Article on the first-principles theory of correlated transport through nanojunctions.

Reduction of the uranium metallocene,[eta5-1,2,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2UCl2 (1), Cp'2UCl2, in the presence of2,2'-bipyridyl and sodium naphthalene gives the dark green metallocenecomplex, Cp'2U(bipy) (6), which reacts with p-tolylazide orpyridine-N-oxide to give Cp'2U=N(p-tolyl) (7) or Cp'2U(O)(py) (8),respectively. The Lewis acid, BPh3, precipitates Ph3B(py) and gives thebase-free oxo, Cp'2UO (10), which crystallizes from pentane. Theoxometallocene 10 behaves as a nucleophile with Me3SiX reagents but itdoes not exhibit cycloaddition behavior with acetylenes, suggesting thatthe polar resonance structure, Cp'2U+-O- dominates the double bondresonance structure Cp'2U=O.

We report the first detection of radio emission from any anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP). Data from the Very Large Array (VLA) MAGPIS survey with angular resolution 6'' reveals a point-source of flux density 4.5 {+-} 0.5 mJy at 1.4 GHz at the precise location of the 5.54 s pulsar XTE J1810-197. This is greater than upper limits from all other AXPs and from quiescent states of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs). The detection was made in 2004 January, 1 year after the discovery of XTE J1810-197 during its only known outburst. Additional VLA observations both before and after the outburst yield only upper limits that are comparable to or larger than the single detection, neither supporting nor ruling out a decaying radio afterglow related to the X-ray turn-on. Another hypothesis is that, unlike the other AXPs and SGRs, XTE J1810-197 may power a radio synchrotron nebula by the interaction of its particle wind with a moderately dense environment that was not evacuated by previous activity from this least luminous, in X-rays, of the known magnetars.

We present here the PhIGs database, a phylogenomic resource for sequenced genomes. Although many methods exist for clustering gene families, very few attempt to create truly orthologous clusters sharing descent from a single ancestral gene across a range of evolutionary depths. Although these non-phylogenetic gene family clusters have been used broadly for gene annotation, errors are known to be introduced by the artifactual association of slowly evolving paralogs and lack of annotation for those more rapidly evolving. A full phylogenetic framework is necessary for accurate inference of function and for many studies that address pattern and mechanism of the evolution of the genome. The automated generation of evolutionary gene clusters, creation of gene trees, determination of orthology and paralogy relationships, and the correlation of this information with gene annotations, expression information, and genomic context is an important resource to the scientific community.

The signal in an NMR experiment is highly sensitive to fluctuations of the environment of the sample. If, for example, the static magnetic field B{sub 0}, the amplitude and phase of radio frequency (rf) pulses, or the resonant frequency of the detection circuit are not perfectly stable and reproducible, the magnetic moment of the spins is altered and becomes a noisy quantity itself. This kind of noise not only depends on the presence of a signal, it is in fact proportional to it. Since all the spins at a particular location in a sample experience the same environment at any given time, this noise primarily affects the reproducibility of an experiment, which is mainly of importance in the indirect dimensions of a multidimensional experiment, when intense lines are suppressed with a phase cycle, or for difference spectroscopy techniques. Equivalently, experiments which are known to be problematic with regard to their reproducibility, like flow experiments or experiments with a mobile target, tend to be affected stronger by multiplicative noise. In this article it is demonstrated how multiplicative noise can be identified and characterized using very simple, repetitive experiments. An error estimation approach is developed to give an intuitive, yet quantitative understanding …

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We report the density-dependent crossover of a resonantly photoexcited exciton gas from insulating to conducting phases. Broadband terahertz spectroscopy gives direct access to the exciton binding energy via intra-excitonic 1s-2p transitions. A strong shift, broadening, and ultimately the disappearance of this resonance occurs with decreasing inter-particle distance. Densities of excitons and unbound electron-hole pairs are followed quantitatively using a model of the composite free-carrier and exciton terahertz conductivity. Comparison with near-infrared absorption changes illustrates a significantly enhanced energy shift and broadening of the intra-excitonic resonance.

