The objective of this project was to evaluate the performance and economics of various domestic hot water distribution systems in representative California residences. While the greatest opportunities for improved efficiency occur in new construction, significant improvements can also be made in some existing distribution systems. Specific objectives of the project tasks were: (1) Simulate potential energy savings of, perform cost-benefit analyses of, and identify market barriers to alternative new systems. (2) Simulate potential energy savings of, perform cost-benefit analyses of, and identify market barriers to maintenance, repair, and retrofit modifications of existing systems. (3) Evaluate potential impact of adopting alternative hot water distribution systems and report project findings. The outcome of this project is to provide homeowners, homebuilders, systems suppliers, municipal code officials and utility providers (both electric and water/sewer) with a neutral, independent, third party, cost-benefit analysis of alternative hot water distribution systems for use in California. The results will enable these stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding which system is most appropriate for use.

The objective of this calculation is to determine the acceleration of the fuel assemblies contained in a 21-Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) spent nuclear fuel waste package impacting an unyielding surface. A range of initial velocities of the waste package is studied. The scope of this calculation is limited to estimating the acceleration of the fuel assemblies during the impact.

In order to meet the Department of Energy's (DOE's) FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies (FVCT) goals for volume, weight, efficiency, reliability, and cost, the cooling of the power electronic devices, traction motors, and generators is critical. Currently the power electronic devices, traction motors, and generators in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) are primarily cooled by water-ethylene glycol (WEG) mixture. The cooling fluid operates as a single-phase coolant as the liquid phase of the WEG does not change to its vapor phase during the cooling process. In these single-phase systems, two cooling loops of WEG produce a low temperature (around 70 C) cooling loop for the power electronics and motor/generator, and higher temperature loop (around 105 C) for the internal combustion engine. There is another coolant option currently available in automobiles. It is possible to use the transmission oil as a coolant. The oil temperature exists at approximately 85 C which can be utilized to cool the power electronic and electrical devices. Because heat flux is proportional to the temperature difference between the device's hot surface and the coolant, a device that can tolerate higher temperatures enables the device to be smaller while dissipating the same amount of heat. Presently, new silicon …

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The Report is Gordon Research Conferences Laser Interaction with materials.

The Conference was well-attended with 100 participants (attendees list included). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. The formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program is given. In addition to these formal interactions, 'free time' was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field.

This report addresses observed ground motions at the site of the proposed surface facilities associated with the designated repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In 2003 an accelerometer array was installed at three boreholes on the pad of the north portal of the ESF (Exploratory Studies Facility) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL). These boreholes, roughly 150 m apart and initially used for extensive geological and geophysical surveys, were ideal locations to measure the subsurface ground motions at the proposed site of surface facilities such as the Waste Handling Building. Such measurements will impact the design of the facilities. Accelerometer emplacement depths of approximately 15 m from the surface and then at the bottom of the boreholes, roughly 100 m, were chosen. Accelerometers were also placed at the surface next to the boreholes, for a total of nine accelerometers, all three-component. Data recording was accomplished with onsite recorders, with the onsite data transmitted to a central computer at a trailer on the pad. All requirements were met to qualify these data as ''Q''. Due to the lack of significant recordings during 2003, several low signal-to-noise (S/N) quality events were chosen for processing. The …

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The Alignment Engineering Group (AEG) makes use of GPS technology for fulfilling part of its above ground surveying tasks at SLAC since early 2002. A base station (SLAC M40) has been set up at a central location of the SLAC campus serving both as master station for real-time kinematic (RTK) operations and as datum point for local GPS campaigns. The Leica RS500 system is running continuously and the GPS data are collected both externally (logging PC) and internally (receiver flashcard). The external logging is facilitated by a serial to Ethernet converter and an Ethernet connection at the station. Internal logging (ring buffer) is done for data security purposes. The weatherproof boxes for the instrumentation are excellent shelters against rain and wind, but do heat up considerably in sun light. Whereas the GPS receiver showed no problems, the Pacific Crest PDL 35 radio shut down several times due to overheating disrupting the RTK operations. In order to prevent heat-induced shutdowns, a protection against direct sun exposure (shading) and a constant air circulation system (ventilation) were installed. As no further shutdowns have occurred so far, it appears that the two measures successfully mended the heat problem.

An ambitious seven month shutdown of the existing SPEAR2 synchrotron radiation facility was successfully completed in March 2004 when the first synchrotron light was observed in the new SPEAR3 ring, SPEAR3 completely replaced SPEAR2 with new components aligned on a new highly-flat concrete floor. Devices such as magnets and vacuum chambers had to be fiducialized and later aligned on girder rafts that were then placed into the ring over pre-aligned support plates. Key to the success of aligning this new ring was to ensure that the new beam orbit matched the old SPEAR2 orbit so that existing experimental beamlines would not have to be reoriented. In this presentation a pictorial summary of the Alignment Engineering Group's surveying tasks for the construction of the SPEAR3 ring is provided. Details on the networking and analysis of various surveys throughout the project can be found in the accompanying paper.

