Advances in high gain target designs for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE), and the initiation of construction of large megajoule-class laser facilities in the U.S. (National Ignition Facility) and France (Laser-Megajoule) capable of testing the requirements for inertial fusion ignition and propagating burn, have improved the prospects for IFE. Accordingly, there have recently been modest increases in the US fusion research program related to the feasibility of IFE. These research areas include heavy-ion accelerators, Krypton-Fluoride (KrF) gas lasers, diode-pumped, solid-state (DPSSL) lasers, IFE target designs for higher gains, feasibility of low cost IFE target fabrication and accurate injection, and long-lasting IFE fusion chambers and final optics. Since several studies of conceptual IFE power plant and driver designs were completed in 1992-1996 [1-5], U.S. research in the IFE blanket, chamber, and target technology areas has focused on the critical issues relating to the feasibility of IFE concepts towards the goal of achieving economically-competitive and environmentally-attractive fusion energy. This paper discusses the critical issues in these areas, and the approaches taken to address these issues. The U.S. research in these areas, called IFE Chamber and Target Technologies, is coordinated through the Virtual Laboratory for Technology (VLT) formed by the Department of Energy in …

We present an algorithm for the detection and representation of structures and non-uniformities on the surface of a paper web at the wet end (slurry). This image processing/analysis algorithm is developed as part of a complete on-line web characterization system. Images of the slurry, carried by a fast moving table, are obtained using a stroboscopic light and a CCD camera. The images have very poor contrast and contain noise from a variety of sources. Those sources include the acquisition system itself, the lighting, the vibrations of the moving table being imaged, and the scattering water from the same table's movement. After many steps of enhancement, conventional edge detection methods were still inconclusive and were discarded. The facet model algorithm, is applied to the images and is found successful in detecting the various topographic characteristics of the surface of the slurry. Pertinent topographic elements are retained and a filtered image is computed based on the general appearance and characteristics of the structures in question. Morphological operators are applied to detect and segment regions of interest. Those regions are then filtered according to their size, elongation, and orientation.Their bounding rectangles are computed and superimposed on the original image. Real time implementation of …

The absorption of cosmic rays by the sun produces a shadow at the earth. The angular offset and broadening of the shadow are determined by the magnitude and structure of the interplanetary magnetic field (IPMF) in the inner solar system. The authors report the first measurement of the solar cosmic ray shadow by detection of deep underground muon flux in observations made during the entire ten-year interval 1989 to 1998. The sun shadow varies significantly during this time, with a 3.3{sigma} shadow observed during the years 1995 to 1998.

The Soudan 2 deep underground tracking calorimeter has recorded cosmic ray muon tracks from the direction of the galactic x-ray binary Cygnus X-3 on most transits during the interval 1989-1998. We analyze these events in the context of previous reports of Cygnus X-3-related muon flux during major radio flares of that source. We find some evidence for excess flux during a small number of transits coincident with major radio flares. We also find an indication that these events maybe distributed around the source with a Gaussian point spread function with {sigma} = 1.3{degree}, larger than the instrumental angular spread of < 0.3{degree}, verified by observation of the shadow of the moon.

The authors describe how protons with energies of 800 MeV or greater can be used as radiographic probes for material characterization. A feature which distinguishes protons from x-rays is their charge, which results in multiple Coulomb scattering effects in proton radiographs. Magnetic lensing can ameliorate these effects and even allow mixed substances to be disentangled. They illustrate some of these effects using 800 MeV protons radiographs of a composite step wedge composed of Aluminum, Foam, and Graphite. They discuss how proton radiographs must be manipulated in order to use standard tomographic reconstruction algorithms. They conclude with a brief description of an upcoming experiment, which is performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory at 25 GeV.

This calculation has been prepared to document the volume of sludge removed from tank 241-C-106 during Waste Retrieval Sluicing System (WRSS) Sluicing Campaign No.1. This calculation will be updated, if necessary, to incorporate new data. This calculation supports the declaration of completion of WRSS Campaign No.1 and, as such, is also the documentation for completion of Performance Agreement TWR 1.2.1, C-106 Sluicing Performance Expectations. It documents the performance of all the appropriate tank 241-C-106 mass transfer verifications, evaluations, and appropriate adjustments discussed in HNF-SD-WM-PROC-021, Chapter 23, ''Process Engineering Calculations for Tank 241-C-106 Sluicing and Retrieval''.

