A tutorial account is given of the key physics issues in the confinement of high temperature plasma in magnetic mirror systems. The role of adiabatic invariants and particle drifts and their relationship to equilibrium and stability are discussed, in the context of the various forms of mirror field geometry. Collisional effects and the development and the control of ambipolar potentials are reviewed. The topic of microinstabilities is discussed together with the means for their control. The properties and advantages for fusion power purposes of various special embodiments of the mirror idea, including tandem mirrors, are discussed.

The authors review recent results of the BABAR and Belle Collaborations on the {alpha} and {gamma} angles of the unitarity triangle, on the B {yields} K{pi}{pi} Dalitz-plot analyses, and on the searches for baryonic B decays and for B {yields} D{bar D} decays.

We report a theoretical study on the role of shallow d states in the screened-exchange local density approximation (sX-LDA) band structure of binary semiconductor systems. We found that the inaccurate pseudo-wavefunctions can lead to (1) an overestimation of the screened-exchange interaction between the localized d states and the delocalized higher energy s and p states and (2) an underestimation of the screened-exchange interaction between the d states. The resulting sX-LDA band structures have substantially smaller band gaps compared with experiments. We correct the pseudo-wavefunctions of d states by including the semicore s and p states of the same shell in the valence states. The correction of pseudo-wavefunctions yields band gaps and the d state binding energy with good agreements with experiments and the full potential linearized augmented planewave (FLAPW) calculations. Compared with the quasi-particle GW method, our sX-LDA results shows not only similar quality on the band gaps but also much better d state binding energy. Combined with its capability of ground state structure calculation, the sX-LDA is expected to be a valuable theoretical tool for the II-VI and III-V (especially the III-N) bulk semiconductors and nanostructure studies.

The design and packaging of laser-optical system was tested to harsh environments outside lab conditions and post mortem activities will be discussed. Previously, custom mounts and bonded optical assemblies were environmentally tested to ensure their survivability. The results verified the sub-assemblies would enable the design of a laser-optical initiation system that could be fielded for use in extreme conditions. The design package, which utilized the proven opto-mechanical sub-assemblies, was then tested to the same levels as the sub-assemblies. The test regiment encompassed the harshest environments currently utilized. Temperature tests were performed ranging from a maximum of +75 degrees C to a minimum of -55 degrees C, allowing for two hour soak at each temperature set point. Vibration tests were performed to a maximum level of 15.5 grms for forty seconds in each of three critical axes. Shock tests were performed to a maximum impulse level of 5700 G’s for the sub-assemblies with a 1.1 millisecond long pulse; whereas the packaged laser system maximum level reached was 3700 G’s at 1.1 millisecond long pulse. The laser-optical assembly was visually inspected and functionally tested before and after each test to verify survival. As designed, the system covers were laser welded shut for …

CdMnTe can be a good candidate for gamma-ray detection because of its wide band-gap, high resistivity, and good electro-transport properties. Further, the ability to grow CMT crystals at relatively low temperatures ensures a high yield for manufacturing detectors with good compositional uniformity and few impurities. Our group at Brookhaven National Laboratory is investigating several CMT crystals, selecting a few of them to make detectors. In this paper, we discuss our initial characterization of these crystals and describe our preliminary results with a gamma-ray source.

This paper examines a California-based microgrid?s decision to invest in a distributed generation (DG) unit fuelled by natural gas. While the long-term natural gas generation cost is stochastic, we initially assume that the microgrid may purchase electricity at a fixed retail rate from its utility. Using the real options approach, we find a natural gas generation cost threshold that triggers DG investment. Furthermore, the consideration of operational flexibility by the microgrid increases DG investment, while the option to disconnect from the utility is not attractive. By allowing the electricity price to be stochastic, we next determine an investment threshold boundary and find that high electricity price volatility relative to that of natural gas generation cost delays investment while simultaneously increasing the value of the investment. We conclude by using this result to find the implicit option value of the DG unit when two sources of uncertainty exist.

