A search for sterile neutrinos in MINOS (open access)

A search for sterile neutrinos in MINOS

MINOS, the Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search, is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment based at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory. The experiment uses a neutrino beam, which is measured 1 km downstream from its origin in the Near detector at Fermilab and then 735 km later in the Far detector at the Soudan mine. By comparing these two measurements, MINOS can attain a very high precision for parameters in the atmospheric sector of neutrino oscillations. In addition to precisely determining {Delta}m{sub 23}{sup 2} and {theta}{sub 23} through the disappearance of {nu}{sub {mu}}, MINOS is able to measure {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub sterile} by looking for a deficit in the number of neutral current interactions seen in the Far detector. In this thesis, we present the results of a search for sterile neutrinos in MINOS.
Date: December 1, 2007
Creator: Osiecki, Thomas Henry
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Horizontal gene transfer and the evolution of transcriptionalregulation in Escherichia coli (open access)

Horizontal gene transfer and the evolution of transcriptionalregulation in Escherichia coli

Background: Most bacterial genes were acquired by horizontalgene transfer from other bacteria instead of being inherited bycontinuous vertical descent from an ancient ancestor}. To understand howthe regulation of these {acquired} genes evolved, we examined theevolutionary histories of transcription factors and of regulatoryinteractions from the model bacterium Escherichia coli K12. Results:Although most transcription factors have paralogs, these usually arose byhorizontal gene transfer rather than by duplication within the E. colilineage, as previously believed. In general, most neighbor regulators --regulators that are adjacent to genes that they regulate -- were acquiredby horizontal gene transfer, while most global regulators evolvedvertically within the gamma-Proteobacteria. Neighbor regulators wereoften acquired together with the adjacent operon that they regulate, sothe proximity might be maintained by repeated transfers (like "selfishoperons"). Many of the as-yet-uncharacterized (putative) regulators havealso been acquired together with adjacent genes, so we predict that theseare neighbor regulators as well. When we analyzed the histories ofregulatory interactions, we found that the evolution of regulation byduplication was rare, and surprisingly, many of the regulatoryinteractions that are shared between paralogs result from convergentevolution. Another surprise was that horizontally transferred genes aremore likely than other genes to be regulated by multiple regulators, andmost of this complex regulation probably evolved …
Date: December 20, 2007
Creator: Price, Morgan N.; Dehal, Paramvir S. & Arkin, Adam P.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
BDDC for nonsymmetric positive definite and symmetric indefinite problems (open access)

BDDC for nonsymmetric positive definite and symmetric indefinite problems

The balancing domain decomposition methods by constraints are extended to solving both nonsymmetric, positive definite and symmetric, indefinite linear systems. In both cases, certain nonstandard primal constraints are included in the coarse problems of BDDC algorithms to accelerate the convergence. Under the assumption that the subdomain size is small enough, a convergence rate estimate for the GMRES iteration is established that the rate is independent of the number of subdomains and depends only slightly on the subdomain problem size. Numerical experiments for several two-dimensional examples illustrate the fast convergence of the proposed algorithms.
Date: December 10, 2008
Creator: Tu, Xuemin & Li, Jing
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
A New Innovative Spherical Cermet Nuclear Fuel Element to Achieve an Ultra-Long Core Life for use in Grid-Appropriate LWRs (open access)

A New Innovative Spherical Cermet Nuclear Fuel Element to Achieve an Ultra-Long Core Life for use in Grid-Appropriate LWRs

Spherical cermet fuel elements are proposed for use in the Atoms For Peace Reactor (AFPR-100) concept. AFPR-100 is a small-scale, inherently safe, proliferation-resistant reactor that would be ideal for deployment to nations with emerging economies that decide to select nuclear power for the generation of carbon-free electricity. The basic concept of the AFPR core is a water-cooled fixed particle bed, randomly packed with spherical fuel elements. The flow of coolant within the particle bed is at such a low rate that the bed does not fluidize. This report summarizes an approach to fuel fabrication, results associated with fuel performance modeling, core neutronics and thermal hydraulics analyses demonstrating a ~20 year core life, and a conclusion that the proliferation resistance of the AFPR reactor concept is high.
Date: December 1, 2007
Creator: Senor, David J.; Painter, Chad L.; Geelhood, Ken J.; Wootan, David W.; Meriwether, George H.; Cuta, Judith M. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
New American Home 2009 (Brochure) (open access)

New American Home 2009 (Brochure)

