In this study, we address a series of fundamental questions regarding the processes and effectiveness of geologic CO{sub 2} sequestration in saline aquifers. We begin with the broadest: what is the ultimate fate of CO{sub 2} injected into these environments? Once injected, it is immediately subject to two sets of competing processes: migration processes and sequestration processes. In terms of migration, the CO{sub 2} moves by volumetric displacement of formation waters, with which it is largely immiscible; by gravity segregation, which causes the immiscible CO{sub 2} plume to rise owing to its relatively low density; and by viscous fingering, owing to its relatively low viscosity. In terms of sequestration, some fraction of the rising plume will dissolve into formation waters (solubility trapping); some fraction may react with formation minerals to precipitate carbonates (mineral trapping); and the remaining portion eventually reaches the cap rock, where it migrates up-dip, potentially accumulating in local topographic highs (structural trapping). Although this concept of competing migration/sequestration processes is intuitively obvious, identifying those sub-processes that dominate the competition is by no means straightforward. Hence, at present there are large uncertainties associated with the ultimate fate of injected CO{sub 2} (Figure 1). Principal among these: can a …

Representative, simplified geothermal rock-fluid systems are investigated with a modeling approach to estimate how rock water interactions affect coupled properties related to mechanical stability and permeability improvement through fracturing. First, geochemical modeling is used to determine the evolution of fluid chemistry at temperatures up to 300 C when fluids are in contact with representative rocks of continental origin. Then, a kinetic crack growth model for quartz is used to predict growth rate for subcritical cracks in acidic and basic environments. The predicted growth rate is highly sensitive to temperature and pH in the ranges tested. At present, the model is limited to situations in which quartz controls the mechanical process of interest, such as well bore stability in silica cemented rocks and the opening of quartz filled veins to enhance permeability.

Interest in the synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles has been generated by their unusual optical and electronic properties arising from quantum confinement effects. We have synthesized silicon and germanium nanoclusters by reacting Zintl phase precursors with either silicon or germanium tetrachloride in various solvents. Strategies have been investigated to stabilize the surface, including reactions with RLi and MgBrR (R = alkyl). This synthetic method produces group IV nanocrystals with passivated surfaces. These nanoparticle emit over a very large range in the visible region. These particles have been characterized using HRTEM, FTIR, UV-Vis, solid state NMR, and fluorescence. The synthesis and characterization of these nanoclusters will be presented.

We find the annihilation rate of positronium (Ps) within silica sodalite. Positron density and the electronic density seen by positrons are compared with a semi-empirical ''free volume'' model.

An interceptive device referred to here as a scraper has been designed and tested for use in a diagnostic device [1]. The scraper will be used to probe a proton beam in order to detect the formation of beam halo [2]. Probing the proton beam exposes the scraper to high heat fluxes on the order of 610 kW/cm{sup 2}. The high-heat flux exposure is cyclic since the beam is probed while in pulsed mode. In order to test the design repetitive high-heat flux testing has been performed on a prototype design of the scraper. This paper describes the design, analysis, and testing of the scraper.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is building room-temperature rf accelerating structures for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). These structures, for H{sup -} ions, consist of six 402.5-MHz, 2-MW drift-tube linac (DTL) tanks from 2.5 to 87 MeV followed by four 805-MHz, 4-MW coupled-cavity linac (CCL) modules to 186 MeV. The DTL uses permanent magnet quadrupoles inside the drift tubes arranged in a 6{beta}{lambda} FFODDO lattice with every third drift tube available for diagnostics and steering. The CCL uses a 13{beta}{lambda} FODO electromagnetic quadrupole lattice. Diagnostics and magnets occupy the 2.5{beta}{lambda} spaces between 8-cavity segments. This paper discusses design of the rf cavities and low-power modeling work.

The 6.7 MeV, 100 mA proton beam being produced in the Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) RFQ is being injected into a 52 magnet lattice in order to study the charged-beam phenomenon known as beam halo [1]. Quadrupole magnets in the lattice are purposely mismatched to cause or amplify halo formation in the beam. Interceptive diagnostics that consist of a thin wire and a paddle type device called a scraper are placed in the beam to obtain charge-distribution data. The charge-distribution data is used to create a current-density distribution plot of the beam at the probed location [2]. This paper describes the mechanical design, fabrication, and commissioning of the interceptive diagnostic devices and the assembly that carries them.