First-principles generalized pseudopotential theory (GPT) provides a fundamental basis for transferable multi-ion interatomic potentials in transition metals and alloys within density-functional quantum mechanics. In central bcc transition metals, where multi-ion angular forces are important to structural properties, simplified model GPT or MGPT potentials have been developed based on canonical d bands to allow analytic forms and large-scale atomistic simulations. Robust, advanced-generation MGPT potentials have now been obtained for Ta and Mo and successfully applied to a wide range of structural, thermodynamic, defect and mechanical properties at both ambient and extreme conditions. Selected applications to multiscale modeling discussed here include dislocation core structure and mobility, atomistically informed dislocation dynamics simulations of plasticity, and thermoelasticity and high-pressure strength modeling. Recent algorithm improvements have provided a more general matrix representation of MGPT beyond canonical bands, allowing improved accuracy and extension to f-electron actinide metals, an order of magnitude increase in computational speed for dynamic simulations, and the still-in-progress development of temperature-dependent potentials.

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The accuracy of a numerical method for solving the neutron transport equation is limited by the smallest mean free path in the problem. Since problems in the asymptotic diffusive regimes have vanishingly small mean free paths, it seems hopeless, given a limited amount of computer memory, that an accurate solution can be obtained for these problems. However we found that the accuracy of a numerical method improves as the scattering ratio increases with the total cross section and the grid spacing held fixed for problems that are in the asymptotic diffusive regime. This phenomenon is independent of the numerical method and can be explained on physical grounds. The numerical results by the Diamond Difference Method are given to show this phenomenon.

We study conditions for the existence of asymptotic observables in cosmology. With the exception of de Sitter space, the thermal properties of accelerating universes permit arbitrarily long observations, and guarantee the production of accessible states of arbitrarily large entropy. This suggests that some asymptotic observables may exist, despite the presence of an event horizon. Comparison with decelerating universes shows surprising similarities: Neither type suffers from the limitations encountered in de Sitter space, such as thermalization and boundedness of entropy. However, we argue that no realistic cosmology permits the global observations associated with an S-matrix.

Solid-state infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and elemental analysis have been used to evaluate the reactivity of resorcinol formaldehyde resin with nitric acid and characterize the solid product. Two distinct reactions were identified within the temperature range 25-55 C. The first reaction is primarily associated with resin nitration, while the second involves bulk oxidation and degradation of the polymer network leading to dissolution and off-gassing. The threshold conditions promoting reaction have been identified. Reaction was confirmed with nitric acid concentrations as low as 3 M at 25 C applied temperature and 0.625 M at 66 C. Although a nitrated resin product can be isolated under appropriate experimental conditions, calorimetry testing indicates no significant hazard associated with handling the dry material.

We review the technical challenges associated with the production and use of various coal chars in a direct carbon conversion fuel cell. Existing chemical and physical deashing processes remove material below levels impacting performance at minimal cost. At equilibrium, sulfur entrained is rejected from the melt as COS in the offgas.

Thermal cook-off experiments were carried out using LX-04 explosive (85% HMX and 15% Viton by weight) with different levels of confinement to characterize the effect of confinement on the reaction violence. These experiments involved heating a porous LX-04 sample in a stainless steel container with varying container end plate thickness and assembly bolt diameter to control overall confinement. As expected, detonation did not occur and reducing the overall confinement lowered the reaction violence. This is consistent with modeling results that predict that a lower confinement will act to lower the cook-off pressure and thus the overall burn rate which lowers the overall violence. These results suggest that controlling the overall system confinement can modify the relative safety in a given scenario.

A stabilized, nodally integrated linear tetrahedral is formulated and analyzed. It is well known that linear tetrahedral elements perform poorly in problems with plasticity, nearly incompressible materials, and acute bending. For a variety of reasons, linear tetrahedral elements are preferable to quadratic tetrahedral elements in most nonlinear problems. Whereas, mixed methods work well for linear hexahedral elements, they don't for linear tetrahedrals. On the other hand, automatic mesh generation is typically not feasible for building many 3D hexahedral meshes. A stabilized, nodally integrated linear tetrahedral is developed and shown to perform very well in problems with plasticity, nearly incompressible materials and acute bending. Furthermore, the formulation is analytically and numerically shown to be stable and optimally convergent. The element is demonstrated to perform well in several standard linear and nonlinear benchmarks.

A multidimensional, mountain-scale, thermal-hydrologic (TH) numerical model is presented for investigating unsaturated flow behavior in response to decay heat from the radioactive waste repository in the Yucca Mountain unsaturated zone (UZ), Nevada. The model, consisting of both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) representations of the UZ repository system, is based on the current repository design, drift layout, thermal loading scenario, and estimated current and future climate conditions. This mountain-scale TH model evaluates the coupled TH processes related to mountain-scale UZ flow. It also simulates the impact of radioactive waste heat release on the natural hydrogeological system, including heat-driven processes occurring near and far away from the emplacement tunnels or drifts. The model simulations predict thermally perturbed liquid saturation, gas- and liquid-phase fluxes, and water and rock temperature elevations, as well as the changes in water flux driven by evaporation/condensation processes and drainage between drifts. These simulations provide mountain-scale thermally perturbed flow fields for assessing the repository performance under thermal loading conditions.