This brochure details the New American Home 2009, which demonstrates the use of innovative building materials, cutting-edge design, and the latest construction techniques.
Date: December 1, 2008
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Real Time Dynamics of Laser Activated Interface Processes at the Molecular Scale (open access)

Real Time Dynamics of Laser Activated Interface Processes at the Molecular Scale

Nanotechnology is one of the most interesting and challenging frontiers of science and technology. We are motivated by the belief that progress will come from improved understanding and control of structure, dynamics and reactivity at interfaces. First, we provide a summary of our projects and key findings. The following pages provide a more detailed account.
Date: December 30, 2007
Creator: Borguet, Eric
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
R. Bruce Merrifield and Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis: A Historical Assessment (open access)

R. Bruce Merrifield and Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis: A Historical Assessment

Bruce Merrifield, trained as a biochemist, had to address three major challenges related to the development and acceptance of solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The challenges were (1) to reduce the concept of peptide synthesis on a insoluble support to practice, (2) overcome the resistance of synthetic chemists to this novel approach, and (3) establish that a biochemist had the scientific credentials to effect the proposed revolutionary change in chemical synthesis. How these challenges were met is discussed in this article.
Date: December 4, 2007
Creator: Mitchell, A R
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Operation of a Free-Electron Laser from the Extreme Ultraviolet to the Water Window (open access)

Operation of a Free-Electron Laser from the Extreme Ultraviolet to the Water Window

We report results on the performance of a free-electron laser operating at a wavelength of 13.7 nm where unprecedented peak and average powers for a coherent extreme-ultraviolet radiation source have been measured. In the saturation regime, the peak energy approached 170 {micro}J for individual pulses, and the average energy per pulse reached 70 {micro}J. The pulse duration was in the region of 10 fs, and peak powers of 10 GW were achieved. At a pulse repetition frequency of 700 pulses per second, the average extreme-ultraviolet power reached 20mW. The output beam also contained a significant contribution from odd harmonics of approximately 0.6% and 0.03% for the 3rd (4.6 nm) and the 5th (2.75 nm) harmonics, respectively. At 2.75 nm the 5th harmonic of the radiation reaches deep into the water window, a wavelength range that is crucially important for the investigation of biological samples.
Date: December 17, 2007
Creator: Ackermann, W.; Asova, G.; Ayvazyan, V.; Azima, A.; Baboi, N.; Bahr, J. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Engineering MerR for Sequestration and MerA for Reduction of Toxic Metals and Radionuclides (open access)

Engineering MerR for Sequestration and MerA for Reduction of Toxic Metals and Radionuclides

The objectives of this project were (1) to alter a metalloregulatory protein (MerR) so that it would bind other toxic metals or radionuclides with similar affinity so that the engineered protein itself and/or bacteria expressing it could be deployed in the environment to specifically sequester such metals and (2) to alter the mercuric reductase, MerA, to reduce radionuclides and render them less mobile. Both projects had a basic science component. In the first case, such information about MerR illuminates how proteins discriminate very similar metals/elements. In the second case, information about MerA reveals the criteria for transmission of reducing equivalents from NADPH to redox-active metals. The work involved genetic engineering of all or parts of both proteins and examination of their resultant properties both in vivo and in vitro, the latter with biochemical and biophysical tools including equilibrium and non-equilibrium dialysis, XAFS, NMR, x-ray crystallography, and titration calorimetry. We defined the basis for metal specificity in MerR, devised a bacterial strain that sequesters Hg while growing, characterized gold reduction by MerA and the role of the metallochaperone domain of MerA, and determined the 3-D structure of MerB, the organomercurial lyase.
Date: December 15, 2008
Creator: Summers, Anne O.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
New York Nano-Bio Molecular Information Technology (NYNBIT) Incubator (open access)

New York Nano-Bio Molecular Information Technology (NYNBIT) Incubator

This project presents the outcome of an effort made by a consortium of six universities in the State of New York to develop a Center for Advanced technology (CAT) in the emerging field of Nano-Bio-Molecular Information Technology. The effort consists of activities such as organization of the NYNBIT incubator, collaborative research projects, development of courses, an educational program for high schools, and commercial start-up programs.
Date: December 19, 2008
Creator: Das, Digendra K
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library

Thermal Management of Batteries in Advanced Vehicles Using Phase-Change Materials

This Powerpoint presentation examines battery thermal management using PCM and concludes excellent performance in limiting peak temperatures at short period extensive battery use; although, vehicle designers will need to weigh the potential increase in mass and cost associated with adding PCM against the anticipated benefits.
Date: December 1, 2007
Creator: Kim, G.-H.; Gonder, J.; Lustbader, J. & Pesaran, A.
Object Type: Presentation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Predicting Pattern Tooling and Casting Dimensions for Investment Casting, Phase III (open access)

Predicting Pattern Tooling and Casting Dimensions for Investment Casting, Phase III

None
Date: December 24, 2007
Creator: Sabau, Adrian S. & Cannell, Nick
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dynamics in a Spiral FFAG with Tilted Cavities. (open access)

Dynamics in a Spiral FFAG with Tilted Cavities.

