Localization of targets imbedded in a heterogeneous background medium is a common problem in seismic, ultrasonic, and electromagnetic imaging problems. The best imaging techniques make direct use of the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the array response matrix, as recent work on time-reversal acoustics has shown. Of the various imaging functionals studied, one that is representative of a preferred class is a time-domain generalization of MUSIC (MUltiple Signal Classification), which is a well-known linear subspace method normally applied only in the frequency domain. Since statistical stability is not characteristic of the frequency domain, a transform back to the time domain after first diagonalizing the array data in the frequency domain takes optimum advantage of both the time-domain stability and the frequency-domain orthogonality of the relevant eigenfunctions.

We have produced single bursts of helicity from the source in the SSPX spheromak in order to study the efficiency of the simplest example of helicity injection. We find that the helicity injection rate can be written in terms of the injected current and an inductance, and that a simple circuit analogue demonstrates unambiguously the relationship of helicity to energy: helicity injection is the addition of inductive loops. While helicity balance points to the conservation of helicity, the electrical efficiency is around 15%. However, in the expulsion of the loop, electrical energy is converted to directional motion, which may be recoverable usefully as heat by collisions, thus the efficiency of the injection process is arguably quite high. Integral to this notion of helicity injection is the idea that reconnection is necessary: without disconnection from the source by a reconnection event, the spheromak fields are just proportional to the injected current. Sometimes the multiple bursts occur spontaneously and cause a step-wise increase in the field (and helicity). However, in all instances when the current remains above the ejection threshold for t > 50 {micro}s, the n=l mode initiates and builds field, although with much reduced efficiency, and to a level which …

We explore several supersymmetric alternatives to explain predictions for the cosmic ray positron excess. Light sneutrino or neutralino LSP's, and a fine-tuned model designed to provide a delta-function input, can give adequate statistical descriptions of the reported HEAT data if non-thermal production of the relic cold dark matter density dominates and/or if"boost factors" (that could originate in uncertainties from propagation or local density fluctuations) to increase the size of the signal are included. All the descriptions can be tested at the Tevatron or LHC, and some in other WIMP detecting experiments.

This paper describes two methods, Technology Roadmapping and Project Risk Assessment, which were used to identify and manage the technical risks relating to the treatment of sodium bearing waste at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The waste treatment technology under consideration was Direct Vitrification. The primary objective of the Technology Roadmap is to identify technical data uncertainties for the technologies involved and to prioritize the testing or development studies to fill the data gaps. Similarly, project management's objective for a multi-million dollar construction project includes managing all the key risks in accordance to DOE O 413.3 - "Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets." In the early stages, the Project Risk Assessment is based upon a qualitative analysis for each risk's probability and consequence. In order to clearly prioritize the work to resolve the technical issues identified in the Technology Roadmap, the issues must be cross- referenced to the project's Risk Assessment. This will enable the project to get the best value for the cost to mitigate the risks.

A concept study was undertaken to evaluate potential multi-megawatt power sources for nuclear electric propulsion. The nominal electric power requirement was set at 15 MWe with an assumed mission profile of 120 days at full power, 60 days in hot standby, and another 120 days of full power, repeated several times for 7 years of service. Two configurations examined were (1) a gas-cooled reactor based on the NERVA Derivative design, operating a closed cycle Brayton power conversion system; and (2) a molten metal-cooled reactor based on SP-100 technology, driving a boiling potassium Rankine power conversion system. This study considered the relative merits of these two systems, seeking to optimize the specific mass. Conclusions were that either concept appeared capable of approaching the specific mass goal of 3-5 kg/kWe estimated to be needed for this class of mission, though neither could be realized without substantial development in reactor fuels technology, thermal radiator mass efficiency, and power conversion and distribution electronics systems capable of operating at high temperatures. The gas-Brayton systems showed an apparent specific mass advantage (3.53 vs 6.43 kg/kWe for the baseline cases) under the set of assumptions used, but reconciling differences in conservatism in the design algorithms used would …

Affordable, safe, long-lasting, high-power batteries are requisites for successful commercialization of hybrid electric vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Advance Automotive Technologies and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles are funding research and development programs to address each of these issues. An overview of these areas is presented along with a summary of battery development and test programs, as well as recent performance data from several of these programs.

