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Nine shallow (c70 ft), closely spaced core holes were continuously cored in the upper units of the 1.22 Ma Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff at Technical Area (TA)-3 of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The goal of the investigation was to identify faults that may have potential for earthquake-induced surface rupture at the site of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building, a sensitive Laboratory facility that houses nuclear materials research functions. The holes were located from 25 ft to 115 ft from the building perimeter. Careful mapping of Lithologic sequences in cores, supplemented with focused sampling for geochemical analyses, yielded high confidence in the accuracy of delineating buried contacts within the Tshirege Member. Geologic analysis and investigation of the trends of surfaces interpolated from contacts in the core holes using commercially available software helped infer minor faulting in the strata beneath the building. Results show that gently north-northeast-dipping beds underlie the CMR building. The tilted beds are faulted by two small, closely spaced, parallel reverse faults with a combined vertical separation of approximately 8 ft. The faults are inferred from lithologically and geochemically repeated sections of core at about 55-ft depth in hole SHB-CMR-6. The data from nearby …

Developing scientifically defensible quantitative estimates of the uncertainty of atmospheric emissions inventories has been a ''gleam in researchers' eyes'' since atmospheric chemical transport and transformation models (CTMs) started to be used to study ''air pollution''. Originally, the compilation of these inventories was done as part of the development and application of the models by researchers whose expertise usually did not include the ''art'' of emissions estimations. In general, the smaller the effort spent on compiling the inventories the more effort could be placed on the model development, application and analysis. Yet model results are intimately tied to the accuracy of the emissions data; no model, however accurately the atmospheric physical and chemical processes are represented, will give reliable representation of air concentrations if the emissions data are flawed.

The Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code MCNP version 4B perturbation capability has been extended to cross-section dependent tallies and to the track-length estimate of Iqff in criticality problems. We present the complete theory of the MCNP perturbation capability including the correction to MCNP4B which enables cross-section dependent perturbation tallies. We also present the MCNP interface as an upgrade to the MCNP4B manual. Finally, we present test results demonstrating the validity of the perturbation capability in MCNP, particularly cross-section dependent problems.

The effect of a metal's thermophysical properties on its weldability are examined. The thermal conductivity, melting point, absorptivity and thermal diffusivity of the metal and the laser beam focused diameter and welding speed influence the minimum beam irradiance required for melting and welding. Beam diameter, surface tension and viscosity of the molten metal affect weld pool stability and weld quality. Lower surface tension and viscosity increases weld pool instability. With larger beam diameters causing wider welds, dropout also increases. Effects of focused beam diameter and joint fitup on weldability are also examined. Small beam diameters are sensitive to beam coupling problems in relation to fitup precision in addition to beam alignment to the seam. Welding parameters for mitigating weld pool instability and increasing weld quality are derived from the above considerations. Guidelines are presented for the tailoring of welding parameters to achieve good welds. Weldability problems can also be anticipated from the properties of a metal.

Area Gin Technical Area 54, has been the principal facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the storage and disposal of low-level, solid mixed, and transuranic radioactive waste since 1957. Soil samples were analyzed for tritium, isotopic plutonium, americium-241, and cesium-137. Thirteen metals-silver, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, thallium and zinc-were analyzed on filtered-sediment fractions of the single-stage samples using standard analytical chemistry techniques. During the two years of sampling discussed in this report elevated levels of tritium (as high as 716,000 pCi/L) in soil were found for sampling sites adjacent to the tritium burial shafts located on the south- central perimeter of Area G. Additionally, tritium concentrations in soil as high as 38,300 pCi/L were detected adjacent to the TRU pads in the northeast comer of Area G. Plutonium-238 activities in FY96 soils ranged from 0.001-2.866 pCi/g, with an average concentration of 0.336& 0.734 pCdg. Pu-238 activities in FY97 soils ranged from 0.002-4.890 pCi/g, with an average concentration of 0.437 & 0.928 pCdg. Pu-239 activities in FY96 soils ranged from 0.009 to 1.62 pCdg, with an average of 0.177- 0.297 pCdg. Pu-239 activities in FY97 soils ranged from 0.005 to 1.71 pCi/g, with an …

Sandia's entry into utilizing clusters of networked workstations is called Computational Plant or CPlant for short. The design of CPlant uses Ethernet to boot the individual nodes, Myrinet to communicate within a node cluster, and ATM to connect between remote clusters. This SAND document covers the work done to enable the use of ATM on the CPlant nodes in the Fall of 1997.

