A thick flowing layer of liquid (e.g., flibe-a molten salt, or Sn{sub 80}Li{sub 20}--a liquid metal) protects the structural walls of the magnetic fusion configuration so that they can last the life of the plant even with intense 14 MeV neutron bombardment from the D-T fusion reaction, The surface temperature of the liquid rises as it passes from the inlet nozzles to the exit nozzles due to absorption of line and bremsstrahlung radiation, and neutrons. The surface temperature can be reduced by enhanced turbulent convection of hot surface liquid into the cooler interior. This surface temperature is affected by the temperature of liquid from a heat transport and energy recovery system. The evaporative flux from the wall driven by the surface temperature must also result in an acceptable impurity level in the core plasma. The shielding of the core by the edge plasma is modeled with a 2D-transport code for the DT and impurity ions; these impurity ions are either swept out to the divertor, or diffuse to the hot plasma core. An auxiliary plasma between the edge plasma and the liquid wall may further attenuate evaporating flux of atoms and molecules by ionization near the wall.

We describe a coded aperture, gamma-ray imager which uses a CsI(Na) scintillator coupled to an Hamamatsu R3292 position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT) as the position-sensitive detector. We have modified the normal resistor divider readout of the PSPMT to allow use of nearly the full 10 cm diameter active area of the PSPMT with a single scintillator crystal one centimeter thick. This is a significant performance improvement over that obtained with the standard readout technique where the linearity and position resolution start to degrade at radii as small as 3.5 cm with a crystal 0.75 crn thick. This represents a recovery of over 60% of the PSPMT active area. The performance increase allows the construction of an imager with a field of view 20 resolution elements in diameter with useful quantum efficiency from 60-700 keV. In this paper we describe the readout technique, its implementation in a coded aperture imager and the performance of that imager.

We are developing detectors based on bulk superconducting absorbers coupled to superconducting transition edge sensors (TES) for high-resolution spectroscopy of hard X-rays and soft gamma-rays. We have achieved an energy resolution of 70 eV FWHM at 60 keV using a 1 x 1 x 0.25 mm{sup 3} Sn absorber coupled to a Mo/Cu multilayer TES with a transition temperature of 100 mK. The response of the detector is compared with a simple model using only material properties data and characteristics derived from IV-measurements. We have also manufactured detectors using superconducting absorbers with a higher stopping power, such as Pb and Ta. We present our first measurements of these detectors, including the thermalization characteristics of the bulk superconducting absorbers. The differences in performance between the detectors are discussed and an outline of the future direction of our detector development efforts is given.

The field of x-ray radiography is well established for doing non-destructive evaluation of a vast array of components, assemblies, and objects. While x-rays excel in many radiography applications, their effectiveness diminishes rapidly if the objects of interest are surrounded by thick, high-density materials that strongly attenuate photons. Due to the differences in interaction mechanisms, neutron radiography is highly effective in imaging details inside such objects. To obtain a high intensity neutron source suitable for neutron imaging a 9-MeV linear accelerator is being evaluated for putting a deuteron beam into a high-pressure deuterium gas cell. As a windowless aperture is needed to transport the beam into the gas cell, a low-emittance is needed to minimize losses along the high-energy beam transport (HEBT) and the end station. A description of the HEBT, the transport optics into the gas cell, and the requirements for the linac will be presented.

An apparatus for determining the position of an x-ray beam relative to a desired beam axis where the apparatus is positioned along the beam path so that a thin metal foil target intersects the x-ray beam generating fluorescent radiation. A PIN diode array is positioned so that a portion of the fluorescent radiation is intercepted by the array resulting in a series of electrical signals from the PIN diodes making up the array. The signals are then analyzed and the position of the x-ray beam is determined relative to the desired beam path.

