Comparing the output of a physics simulation with an experiment, referred to as 'code validation,' is often done by visually comparing the two outputs. In order to determine which simulation is a closer match to the experiment, more quantitative measures are needed. In this paper, we describe our early experiences with this problem by considering the slightly simpler problem of finding objects in a image that are similar to a given query object. Focusing on a dataset from a fluid mixing problem, we report on our experiments with different features that are used to represent the objects of interest in the data. These early results indicate that the features must be chosen carefully to correctly represent the query object and the goal of the similarity search.

Molten salt oxidation (MSO) is a good alternative to incineration for the treatment of a variety of organic wastes such as explosives, low-level mixed waste streams, PCB contaminated oils, spent resins and carbon. Since mid-1990s, the U.S. Army Defense Ammunition Center (DAC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have jointly invested in MSO development at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). LLNL first demonstrated the MSO process for the effective destruction of explosives, explosives-contaminated materials, and other wastes on a 1.5-kg/hr bench-scale unit, and then in an integrated MSO facility capable of treating 8 kg/hr of low-level radioactive mixed wastes. Several MSO systems have been built with sizes up to 10 ft in height and 16 inches in diameter. LLNL in 2001 completed a MSO plant for DAC for the destruction of explosives-contaminated sludge and explosives-contaminated carbon. We will present in this paper our latest demonstration data and our operational experience with MSO.

A plane-wave method for computing the three-dimensional scattering of propagating elastic waves by a planar fracture with heterogeneous fracture compliance distribution is presented. This method is based upon the spatial Fourier transform of the seismic displacement-discontinuity (SDD) boundary conditions (also called linear slip interface conditions), and therefore, called the wave-number-domain SDD method (wd-SDD method). The resulting boundary conditions explicitly show the coupling between plane waves with an incident wave number component (specular component) and scattered waves which do not follow Snell's law (nonspecular components) if the fracture is viewed as a planar boundary. For a spatially periodic fracture compliance distribution, these boundary conditions can be cast into a linear system of equations that can be solved for the amplitudes of individual wave modes and wave numbers. We demonstrate the developed technique for a simulated fracture with a stochastic (correlated) surface compliance distribution. Low- and high-frequency solutions of the method are also compared to the predictions by low-order Born series in the weak and strong scattering limit.

In this contribution to the panel discussion on ''The Future of Hadron B Experiments'' held at the 8th International Conference on B Physics at Hadron Machines (Beauty 2002) at Santiago de Compostela, Spain, June 17-21, 2002, we explore the physics potential for B physics at CDF and D0 in five years and beyond. After a brief introduction to precision flavour physics, we concentrate our discussion on the future of CP violation by evaluating the prospects for measuring the CKM angles {beta}, {gamma} and {alpha} at the Tevatron Collider experiments CDF and D0 by the end of Run II.

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The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Chemical Reactions at Surfaces was held at Holiday Inn, Ventura, California, 2/16-21/03. Emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field.