Los Alamos National Laboratory has two identical shufflers that have been calibrated with a dozen U{sub 3}O{sub 8} certified standards from 10 g {sup 235}U to 3600 g {sup 235}U. The shufflers are used to assay a wide variety of material types for their {sup 235}U contents. When the items differ greatly in chemical composition or shape from the U{sub 3}O{sub 8} standards a bias is introduced because the calibration is not appropriate. Recently a new tool has been created to calculate shuffler count rates accurately, and this has been applied to generate bias correction factors. The tool has also been used to verify the masses and count rates of some uncertified U{sub 3}O{sub 8} standards up to 8.0 kg of {sup 235}U which were used to provisionally extend the calibration beyond the 3.6 kg of {sup 235}U mass when a special need arose. Metallic uranium has significantly different neutronic properties from the U{sub 3}O{sub 8} standards and measured count rates from metals are biased low when the U{sub 3}O{sub 8} calibration is applied. The application of the calculational tool to generate bias corrrections for assorted metals will be described. The accuracy of the calculational tool was verified using highly …

As air infiltrates through unintentional openings in building envelopes, pollutants may interact with adjacent surfaces. Such interactions can alter human exposure to air pollutants of outdoor origin. We present modeling explorations of the proportion of particles and reactive gases (e.g., ozone) that penetrate building envelopes as air enters through cracks and wall cavities. Calculations were performed for idealized rectangular cracks, assuming regular geometry, smooth inner crack surface and steady airflow. Particles of 0.1-1.0 {micro}m diameter are predicted to have the highest penetration efficiency, nearly unity for crack heights of 0.25 mm or larger, assuming a pressure difference of 4 Pa or greater and a flow path length of 3 cm or less. Supermicron and ultrafine particles are significantly removed by means of gravitational settling and Brownian diffusion, respectively. In addition to crack geometry, ozone penetration depends on its reactivity with crack surfaces, as parameterized by the reaction probability. For reaction probabilities less than {approx}10{sup -5}, penetration is complete for cracks heights greater than 1 mm. However, penetration through mm scale cracks is small if the reaction probability is {approx}10{sup -4} or greater. For wall cavities, fiberglass insulation is an efficient particle filter, but particles would penetrate efficiently through uninsulated wall …

Various methods have been proposed to “incinerate” or “transmutate” the current inventory of trans-uranic waste (TRU) that exits in spent light-water-reactor (LWR) fuel, and weapons plutonium. These methods include both critical (e.g., fast reactors) and non-critical (e.g., accelerator transmutation) systems. The work discussed here is part of a larger effort at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to investigate the suitability of lead and lead-alloy cooled fast reactors for producing low-cost electricity as well as for actinide burning. The neutronics of non-fertile fuel loaded with 20 or 30-wt% light water reactor (LWR) plutonium plus minor actinides for use in a lead-bismuth cooled fast reactor are discussed in this paper, with an emphasis on the fuel cycle life and isotopic content. Calculations show that the average actinide burn rate is similar for both the sodium and lead-bismuth cooled cases ranging from -1.02 to -1.16 g/MWd, compared to a typical LWR actinide generation rate of 0.303 g/MWd. However, when using the same parameters, the sodium-cooled case went subcritical after 0.2 to 0.8 effective full power years, and the lead-bismuth cooled case ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 effective full power years.

An experimental apparatus for the investigation of the flow-assisted dissolution and precipitation (corrosion) of potential fuel cladding and structural materials to be used in liquid lead alloy cooled reactors has been designed. This experimental project is part of a larger research effort between Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to investigate the suitability of lead, lead-bismuth, and other lead alloys for cooling fast reactors designed to produce low-cost electricity as well as for actinide burning. The INEEL forced convection corrosion cell consists of a small heated vessel with a shroud and gas flow system. The gas flow rates, heat input, and shroud and vessel dimensions have been adjusted so that a controlled coolant flow rate, temperature, and oxygen potential are created within the downcomer located between the shroud and vessel wall. The ATHENA computer code was used to design the experimental apparatus and estimate the fluid conditions. The corrosion cell will test steel that is commercially available in the U. S. to temperatures above 650oC.

