Mobile agent technology facilitates intelligent operation insoftware systems with less human interaction. Major challenge todeployment of mobile agents include secure transmission of agents andpreventing unauthorized access to resources between interacting systems,as either hosts, or agents, or both can act maliciously. The Anchortoolkit, designed by LBNL, handles the transmission and secure managementof mobile agents in a heterogeneous distributed computing environment. Itprovides users with the option of incorporating their security managers.This paper concentrates on the architecture, features, access control anddeployment of Anchor toolkit. Application of this toolkit in a securedistributed CVS environment is discussed as a case study.

The Lincoln Public School District, in Lincoln, Nebraska, recently installed vertical-bore geothermal heat pump systems in four, new, elementary schools. Because the district has consistent maintenance records and procedures, it was possible to study repair, service and corrective maintenance requests for 20 schools in the district. Each school studied provides cooling to over 70% of its total floor area and uses one of the following heating and cooling systems: vertical-bore geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), air-cooled chiller with gas-fired hot water boiler (ACUGHWB), water-cooled chiller with gas-fired hot water boiler (WCCYGHWB), or water-cooled chiller with gas-fired steam boiler (WCUGSB). Preventative maintenance and capital renewal activities were not included in the available database. GHP schools reported average total costs at 2.13 cents/ft{sup 2}-yr, followed by ACC/GHWB schools at 2.88 cents/ft{sup 2}-yr, WCC/GSB schools at 3.73 cents/ft{sup 2}-yr, and WCC/GHWB schools at 6.07 cents/ft{sup 2}-yr. Because of tax-exemptions on material purchases, a reliance on in-house labor, and the absence of preventative maintenance records in the database, these costs are lower than those reported in previous studies. A strong relationship (R{sup 2}=O.52) was found between costs examined and cooling system age: the newer the cooling equipment, the less it costs to maintain.

The hydrologic pathways of four bottomland hardwood wetland sites were investigated at the SRS. They included a recently restored but disturbed system, two disturbed systems, and an undisturbed system. Water table elevations were significantly higher in reference sites then disturbed sites. Hydrologic budgets were developed. The reference site had higher evapotranspiration, but higher interflow and input from the uplands. Lower water tables may be the result of geomorphic changes on the disturbed areas.

Radcalc for Windows Version 2.01 is a user-friendly software program developed by Waste Management Federal Services, Inc., Northwest Operations for the U.S. Department of Energy (McFadden et al. 1998). It is used for transportation and packaging applications in the shipment of radioactive waste materials. Among its applications are the classification of waste per the US. Department of Transportation regulations, the calculation of decay heat and daughter products, and the calculation of the radiolytic production of hydrogen gas. The Radcalc program has been extensively tested and validated (Green et al. 1995, McFadden et al. 1998) by comparison of each Radcalc algorithm to hand calculations. An opportunity to benchmark Radcalc hydrogen gas generation calculations to experimental data arose when the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) Residue Stabilization Program collected hydrogen gas generation data to determine compliance with requirements for shipment of waste in the TRUPACT-II (Schierloh 1998). The residue/waste drums tested at RFETS contain contaminated, solid, inorganic materials in polyethylene bags. The contamination is predominantly due to plutonium and americium isotopes. The information provided by Schierloh (1 998) of RFETS includes decay heat, hydrogen gas generation rates, calculated G{sub eff} values, and waste material type, making the experimental data ideal for …

Semi-Permeable silicon nitride membranes have been developed using a Bosch etch process followed by a reactive ion etch (NE) process. These membranes were observed to allow air but not water to pass through them into surface micromachined, silicon nitride microfluidic channels. Membranes with this property have potential use in microfluidic systems as gas bubble traps and vents, filters to remove particles and gas partitioning membranes. Membrane permeation was measured as 1.6 x 10{sup {minus}8} mol/m{sup 2}Pa s of helium for inline membranes at the entrance and exit of the silicon nitride microfluidic channels.

