematic study of QCD at high temperatures and densities in the search for the quark gluon plasma. Also accessible is a study of QCD in the small x (parton saturation) regime, complementary to physics accessible in high-energy e-p and e-A collisions. The role of p-A physics at RHIC was reviewed and brought into sharp focus at a workshop conducted in October 2000 at BNL; the agenda is shown in Appendix 1. This document summarizes the case for p-A at RHIC during the period covered by the next Nuclear Physics Long Range Plan. In subsequent sections we cover the Physics Issues, Experiment Run Plans and Schedule, Detector Upgrade Issues, and Machine Issues & Upgrades.

The objective of this study was to examine the relative importance of pressure changes as a source of turbine-passage injury and mortality. Specific tests were designed to quantify the response of fish to rapid pressure changes typical of turbine passage, with and without the complication of the fish being acclimated to gas supersaturated water. We investigated the responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) to these two stresses, both singly and in combination.

The objective of this study was to examine the relative importance of pressure changes as a source of turbine-passage injury and mortality. Specific tests were designed to quantify the response of fish to rapid pressure changes typical of turbine passage, with and without the complication of the fish being acclimated to gas supersaturated water. We investigated the responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) to these two stresses, both singly and in combination.

This report addresses legal issues after the United States signed the Kyoto Protocol to the UnitedNations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The protocol is not yet in effect internationally and cannot be legally binding on the U.S. unless and until the Senate gives its advice and consent.

The 106th Congress completed action on a number of major trade initiatives. The impact on American firms and workers was a paramount concern in the passage of this legislation. Most notably, bills were passed to establish "normal trade relations" with China, deepen economic ties with the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, enhance trade benefits for 24 Caribbean Basin countries, and to ease trade sanctions on Cuba and other countries. Congress also voted to maintain U.S. participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as worked with the Clinton Administration to pass replacement legislation for the Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) tax benefit for U.S. exports. The latter action averted, at least until mid-2001, the imposition of punitive tariffs by the European Union on an estimated $4 billion in U.S. exports.

The authors propose to add high precision track detectors 55 m downstream on both (E and W) sides of CDF, to measure high Feynman-x protons and antiprotons in association with central states. A primary motivation is to search for the Higgs boson, and if it is seen to measure its mass precisely. The track detectors will be silicon strip telescopes backed up by high resolution time-of-flight counters. They will have four spectrometer arms, for both sides of the p and {bar p} beams. The addition of these small detectors effectively converts the Tevatron into a gluon-gluon collider with {radical}s from 0 to {approx} 200 GeV. This experiment also measures millions/year clean high- |t| elastic p{bar p} scattering events and produce millions of pure gluon jets. Besides a wealth of other unique QCD studies they will search for signs of exotic physics such as SUSY and Large Extra Dimensions. They ask the Director to ask the PAC to take note of this Letter of Intent at its April meeting, to consider a proposal at the June meeting and to make a decision at the November 2001 meeting. They request that the Directorage ask the Beams Division to evaluate the consequences and …

This project has three main goals: Thin Films Studies, Preparation of Graded Porous Substrates and Basic Electrical Characterization and testing of Planar Single Cells. Substantial progress has been made on both characterizing thin films as well as developing methods to produce films on nanoporous substrates. The results of electrical conductivity measurements on ZrO{sub 2}:16%Sc nanocrystalline thin films under controlled oxygen partial pressure and temperature are presented. The experimental data have been interpreted using a defect model, which describes the interaction between Sc and oxygen vacancies resulting in the formation of donor - (Sc{sub Zr} - V{sub o} - e){sup x} and acceptor - (Sc{sub Zr}-h){sup x} levels. From this the electronic and ionic contribution to the electrical transport has been determined and correlated with the band structure. These results suggest that ZrO{sub 2}:16%Sc possesses higher electronic conductivity than ZrO{sub 2}:16%Y, which dominates the total conductivity in reducing atmospheres. This is an important result since it indicates that Sc-YSZ maybe useful in the anode regions of the cell. We have made important breakthroughs on depositing dense Ceria films on to porous LSM substrates. In previous studies we have found that in order to produce a surface which is smooth enough to …