We present photometric observations of an apparent Type Iasupernova (SN Ia) at a redshift of approximately 1.7, the farthest SNobserved to date. The supernova, SN 1997, was discovered in a repeatobservation by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the Hubble DeepField{North (HDF-N), and serendipitously monitored with NICMOS on HSTthroughout the Thompson et al. GTO campaign. The SN type can bedetermined from the host galaxy type: an evolved, red elliptical lackingenough recent star formation to provide a significant population ofcore-collapse supernovae. The classification is further supported bydiagnostics available from the observed colors and temporal behavior ofthe SN, both of which match a typical SN Ia. The photometric record ofthe SN includes a dozen flux measurements in the I, J, and H bandsspanning 35 days in the observed frame. The redshift derived from the SNphotometry, z = 1:7 plus or minus 0:1, is in excellent agreement with theredshift estimate of z = 1:65 plus or minus 0:15 derived from the U_300B_450 V_-606 I_814 J_110 J_125 H_160 H_165 K_s photometry of the galaxy.Optical and near-infrared spectra of the host provide a very tentativespectroscopic redshift of 1.755. Fits to observations of the SN provideconstraints for the redshift-distance relation of SNe Ia and a powerfultest …

Gross gamma-ray dose rates from six spent TRIGA fuel elements were measured and compared to calculated values as a means to validate the reported element burnups. A newly installed and functional gamma-ray detection subsystem of the In-Cell Examination System was used to perform the measurements and is described in some detail. The analytical methodology used to calculate the corresponding dose rates is presented along with the calculated values. Comparison of the measured and calculated dose rates for the TRIGA fuel elements indicates good agreement (less than a factor of 2 difference). The intent of the subsystem is to measure the gross gamma dose rate and correlate the measurement to a calculated dose rate based on the element s known burnup and other pertinent spent fuel information. Although validation of the TRIGA elements’ burnup is of primary concern in this paper, the measurement and calculational techniques can be used to either validate an element’s reported burnup or provide a burnup estimate for an element with an unknown burnup.

The end of the cold war produced large amounts of excess fissile materials in the United States and Russia. The Department of Energy has initiated numerous activities to focus on identifying material management strategies for disposition of these excess materials. To date, many of these planning strategies have included isotopic dilution of highly enriched uranium as a means of reducing the proliferation and safety risks. Isotopic dilution by dry blending highly enriched uranium with natural and/or depleted uranium has been identified as one non-aqueous method to achieve these risk (proliferation and criticality safety) reductions. This paper reviews the technology of dry blending as applied to free flowing oxide materials.

Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is a major pathway for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks in mammalian cells. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), ligase IV, and XRCC4 are all critical components of the NHEJ repair pathway. DNA-PK is composed of a heterodimeric DNA-binding component, Ku, and a large catalytic subunit, DNA-PKcs. Ligase IV and XRCC4 associate to form a multimeric complex that is also essential for NHEJ. DNA-PK and ligase IV/XRCC4 interact at DNA termini which results in stimulated ligase activity. Here we define interactions between the components of these two essential complexes, DNA-PK and ligase IV/XRCC4. We find that ligase IV/XRCC4 associates with DNA-PK in a DNA-independent manner. The specific protein-protein interactions that mediate the interaction between these two complexes are further identified. Direct physical interactions between ligase IV and Ku as well as between XRCC4 and DNA-PKcs are shown. No direct interactions are observed between ligase IV and DNA-PKcs or between XRCC4 and Ku. Our data defines the specific protein pairs involved in the association of DNA-PK and ligase IV/XRCC4, and suggests a molecular mechanism for coordinating the assembly of the DNA repair complex at DNA breaks.

The microstructure of narrow metal conductors in the electrical interconnections on IC chips has often been identified as of major importance in the reliability of these devices. The stresses and stress gradients that develop in the conductors as a result of thermal expansion differences in the materials and of electromigration at high current densities are believed to be strongly dependent on the details of the grain structure. The present work discusses new techniques based on microbeam x-ray diffraction (MBXRD) that have enabled measurement not only of the microstructure of totally encapsulated conductors but also of the local stresses in them on a micron and submicron scale. White x-rays from the Advanced Light Source were focused to a micron spot size by Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors. The sample was stepped under the micro-beam and Laue images obtained at each sample location using a CCD area detector. Microstructure and local strain were deduced from these images. Cu lines with widths ranging from 0.8 mm to 5 mm and thickness of 1 mm were investigated. Comparisons are made between the capabilities of MBXRD and the well established techniques of broad beam XRD, electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) and focused ion beam imagining (FIB).

