We scanned a Booster Nozzle for NASA with our 9 meV LINAC, AmSi panel scanner. Three scans were performed using different filtering schemes and different positions of the nozzle. The results of the scan presented here are taken from the scan which provided the best contrast and lowest noise of the three. Our inspection data shows a number of indications of voids in the outer coating of rubber/carbon. The voids are mostly on the side of the nozzle, but a few small voids are present at the ends of the nozzle. We saw no large voids in the adhesive layer between the Aluminum and the inner layer of carbon. This 3D inspection data did show some variation in the size of the adhesive layer, but none of the indications were larger than 3 pixels in extent (21 mils). We have developed a variety of contour estimation and extraction techniques for inspecting small spaces between layers. These tools might work directly on un-sectioned nozzles since the circular contours will fit with our tools a little better. Consequently, it would be useful to scan a full nozzle to ensure there are no untoward degradations in data quality, and to see if our …

We report on spectroscopic investigations of Nd{sup 3+}- and Tb{sup 3+}- doped low phonon energy, moisture-resistant host crystals, KPb{sub 2}Br{sub 5} and RbPb{sub 2}Br{sub 5}, and their potential to serve as new solid state laser materials at new wavelengths, especially in the long wavelength infrared region. This includes emission spectra, emission lifetime measurements, Raman scattering spectra as well as calculations of the multiphonon decay rate, radiative lifetimes and quantum efficiencies for relevant (laser) transitions in these crystals.

We have searched for neutrons from the 3-body photon-induced reaction {sup 9}Be + {gamma} {yields} {alpha} + {alpha} + n using bremsstrahlung produced by electrons from a 2-MV Van de Graaff. The target was located within a block of beryllium surrounded by an array of {sup 3}He proportional counters embedded in paraffin. Based on energy and intensity calibrations of the accelerator and detector using the {sup 9}Be + {gamma} {yields} {sup 8}Be + n reaction, an upper limit of 93 nb (4{sigma}) was placed on the cross section for neutron production between the 3-body and 2-body thresholds. This value is substantially below a previously experimental result using photoexcitation by a {sup 142}Pr gamma source and also below an earlier theoretical estimate. We suggest that bremsstrahlung due to beta rays between 1665 keV and the 2160-keV end-point of the {sup 142}Pr beta-ray spectrum could account for the photoneutron yield in the 3-body region that had previously been attributed to {sup 142}Pr gamma rays.

We have recently completed a large-area, coded-aperture, gamma-ray imager for use in searching for radiation sources. The instrument was constructed to verify that weak point sources can be detected at considerable distances if one uses imaging to overcome fluctuations in the natural background. The instrument uses a rank-19, one-dimensional coded aperture to cast shadow patterns onto a 0.57 m{sup 2} NaI(Tl) detector composed of 57 individual cubes each 10 cm on a side. These are arranged in a 19 x 3 array. The mask is composed of four-centimeter thick, one-meter high, 10-cm wide lead blocks. The instrument is mounted in the back of a small truck from which images are obtained as one drives through a region. Results of first measurements obtained with the system are presented.

We present the radial velocities, metallicities and the K-band magnitudes of 74 RR Lyrae stars in the inner regions of the LMC. The intermediated resolution spectra and the infrared images were obtained with FORS1 at the ESO VLT and with the SOFI infrared imager at the ESO NTT. The best 43 RR Lyrae with measured velocities yield an observed velocity dispersion of {sigma}=61{+-} 7 km s{sup -1}. We obtain a true LMC RR Lyrae velocity dispersion of {sigma}=53 km s{sup -1}, which is higher than the velocity dispersion of any other LMC population previously measured. This is the first empirical evidence for a kinematically hot, metal-poor halo in the LMC as discussed in Minniti et al. (2003). Using Layden's (1994) modification for the {Delta}S method we measured the metallicity for 23 of our stars. The mean value is [Fe/H]=-1.46{+-}0.09 dex. The absolute magnitudes M{sub v} and M{sub K} of RR Lyrae stars are linear functions of metallicity. In the V band, our data agree with the Olech et al. (2003) relation, in the K band the slope is flatter. The average apparent V luminosity of 70 RR Lyrae stars is <V>=19.45{+-}0.04 and the average K luminosity of 37 RR Lyrae …