The SLAC program centers around experimental and theoretical research in elementary particle physics using accelerated electron beams and a broad program of research in atoms and solid-state physics, chemistry, and biology using synchrotron radiation from accelerated electron beams. There is also an active program in the development of accelerators, detectors, and new sources and instrumentation for synchrotron radiation research. The main instrument of research is the 3.2-km linear accelerator (linac) that generates high intensity beams of electrons and positrons up to 50 GeV, which are among the highest energy electron and positron beams available in the world. The linac is also used for injecting electrons and positrons into colliding-beam storage rings for particle physics research. The Positron-Electron Project (PEP) storage ring is about 800 meters in diameter. The PEP program was completed several years ago. PEP is now being upgraded to serve as an Asymmetric B Factory (or PEP-II) that will study the B meson. PEP-II will make use of much of PEP's existing equipment and infrastructure, and is scheduled for completion in 1998. A smaller storage ring, the Stanford Positron-Electron Asymmetric Ring (SPEAR) has its own smaller linac and a booster ring for injecting accelerated beams of electrons. SPEAR …

President Clinton issued Nonprolferation and Export Control Policy in September 1993 in response to the growing threat of nuclear proliferation. Four months later, in January 1994, President Clinton and Russia's President Yeltsin issued a Joint Statement Between the United States and Russia on Nonprollfieration of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Means of Their Delivery. President Clinton announced on 1 March 1995, that approximately 200 metric tons of US- origin weapons-usable fissile materials had been declared surplus to US defense needs. The Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System (ARIES) Demonstration Project is one part of the scientific response to President Clinton's promise to reduce the nuclear weapons stockpile. The work accomplished on the ARIES Demonstration Project during fiscal year 1996, 10ctober 1995 through 30 September 1996, is described in this report. The Department of Energy (DOE), by forming the Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (OFMD), has initiated a Fissile Materials Disposition Program. The first step is the disassembly and conversion of weapons pits. Of the 200 metric tons of US surplus fissile material, approximately 50 tons are weapons plutonium, and of these 50 tons, 2/3 is contained in pits. Weapons plutonium wili be extracted from pits, rendered to an unclassified …

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FzK) are developing GASFLOW, a three-dimensional (3D) fluid dynamics field code as a best- estimate tool to characterize local phenomena within a flow field. Examples of 3D phenomena include circulation patterns; flow stratification; hydrogen distribution mixing and stratification; combustion and flame propagation; effects of noncondensable gas distribution on local condensation and evaporation; and aerosol entrainment, transport, and deposition. An analysis with GASFLOW will result in a prediction of the gas composition and discrete particle distribution in space and time throughout the facility and the resulting pressure and temperature loadings on the walls and internal structures with or without combustion. A major application of GASFLOW is for predicting the transport, mixing, and combustion of hydrogen and other gases in nuclear reactor containment and other facilities. It has been applied to situations involving transporting and distributing combustible gas mixtures. It has been used to study gas dynamic behavior in low-speed, buoyancy-driven flows, as well as sonic flows or diffusion dominated flows; and during chemically reacting flows, including deflagrations. The effects of controlling such mixtures by safety systems can be analyzed. The code version described in this manual is designated GASFLOW 2.1, which combines previous …

