We summarize our research results in three main areas: coating flows; electrohydrodynamics of drops; and wetting and spreading of drops. Experimental, computational and analytical methods are used to address a variety of issues. Coating flow studies include the effect of roughness, surfactants, and adsorbed particles on the dynamics of dip-coating. Electrohydrodynamic studies include drop deformation in uniform electric fields, shape distortion due to charge convection in sedimenting drops, and driving chaotic advection by either an electric field inclined to the direction of drop motion or time-periodic changes in the direction of the electric field. Heat and mass transport from chaotically mixed droplets exhibit unexpected and remarkable increases in the rates of transport. Finally, we develop an analytical solution to the problem of a static droplet, and use numerical techniques to predict its migration due to surface tension gradients.

This binary plant is the first high-output refrigeration based waste heat recovery cycle in the industry. Its working fluid is environmentally friendly and as such, the permits that would be required with a butane based cycle are not necessary. The unit is modularized, meaning that the unit’s individual skids were assembled in another location and were shipped via truck to the plant site. This project proves the technical feasibility of using low temperature brine The development of the unit led to the realization of low temperature, high output, and environmentally friendly heat recovery systems through domestic research and engineering. The project generates additional renewable energy for Nevada, resulting in cleaner air and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Royalty and tax payments to governmental agencies will increase, resulting in reduced financial pressure on local entities. The major components of the unit were sourced from American companies, resulting in increased economic activity throughout the country.

A boildown study was completed on a composite prepared from supernatant liquid grab samples retrieved from tank 241-AP-107 in May of 2010. The composite was a clear, yellow liquid containing no visible solids at hot cell ambient temperatures (25-27 °C). The density of the test composite was 1.216 g/mL at 26.8 °C. The boiling temperature curves generated at three reduced pressures—40-, 60-, and 80 Torr—displayed steadily increasing boiling temperatures with increasing volume reduction with no significant discontinuities. Only minimal foaming was observed after the volume reduction proceeded beyond 50 %WVR (percent waste volume reduction). The bulk densities (D{sub Bulk}{sup 18 °C}) and quantities of settled and centrifuged solids present were measured on samples of the boildown concentrates that were kept at 18 °C for 7-8 days. Estimated values of the bulk densities of the concentrates at 60-Torr boiling temperatures (D{sub Bulk}{sup 60 Torr}) were also calculated. Solids were observed in all boildown concentrates at process temperatures, at hot cell ambient temperatures (25-27 °C), and at 18 °C. The quantity of solids found in the cooled concentrates increased slowly through 50.2 %WVR. The quantity of solids found in concentrates after 54.0 %WVR was noticeably greater. Beyond 54.0 %WVR, the quantity of …

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In this study, we evaluate the possibility of monitoring soil moisture variation using tomographic ground penetrating radar travel time data through Bayesian inversion, which is integrated with entropy memory function and pilot point concepts, as well as efficient sampling approaches. It is critical to accurately estimate soil moisture content and variations in vadose zone studies. Many studies have illustrated the promise and value of GPR tomographic data for estimating soil moisture and associated changes, however, challenges still exist in the inversion of GPR tomographic data in a manner that quantifies input and predictive uncertainty, incorporates multiple data types, handles non-uniqueness and nonlinearity, and honors time-lapse tomograms collected in a series. To address these challenges, we develop a minimum relative entropy (MRE)-Bayesian based inverse modeling framework that non-subjectively defines prior probabilities, incorporates information from multiple sources, and quantifies uncertainty. The framework enables us to estimate dielectric permittivity at pilot point locations distributed within the tomogram, as well as the spatial correlation range. In the inversion framework, MRE is first used to derive prior probability distribution functions (pdfs) of dielectric permittivity based on prior information obtained from a straight-ray GPR inversion. The probability distributions are then sampled using a Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) …

Research focused on detailed studies of the complex combustion chemistry of oxygenated, bio-derived fuels. In particular, studies were done of the flame chemistry of simple methyl and ethyl esters chosen as surrogates for the long-chain esters that are primary constituents of biodiesel fuels. The principal goals of these studies were: (1) show how fuel-specific structural differences including degree of unsaturation, linear vs. branched chain structures, and methoxy vs. ethoxy functions affect fueldestruction pathways, (2) understand the chemistry leading to potential increases in the emissions of hazardous air pollutants including aldehydes and ketones inherent in the use of biodiesel fuels, and (3) define the key chemical reaction mechanisms responsible for observed reductions in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and particulate matter when oxygenated fuels are used as replacements for conventional fuels.

