The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is a multi-laboratory, interagency program that was created in 1989 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The ARM Program is part of DOE's effort to resolve scientific uncertainties about global climate change with a specific focus on improving the performance of general circulation models (GCMs) used for climate research and prediction. These improved models will help scientists better understand the influences of human activities on the earth's climate. The objectives of the ARM Program are: (1) to relate observed atmospheric radiation to the temperature and composition of the atmosphere, especially water vapor and clouds, across a wide range of climatologically relevant possibilities, and (2) to develop and test improved parameterizations of radiation and radiative interactions with water vapor, aerosols, and clouds, for use in GCMs.

During the 1980s California developed the largest and most divers biomass energy industry in the world. Biomass energy production has become an important component of the state's environmental infrastructure, diverting solid wastes from open burning and disposal in landfills to a beneficial use application.

Collapse surfaces are developed for thick perforated plates containing a triangular penetration pattern with ligament efficiencies of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 using elastic-perfectly plastic FEA analysis. The FEA data was fit to a fourth-order collapse function which is appropriate for the development of an equivalent solid elastic-perfectly plastic plasticity model for perforated plates with triangular penetration patterns. This type of model can be conveniently used to develop a limit load capability for perforated plate analysis. It was shown that the fourth-order function is reasonable for ligament efficiencies between 0.15 to 0.5. Comparing the fourth-order collapse function to FEA data suggests that an alternate collapse function is needed for ligament efficiencies less than 0.15. A linear interpolation method was shown to be appropriate for ligament efficiencies between 0.15 and 0.5.

This report describes and compares the computation of the detection efficiencies for fast plastic scintillating detectors from their Time-of-Flight (TOF) spectrums using two different detector models. In the first method which assumes a thin detector model, a one-to-one correspondence between the energy of the neutron and the time bin in which it appears in the TOF spectrum is used in computing the detector efficiencies. In the second method which is based upon a thick detector model, the macroscopic cross sections of the detector materials are used to determine the path length of a neutron in the detector and hence its time of detection. With this model, neutrons of a given energy E{sub n}, are distributed across several time bins in the TOF spectrum.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The judiciary is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar courthouse construction program. New courthouses are being built to house new judgeships created because of increasing caseloads and to replace obsolete courthouses occupied by existing judges. For years, there has been a debate about whether district judges could share courtrooms to save taxpayer dollars without compromising judicial administration. In 1997, GAO issued a report calling for better courtroom use data and analysis to enhance facility planning. In response, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) contracted with Ernst & Young to study the judiciary's facilities program in 1999. As part of the study, AOUSC asked Ernst & Young to analyze courtroom utilization, assignment, and sharing by judges. GAO found that the Ernst & Young study did not provide the type of data and analysis that GAO and other research organizations, such as the Rand Institute for Civil Justice and the Federal Judicial Center, have determined would be needed to help resolve the courtroom-sharing issue."

Evaluation of the Lower Cretaceous Greybull Sandstone on the Crow Indian Reservation for potential stratigraphic traps in the valley-fill sandstone was the focus of this project. The Crow Reservation area, located in south-central Montana, is part of the Rocky Mountain Foreland structural province, which is characterized by Laramide uplifts and intervening structural basins. The Pryor and Bighorn mountains, like other foreland uplifts, are characterized by asymmetrical folds associated with basement-involved reverse faults. The reservation area east of the mountains is on the northwestern flank of the Powder River Basin. Therefore, regional dips are eastward and southeastward; however, several prominent structural features interrupt these regional dips. The nearly 4,000 mi{sup 2} reservation is under explored but has strong potential for increased oil and gas development. Oil and gas production is well established in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming to the south as well as in the areas north and west of the reservation. However, only limited petroleum production has been established within the reservation. Geologic relations and trends indicate strong potential for oil and gas accumulations, but drilling has been insufficient for their discovery. The Greybull Sandstone, which is part of the transgressive systems tract that includes the overlying Fall …

The Solid Waste Landfill (SWL) is regulated by the Washington State Department of Ecology under WAC 173-304. Between 1973 and 1976, the landfill received primarily paper waste and construction debris, but it also received asbestos, sewage, and catch tank liquid waste. Groundwater monitoring results indicate the SWL has contaminated groundwater with volatile organic compounds and possibly metals at levels that exceed regulatory limits. DynCorp, Tri-Cities, Inc. operates the facility under an interim closure plan (final closure plan will be released shortly). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) monitors groundwater at the site. This monitoring plan includes well and constituent lists, and summarizes sampling, analytical, and quality control requirements. Changes from the previous monitoring plan include elimination of two radionuclides from the analyte list and some minor changes in the statistical analysis. Existing wells in the current monitoring network only monitor the uppermost portion of the upper-most aquifer. Therefore, two new downgradient wells and one existing upgradient well are proposed to determine whether groundwater waste constituents have reached the lower portion of the uppermost aquifer. The proposed well network includes three upgradient wells and ten downgradient wells. The wells will be sampled quarterly for 14 analytes required by WAC 173-304-490 plus volatile …

