Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's mission is as clear today as it was in 1952 when the Laboratory was founded--to ensure our country's national security and the safety and reliability of its nuclear deterrent. As a laboratory pursuing applied science in the national interest, we strive to accomplish our mission through excellence in science and technology. We do this while developing and implementing sound and robust business practices in an environment that emphasizes security and ensures our safety and the safety of the community around us. Our mission as a directorate derives directly from the Laboratory's charter. When I accepted the assignment of Associate Director for Chemistry and Materials Science (CMS), I talked to you about the need for strategic balance and excellence in all our endeavors. We also discussed how to take the directorate to the next level. The long-range CMS strategic plan presented here was developed with this purpose in mind. It also aligns with the Lab's institutional long-range science and technology plan and its 10-year facilities and infrastructure site plan. The plan is aimed at ensuring that we fulfill our directorate's two governing principles: (1) delivering on our commitments to Laboratory programs and sponsors, and (2) anticipating change …

China has rich potential for renewable energy development. Fact sheet describes Chinas policy for energy development, energy restructuring, development strategies and objectives, and measurement.

This report contains the results of the Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle that was held at CERN on 13-16 February 2002. There had been several Workshops on B physics that concentrated on studies at e{sup +}e{sup -} machines, at the Tevatron, or at LHC separately. Here we brought together experts of different fields, both theorists and experimentalists, to study the determination of the CKM matrix from all the available data of K, D, and B physics. The analysis of LEP data for B physics is reaching its end, and one of the goals of the Workshop was to underline the results that have been achieved at LEP, SLC, and CESR. Another goal was to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for averaging B physics properties, that has developed within the LEP community, to the present main actors of these studies, from the B factory and the Tevatron experiments. The optimal way to combine the various experimental and theoretical inputs and to fit for the apex of the Unitarity Triangle has been a contentious issue. A further goal of the Workshop was to bring together the proponents of different fitting strategies, and to compare their approaches when applied to the …

Quarterly newsletter features success stories, coalition news, upcoming events, a coordinator profile and an article on technical assistance.

The sulfur found on the surfaces of stainless steel 303 (SS303) after nitric acid passivation originated from the MnS inclusions in the steel. The nitric acid attacked and dissolved these MnS inclusions, and redeposited micron-sized elemental sulfur particles back to the surface. To develop an alternative passivation procedure for SS303, citric and phosphoric acids have been evaluated. The experimental results show neither acid causes a significant amount of sulfur deposit. Thus, these two acids can be used as alternatives to nitric acid passivation for NIF applications. For SS303 previously passivated by nitric acid, NaOH soak can be used as a remedial cleaning process to effectively remove the sulfur deposits.

This 2-page Clean Cities fact sheet describes the use of natural gas power for Tulsa Public Schools' fleet of buses and cars. It includes information on the history of the program, along with contact information for the local Clean Cities Coordinator and Tulsa Public Schools.

The CO{sub 2} Capture Project (CCP) is a joint industry project, funded by eight energy companies (BP, ChevronTexaco, EnCana, Eni, Norsk Hydro, Shell, Statoil, and Suncor) and three government agencies (European Union (DG Res & DG Tren), Norway (Klimatek) and the U.S.A. (Department of Energy)). The project objective is to develop new technologies, which could reduce the cost of CO{sub 2} capture and geologic storage by 50% for retrofit to existing plants and 75% for new-build plants. Technologies are to be developed to ''proof of concept'' stage by the end of 2003. The project budget is approximately $24 million over 3 years and the work program is divided into eight major activity areas: (1) Baseline Design and Cost Estimation--defined the uncontrolled emissions from each facility and estimate the cost of abatement in $/tonne CO{sub 2}. (2) Capture Technology, Post Combustion--technologies, which can remove CO{sub 2} from exhaust gases after combustion. (3) Capture Technology, Oxyfuel--where oxygen is separated from the air and then burned with hydrocarbons to produce an exhaust with wet high concentrations of CO{sub 2} for storage. (4) Capture Technology, Pre-Combustion--in which, natural gas and petroleum coke are converted to hydrogen and CO{sub 2} in a reformer/gasifier. (5) Common …