We calculate the leading order BFKL amplitude for the exclusive diffractive process {gamma}*{sub L}(Q{sub 1}{sup 2}) {gamma}*{sub L}(Q{sub 2}{sup 2}) {yields} {rho}{sub L}{sup 0}{rho}{sub L}{sup 0} in the forward direction, which can be studied in future high energy e{sup +}e{sup -} linear colliders. The resummation effects are very large compared to the fixed-order calculation. We also estimate the next-to-leading logarithmic corrections to the amplitude by using a specific resummation of higher order effects and find a substantial growth with energy, but smaller than in the leading logarithmic approximation.

The authors report a search for the decays B{sup -} {yields} K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup -} and B{sup -} {yields} K{sup -}K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}, which are highly suppressed in the Standard Model. Using a sample of (467 {+-} 5) x 10{sup 6} B{bar B} pairs collected with the BABAR detector, they do not see any evidence of these decays and determine 90% confidence level upper limits of {Beta}(B{sup -} {yields} K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup -}) < 9.5 x 10{sup -7} and {Beta}(B{sup -} {yields} K{sup -}K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}) < 1.6 x 10{sup -7} on the corresponding branching fractions, including systematic uncertainties.

A comprehensive matrix of 60 tests was designed to explore the effect of calcium chloride vs. sodium chloride and the ratio R of nitrate concentration over chloride concentration on the repassivation potential of Alloy 22. Tests were conducted using the cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) technique at 75 C and at 90 C. Results show that at a ratio R of 0.18 and higher nitrate was able to inhibit the crevice corrosion in Alloy 22 induced by chloride. Current results fail to show in a consistent way a different effect on the repassivation potential of Alloy 22 for calcium chloride solutions than for sodium chloride solutions.

Generally, mechanical polishing is performed to diminish the cutting damage followed by chemical etching to remove the remaining damage on crystal surfaces. In this paper, we detail the findings from our study of the effects of various chemical treatments on the roughness of crystal surfaces. We prepared several CdZnTe (CZT) and CdMnTe (CMT) crystals by mechanical polishing with 5 {micro}m and/or lower grits of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} abrasive papers including final polishing with 0.05-{micro}m particle size alumina powder and then etched them for different periods with a 2%, 5% Bromine-Methanol (B-M) solution, and also with an E-solution (HNO{sub 3}:H{sub 2}O:Cr{sub 2}O{sub 7}). The material removal rate (etching rate) from the crystals was found to be 10 {micro}m, 30 {micro}m, and 15 {micro}m per minute, respectively. The roughness of the resulting surfaces was determined by the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to identify the most efficient surface processing method by combining mechanical and chemical polishing.

We demonstrate the feasibility of generating thousands of transgenic Drosophila melanogaster lines in which the expression of an exogenous gene is reproducibly directed to distinct small subsets of cells in the adult brain. We expect the expression patterns produced by the collection of 5,000 lines that we are currently generating to encompass all neurons in the brain in a variety of intersecting patterns. Overlapping 3-kb DNA fragments from the flanking noncoding and intronic regions of genes thought to have patterned expression in the adult brain were inserted into a defined genomic location by site-specific recombination. These fragments were then assayed for their ability to function as transcriptional enhancers in conjunction with a synthetic core promoter designed to work with a wide variety of enhancer types. An analysis of 44 fragments from four genes found that >80% drive expression patterns in the brain; the observed patterns were, on average, comprised of <100 cells. Our results suggest that the D. melanogaster genome contains >50,000 enhancers and that multiple enhancers drive distinct subsets of expression of a gene in each tissue and developmental stage. We expect that these lines will be valuable tools for neuroanatomy as well as for the elucidation of neuronal …

Two and a quarter centuries ago, a heavy mineral ore was found which was thought to contain a new chemical element called heavy stone (or tungsten in Swedish). A few years later, the metal was separated from its oxide and the new element (Z=74) was called wolfram. Over the years since that time, both the names wolfram and tungsten were attached to this element in various countries. Sixty years ago, IUPAC chose wolfram as the official name for the element. A few years later, under pressure from the press in the USA, the alternative name tungsten was also allowed by IUPAC. Now the original, official name 'wolfram' has been deleted by IUPAC as one of the two alternate names for the element. The history of this controversy is described here.

