This database tool provides a structured approach to recording design decisions that impact a facility's design intent in areas such as energy efficiency.Owners and de signers alike can plan, monitor and verify that a facility's design intent is being met during each stage of the design process. Additionally, the Tool gives commissioning agents, facility operators and future owners and renovators an understanding of how the building and its subsystems are intended to operate, and thus track and benchmark performance.

Final report on grant funded through the SciDAC program as part of the APDEC grant at LBNL.

We are at the dawn of a new era in the study of hadronic nuclear physics. The non-Abelian nature of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) and the resulting strong coupling at low energies represent a significant challenge to nuclear and particle physicists. The last decade has seen the development of new theoretical and experimental tools to quantitatively study the nature of confinement and the structure of hadrons comprised of light quarks and gluons. Together these will allow both the spectrum and the structure of hadrons to be elucidated in unprecedented detail. Exotic mesons that result from excitation of the gluon field will be explored. Multidimensional images of hadrons with great promise to reveal the dynamics of the key underlying degrees of freedom will be produced. In particular, these multidimensional distributions open a new window on the elusive spin content of the nucleon through observables that are directly related to the orbital angular momenta of quarks and gluons. Moreover, computational techniques in Lattice QCD now promise to provide insightful and quantitative predictions that can be meaningfully confronted with, and elucidated by, forthcoming experimental data. In addition, the development of extremely high intensity, highly polarized and extraordinarily stable beams of electrons provides innovative opportunities …

High-energy-density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) physics is an emerging, important area of research in plasma physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and particle acceleration. While the HEDLP regime occurs at extreme conditions which are often found naturally in space but not on the earth, it may be accessible by colliding high intensity plasmas such as high-energy-density plasma jets, plasmoids or compact toroids from plasma guns. The physics of plasma jets is investigated in the context of high energy density laboratory plasma research. This report summarizes results of theoretical and computational investigation of a plasma jet undergoing adiabatic compression and adiabatic expansion. A root-mean-squared (rms) envelope theory of plasma jets is developed. Comparison between theory and experiment is made. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found.

With increased temperatures in our original pot study we observed a decline in lichen/moss crust cover and with that a decline in carbon and nitrogen fixation, and thus a probable decline of C and N input into crusts and soils. Soil bacteria and fauna were affected negatively by increased temperature in both light and dark crusts, and with movement from cool to hot and hot to hotter desert climates. Crust microbial biomass and relative abundance of diazotrophs was reduced greatly after one year, even in pots that were not moved from their original location, although no change in diazotroph community structure was observed. Populations of soil fauna moved from cool to hot deserts were affected more negatively than those moved from hot to hotter deserts.

In this paper we use London Langevin molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the vortex matter melting transition in the highly anisotropic high-temperature superconductor material Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}}#14; in the presence of low concentration of columnar defects (CDs). We reproduce with further details our previous results obtained by using Multilevel Monte Carlo simulations that showed that the melting of the nanocrystalline vortex matter occurs in two stages: a first stage melting into nanoliquid vortex matter and a second stage delocalization transition into a homogeneous liquid. Furthermore, we report on new dynamical measurements in the presence of a current that identifies clearly the irreversibility line and the second stage delocalization transition. In addition to CDs aligned along the c-axis we also simulate the case of tilted CDs which are aligned at an angle with respect to the applied magnetic field. Results for CDs tilted by 45{degree} with respect to c-axis show that the locations of the melting and delocalization transitions are not affected by the tilt when the ratio of flux lines to CDs remains constant. On the other hand we argue that some dynamical properties and in particular the position of the irreversibility line should be affected.

The purpose of this report is to provide a concise status update for value-added products (VAP) implemented by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility. The report is divided into the following sections: (1) new VAPs for which development has begun, (2) progress on existing VAPs, (3) future VAPs that have been recently approved, (4) other work that leads to a VAP, and (5) top requested VAPs from the Data Archive. New information is highlighted in blue text. New information about processed data by the developer is highlighted in red text. The upcoming milestones and dates are highlighted in green.