None

The National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Transparency Implementation Program (TIP) monitors and provides assurance that Russian weapons-grade HEU is processed into low enriched uranium (LEU) under the transparency provisions of the 1993 United States (U.S.)-Russian HEU Purchase Agreement. Meeting the Agreement's transparency provisions is not just a program requirement; it is a legal requirement. The HEU Purchase Agreement requires transparency measures to be established to provide assurance that the nonproliferation objectives of the Agreement are met. The Transparency concept has evolved into a viable program that consists of complimentary elements that provide necessary assurances. The key elements include: (1) monitoring by technical experts; (2) independent measurements of enrichment and flow; (3) nuclear material accountability documents from Russian plants; and (4) comparison of transparency data with declared processing data. In the interest of protecting sensitive information, the monitoring is neither full time nor invasive. Thus, an element of trust is required regarding declared operations that are not observed. U.S. transparency monitoring data and independent instrument measurements are compared with plant accountability records and other declared processing data to provide assurance that the nonproliferation objectives of the 1993 Agreement are being met. Similarly, Russian monitoring of U. S. …

None

By September 14, three days after the initial World Trade Center collapse, efforts at fire suppression and heavy rainfall had extinguished the immediate surface fires. From then until roughly mid-December, the collapse piles continuously emitted an acrid smoke and fume in the smoldering phase of the event. Knowledge of the sources, nature, and concentration of these aerosols is important for evaluation and alleviation of the health effects on workers and nearby residents. In this paper, we build on our earlier work to ascribe these aerosols to similar processes that occur in urban incinerators. The simultaneous presence of finely powdered (circa 5 {micro}m) and highly basic (pH 11 to 12) cement dust and high levels of very fine (< 0.25 {micro}m) sulfuric acid fumes helps explain observed health impacts. The unprecedented levels of several metals in the very fine mode can be tied to liberation of those metals that are both present in elevated concentrations in the debris and have depressed volatility temperatures caused by the presence of organic materials and chlorine.

The change in the electronic structure of germanium nanocrystals is investigated as their concentration is increased from non-interacting, individual particles to assembled arrays of particles. The electronic structure of the individual nanoclusters shows clear effects due to quantum confinement which are lost in the concentrated assemblies of bare particles. When the surface of the individual particles is passivated, they retain their quantum confinement properties also upon assembly. These effects are interpreted in terms of a particle - particle interaction model.

In core-collapse supernovae, strong blast waves drive interfaces susceptible to Rayleigh-Taylor (RT), Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM), and Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instabilities. In addition, perturbation growth can result from material expansion in large-scale velocity gradients behind the shock front. Laser-driven experiments are designed to produce a strongly shocked interface whose evolution is a scaled version of the unstable hydrogen-helium interface in core-collapse supernovae such as SN 1987A. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop an understanding of the effect of hydrodynamic instabilities and the resulting transition to turbulence on supernovae observables that remain as yet unexplained. In this dissertation, we present a computational study of unstable systems driven by high Mach number shock and blast waves. Using multi-physics radiation hydrodynamics codes and theoretical models, we consider the late nonlinear instability evolution of single mode, few mode, and multimode interfaces. We rely primarily on 2D calculations but present recent 3D results as well. For planar multimode systems, we show that compressibility effects preclude the emergence of a regime of self-similar instability growth independent of the initial conditions (IC's) by allowing for memory of the initial conditions to be retained in the mix-width at all times. The loss of transverse spectral information is demonstrated, …

We present a detailed comparison of the measured characteristics of Thomson backscattered x-rays produced at the PLEIADES (Picosecond Laser-Electron Interaction for the Dynamic Evaluation of Structures) facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to predicted results from a newly developed, fully three-dimensional time and frequency-domain code. Based on the relativistic differential cross section, this code has the capability to calculate time and space dependent spectra of the x-ray photons produced from linear Thomson scattering for both bandwidth-limited and chirped incident laser pulses. Spectral broadening of the scattered x-ray pulse resulting from the incident laser bandwidth, perpendicular wave vector components in the laser focus, and the transverse and longitudinal phase space of the electron beam are included. Electron beam energy, energy spread, and transverse phase space measurements of the electron beam at the interaction point are presented, and the corresponding predicted x-ray characteristics are determined. In addition, time-integrated measurements of the x-rays produced from the interaction are presented, and shown to agree well with the simulations.

