Newsletter of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service discussing topics related to economic aspects of raising dairy cows, dairy production, and managing dairy operations.

Summary report profiling the credit rating for the Brasoz River Authority finances and investments, providing rationale, outlook, and related research for the new credit rating.

July report of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Panel describing their activities and findings regarding farm loan restructuring, including sections on agriculture markets, and farm credit markets.

A geometrical multigrid method for solving the linearized matrix equations arising from node-on-face three-dimensional finite element contact is described. The development of an efficient implementation of this combination that minimizes both the memory requirements and the computational cost requires careful construction and storage of the portion of the coarse mesh stiffness matrices that are associated with the contact stiffness on the fine mesh. The multigrid contact algorithm is parallelized in a manner suitable for distributed memory architectures: results are presented that demonstrates the scheme's scalability. The solution of a large contact problem derived from an analysis of the factory joints present in the Space Shuttle reusable solid rocket motor demonstrates the usefulness of the general approach.

During the WBS4 review almost a year ago in January, and in more recent discussions of needed capsule characterization, I was struck by three pieces of information related to machined Be capsules: (1) that the speed of sound (and perhaps other properties) in Be grains is markedly different in orthogonal directions, (2) that the grain size in the best refined bulk Be samples is 10 to 15 {micro}m, and that these grains in the best case are randomly oriented, and (3) that we are concerned about capsule homogeneity on the level of 1 part in 10{sup 4}, presumably over angular length scales corresponding to the maximum in the growth curve. It seems to me that the first two points might be inconsistent with the third, and this led me to attempt to model the effect of randomly oriented Be grains on the radially dependent properties of a capsule.

The Magnitude and Distance Amplitude Correction (MDAC; Taylor and Hartse, 1998; Taylor et al., 2002) procedure for correcting regional seismic amplitudes for seismic event identification has been modified to include more realistic earthquake source models and source scaling. In the MDAC2 formulation we generalize the Brune (1970) earthquake source spectrum to use a more physical apparent stress model that can represent non-constant stress-drop scaling. We also event include a parameter that allows for variable P-wave and S-wave comer frequency scaling, imposing some of the constraints of ratio correction techniques (Rodger and Walter, 2002). Very Stable moment magnitude measures (Mayeda et al., 2002) from regional coda wave envelopes that have been tied to independently derived regional seismic moments are incorporated. This eliminates two fitting parameters that were necessary in relating seismic moment to magnitude. The incorporation of Bayesian tomography to replace the assumption of a constant Q0 model is also described. These modifications allow for more flexibility in the MDAC grid-search procedure. The direct tie to regional seismic moment rather than body wave magnitude reduces effects of upper mantle bias on the corrected amplitudes. In this paper, we develop the theory and test the formulation on Nevada Test Site (NTS) data.

The work reported here shows the proof of principle (using a small data set) for a suite of algorithms designed to estimate the probability density function of hyperspectral background data and compute the appropriate Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) matched filter decision threshold for a chemical plume detector. Future work will provide a thorough demonstration of the algorithms and their performance with a large data set. The LASI (Large Aperture Search Initiative) Project involves instrumentation and image processing for hyperspectral images of chemical plumes in the atmosphere. The work reported here involves research and development on algorithms for reducing the false alarm rate in chemical plume detection and identification algorithms operating on hyperspectral image cubes. The chemical plume detection algorithms to date have used matched filters designed using generalized maximum likelihood ratio hypothesis testing algorithms [1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 12, 10, 11, 13]. One of the key challenges in hyperspectral imaging research is the high false alarm rate that often results from the plume detector [1, 2]. The overall goal of this work is to extend the classical matched filter detector to apply Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) methods to reduce the false alarm rate, or Probability of False …

None

Atmospheric aberrations reduce the resolution and contrast in surveillance images recorded over horizontal or slant paths. This paper describes our recent horizontal and slant path imaging experiments of extended scenes as well as the results obtained using speckle imaging. The experiments were performed with an 8-inch diameter telescope placed on either a rooftop or hillside and cover ranges of interest from 0.5 km up to 10 km. The scenery includes resolution targets, people, vehicles, and other structures. The improvement in image quality using speckle imaging is dramatic in many cases, and depends significantly upon the atmospheric conditions. We quantify resolution improvement through modulation transfer function measurement comparisons.

None

We have developed a program called FUDGE that allows one to modify data from LLNL's nuclear database. After modifying data, FUDGE can then be instructed to process the data into the formats used by LLNL's deterministic (ndf) and the Monte Carlo (MCAPM) transport codes. This capability allows users to perform nuclear data sensitivity studies without modification of the transport modeling codes. FUDGE is designed to be user friendly (object-oriented) and fast (the modification and processing typically takes about a minute). It uses Python as a front-end, making it flexible and scriptable. Comparing, plotting and printing of the data are also supported. An overview of FUDGE will be presented as well as examples.