Room-temperature impedance measurements of a thin-film LiMn2O4/LiPF6-EC-DMC interface have been used to identify the spontaneous formation Li2Mn2O4 at the interface at room temperature at voltages of 3.7 and higher. The impedance of the LiMn2O4 films exhibited two time constants: at about 14 kHz and 60 to 200 Hz. The high frequency loop is dependent on film morphology and was attributed to the substrate/oxide interface. The low frequency behavior was dependent on both state-of-charge (SOC) and time at a given SOC. At full charge the impedance in this electrolyte was stable at room temperature over several days. At high lithium contents, film OCV and impedance tended to grow logarithmically with time, with lower rates for lower Mn3+ content in the film. The increased impedance was removed by oxidation of the film to 4.5V vs. Li/Li+. The observations are consistent with a reversible disproportionation of part of the LiMn2O4 into Li2Mn2O4 and a lithium-deficient spinel. With extended constant current cycling part of the Li2Mn2O4 degrades to the Mn2O3 and the process is no longer reversible.

We report the development of a method for quantitative, in situ nanoindentation in an electron microscope and its application to study the onset of deformation during the nanoindentation of aluminum films. The load-displacement curve developed during in situ nanoindentation shows the characteristic ''staircase'' instability at the onset of plastic deformation. The instability corresponds to the first appearance of dislocations in previously defect-free grains, and occurs at a force near that measured in conventional nanoindentation experiments on similarly oriented Al grains. Plastic deformation proceeds through the formation and propagation of prismatic loops punched into the material, and half-loops that emanate from the sample surface. This new experimental technique permits the direct observation of the microstructural mechanisms that operate at the onset of deformation.

Deep centers and dislocation densities in undoped n GaN, grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), were characterized as a function of the layer thickness by deep level transient spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. As the layer thickness decreases, the variety and concentration of deep centers increase, in conjunction with the increase of dislocation density. Based on comparison with electron irradiation induced centers, some dominant centers in HVPE GaN are identified as possible point defects.

We have shown that external hydrostatic pressure leads to the creation of structural defects, mainly in the vicinity of the II-VI/GaAs interface in the CdTe/Cd{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}Te heterostructures grown by the molecular beam epitaxy method on GaAs substrates. These defects propagating across the epilayer cause permanent damage to the samples from the point of view of their electrical properties. In contrast, photoluminescence spectra are only weakly influenced by pressure. Our results shed light on the degradation process observed even without pressure in II-VI-based heterostructures.

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Isotopic compositions of core-water samples from boreholes USW SD-6 and USW WT-24 indicate that recent water has been introduced at depth. Tritium, carbon, oxygen, and deuterium isotopic compositions all support younger water at depth in the two boreholes. Peaks in tritium concentrations in pore-water samples, indicating younger water than the other samples, observed near the basal vitrophyre of the Topopah Spring Tuff and at the bottom of the CHF and the top of the PP in both boreholes SD-6 and WT-24. Larger {sup 14}C activities in two pore-water samples from WT-24 at the bottom of the CHF and the top of the PP indicate younger water than in other samples from WT-24. More positive {delta}{sup 18}O and {delta}D values indicate younger water in samples of pore water at the bottom of the CHF in boreholes SD-6 and WT-24. The isotopic compositions indicating younger water at depth in boreholes SD-6 and WT-24 occur at the basal vitrophyre zone of the Topopah Spring Tuff and the bottom of the CHF/upper part of the PP, probably from lateral preferential flow through connected fractures (fast-flow paths). The source of the young water at borehole WT-24 probably was recharge from The Prow to the north, …

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Recent additions to the list of lunar meteorites include Northwest Africa (NWA) 032 and Dhofar 081. NWA 032 is an unbrecciated basalt, found in Morocco; Dhofar 081 is a fragmented feldspathic breccia, found in Oman. Our goal is the determination of the cosmic ray exposure history of these objects. Most lunar meteorites have complex cosmic ray exposure histories, having been exposed both at some depth on the lunar surface (2{pi} irradiation) before their ejection and as small bodies in space (4{pi} irradiation) during transport from the Moon to the Earth. These exposures were then followed by residence on the Earth's surface, the terrestrial residence time. Unraveling the complex history of these objects requires the measurement of at least four cosmogenic nuclides. The specific goals of these measurements are to constrain the depth of the sample at the time of ejection from the Moon, the transit time from the time of ejection to the time of capture by the Earth, and the residence time on the Earth's surface. These exposure durations in conjunction with the sample depth on the Moon can then be used to model impact and ejection mechanisms. To investigate the complex exposure histories of lunar meteorites, we measured …