In segmentation of remotely sensed images, the number of pixel classes and their spectral representations are often unknown a priori. Even with prior knowledge, pixels with spectral components from multiple classes lead to classification errors and undesired small region artifacts. Coarseness regulation for segmented images is proposed as an efficient novel technique for handling these problems. Beginning with an over-segmented image, perceptually similar connected regions are iteratively merged using a method reminiscent of region growing, except the primitives are regions, not pixels. Interactive coarseness regulation is achieved by specifying the area {alpha} of the largest region eligible for merging. A region with area less than {alpha} is merged with the most spectrally similar connected region, unless the regions are perceived as spectrally dissimilar. In convergent coarseness regulation, which requires no user interaction, {alpha} is specified as the total number of pixels in the image, and the coarseness regulation output converges to a steady-state segmentation that remains unchanged as {alpha} is further increased. By applying convergent coarseness regulation to AVIRIS, IKONOS and DigitalGlobe images, and quantitatively comparing computer-generated segmentations to segmentations generated manually by a human analyst, it was found that the quality of the input segmentations was consistently and dramatically …

Nucleation-growth kinetic expressions are derived for thermal decomposition of HMX from a variety of types of data, including mass loss for isothermal and constant rate heating in an open pan, and heat flow for isothermal and constant rate heating in open and closed pans. Conditions are identified in which thermal runaway is small to nonexistent, which typically means temperatures less than 255 C and heating rates less than 1 C/min. Activation energies are typically in the 140 to 150 kJ/mol regime for open pan experiments and about 160 kJ/mol for sealed pan experiments. The reaction clearly displays more than one process, and most likely three processes, which are most clearly evident in open pan experiments. The reaction is accelerated for closed pan experiments, and one global reaction appears to fit the data well.

None

This paper provides a brief survey of document structural similarity algorithms, including the optimal Tree Edit Distance algorithm and various approximation algorithms. The approximation algorithms include the simple weighted tag similarity algorithm, Fourier transforms of the structure, and a new application of the shingle technique to structural similarity. We show three surprising results. First, the Fourier transform technique proves to be the least accurate of any of approximation algorithms, while also being slowest. Second, optimal Tree Edit Distance algorithms may not be the best technique for clustering pages from different sites. Third, the simplest approximation to structure may be the most effective and efficient mechanism for many applications.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is in the process of developing a new Monte Carlo Particle Transport code named MERCURY. This new code features a 3-D Combinatorial Geometry tracking algorithm. This paper details some of the characteristics of this Monte Carlo tracker

There exists a certain type of high energy density physics experiment that requires a very precise, one or two-dimensional sinusoidal pattern to be imprinted on the surface of a thin disc-shaped specimen. Early discussions of potential fabrication processes included precision lapping using a substrate with the sinusoidal patterns, diamond turning, and various vapor deposition techniques. The process of coining, in which the sinusoidal pattern is pressed into the surface of a flat disc, was also proposed. Extensive discussions indicated that the low cost of coining and likelihood of success warranted this proof-of-principal investigation.

A R = 44.3 m grazing-incidence grating spectrometer has been implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps for high-resolution measurements in the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet region spanning from below 10 Angstrom up to 50 Angstrom. The instrument uses a grating with variable line spacing (about 2400 l/mm) for a flat field of view. Spectra are recorded with a back-illuminated charge-coupled device detector. The new instrument greatly improves upon the resolution achieved with existing grating spectrometers and complements crystal spectrometers at the shorter wavelengths both in terms of wavelength coverage and polarization independent reflectivity response.