A thick flowing layer of liquid (e.g., flibe-a molten salt, or Sn{sub 80}Li{sub 20}--a liquid metal) protects the structural walls of the magnetic fusion configuration so that they can last the life of the plant even with intense 14 MeV neutron bombardment from the D-T fusion reaction, The surface temperature of the liquid rises as it passes from the inlet nozzles to the exit nozzles due to absorption of line and bremsstrahlung radiation, and neutrons. The surface temperature can be reduced by enhanced turbulent convection of hot surface liquid into the cooler interior. This surface temperature is affected by the temperature of liquid from a heat transport and energy recovery system. The evaporative flux from the wall driven by the surface temperature must also result in an acceptable impurity level in the core plasma. The shielding of the core by the edge plasma is modeled with a 2D-transport code for the DT and impurity ions; these impurity ions are either swept out to the divertor, or diffuse to the hot plasma core. An auxiliary plasma between the edge plasma and the liquid wall may further attenuate evaporating flux of atoms and molecules by ionization near the wall.

We report infrared (IR) spectroscopic measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) at high pressures. Although CO is one of the simplest heteronuclear diatomic molecules, it displays surprisingly complex behavior at high pressures and has been the subject of several studies [1-5]. IR spectroscopic studies of high pressures phases of CO provide data complementing results from previous studies and elucidating the nature of these phases. Though a well-known and widely utilized diagnostic of molecular systems, IR spectroscopy presents several experimental challenges to high pressure diamond anvil cell research. We present measurements of the IR absorption bands of CO at high pressures and experimentally illustrate the crucial importance of accurate normalization of IR spectra specially within regions of strong absorptions in diamond.

The long-term prospects for fully exploring three-flavor mixing in the neutrino sector depend upon an ongoing and increased investment in the appropriate accelerator R&D. Two new concepts have been proposed that would revolutionize neutrino experiments, namely the Neutrino Factory and the Beta Beam facility. These new facilities would dramatically improve our ability to test the three-flavor mixing framework, measure CP violation in the lepton sector, and perhaps determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, and, if necessary, probe extremely small values of the mixing angle {theta}{sub 13}. The stunning sensitivity that could be achieved with a Neutrino Factory is described, together with our present understanding of the corresponding sensitivity that might be achieved with a Beta Beam facility. In the Beta Beam case, additional study is required to better understand the optimum Beta Beam energy, and the achievable sensitivity. Neither a Neutrino Factory nor a Beta Beam facility could be built without significant R&D. An impressive Neutrino Factory R&D effort has been ongoing in the U.S. and elsewhere over the last few years and significant progress has been made towards optimizing the design, developing and testing the required accelerator components, and significantly reducing the cost. The recent progress is described here. There …

Use of the National Ignition Facility to also output frequency-doubled (.53{micro}m) laser light would allow significantly more energy to be delivered to targets as well as significantly greater bandwidth for beam smoothing. This green light option could provide access to new ICF target designs and a wider range of plasma conditions for other applications. The wavelength scaling of the interaction physics is a key issue in assessing this green light option. Wavelength scaling theory based on the collisionless plasma approximation is explored, and some limitations associated with plasma collisionality are examined. Important features of the wavelength scaling are tested using the current data base, which is growing. It appears that, with modest restrictions, .53{micro}m light couples with targets as well as .35{micro}m light does. A more quantitative understanding of the beneficial effects of SSD on the interaction physics is needed for both .53{micro}m and .35{micro}m light.

We review concurrent multiscale simulations of dynamic and temperature-dependent processes found in nanomechanical systems coupled to larger scale surroundings. We focus on the behavior of sub-micron Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), especially microresonators. These systems are often called NEMS, for Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems. The coupling of length scales methodology we have developed for MEMS employs an atomistic description of small but key regions of the system, consisting of millions of atoms, coupled concurrently to a finite element model of the periphery. The model, Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics (CGMD), builds a generalized finite element formalism from the underlying atomistic physics in order to ensure a smooth coupling between regions governed by different length scales. The result is a model that accurately describes the behavior of the mechanical components of MEMS down to the atomic scale.

We present novel approach to discover the rules that govern gene regulation mechanisms. The method is based on supervised machine learning and is designed to reveal relationships between transcription factors and gene promoters. As the representation of the gene regulatory circuit we have chosen a special form of IF-THEN rules associating certain features (a generalized idea of a Transcription Factor Binding Site) in gene promoters with specific gene expression profiles.