As part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Gasification Technologies and Transportation Fuels and Chemicals programs, DOE and Texaco are partners through Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-99FT40658 to determine the feasibility of developing, constructing and operating an Early Entrance Coproduction Plant (EECP). The overall objective of the project is the three-phase development of an EECP that produces at least one product from at least two of the following three categories: Electric power (or heat); Fuels; and Chemicals. The objective is to have these products produced by technologies capable of using synthesis gas derived from coal and/or some other carbonaceous feedstock, such as petroleum coke. The objective of Phase I was to determine the feasibility and define the concept for the EECP located at a specific site and to develop a Research, Development, and Testing (RD and T) Plan for implementation in Phase II. This objective has now been accomplished. A specific site, Motiva Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, has been selected as the location best suited for the EECP. The specific work requirements of Phase I included: Prepare an EECP Preliminary Concept Report covering Tasks 2-8 specified in the Cooperative Agreement; Develop a Research, Development, and Testing (RD and T) Plan as …

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were found to be an effective separation media for removing CO{sub 2} from N{sub 2}. The separation mechanism favors the selective condensation of CO{sub 2} from the flowing gas stream. Significant uptakes of CO{sub 2} were measured at 30 C and 150 C over the pressure range 0.5 to 5 bar. No measurable uptake of nitrogen was found for this range of conditions. The mass uptake of CO{sub 2} by MWNT was found to increase with increasing temperature. A packed bed of MWNT completely removed CO{sub 2} from a flowing stream of CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2}, and exhibited rapid uptake kinetics for CO{sub 2}.

Underground coal mining (down to {approx}0.75 km depth) in the contiguous Wasatch Plateau (WP) and Book Cliffs (BC) mining districts of east-central Utah induces abundant seismicity that is monitored by the University of Utah regional seismic network. This report presents the results of a systematic characterization of mining seismicity (magnitude {le} 4.2) in the WP-BC region from January 1978 to June 2000-together with an evaluation of three seismic events (magnitude {le} 4.3) associated with underground trona mining in southwestern Wyoming during January-August 2000. (Unless specified otherwise, magnitude implies Richter local magnitude, M{sub L}.) The University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) undertook this cooperative project to assist the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in research and development relating to monitoring the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The project, which formally began February 28, 1998, and ended September 1, 2000, had three basic objectives: (1) Strategically install a three-component broadband digital seismic station in the WP-BC region to ensure the continuous recording of high-quality waveform data to meet the long-term needs of LLNL, UUSS, and other interested parties, including the international CTBT community. (2) Determine source mechanisms--to the extent that available source data and resources allowed--for comparative seismic characterization …

Graphical curves and text tables are presented that map out time and space distortions for data obtained from film records of the Many Beam Fabry Perot Velocimeter. Effective distortion corrections extracted from these mappings can be applied to upcoming velocimetry experiments, but only with limited success over periods of a year or more into the future. A method of using three fiducials to provide fresh time and space distortion data on each film record is presented as a more reliable procedure to correct distortions to an acceptable level of accuracy.

A temperature dependent D2O density model has been developed for the 3-D hydraulics module in the near real-time plant analysis code ULTRASIM. By replacing the constant density, ULTRASIM is improved in two ways. First, all 3-D hydraulic analyses performed are more physically realistic now that the temperature dependence of the D2O density is accounted for. Secondly, simple temperature driven process water transients can now be modeled and investigated, including natural circulation tests. This report describes results in both of these areas.

This report describes the experimental procedure for Type 304 Stainless Steel fracture toughness measurements and the application of results. Typical toughness values are given based on the completed test program for the Reactor Materials Program (RMP). Test specimen size effects and limitations of the applicability in the fracture mechanics methodology are outlined as well as a brief discussion on irradiation effects.

