Initial experimental results from the Tandem Mirror Experiment (TMX) are presented. Axial profiles of the plasma density and potential necessary for electrostatically enhanced confinement of the central-cell ions have been generated and sustained for the duration of neutral-beam injection. The resulting central-cell ion confinement against axial loss is improved by a factor as large as 9 above that given by magnetic confinement alone. The plasma exhibits gross magnetohydrodynamic stability and microstability. Under some conditions, a residual level of ion cyclotron fluctuations in the end cells heats the central-cell ions and degrades their confinement.

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The gallium-stabilized Pu-2.0 at. % Ga alloy undergoes a partial or incomplete low-temperature martensitic transformation from the metastable {delta} phase to the gallium-containing, monoclinic {alpha}{prime} phase near -100 C. This transformation has been shown to occur isothermally and it displays anomalous double-C kinetics in a time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram, where two nose temperatures anchoring an upper- and lower-C describe minima in the time for the initiation of transformation. The underlying mechanisms responsible for the double-C behavior are currently unresolved, although recent experiments suggest that a conditioning treatment--wherein, following an anneal at 375 C, the sample is held at a sub-anneal temperature for a period of time--significantly influences the upper-C of the TTT diagram. As such, elucidating the effects of the conditioning treatment upon the {delta} {yields} {alpha}{prime} transformation can provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms governing the double-C kinetics of the transition. Following a high-temperature anneal, a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to establish an optimal conditioning curve that depicts the amount of {alpha}{prime} formed during the transformation as a function of conditioning temperature for a specified time. With the optimal conditioning curve as a baseline, the DSC was used to explore the circumstances under which the effects of …

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We demonstrate a preparative method which produces highly-monodisperse Pt-nanoparticles of tunable size without the external addition of seed particles. Hexachloroplatinic acid is dosed slowly to an ethylene glycol solution at 120 C and reduced in the presence of a stabilizing polymer poly-N-vinylpyrollidone (PVP). Slow addition of the Pt-salt first will first lead to the formation of nuclei (seeds) which then grow further to produce larger particles of any desired size between 3 and 8nm. The amount of added hexachloroplatinic acid precursor controls the size of the final nanoparticle product. TEM was used to determine size and morphology and to confirm the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles. Good reproducibility of the technique was demonstrated. Above 7nm, the particle shape and morphology changes suddenly indicating a change in the deposition selectivity of the Pt-precursor from (100) towards (111) crystal faces and breaking up of larger particles into smaller entities.

Energy-dependent quenching of excess absorbed light energy (qE) is a vital mechanism for regulating photosynthetic light harvesting in higher plants. All of the physiological characteristics of qE have been positively correlated with charge-transfer between coupled chlorophyll and zeaxanthin molecules in the light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II (PSII). In this work, we present evidence for charge-transfer quenching in all three of the individual minor antenna complexes of PSII (CP29, CP26, and CP24), and we conclude that charge-transfer quenching in CP29 involves a de-localized state of an excitonically coupled chlorophyll dimer. We propose that reversible conformational changes in CP29 can `tune? the electronic coupling between the chlorophylls in this dimer, thereby modulating the energy of the chlorophylls-zeaxanthin charge-transfer state and switching on and off the charge-transfer quenching during qE.

The cooling channel of the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) consists of eighteen superconducting solenoid coils, which are magnetically hooked together and contained in seven modules. The operations of a pair of MICE superconducting coupling magnets are affected directly by the other solenoid coils in the MICE channel. In order to meet the stringent requirement for the magnet center and axis azimuthal angle at 4.2 K, a self-centered tension-band cold mass support system with intermediate thermal interruption was applied for the MICE superconducting coupling magnet. The physical center of the magnet does not change as it is cooled down from 300 K to 4.2 K using this support system. This paper analyzed and calculated force loads on the coupling magnet under various operation modes of the MICE cooling channel. The performance parameters of a single-band cold mass support system were calculated also.

