Role of underground testing to determine suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential repository site (open access)

Role of underground testing to determine suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential repository site

A brief description of the Exploratory Shaft based site characterization testing program for the Yucca Mountain Project of the permanent disposal of high level radioactive waste is briefly described in this paper. Details of the testing program are presented in the DOE-issued Site Characterization Plan. Overview of the current planning process and status of various activities is briefly described. This study will reevaluate the mining method, ESF location and any changes in the ESF testing program. 2 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Kalia, H.N.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Prototype testing for the Yucca Mountain Project (open access)

Prototype testing for the Yucca Mountain Project

The US Department of Energy, through its Yucca Mountain Project Office, has been conducting prototype activities in welded and non-welded tuff. These activities are in preparation for characterization of the Yucca Mountain area, which is under consideration as a site for a geologic repository in which high-level nuclear waste could be safely stored. Investigators from organizations that will conduct the site investigation have been afforded opportunity, through the prototype program, to test, evaluate, and develop instruments, equipment, and methods. The Exploratory Shaft Facility will be used to collect significant amounts of underground site characterization data. The prototype tests are conducted under similar conditions. 3 refs., 4 figs.
Date: February 1990
Creator: Kalia, H. N.; Oliver, R. D. & Girdley, W. A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
{sup 14}C release from failed spent fuel containers (open access)

{sup 14}C release from failed spent fuel containers

Partially failed containers may provide a meaningful barrier to the release of gaseous radionuclides. A modeling approach is outlined and sample calculations are provided that show the effects on release due to a limited perforation area, to decreasing temperature, and to the partial occlusion of the perforated area by corrosion products. 8 refs., 2 tabs.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Pescatore, C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Simulation of radionuclide retardation at Yucca Mountain using a stochastic mineralogical/geochemical model (open access)

Simulation of radionuclide retardation at Yucca Mountain using a stochastic mineralogical/geochemical model

This paper presents preliminary transport calculations for radionuclide movement at Yucca Mountain. Several different realizations of spatially distributed sorption coefficients are used to study the sensitivity of radionuclide migration. These sorption coefficients are assumed to be functions of the mineralogic assemblages of the underlying rock. The simulations were run with TRACRN{sup 1}, a finite-difference porous flow and radionuclide transport code developed for the Yucca Mountain Project. Approximately 30,000 nodes are used to represent the unsaturated and saturated zones underlying the repository in three dimensions. Transport calculations for a representative radionuclide cation, {sup 135}Cs, and anion, {sup 99}Tc, are presented. Calculations such as these will be used to study the effectiveness of the site`s geochemical barriers at a mechanistic level and to help guide the geochemical site characterization program. The preliminary calculations should be viewed as a demonstration of the modeling methodology rather than as a study of the effectiveness of the geochemical barriers. The model provides a method for examining the integration of flow scenarios with transport and retardation processes as currently understood for the site. The effects on transport of many of the processes thought to be active at Yucca Mountain may be examined using this approach. 11 refs., …
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Birdsell, K. H.; Campbell, K.; Eggert, K. & Travis, B. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Simulation of heat transfer in the unsaturated zone (open access)

Simulation of heat transfer in the unsaturated zone

Heat transfer can play an important role in fluid flow near the emplacement site of high-level nuclear waste. The effects on far- field flow can be important in understanding net moisture fluxes above the repository zone. The convection in the unsaturated zone at the Yucca Mountain site was responsible for this movement. If this is so, then the convection could provide a mechanism for drying the rock above the repository zone and thus provide a buffer for heavy rainfall events. In addition, the convection would increase the movement of gaseous radionuclides such as {sup 14}CO{sub 2}, tritiated water vapor, and {sup 129}I (Weeks, 1987). Because of the complexity of the problem, numerical models were required to calculate gas flow and vapor transport at the site. Kipp previously modeled this problem using the code HST3D. This code represents the flow of a single-phase fluid with both heat- and mass-transfer effects included. Water density and partial pressure effects are accounted for by the virtual temperature method. In this paper, the problem was simulated using the code FEHMN, a finite-element heat- and mass-transfer code being developed for the Yucca Mountain Project. The work described in this paper was done in preparation of the …
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Zyvoloski, G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A drift chamber telescope for high-Z particles (open access)