A new Accelerated Site Technology Deployment (ASTD) project was awarded in FY 2002 to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to deploy technologies that decrease pollution and waste in the areas of facility characterization, sludge treatment, dust and contamination control, and concrete demolition. This project was called "D&D Technologies for Pollution Prevention" and planned to deploy four different technologies. To reduce protective equipment requirements, waste generation, and risk of radiation exposure during facility characterization, the Russian Gamma Locater Device (GLD) and Isotopic Identification Device (IID) for remote characterization was investigated. The GLD detects gamma ray readings and video images remotely and uses radio communication to transmit the readings to personnel located a safe distance from the contaminated area. The IID, an integral part of the GLD, provides real-time spectrometric analysis of radiation sources for remotely identifying the specific radioactive isotopes present in the facility. At the INEEL, sludge has accumulated in the bottom of a fuel storage pool and the presence of heavy metals in the sludge makes it a mixed waste. This project planned to use LEADX® to treat sludge in place to effectively make all heavy metals in the sludge insoluble. LEADX® is a dry granular …

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is investigating the development of a comprehensive and quantitative risk model framework for environmental management activities at the site. Included are waste management programs (high-level waste, transuranic waste, low-level waste, mixed low-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, and special nuclear materials), major environmental restoration efforts, major decontamination and decommissioning projects, and planned long-term stewardship activities. Two basic types of risk estimates are included: risks from environmental management activities, and long-term legacy risks from wastes/materials. Both types of risks are estimated using the Environment, Safety, and Health Risk Assessment Program (ESHRAP) developed at the INEEL. Given these two types of risk calculations, the following evaluations can be performed: • Risk evaluation of an entire program (covering waste/material as it now exists through disposal or other end states) • Risk comparisons of alternative programs or activities • Comparisons of risk benefit versus risk cost for activities or entire programs • Ranking of programs or activities by risk • Ranking of wastes/materials by risk • Evaluation of site risk changes with time as activities progress • Integrated performance measurement using indicators such as injury/death and exposure rates. This paper discusses the definition and calculation of legacy …

The High-Level Waste (HLW) Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) must implement technologies and processes to treat and qualify radioactive wastes located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) for permanent disposal. This paper describes the approach and accomplishments to date for completing development of a baseline vitrification treatment flowsheet for sodium-bearing waste (SBW), including development of a relational database used to manage the associated process assumptions. A process baseline has been developed that includes process requirements, basis and assumptions, process flow diagrams, a process description, and a mass balance. In the absence of actual process or experimental results, mass and energy balance data for certain process steps are based on assumptions. Identification, documentation, validation, and overall management of the flowsheet assumptions are critical to ensuring an integrated, focused program. The INEEL HLW Program initially used a roadmapping methodology, developed through the INEEL Environmental Management Integration Program, to identify, document, and assess the uncertainty and risk associated with the SBW flowsheet process assumptions. However, the mass balance assumptions, process configuration and requirements should be accessible to all program participants. This need resulted in the creation of a relational database that provides formal documentation and …

Gas generation issues, particularly hydrogen, have been an area of concern for the transport and storage of radioactive materials and waste in the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. Potentially combustible gases can be generated through a variety of reactions, including chemical reactions and radiolytic decomposition of hydrogen- containing material. Since transportation regulations prohibit shipment of explosives and radioactive materials together, it was decided that hydrogen generation was a problem that warranted the execution of a high-level roadmapping effort. This paper discusses the major gas generation issues within the DOE Complex and the research that has been and is being conducted by the transuranic (TRU) waste, nuclear materials, and spent nuclear fuels (SNF) programs within DOE’s Environmental Management (EM) organizations to address gas generation concerns. This paper presents a "program level" roadmap that links technology development to program needs and identifies the probability of success in an effort to understand the programmatic risk associated with the issue of gas generation. This paper also presents the status of the roadmap and follow-up activities.

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is operated by Bechtel-BWXT Idaho LLC (BBWI), which recently completed a very successful $100 million Three-Mile Island-2 (TMI-2) program for the Department of Energy (DOE). This complex and challenging program used an integrated multidisciplinary team approach that loaded, welded, and transported an unprecedented 25 dry shielded canisters (DSC) in seven months, and did so ahead of schedule. The program moved over 340 canisters of TMI-2 core debris that had been in wet storage into a dry storage facility at the INEEL. The main thrust of this paper is relating the innovations, techniques, approaches, and lessons learned associated to welding of the DSC's. This paper shows the synergism of elements to meet program success and shares these lessons learned that will facilitate success with welding of dry shielded canisters in other DOE complex dry storage programs.