Biological Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (BAMS) is an emerging technique for the detection of biological aerosols, which is being developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The current system uses several orthogonal analytical methods to improve system selectivity, sensitivity and speed in order to maximize its utility as a biological aerosol detection system with extremely low probability of false alarm and high probability of detection. Our approach is to pre-select particles of interest by size and fluorescence prior to mass spectral analysis. The ability to distinguish biological aerosols from background and to discriminate bacterial spores, vegetative cells, viruses and toxins from one another will be shown. Data from particle standards of known chemical composition will be discussed. Analysis of ambient particles will also be presented.

The progress of multiple bunches of charged particles down the main L-band linacs of the ILC (International Linear Collider) can be disrupted by wakefields. These wakefields correspond to the electromagnetic fields excited in the accelerating cavities and have both long-range and short-range components. The horizontal and vertical modal components of the wakefield will be excited at slightly different frequencies (the dipole mode frequency degeneracy's are split) due to inevitable manufacturing errors. We simulate the progress of the ILC beam down the collider under the influence of these wakefields. In particular, we investigate the consequences on the final emittance dilution of the beam of coupling of the horizontal to the vertical motion of the beam.

M{sub 2}Mn{sub 3}O{sub 8} (M=Ca{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}) compounds were synthesized and characterized in lithium cells. The M{sup 2+} cations, which reside in the van der Waal's gaps between adjacent sheets of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 8}{sup 4-}, may be replaced chemically (by ion-exchange) or electrochemically with Li. More than 7 Li{sup +}/Cu{sub 2}Mn{sub 3}O{sub 8} may be inserted electrochemically, with concomitant reduction of Cu{sup 2+} to Cu metal, but less Li can be inserted into Ca{sub 2}Mn{sub 3}O{sub 8}. In the case of Cu{sup 2+}, this process is partially reversible when the cell is charged above 3.5 V vs. Li, but intercalation of Cu{sup +} rather than Cu{sup 2+} and Li{sup +}/Cu{sup +} exchange occurs during the subsequent discharge. If the cell potential is kept below 3.4 V, the Li in excess of 4Li{sup +}/Cu{sub 2}Mn{sub 3}O{sub 8} can be cycled reversibly. The unusual mobility of +2 cations in a layered structure has important implications both for the design of cathodes for Li batteries and for new systems that could be based on M{sup 2+} intercalation compounds.

Since the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) published the DOE Beryllium Rule (10 CFR 850) in 1999, DOE sites have been required to measure beryllium on air filters and wipes for worker protection and for release of materials from beryllium-controlled areas. Measurements in the nanogram range on a filter or wipe are typically required. Industrial hygiene laboratories have applied methods from various analytical compendia, and a number of issues have emerged with sampling and analysis practices. As a result, a committee of analytical chemists, industrial hygienists, and laboratory managers was formed in November 2003 to address the issues. The committee developed a baseline questionnaire and distributed it to DOE sites and other agencies in the U.S. and U.K. The results of the questionnaire are presented in this paper. These results confirmed that a wide variety of practices were in use in the areas of sampling, sample preparation, and analysis. Additionally, although these laboratories are generally accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), there are inconsistencies in performance among accredited labs. As a result, there are significant opportunities for development of standard methods that could improve consistency. The current availabilities and needs for standard methods are further discussed in …

AMTRAN, a one, two and three dimensional Sn neutron transport code with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) has been parallelized with MPI over spatial domains and energy groups and with threads over angles. Block refined AMR is used with linear finite element representations for the fluxes, which are node centered. AMR requirements are determined by minimum mean free path calculations throughout the problem and can provide an order of magnitude or more reduction in zoning requirements for the same level of accuracy, compared to a uniformly zoned problem.

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Originally the PEP-II injection kickers were powered by one power supply. Since the kicker magnets where not perfectly matched, the stored beam got excited by about 7% of the maximum kicker amplitude. This led to luminosity losses which were especially obvious for trickle injection when the detector is on for data taking. Therefore two independent power supplies with thyratrons in the tunnel next to the kicker magnet were installed. This also reduces the necessary power by about a factor of four since there are no long cables that have to be charged. The kickers are now independently adjustable to eliminate any non-closure of the kicker system and therefore excitation of the stored beam. Setup, commissioning and fine tuning of this system are discussed.