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Tests results are given for exposure of multimode optical fiber to high temperatures (300 deg. C) and high partial pressure (15 bar) hydrogen. These results demonstrate that fluorine down doped optical fibers are much more hydrogen tolerant than traditional germanium doped multimode optical fibers. Also demonstrated is the similar hydrogen tolerance of carbon coated and non-carbon coated fibers. Model for reversible H2 impact in fiber versus T{sup o}C and H2 pressure is given. These results have significant impact for the longevity of use for distributed temperature sensing applications in harsh environments such as geothermal wells.

The 2011 Aspen Winter Conference on Particle Physics was held at the Aspen Center for Physics from February 12 to February 18, 2011. Ninety-four participants from ten countries, and several universities and national labs attended the workshop titled, �New Data From the Energy Frontier.� There were 54 formal talks, and a considerable number of informal discussions held during the week. The week�s events included a public lecture (�The Hunt for the Elusive Higgs Boson� given by Ben Kilminster from Ohio State University) and attended by 119 members of the public, and a physics caf� geared for high schoolers that is a discussion with physicists. The 2011 Aspen Winter Conference on Astroparticle physics held at the Aspen Center for Physics was �Indirect and Direct Detection of Dark Matter.� It was held from February 6 to February 12, 2011. The 70 participants came from 7 countries and attended 53 talks over five days. Late mornings through the afternoon are reserved for informal discussions. In feedback received from participants, it is often these unplanned chats that produce the most excitement due to working through problems with fellow physicists from other institutions and countries or due to incipient collaborations. In addition, Blas Cabrera of …

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The objectives of the confirmatory survey were to verify that remedial actions were effective in meeting established release criteria and that documentation accurately and adequately described the final radiological conditions of the RAM Ambrosia Lake, Section 4 Areas.

As the quality of EUV-wavelength mask inspection microscopes improves over time, the image properties and intensity profiles of reflected light can be evaluated in ever-greater detail. The SEMATECH Berkeley Actinic Inspection Tool (AIT) is one such microscope, featuring mask resolution values that match or exceed those available through lithographic printing in current photoresists. In order to evaluate the defect detection sensitivity of the AIT for dense line patterns on typical masks, the authors study the line width roughness (LWR) on two masks, as measured in the EUV images. They report the through-focus and pitch dependence of contrast, image log slope, linewidth, and LWR. The AIT currently reaches LWR 3{sigma} values close to 9 nm for 175 nm half-pitch lines. This value is below 10% linewidth for nearly all lines routinely measured in the AIT. Evidence suggests that this lower level may arise from the mask's inherent pattern roughness. While the sensitivity limit of the AlT has not yet been established, it is clear that the AIT has the required sensitivity to detect defects that cause 10% linewidth changes in line sizes of 125 nm and larger.

Summarizes research conducted at Bonneville Dam in 2008 to evaluate a prototype Behavioral Guidance Structure, that was deployed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in an effort to increase survival of outmigrating smolts at Bonneville Dam.

Decadal samples of dendrochronologically-dated pine (Lagorostrobos franklinii) from the Stanley River basin, Tasmania have been radiocarbon dated between 2120-850 yr BP. This data set overlaps and extends the current Southern Hemisphere record, which currently covers the period 110-995 yr BP. There is good agreement between the two records between 995-850 yr BP, between sample replicates and with consensus values for standards. As in the younger dataset, we find evidence for a distinct but variable offset between the southern hemisphere data and IntCal04; although this is likely due to real temporal variability in the interhemispheric offset, further work is planned to rule out possible laboratory or sample preparation differences.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation occupies an area of 586 square miles in southeastern Washington state. The site was created as part of the World War II Manhattan Project to produce weapons grade plutonium. A multitude of old reactor plants, processing facilities, underground tank farms, contaminated soil and ground water remain and are part of an on-going environmental cleanup mission of the site. The Columbia River bisects Hanford, and the concern is that the river will become contaminated if the sources of contamination are not removed. Currently facilities are being removed, the ground water is being treated, and contaminated soil is being transferred to an approved burial ground about 15 miles away from the River located in the center of the Hanford Site The remaining facilities and adjacent structures are undergoing D&D (decontaminate and demolish) and to date, significant progress has been made. During this presentation, I will discuss how we are using innovative tools and work practices to D&D these Hanford Site facilities.