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This work describes several research projects aimed towards developing new instruments and novel methods for high throughput chemical and biological analysis. Approaches are taken in two directions. The first direction takes advantage of well-established semiconductor fabrication techniques and applies them to miniaturize instruments that are workhorses in analytical laboratories. Specifically, the first part of this work focused on the development of micropumps and microvalves for controlled fluid delivery. The mechanism of these micropumps and microvalves relies on the electrochemically-induced surface tension change at a mercury/electrolyte interface. A miniaturized flow injection analysis device was integrated and flow injection analyses were demonstrated. In the second part of this work, microfluidic chips were also designed, fabricated, and tested. Separations of two fluorescent dyes were demonstrated in microfabricated channels, based on an open-tubular liquid chromatography (OT LC) or an electrochemically-modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC) format. A reduction in instrument size can potentially increase analysis speed, and allow exceedingly small amounts of sample to be analyzed under diverse separation conditions. The second direction explores the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a signal transduction method for immunoassay analysis. It takes advantage of the improved detection sensitivity as a result of surface enhancement on colloidal gold, the …

The 2H Evaporator contains large quantities of aluminosilicate solids deposited on internal fixtures. The proposed cleaning operations will dissolve the solids in nitric acid. Operations will then neutralize the waste prior to transfer to a waste tank. Combining recent calculations of heat transfer for the 2H Evaporator cleaning operations and laboratory experiments for dissolution of solid samples from the pot, the authors estimated the re-formation rate for aluminosilicates during cooling. The results indicate a half-life formation of 17 hours when evaporator solution cools from 60 degrees C and 9 hours when cooled from 90 degrees C.

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Under UHV conditions at 300 K, the applied electric field and/or resulting current from an STM tip creates nanoscale voids at the interface between an epitaxial, 7.0 {angstrom} thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film and a Ni{sub 3}Al(111) substrate. This phenomenon is independent of tip polarity. Constant current (1 nA) images obtained at +0.1 V bias and +2.0 bias voltage (sample positive) reveal that voids are within the metal at the interface and, when small, are capped by the oxide film. Void size increases with time of exposure. The rate of void growth increases with applied bias/field and tunneling current, and increases significantly for field strengths >5 MV/cm, well below the dielectric breakdown threshold of 12 {+-} 1 MV/cm. Slower rates of void growth are, however, observed at lower applied field strengths. Continued growth of voids, to {approximately}30 {angstrom} deep and {approximately}500 {angstrom} wide, leads to the eventual failure of the oxide overlayer. Density Functional Theory calculations suggest a reduction-oxidation (REDOX) mechanism: interracial metal atoms are oxidized via transport into the oxide, while oxide surface Al cations are reduced to admetal species which rapidly diffuse away. This is found to be exothermic in model calculations, regardless of the details of the …

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Experiments were performed using a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) system by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)to study the drying behavior of the K-Basin spent nuclear fuel (SNF) internal sludge and two different surface coatings of SNF elements. These measurements were conducted in support of the safety and process analyses of the proposed Integrated Process Strategy (IPS) to move the N-Reactor fuel stored at K-Basin to an interim storage facility. These limited experiments on the corrosion products of K-Basin SNF material were part of the broad studies performed to ascertain the bounding pressurization of the Multi-Canister Overpack (MCO). Seven SNF internal sludge samples taken from different damage regions of three damaged/corroded outer K-Basin SNF elements were dried. Additionally, two surface coating samples taken from two SNF elements stored at K-West were tested. All the tests were performed in a vacuum atmosphere with the same temperature ramp rate of about 0.4 C/ min. Each TGA test sample was weighed before and after the test on a balance located in the Shielded Analytical Laboratory hot cell. The test samples were vacuum dried in the TGA system for about 24 hours prior to heating them at the rate of 0.4 C/min. The observations from the …