Through June 2000, project work has been completed on the following activities: data preparation; basic reservoir engineering; developing a deterministic three dimensional (3-D) geologic model, a 3-D deterministic reservoir simulation model and a rock-log model; well drilling and completions; and surface facilities on the Fault Block II-A Tar (Tar II-A) Zone. Work is continuing on improving core analysis techniques, final reservoir tracer work, operational work and research studies to prevent thermal-related formation compaction in the Tar II-A steamflood area, and operational work on the Tar V steamflood pilot and Tar II-A post steamflood project. Work was discontinued on the stochastic geologic model and developing a 3-D stochastic thermal reservoir simulation model of the Tar II-A Zone so the project team could use the 3-D deterministic reservoir simulation model to provide alternatives for the Tar II-A post steamflood operations and shale compaction studies. The project team spent the third quarter 2000 revising the draft 1997-2000 Annual Report submitted last quarter, writing final reports on the research projects mentioned above, and operating the Tar II-A post-steamflood project and the Tar V horizontal well steamflood pilot. Thermal-related formation compaction is a concern of the project team due to observed surface subsidence in the …

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Defense Programs seeks to maintain the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing. This report discusses the Department of Energy's (DOE) management of its National Nuclear Security Administration's Stockpile Stewardship Program, focusing on the program's plans, budgeting, organization, and life extension process. Although the Office of Defense Programs has tried to address some of the challenges facing the Stockpile Stewardship Program, more improvements are needed. The Office of Defense Programs has developed an extensive planning process to improve the management of its Stockpile Stewardship program. So far, however, the plans are missing vital information. The Office has developed a new structure for its fiscal year 2001 budget that can improve the overall management of the Stockpile Stewardship Program. Several external and internal studies have found that the Office of Defense Programs has a dysfunctional organization with unclear lines of authority that lead to a lack of accountability. Finally, one of the nine types of nuclear weapons in the current stockpile has begun the life extension process--a step that will be necessary to keep the …

Supersymmetry phenomenology is an important component of particle physics today. I provide a definition of supersymmetry phenomenology, outline the scope of its activity, and argue its legitimacy. This essay derives from a presentation given at the 2000 SLAC Summer Institute.

Project Gasbuggy was the first of three joint government-industry experiments conducted to test the effectiveness of nuclear explosives to fracture deeply buried, low-permeability natural gas reservoirs to stimulate production. The scope of this work plan is to document the environmental objectives and the proposed technical site investigation strategies that will be utilized for the site characterization of the Project Gasbuggy Site. Its goal is the collection of data in sufficient quantity and quality to determine current site conditions, support a risk assessment for the site surfaces, and evaluate if further remedial action is required to achieve permanent closure of the site that is both protective of human health and the environment. The Gasbuggy Site is located approximately 55 air miles east of Farmington, New Mexico, in Rio Arriba County within the Carson National Forest in the northeast portion of the San Juan Basin. Historically, Project Gasbuggy consisted of the joint government-industry detonation of a nuclear device on December 10, 1967, followed by reentry drilling and gas production testing and project evaluation activities in post-detonation operations from 1967 to 1976. Based on historical documentation, no chemical release sites other than the mud pits were identified; additionally, there was no material buried …

This document is used to validate Revision 13.0 of the Tank Monitor and Control System (TMACS) and verify it functions as intended by design.