A project is underway to deactivate a Fuel Storage Basin. The project specifies the requirements and identifies the tasks that will be performed for deactivation of the CPP- 603 building at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The Fuel Receiving and Storage Building (CPP- 603) was originally used to receive and store spent nuclear fuel from various facilities. The area to undergo deactivation includes the three spent nuclear fuel storage basins and a transfer canal (1.5 million gallons of water storage). Deactivation operations at the task site include management of the hot storage boxes and generic fuel objects, removal of the fuel storage racks, basin sludge, water evaporation and basin grouting, and interior equipment, tanks, and associated components. This includes a study to develop a grout formulation and placement process for this deactivation project. Water will be allowed to passively evaporate to reduce the spread of contamination from the walls of the basin. The basins will be filled with grout, underwater, as the water evaporates to maintain the basin water at a safe level. The objective of the deactivation project is to eliminate potential exposure to hazardous and radioactive materials and …

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) near Golden, Colorado is the first major nuclear weapons site within the DOE complex that has been declared a full closure site. RFETS has been given the challenge of closing the site by 2006. Key to meeting this challenge is the removal of all waste from the site followed by site restoration. Crucial to meeting this challenge is Kaiser-Hill's (RFETS Operating Contractor) ability to dispose of significant quantities of ''orphan'' wastes. Orphan wastes are those with no current disposition for treatment or disposal. Once such waste stream, generically referred to as Transuranic oils, poses a significant threat to meeting the closure schedule. Historically, this waste stream, which consist of a variety of oil contaminated with a range of organic solvents were treated by simply mixing with Environstone. This treatment method rendered a solidified waste form, but unfortunately not a TRUPACT-II transportable waste. So for the last ten years, RFETS has been accumulating these TRU oils while searching for a non-controversial treatment option.

Building 7602 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was constructed in 1963 as a Reactor Service Building for the Experimental Gas-Cooled Reactor; the reactor was never fueled or operated, and the project was terminated in 1965. Significant building modifications were performed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Beginning in 1984, separation processes and equipment development and testing were initiated for the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program (CFRP). The principal materials used in the processes were depleted and natural uranium, nitric acid, and organic solvents. CFRP operations continued until 1994 when the program was discontinued and the facility declared surplus to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Systems and equipment were shut down; feed and waste materials were removed; and process fluids, chemicals, and uranium were drained and flushed from systems. This paper will present an overview of the Building 7602 D&D activities, final radiological survey , facility modifications, and project interfaces.

We present a general method for taking into account correlations due to momentum conservation in the analysis of anisotropic flow. Momentum conservation mostly affects the first harmonic in azimuthal distributions, i.e., directed flow. It also modifies higher harmonics, for instance elliptic flow, when they are measured with respect to a first harmonic event plane such as one determined with the standard transverse momentum method. Our method is illustrated by application to NA49 data on pion directed flow.

Surface contamination evaluation is a tough problem since it is difficult to isolate the radiations emitted by the surface, especially in a highly irradiating atmosphere. In that case the only possibility is to evaluate smearable (removeable) contamination since ex-situ countings are possible. Unfortunately, according to our experience at CEA, these values are not consistent and thus non relevant. In this study, we show, using in-situ Fourier Transform Infra Red spectrometry on contaminated metal samples, that fixed contamination seems to be chemisorbed and removeable contamination seems to be physisorbed. The distribution between fixed and removeable contamination appears to be variable. Chemical equilibria and reversible ion exchange mechanisms are involved and are closely linked to environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature. Measurements of smearable contamination only give an indication of the state of these equilibria between fixed and removeable contamination at the time and in the environmental conditions the measurements were made.

The research reactor DIORIT at the Paul Scherrer Institute was decommissioned in 1993 and is now being dismantled. One of the materials to be conditioned is activated reactor graphite, approximately 45 tons. A cost effective conditioning method has been developed. The graphite is crushed to less than 6 mm and added to concrete and grout. This graphite concrete is used as matrix for embedding dismantling waste in containers. The waste containers that would have been needed for separate conditioning and disposal of activated reactor graphite are thus saved. Applying the new method, the cost can be reduced from about 55 SFr/kg to about 17 SFr/kg graphite.

On February 22, 1999, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposed licensing criteria in a new, separate part of its regulations, at 10 CFR Part 63 (hereafter referred to as Part 63), for disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in a potential geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada (1). After publication of the proposed Part 63, the staff provided members of the public and other stakeholders multiple opportunities to discuss the proposed requirements. On June 13, 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final environmental standards for a potential geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada at 40 CFR Part 197 (2), as mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EnPA)(3). The NRC has prepared its final regulations based on careful review and consideration of the public comments received on its proposed rule and the statutory direction for NRC to adopt technical criteria consistent with final EPA standards.

In a period of approximately 40 years prior to 1994, the German Federal Government had spent about {approx} 15 billion to promote nuclear technology. These funds were earmarked for R&D projects as well as demonstration facilities which took up operation between 1960 and 1980. These BMBF (Federal Ministry for Research) facilities were mainly located at the sites of the federal research centers at Juelich and Karlsruhe (the research reactors AVR, FR2, FRJ-1, KNK, and MZFR, the pilot reprocessing plant WAK) but included also the pilot plants SNR-300 and THTR-300 for fast breeder and high-temperature gas-cooled reactor development, respectively, and finally the salt mine Asse which had been used for waste emplacement prior to conversion into an underground research laboratory. In the meantime, almost all of these facilities were shut down and are now in a state of decommissioning and dismantling. This is mainly due to the facts that R&D needs are satisfied or do not exist any more and that, secondly, the lack of political consensus led to the cancellation of advanced nuclear technology.