I develop a formulation for Hamiltonian dynamics in an accelerator with magnets whose edges follow a spiral. I demonstrate using this Hamiltonian that a spiral FFAG can be made perfectly 'scaling'. I describe how one computes the RF phase during a rapid acceleration cycle to keep the beam at the appropriate RF phase. I examine the effect of tilting an RF cavity with respect a radial line from the center of the machine, potentially with a different angle than the spiral of the magnets. I discuss partially the effects of the finite energy jumps on the dynamics. This is a status report of work that is still incomplete.
Date: December 20, 2007
Creator: Berg, J. S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Control of the Magnetic and Magnetotransport Properties of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Thin Films Through Epitaxial Strain (open access)

Control of the Magnetic and Magnetotransport Properties of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Thin Films Through Epitaxial Strain

The influence of epitaxial strain, in the form of tetragonal distortions, on the magnetic and magnetotransport properties of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} thin films was studied. The tetragonal distortion (c/a ratio) was modulated through the choice of the substrate, ranging from c/a=1.007 on (001)-oriented (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 6}){sub 0.7} substrates to 0.952 on (110)-oriented GdScO{sub 3} substrates. In agreement with previous theoretical predictions, these large values of tensile strain cause the Curie temperature and the saturation magnetization to decrease, alter the temperature dependence of the resistivity and magnetoresistance, and increase the resistivity several orders of magnitude.
Date: December 20, 2007
Creator: Arenholz, Elke; Takamura, Y.; Chopdekar, R.V.; Arenholz, E. & Suzuki, Y.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Two-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics and Conduction Simulations of Heat Transfer in Horizontal Window Frames with Internal Cavities (open access)

Two-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics and Conduction Simulations of Heat Transfer in Horizontal Window Frames with Internal Cavities

This paper assesses the accuracy of the simplified frame cavity conduction/convection and radiation models presented in ISO 15099 and used in software for rating and labeling window products. Temperatures and U-factors for typical horizontal window frames with internal cavities are compared; results from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with detailed radiation modeling are used as a reference. Four different frames were studied. Two were made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and two of aluminum. For each frame, six different simulations were performed, two with a CFD code and four with a building-component thermal-simulation tool using the Finite Element Method (FEM). This FEM tool addresses convection using correlations from ISO 15099; it addressed radiation with either correlations from ISO 15099 or with a detailed, view-factor-based radiation model. Calculations were performed using the CFD code with and without fluid flow in the window frame cavities; the calculations without fluid flow were performed to verify that the CFD code and the building-component thermal-simulation tool produced consistent results. With the FEM-code, the practice of subdividing small frame cavities was examined, in some cases not subdividing, in some cases subdividing cavities with interconnections smaller than five millimeters (mm) (ISO 15099) and in some cases subdividing cavities …
Date: December 1, 2008
Creator: Gustavsen, Arlid; Kohler, Christian; Dalehaug, Arvid & Arasteh, Dariush
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
STATUS OF CHEMICAL CLEANING OF WASTE TANKS AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE F TANK FARM CLOSURE PROJECT - 9114 (open access)

STATUS OF CHEMICAL CLEANING OF WASTE TANKS AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE F TANK FARM CLOSURE PROJECT - 9114

Chemical Cleaning is currently in progress for Tanks 5 and 6 at the Savannah River Site. The Chemical Cleaning process is being utilized to remove the residual waste heel remaining after completion of Mechanical Sludge Removal. This work is required to prepare the tanks for closure. Tanks 5 and 6 are 1950s vintage carbon steel waste tanks that do not meet current containment standards. These tanks are 22.9 meters (75 feet) in diameter, 7.5 meters (24.5 feet) in height, and have a capacity of 2.84E+6 liters (750,000 gallons). Chemical Cleaning adds 8 wt % oxalic acid to the carbon steel tank to dissolve the remaining sludge heel. The resulting acidic waste solution is transferred to Tank 7 where it is pH adjusted to minimize corrosion of the carbon steel tank. The Chemical Cleaning flowsheet includes multiple strikes of acid in each tank. Acid is delivered by tanker truck and is added to the tanks through a hose assembly connected to a pipe penetration through the tank top. The flowsheet also includes spray washing with acid and water. This paper includes an overview of the configuration required for Chemical Cleaning, the planned flowsheet, and an overview of technical concerns associated with …
Date: December 31, 2008
Creator: Thaxton, D; Geoff Clendenen, G; Willie Gordon, W; Samuel Fink, S & Michael Poirier, M
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
validation and Enhancement of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer Predictive Capabilities for Generation IV Reactor Systems (open access)