A special one-day workshop was held to review the status, the need for, and the future role of BNL in the Body Composition Analysis Program (BCAP). Two speakers succinctly outlined the status and future new developments using gamma nuclear resonance technology as it applies to BCAP. Seven speakers from three institutions outlined the continued need for BCAP and presented new clinical applications of BCAP in theirs respective fields of expertise. Extensive increase in the use of surrogate instrumentation, e.g., DXA and BIA, in BCAP was recognized as a significant contributing factor to the growth in BCAP. The growing role of MRI in BCAP was also emphasized. In light of these developments BCAP at BNL, with its specialized In Vivo Neutron Activation (IVNA) facilities, was recognized as a unique user oriented resource that may serve the community hospitals in the area. Three regional large institutions expressed their desire to use these facilities. In addition, IVNA provides direct measure of the human compartments in vivo, thus providing a gold standard for the surrogate methodologies that are in use or to be developed. It was strongly felt that there is a need for a calibration center with a national stature for the different …

This is a select chronology of, and a finding guide for information on, congressional and presidential actions and documents related to major budget events in calendar year 2000, covering the FY2001 budget. Brief information is provided for the President’s budget, congressional budget resolutions, appropriations measures (regular, continuing, supplementals, and rescissions), budget reconciliation, House and Senate votes, line-item vetoes, publications, testimony, charts, and tables.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Pentagon believes that chemical and biological weapons are likely to be used early in a conflict to disrupt U.S. operations and logistics and to potentially offset the overwhelming conventional warfare capabilities of U.S. forces; however, studies have confirmed that U.S. forces are not fully prepared to defend against chemical or biological weapons and could suffer significant casualties if they are used. A study of Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps divisions showed that recent changes to the system are a step in the right direction to improving chemical and biological defense readiness reporting, but the changes do not require units to report on the condition of their chemical and biological defense equipment; thus, these reports could provide incomplete or misleading information on the status of equipment, a key element in assessing overall unit readiness."

The Clean Air Act and its 1990 amendments appear to have contributed to a marked improvement in air quality nationwide. Of nearly 100 metropolitan areas not meeting air quality standards for ozone in 1990, more than two-thirds now do so. Even greater progress has been achieved with carbon monoxide: 36 of 42 areas not in attainment in 1990 now meet the standard. Nevertheless, EPA remains concerned about air pollution. In 1997, the Agency promulgated major revisions to its air quality standards for ozone and particulates, an action that would require most states and urban areas to establish additional controls on a wide range of pollution sources. The revised standards were challenged by numerous parties and the courts have remanded the standards to EPA. Implementation is currently in limbo, pending resolution of appeals by the Supreme Court.

This document defines how the glovebox project will be managed and executed. It provides a path forward for establishing a glovebox capability in Building 341 of the DAF in time to meet JASPER programmatic requirements as the first user. Note that some elements of the glovebox project have been under way for some time and are more mature than others; other elements are being worked concurrently. This plan serves the following purposes: Assign organizational and individual responsibilities for bringing the glovebox capability online; Coordinate activities between organizations; Facilitate communication between project members and management; and Identify the mechanisms used to manage and control the project. The scope of this plan includes all activities conducted to achieve project objectives, culminating in DOE/NV approval to operate. This plan does not address the issues associated with the steady-state operation of the glovebox.

Waste emplacement and activities associated with construction of a repository system potentially will change environmental conditions within the repository system. These environmental changes principally result from heat generated by the decay of the radioactive waste, which elevates temperatures within the repository system. Elevated temperatures affect distribution of water, increase kinetic rates of geochemical processes, and cause stresses to change in magnitude and orientation from the stresses resulting from the overlying rock and from underground construction activities. The recognition of this evolving environment has been reflected in activities, studies and discussions generally associated with what has been termed the Near-Field Environment (NFE). The NFE interacts directly with waste packages and engineered barriers as well as potentially changing the fluid composition and flow conditions within the mountain. As such, the NFE defines the environment for assessing the performance of a potential Monitored Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The NFe evolves over time, and therefore is not amenable to direct characterization or measurement in the ambient system. Analysis or assessment of the NFE must rely upon projections based on tests and models that encompass the long-term processes of the evolution of this environment. This NFE Process Model Report (PMR) describes the analyses …

OAK-B135 Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) Program DE-FG03-99SF21898/A000 First Technical Progress Report - 11/15/99.

Raman scattering instability of an intense laser pulse in a plasma channel proceeds differently than in a homogeneous plasma: the growth rate is reduced and the scaling with the laser intensity modified. These differences, significant even for shallow plasma channels, arise because of the radial shear of the plasma frequency and the existence of the weakly damped hybrid (electrostatic/electromagnetic) modes of the radially inhomogeneous plasma. The interplay of these two effects produces double-peaked spectra for the direct forward scattering in a channel.

The United States is the largest national contributor to international humanitarian assistance programs for refugees. Traditionally, we contribute to refugee appeals both because of our wish to alleviate the suffering of innocent victims and out of concern that refugee flows can lead to instability in countries or regions important to U.S. foreign policy interests.

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Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on the District of Columbia Appropriations.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Army Corps of Engineers' Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan."