Article on the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) and how high levels of genetic diversity and differentiation can fuel conservation programs.

We report the scintillation properties of the undoped and cerium-doped variations of LiGdCl4 and NaGdCl4. Powder samples of these materials exhibit significant scintillation under X-rays. The samples were synthesized by solid-state methods from a 1:1 molar ratio of lithium or sodium chloride and gadolinium chloride. Cerium trichloride was used as the dopant. The physical, optical, and scintillation properties of these materials were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, X-ray excited luminescence, and pulsed X-ray luminosity measurements. Increases in light yields are observed as the concentration of cerium increases. The highest light yields occurred at 20 percent cerium doping for both compounds. At larger concentrations neither compound formed, indicating a breakdown of the lattice with the addition of large amounts of cerium cations. At 20 percent cerium, LiGdCl4 and NaGdCl4 display scintillation light 3.6 times and 2.2 times the light yield of the reference material, YAlO3:Ce3+, respectively. Both emit in the ranges of 340 ? 350 nm and 365 - 370 nm and display multiexponential decays with cerium-like decay components at 33 ns (LiGdCl4:Ce) and 26 ns (NaGdCl4:Ce).

An electronic transition of iron in magnesiowuestite has been studied with synchrotron Moessbauer and X-ray emission spectroscopies under high pressures. Synchrotron Moessbauer studies show that the quadrupole splitting disappears and the isomer shift drops significantly across the spin-paring transition of iron in (Mg{sub 0.75},Fe{sub 0.25})O between 62 and 70 GPa, whereas X-ray emission spectroscopy of the Fe-K{sub {beta}} fluorescence lines in dilute (Mg{sub 0.95},Fe{sub 0.05})O also confirms that a high-spin to low-spin transition occurs between 46 GPa and 55 GPa. Based upon current results and percolation theory, we reexamine the high-pressure phase diagram of (Mg,Fe)O and find that iron-iron exchange interaction plays an important role in stabilizing the high-spin state of iron in FeO-rich (Mg,Fe)O.

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We present within this paper a series of experiments, which yield new observations to further our understanding of the transient collisional x-ray laser medium. We use the recently developed technique of picosecond x-ray laser interferometry to probe the plasma conditions in which the x-ray laser is generated and propagates. This yields two dimensional electron density maps of the plasma taken at different times relative to the peak of the 600ps plasma-forming beam. In another experimental campaign, the output of the x-ray laser plasma column is imaged with a spherical multilayer mirror onto a CCD camera to give a two-dimensional intensity map of the x-ray laser output. Near-field imaging gives insights into refraction, output intensity and spatial mode structure. Combining these images with the density maps gives an indication of the electron density at which the x-ray laser is being emitted at (yielding insights into the effect of density gradients on beam propagation). Experimental observations coupled with simulations predict that most effective coupling of laser pump energy occurs when the duration of the main heating pulse is comparable to the gain lifetime ({approx}10ps for Ni-like schemes). This can increase the output intensity by more than an order of magnitude relative to …

This paper shows work at Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) devoted to modeling the propagation of, and heating by, a relativistic electron beam in a idealized dense fuel assembly for fast ignition. The implicit particle-in-cell (PIC) code LSP is used. Experiments planned on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the next few years using the Advanced Radiography Capability (ARC) short-pulse laser motivate this work. We demonstrate significant improvement in the heating of dense fuel due to magnetic forces, increased beam collimation, and insertion of a finite-radius carbon region between the beam excitation and fuel regions.

We describe a funnel cone for concentrating an ion beam on a target. The cone utilizes the reflection characteristic of ion beams on solid walls to focus the incident beam andincrease beam intensity on target. The cone has been modeled with the TRIM code. A prototype has been tested and installed for use in the 350-keV K+ NDCX target chamber.

Ultrafast excited state structural dynamics of [Cu{sup I}(dmp){sub 2}]{sup +} (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) have been studied to identify structural origins of transient spectroscopic changes during the photoinduced metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (MLCT) transition that induces an electronic configuration change from Cu(I) (3d{sup 10}) to Cu(II) (3d{sup 9}). This study has important connections with the flattening of the Franck-Condon state tetrahedral geometry and the ligation of Cu(II)* with the solvent observed in the thermally equilibrated MLCT state by our previous laser-initiated time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy (LITR-XAS) results. To better understand the structural photodynamics of Cu(I) complexes, we have studied both [Cu{sup I}(dmp){sub 2}]{sup +} and [Cu{sup I}(dpp){sub 2}]{sup +} (dpp = 2,9-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) in solvents with different dielectric constants, viscosities and thermal diffusivities by transient absorption spectroscopy. The observed spectral dynamics suggest that a solvent-independent inner-sphere relaxation process is occurring despite the large amplitude motions due to the flattening of the tetrahedral coordinated geometry. The singlet fluorescence dynamics of photoexcited [Cu{sup I}(dmp){sub 2}]{sup +} were measured in the coordinating solvent acetonitrile, using the fluorescence upconversion method at different emission wavelengths. At the bluest emission wavelengths, a prompt fluorescence lifetime of 66 fs is attributed to the excited state deactivation processes due to the internal conversion …