Energetic oxetane polymers have shown promise as performance-enhancing ingredients in gun and missile propellants. In order to correctly predict the performance of energetic materials containing these polymers, it is important to have accurate, experimentally determined values for the polymer heats of formation ({Delta}H{sub f}). In support of a theoretical study on gun propellant performance, heats of combustion were experimentally determined for a series of oxetane polymers and monomers (see below) using combustion calorimetry, and from these, {Delta}H{sub f} values were calculated. Polymers included BAMO/AMMO, BAMO/NMMO (polyol and TPE), and BNMO/NMMO mixtures. In order to calculate the {Delta}H{sub f} of the polymers from heat of combustion data, a number of assumptions were made regarding the polymer structure and molecular weight. A comparison of the {Delta}H{sub f} values for the monomers and polymers were made, and these values were compared to heats of formation measured elsewhere.

Starting with two assumptions: (1) gamma-ray bursts originate from stellar death phenomena or so called ''collapsars'' and (2) that these bursts are quasi-universal, whereby the majority of the observed variation is due to our perspective of the jet, an integrated gamma-ray burst model is proposed. It is found that several of the key correlations in the data can be naturally explained with this simple picture and another possible correlation is predicted.

Under contract to Fluor Hanford, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory directed laboratory, bench-scale, and pilot-scale vendor testing to evaluate the use of commercial gravity mineral concentration technology to remove and concentrate uranium metal from Hanford K Basin sludge. Uranium metal in the sludge corrodes by reacting with water to generate heat and hydrogen gas, and may constrain shipment and disposal of the sludge to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant as remote-handled transuranic waste. Separating uranium metal from the K Basin sludge is expected to be similar to some gold recovery operations. Consequently, the capabilities of commercial gravity mineral concentration technologies were assessed for their applicability to K Basin sludge streams. Overall, the vendor testing demonstrated the technical feasibility of using gravity concentration equipment to separate the K Basin sludge into a high-volume uranium metal-depleted stream and a low-volume uranium metal-rich stream. I n test systems, more than 96% of the uranium metal surrogate was concentrated into 10 to 30% of the sludge mass (7 to 24% of the sludge volume). With more prototypical equipment and stream recycle, higher recoveries may be achieved.

This report documents completion of Milestone A.4-1 "Issue Tank Lay-Up Strategies for WVDP Final Report," in Technical Task Plan RL3-WT21A, "Post-Retrieval and Pre-Closure HLW Tank Lay-Up." This task was a collaborative effort among Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., and West Valley Nuclear Services. The primary objective of the overall task was to develop and evaluate conceptual strategies for preclosure lay-up of the two large high-level waste storage tanks at the West Valley Demonstration Project.

The development of a suborbital or spaceborne system to monitor seismic waves poses an intriguing prospect for advancing the state of seismology. This capability would enable an unprecedented global mapping of the velocity structure of the earth's crust, understanding of earthquake rupture dynamics and wave propagation effects, and event source location, characterization and discrimination that are critical for both fundamental earthquake research and nuclear non-proliferation applications. As part of an ongoing collaboration between LLNL and JPL, an advanced mission concept study assessed architectural considerations and operational and data delivery requirements, extending two prior studies by each organization--a radar-based satellite system (JPL) for earthquake hazard assessment and a feasibility study of space- or UAV-based laser seismometer systems (LLNL) for seismic event monitoring. Seismic wave measurement requirements include lower bounds on detectability of specific seismic sources of interest and wave amplitude accuracy for different levels of analysis, such as source characterization, discrimination and tomography, with a 100 {micro}m wave amplitude resolution for waves nominally traveling 5 km/s, an upper frequency bound based on explosion and earthquake surface displacement spectra, and minimum horizontal resolution (1-5 km) and areal coverage, in general and for targeted observations. For a radar system, corresponding engineering and operational …

The factory approach (a.k.a. virtual constructor) hides the details of the class implementing the TSTT from TSTT users. In version 0.5 of TSTT.sidl, the client hard codes the name of the implementing class into their code. The client is forced to choose from the small set of possible concrete classes defined in TSTT.sidl. This approach makes it impossible to support multiple implementations of the TSTT in a single process because each implementation has to implement the same class. The factory approach hides the details of mesh creation from the client. The client does not need to know the name of the implementing class, and the client can dynamically determine which interfaces are supported by the new mesh. A factory can support multiple TSTT implementation because each implementation defines its own concrete classes to implement. The factory approach does require the TSTT compliant mesh packages to implement a MeshFactory interface, and everyone needs to link against an implementation of the Registry. The Registry only has 7 methods that are fairly easy to implement, and everyone can share one implementation of the Registry.

For hamiltonian lattice gauge theory, we introduce the matrix product ansatz inspired from density matrix renormalization group. In this method, wavefunction of the target state is assumed to be a product of finite matrices. As a result, the energy becomes a simple function of the matrices, which can be evaluated using a computer. The minimum of the energy function corresponds to the vacuum state. We show that the S = 1/2 Heisenberg chain model are well described with the ansatz. The method is also applied to the two-dimensional S = 1/2 Heisenberg and U(1) plaquette chain models.