Article on the first-principles theory of metal-alkaline earth oxide interfaces.

In 2004, the US DOE established the LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) with the goal of developing a technology base for future upgrades of the LHC. The focus of the magnet program, which is a collaboration of three US laboratories, BNL, FNAL and LBNL, is on development of high gradient quadrupoles using Nb{sub 3}Sn superconductor. Other program components address issues regarding magnet design, radiation-hard materials, long magnet scale-up, quench protection, fabrication techniques and conductor and cable R&D. This paper presents an overall view of the program with emphasis on the current quadrupole project and outlines the long-term goals of the program.

Three-dimensional two-fluid simulations of heat transport due to resonant magnetic perturbations of tokamaks have been computed by coupling the TRIP3D field line tracing code to the E3D edge transport code. The predicted electron temperature contours follow the new separatrix represented by the perturbed invariant manifold structure of the X-point in qualitative agreement with X-point TV observations. However, preliminary modeling predicts that the resulting stochastic heat transport is greater than that measured in low-collisionality ELM suppression experiments in DIII-D H-mode plasmas. While improved determination of transport coefficients is definitely required, possible explanations include plasma screening of resonant perturbations, invalid treatment of the edge as a fluid, or insufficient understanding of stochastic heat transport.

Energy modeling and analysis often relies on data collected for other purposes such as census counts, atmospheric and air quality observations, and economic projections. These data are available at various spatial and temporal scales, which may be different from those needed by the energy modeling community. If the translation from the original format to the format required by the energy researcher is incorrect, then resulting models can produce misleading conclusions. This is of increasing importance, because of the fine resolution data required by models for new alternative energy sources such as wind and distributed generation. This paper addresses the matter by applying spatial statistical techniques which improve the usefulness of spatial data sets (maps) that do not initially meet the spatial and/or temporal requirements of energy models. In particular, we focus on (1) aggregation and disaggregation of spatial data, (2) imputing missing data and (3) merging spatial data sets.

This research demonstrates economically optimal distributedenergy resource (DER) system choice using the DER choice and operationsoptimization program, the Distributed Energy Resources Customer AdoptionModel (DER-CAM). DER-CAM finds the optimal combination of installedequipment given prevailing utility tariffs and fuel prices, siteelectrical and thermal loads (including absorption cooling), and a menuof available equipment. It provides a global optimization, albeitidealized, that shows how site useful energy loads can be served atminimum cost. Five prototype Japanese commercial buildings are examinedand DER-CAM is applied to select the economically optimal DER system foreach. Based on the optimization results, energy and emission reductionsare evaluated. Significant decreases in fuel consumption, carbonemissions, and energy costs were seen in the DER-CAM results. Savingswere most noticeable in the prototype sports facility, followed by thehospital, hotel, and office building. Results show that DER with combinedheat and power equipment is a promising efficiency and carbon mitigationstrategy, but that precise system design is necessary. Furthermore, aJapan-U.S. comparison study of policy, technology, and utility tariffsrelevant to DER installation is presented.

At the time of this writing, we have manufactured and delivered more than 25 multilayer dielectric diffraction gratings from 470-800 mm in long aperture for pulse compression on Petawatt-class,1-micron laser systems being built at government and university facilities in the U.S and elsewhere. We present statistics of diffraction efficiency and its spatial uniformity, diffracted wavefront, and laser damage results on witness gratings. We also discuss yield, failure modes, and manufacturing improvements necessary to improve upon the current state of the art.

Responding to the need to reduce atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide, Donald Brown (2000) proposed a novel enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) concept that would use CO{sub 2} instead of water as heat transmission fluid, and would achieve geologic sequestration of CO{sub 2} as an ancillary benefit. Following up on his suggestion, we have evaluated thermophysical properties and performed numerical simulations to explore the fluid dynamics and heat transfer issues in an engineered geothermal reservoir that would be operated with CO{sub 2}. We find that CO{sub 2} is superior to water in its ability to mine heat from hot fractured rock. CO{sub 2} also has certain advantages with respect to wellbore hydraulics, where larger compressibility and expansivity as compared to water would increase buoyancy forces and would reduce the parasitic power consumption of the fluid circulation system. While the thermal and hydraulic aspects of a CO{sub 2}-EGS system look promising, major uncertainties remain with regard to chemical interactions between fluids and rocks. An EGS system running on CO{sub 2} has sufficiently attractive features to warrant further investigation.

