In this paper, I illustrate how the ability to rapidly access the broad range of nuclear data has facilitated my research in fields from searches for double beta decay, to measurements of astrophysical reaction rates, to issues in homeland security. In doing this, I hope to persuade even the skeptics that for the benefit of the broad scientific community, it is imperative that the outstanding work of the nuclear data community continue.

Strong WW scattering at the LHC is discussed as a manifestation of electroweak symmetry breaking in the absence of a light Higgs bosom. The general framework of the Higgs mechanism--with or without a Higgs boson--is reviewed, and unitarity is shown to fix the scale of strong WW scattering. Strong WW scattering is also shown to be a possible outcome of five-dimensional models, which do not employ the usual Higgs mechanism at the TeV scale. Precision electroweak constraints are briefly discussed. Illustrative LHC signals are reviewed for models with QCD-like dynamics, stressing the complementarity of the W{sup {+-}}Z and like-charge W{sup +}W{sup +} + W{sup -}W{sup -} channels.

It might be assumed that use of a ''high-quality'' random number generator (RNG), producing a sequence of ''pseudo random'' numbers with a ''long'' repetition period, is crucial for producing unbiased results in Monte Carlo particle transport simulations. While several theoretical and empirical tests have been devised to check the quality (randomness and period) of an RNG, for many applications it is not clear what level of RNG quality is required to produce unbiased results. This paper explores the issue of RNG quality in the context of parallel, Monte Carlo transport simulations in order to determine how ''good'' is ''good enough''. This study employs the MERCURY Monte Carlo code, which incorporates the CNPRNG library for the generation of pseudo-random numbers via linear congruential generator (LCG) algorithms. The paper outlines the usage of random numbers during parallel MERCURY simulations, and then describes the source and criticality transport simulations which comprise the empirical basis of this study. A series of calculations for each test problem in which the quality of the RNG (period of the LCG) is varied provides the empirical basis for determining the minimum repetition period which may be employed without producing a bias in the mean integrated results.

In T-duality invariant effective supergravity with gaugino condensation as the mechanism for supersymmetry breaking, there is a residual discrete symmetry that could play the role of R-parity in supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model.

TOUGHREACT is a numerical simulation program for chemically reactive non-isothermal flows of multiphase fluids in porous and fractured media. The program was written in Fortran 77 and developed by introducing reactive geochemistry into the multiphase fluid and heat flow simulator TOUGH2. A variety of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes are considered under a wide range of conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, ionic strength, and pH and Eh. Interactions between mineral assemblages and fluids can occur under local equilibrium or kinetic rates. The gas phase can be chemically active. Precipitation and dissolution reactions can change formation porosity and permeability. The program can be applied to many geologic systems and environmental problems, including geothermal systems, diagenetic and weathering processes, subsurface waste disposal, acid mine drainage remediation, contaminant transport, and groundwater quality. Here we present two examples to illustrate applicability of the program: (1) injectivity effects of mineral scaling in a fractured geothermal reservoir and (2) CO2 disposal in a deep saline aquifer.

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This article reports on a fabrication process that uses silicon-oninsulator (SOI) substrates and micromachining techniques to form wide-IF superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) mixer devices that have suspended metal beam leads for rf grounding. Aside from a description of the fabrication process, electrical measurements of these Nb/Al–AlNₓ /Nb trilayer devices will also be presented.

In 1855, Adolph Fick published ''On Liquid Diffusion'', mathematically treating salt movements in liquids as a diffusion process, analogous to heat diffusion. Less recognized is the fact that Fick also provided a detailed account of the implications of salt diffusion to transport through membranes. A careful look at Fick (1855) shows that his conceptualization of molecular diffusion was more comprehensive than could be captured with the mathematical methods available to him, and therefore his expression, referred to as Fick's Law, dealt only with salt flux. He viewed salt diffusion in liquids as a binary process, with salt moving in one way and water moving in the other. Fick's analysis of the consequences of such a binary process operating in a hydrophilic pore in a membrane offers insights that are relevant to earth systems. This paper draws attention to Fick's rationale, and its implications to hydrogeological systems. Fick (1829-1901; Figure 1), a gifted scientist, published the first book on medical physics (Fick, 1858), discussing the application of optics, solid mechanics, gas diffusion, and heat budget to biological systems. Fick's paper is divisible into two parts. The first describes his experimental verification of the applicability of Fourier's equation to liquid diffusion. The …