The RadPoleCam was developed to provide Department Of Energy (DOE) first responders the capability to assess the radiological and visual condition of remote or inaccessible locations. Real time gamma isotopic identification is provided to the first responder in the form of audio feedback (i.e. spoken through head phones) from a gamma detector mounted on a collapsible pole that can extend from 1 to 9 meters (6 to 29 feet). Simultaneously, selectable direct and side looking visual images are provided from the 5cm (2in) diameter, waterproof probe tip. The lightweight, self contained, ruggedized, system will provide a rapidly deployable field system for visual and radiological search and assessment of confined spaces and extended reach locations.

To provide a compact high-brightness heavy-ion beam source for Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF), we have been experimenting with merging multi-beamlets in an injector which uses an RF plasma source. An array of converging beamlets was used to produce a beam with the envelope radius, convergence, and ellipticity matched to an electrostatic quadrupole (ESQ) channel. Experimental results were in good quantitative agreement with simulation and have demonstrated the feasibility of this concept. The size of a driver-scale injector system using this approach will be several times smaller than one designed using traditional single large-aperture beams. The success of this experiment has possible significant economical and technical impacts on the architecture of HIF drivers.

The complexation of plutonium(IV) with sulfate at variable temperatures has been investigated by solvent extraction method. A NaBrO{sub 3} solution was used as holding oxidant to maintain the plutonium(IV) oxidation state throughout the experiments. The distribution ratio of Pu(IV) between the organic and aqueous phases was found to decrease as the concentrations of sulfate were increased. Stability constants of the 1:1 and 1:2 Pu(IV)-HSO{sub 4}{sup -} complexes, dominant in the aqueous phase, were calculated from the effect of [HSO{sub 4}{sup -}] on the distribution ratio. The enthalpy and entropy of complexation were calculated from the stability constants at different temperatures using the Van't Hoff equation.

Metal ions are essential for the folding of RNA into stable tertiary structures and for the catalytic activity of some RNA enzymes. To aid in the study of the roles of metal ions in RNA structural biology, we have created MeRNA (Metals in RNA), a comprehensive compilation of all metal binding sites identified in RNA three-dimensional structures available from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and Nucleic Acid Database (NDB). Currently, our database contains information relating to binding of 9764 metal ions corresponding to 23 distinct elements; in 256 RNA structures. The metal ion locations were confirmed and ligands characterized using original literature references. MeRNA includes eight manually identified metal-ion binding motifs, which are described in the literature. MeRNA is searchable by PDB identifier, metal ion, method of structure determination, resolution and R-values for X-ray structure, and distance from metal to any RNA atom or to water. New structures with their respective binding motifs will be added to the database as they become available. The MeRNA database will further our understanding of the roles of metal ions in RNA folding and catalysis and have applications in structural and functional analysis, RNA design and engineering.

CDX-U has been operated with the vacuum vessel wall and limiter surfaces nearly completely coated with lithium, producing dramatic improvements to plasma performance. Discharges achieved global energy confinement times up to 6 ms, exceeding previous CDX-U results by a factor of 5, and ITER98P(y,1) scaling by 2-3. Lithium wall coatings up to 1000 {angstrom} thick were applied between discharges by electron-beam-induced evaporation of a lithium-filled limiter and vapor deposition from a resistively heated oven. The e-beam power was modest (1.6 kW) but it produced up to 60 MW/m2 power density in a 0.3 cm{sup 2} spot; the duration was up to 300 s. Convective transport of heat away from the beam spot was so effective that the entire lithium inventory (140 g) was heated to evaporation (400-500 C) and there was no observable hot spot on the lithium surface within the beam footprint. These results are promising for use of lithium plasma-facing components in reactor scale devices. Lithium coating has also been applied to NSTX carbon plasma-facing surfaces, to control the density rise during long-duration H-modes for non-inductive current sustainment. First, lithium pellets were injected into sequences of Ohmically heated helium plasmas in both center stack limiter (CSL) and lower …

Distinct minima and maxima in the neutron total cross section uncertainties were observed in model calculations using spherical optical potential. We found this oscillating structure to be a general feature of quantum mechanical wave scattering. Specifically, we analyzed neutron interaction with 56Fe from 1 keV up to 65 MeV, and investigated physical origin of the minima.We discuss their potential importance for practical applications as well as the implications for the uncertainties in total and absorption cross sections.

Algorithms for the treatment of special positions in 3-dimensional crystallographic space groups are presented. These include an algorithm for the determination of the site-symmetry group given the coordinates of a point, an algorithm for the determination of the exact location of the nearest special position, an algorithm for the assignment of a Wyckoff letter given the site-symmetry group, and an alternative algorithm for the assignment of a Wyckoff letter given the coordinates of a point directly. All algorithms are implemented in ISO C++ and are integrated into the Computational Crystallography Toolbox. The source code is freely available.