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The mechanism of grain formation during equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) in a 2219 Al alloy has been studied at intermediate and high temperatures. It was shown that continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) occurred during intense plastic straining and resulted in the formation of submicrometer grains at temperatures ranging from 250 C to 300 C. Higher temperatures (< 300 C) hindered CDRX. This is caused by the fact that nucleation controls CDRX in the aluminum alloy. Dislocation rearrangements result in the formation of low angle boundary networks at moderate strain. The density of lattice dislocations determines the rate of subgrain formation. In addition, at lower temperatures a low energy dislocation structure (LEDS) forms concurrently with the subgrain structure and stabilizes it. The stability of the subgrain structure is very important for the resulting conversion of low angle boundaries into high angle ones with strain by extensive accumulation of mobile lattice dislocations. Increasing temperature in the range of intermediate temperatures suppresses LEDS formation and decreases the lattice dislocation density. This reduces the rate of the subgrain formation process and CDRX. As a result, at T = 400 C no recrystallized grains were found. At T = 475 C, the new grains form …

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The UV photolysis of hexanes solutions containing the complexes M(CO){sub 6} (M=Cr, Mo, W) or CpMn(CO){sub 3} (Cp={eta}{sup 5}-C{sub 5}H{sub 5}) and excess thiophene (T{sup *}) (T{sup *}=2,5-dimethylthiophene (2,5-Me{sub 2}T), benzothiophene (BT), and dibenzothiophene (DBT)) produces the {eta}{sup 1}(S)-T{sup *} complexes (CO){sub 5}M({eta}{sup 1}(S)-T{sup *}) 1-8 or Cp(CO){sub 2}Mn({eta}{sup 1}(S)-T{sup *})9-11, respectively. However, when T{sup *}=DBT, and M=Mo, a mixture of two products result which includes the {eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT complex (CO){sub 5}Mo({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) 4a and the unexpected {pi}-complex (CO){sub 3}Mo({eta}{sup 6}-DBT) 4b as detected by {sup 1}H NMR. The liability of the {eta}{sup 1}(S)-T{sup *} ligands is illustrated by the rapid displacement of DBT in the complex (CO){sub 5}W({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) (1) by THF, and also in the complexes (CO){sub 5}Cr({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) (5) and CpMn(CO){sub 2}({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) (9) by CO (1 atm) at room temperature. Complexes 1-11 have been characterized spectroscopically ({sup 1}H NMR, IR) and when possible isolated as analytically pure solids (elemental analysis, EIMS). Single crystal, X-ray structural determinations are reported for (CO){sub 5}W({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT) and Cp(CO){sub 2}Mn({eta}{sup 1}(S)-DBT).

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This patent application describes a device for varying the geometry of a cutting tool for use in machining operations.

It is no longer appropriate, if it ever was, to think of atmospheric aerosols as homogeneous spheres of uniform composition and size. Within the United States, and even more globally, not only the mass loading but also the composition, morphology, and size distribution of atmospheric aerosols are highly variable, as a function of location, and at a given location as a function of time. Particles of a given aerodynamic size may differ from one another, and even within individual particles material may be inhomogeneously distributed, as for example, carbon spherules imbedded in much larger sulfate particles. Some of the particulate matter is primary, that is, introduced into the atmosphere directly as particles, such as carbon particles in diesel exhaust. Some is secondary, that is, formed in the atmosphere by gas-to-particle conversion. Much of the material is inorganic, mainly sulfates and nitrates resulting mainly from energy-related emissions. Some of the material is carbonaceous, in part primary, in part secondary, and of this material some is anthropogenic and some biogenic. While the heterogeneity of atmospheric aerosols complicates the problem of understanding their loading and distribution, it may well be the key to its solution. By detailed examination of the materials comprising aerosols …

As part of the Tanks Focus Area's (TFA) effort to increase waste loading for high-level waste vitrification at various facilities in the Department of Energy (DOE) complex, the occurrence of phase separation in waste glasses spanning the Savannah River Site (SRS) and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) composition ranges have been studied. The type of phase separation that occurs in the phosphate rich borosilicate waste glasses, such as those investigated for INEEL, crystallizes upon cooling. This type of phase separation mechanism is less well studied than amorphous phase separation in phosphate poor borosilicate waste glasses. Therefore, the type of phase separation, extent, and impact of phase separation on glass durability for a series of INEEL-type glasses were examined and the data statistically analyzed in this study.

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