The Hf and Nd isotopic compositions of 71 Quaternary lavas collected from locations along the full length of the Aleutian island arc are used to constrain the sources of Aleutian magmas and to provide insight into the geochemical behavior of Nd and Hf and related elements in the Aleutian subduction-magmatic system. Isotopic compositions of Aleutian lavas fall approximately at the center of, and form a trend parallel to, the terrestrial Hf-Nd isotopic array with {var_epsilon}{sub Hf} of +12.0 to +15.5 and {var_epsilon}{sub Nd} of +6.5 to +10.5. Basalts, andesites, and dacites within volcanic centers or in nearby volcanoes generally all have similar isotopic compositions, indicating that there is little measurable effect of crustal or other lithospheric assimilation within the volcanic plumbing systems of Aleutian volcanoes. Hafnium isotopic compositions have a clear pattern of along-arc increase that is continuous from the eastern-most locations near Cold Bay to Piip Seamount in the western-most part of the arc. This pattern is interpreted to reflect a westward decrease in the subducted sediment component present in Aleutian lavas, reflecting progressively lower rates of subduction westward as well as decreasing availability of trench sediment. Binary bulk mixing models (sediment + peridotite) demonstrate that 1-2% of the …

We examine the nucleated (with barrier) activation of perfectly wetting (zero contact angle) particles ranging from bulk size down to one nanometer. Thermodynamic properties of the particles, coated with liquid layers of varying thickness and surrounded by vapor, are analyzed. Nano-size particles are predicted to activate at relative humidity below the Kelvin curve on crossing a nucleation barrier, located at a critical liquid layer thickness such that the total particle size (core + liquid layer) equals the Kelvin radius (Fig. 1). This barrier vanishes precisely as the critical layer thickness approaches the thin layer limit and the Kelvin radius equals the radius of the particle itself. These considerations are similar to those included in Fletcher's theory (Fletcher, 1958) however the present analysis differs in several important respects. Firstly, where Fletcher used the classical prefactor-exponent form for the nucleation rate, requiring separate estimation of the kinetic prefactor, we solve a diffusion-drift equation that is equivalent to including the full Becker-Doering (BD) multi-state kinetics of condensation/evaporation along the growth coordinate. We also determine the mean first passage time (MFPT) for barrier crossing (Wedekind et al., 2007), which is shown to provide a generalization of BD nucleation kinetics especially useful for barrier heights …

The quantitative verification of the accountancy of fissile nuclear materials through independent measurements represents one of the key elements of nuclear materials Safeguards. Elemental probes of materials of interest to non-proliferation are critical to research strategy in order to identify sensitive advanced instrumentation detection technologies. Advanced instrumentation for material detection and accountability are needed for use in fuel cycle facilities for real-time in-process monitoring of separations-partitioning, fuels fabrication as well as for traditional safeguards activities. Radiation-based NDA (non-destructive analysis) techniques can provide some vital information about nuclear materials much more quickly, cheaply and safely than chemical or radio chemical analysis. Hybrid K-edge densitometry (HKED) is currently the most accurate nondestructive inspection technique that provides sensitive quantification of heavy metal contamination. HKED in a technique that exploits both K-edge absorption and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and allows simultaneously greater elemental specificity and lower detection limits

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Throughout the three-year project funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and lead by Virginia Tech (VT), project tasks were modified by consensus to fit the changing needs of the DOE with respect to developing new inert matrix fuel processing techniques. The focus throughout the project was on the use of microwave energy to sinter fully stabilized zirconia pellets using microwave energy and to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques that were developed. Additionally, the research team was to propose fundamental concepts as to processing radioactive fuels based on the effectiveness of the microwave process in sintering the simulated matrix material.