We report first light from a novel, new source of 10-ps 0.776-MeV gamma-ray pulses known as T-REX (Thomson-Radiated Extreme X-rays). The MeV-class radiation produced by TREX is unique in the world with respect to its brightness, spectral purity, tunability, pulse duration and laser-like beam character. With T-REX, one can use photons to efficiently probe and excite the isotope-dependent resonant structure of atomic nucleus. This ability will be enabling to an entirely new class of isotope-specific, high resolution imaging and detection capabilities.

We present recent advances in the modeling of beam electron-cloud dynamics, including surface effects such as secondary electron emission, gas desorption, etc, and volumetric effects such as ionization of residual gas and charge-exchange reactions. Simulations for the HCX facility with the code WARP/POSINST will be described and their validity demonstrated by benchmarks against measurements. The code models a wide range of physical processes and uses a number of novel techniques, including a large-timestep electron mover that smoothly interpolates between direct orbit calculation and guiding-center drift equations, and a new computational technique, based on a Lorentz transformation to a moving frame, that allows the cost of a fully 3D simulation to be reduced to that of a quasi-static approximation.

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The role of metal (Au, Pt, and Ag) electrodes in YSZ electrolyte-based impedancemetric nitric oxide (NO) sensors is investigated using impedance spectroscopy and equivalent circuit analysis. The test cell consists of a rectangular block of porous YSZ with two metal wire loop electrodes, both exposed to the same atmosphere. Of the electrode materials, only Au was sensitive to changes in NO concentration. The impedance behavior of porous Au electrodes in a slightly different configuration was compared with dense Au electrodes and was also insensitive to NO. Ag showed no sensitivity to either O{sub 2} or NO, and the measured impedances occurred at frequencies > 10 kHz, which are typically associated with ionic conduction in YSZ. Pt and porous Au showed sensitivity to O{sub 2}, which was quantified using power-law exponents that suggest electrochemical rate-determining mechanisms occurring at the triple phase boundary. The behavior of the dense Au suggests different rate-determining processes (e.g., diffusion or adsorption) for the O{sub 2} reaction. Although the exact mechanism is not determined, the composition and microstructure of the metal electrode seem to alter the rate-limiting step of the interfering O{sub 2} reaction. Impedance behavior of the O{sub 2} reaction that is limited by processes occurring …

A pair of superconducting coupling magnets will be part of the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE). They were designed and will be constructed by the Institute of Cryogenics and Superconductivity Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The coupling magnet is to be cooled by using cryocoolers at 4.2K. In order to reduce the heat leak to the 4.2K cold mass from 300 K, a pair of current leads composed of conventional copper leads and high temperature superconductor (HTS) leads will be used to supply current to the magnet. This paper presents the optimization of the conventional conduction-cooled metal leads for the coupling magnet. Analyses on heat transfer down the leads using theoretical method and numerical simulation were carried out. The stray magnetic field around the HTS leads has been calculated and effects of the magnetic field on the performance of the HTS leads has also been analyzed.

Polo-like kinase 1, PLK1, has important functions in maintaining genome stability and is involved in regulation of mitosis. PLK1 is up regulated in many invasive carcinomas. We asked whether it may also play a role in acquisition of invasiveness, a crucial step in transition to malignancy. In a model of metaplastic basal-like breast carcinoma progression, we found that PLK1 expression is necessary but not sufficient to induce invasiveness through laminin-rich extracellular matrix. PLK1 mediates invasion via Vimentin and {beta}1 integrin, both of which are necessary. We observed that PLK1 phosphorylates Vimentin on serine 82, which in turn regulates cell surface levels of {beta}1 integrin. We found PLK1 to be also highly expressed in pre-invasive in situ carcinomas of the breast. These results support a role for the involvement of PLK1 in the invasion process and point to this pathway as a potential therapeutic target for pre-invasive and invasive breast carcinoma treatment.