In this project, we cast distributed resource access as operations on files in a global name space and developed a common, scalable solution for group operations on distributed processes and files. The resulting solution enables tool and middleware developers to quickly create new scalable software or easily improve the scalability of existing software. The cornerstone of the project was the design of a new programming idiom called group file operations that eliminates iterative behavior when a single process must apply the same set of file operations to a group of related files. To demonstrate our novel and scalable ideas for group file operations and global name space composition, we developed a group file system called TBON-FS that leverages a tree-based overlay network (TBON), specifically MRNet, for logarithmic communication and distributed data aggregation. We also developed proc++, a new synthetic file system co-designed for use in scalable group file operations. Over the course of the project, we evaluated the utility and performance of group file operations, global name space composition, TBON-FS, and proc++ in three case studies. The first study focused on the ease in using group file operations and TBON-FS to quickly develop several new scalable tools for distributed system …

This final report details the work done from January 2010 until April 2013 in the area of experimental and theoretical high energy particle physics and cosmology at the University of California, Davis.

An analysis of improving the power output of small wind turbines by adding a venturi housing was done. Including the effects of back pressure developed at the input to the housing lowers the efficiency gain from a factor of 5 to a factor of 2 for a turbine blade radius of 24 inches. The gain is small enough that only large systems could profit from the application.

Electrofuels Project: LBNL is improving the natural ability of a common soil bacteria called Ralstonia eutropha to use hydrogen and carbon dioxide for biofuel production. First, LBNL is genetically modifying the bacteria to produce biofuel at higher concentrations. Then, LBNL is using renewable electricity obtained from solar, wind, or wave power to produce high amounts of hydrogen in the presence of the bacteria—increasing the organism’s access to its energy source and improving the efficiency of the biofuel-creation process. Finally, LBNL is tethering electrocatalysts to the bacteria’s surface which will further accelerate the rate at which the organism creates biofuel. LBNL is also developing a chemical method to transform the biofuel that the bacteria produce into ready-to-use jet fuel.

Our overarching goal with this proposal was to develop a deep understanding of the design of Prochlorococcus and Vibrio cells, the variations in their designs, and the constraints that have shaped this variation at the cell-environment interface. That is, we wanted to develop our understanding of the biology of these microbes at all scales of biological organization, from individual cell design to the dynamics of large populations.

The year 2008 resulted in 99 scans that were funded through NIH agencies. An additional 43 MRI scans were funded by industry. Over 250 scans were acquired by various investigators as �pilot� data to be used for future grant applications. While these numbers are modest in comparison to most busy research MRI Centers, they are in line with that of a newly established MRI research facility. The initial 12-18 months of operation were primarily dedicated to establishing new IRB approved research studies, and acquiring pilot data for future grant applications. During the year 2009 the MRI Center continued to show positive growth with respect to funded studies and the number of scan sessions. The number of NIH sponsored scans increased to 242 and the number of industry funded studies climbed to 81. This more than doubled our numbers of funded scans over the previous year. In addition, 398 scans were acquired as pilot data; most of which were fMRI�s. The MRI Center continued to expand with additional researchers who were interested in probing the brain�s response to chronic pain. Other studies looked at regions of brain activation in patients with impulsivity disorders; including smokers. A large majority of the imaging …

This document is a property certificate form for the subject contract.

Researchers have envisioned an electron-ion collider with ion species up to heavy ions, high polarization of electrons and light ions, and a well-matched center-of-mass energy range as an ideal gluon microscope to explore new frontiers of nuclear science. In its most recent Long Range Plan, the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) of the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation endorsed such a collider in the form of a 'half-recommendation.' As a response to this science need, Jefferson Lab and its user community have been engaged in feasibility studies of a medium energy polarized electron-ion collider (MEIC), cost-effectively utilizing Jefferson Lab's already existing Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). In close collaboration, this community of nuclear physicists and accelerator scientists has rigorously explored the science case and design concept for this envisioned grand instrument of science. An electron-ion collider embodies the vision of reaching the next frontier in Quantum Chromodynamics - understanding the behavior of hadrons as complex bound states of quarks and gluons. Whereas the 12 GeV Upgrade of CEBAF will map the valence-quark components of the nucleon and nuclear wave functions in detail, an electron-ion collider will determine the largely unknown role sea quarks play and …