The purpose of this assessment is: (1) to assemble and document the facts associated with three recently installed jumpers which have leaked either during actual process operation or during post installation testing; (2) to describe the corrective actions taken and to identify any process improvements which need to be implemented in the Hanford jumper design and installation activities; and (3) to document WRSS jumper leak lessons learned for use by future projects and other jumper design, fabrication, and installation activities.

The Phase 1 privatization contract (DOE-RL 1996) requires that the Project Hanford Management Contractors, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, deliver waste feed in appropriate quantities and composition on schedule. The Feed Process Management Team (FPMT) was created with responsibility for establishing requirements, identifying and recommending baseline change control, assuring configuration management of tank contents (e.g., feed pedigrees), and requiring understanding among the various TWRS elements so the right feed is produced on schedule (Boston 1996). The FPMT has charged the Double Shell Tank (DST) Waste Inventory Control (WIC) (LMHC 1997) group to develop and implement the waste configuration control needed to insure that our ability to deliver feed on schedule is not adversely impacted. The WIC group, which has representatives from engineering, environmental, operations, and waste feed delivery, reviews proposed waste transfers and technical issues affecting the TWRS waste inventory. The WIC group either approves proposed transfers or, if a unanimous decision is not obtained, elevates approval to the FPMT. A representative from the FPMT is present at the WIC group meetings where waste transfer approvals are decided, and WIC relays information to the FPMT as needed. The TWRS operations include waste inventory control, …

The Grand Canyon house is a joint project of the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. National Park Service and is part of the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Programme Task 13 (Advanced Solar Low-Energy Buildings). Energy consumption of the house, designed using a whole-building low-energy approach, was reduced by 75% compared to an equivalent house built in accordance with American Building Officials Model Energy Code and the Home Energy Rating System criteria.

A phase-shifting diffraction interferometer (PSDI) has been integrated into an adaptive optics (AO) system developed by LLNL for use on the three meter Shane telescope at Lick Observatory. The interferometer is an all fiber optic design, which is extremely compact. It is useful for calibrating the control sensors, measuring the aberrations of the entire AO optical train, and measuring the influence functions of the individual actuators on the deformable mirror. The PSDI is particularly well suited for this application because it measures converging, quasi-spherical wavefronts, such as are produced by an AO imaging system. Thus, a PSDI can be used to measure the aberrations of the entire AO system, in-situ and without errors introduced by auxiliary optics. This provides an extremely accurate measurement ({approximately} 5 nm RMS) of the optical properties of the AO system.

Amplification and hybridization of DNA are commonly used techniques to verify the presence of a specific DNA sequence in a test sample. Automatic sample handling to concentrate and purify sample prior to amplification is desirable both from the cost standpoint and from the standpoint of reducing the possibility of sample contamination. This paper explores the use of the dielectrophoretic force to manipulate DNA, Bacillus globigii spores, and Erwinia herbicola bacteria to provide concentration and purification as part of the sample handling functions in biological monitoring equipment. It was found that for what would be considered a typical microfabricated structure with electrode gaps at 30 {micro}m operating at 5V, that concentration of the particles is very effective.

Over the last 20 years, the Decommissioning Program of the ANL-East Site has successfully decommissioned numerous facilities including: three research reactors (a 100 MW BWR, a smaller 250 kW biological irradiation reactor and a 10 kW research reactor), a critical assembly, a suite of 61 plutonium gloveboxes in 9 laboratories, a fuels fabrication facility and several non-reactor (waste management and operations) facilities. In addition, extensive decontamination work was performed on 5 hot cells formerly used in a joint ANL/US Navy R&D program. Currently the D&D of the CP-5 research reactor is underway as is planning for several other future D&D projects. The CP-5 facility was also used as a test bed for the evaluation of select evolving D&D technologies to ascertain their value for use in future D&D projects.