Atomic hydrogen inside solid H{sub 2} increases the energy density by 200 MegaJoules/m{sup 3}, for each percent mole fraction stored. How many atoms can be stored in solid hydrogen To answer this, we need to know: (1) how to produce and trap hydrogen atoms in solid hydrogen, (2) how to keep the atoms from recombining into the ground molecular state, and (3) how to measure the atom density in solid hydrogen. Each of these topics will be addressed in this paper. Hydrogen atoms can be trapped in solid hydrogen by co-condensing atoms and molecules, external irradiation of solid H{sub 2}, or introducing a radioactive impurity inside the hydrogen lattice. Tritium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, is easily condensed as a radioactive isotopic impurity in solid H{sub 2}. Although tritium will probably not be used in future rockets, it provides a way of applying a large, homogenious dose to solid hydrogen. In all of the data presented here, the atoms are produced by the decay of tritium and thus knowing how many atoms are produced from the tritium decay in the solid phase is important. 6 refs., 6 figs.

Experimental results are presented of the production of Field-Reversed Plasma with a high energy coaxial plasma gun. The gun is magnetized with solenoids inside the center electrode and outside the outer electrode so that plasma emerging from the gun entrains the radial fringer field at the muzzle. The plasma flow extends field lines propagating a high electrical conductivity, the flux inside the center electrode should be preserved. However, for low flux, the trapped flux exceeds by 2 or more the initial flux, possibly because of helical deformation of the current channel extending from the center electrode.

Repair deficient mutants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are being used to identify human genes that correct the repair defects and to study mechanisms of DNA repair and mutagenesis. Five independent tertiary DNA transformants were obtained from the EM9 mutant. In these clones a human DNA sequence was identified that correlated with the resistance of the cells to CldUrd. After Eco RI digestion, Southern transfer, and hybridization of transformant DNAs with the BLUR-8 Alu family sequence, a common fragment of 25 to 30 kb was present. 37 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

The authors are investigating mechanisms of energy storage and release in tritiated solid hydrogens, by a variety of techniques including ESR, NMR and thermal and optical emission. The nuclear decay of a triton in solid hydrogen initiates the conversion of nuclear energy into stored chemical energy by producing unpaired hydrogen atoms which are trapped within the molecular lattice. The ability to store large quantities of atoms in this manner has been demonstrated and can serve as a basis for new forms of high energy density materials. This paper presents preliminary results of a study of the optical emission from solid hydrogen containing tritium over the visible and near infrared (NIR) spectral regions. Specifically, they have studied optical emission from DT and T{sub 2} using CCD, silicon diode and germanium diode arrays. 8 refs., 6 figs.

The kinetics of the process by which red blood cells aggregate into long cylindrical, and sometimes branched, structures called rouleaux is studied within the framework of both reversible and irreversible addition and condensation polymerization reactions. However, unlike usual polymer kinetics, here we take into account the geometry of the subunits and the geometry of the growing structure. Geometric factors such as the amount of reactive wall area influence the probability of branching and hence the final shape of the aggregate. The inclusion of loop formation reactions is shown to be crucial in obtaining physically realistic equilibrium solutions of the kinetic equations. 11 references, 3 figures.

Rock varnish is a microns-thick manganese- and iron-rich coating that forms on exposed rock surfaces in arid and semi-arid environments. Empirical correlations of the varnish cation ratio (K+Ca)/Ti with age have been used to estimate ages of geomorphic surfaces, with varnish chemistry generally acquired by either proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) analysis of natural varnish surfaces. Chemical analyses of rock varnish with SEM/EDX utilize a sequence of accelerating voltages to vary penetration depths into the sample. Using elemental x-ray maps of natural varnish surfaces with SEM/EDX, penetration into the substrate can be recognized at accelerating voltages where contamination with substrate is inferred from SEM/EDX chemical analyses. This demonstrates the ability of the SEM method to obtain varnish chemistry with minimal inclusion of substrate. Calculations of theoretical x-ray depth-distribution ({phi}({rho}z)) curves in varnish indicate that at an accelerating voltage of 10 kV most of the emitted electrons are generated in the upper 0.5 micron of a sample. At a higher voltage of 30 kV most of the signal is still restricted to the upper 2 microns, representing a very small percentage of total varnish volume in many cases. The ability of the SEM method to obtain empirical correlations of the chemistry of …