The decay of {sup 154}Eu has been studied using {gamma}-ray singles and {gamma}-{gamma} coincidence spectroscopy with an array of Compton-suppressed Ge detectors. Particular attention to coincidence summing in the analysis, with consideration of detailed decay cascades and angular correlation effects, suggests that previous studies have overlooked necessary corrections. It is concluded that {sup 154}Eu provides 26 {gamma}-rays that can be used for relative efficiency calibrations from 120 to 1600 keV at the 0.7% precision level and that this precision could be improved in the future.

We are developing a new active interrogation system based on a kinematically focused low energy neutron beam. The key idea is that one of the defining characteristics of SNM (Special Nuclear Materials) is the ability for low energy or thermal neutrons to induce fission. Thus by using low energy neutrons for the interrogation source we can accomplish three goals, (1) Energy discrimination allows us to measure the prompt fast fission neutrons produced while the interrogation beam is on; (2) Neutrons with an energy of approximately 60 to 100 keV do not fission 238U and Thorium, but penetrate bulk material nearly as far as high energy neutrons do and (3) below about 100keV neutrons lose their energy by kinematical collisions rather than via the nuclear (n,2n) or (n,n') processes thus further simplifying the prompt neutron induced background. 60 keV neutrons create a low radiation dose and readily thermal capture in normal materials, thus providing a clean spectroscopic signature of the intervening materials. The kinematically beamed source also eliminates the need for heavy backward and sideway neutron shielding. We have designed and built a very compact pulsed neutron source, based on an RFQ proton accelerator and a lithium target. We are developing …

Cross sections have been measured for the {sup 107}Ag({alpha},{gamma}){sup 111}In reaction at several a-particle energies between 7.8 MeV and 11.9 MeV. This reaction is of interest because it can provide a check on calculations of low-energy ({alpha},{gamma}) cross sections required for stellar nucleosynthesis predictions. Stacks of natural Ag foils of 1 mm thickness and 99.97% purity were bombarded with {sup 4}He{sup +} beams. Following irradiation, the yields of the 171-keV and 245-keV photons produced in the 2.805 day electron-capture decay of the {sup 111}In product nucleus were measured off-line. The Ag foils were interleaved with 99.6% purity, 6 {micro}m thick natural Ti foils so that known cross sections for the {sup 48}Ti({alpha},n) reaction could be used to check the accuracy of the beam current integration. For any given beam energy, beam energy degradation in the foils resulted in lower effective bombarding energies for successive foils in the stack, enabling measurements to be made for several energies per irradiation. The measured cross sections are compared with published statistical-model calculations.

The most commonly discussed measures of microstructure in composite materials are the spatial correlation functions, which in a porous medium measure either the grain-to-grain correlations, or the pore-to-pore correlations in space. Improved bounds based on this information such as the Beran-Molyneux bounds for bulk modulus and the Beran bounds for conductivity are well-known. It is first shown here how to make direct use of this information to provide estimates that always lie between these upper and lower bounds for any microstructure whenever the microgeometry parameters are known. Then comparisons are made between these estimates, the bounds, and two new types of estimates. One new estimate for elastic constants makes use of the Peselnick-Meister bounds (based on Hashin-Shtrikman methods) for random polycrystals of laminates to generate self-consistent values that always lie between the bounds. A second new type of estimate for conductivity assumes that measurements of formation factors (of which there are at least two distinct types in porous media, associated respectively with pores and grains) are available, and computes new bounds based on this information. The paper compares and contrasts these various methods in order to clarify just what microstructural information and how precisely that information needs to be known …

Photoionization of multiply charged ions is studied using the merged-beams technique at the Advanced Light Source. Absolute photoionization cross sections have been measured for a variety of ions along both isoelectronic and isonuclear sequences.