A concept of high intensity femtosecond laser synchrotron source (LSS) is based on Compton backscattering of focused electron and laser beams. The short Rayleigh length of the focused laser beam limits the length of interaction to a few picoseconds. However, the technology of the high repetition rate high-average power picosecond lasers required for high put through LSS applications is not developed yet. Another problem associated with the picosecond laser pulses is undesirable nonlinear effects occurring when the laser photons are concentrated in a short time interval. To avoid the nonlinear Compton scattering, the laser beam has to be split, and the required hard radiation flux is accumulated over a number of consecutive interactions that complicates the LSS design. In order to relieve the technological constraints and achieve a practically feasible high-power laser synchrotron source, we propose to confine the laser-electron interaction region in the extended plasma channel. This approach permits to use nanosecond laser pulses instead of the picosecond pulses. That helps to avoid the nonlinear Compton scattering regime and allows to utilize already existing technology of the high-repetition rate TEA CO{sub 2} lasers operating at the atmospheric pressure. We demonstrate the advantages of the channeled LSS approach by the …

The southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) is the fourth threatened or endangered species to undergo a preliminary assessment for estimating potential risk from environmental contaminants at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The assessments are being conducted as part of a three-year project to develop a habitat management plan for threatened and endangered species and species of concern at the Laboratory. For the preliminary assessment, estimated doses were compared against toxicity reference values to generate hazard indices (HIs). This assessment included a measure of cumulative effects from multiple contaminants (radionuclides, metals, and organic chemicals) to 100 simulated nest sites located within flycatcher potential habitat. Sources of contaminant values were 10,000-ft{sup 2} grid cells within an Ecological Exposure Unit (EEU). This EEU was estimated around the potential habitat and was based on the maximum home range for the fly catcher identified in the scientific literature. The tools used included a custom FORTRAN program, ECORSK5, and a geographic information system. Food consumption and soil ingestion contaminant pathways were addressed in the assessment. Using a four-category risk evaluation, HI results indicate no appreciable impact is expected to the southwestern willow flycatcher. Information on risk by specific geographical location was generated, which can be …

This report describes the computational methodology for the least-squares adjustment of the dosimetry data from the HSSI 10.OD dosimetry capsule with neutronics calculations. It presents exposure rates at each dosimetry location for the neutron fluence greater than 1.0 MeV, fluence greater than 0.1 MeV, and displacements per atom. Exposure parameter distributions are also described in terms of three- dimensional fitting functions. When fitting functions are used it is suggested that an uncertainty of 6% (1 o) should be associated with the exposure rate values. The specific activity of each dosimeter at the end of irradiation is listed in the Appendix.

To more fully understand the species compositions and environmental relationships of high-elevation terrestrial plant communities in the Los Alamos region, 30 plots in randomly selected, upland locations were sampled for vegetation, topographic, and soils characteristics. The locations of these plots were constrained to be above 2,134 m (7,000 ft) above mean sea level. The field results were summarized, analyzed, and incorporated into a previously developed classification of vegetation and land cover types. The revised and updated discussions of the environmental relationships at these sites and their associated species compositions are included in this report. A key to the major land cover types in the Los Alamos region was also revised in accordance with the new information and included herein its entirety.