validation and Enhancement of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer Predictive Capabilities for Generation IV Reactor Systems

Nationwide, the demand for electricity due to population and industrial growth is on the rise. However, climate change and air quality issues raise serious questions about the wisdom of addressing these shortages through the construction of additional fossil fueled power plants. In 1997, the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology Energy Research and Development Panel determined that restoring a viable nuclear energy option was essential and that the DOE should implement a R&D effort to address principal obstacles to achieving this option. This work has addressed the need for improved thermal/fluid analysis capabilities, through the use of computational fluid dynamics, which are necessary to support the design of generation IV gas-cooled and supercritical water reactors.
Date: December 8, 2008
Creator: Spall, Robert E.; Smith, Barton & Hauser, Thomas
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Spatial Analysis of Contaminants in 200 West Area Groundwater in Support of the 200-ZP-1 Operable Unit Pre-Conceptual Remedy Design (open access)

Spatial Analysis of Contaminants in 200 West Area Groundwater in Support of the 200-ZP-1 Operable Unit Pre-Conceptual Remedy Design

This report documents a preliminary spatial and geostatistical analysis of the distribution of several contaminants of interest (COIs) in groundwater within the unconfined aquifer beneath the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. The contaminant plumes of interest extend within the 200-ZP-1 and 200-UP-1 groundwater operable units. The COIs included in the PNNL study were carbon tetrachloride (CTET), technetium-99 (Tc-99), iodine-129 (I-129), chloroform, plutonium, uranium, trichloroethylene (TCE), and nitrate. The project included three tasks. Task 1 involved the development of a database that includes all relevant depth-discrete data on the distribution of COIs in the study area. The second task involved a spatial analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of data for the COIs in the study area. The main focus of the task was to determine if sufficient data are available for geostatistical mapping of the COIs in 3D. Task 3 involved the generation of numerical grids of the concentration of CTET, chloroform, and Tc-99.
Date: December 30, 2008
Creator: Murray, Christopher J. & Bott, Yi-Ju
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Individual Particle Analysis of Ambient PM 2.5 Using Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques (open access)

Individual Particle Analysis of Ambient PM 2.5 Using Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques

The overall goal of this project was to demonstrate a combination of advanced electron microscopy techniques that can be effectively used to identify and characterize individual particles and their sources. Specific techniques to be used include high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), STEM energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), and energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). A series of ambient PM{sub 2.5} samples were collected in communities in southwestern Detroit, MI (close to multiple combustion sources) and Steubenville, OH (close to several coal fired utility boilers). High-resolution TEM (HRTEM) -imaging showed a series of nano-metal particles including transition metals and elemental composition of individual particles in detail. Submicron and nano-particles with Al, Fe, Ti, Ca, U, V, Cr, Si, Ba, Mn, Ni, K and S were observed and characterized from the samples. Among the identified nano-particles, combinations of Al, Fe, Si, Ca and Ti nano-particles embedded in carbonaceous particles were observed most frequently. These particles showed very similar characteristics of ultrafine coal fly ash particles that were previously reported. By utilizing HAADF-STEM, STEM-EDX, and EF-TEM, this investigation was able to gain information on the size, morphology, structure, and elemental composition of individual nano-particles collected in Detroit and Steubenville. The results showed …
Date: December 31, 2006
Creator: Keeler, Gerald J. & Morishita, Masako
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Star Lighting Verification Program (Program for the Evaluation and Analysis of Residential Lighting) (open access)

Energy Star Lighting Verification Program (Program for the Evaluation and Analysis of Residential Lighting)