In this talk, we present the first, numerically stable, results for the one-loop amplitudes needed for computing W; Z + 3 jet cross sections at the LHC to next-to-leading order in the QCD coupling. We implemented these processes in BlackHat, an automated program based on on-shell methods. These methods scale very well with increasing numbers of external partons, and are applicable to a wide variety of problems of phenomenological interest at the LHC.

The mechanism of formation of recently fabricated CdS-Ag{sub 2}S nanorod superlattices is considered and their elastic properties are predicted theoretically based on experimental structural data. We consider different possible mechanisms for the spontaneous ordering observed in these 1D nanostructures, such as diffusion-limited growth and ordering due to epitaxial strain. A simplified model suggests that diffusion-limited growth partially contributes to the observed ordering, but cannot account for the full extent of the ordering alone. The elastic properties of bulk Ag{sub 2}S are predicted using a first principles method and are fed into a classical valence force field (VFF) model of the nanostructure. The VFF results show significant repulsion between Ag{sub 2}S segments, strongly suggesting that the interplay between the chemical interface energy and strain due to the lattice mismatch between the two materials drives the spontaneous pattern formation.

The design and characterization of small, ruggedized laser-optical subsystems is required for the continued development of robust laser-optical firing systems. Typically, these subsystems must be capable of generating the needed laser optical energy, delivering that energy via fiber-optical cables while taking up occupying a volume as small as possible. A novel beam splitting and fiber injection scheme has been proposed which utilizes two diffractive optical components. These components were utilized to reduce the volume of a previously designed system. A laser-optical prototype system was assembled and tested which utilized this beam splitting and fiber injection scheme along other modifications to the laser module and the power supply. This prototype was based on earlier designs that utilized environmentally proven opto-mechanical sub-assemblies. The system was tested to characterize the laser performance, the splitter-coupler transmission efficiency, channel-to-channel energy balance and fiber interchangeability. The results obtained for this design will be compared to the performance of a prototype system based on a more traditional beam splitting and fiber injection scheme. The traditional design utilized partially reflecting mirrors for beam splitting and plano-convex lenses for fiber injection. These results will be discussed as will their ultimate impact on future designs and packaging strategies.

Open confinement systems based on the magnetic mirror principle depend on the maintenance of particle distributions that may deviate substantially from Maxwellian distributions. Mirror research has therefore from the beginning relied on theoretical predictions of non-equilibrium rate processes obtained from solutions to the Fokker-Planck equation. The F-P equation plays three roles: Design of experiments, creation of classical standards against which to compare experiment, and predictions concerning mirror based fusion power systems. Analytical and computational approaches to solving the F-P equation for mirror systems will be reviewed, together with results and examples that apply to specific mirror systems, such as the tandem mirror.

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is a single purpose laboratory operated by Stanford University for the Department of Energy. Its mission is to do research in High Energy (particle) physics. This research involves the use of large and complex electronic detectors. Each of these detectors is a multi-million dollar device. A part of each detector is a computer for process control and data logging. Most detectors at SLAC now use VAX 11/780s for this purpose. Most detectors record digital data via this process control computer. Consequently, physics today is not bounded by the cost of analog to digital conversion as it was in the past, and the physicist is able to run larger experiments than were feasible a decade ago. Today a medium sized experiment will produce several hundred full reels of 6250 BPI tape whereas a large experiment is a couple of thousand reels. The raw data must first be transformed into physics events using data transformation programs. The physicists then use subsets of the data to understand what went on. The subset may be anywhere from a few megabytes to 5 or 6 gigabytes of data (30 or 40 full reels of tape). This searching would be best …