This paper describes the design and development of the embedded control systems used to deliver and recover the National Ignition Facility (NIF) optical line replaceable units (LRUs). As part of the NIF Operations Special Equipment Control System (OSECS), the embedded control systems form a part of the front end processor (FEP) layer of the OSECS. During the start-up and operations phases of the NIF project, it is anticipated that a significant number of LRUs will be delivered to the laser beamline structure. The frequency of LRU delivery combined with the design of the facility pose severe constraints for human-only delivery and recovery operations. To reduce the risks to personnel and to allow for safe and efficient delivery of equipment, LLNL engineers are designing and developing embedded control systems for the low-level device control of NIF Transport and Handling mechanical delivery system components. The design of the embedded control system makes use of advanced PC-based motion control technology commonly found in industrial applications. The PC-based platform consists of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software such as industrial computers, motion controllers, data acquisition boards, sensors technology, networking capabilities, development languages and operating system. Wireless networking technology is also being employed in the design …

The Ministry of the Russian Federation for Atomic Energy (MINATOM) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) are engaged in joint, cooperative efforts to reduce the likelihood of nuclear proliferation by enhancing Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) systems in both countries. Mayak Production Association (Mayak) is a major Russian nuclear enterprise within the nuclear complex that is operated by lylINATOM. This paper describes the nature, scope, and status of the joint, cooperative efforts to enhance existing MPC&A systems at Mayak. Current cooperative efforts are focused on enhancements to the existing MPC&A systems at two of the plants operated by Mayak that work with proliferation-sensitive nuclear materials.

A propulsion point design is presented for lifting geological samples from Mars. Vehicle complexity is kept low by choosing a monopropellant single stage. Little new development is needed, as miniature pump fed hydrazine has been demonstrated. Loading the propellant just prior to operation avoids structural, thermal, and safety constraints otherwise imposed by earlier mission phases. hardware mass and engineering effort are thereby diminished. The Mars liftoff mass is 7/8 hydrazine, <5% propulsion hardware, and >3% each for the payload and guidance.

Environmental scientists have long appreciated that the distribution coefficient (the ''K{sub d}'' or ''constant K{sub d}'') approach predicts the partitioning of heavy metals between sediment and groundwater inaccurately; nonetheless, transport models applied to problems of environmental protection and groundwater remediation almost invariably employ this technique. To examine the consequences of this practice, we consider transport in one dimension of Pb and other heavy metals through an aquifer containing hydrous ferric oxide, onto which heavy metals sorb strongly. We compare the predictions of models calculated using the K{sub d} approach to those given by surface complexation theory, which is more realistic physically and chemically. The two modeling techniques give qualitatively differing results that lead to divergent cleanup strategies. The results for surface complexation theory show that water flushing is ineffective at displacing significant amounts of Pb from the sorbing surface. The effluent from such treatment contains a ''tail'' of small but significant levels of contamination that persists indefinitely. Subsurface zones of Pb contamination, furthermore, are largely immobile in flowing groundwater. These results stand in sharp contrast to the predictions of models constructed using the k{sub d} approach, yet are consistent with experience in the laboratory and field.

A novel type of glass made with a double ion exchange process is more reliable and fractures in a unique manner compared to glass currently available in the market. The novel glass is unique because it disintegrates into a powder instead of fracturing into shards and splinters, and it fails over a very narrow range of stresses. Potential applications for this glass include using it in removable valves because the powdered glass does not produce obstructions when it breaks, and in other applications that require safety glass. A 20,000-psi MTS pressure system was used to determine the possible techniques for pressure testing the strength of a collection of disk-shaped glass samples. Ordinary (i.e., not ion exchanged) glass samples, 0.962 inches in diameter and 0.07 inches thick, were fractured with linearly increasing pressures to determine the best methods. The best method for testing novel glass samples, with the same size and shape as the ordinary glass, will be implemented. The final results of this ongoing project will be used to ascertain if the novel glass is suitable for potential applications.

A molecular-level understanding of mineral-water interactions is critical for the evaluation and prediction of the sorption properties of clay minerals that may be used in various chemical and radioactive waste disposal methods. Molecular models of metal sorption incorporate empirical energy force fields, based on molecular orbital calculations and spectroscopic data, that account for Coulombic, van der Waals attractive, and short-range repulsive energies. The summation of the non-bonded energy terms at equally-spaced grid points surrounding a mineral substrate provides a three dimensional potential energy grid. The energy map can be used to determine the optimal sorption sites of metal ions on the exposed surfaces of the mineral. By using this approach, we have evaluated the crystallographic and compositional control of metal sorption on the surfaces of kaolinite and illite. Estimates of the relative sorption energy and most stable sorption sites are derived based on a rigid ion approximation.

