The Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) will take place in central Oklahoma during the April–May 2011 period. The experiment is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission Ground Validation (GV) program. The field campaign leverages the unprecedented observing infrastructure currently available in the central United States, combined with an extensive sounding array, remote sensing and in situ aircraft observations, NASA GPM ground validation remote sensors, and new ARM instrumentation purchased with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The overarching goal is to provide the most complete characterization of convective cloud systems, precipitation, and the environment that has ever been obtained, providing constraints for model cumulus parameterizations and space-based rainfall retrieval algorithms over land that have never before been available.

Photoinjectors in advanced high-energy accelerators reduce beam energy spreads and enhance undulator photon fluxes. Photoinjector design is difficult because of the substantial differences in time and spatial scales. This Phase I program explored an innovative technique, the local Taylor polynomial (LTP) formulation, for improving finite difference analysis of photoinjectors. This included improved weighting techniques, systematic formula for high order interpolation and electric field computation, and improved handling of space charge. The Phase I program demonstrated that the approach was powerful, accurate, and efficient. It handles space charge gradients better than currently available technology.

During the 2009 calendar year, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provided health physics support for the Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Transparency Program for external and internal radiation protection. LLNL also provided technical expertise related to BDMS radioactive sources and Russian radiation safety regulatory compliance. For the calendar year 2009, there were 159 person-trips that required dose monitoring of the U.S. monitors. Of the 159 person-trips, 149 person-trips were SMVs and 10 person-trips were Transparency Monitoring Office (TMO) trips. There were 4 monitoring visits by TMO monitors to facilities other than UEIE and 10 to UEIE itself. LLNL's Hazard Control Department laboratories provided the dosimetry services for the HEU Transparency monitors. In 2009, the HEU Transparency activities in Russia were conducted in a radiologically safe manner for the HEU Transparency monitors in accordance with the expectations of the HEU Transparency staff, NNSA and DOE. The HEU Transparency Program now has over fifteen years of successful experience in developing and providing health and safety support in meeting its technical objectives.

DOWTHERM A oil is being considered for use as a heat transfer fluid in experiments to help in the design of heat transfer components for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). In conjection with the experiments RELAP5-3D/ATHENA will be used to help design and analyzed the data generated by the experiments. Inorder to use RELAP5-3D the thermophysical properties of DOWTHERM A were implemented into the fluids package of the RELAP5-3D/ATHENA computer propgram. DOWTHERM A properties were implemented in RELAP5-3D/ATHENA using thermophysical property data obtain from a Dow Chemical Company brochure. The data were curve fit and the polynomial equations developed for each required property were input into a fluid property generator. The generated data was then compared to the orginal DOWTHERM A data to verify that the fluid property data generated by the RELAP5-3D/ATHENA code was representitive of the original input data to the generator.

A significant barrier to investing in renewable energy and comprehensive energy efficiency improvements to homes across the country is the initial capital cost. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is one of several new financial models broadening access to clean energy by addressing this upfront cost issue. Recently, the White House cited PACE programs as an important element of its 'Recovery through Retrofit' plan. The residential PACE model involves the creation of a special clean energy financing district that homeowners elect to opt into. Once opted in, the local government (usually at the city or county level) finances the upfront investment of the renewable energy installation and/or energy efficiency improvements. A special lien is attached to the property and the assessment is paid back as a line item on the property tax bill. As of April 2010, 17 states have passed legislation to allow their local governments to create PACE programs, two already have the authority to set up PACE programs, and over 10 additional states are actively developing enabling legislation. This policy brief analyzes one of the advantages of PACE, which is the transferability of the special assessment from one homeowner to the next when the home is sold. …