In the Ge on Si model heteroepitaxial system, metal patterns on the silicon surface provide unprecedented control over the morphology of highly ordered Ge islands. Island shape including nanorods and truncated pyramids is set by the metal species and substrate orientation. Analysis of island faceting elucidates the prominent role of the metal in promoting growth of preferred facet orientations while investigations of island composition and structure reveal the importance of Si-Ge intermixing in island evolution. These effects reflect a remarkable combination of metal-mediated growth phenomena that may be exploited to tailor the functionality of island arrays in heteroepitaxial systems.

We describe a domain decomposition algorithm for use in several variants of the parallel adaptive meshing paradigm of Bank and Holst. This algorithm has low communication, makes extensive use of existing sequential solvers, and exploits in several important ways data generated as part of the adaptive meshing paradigm. We show that for an idealized version of the algorithm, the rate of convergence is independent of both the global problem size N and the number of subdomains p used in the domain decomposition partition. Numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness of the procedure.

Germanium, element No.32, was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler. Its first broad application was in the form of point contact Schottky diodes for radar reception during WWII. The addition of a closely spaced second contact led to the first all-solid-state electronic amplifier device, the transistor. The relatively low bandgap, the lack of a stable oxide and large surface state densities relegated germanium to the number 2 position behind silicon. The discovery of the lithium drift process, which made possible the formation of p-i-n diodes with fully depletable i-regions several centimeters thick, led germanium to new prominence as the premier gamma-ray detector. The development of ultra-pure germanium yielded highly stable detectors which have remained unsurpassed in their performance. New acceptors and donors were discovered and the electrically active role of hydrogen was clearly established several years before similar findings in silicon. Lightly doped germanium has found applications as far infrared detectors and heavily Neutron Transmutation Doped (NTD) germanium is used in thermistor devices operating at a few milliKelvin. Recently germanium has been rediscovered by the silicon device community because of its superior electron and hole mobility and its ability to induce strains when alloyed with silicon. Germanium is again a …

Experiments are described which examine the transport and deposition of carbon entering the main plasma scrape-off layer in DIII-D. {sup 13}CH{sub 4} was injected from a toroidally symmetric source into the crown of lower single-null detached ELMy H-mode plasmas. {sup 13}C deposition, mapped by nuclear reaction analysis of tiles, was high at the inner divertor but absent at the outer divertor, as found previously for low density L-mode plasmas. This asymmetry indicates that ionized carbon is swept towards the inner divertor by a fast flow in the scrape-off layer. In the private flux region between inner and outer strike points, carbon deposition was low for L-mode but high for the H-mode plasmas. OEDGE modeling reproduces observed deposition patterns and indicates that neutral carbon dominates deposition in the divertor from detached H-mode plasmas.

There is a growing acceptance that the environmentalbenefits of forests extend beyond traditional ecological benefits andinclude the mitigation of climate change. Interest in forestry mitigationactivities has led to the inclusion of forestry practices at the projectlevel in international agreements. Climate change activities place newdemands on participating institutions to set baselines, establishadditionality, determine leakage, ensure permanence, and monitor andverify a project's greenhouse gas benefits. These issues are common toboth forestry and other types of mitigation projects. They demandempirical evidence to establish conditions under which such projects canprovide sustained long term global benefits. This Special Issue reportson papers that experiment with a range of approaches based on empiricalevidence for the setting of baselines and estimation of leakage inprojects in developing Asia and Latin America.