LaserFest was the yearlong celebration, during 2010, of the 50th anniversary of the demonstration of the first working laser. The goals of LaserFest were: to highlight the impact of the laser in its manifold commercial, industrial and medical applications, and as a tool for ongoing scientific research; to use the laser as one example that illustrates, more generally, the route from scientific innovation to technological application; to use the laser as a vehicle for outreach, to stimulate interest among students and the public in aspects of physical science; to recognize and honor the pioneers who developed the laser and its many applications; to increase awareness among policymakers of the importance of R&D funding as evidenced by such technology as lasers. One way in which LaserFest sought to meet its goals was to encourage relevant activities at a local level all across the country -- and also abroad -- that would be identified with the larger purposes of the celebration and would carry the LaserFest name. Organizers were encouraged to record and advertise these events through a continually updated web-based calendar. Four projects were explicitly detailed in the proposals: 1) LaserFest on the Road; 2) Videos; 3) Educational material; and 4) …

The project team consisting of the Consensus Building Institute, Inc., Raab Associates, Ltd., and the MIT-Harvard Program on Negotiation created a model and set of tools for building the capacity of state officials to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders in advancing wind development policy formation, wind facility siting, and transmission policy and siting. The model was used to enhance the ability of state officials to advance wind development in their states. Training was delivered in Cambridge, MA, in Spring 2011. The training and associated materials, including a Wind Energy Workbook, website, and simulations, is available for ongoing and widespread dissemination throughout the US.

The 2011 Gordon Conference on Dynamics at Surfaces is the 32nd anniversary of a meeting held every two years that is attended by leading researchers in the area of experimental and theoretical dynamics at liquid and solid surfaces. The conference focuses on the dynamics of the interaction of molecules with either liquid or solid surfaces, the dynamics of the outermost layer of liquid and solid surfaces and the dynamics at the liquid-solid interface. Specific topics that are featured include state-to-state scattering dynamics, chemical reaction dynamics, non-adiabatic effects in reactive and inelastic scattering of molecules from surfaces, single molecule dynamics at surfaces, surface photochemistry, ultrafast dynamics at surfaces, and dynamics at water interfaces. The conference brings together investigators from a variety of scientific disciplines including chemistry, physics, materials science, geology, biophysics, and astronomy.

We identified and investigated some of the scientific and technically most challenging issues in thin film magnetism focusing on epitaxially grown layers of specific L1{sub 0} ordered, intermetallic, heterostructures with well-controlled crystallography and interface structures. Specifically, we addressed antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic heterostructures, exhibiting exchange bias (EB) in both in-plane (MnPd/Fe) and perpendicular (IrMn/(Co/Pt){sub n}) geometries, and ferromagnetic/ferrimagnetic (Co/Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12}) bilayers with strong interlayer exchange coupling and exhibiting spin reorientation transitions. In the former case, the work included experimental and theoretical studies to gain more fundamental insight into the origin and magnitude of EB, as well as to address important aspects of EB such as the asymmetry in the magnetic reversal mechanism, the role of interfacial structure, including compensated or uncompensated spins, AF domains, competing anisotropies and the angular dependence of the magnetization reversal process. Exchange bias is central to many magnetic technologies and driven by the fast development of nanotechnology, there is much interest in understanding the phenomenon of exchange bias on the nanoscale. By patterning, as the FM domain size reaches a lateral scale comparable to the AF domain size (~100nm), each nano-element can be treated as a separate and isolated exchange bias system that behaves independently. Therefore, the …

This project developed a comprehensive mathematical and simulation model for calculating thermal hydraulic, electrochemical, and corrosion parameters, viz. temperature, fluid flow velocity, pH, corrosion potential, hydrogen injection, oxygen contamination, stress corrosion cracking, crack growth rate, and other important quantities in the coolant circuits of water-cooled nuclear power plants, including both Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). The model is being used to assess the three major operational problems in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), which include mass transport, activity transport, and the axial offset anomaly, and provide a powerful tool for predicting the accumulation of SCC damage in BWR primary coolant circuits as a function of operating history. Another achievement of the project is the development of a simulation tool to serve both as a training tool for plant operators and as an engineering test-bed to evaluate new equipment and operating strategies (normal operation, cold shut down and others). The development and implementation of the model allows us to estimate the activity transport or "radiation fields" around the primary loop and the vessel, as a function of the operating parameters and the water chemistry.