The Wabash gasification facility, owned and operated by sgSolutions LLC, is one of the largest single train solid fuel gasification facilities in the world capable of transforming 2,000 tons per day of petroleum coke or 2,600 tons per day of bituminous coal into synthetic gas for electrical power generation. The Wabash plant utilizes Phillips66 proprietary E-Gas (TM) Gasification Process to convert solid fuels such as petroleum coke or coal into synthetic gas that is fed to a combined cycle combustion turbine power generation facility. During plant startup in 1995, reliability issues were realized in the gas filtration portion of the gasification process. To address these issues, a slipstream test unit was constructed at the Wabash facility to test various filter designs, materials and process conditions for potential reliability improvement. The char filtration slipstream unit provided a way of testing new materials, maintenance procedures, and process changes without the risk of stopping commercial production in the facility. It also greatly reduced maintenance expenditures associated with full scale testing in the commercial plant. This char filtration slipstream unit was installed with assistance from the United States Department of Energy (built under DOE Contract No. DE-FC26-97FT34158) and began initial testing in November of …

The objective of the proposed research is to utilize modern computational tools, integrated with focused experiments, to design innovative ferritic NiAl-strengthened superalloys for fossil-energy applications at temperatures up to 1,033 K. Specifically, the computational alloy design aims toward (1) a steady-state creep rate of approximately 3 x 10{sup -11} s{sup -1} at a temperature of 1,033 K and a stress level of 35 MPa, (2) a ductility of 10% at room temperature, and (3) good oxidation and corrosion resistance at 1,033 K. The research yielded many outstanding research results, including (1) impurity-diffusion coefficients in {alpha} Fe have been calculated by first principles for a variety of solute species; (2) the precipitates were characterized by the transmission-electron microscopy (TEM) and analytical-electron microscopy (AEM), and the elemental partitioning has been determined; (3) a bending ductility of more than 5% has been achieved in the unrolled materials; and (4) optimal compositions with minimal secondary creep rates at 973 K have been determined. Impurity diffusivities in {alpha} Fe have been calculated within the formalisms of a harmonic transition-state theory and Le Claire nine-frequency model for vacancy-mediated diffusion. Calculated diffusion coefficients for Mo and W impurities are comparable to or larger than that for Fe …

The Multi-sensor Airborne Radiation Survey Flight Engineering project (MARS FE) has designed a high purity germanium (HPGe) crystal array for conducting a wide range of field measurements. In addition to the HPGe detector system, a platform-specific shock and vibration isolation system and environmental housing have been designed to support demonstration activities in a maritime environment on an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). This report describes the status of the equipment as of the end of FY09.

Recommended 2{beta}(2{nu}) half-life values and their systematics were analyzed in the framework of a simple empirical approach. T{sub 1/2}{sup 2{nu}} {approx} 1/E{sup 8} trend has been observed for {sup 128,130}Te recommended values. This trend was used to predict T{sub 1/2}{sup 2{nu}} for all isotopes of interest. Current results were compared with other theoretical and experimental works.

This paper identifies the lessons to be learned for the institutionalization of Safeguards by Design (SBD) from the Department of Energy (DOE) experience developing and implementing DOE-STD-1189-2008, Integration of Safety into the Design Process. The experience is valuable because of the similarity of the challenges of integrating safety and safeguards into the design process. The paper reviews the content and development of DOE-STD-1189-2008 from its initial concept in January 2006 to its issuance in March 2008. Lessons learned are identified in the areas of the development and structure of requirements for the SBD process; the target audience for SBD requirements and guidance, the need for a graded approach to SBD, and a possible strategy for development and implementation of SBD within DOE.

The US nuclear data community, coordinated by CSEWG, is preparing release of the ENDF/B-VII.1 library. This new release will address deficiencies identified in ENDF/B-VII.0, include improved evaluations for some 50-60 materials and provide covariances for more than 110 materials. The major players in this undertaking are LANL, BNL, ORNL, and LLNL. We summarize deficiencies in the ENDF/B-VII.0 and outline development of the new library. We concentrate on the BNL activities which aim in providing covariances for the materials important for the design of the innovative reactors. Finally we outline a futuristic approach, known as assimilation that tries to link nuclear reaction theory and integral experiments.