The objectives of this project are to evaluate the feasibility of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) sequestration in Texas low-rank coals and to determine the potential for enhanced coalbed methane (CBM) recovery as an added benefit of sequestration. The primary objectives for this reporting period were to construct a coal geological model for reservoir analysis and to continue acquisition of data pertinent to coal characterization that would help in determining the feasibility of carbon dioxide sequestration. Structural analysis and detailed correlation of coal zones are important for reservoir analysis and modeling. Evaluation of existing well logs indicates local structural complexity that complicates interpretations of continuity of the Wilcox Group coal zones. Therefore, we have begun searching for published structural maps for the areas of potential injection CO{sub 2}, near the coal-fired power plants. Preliminary evaluations of data received from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation suggest that coal properties and gas content and chemical composition vary greatly among coal seams. We are assessing the stratigraphic and geographic distributions and the weight of coal samples that Anadarko has provided to select samples for further laboratory analysis. Our goal is to perform additional isotherm analyses with various pure and/or mixed gases to enhance our characterization model. …

The 266 nm light-induced reaction of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O gas mixtures (including isotopic modifications {sup 13}CO{sub 2}, C{sup 18}O{sub 2}, and D{sub 2}O) in framework TiMCM-41 silicate sieve was monitored by in-situ FT-IR spectroscopy at room temperature. Carbon monoxide gas was observed as the sole product by infrared, and the growth was found to depend linearly on the photolysis laser power. H{sub 2}O was confirmed as stoichiometric electron donor. The work establishes CO as the single photon, 2-electron transfer product of CO{sub 2} photoreduction by H{sub 2}O at framework Ti centers for the first time. O{sub 2} was detected as co-product by mass spectrometric analysis of the photolysis gas mixture. These results are explained by single UV photon-induced splitting of CO{sub 2} by H{sub 2}O to CO and surface OH radical.

This year we focused on investigating the effect of particulate fines in both the hot flow and cold flow studies. This report summarizes the results of those studies in the hot flow and cold flow geometries. In the hot flow studies, increasing the fines content in the pulverized coal enhances combustion stability producing attached flames that were otherwise detached. NO{sub x} emissions are reduced by up to 50% through flame attachment. For always-attached flames, increasing the fraction of fines had little impact on total NO emissions. In the cold flow studies we found that the presence of the fine particles enhanced the velocity fluctuations of the coarse particles. The presence of coarse particles, however, did not affect the motion of the fine particles.

We examine the effect of the collective force due to coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in an electron storage ring with small bending radius. In a computation based on time-domain integration of the nonlinear Vlasov equation, we find the threshold current for a longitudinal microwave instability induced by CSR alone. The model accounts for suppression of radiation at long wave lengths due to shielding by the vacuum chamber. In a calculation just above threshold, small ripples in the charge distribution build up over a fraction of a synchrotron period, but then die out to yield a relatively smooth but altered distribution with eventual oscillations in bunch length. The instability evolves from small noise on an initial smooth bunch of r.m.s.length much greater than the shielding cutoff. The paper includes a derivation and extensive analysis of the complete impedance function Z for synchrotron radiation with parallel plate shielding. We find corrections to the lowest approximation to the coherent force which involve ''off-diagonal'' values of Z, that is, fields with phase velocity not equal to the particle velocity.

We consider the collinear limit of QCD amplitudes at one-loop order, and their factorization properties directly in color space. These results apply to the multiple collinear limit of an arbitrary number of QCD partons, and are a basic ingredient in many higher-order computations. In particular, we discuss the triple collinear limit and its relation to flavor asymmetries in the QCD evolution of parton densities at three loops. As a phenomenological consequence of this new effect, and of the fact that the nucleon has non-vanishing quark valence densities, we study the perturbative generation of a strange-antistrange asymmetry s(x)-{bar s}(x) in the nucleon's sea.

Shimony's method of analysis does not distinguish adequately between a legitimate assumption of no faster-than-light action in one direction and the to-be-proved assertion of faster-than-light transfer of information in the opposite direction. The virtue is noted of replacing the logical framework based counterfactual concepts by one based on the concept of fixed past and open future.