Nitrate concentrations approaching and greater than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) are impairing the viability of many groundwater basins as drinking water sources. Nitrate isotope data are effective in determining contaminant sources, especially when combined with other isotopic tracers such as stable isotopes of water and tritium-helium ages to give insight into the routes and timing of nitrate inputs to the flow system. This combination of techniques is demonstrated in Livermore, CA, where it is determined that low nitrate reclaimed wastewater predominates in the northwest, while two flowpaths with distinct nitrate sources originate in the southeast. Along the eastern flowpath, {delta}{sup 15}N values greater than 10{per_thousand} indicate that animal waste is the primary source. Diminishing concentrations over time suggest that contamination results from historical land use practices. The other flowpath begins in an area where rapid recharge, primarily of low-nitrate imported water (identified by stable isotopes of water and a tritium-helium residence time of less than 1 year), mobilizes a significant local nitrate source, bringing groundwater concentrations up to 53 mg NO{sub 3} L{sup -1}. In this area, artificial recharge of imported water via local arroyos increases the flux of nitrate to the regional aquifer. The low {delta}{sup 15}N value …

Plasma oxidation was used to obtain radiocarbon dates on six different materials from a naturally mummified baby bundle from the Lower Pecos River region of southwest Texas. This bundle was selected because it was thought to represent a single event and would illustrate the accuracy and precision of the plasma oxidation method. Five of the materials were clearly components of the original bundle with 13 dates combined to yield a weighted average of 2135 {+-} 11 B.P. Six dates from a wooden stick of Desert Ash averaged 939 {+-} 14 B.P., indicating that this artifact was not part of the original burial. Plasma oxidation is shown to be a virtually non-destructive alternative to combustion. Because only sub-milligram amounts of material are removed from an artifact over its exposed surface, no visible change in fragile materials has been observed, even under magnification. The method is best applied when natural organic contamination is unlikely and serious consideration of this issue is needed in all cases. If organic contamination is present, it will have to be removed before plasma oxidation to obtain accurate radiocarbon dates.

Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) injection into deep geologic formations could decrease the atmospheric accumulation of this gas from anthropogenic sources. Furthermore, by co-injecting H{sub 2}S or SO{sub 2}, the products respectively of coal gasification or combustion, with captured CO{sub 2}, problems associated with surface disposal would be mitigated. We developed models that simulate the co-injection of H{sub 2}S or SO{sub 2} with CO{sub 2} into an arkose formation at a depth of about 2 km and 75 C. The hydrogeology and mineralogy of the injected formation are typical of those encountered in Gulf Coast aquifers of the United States. Six numerical simulations of a simplified 1-D radial region surrounding the injection well were performed. The injection of CO{sub 2} alone or co-injection with SO{sub 2} or H{sub 2}S results in a concentrically zoned distribution of secondary minerals surrounding a leached and acidified region adjacent to the injection well. Co-injection of SO{sub 2} with CO{sub 2} results in a larger and more strongly acidified zone, and alteration differs substantially from that caused by the co-injection of H{sub 2}S or injection of CO{sub 2} alone. Precipitation of carbonates occurs within a higher pH (pH > 5) peripheral zone. Significant quantities of CO{sub …

The authors present molecular dynamics simulation results for the viscosity and mutual diffusion constant of a strongly asymmetric two-component plasma (TCP). They compare the results with available theoretical models previously tested for much smaller asymmetries. for the case of viscosity they propose a new predictive framework based on the linear mixing rule, while for mutual diffusion they point out some consistency problems of widely used Boltzmann equation based models.

Operating and improving the understanding of the Fermilab Accelerator Complex for the colliding beam experiments requires advanced software methods and tools. The Shot Data Acquisition and Analysis (SDA) has been developed to fulfill this need. The SDA takes a standard set of critical data at relevant stages during the complex series of beam manipulations leading to {radical}(s) {approx} 2 TeV collisions. Data is stored in a relational database, and is served to programs and users via Web based tools. Summary tables are systematically generated during and after a store. Written entirely in Java, SDA supports both interactive tools and application interfaces used for in-depth analysis. In this talk, we present the architecture and described some of our analysis tools. We also present some results on the recent Tevatron performance as illustrations of the capabilities of SDA.