Policy makers will most likely need to make decisions about climate policy before climate scientists have resolved all relevant uncertainties about the impacts of climate change. This study demonstrates a risk-assessment methodology for evaluating uncertain future climatic conditions. We estimate the impacts of climate change on U.S. state- and national-level economic activity from 2010 to 2050. To understand the implications of uncertainty on risk and to provide a near-term rationale for policy interventions to mitigate the course of climate change, we focus on precipitation, one of the most uncertain aspects of future climate change. We use results of the climate-model ensemble from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report 4 (AR4) as a proxy for representing climate uncertainty over the next 40 years, map the simulated weather from the climate models hydrologically to the county level to determine the physical consequences on economic activity at the state level, and perform a detailed 70-industry analysis of economic impacts among the interacting lower-48 states. We determine the industry-level contribution to the gross domestic product and employment impacts at the state level, as well as interstate population migration, effects on personal income, and consequences for the U.S. trade balance. We …

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is organising a co-operation between the major nuclear data evaluation projects in the world. The co-operation involves the ENDF, JEFF, and JENDL projects, and, owing to the collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also the Russian RUSFOND and the Chinese CENDL projects. The Working Party on international nuclear data Evaluation Cooperation (WPEC), comprised of about 20 core members, manages this co-operation and meets annually to discuss progress in each evaluation project and also related experimental activities. The WPEC assesses common needs for nuclear data improvements and these needs are then addressed by initiating joint evaluation efforts. The work is performed in specially established subgroups, consisting of experts from the participating evaluation projects. The outcome of these subgroups is published in reports, issued by the NEA. Current WPEC activities comprise for example a number of studies related to nuclear data uncertainties, including a review of methods for the combined use of integral experiments and covariance data, as well as evaluations of some of the major actinides, such as {sup 235}U and {sup 239}Pu. This paper gives an overview of current and planned activities within the WPEC.

Brief description of data collection process and plan that will be used to collect financial metrics associated with sustainable design.

This report documents the process used to identify source area contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) in support of the 300 Area remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) work plan. This report also establishes the exclusion criteria applicable for 300 Area use and the analytical methods needed to analyze the COPCs.

The cross sections of the neutron induced reactions on {sup 233,234,236}U, {sup 237}Np, {sup 238,242}Pu, {sup 241,243}Am, {sup 242,246}Cm carried out in the energy range 1 keV-20 MeV with EMPIRE code are presented, emphasizing the fission channel. Beside a consistent, accurate set of evaluations, the paper contains arguments supporting the choice of the reaction models and input parameters. A special attention is paid to the fission parameters and their uncertainties.

In this project we propose to investigate the use of novel accelerator structure cell geometry to enhance the performance of X-band photo-injectors. Making novel accelerator concepts possible involves fabrication and testing of components to ensure that the performance predicted by simulation is robustly achievable. This work is important because photo-injectors are increasingly used to provide high brightness electron beams for light sources, pushing their performance to the limits, but also requiring them to be user-facility stable. Careful investigation in both computer simulation and design, and low power testing of piece parts will enable the successful fabrication of an advanced X-band photo-injector.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Cyber Security Division (NSCD), Control Systems Security Program (CSSP), contracted Sandia National Laboratories to develop a generic methodology for prioritizing cyber-vulnerable, critical infrastructure assets and the development of mitigation strategies for their loss or compromise. The initial project has been divided into three discrete deliverables: (1) A generic methodology report suitable to all Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource (CIKR) Sectors (this report); (2) a sector-specific report for Electrical Power Distribution; and (3) a sector-specific report for the water sector, including generation, water treatment, and wastewater systems. Specific reports for the water and electric sectors are available from Sandia National Laboratories.

The performance parameters of a superconducting cavity, notably accelerating field and quality factor, are first obtained in a cryogenic vertical test Dewar, and again after the final assembly in its cryostat. The tests involve Network Analyzer (NA) measurements in which the cavity is excited through an input coupler and the properties are obtained from the reflected signal at the input and the transmitted signal from the output coupler. The interpretation of the scattering coefficients in terms of field strength requires the knowledge of the Fundamental Power Coupler (FPC) and Pick-Up (PU) coupler strength, as expressed by their 'external' and Q{sub FPC} Q{sub PU}. The coupler strength is independent of the field level or cavity losses and thus can be determined at low levels with the scattering coefficients S{sub 11} and S{sub 21}, assuming standard 50 {Omega} terminations in the network analyzer. Also needed is the intrinsic cavity parameter, R{sub a} /Q{sub 0} {triple_bond} {l_brace}R/Q{r_brace}, a quantity independent of field or losses which must be obtained from simulation programs, such as the Microwave Studio.