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In order to identify regulators of nuclear organization, Drosophila mutants in the Su(var)3-9 histone H3K9 methyltransferase, RNAi pathway components, and other regulators of heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing were examined for altered nucleoli and positioning of repeated DNAs. Animals lacking components of the H3K9 methylation and RNAi pathways contained disorganized nucleoli, ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and satellite DNAs. The levels of H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) in chromatin associated with repeated DNAs decreased dramatically in Su(var)3-9 and dcr-2 (dicer-2) mutant tissues compared to wild type. We also observed a substantial increase in extrachromosomal repeated DNAs in mutant tissues. The disorganized nucleolus phenotype depends on the presence of Ligase 4 (Lig4), and ecc DNA formation is not induced by removal of cohesin. We conclude that H3K9 methylation of rDNA and satellites, maintained by Su(var)3-9, HP1, and the RNAi pathway, is necessary for the structural stability of repeated DNAs, which is mediated through suppression of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). These results suggest a mechanism for how local chromatin structure can regulate genome stability, and the organization of chromosomal elements and nuclear organelles.

Use of carbon in tokamaks leads to a serious tritium retention issue due to co-deposition. To further investigate the processes involved, a detached ELMy H-mode (6.5 MW NBI) experiment was performed on DIII-D in which {sup 13}CH{sub 4} was puffed into the main vessel through the toroidally symmetric pumping plenum at the top of lower single-null discharges. Subsequently, the {sup 13}C content of tiles taken from the vessel wall was measured. The interpretive OEDGE code was used to model the results. The {sup 13}C deposition pattern could be reproduced, in general shape and magnitude, by assuming in the code the existence of a parallel flow and a radial pinch in the scrape-off layer. Parallel flows of Mach {approx} 0.3 toward the inner divertor and a radial pinch {approx}10 to 20 m/s (+ R-direction) were found to yield {sup 13}C deposition comparable to the experiment.

Utilizing load, price, and survey data for 119 largecustomers that paid competitively determined hourly electricity pricesannounced the previous day between 2000 and 2004, this study providesinsight into the factors that determine the intensity of price response.Peak and off-peak electricity can be: perfect complements, substitutes,or substitutes where high peak prices cause temporary disconnection fromthe grid, as for some firms with on-site generation. The averageelasticity of substitution is 0.11. Thirty percent of the customers usepeak and off-peak electricity in fixed proportions. The 18 percent withelasticities greater than 0.10 provide 75 percent of the aggregate priceresponse. In contrast to Industrial customers, Commercial/Retail andGovernment/Education customers are more price responsive on hot days andwhen the ratio of peak to off-peak prices is high. Price responsivenessis not substantially reduced when customers operate near peak usage.Diversity of customer circumstances and price response suggest dynamicpricing is suited for some, but not all customers.

As the world moves into the 21st century, the possibility of greater reliance on nuclear energy will impose additional technical requirements to prevent proliferation. In addition to proliferation resistant reactors, a careful examination of the various possible fuel cycles from cradle to grave will provide additional technical and nonproliferation challenges in the areas of conversion, enrichment, transportation, recycling and waste disposal. Radiation detection technology and information management have a prominent role in any future global regime for nonproliferation. As nuclear energy and hence nuclear materials become an increasingly global phenomenon, using local technologies and capabilities facilitate incorporation of enhanced monitoring and detection on the regional level. Radiation detection technologies are an important tool in the prevention of proliferation and countering radiological/nuclear terrorism. A variety of new developments have enabled enhanced performance in terms of energy resolution, spatial resolution, passive detection, predictive modeling and simulation, active interrogation, and ease of operation and deployment in the field. For example, various gamma ray imaging approaches are being explored to combine spatial resolution with background suppression in order to enhance sensitivity many-fold at reasonable standoff distances and acquisition times. New materials and approaches are being developed in order to provide adequate energy resolution in …

The dispersion of pollutants from the ground by turbulent winds is difficult to model in general. However, for flat homogeneous terrain and steady wind conditions, if the wind profile is modeled with a power-law dependence on height, the advection-dispersion equation has an exact solution. In this paper the analytical solution is compared to a numerical simulation of the coupled air-ground system for a leaking underground gas storage, with a power-law velocity profile that was fit to the logarithmic velocity profile used in the simulation. The two methods produced similar results far from the boundaries, but the boundary conditions had a strong effect; the simulation imposed boundary conditions at the edge of a finite domain while the analytic solution imposes them at infinity. The reverse seepage from air to ground was shown in the simulation to be very small, and the sharp contrast between time scales suggests that air and ground can be modeled separately, with gas emissions from the ground model used as inputs to the air model.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy funded Frio Brine Pilot provided an opportunity to test borehole seismic monitoring techniques in a saline formation in southeast Texas. A relatively small amount of CO{sub 2} was injected (about 1600 tons) into a thin injection interval (about 6 m thick at 1500 m depth). Designed tests included time-lapse vertical seismic profile (VSP) and crosswell surveys which investigated the detectability of CO{sub 2} with surface-to-borehole and borehole-to-borehole measurement.