In order to reduce costs and achieve schedules for Closure of the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS), the Waste Requirements Group has implemented a number of cost saving initiatives aimed at integrating waste volume reduction with the selection of compliant waste packaging methods for the disposal of RFETS low level radioactive waste (LLW). Waste Guidance Inventory and Shipping Forecasts indicate that over 200,000 m3 of low level waste will be shipped offsite between FY2002 and FY2006. Current projections indicate that the majority of this waste will be shipped offsite in an estimated 40,000 55-gallon drums, 10,000 metal and plywood boxes, and 5000 cargo containers. Currently, the projected cost for packaging, shipment, and disposal adds up to $80 million. With these waste volume and cost projections, the need for more efficient and cost effective packaging and transportation options were apparent in order to reduce costs and achieve future Site packaging a nd transportation needs. This paper presents some of the cost saving initiatives being implemented for waste packaging at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (the Site). There are many options for either volume reduction or alternative packaging. Each building and/or project may indicate different preferences and/or combinations of options.

In March 2001, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) completed the replacement of 720 radioactively contaminated HEPA filters for $5.7M. This project was completed five months ahead of schedule and $6.0M under budget with no worker injuries or contaminations. Numerous health and safety, environmental, and waste disposal problems were overcome, including having to perform work in a radioactively contaminated work environment, that was also contaminated with perchlorates (potential explosive). High waste disposal costs were also an issue. A project risk analysis and government cost estimate determined that the cost of performing the work would be $11.8M. To reduce risk, a $1.2M comprehensive condition assessment was performed to determine the degree of toxic and radioactive contamination trapped on the HEPA filters; and to determine whether explosive concentrations of perchlorates were present. Workers from LANL and personnel from Waldheim International of Knoxville, TN collected hundreds of samples wearing personnel protective gear against radioactive, toxic, and explosive hazards. LANL also funded research at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to determine the explosivity of perchlorates. The data acquired from the condition assessment showed that toxic metals, toxic organic compounds, and explosive concentrations of perchlorates were absent. The data also showed that …

Siempelkamp Nukleartechnik GmbH is engaged in the optimization of decommissioning processes for several years. With respect of the complexity of the projects, the time frame and the budget it is necessary to find more effective ways to handle those tasks in the near future. The decommissioning and dismantling will be achieved in six steps taking into account that some processing equipment can be dismantled before and the rest only after the High Active Liquid Waste Concentrate (HAWC) has been vitrified approximately by mid of 2005. After the successful beginning of the remote dismantling of the main process cells from March 2000, the next remote dismantling project at the WAK was initiated April 2000.

Approximately 60 g of an iron-enriched borosilicate glass was made in the radiochemical labs of the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC). The glass was made to demonstrate the immobilization of the radioisotopes contained on representative Argentine ion exchange resins (similar to those used at the Embalse plant). The product was approximately 90% amorphous and was quite durable as measured by the release rates from the Product Consistency Test (PCT). The release rates were considerably better than those of the U. S. High Level Waste (HLW) benchmark DWPF EA glass. The release rate of the Cs-137 was predictably similar to that of Na and Li. No Co-60 or Sr-90 was measured in the PCT leachate. The mass balances for the inactive additives were quite good. Of the radioisotopes, approximately 71% of Cs-137 was accounted for in the glass product. This was similar to the Na mass balance. Approximately 89% of the Co-60 was accounted for in the glass product.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is operating under a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (HWFP) for contact-handled (CH) transuranic (TRU) waste. The HWFP contains limitations on allowable emissions from waste disposed in the underground. This environmental performance standard imposed on the WIPP consists of limiting volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from emplaced waste to ensure protection of human health and the environment. The standard is currently met by tracking individual waste container headspace gas concentrations, which are determined by headspace gas sampling and analysis of CH TRU waste containers. The WIPP is seeking a HWFP modification to allow the disposal of remote-handled (RH) TRU waste. Because RH TRU waste is limited to approximately 5% of the waste volume and is emplaced in the disposal room walls, it is possible to bound the potential RH TRU waste contribution to VOC emissions using conservative upper bounds. These conservative upper bounds were developed as an alternative to RH TRU waste canister headspace gas sampling and analysis. The methodology used to perform the calculations used to evaluate VOC emissions from emplaced RH TRU waste canisters applied the same equations as those used to evaluate VOC emissions in the …