This report provides an overview of a series of developmental welding studies performed on a 2.2 kW Rofin Sinar DY-022 Diode Pumped Continuous Wave (CW) Nd:YAG welder at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Several materials systems, ranging from refractory metals, such as commercially pure tantalum and vanadium, to austenitic stainless steels, including both 304L and 21-6-9 grades, are examined. Power input and travel speed are systematically varied during the welding of each materials system, and the width, depth, and cross sectional area of the resulting weld fusion zones are measured. These individual studies are undertaken in order to characterize the response of the welder to changes in these welding parameters for a range of materials and to determine the maximum depth of penetration of which this welder is capable in each materials system. The maximum weld depths, which are on the order of 5.4 mm, are observed in the 21-6-9 austenitic stainless steel at the maximum laser power setting (2200 W) and a slow travel speed (6.4 mm/sec). The next highest weld depth is observed in the 304L stainless steel, followed by that observed in the vanadium and, finally, in the tantalum. Porosity, which is attributed to the collapse of …

We have previously described our methodology for quantification of risk and risk reduction, and the use of risk, quantified as a dollar value, in the Value Engineering and decision tradeoff process. In this work we extend our example theme of the safety of reactive materials during accidental impacts. We have begun to place the validation of our impact safety model into a systems engineering context. In that sense, we have made connections between the data and the trends in the data, our models of the impact safety process, and the implications regarding confidence levels and reliability based on given impact safety requirements. We have folded this information into a quantitative risk assessment, and shown the assessed risk reduction value of developing an even better model, with more model work or more experimental data or both. Since there is a cost incurred for either model improvement or testing, we have used a Benefit/Cost Ratio metric to quantify this, where Benefit is our quantification of assessed risk reduction, and cost is the cost of the new test data, code development, and model validation. This has left us with further questions posed for our evolving system engineering representation for impact safety and its …

Significant effort currently is being devoted to the development of noninvasive imaging systems that allow in vivo assessment of biological and biomolecular interactions in mice and other small animals. While physiological function in small animals can be localized and imaged using conventional radionuclide imaging techniques such as single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET), these techniques inherently are limited to spatial resolutions of 1-2 mm. For this reason, we are developing a small animal radionuclide imaging system (SARIS) using grazing incidence optics to focus gamma-rays emitted by {sup 125}I and other radiopharmaceuticals. We have developed a prototype optic with sufficient accuracy and precision to focus the 27.5 keV photons from {sup 125}I onto a high-resolution imaging detector. Experimental measurements from the prototype have demonstrated that the optic can focus X-rays from a microfocus X-ray tube to a spot having physical dimensions (approximately 1500 microns half-power diameter) consistent with those predicted by theory. Our theoretical and numerical analysis also indicate that an optic can be designed and build that ultimately can achieve 100 {micro}m spatial resolution with sufficient efficiency to perform in vivo single photon emission imaging studies in small animal.

We report the results of a search in the MACHO light-curve database aiming to find new cataclysmic variables. The targets were selected from variables toward the Magellanic Clouds and Galactic bulge using as main criteria the amplitude of photometric variability and color indices. These criteria provided a total of 3720 variables, which were visually inspected for novae, recurrent novae or dwarf novae eruptions. Dwarf novae type outbursts were recognized in 28 objects while a second sample of 38 less probable candidates was also selected. Some characteristics of the light curves of the cataclysmic variables identified are described and, when possible, a classification in a subtype is assigned to the system. The coordinates of each selected target were cross correlated against X-ray survey databases in order to search for possible point source identifications. The detected dwarf novae in the direction of the bulge are probable members of the Galactic disk population.

In the field of composite energetic materials, properties such as ingredient distribution, particle size, and morphology affect both sensitivity and performance. Since the reaction kinetics of composite energetic materials are typically controlled by the mass transport rates between reactants, one would anticipate new and potentially exceptional performance from energetic nanocomposites. We have developed a new method of making nanostructured energetic materials, specifically explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics, using sol-gel chemistry. A novel sol-gel approach has proven successful in preparing metal oxide/silicon oxide nanocomposites in which the metal oxide is the major component. By introducing a fuel metal, such as aluminum, into the metal oxide/silicon oxide matrix, energetic materials based on thermite reactions can be fabricated. Two of the metal oxides are tungsten trioxide and iron(III) oxide, both of which are of interest in the field of energetic materials. In addition, due to the large availability of organically functionalized silanes, the silicon oxide phase can be used as a unique way of introducing organic additives into the bulk metal oxide materials. These organic additives can cause the generation of gas upon ignition of the materials, therefore resulting in a composite material that can perform pressure/volume work. Furthermore, the desired organic functionality is …