The results of searches for Lepton Flavour Violating (LFV) decays at the BaBar detector located on the PEP-II collider, using data collected at an e{sup +}e{sup -} energy of 10.58 GeV, are presented. Upper limits at 90% Confidence Level (CL) are established in the range 1-3 x 10{sup -7} for six {tau} {yields} lll modes using 91.5 fb{sup -1} of data and in the range 0.7-4.8 x 10{sup -7} for fourteen {tau} {yields} lhh modes using 221.4 fb{sup -1} of data. The {tau} {yields} lhh results are preliminary.

Presently, the demand for high quality synchrotron radiation is increasing all over the world. One of the fascinating aspects of this novel tool is the broad range of scientific users interested in synchrotron radiation. They come from physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine, to name just a few. Third generation storage which recently became available for users will by far not be able to satisfy all the beam-time requests. In addition, it is also recognized that long-term scientific efficiency and technological success is heavily dependent on ease of access to a home based facility nearby and continuing fine-tuning of all components of a beam line. Based on the high quality user community in Switzerland and their prospective research activities, the Paul Scherrer Institute, in close collaboration with interested research groups from the Swiss universities and the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, has worked out a proposal to build an advanced synchrotron light source in Switzerland, which will come into operation in the year 2001. It has been named SLS as acronym for Swiss Light Source.

A Working Group Meeting on Heavy Vehicle Aerodynamic Drag was held at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California on May 12th and 13th of 2005. The purpose of the first day's meeting, May 12th, was to provide a summary of achievements, discuss issues, present a general overview of future plans, and to offer a forum for dialogue with the Department of Energy (DOE) and representatives from industry, universities, and research and development organizations performing work related to heavy vehicle aerodynamics. This first meeting day was open to participants from industry and research organizations from both the US and Canada. The second day, May 13th, was attended only by representatives from the 9 organizations that form the DOE Consortium effort and their government sponsors. The purpose of the second day's meeting was to further discuss fiscal year 2005's activities, any further specific pressing issues, identify individual action items, and provide an overview of plans for fiscal year 2006. Based on discussions at the Meeting, the existing project goals remain unchanged and enhancing interactions with fleet owners and operators was emphasized: (1) Perform heavy vehicle computations and experiments, (2) Validate computations using experimental data, (3) Provide design guidance and insight into flow …

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is evaluating the feasibility of placing a free electron laser (FEL) at the end of the linear accelerator. The proposal is to inject electrons two thirds of the way down the linac, accelerate the electrons for the last one third of the linac, and then send the electrons into the FEL. This project is known as the LCLS (Linac Coherent Light Source). To test the feasibility of the LCLS, a smaller experiment VISA (Visual to Infrared SASE (Self Amplified Stimulated Emission) Amplifier) is being performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory. VISA consists of four wiggler segments, each 0.99 m long. The four segments are required to be aligned to the beam axis with an rms error less than 50 {micro}m [1]. This very demanding alignment is carried out in two steps [2]. First the segments are fiducialized using a pulsed wire system. Then the wiggler segments are placed along a reference laser beam which coincides with the electron beam axis. In the wiggler segment fiducialization, a wire is stretched through a wiggler segment and a current pulse is sent down the wire. The deflection of the wire is monitored. The deflection gives information about the electron …

We present new observations of the early X-ray afterglows of the first 27 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected with the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT). The early X-ray afterglows show a canonical behavior, where the light curve broadly consists of three distinct power law segments: (1) an initial very steep decay ({infinity} t{sup -a} with 3 {approx}< a{sub 1} {approx}< 5) , followed by (2) a very shallow decay (0.2 {approx}< a{sub 2} {approx}< 0.8), and finally (3) a somewhat steeper decay (1 {approx}< a{sub 3} {approx}< 1.5). These power law segments are separated by two corresponding break times, 300 s {approx}< t{sub break,1} {approx}< 500 s and 10{sup 3} s {approx}< t{sub break,2} {approx}< 10{sup 4} s. On top of this canonical behavior of the early X-ray light curve, many events have superimposed X-ray flares, which are most likely caused by internal shocks due to long lasting sporadic activity of the central engine, up to several hours after the GRB. We find that the initial steep decay is consistent with it being the tail of the prompt emission, from photons that are radiated at large angles relative to our line of sight. The first break in the light curve (t{sub break,1}) …

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Summary of the major alignment activities that have taken place at SLAC.