An improved stellar model with a detailed composition structure is used to look at the nonradial behavior of a star near the region in the H-R diagram where the delta Scuti variables are found. Satisfactory solutions are obtained to the linear nonadiabatic equations. The newly calculated evolution models will be used in the future to study the pulsational stability of this class of stars. 4 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Results of convective, nonlinear RR Lyrae models are presented. The standard mixing length theory has been used with time dependence being introduced through the convective velocity phase lag technique. Turbulent pressure and turbulent viscosity are also included. Results are compared with those of other time dependent convection theories. 9 refs., 2 figs.

In a recent study of the convergence properties of finite element methods in nonlinear fluid mechanics, an indirect approach was taken. A two-dimensional example with a known exact solution was chosen as the vehicle for the study, and various mesh refinements were tested in an attempt to extract information on the effect of the local Reynolds number. However, more direct approaches are usually preferred. In this study one such direct approach is followed, based upon the spectral decomposition of the solution operator. Spectral decomposition is widely employed as a solution technique for linear structural dynamics problems and can be applied readily to linear, transient heat transfer analysis; in this case, the extension to nonlinear problems is of interest. It was shown previously that spectral techniques were applicable to stiff systems of rate equations, while recent studies of geometrically and materially nonlinear structural dynamics have demonstrated the increased information content of the numerical results. The use of spectral decomposition in nonlinear problems of heat and mass transfer would be expected to yield equally increased flow of information to the analyst, and this information could include a quantitative comparison of various solution strategies, meshes, and element hierarchies.

An x-ray calibration facility for use in the 0.2--25 keV region is described. The facility employs several types of specially modified sources and detectors to produce and detect both line and continuum radiation in this energy range. We describe an inexpensive commercial x-ray source which has been modified for efficient high intensity operation as well as production of x-rays up to 25 keV. We also describe a system that utilizes multilayer mirrors alone or in a double Bragg geometry to select an energy bandpass. This system is controlled by a microcomputer which translates and rotates the multilayers to provide an easily selectable monochromatic beam with good resolution over a broad energy range. A long focal length Kirkpatrick--Baez mirror pair has been coupled to a pivoting beam line in order to accurately characterize gratings for use in soft x-ray astronomy. The beam line is scanned through the various grating orders. All aspects of the facility incorporate high degree of flexibility so that a wide variety of calibrations can be easily performed. 12 refs., 5 figs.

A clipping of articles from the 'Back-to-School' section of the newspaper The Post-Signal. The main article lists out the several programs in operation within the Pilot Point Elementary School, including the new UNT NTIEVA program funded by the Getty Foundation.

An article titled 'Local art program in fifth year' that was written for The Post-Signal newspaper. The article covers the NTIEVA program within Pilot Point's school district and how it has been implemented over the past five years.

The goals of the project are: to develop an economical and practical composite flywheel having an energy density of 88 Wh/kg at failure, an operational energy density of 44 to 55 Wh/kg, and an energy storage capacity of approximately 1 kWh; to determine the suitability of various manufacturing processes for low-cost rotor fabrication; to investigate flywheel and flywheel-systems dynamics; to test and evaluate prototype rotors for use in transportation and stationary applications; and to develop a fail-safe, lightweight, and low-cost flywheel containment. The following tasks have been accomplished: evaluation and selection of 1-kWh, first-generation, advanced flywheel rotor designs for subsequent development towards the DOE-established energy density goal of 88 Wh/kg at burst; completion of an advanced design concept for a flywheel primary containment structure, capable of containing the failure of a 1-kWh flywheel rotor and targeted for vehicular applications; non-destructive inspection and burst testing of approximately twenty (20) prototype rotors, and initiation of cyclic testing; completion of various activities in the areas of rotor manufacturing processes, dynamic analyses and composite materials design data generation; and initiation of an economic feasibility study to establish a rational costing methodology for composite rotors and containment.