Hydraulic conductivities of volcanic and carbonate lithologic units at the Nevada Test Site were estimated from flow logs and aquifer-test data. Borehole flow and drawdown were integrated and interpreted using a radial, axisymmetric flow model, AnalyzeHOLE. This integrated approach is used because complex well completions and heterogeneous aquifers and confining units produce vertical flow in the annular space and aquifers adjacent to the wellbore. AnalyzeHOLE simulates vertical flow, in addition to horizontal flow, which accounts for converging flow toward screen ends and diverging flow toward transmissive intervals. Simulated aquifers and confining units uniformly are subdivided by depth into intervals in which the hydraulic conductivity is estimated with the Parameter ESTimation (PEST) software. Between 50 and 150 hydraulic-conductivity parameters were estimated by minimizing weighted differences between simulated and measured flow and drawdown. Transmissivity estimates from single-well or multiple-well aquifer tests were used to constrain estimates of hydraulic conductivity. The distribution of hydraulic conductivity within each lithology had a minimum variance because estimates were constrained with Tikhonov regularization. AnalyzeHOLE simulated hydraulic-conductivity estimates for lithologic units across screened and cased intervals are as much as 100 times less than those estimated using proportional flow-log analyses applied across screened intervals only. Smaller estimates of …

Analysis of the magnetic field structure from electromagnetic simulations of tokamak ion temperature gradient turbulence demonstrates that the magnetic field can be stochastic even at very low plasma pressure. The degree of magnetic stochasticity is quantified by evaluating the magnetic diffusion coefficient. We find that the magnetic stochasticity fails to produce a dramatic increase in the electron heat conductivity because the magnetic diffusion coefficient remains small.

Recently, the direct-strike lighting environment for the stockpile-to-target sequence was updated [1]. In [1], the severe (1%) lightning current waveforms for first and subsequent return strokes are defined based on Heidler's waveform. This report presents numerical calculations of the spectra of those 1% lightning current waveforms and their first derivatives. First, the 1% lightning current models are repeated here for convenience. Then, the numerical method for calculating the spectra is presented and tested. The test uses a double-exponential waveform and its first derivative, which we fit to the previous 1% direct-strike lighting environment from [2]. Finally, the resulting spectra are given and are compared with those of the double-exponential waveform and its first derivative.

Advances in the ability to generate extremely high pressures in dynamic experiments such as at the National Ignition Facility has motivated the need for special materials optimized for those conditions as well as ways to probe the response of these materials as they are deformed. We need to develop a much deeper understanding of the behavior of materials subjected to high pressure, especially the effect of rate at the extremely high rates encountered in those experiments. Here we use large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the high-rate deformation of nanocrystalline tantalum at pressures less than 100 GPa to investigate the processes associated with plastic deformation for strains up to 100%. We focus on 3D polycrystalline systems with typical grain sizes of 10-20 nm. We also study a rapidly quenched liquid (amorphous solid) tantalum. We apply a constant volume (isochoric), constant temperature (isothermal) shear deformation over a range of strain rates, and compute the resulting stress-strain curves to large strains for both uniaxial and biaxial compression. We study the rate dependence and identify plastic deformation mechanisms. The identification of the mechanisms is facilitated through a novel technique that computes the local grain orientation, returning it as a quaternion for each atom. …