Radiation-induced hole and electron transport and trapping are fundamental to MOS total-dose models. Here we separate the effects of electron-hole annihilation and electron trapping on the neutralization of radiation-induced charge during switched-bias irradiation for hard and soft oxides, via combined thermally stimulated current (TSC) and capacitance-voltage measurements. We also show that present total-dose models cannot account for the thermal stability of deeply trapped electrons near the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface, or the inability of electrons in deep or shallow traps to contribute to TSC at positive bias following (1) room-temperature, (2) high-temperature, or (3) switched-bias irradiation. These results require revisions of modeling parameters and boundary conditions for hole and electron transport in SiO{sub 2}. The nature of deep and shallow electron traps in the near-interfacial SiO{sub 2} is discussed.

In order to better understand and model the phase segregation of binary fluids we opted for a mesoscopic description that proves to be simplifying both conceptually and computationally. The system that we studied is a mixture of two kinds of particles. All particles interact with each other through strong short-range interactions modeled by hard spheres with the same mass and diameter. There is also a smooth long-range repulsion between particles of different kinds. At low overall densities and weak enough repulsion the natural dynamical description for this system is given in terms of two coupled, energy and momentum conserving Vlasov- Boltzmann equations, making it what we call a dynamical mean-field model. The computational scheme that we used is a combination of direct sim- ulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) and particle-in-the-cell (PIC) evolution, that inherits the efficiency and robustness of these two algorithms. The DSMC is a stochastic algorithm due to Bird that consistently incorporates the as- sumptions behind the Boltzmann equation into the particle dynamics. The method is essentially the following: the physical space is divided into a net- work of cells containing typically tens of particles and the free flow of the particles over a small time interval {Delta}t is …

We have begun building the ''Mercury'' laser system as the first in a series of new generation diode-pumped solid-state lasers for inertial fusion research. Mercury will integrate three key technologies: diodes, crystals, and gas cooling, within a unique laser architecture that is scalable to kilojoule energy levels for fusion energy applications. The primary performance goals include 10% electrical efficiencies at 10 Hz and 100 J with a 2-10 ns pulse length at 1.047 pm wavelength. When completed, Mercury will allow rep-rated target experiments with multiple target chambers for high energy density physics research.

This paper describes a work in progress on using multiple sets of input features for robust real-time object tracking in image sequences. Traditional approaches to tracking relied mostly on segmentation of the intensity data using motion or appearance data. Recent availability of real-time range data allows us to use it as an additional unrivaled source of information. We propose a combination of intensity- and range-based input features. Range data enables localized search for' specific features which improves tracking reliability and speed. Proposed approach was successfully tested for the face and gesture tracking application.

There is great interest in being able to use the x-ray output from a Z-pinch for equation of state measurements at extreme conditions. However, the direct x-ray output form the pinch produces a very sharp and rapidly attenuating pressure pulse in target materials. To obtain high quality measurements with this source, a mechanism for generating non-attenuating waves is needed. One possibility involves using the x-ray source to throw a near-normal density intermediate drive at the target, a situation similar to more conventional configurations. To scope out preliminary design parameters, they used the ALEGRA code to simulate a number of different possibilities involving the driver and the gap between it and the target. They used a somewhat idealized radiation source--a main x-ray pulse 30 ns long at its base and peaking at a blackbody temperature of 100 eV. The calculations suggest that a 100-micron aluminum driver with a 90-micron gap will yield a 15-ns-wide non-attenuating pulse with an amplitude of over 250 GPa.

Successional changes in carbon sequestration across a forested chronosequence were studied. Forest floor carbon increases rapidly during succession and later decreasing in mature areas. The composition of the forest floor carbon differed significantly among successional stages. Herbaceous material declined from 74% to less than 1% where as woody foliage increased. Carbon content in the soil increased over the sequence by a factor of four.

Breeding birds were studied in the Pen Branch riparian corridor following site preparation using herbicides and burning to control willow and improve access for planting. Compared with control strips, treated areas supported a greater richness and abundance of breeding birds. The community composition was representative of early successional bottomland forests.