The Program for the Evaluation and Analysis of Residential Lighting (PEARL) is a watchdog program. It was created in response to complaints received by utility program managers about the performance of certain Energy Star lighting products being promoted within their service territories and the lack of a self-policing mechanism within the lighting industry that would ensure the reliability of these products and their compliance with ENERGY STAR specifications. To remedy these problems, PEARL purchases and tests products that are available to the consumers in the marketplace. The Lighting Research Center (LRC) tests the selected products against the corresponding Energy Star specifications. This final report summarizes the experimental procedure and results of all cycles (Cycles 1 through 8) of PEARL program from the beginning of year 2000 to the end of 2007, along with the description of apparatus used, equipment calibration process, experimental methodology, and research findings from the testing. In each cycle of PEARL program, PEARL Board selects a list of Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and Residential Lighting Fixture (RLF) models that are Energy Star qualified. In Cycle 5, Cycle 7, and Cycle 8, no fixture models were selected. After that PEARL sponsors procure product samples for each selected model …
Date: December 31, 2007
Creator: O'Rourke, Conan & Zhou, Yutao
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measurements of Direct CP Violation, CPT Symmetry, and Other Parameters in the Neutral Kaon System (open access)

Measurements of Direct CP Violation, CPT Symmetry, and Other Parameters in the Neutral Kaon System

The authors present precision measurements of the direct CP violation parameter, Re({epsilon}{prime}/{epsilon}), the kaon parameters, {Delta}m and {tau}{sub S}, and the CPT tests, {phi}{sub {+-}} and {Delta}{phi}, in neutral kaon decays. These results are based on the full dataset collected by the KTeV experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory during 1996, 1997, and 1999. This dataset contains {approx} 15 million K {yields} {pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0} decays and {approx} 69 million K {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} decays. They describe significant improvements to the precision of these measurements relative to previous KTeV analyses. They find Re({epsilon}{prime}/{epsilon}) = [19.2 {+-} 1.1(stat) {+-} 1.8(syst)] x 10{sup -4}, {Delta}m = (5265 {+-} 10) x 10{sup 6} hs{sup -1}, and {tau}{sub S} = (89.62 {+-} 0.05) x 10{sup -12} s. They measure {phi}{sub {+-}} = (44.09 {+-} 1.00){sup o} and {Delta}{phi} = (0.29 {+-} 0.31){sup o}; these results are consistent with CPT symmetry.
Date: December 1, 2007
Creator: Worcester, Elizabeth Turner
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exp6-polar thermodynamics of dense supercritical water (open access)

Exp6-polar thermodynamics of dense supercritical water

We introduce a simple polar fluid model for the thermodynamics of dense supercritical water based on a Buckingham (exp-6) core and point dipole representation of the water molecule. The proposed exp6-polar thermodynamics, based on ideas originally applied to dipolar hard spheres, performs very well when tested against molecular dynamics simulations. Comparisons of the model predictions with experimental data available for supercritical water yield excellent agreement for the shock Hugoniot, isotherms and sound speeds, and are also quite good for the self-diffusion constant and relative dielectric constant. We expect the present approach to be also useful for other small polar molecules and their mixtures.
Date: December 13, 2007
Creator: Bastea, S & Fried, L E
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
MEMS adaptive optics for the Gemini Planet Imager: control methods and validation (open access)

MEMS adaptive optics for the Gemini Planet Imager: control methods and validation

None
Date: December 19, 2007
Creator: Poyneer, L A & Dillon, D
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Sloan Bright Arcs Survey : Six Strongly Lensed Galaxies at z=0.4-1.4 (open access)

The Sloan Bright Arcs Survey : Six Strongly Lensed Galaxies at z=0.4-1.4

We present new results of our program to systematically search for strongly lensed galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging data. In this study six strong lens systems are presented which we have confirmed with followup spectroscopy and imaging using the 3.5m telescope at the Apache Point Observatory. Preliminary mass models indicate that the lenses are group-scale systems with velocity dispersions ranging from 466?878 km s{sup -1} at z = 0.17-0.45 which are strongly lensing source galaxies at z = 0.4-1.4. Galaxy groups are a relatively new mass scale just beginning to be probed with strong lensing. Our sample of lenses roughly doubles the confirmed number of group-scale lenses in the SDSS and complements ongoing strong lens searches in other imaging surveys such as the CFHTLS (Cabanac et al. 2007). As our arcs were discovered in the SDSS imaging data they are all bright (r {approx_equal} 22), making them ideally suited for detailed follow-up studies.
Date: December 1, 2008
Creator: Kubo, Jeffrey M.; Allam, Sahar S.; Annis, James; Buckley-Geer, Elizabeth J.; Diehl, H. Thomas; Kubik, Donna et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library