The two main forcings that can counteract to some extent the positive forcings from greenhouse gases from pre-industrial times to present-day are the aerosol and related aerosol-cloud forcings, and the radiative response to changes in surface albedo. Here, we quantify the change in radiative forcing and land surface temperature that may be obtained by increasing the albedos of roofs and pavements in urban areas in temperate and tropical regions of the globe by 0.1. Using the catchment land surface model (the land model coupled to the GEOS-5 Atmospheric General Circulation Model), we quantify the change in the total outgoing (outgoing shortwave+longwave) radiation and land surface temperature to a 0.1 increase in urban albedos for all global land areas. The global average increase in the total outgoing radiation was 0.5 Wm{sup -2}, and temperature decreased by {approx}0.008 K for an average 0.003 increase in surface albedo. These averages represent all global land areas where data were available from the land surface model used and are for the boreal summer (June-July-August). For the continental U.S. the total outgoing radiation increased by 2.3 Wm{sup -2}, and land surface temperature decreased by {approx}0.03 K for an average 0.01 increase in surface albedo. Based on …

The steepest descent method has a rich history and is one of the simplest and best known methods for minimizing a function. While the method is not commonly used in practice due to its slow convergence rate, understanding the convergence properties of this method can lead to a better understanding of many of the more sophisticated optimization methods. Here, we give a short introduction and discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Some recent results on modified versions of the steepest descent method are also discussed.

A particle size dependence for CO oxidation over rhodium nanoparticles of 1.9-11.3 nm has been investigated and determined to be modified by the existence of the capping agent poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). The particles were prepared using a polyol reduction procedure with PVP as the capping agent. The Rh nanoparticles were subsequently supported on SBA-15 during hydrothermal synthesis to produce Rh/SBA-15 supported catalysts for size-dependent catalytic studies. CO oxidation by O{sub 2} at 40 Torr CO and 100 Torr O{sub 2} was investigated over two series of Rh/SBA-15 catalysts: as-synthesized Rh/SBA-15 covering the full range of Rh sizes and the same set of catalysts after high temperature calcination and reduction. The turnover frequency at 443 K increases from 0.4 to 1.7 s{sup -1} as the particle size decreases from 11.3 to 1.9 nm for the as-synthesized catalysts. After calcination and reduction, the turnover frequency is between 0.1 and 0.4 s{sup -1} with no particle size dependence. The apparent activation energy for all catalysts is {approx}30 kcal mol{sup -1} and is independent of particle size and thermal treatment. Infrared spectroscopy of CO on the Rh nanoparticles indicates that the heat treatments used influence the mode of CO adsorption. As a result, the particle …

In 1989, the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), which includes the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), was placed on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) National Priorities List. The Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) (DOE 1992), effective January 1, 1992, now governs environmental restoration activities conducted under CERCLA at the ORR. Following signing of the FFA, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of Tennessee signed the Oak Ridge Accelerated Cleanup Plan Agreement on June 18, 2002. The purpose of this agreement is to define a streamlined decision-making process to facilitate the accelerated implementation of cleanup, resolve ORR milestone issues, and establish future actions necessary to complete the accelerated cleanup plan by the end of fiscal year 2008. While the FFA continues to serve as the overall regulatory framework for remediation, the Accelerated Cleanup Plan Agreement supplements existing requirements to streamline the decision-making process. Decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities of Bldg. K-25, the original gaseous diffusion facility, is being conducted by Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) on behalf of the DOE. The planned CERCLA action covering disposal of building structure and remaining components from the K-25 building is scheduled as a …

The authors present updated measurements of time-dependent Cp asymmetries in fully reconstructed neutral B decays containing a charmonium meson. The measurements reported here use a data sample of (465 {+-} 5) x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric energy e{sup +}e{sup -} storage rings operating at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The time-dependent CP asymmetry parameters measured from J/{psi} K{sub S}{sup 0}, J/{psi}K{sub L}{sup 0}, {psi}(2S)K{sub S}{sup 0}, {eta}{sub c}K{sub S}{sup 0}, {chi}{sub c1}K{sub S}{sup 0} and J/{psi} K*(892){sup 0} decays are: C{sub f} = 0.024 {+-} 0.020(stat) {+-} 0.016(syst) and -{eta}{sub f}S{sub f} = 0.687 {+-} 0.028(stat) {+-} 0.012(syst).