A self-consistent design is described for a large tandem mirror experiment (MFTF-B) proposed to be constructed at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Neutral-beam injected yin-yang mirror cells at each end of a 40 meter long central cell, provide MHD stability for the configuration, as in the TMX experiment. The largest potential well confining center-cell ions is generated by ECRH in auxiliary mirror cells (A-cells) added beyond the outer yin-yang mirrors. The required ECRH power (less than or equal to 1 MW) is minimized by use of thermal barriers installed at the local midplanes of each A-cell. In addition, the trapping of cold ions (n cold approx. n hot) in the local potential dips at the A-cell midplanes stabilize loss cone microstabilities. The impact of constraints imposed by neoclassical radial transport (resonant drifts), MHD stability (ballooning modes), and microstability (ion two-stream and loss cone modes) on the overall design will be assessed for the benefit of improving designs in future tandem mirror devices.

Safety issues related to thermal cook-off are important for handling and storing explosive devices. Violence of event as a function of confinement is important for prediction of collateral events. There are major issues, which require an understanding of the following events: (1) transit to detonation of a pressure wave from a cook-off event, (2) sensitivity of HMX based explosives changes with thermally induced phase transitions and (3) the potential danger of neighboring explosive devices being affected by a cook-off reaction. Results of cook-off events of known size, confinement and thermal history allows for development and/or calibrating computer models for calculating events that are difficult to measure experimentally.

The uncertainty in setting the renormalization scale in finite-order perturbative QCD predictions using standard methods substantially reduces the precision of tests of the Standard Model in collider experiments. It is conventional to choose a typical momentum transfer of the process as the renormalization scale and take an arbitrary range to estimate the uncertainty in the QCD prediction. However, predictions using this procedure depend on the choice of renormalization scheme, leave a non-convergent renormalon perturbative series, and moreover, one obtains incorrect results when applied to QED processes. In contrast, if one fixes the renormalization scale using the Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC), all non-conformal {l_brace}{beta}{sub i}{r_brace}-terms in the perturbative expansion series are summed into the running coupling, and one obtains a unique, scale-fixed, scheme-independent prediction at any finite order. The PMC renormalization scale {mu}{sub R}{sup PMC} and the resulting finite-order PMC prediction are both to high accuracy independent of choice of the initial renormalization scale {mu}{sub R}{sup init}, consistent with renormalization group invariance. Moreover, after PMC scale-setting, the n!-growth of the pQCD expansion is eliminated. Even the residual scale-dependence at fixed order due to unknown higher-order {l_brace}{beta}{sub i}{r_brace}-terms is substantially suppressed. As an application, we apply the PMC procedure to obtain …

The design of business data processing applications utilizing minicomputers requires special considerations throughout the development of the systems project. Minicomputer features, capabilities, and limitations must be closely examined prior to the implementation of the design phase. The design requirements of an inventory control minicomputer system currently being installed by the Data Processing Services Department of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory are presented.

In this note, recent results of studies of semileptonic B meson decays from BABAR are discussed and preliminary results given. In particular, a recent measurement of {Beta}(B {yields} D{sup (*)}{tau}{nu}) and the ratio {Beta}(B {yields} D{sup (*)}{tau}{nu})/{Beta}(B {yields} D{sup (*)}{ell}{nu}) is presented. For the D* mode, a branching fraction of 1.79 {+-} 0.13(stat) {+-} 0.17(syst) is found, with a ratio of 0.325 {+-} 0.023(stat) {+-} 0.027(syst). For the D mode, the results are 1.04 {+-} 0.12(stat) {+-} 0.14(syst) and 0.456 {+-} 0.053(stat) {+-} 0.056(syst), respectively. In addition, a study of B{sub s} production and semileptonic decays using data collected in a center-of-mass energy region above the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance is discussed. The semileptonic branching fraction {Beta}(B{sub s} {yields} {ell}{nu}X) is measured to be 9.9{sub -2.1}{sup +2.6}(stat){sub -2.0}{sup +1.3}(syst).