Geophysical models constitute an important component of calibration for nuclear explosion monitoring. We will focus on four major topics: (1) a priori geophysical models, (2) surface wave models, (3) receiver function derived profiles, and (4) stochastic geophysical models. The first, a priori models, can be used to predict a host of geophysical measurements, such as body wave travel times, and can be derived from direct regional studies or even by geophysical analogy. Use of these models is particularly important in aseismic regions or regions without seismic stations, where data of direct measurements might not exist. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed the Western Eurasia and North Africa (WENA) model which has been evaluated using a number of data sets, including travel times, surface waves, receiver functions, and waveform analysis (Pasyanos et al., 2004). We have joined this model with our Yellow Sea - Korean Peninsula (YSKP) model and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) East Asia model to construct a model for all of Eurasia and North Africa. Secondly, we continue to improve upon our surface wave model by adding more paths. This has allowed us to expand the region to all of Eurasia and into Africa, increase the …

Detailed STRUCT simulations are performed on beam loss rates in the vicinity of the BTeV detector in the Tevatron CO interaction region due to beam-gas nuclear elastic interactions and out-scattering from the collimation system. Corresponding showers induced in the machine components and background rates in BTeV are modeled with the MARS14 code. It is shown that the combination of a steel collimator and concrete shielding wall located in front of the detector can reduce the accelerator-related background rates in the detector by an order of magnitude.

As part of the vibration budget study for the NLC Main Linac components, the vibration sources in the NLC modules (Girder) are under investigation. The activity is focused on the effect of cooling water flow on the structures (FXB type) stability, the transmission of vibrations to the adjacent components, and the effect of different materials of construction used for the supports. Experimental data and ANSYS simulations have been compared. This paper reports on the ongoing work.

In the process of Savannah River Site (SRS) operations limited amounts of waste are generated containing petroleum, and radiological contaminated soils. Currently, this combination of radiological and petroleum contaminated waste does not have an immediate disposal route and is being stored in low activity vaults. SRS developed and implemented a successful plan for clean up of the petroleum portion of the soils in situ using simple, inexpensive, bioreactor technology. Treatment in a bioreactor removes the petroleum contamination from the soil without spreading radiological contamination to the environment. This bioreactor uses the bioventing process and bioaugmentation or the addition of the select hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. Oxygen is usually the initial rate-limiting factor in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Using the bioventing process allowed control of the supply of nutrients and moisture based on petroleum contamination concentrations and soil type. The results of this work have proven to be a safe and cost-effective means of cleaning up low level radiological and petroleum-contaminated soil. Many of the other elements of the bioreactor design were developed or enhanced during the demonstration of a ''biopile'' to treat the soils beneath a Polish oil refinery's waste disposal lagoons. Aerobic microorganisms were isolated from the aged refinery's …

Some genes produce transcripts that function directly in regulatory, catalytic, or structural roles in the cell. These non-coding RNAs are prevalent in all living organisms, and methods that aid the understanding of their functional roles are essential. RNA secondary structure, the pattern of base-pairing, contains the critical information for determining the three dimensional structure and function of the molecule. In this work we examine whether the basic geometric and topological properties of secondary structure are sufficient to distinguish between RNA families in a learning framework. First, we develop a labeled dual graph representation of RNA secondary structure by adding biologically meaningful labels to the dual graphs proposed by Gan et al [1]. Next, we define a similarity measure directly on the labeled dual graphs using the recently developed marginalized kernels [2]. Using this similarity measure, we were able to train Support Vector Machine classifiers to distinguish RNAs of known families from random RNAs with similar statistics. For 22 of the 25 families tested, the classifier achieved better than 70% accuracy, with much higher accuracy rates for some families. Training a set of classifiers to automatically assign family labels to RNAs using a one vs. all multi-class scheme also yielded encouraging …

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