Localized corrosion behavior of candidate inner and outer container materials of currently-designed nuclear waste package was evaluated in aqueous solutions of various concentrations of ferric chloride (FeCl{sub 3}) at 30 C, 60 C and 90 C using the electrochemical cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) technique. Materials tested include A 5 16 carbon steel and high-performance alloys 825, G-3, G-30, C-4, 625. C-22, and Ti Gr-12. A 516 steel suffered from severe general and localized attack including pitting and crevice corrosion. High-nickel alloys 825 and G-3 also became susceptible to severe pitting and crevice corrosion. The extent of localized attack was less pronounced in alloys G-30 and C-4. Alloy 625 experienced severe surface degradation including general corrosion, crevice corrosion and intergranular attack. In contrast, only a slight crevice corrosion tendency was observed with nickel-base alloy C-22 in solutions containing higher concentrations of FeCl{sub 3} at 60 C and 90 C. Ti Gr-12 was immune to localized attack in all tested environments. The test solutions showed significant amount of precipitated particles during and after testing especially at higher temperatures.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FzK) are developing GASFLOW, a three-dimensional (3D) fluid dynamics field code as a best-estimate tool to characterize local phenomena within a flow field. Examples of 3D phenomena include circulation patterns; flow stratification; hydrogen distribution mixing and stratification; combustion and flame propagation; effects of noncondensable gas distribution on local condensation and evaporation; and aerosol entrainment, transport, and deposition. An analysis with GASFLOW will result in a prediction of the gas composition and discrete particle distribution in space and time throughout the facility and the resulting pressure and temperature loadings on the walls and internal structures with or without combustion. A major application of GASFLOW is for predicting the transport, mixing, and combustion of hydrogen and other gases in nuclear reactor containment and other facilities. It has been applied to situations involving transporting and distributing combustible gas mixtures. It has been used to study gas dynamic behavior in low-speed, buoyancy-driven flows, as well as sonic flows or diffusion dominated flows; and during chemically reacting flows, including deflagrations. The effects of controlling such mixtures by safety systems can be analyzed. The code version described in this manual is designated GASFLOW 2.1, which combines previous versions …

Distributed systems have been studied for twenty years and are now coming into wider use as fast networks and powerful workstations become more readily available. In many respects a massively parallel computer resembles a network of workstations and it is tempting to port a distributed operating system to such a machine. However, there are significant differences between these two environments and a parallel operating system is needed to get the best performance out of a massively parallel system. This report characterizes the differences between distributed systems, networks of workstations, and massively parallel systems and analyzes the impact of these differences on operating system design. In the second part of the report, we introduce Puma, an operating system specifically developed for massively parallel systems. We describe Puma portals, the basic building blocks for message passing paradigms implemented on top of Puma, and show how the differences observed in the first part of the report have influenced the design and implementation of Puma.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory's Nuclear Materials Storage Facility (NMSF) is being renovated for long-term storage of canisters designed to hold heat-generating nuclear materials. A fully passive cooling scheme, relying on the transfer of heat by conduction, free convection, and radiation has been proposed as a reliable means of maintaining material at acceptable storage temperatures. The storage concept involves placing radioactive materials, with a net heat-generation rate of 10 W to 20 W, inside a set of nested steel canisters. The canisters are, in placed in holding fixtures and positioned vertically within a steel storage pipe. Several hundred drywells are arranged in a linear array within a large bay and dissipate the waste heat to the surrounding air, thus creating a buoyancy driven airflow pattern that draws cool air into the storage facility and exhausts heated air through an outlet stack. In this study, an experimental apparatus was designed to investigate the thermal characteristics of simulated nuclear materials placed inside two nested steel canisters positioned vertically on an aluminum fixture plate and placed inside a section of steel pipe. The heat-generating nuclear materials were simulated with a solid aluminum cylinder containing .an embedded electrical resistance heater. Calibrated type T thermocouples …

The Department of Energy (DOE) has developed the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for the purpose of demonstrating safe management, storage, and disposal of radioactive transuranic (TRU) waste generated by U.S. defense programs. The WIPP is located in southeastern New Mexico, and the underground facilities of the WIPP (i.e., experimental rooms, disposal rooms, etc.) are sited in the bedded salt of the Salado Formation at a depth of about 660 meters. The DOE has authorized the continuance of scientific research and engineering analysis related to the performance of the WIPP repository. One area of additional research relates to characterization of the mechanical and hydrological properties of anhydrite interbeds within the Salado Formation. These anhydrite interbeds have been penetrated by the shafts that provide access to the underground facilities and also lie in close proximity to the proposed radioactive waste disposal rooms at the repository horizon. Properties of particular interest are mechanical strength, deforrnational behavior, and fluid transport properties such as permeability. These properties will be used in calculationskmalyses of the mechanical and hydrological behavior of the anhydrite, in particular, and the shaft sealing system and disposal rooms, in general.