We report on the subject of temperature and/or pressure induced solid-solid phase transitions of energetic molecular crystals. Over the last three years we have applied experimental techniques that when used simultaneously provide insight into some of the complexities that govern reaction rate processes. After more than 55 years of study a global kinetics model describing the P-T phase space transition kinetics of such materials as HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) is not only missing, but from a formal perspective is perhaps as many years away from completion. The essence of this report describes what material parameters affect first-order reaction rates of the CHNO moiety of molecular crystals and introduces the application of new experimental tools thus permitting quantifiable studies of important rate limiting mechanisms.

Several classes of mesh motion algorithms are presented for the remap phase of unstructured mesh ALE codes. The methods range from local shape optimization procedures to more complex variational minimization methods applied to arbitrary unstructured polyhedral meshes necessary for the Kull code.

Several advection algorithms are presented within the remap framework for unstructured mesh ALE codes. The methods discussed include a generic advection scheme based on a finite volume approach, and three groups of algorithms for the treatment of material boundary interfaces. The interface capturing algorithms belong to the Volume of Fluid (VoF) class of methods to approximate material interfaces from the local fractional volume of fluid distribution in arbitrary unstructured polyhedral meshes appropriate for the Kull code. Also presented are several schemes for extending single material radiation diffusion solvers to account for multi-material interfaces.

A broadband three-component seismic station was deployed on the Arabian Shield near the town of Halban in central Saudi Arabia. This site is near the proposed site of a primary seismic array (PS38) of the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The purpose of this deployment was to collect calibration data for the primary array to be deployed in the future.

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Virginia Power Surry Nuclear Station Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fuel was stored in a dry inert atmosphere Castor V/21 cask at the Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory (INEEL) for 15 years at peak cladding temperatures decreasing from about 350 to 150 C. Prior to the storage, the loaded cask was subjected to extensive thermal benchmark tests. The cask was opened to examine the fuel for degradation and to determine if it was suitable for extended storage. No rod breaches had occurred and no visible degradation or crud/oxide spallation were observed. Twelve rods were removed from the center of the T11 assembly and shipped from INEEL to the Argonne-West HFEF for profilometric scans. Four of these rods were punctured to determine the fission gas release from the fuel matrix and internal pressure in the rods. Three of the four rods were cut into five segments each, then shipped to the Argonne-East AGHCF for detailed examination. The test plan calls for metallographic examination of six samples from two of the rods, microhardness and hydrogen content measurements at or near the six metallographic sample locations, tensile testing of six samples from the two rods, and thermal creep testing of eight samples from …

The primary objective of this research was to obtain information on the speciation of metals in HLW sludge from the Savannah River Site.

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Tritium Systems Group has developed and fabricated an Oxidative Tritium Decontamination System (OTDS), which is designed to reduce tritium surface contamination on various components and items. The system is configured to introduce gaseous ozone into a reaction chamber containing tritiated items that require a reduction in tritium surface contamination. Tritium surface contamination (on components and items in the reaction chamber) is removed by chemically reacting elemental tritium to tritium oxide via oxidation, while purging the reaction chamber effluent to a gas holding tank or negative pressure HVAC system. Implementing specific concentrations of ozone along with catalytic parameters, the system is able to significantly reduce surface tritium contamination on an assortment of expendable and non-expendable items. This paper will present the results of various experimentation involving employment of this system.

The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) will require 6 MW of 50 keV neutral beam injection (NBI) with initial pulse lengths of 500 msec and upgradeable to pulse lengths of 1.5 sec. This paper discusses the NCSX NBI requirements and design issues, and shows how these are provided by the candidate PBX-M [Princeton Beta Experiment-Modification] NBI system.

The aging of hermetically sealed systems is often accompanied by the gradual production of hydrogen gas that is a result of the decay of environmental gases and the degradation of organic materials. In particular, the oxygen, water, hydrogen ''equilibrium'' is affected by the removal of oxygen due the oxidation of metals and organic materials. This shift of the above ''equilibrium'' towards the formation of hydrogen gas, particularly in crevices, may eventually reach an explosive level of hydrogen gas or degrade metals by hydriding them. The latter process is generally delayed until the oxidizing species are significantly reduced. Organic hydrogen getters introduced by Allied Signal Aerospace Company, Kansas City Division have proven to be a very effective means of preventing hydrogen gas accumulation in sealed containers. These getters are relatively unaffected by air and environmental gases. They can be packaged in a variety of ways to fit particular needs such as porous pellets, fine or coarse [gravel] powder, or loaded into silicone rubber. The hydrogen gettering reactions are extremely irreversible since the hydrogen gas is converted into an organic hydrocarbon. These getters are based on the palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation of triple bonds to double and then single bonds in aromatic aryl compounds. …

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It is widely accepted that an intense neutron source can be produced in a suitable target by spallation neutrons generated by a high-current high-energy proton beam. Typical beam energy for such an accelerator is 400 to 2000 MeV. A conventional critical reactor can readily be replaced by a ''sub-critical reactor'' driven by this source. A 5 MW proton beam at 600 MeV can drive a sub-critical reactor to 100 MWt. The accelerator and the associated plant support equipment at these design specifications are complex systems, but they are well within recent technology. The purpose of this study was to examine core design and shielding design issues for a 100 MWt sodium-cooled fast-spectrum Sub-Critical Multiplier (SCM-100) based on LMFBR technology, but driven by an intense neutron source created by spallation reactions. SCM-100 is a component of the Accelerator Driven Test Facility. In this report we provide an overview of the SCM-100 concept. Two designs were investigated: (1) a vertical entry for the beam on the axial centerline; and (2) an inclined entry design where the core is ''C'' shaped and the beam enters the side of the target at an angle of 32 degrees. A brief overview of relevant shielding design …

The Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area (SCFA) is supported by a lead laboratory consisting of technical representatives from DOE laboratories across the country. This broadly representative scientific group has developed and implemented a process to define Technical Targets to assist the SCFA in strategic planning and in managing their environmental research and development portfolio. At an initial meeting in Golden Colorado, an initial set of Technical Targets was identified using a rapid consensus based technical triage process. Thirteen Technical Targets were identified and described. Vital scientific and technical objectives were generated for each target. The targets generally fall into one of the following five strategic investment categories: Enhancing Environmental Stewardship, Eliminating Contaminant Sources, Isolating Contaminants, Controlling Contaminant Plumes, Enabling DOEs CleanUp Efforts. The resulting targets and the detail they comprise on what is, and what is not, needed to meet Environmental Management needs provide a comprehensive technically-based framework to assist in prioritizing future work and in managing the SCFA program.

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century changes the budgetary treatment of programs financed by the Highway Trust Fund. In particular, the act guaranteed annual funding levels for most highway and transit programs and linked highway user tax receipts, such as those from motor fuel and truck tire taxes, to the annual funding levels for highway programs. Revenue aligned budget authority adjustments are made to the annual guaranteed funding level provided in the act as highway account receipt levels change. For the first time, the adjustment for fiscal year 2003 is negative--decreasing the guaranteed level of highway funding by $4.369 billion. GAO found that the amounts distributed to the Highway Trust Fund for the first nine months of fiscal year 2001, as adjusted based on the Internal Revenue Service's certifications, were reasonable and adequately supported based on available information."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO helped the Department of Transportation to determine whether the net excise tax revenue distributed to the Highway Trust Fund for fiscal year 2001 was supported by the underlying records. In performing the agreed-upon procedures, GAO did its work in accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards, which incorporate financial audit and attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The United Nations (U.N.) Security Council authorized or maintained 33 peacekeeping operations in 28 countries between fiscal years 1996 and 2001. Fifteen operations were ongoing as of January 2002. Although U.N. member countries are directly assessed for the cost of these operations, some countries, including the United States, implement programs or activities that provide indirect support to peacekeeping operations. The United States directly contributed an estimated $3.45 billion to support U.N. peacekeeping from fiscal years 1996 through 2001. U.S. contributions that indirectly benefited U.N. peacekeeping are estimated at $24.2 billion during this period. GAO defined indirect contributions as U.S. programs and activities that are located in the same area as an ongoing U.N. peacekeeping operation, have objectives that help the peacekeeping operation achieve its mandated objectives, and are not an official part of the U.N. operation."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Under the Workforce Investment Act, local workforce areas are likely to offer dislocated workers services that are tailored to local needs and that emphasize a quick return to employment. Nine of the local workforce areas that GAO visited emphasized a quick return to work and enrolled fewer dislocated workers into training than were enrolled under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Five local areas enrolled into training an equal or greater number of dislocated workers than were enrolled under JTPA. States used the act's flexibility to decide how much of their set-aside funds to spend on rapid response for dislocated workers and how much to spend on other statewide activities. Most of the 50 states that responded to a GAO survey on rapid response activities said that their state unit provided services when layoffs and plant closings involved 50 or more workers and that the state generally relied on local workforce area officials to provide rapid response services for layoffs affecting fewer workers. Workforce officials in several states expressed concern that the act's dislocated worker funding formula causes dramatic fluctuations in funding that are unrelated to …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense's (DOD) Medicare subvention demonstration tested alternate approaches to health care coverage for military retirees. Retirees could enroll in new DOD-run Medicare managed care plans, known as TRICARE Senior Prime, at six sites. The demonstration plan offered enrollees the full range of Medicare-covered services as well as additional TRICARE services, with minimal copayments. During the demonstration period, the program parameters were changed, allowing military retirees age 65 and older to become eligible for TRICARE coverage as of October 1, 2001, and Senior Prime was extended for one year. The demonstration showed that retirees were interested in enrolling in low-cost military health plans and that DOD was able to satisfy its Senior Prime enrollees. By the close of the initial demonstration period, about 33,000 retirees were enrolled in Senior Prime, and more were on waiting lists. When nonenrollees were asked why they did not join Senior Prime, more than 60 percent said that they were satisfied with their existing health coverage; few said that they disliked military care. Although the demonstration had positive results for enrollees, it also highlighted three challenges confronting the military …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Nonresponse follow-up--in which Census Bureau enumerators go door-to-door to count individuals who have not mailed back their questionnaires--was the most costly and labor intensive of all 2000 Census operations. According to Bureau data, labor, mileage, and administrative costs totaled $1.4 billion, or 22 percent of the $6.5 billion allocated for the 2000 Census. Several practices were critical to the Bureau's timely competition of nonresponse follow-up. The Bureau (1) had an aggressive outreach and promotion campaign, simplified questionnaire, and other efforts to boost the mail response rate and thus reduce the Bureau's nonresponse follow-up workload; (2) used a flexible human capital strategy that enabled it to meet its national recruiting and hiring goals and position enumerators where they were most needed; (3) called on local census offices to identify local enumeration challenges, such as locked apartment buildings and gated communities, and to develop action plans to address them; and (4) applied ambitious interim "stretch" goals that encouraged local census offices to finish 80 percent of their nonresponse follow-up workload within the first four weeks and be completely finished by the end of the eighth week, as opposed …

This report mainly discusses about the Current U.S. Economic Sanctions between India and Pakistan where United states imposes no economic sanctions against the governments of India and Pakistan. United stats prohibited aid to Pakistan when the country fell into areas in serving its debt.

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