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This report summarizes experimental and test results from a two year LDRD project entitled Real Time Error Correction Using Electromagnetic Bearing Spindles. This project was designed to explore various control schemes for levitating magnetic bearings with the goal of obtaining high precision location of the spindle and exceptionally high rotational speeds. As part of this work, several adaptive control schemes were devised, analyzed, and implemented on an experimental magnetic bearing system. Measured results, which indicated precision positional control of the spindle was possible, agreed reasonably well with simulations. Testing also indicated that the magnetic bearing systems were capable of very high rotational speeds but were still not immune to traditional structural dynamic limitations caused by spindle flexibility effects.

This report has been prepared to document the performance of the continuous sampling reduced-pressure air-ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma--atomic emission spectroscopy) and mercury-monitor systems developed by Ames Laboratory for use as continuous emission monitors (CEM). This work was funded by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Science and Technology, through the Mixed Waste Focus Area. The purpose of the project is to develop instrumentation and methods for spectroscopic field monitoring applications. During FY00 this included continued work on the development of the continuous sample introduction system and the multi-frequency AOTF-echelle spectrometer, used in conjunction with the reduced-pressure air-ICP-AES system as a multi-metal CEM. The assembly, development, and testing of an echelle spectrometer system for the detection of mercury (Hg) by atomic absorption was also completed during FY00. The continuous sampling system and the multi-metal air-ICP and mercury-monitor CEM systems were tested at Mississippi State University at the Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory (DIAL) at the end of FY00. This report describes the characteristics and performance of these systems, and the results of the field tests performed at DIAL.

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This report discusses law and proposed changes related to Country-of-Origin labeling for Foods.

Federal law requires most imports, including many food items, to bear labels informing the “ultimate purchaser” of their country of origin. Various bills have been introduced to impose expanded country-of-origin labeling requirements on meats and on several other agricultural products. Such proposals have attracted attention for a number of reasons. One is that they are viewed (by some advocates) as a way to help U.S. producers dealing with low farm prices. Also, some perceive that food products from certain countries might pose greater risks than those from the United States.

This report discusses farm income and commodity price support proposals that might succeed the programs due to expire in 2002. A key question being asked of virtually every new proposal is how it will affect U.S. commitments under the 1994 Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA), which commitsthe United States to spend no more than $19.1 billion annually on domestic farm supports most likely to distort trade. The URAA spells out the rules for countries to determine whether their policies are potentially trade distorting, and to calculate the costs.

The 107th Congress is expected to consider new "fast track" (or, Presidential trade promotion) authority, which could enable the Administration to submit trade agreements negotiated with foreign countries to Congress for consideration under expedited procedures. Many agricultural and food industry interests are among the export-oriented enterprises that support fast track authority, arguing that foreign trading partners will not seriously negotiate with an Administration that lacks it. However, some agricultural groups argue that fast track ultimately will lead to new agreements that deliver more benefits to foreign than to U.S. producers, at least in some commodity sectors.

The phase I program investigated the construction of electronic interconnections through the thickness of a silicon wafer. The novel aspects of the technology are that the length-to-width ratio of the channels is as high as 100:1, so that the minimum amount of real estate is used for contact area. Constructing a large array of these through-wafer interconnections will enable two circuit die to be coupled on opposite sides of a silicon circuit board providing high speed connection between the two.

Non-destructive testing is a key component of optimized plant inspection and maintenance programs. Risk based inspection, condition based maintenance and reliability centered maintenance systems all require detection, location and sizing of defects or flaws by non-destructive methods. Internal damage of geothermal piping by corrosion and erosion-corrosion is an ongoing problem requiring inspection and subsequent maintenance decisions to ensure safe and reliable performance. Conventional manual ultrasonic testing to determine remaining wall thickness has major limitations, particularly when damage is of a random and localized nature. Therefore, it is necessary to explore alternative non-destructive methods that offer potential benefits in terms of accurate quantification of size, shape and location of damage, probability of detection, ability to use on-line over long ranges, and economics. A review of non-destructive methods and their applicability to geothermal piping was performed. Based on this, ongoing research will concentrate on long range guided wave and dynamic methods.

This report includes information regarding intelligence issues for Congress. Recent developments, background and analysis, and selected 106th Congress legislation are among topics discussed in this report.