A TRACE/PARCS input model has been developed in order to be able to analyze anticipated transients without scram (ATWS) in a boiling water reactor. The model is based on one developed previously for the Browns Ferry reactor for doing loss-of-coolant accident analysis. This model was updated by adding the control systems needed for ATWS and a core model using PARCS. The control systems were based on models previously developed for the TRAC-B code. The PARCS model is based on information (e.g., exposure and moderator density (void) history distributions) obtained from General Electric Hitachi and cross sections for GE14 fuel obtained from an independent source. The model is able to calculate an ATWS, initiated by the closure of main steam isolation valves, with recirculation pump trip, water level control, injection of borated water from the standby liquid control system and actuation of the automatic depres-surization system. The model is not considered complete and recommendations are made on how it should be improved.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a special type of porous material with a number of unique properties, including exceptionally high surface areas, large internal pore volumes (void space) and tunable pore sizes. These materials are prepared through the assembly of molecular building blocks into ordered three-dimensional structures. The bulk properties of the MOF are determined by the nature of the building blocks and, as such, these materials can be designed with special characteristics that cannot be realized in other sorbent materials, like activated carbons. For example, MOFs can be constructed with binding sites or pockets that can exhibit selectivity for specific analytes. Alternatively, the framework can be engineered to undergo reversible dimensional changes (or 'breathing') upon interaction with an analyte, effectively trapping the molecule of interest in the lattice structure. In this report, we have surveyed the 4000 different MOF structures reported in the open literature and provided recommendations for specific MOF materials that should be investigated as sorbents for this project.

A first observation of two resonance-like structures at mass numbers 92 and 112 in the average capture widths of the p-wave neutron resonances relative to the s-wave component is interpreted in terms of a spin-orbit splitting of the 3p single-particle state into P{sub 3/2} and P{sub 1/2} components at the neutron separation energy. A third structure at about A = 124, which is not correlated with the 3p-wave neutron strength function, is possibly due to the Pygmy Dipole Resonance. Five significant results emerge from this investigation: (i) The strength of the spin-orbit potential of the optical-model is determined as 5.7 {+-} 0.5 MeV, (ii) Non-statistical effects dominate the p-wave neutron-capture in the mass region A = 85 - 130, (iii) The background magnitude of the p-wave average capture-width relative to that of the s-wave is determined as 0.50 {+-} 0.05, which is accounted for quantitatively in tenns of the generalized Fermi liquid model of Mughabghab and Dunford, (iv) The p-wave resonances arc partially decoupled from the giant-dipole resonance (GDR), and (v) Gamma-ray transitions, enhanced over the predictions of the GDR, are observed in the {sup 90}Zr - {sup 98}Mo and Sn-Ba regions.

The standard Big Bang universe model is mainly based on linear interactions, except during exotic periods such as inflation. The purpose of the present proposal is to explore the effects, if any, of vacuum polarization in the very high energy density environment of the early universe. These conditions can be found today in astrophysical settings and may also be emulated in the laboratory using high intensity advanced lasers. Shortly after the Big Bang, there once existed a time when the energy density of the universe corresponded to a temperature in the range 10{sup 8} - 10{sup 9} K, sufficient to cause vacuum polarization effects. During this period, the nonlinear vacuum polarization may have had significant modifications on the propagation of radiation. Thus the thermal spectrum of the early universe may have been starkly non-Planckian. Measurements of the cosmic microwave background today show a spectrum relatively close to an ideal blackbody. Could the early universe have shown spectral deviations due to nonlinear vacuum effects? If so, is it possible to detect traces of those relic photons in the universe today? Found in galactic environments, compact objects such as blazars and magnetars can possess astronomically large energy densities that far exceed anything …

The project scope was to install a diesel generated power source to deep well 4 in addition to the existing commercial power source. The diesel power source and its fuel supply system shall be seismically qualified to withstand a Performance Category 4 (PC-4) seismic event. This diesel power source will permit the deep well to operate during a loss of commercial power. System design will incorporate the ability to select and transfer power between the new diesel power source and commercial power sources for the the deep well motor and TRA-672 building loads.