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) received ISO 14001/EMS certification in June 2002. Communication played an effective role in implementing ISO 14001/EMS at the INEEL. This paper describes communication strategies used during the implementation and certification processes. The INEEL achieved Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) and Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status in 2001. ISMS implemented a formal process to plan and execute work. VPP facilitated worker involvement by establishing geographic units at various facilities with employee points of contact and management champions. The INEEL Environmental Management System (EMS) was developed to integrate the environmental functional area into its ISMS and VPP. Since the core functions of ISMS, VPP, and EMS are interchangeable, they were easy to integrate. Communication is essential to successfully implement an EMS. (According to ISO 14001 requirements, communication interacts with 12 other elements of the requirements.) We developed communication strategies that integrated ISMS, VPP, and EMS. For example, the ISMS, VPP, and EMS Web sites communicated messages to the work force, such as “VPP emphasizes the people side of doing business, ISMS emphasizes the system side of doing business, and EMS emphasizes the systems to protect the environment; but they all define work, identify …

The National Ignition Facility is under construction at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy Stockpile Stewardship Program. Optical streak cameras are an integral part of the experimental diagnostics instrumentation. To accurately reduce data from the streak cameras a temporal calibration is required. This article describes a technique for generating trains of precisely timed short-duration optical pulses that are suitable for temporal calibrations.

Advanced Technology Systems, Inc. (ATS), with Desert Research Institute (DRI) and Ohio University as subcontractors, was contracted by the NETL in September 1998 to manage the Upper Ohio River Valley Project (UORVP), which included the establishment and operation of four ambient air monitoring sites located in the Upper Ohio River Valley (UORV). Two urban and two rural monitoring sites were included in the UORVP. The four sites selected for the UOVRP were collocated at existing local and/or state air quality monitoring stations. The goal of the UORVP was to characterize the nature and composition of PM{sub 2.5} and its precursor gases. In the process, the objectives of the UORVP were to examine the ambient air concentrations of PM{sub 2.5} as compared with the promulgated PM{sub 2.5} standards, the geographical, seasonal and temporal variations of ambient air concentrations of PM{sub 2.5}, the primary chemical constituents of PM{sub 2.5}, and the correlations between ambient air concentrations of PM{sub 2.5} and its precursor gases, other gaseous pollutants and meteorological parameters. A variety of meteorological and pollutant measurement devices, including several different PM{sub 2.5} samplers that provided either real-time or integrated concentration data, were deployed at the monitoring sites. The frequency of integrated sampling …

The genome sequence of a second fruit fly, D. pseudoobscura, presents an opportunity for comparative analysis of a primary model organism D. melanogaster. The vast majority of Drosophila genes have remained on the same arm, but within each arm gene order has been extensively reshuffled leading to the identification of approximately 1300 syntenic blocks. A repetitive sequence is found in the D. pseudoobscura genome at many junctions between adjacent syntenic blocks. Analysis of this novel repetitive element family suggests that recombination between offset elements may have given rise to many paracentric inversions, thereby contributing to the shuffling of gene order in the D. pseudoobscura lineage. Based on sequence similarity and synteny, 10,516 putative orthologs have been identified as a core gene set conserved over 35 My since divergence. Genes expressed in the testes had higher amino acid sequence divergence than the genome wide average consistent with the rapid evolution of sex-specific proteins. Cis-regulatory sequences are more conserved than control sequences between the species but the difference is slight, suggesting that the evolution of cis-regulatory elements is flexible. Overall, a picture of repeat mediated chromosomal rearrangement, and high co-adaptation of both male genes and cis-regulatory sequences emerges as important themes of …

We present a comparative study of soil CO{sub 2} flux (F{sub CO2}) measured by five groups (Groups 1-5) at the IAVCEI-CCVG Eighth Workshop on Volcanic Gases on Masaya volcano, Nicaragua. Groups 1-5 measured F{sub CO2} using the accumulation chamber method at 5-m spacing within a 900 m{sup 2} grid during a morning (AM) period. These measurements were repeated by Groups 1-3 during an afternoon (PM) period. All measured F{sub CO2} ranged from 218 to 14,719 g m{sup -2}d{sup -1}. Arithmetic means and associated CO{sub 2} emission rate estimates for the AM data sets varied between groups by {+-}22%. The variability of the five measurements made at each grid point ranged from {+-}5 to 167% and increased with the arithmetic mean. Based on a comparison of measurements made by Groups 1-3 during AM and PM times, this variability is likely due in large part to natural temporal variability of gas flow, rather than to measurement error. We compared six geostatistical methods (arithmetic and minimum variance unbiased estimator means of uninterpolated data, and arithmetic means of data interpolated by the multiquadric radial basis function, ordinary kriging, multi-Gaussian kriging, and sequential Gaussian simulation methods) to estimate the mean and associated CO{sub 2} emission …

Fracture mechanics methodologies for flaw stability analysis of a storage tank were compared in terms of the maximum stable through-wall flaw sizes or ''instability lengths.'' The comparison was made at a full range of stress loading at a specific set of mechanical properties of A285 carbon steel and with the actual tank configuration. The two general methodologies, the J-integral-tearing modulus (J-T) and the failure assessment diagram (FAD), and their specific estimation schemes were evaluated. A finite element analysis of a flawed tank was also performed for validating the J estimation scheme with curvature correction and for constructing the finite element-based FAD. The calculated instability crack lengths show that the J-T methodology that uses an estimated scheme, and the material-specific FAD, most closely approximate the result calculated with finite element analysis for the stress range that bounds those expected at the highest fill levels in the storage tanks. The results from the other FAD methods show instability lengths less than the J-T results over this range.