The new Isotope Production Facility (IPF) at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been commissioned during the spring of 2004. Commissioning activities focused on the establishment of a radionuclide database, the review and approval of two specific target stack designs, and four trial irradiation runs with subsequent chemical processing and data analyses. This paper highlights some aspects of the facility and the targetry of the two approved target stacks used during the commissioning process.

The radiation effects on the physical characteristic of the sewage sludge were studied in order to obtain information which will be used for study on the enhancement of the sludge's dewaterability. Water contents, capillary suction time, zeta potential, irradiation dose, sludge acidity, total solid concentration, sludge particle size and microbiology before and after irradiation were investigated. Irradiation gave an effect on physical characteristics sludge. Water content in sludge cake could be reduced by irradiation at the dose of 10kGy.

The purpose of this work is to settle a laboratory for Iridium -192 sources production, that is, to determine a wire activation method and to build a hot cell for the wires manipulation, quality control and packaging. The paper relates, mainly, the wire activation method and its quality control. The wire activation is carried out in our nuclear reactor, IEA- R1m.

Simple models are constructed for ''acceleressence'' dark energy: the latent heat of a phase transition occurring in a hidden sector governed by the seesaw mass scale v{sup 2}/M{sub Pl}, where v is the electroweak scale and M{sub Pl} the gravitational mass scale. In our models, the seesaw scale is stabilized by supersymmetry, implying that the LHC must discover superpartners with a spectrum that reflects a low scale of fundamental supersymmetry breaking. Newtonian gravity may be modified by effects arising from the exchange of fields in the acceleressence sector whose Compton wavelengths are typically of order the millimeter scale. There are two classes of models. In the first class the universe is presently in a metastable vacuum and will continue to inflate until tunneling processes eventually induce a first order transition. In the simplest such model, the range of the new force is bounded to be larger than 25 {micro}m in the absence of fine-tuning of parameters, and for couplings of order unity it is expected to be {approx} 100 {micro}m. In the second class of models thermal effects maintain the present vacuum energy of the universe, but on further cooling, the universe will ''soon'' smoothly relax to a matter dominated …

We have investigated the effect of film thickness on the distribution of Mn atoms at various lattice sites in Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}As thin films. We find that the growth surface acts as a sink facilitating the out-diffusion of Mn interstitials (Mn{sub I}), and thus reducing its concentration in the film. The out-diffused Mn{sub I} accumulate on the surface in a surface oxide layer and do not participate in the ferromagnetism of the film. For thin films less than 15 nm thick, no Mn{sub I} can be detected. Because of the absence of compensating Mn{sub I} defects, higher T{sub C} can be achieved for such extremely thin Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}As layers. These results agree with our previously suggested Fermi-level-governed upper limit of the T{sub C} of III-Mn-V ferromagnetic semiconductors.

Recent advances in interferometry has allowed for the characterization of the electron density expansion within a laser produced plasma to within 10 {micro}m of the target surface and over picosecond timescales. This technique employs the high brightness output of the transient gain Ni-like Pd collisional x-ray laser at 14.7 nm to construct an effective moving picture of the two-dimensional (2-D) expansion of the plasma. We present experimentally measured density profiles of an expanding Al plasma generated through laser irradiation in a 14mm line focus geometry. Significant lateral expansion was observed at all times as well as a pronounced on-axis electron density dip. Detailed modeling with a 2-D plasma physics code gives good agreement to experimental observations. Large pressure gradients associated with the tight focal spot conditions are calculated to dominate in shaping the plasma density profile.

On June 11, 1999 the Department of Energy dedicated the single largest piece of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California. The ten (10) meter diameter aluminum target high vacuum chamber will serve as the working end of the largest laser in the world. The output of 192 laser beams will converge at the precise center of the chamber. The laser beams will enter the chamber in two by two arrays to illuminate 10 millimeter long gold cylinders called hohlraums enclosing 2 millimeter capsule containing deuterium, tritium and isotopes of hydrogen. The two isotopes will fuse, thereby creating temperatures and pressures resembling those found only inside stars and in detonated nuclear weapons, but on a minute scale. The NIF Project will serve as an essential facility to insure safety and reliability of our nation's nuclear arsenal as well as demonstrating inertial fusion's contribution to creating electrical power. The paper will discuss the requirements that had to be addressed during the design, fabrication and testing of the target chamber. A team from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and LLNL with input from industry performed the configuration and basic design of the target chamber. The method …

Deformation at grain boundaries is observed and a framework for boundary specific constitutive laws based upon geometric considerations of slip transfer is developed. Orientation images of a pseudo-internal surface during interrupted channel die deformations of a Cu bi-crystal show the heterogeneity of lattice rotation near the grain boundary. The experiments demonstrate that a region near the boundary is strongly influenced by neighboring grain deformation and lend support to the development of deformation models that include the effects of non-local slip system interaction.