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The objective of this research is to develop a system capable of identifying speakers on wiretaps from a large database (>500 speakers) with a short search time duration (<30 seconds), and with better than 90% accuracy. Much previous research in speaker recognition has led to algorithms that produced encouraging preliminary results, but were overwhelmed when applied to populations of more than a dozen or so different speakers. The authors are investigating a solution to the ''huge population'' problem by seeking two completely different kinds of characterizing features. These features are extracted using the techniques of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and the continuous wavelet transform (CWT). NLP extracts precise neurological, verbal and non-verbal information, and assimilates the information into useful patterns. These patterns are based on specific cues demonstrated by each individual, and provide ways of determining congruency between verbal and non-verbal cues. The primary NLP modalities are characterized through word spotting (or verbal predicates cues, e.g., see, sound, feel, etc.) while the secondary modalities would be characterized through the speech transcription used by the individual. This has the practical effect of reducing the size of the search space, and greatly speeding up the process of identifying an unknown speaker. The wavelet-based …

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This project deals with the demonstration of a coking process using proprietary technology of Calderon, with the following objectives geared to facilitate commercialization: (1) making coke of such quality as to be suitable for use in hard-driving, large blast furnaces; (2) providing proof that such process is continuous and environmentally closed to prevent emissions; (3) demonstrating that high-coking-pressure (non-traditional) coal blends which cannot be safely charged into conventional by-product coke ovens can be used in the Calderon process; (4) conducting a blast furnace test to demonstrate the compatibility of the coke produced; and (5) demonstrating that coke can be produced economically, at a level competitive with coke imports. The activities of the past quarter were focused on the following: Detailed studies of LTV's site for the installation of the commercial Demonstration Unit with site specific layouts; Environmental Work; Firm commitments for funding from the private sector; and Federal funding to complement the private contribution.

Understanding the surface stability of metals undergoing dynamic fracture at shock breakout is important to several applications in metals processing. The advantages of using the Pegasus II facility to investigate the phenomena occurring at shock break out are described. As an example of the data collected, we concentrate on brief descriptions of two experiments that compared the tensile failure, i.e. ''spall'', patterns in the presence of sinusoidal perturbations seeded on the free inner surface of cylindrical samples of 3 types of Al. These samples were composed variously of soft Al 1100-O, structural grade Al 6061-T6, and ultra-pure 99.99% Al and were subjected to Taylor waves with shock pressures of 14 GPa. We show that the material behind the exiting surface undergoes a type of failure termed here ''microspall'', resulting in the production of a significant volume of low-density, probably granular, material. The failure mechanism, combined with the forces that cause inertial instability, leads to rapid pattern growth in the failed material and subsequent pattern growth on the surface. Pattern growth was studied as a function of perturbation wavelength and amplitude. The different Al samples vary by an order of magnitude in yield strength, and some increase in pattern instability was …

In this study experiments of increasing complexity have been conducted to provide a data base for validating features of the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian Grid for Research Applications (ALEGRA) code over a broad range of strain rates with overlapping diagnostics that encompass multiple responses. This range encompasses strain rates characteristic of shock-wave propagation (10⁷/s) and those chameteristics of structural response (10²/s). The tests matrix consists of two experimental series; the first being a simple system test with diagnostics that capture features relevant to both the high strain-rate hydrodynamic response and the low strain-rate structural response of the target. The second series of experiments increased the complexity of tests with the addition of foam to the original simple series. The input conditions are extremely well defined. Velocity interferometers are used to record the high strain-rate response, while the low strain-rate data were collected using strain, carbon and PVDF gauges.

We discuss two classes of supersymmetric grand unified theories based on extended gauge groups SO(10) x SO(10) and SO(10) x SO(10) x SO(10). Effective adjoint fields of each gauge group SO(10) are argued to be formed from combining two Higgs fields in fundamental representation of the extended gauge groups, one obtaining its VEV along the diagonal SO(10){sub D} direction and the other acquiring its VEV along the diagonal SU(5){sub D} x U(1){sub D} or its subgroup direction. Thus experimentally acceptable fermion mass matrices, such as Georgi-Jarlskog ansatz, with successful GUT mass relations can be constructed in these theories.

This document contains ALARACT Demonstrations identifying agreements made between LMHC, FDH, DOE-RL, and the Washington State Department of Health for frequently performed work activities in TWRS. These ALARACTs do not cover new activities, modifications, construction, or decontamination and decommissioning activities.

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The neutrino-induced muon rate underground has been measured at Soudan 2. To discriminate from the intense background of atmospheric muons we consider only the through-going muons which originate from horizontal direction ({minus}0.14 < cos{theta} < 0.14). We calculate the horizontal, neutrino-induced muon rate at Soudan 2 from an exposure of 1.23 x 10{sup 8} s as {Phi}{sub {nu}{mu}} = (3.45 {+-} 0.52 {+-} 0.61) x 10{sup {minus}13} (cm{sup 2} sr s){sup {minus}1}.

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