In a recent paper it has been shown that the nuclear Ramsauer model does not do well in representing details of the angular distribution of neutron elastic scattering for incident energies of less than 60 MeV for {sup 208}Pb. We show that the default angular bin dispersion most widely used in Monte Carlo transport codes is such that the observed differences in angular shapes are on too fine a scale to affect transport calculations. The effect of increasing the number of Monte Carlo angle bins is studied to determine the dispersion necessary for calculations to be sensitive to the observed discrepancies in angular distributions. We also show that transport calculations are sensitive to differences in the elastic scattering cross section given by recent fits of {sup 208}Pb data compared with older fits.

The capillary pressure model correlates drainage and imbibition data from the UNSODA database, provided that the data incorporate the entry head, a minimum displacement required for drainage to begin. According to the model, the imbibition pressure equals the drainage pressures at a critical minimum saturation of 0.301; below this critical saturation, no additional reversible drainage should occur. Some of the UNSODA data sets had a minimum saturation approximately half this value. The difference is attributed to the presence of fissures, which would lower the residual wetting and critical minimum saturations by reducing the fraction of the void volume controlled by capillary pores. If the UNSODA saturations are adjusted for this discrepancy, a probability distribution of minimum saturations for each data set peaks near the predicted critical minimum saturation. Maximum saturations for each data set have a peak near the predicted residual nonwetting saturation of 0.884.

In this article we will discuss some of the results of the response characteristics of High Purity germanium detectors using analog versus digital processing of the signals that are outputted from the detector. The discussion will focus on whether or not there is a significant difference in the response of the detector with digital electronics that it limits the ability of the detection system to get reasonable gamma ray spectrometric results. Particularly, whether or not the performance of the analysis code Pu600 is compromised.

One of the most powerful and promising strategies for optimizing environmental restoration is the use of combinations of technologies rather than a single technology to reach the target cleanup goals. The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) is actively working to clean up legacy contamination from its operations. Notably, DOE is responsible for the cleanup of many sites where the contamination includes chlorinated solvents (or chlorinated volatile organic contaminants (CVOCs)). At some sites, groundwater plumes containing CVOCs tend to become relatively large. Estimates for times to remediate sites often ranges up to 100s of years for these large plumes. As a result, the CVOC plumes are a concern to DOE, regulators and stakeholders. In response to this challenge, DOE initiated a project to ''provide the technical and policy support to facilitate implementing appropriate passive cleanup... leading to responsible completion of active remediation activities at high risk DOE waste sites.'' A combined approach benefits from the ability to match the invasiveness and aggressiveness of the remedial action to the amount of contamination and level of risk. This matching process is particularly important for recalcitrant contaminants such as chlorinated solvents. Highly contaminated areas justify more intense remediation action(s) while minimally contaminated areas …

A 200-kW fuel cell produced by International Fuel Cells (IFC), a United Technologies Company, began operation at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) in early June 2003. The NTRC is a joint Oak Ridge National laboratory (ORNL) and University of Tennessee research facility located in Knoxville, Tennessee. This research activity investigated the protective relaying functions of this fully commercialized fuel cell power plant, which uses ''synthesized'' protective relays. The project's goal is to characterize the compatibility between the fuel cell's interconnection protection system and the local distribution system or electric power system (EPS). ORNL, with assistance from the Electric Power Research Institute-Power Electronics Applications Center (EPRI-PEAC) in Knoxville, Tennessee, monitored and characterized the system compatibility over a period of 6 months. Distribution utility engineers are distrustful of or simply uncomfortable with the protective relaying and hardware provided as part of distributed generation (DG) plants. Part of this mistrust is due to the fact that utilities generally rely on hardware from certain manufacturers whose reliability is well established based on performance over many years or even decades. Another source of concern is the fact that fuel cells and other types of DG do not use conventional relays but, instead, the protective …