PCQUEST, a package of eight predictive indices, was developed with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) support by the Energy and Environmental Research Center to predict fireside performance in coal-fired utility boilers more reliably than traditional indices. Since the development of PCQUEST, the need has arisen for additional fuel types into the program database. PCQUEST was developed using combustion inorganic transformation theory from previous projects and from empirical data derived from laboratory experiments and coal boiler field observations. The goal of this joint venture project between commercial industry clients and DOE is to further enhance PCQUEST and improve its utility for a variety of new fuels and systems. Specific objectives include initiating joint venture projects with utilities, boiler vendors, and coal companies that involve real-world situations and needs in order to strategically improve algorithms and input-output functions of PCQUEST, as well as to provide technology transfer to the industrial sector. The main body of this report provides a short summary of the projects that were closed from February 1999 through June 2006. All of the reports sent to the commercial clients can be found in the appendix.

Computer simulation has become increasingly important in many scientific disciplines, but its performance and scalability are severely limited by the memory throughput on today’s computer systems. With the support of this grant, we first designed training-based prediction, which accurately predicts the memory performance of large applications before their execution. Then we developed optimization techniques using dynamic computation fusion and large-scale data transformation. The research work has three major components. The first is modeling and prediction of cache behav- ior. We have developed a new technique, which uses reuse distance information from training inputs then extracts a parameterized model of the program’s cache miss rates for any input size and for any size of fully associative cache. Using the model we have built a web-based tool using three dimensional visualization. The new model can help to build cost-effective computer systems, design better benchmark suites, and improve task scheduling on heterogeneous systems. The second component is global computation for improving cache performance. We have developed an algorithm for dynamic data partitioning using sampling theory and probability distribution. Recent work from a number of groups show that manual or semi-manual computation fusion has significant benefits in physical, mechanical, and biological simulations as well …

This report describes the process of creating continuity and sustainability for demonstration and validation (DEMVAL) assets at the National Security Technology Incubator (NSTI). The DEMVAL asset program is being developed as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP), funded by Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The mission of the NSTI program is to identify, incubate, and accelerate technologies with national security applications at various stages of development by providing hands-on mentoring and business assistance to small businesses and emerging or growing companies. Part of this support is envisioned to be research and development of companies’ technology initiatives, at the same time providing robust test and evaluation of actual development activities. This program assists companies in developing technologies under the NSTI program through demonstration and validation of technologies applicable to national security created by incubators and other sources. The NSPP also will support the creation of an integrated demonstration and validation environment. Development of the commercial potential for national security technologies is a significant NSTI focus. As part of the process of commercialization, a comprehensive DEMVAL program has been recognized as an essential part of the overall incubator mission. A number of resources have been integrated into …

Overview of Research Goals and Accomplishments for the Period 07/01/06 – 06/30/07: Our overall research goal is to transform the rapidly emerging synthetic chemistry involving alkyl-alkyl cross-couplings into more of a mechanism-based field so that that new, rationally-designed catalysts can be performed under energy efficient conditions. Our specific objectives for the previous year were 1) to obtain a proper electronic description of an active catalyst for alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling reactions and 2) to determine the effect of ligand structure on the rate, scope, selectivity, and functional group compatibility of C(sp3)-C(sp3) cross-coupling catalysis. We have completed both of these initial objectives and established a firm base for further studies. The specific significant achievements of the current grant period include: 1) we have performed magnetic and computational studies on (terpyridine)NiMe, an active catalyst for alkyl-alkyl cross couplings, and have discovered that the unpaired electron resides heavily on the terpyridine ligand and that the proper electronic description of this nickel complex is a Ni(II)-methyl cation bound to a reduced terpyridine ligand; 2) we have for the first time shown that alkyl halide reduction by terpyridyl nickel catalysts is substantially ligand based; 3) we have shown by isotopic labeling studies that the active catalyst (terpyridine)NiMe …