Total and partial charge-changing cross sections have been measured for argon projectiles at 400 MeV/nucleon in carbon, aluminum, copper, tin and lead targets; cross sections for hydrogen were also obtained, using a polyethylene target. The validity of weak and strong factorization properties has been investigated for partial charge-changing cross sections; preliminary cross section values obtained for carbon, neon and silicon at 290 and 400 MeV/nucleon and iron at 400 MeV/nucleon, in carbon, aluminum, copper, tin and lead targets have been also used for testing these properties. Two different analysis methods were applied and both indicated that these properties are valid, without any significant difference between weak and strong factorization. The factorization parameters have then been calculated and analyzed in order to find some systematic behavior useful for modeling purposes.

CALPHAD assessment of the thermodynamic properties of a series of Pu-based alloys is briefly presented together with some results on the kinetics of phase formation and transformations in Pu-Ga alloys.

The radial particle flux in the scrape-off-layer (SOL) during ELMing H-mode is examined in DIII-D as a function of density. The global radial particle flux in the outboard far SOL is determined by a window frame technique. Between ELMs the outboard far SOL particle flux increases strongly with density but remains similar to the particle flux across the separatrix as estimated by the pedestal density and temperature gradients. At low density the steep density gradient of the pedestal extends up to 2 cm outside the separatrix. At high density the density gradient flattens just outside the separatrix making this region critical for assessment of the far SOL particle flux. During ELMs the far SOL particle flux becomes localized to the outboard midplane and the assumptions for the window frame analysis break down. Implications for scaling of main chamber wall particle flux and pedestal fueling are explored.

High precision uranium isotope measurements of marineclastic sediments are used to measure the transport and storage time ofsediment from source to site of deposition. The approach is demonstratedon fine-grained, late Pleistocene deep-sea sediments from Ocean DrillingProgram Site 984A on the Bjorn Drift in the North Atlantic. The sedimentsare siliciclastic with up to 30 percent carbonate, and dated by sigma 18Oof benthic foraminifera. Nd and Sr isotopes indicate that provenance hasoscillated between a proximal source during the last three interglacialperiods volcanic rocks from Iceland and a distal continental sourceduring glacial periods. An unexpected finding is that the 234U/238Uratios of the silicate portion of the sediment, isolated by leaching withhydrochloric acid, are significantly less than the secular equilibriumvalue and show large and systematic variations that are correlated withglacial cycles and sediment provenance. The 234U depletions are inferredto be due to alpha-recoil loss of234Th, and are used to calculate"comminution ages" of the sediment -- the time elapsed between thegeneration of the small (<_ 50 mu-m) sediment grains in the sourceareas by comminution of bedrock, and the time of deposition on theseafloor. Transport times, the difference between comminution ages anddepositional ages, vary from less than 10 ky to about 300 to 400 ky forthe …

The {gamma} decay of the Giant Dipole Resonance in the {sup 132}Ce compound nucleus with temperature up to {approx} 4 MeV has been measured. The symmetric {sup 64}Ni + {sup 68}Zn at E{sub beam} = 300, 400, 500 MeV and the asymmetric reaction {sup 16}O + {sup 116}Sn at E{sub beam} = 130, 250 MeV have been investigated. Light charged particles and {gamma} rays have been detected in coincidence with the recoiling compound system. In the case of the mass symmetric {sup 64}Ni induced reaction the {gamma} and charged particle spectral shapes are found to be consistent with the emission from a fully equilibrated compound nuclei and the GDR parameters are extracted from the data using a statistical model analysis. The GDR width is found to increase almost linear with temperature. This increase is rather well reproduced within a model which includes both the thermal fluctuation of the nuclear shape and the lifetime of the compound nucleus.