Analysis of directed flow observable for protons and pions from Au+Au collisions at 10.8 GeV/nucleon from experiment E917 at the AGS is presented. Using a Fourier series expansion, the first Fourier component, {nu}{sub 1},was extracted as a function of rapidity for mid-central collisions (17-24%). Clear evidence for positive directed flow is found in the proton data, and a weak, possibly negative directed flow signal is observed for {pi}{sup +} and {pi}{sup {minus}}.

Normal form analysis and tracking results show that both normal and skew resonances are driven strongly by the nonlinear fields of the IR quadrupoles. We report here on the possibility of improving the dynamic aperture by compensating these resonances with the use of correctors placed in the IRs. The effectiveness of local correction schemes in the presence of beam-beam interactions is also studied.

We report a novel sol-gel dip-coating process to form dual-layer microporous silica membranes with improved membrane performance and reproducibility. First, we deposit a surfactant-templated silica (STS) intermediate layer on top of a commercial {gamma}-alumina support both to improve its ''surface finish'' and to prevent a subsequently deposited microporous overlayer from penetrating into the support. Second, membranes are processed under clean room conditions to avoid dust contamination and, third, membranes are vacuum-calcined to promote further pore shrinkage and impart surface hydrophobicity. The resulting asymmetric membrane exhibits a gradual change in pore diameter from 50{angstrom} ({gamma}-alumina support layer) to 10-12{angstrom} (STS intermediate layer), and then to 3-4{angstrom} (30nm thick, ultramicroporous silica top-layer). Compared to a single-layer process using only the microporous overlayer, the dual-layer process improves both flux and selectivity. For the industrially important problem of natural gas purification, the combined CO{sub 2} flux [(3{approx} 0.5) x 10{sup {minus}4} cm{sup 3}(STP)/(s{center_dot}cm{sup 2}{center_dot}cm-Hg)] and CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} separation factors [200{approx}600] are superior to all previously reported values for separation of a 50/50 (v/v) CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} gas mixture. In addition, the membrane selectively separated hydrogen from a simulated reformate from partial oxidation of methanol as evidenced by a high concentration of hydrogen recovery.

{sup 13}C-enriched polyethylene was subjected to {gamma}-irradiation in the presence of air at 25 and 80 C for total doses ranging from 71 to 355 kGy. Significant quantities of hydroperoxides were detected in the 25 C irradiated sample by {sup 13}C magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. This method of detection was performed on the solid polymer and required no chemical derivatization or addition of solvent. The chemical stability and subsequent products of the hydroperoxide species were studied by annealing the irradiated samples in air at temperatures ranging from 22 to 110 C. A time-temperature superposition analysis provided an activation energy of 108 kJ/mol for the hydroperoxide decomposition process. The primary products of hydroperoxide decomposition were ketones and secondary alcohols with lesser amounts of acids and esters. EPR measurements suggest that the reactive hydroperoxide species reside in the amorphous phase of polyethylene, consistent with degradation occurring in the amorphous phase.

Argonne National Laboratory is developing a ceramic waste form to immobilize salt containing fission products and transuranic elements. Preliminary results have been presented for ceramic waste forms containing surrogate fission products such as cesium and the lanthanides. In this work results from scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction are presented in greater detail for ceramic waste forms containing surrogate fission products. Additionally, results for waste forms containing plutonium and surrogate fission products are presented. Most of the surrogate fission products appear to be silicates or aluminosilicates whereas the plutonium is usually found in an oxide form. There is also evidence for the presence of plutonium within the sodalite phase although the chemical speciation of the plutonium is not known.

Preliminary results from the postirradiation examinations of microplates irradiated in the RERTR-1 and -2 experiments in the ATR have shown several binary and ternary U-MO alloys to be promising candidates for use in aluminum-based dispersion fuels with uranium densities up to 8 to 9 g/cm{sup 3}. Ternary alloys of uranium, niobium, and zirconium performed poorly, however, both in terms of fuel/matrix reaction and fission-gas-bubble behavior, and have been dropped from further study. Since irradiation temperatures achieved in the present experiments (approximately 70 C) are considerably lower than might be experienced in a high-performance reactor, a new experiment is being planned with beginning-of-cycle temperatures greater than 200 C in 8-g U/cm{sup 3} fuel.