A drift chamber telescope for high-Z particles

Drift chambers are one of the position sensing technologies used in cosmic ray balloon and satellite experiments with potential application to the next generation of detectors for space flight. A low mass TPC type drift chamber, employing 8 distinct drift regions within a single gas volume has been built, tested and used at the LBL Bevalac. From the drift time X-coordinate, spatial resolutions below 100 {mu}m are obtained for a variety of heavy ions with selected trigger modes. The Y-coordinate is determined by pickup pads located behind the anode wire, thereby providing both X and Y coordinates from the same avalanche. Results from different timing schemes, {delta}-ray effects and the pickup pad resolution are presented. 6 refs., 5 figs.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Isbert, J.; Crawford, H.J.; Mathis, K.D.; Guzik, T.G.; Mitchell, J.W.; Wefel, J.P. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat and Timber Management Production Possibilities (open access)

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat and Timber Management Production Possibilities

In order to mitigate the impact of longer rotations for the red-cockaded woodpecker on timber production, a multi-objective linear programming model was used. Various streams of habitat in relation to timber management were examined. Large areas immediately set aside for habitat may, in fact, lead to long term declines as a result of poor initial stand conditions. Timber production, harvesting and various silvicultural activities will have a short term impact but lead to long-term sustainable habitat condition for this species.
Date: February 1990
Creator: Roise, Joseph; Chung, Joosang; Lancia, Richard & Lennartz, Mike
System: The UNT Digital Library
Physics Program in Hall A at CEBAF (open access)

Physics Program in Hall A at CEBAF

We present here the physics program planned for Hall A at CEBAF. It encompasses exclusive as well as inclusive electromagnetic measurements requiring both high precision and accuracy.The program includes measurements of the elementary form factors of the nucleon, systematic studies of the few nucleon systems (d, 3,4He), high momentum structure of nuclei, their structure at high Q^2 to look for hadronization and quark effects, spin response of nuclei via (vector-e, e'vector-p) reactions and the study of nuclear pion fields.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Saha, Arunava
System: The UNT Digital Library
The flash pyrolysis and methanolysis of biomass (wood) for production of ethylene, benzene and methanol (open access)

The flash pyrolysis and methanolysis of biomass (wood) for production of ethylene, benzene and methanol

The process chemistry of the flash pyrolysis of biomass (wood) with the reactive gases, H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} and with the non-reactive gases He and N{sub 2} is being determined in a 1 in. downflow tubular reactor at pressures from 20 to 1000 psi and temperatures from 600 to 1000{degrees}C. With hydrogen, flash hydropyrolysis leads to high yields of methane and CO which can be used for SNG and methanol fuel production. With methane, flash methanolysis leads to high yields of ethylene, benzene and CO which can be used for the production of valuable chemical feedstocks and methanol transportation fuel. At reactor conditions of 50 psi and 1000{degrees}C and approximately 1 sec residence time, the yields based on pine wood carbon conversion are up to 25% for ethylene, 25% for benzene, and 45% for CO, indicating that over 90% of the carbon in pine is converted to valuable products. Pine wood produces higher yields of hydrocarbon products than Douglas fir wood; the yield of ethylene is 2.3 times higher with methane than with helium or nitrogen, and for pine, the ratio is 7.5 times higher. The mechanism appears to be a free radical reaction between CH{sub 4} and the …
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Steinberg, M.; Fallon, P. T. & Sundaram, M. S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electroplating, electroless plating and electroforming (open access)

Electroplating, electroless plating and electroforming

This presentation is intended to familiarize non-platers with electrolytic and electroless deposition techniques and how these methods are used to manufacture non-reinforced metal parts by the electroforming process. The techniques enable manufacture of complex shapes, often at lower cost than other forming methods. Electroless techniques are deposition methods which provide uniform deposits of very low porosity without the use of electrical current. In electroforming, the part is formed by deposition on a mandrel or preform, from which it is subsequently separated. 10 refs., 1 fig.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Dini, J. W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A continuous plasma final focus (open access)

A continuous plasma final focus

Scaling laws are set down for a plasma cell used for transport, focusing and current neutralization of fine, intense, relativistic electron beams. It is found that there exists a minimum beam spot size, {sigma}{sub min} {approximately} {epsilon}{sub n}(I{sub A}/{gamma}I){sup 1/2}, in such a focusing system. Propagation issues, including channel formation, synchrotron radiation, beam ionization and instabilities, are discussed. Three numerical examples are considered. 38 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Whittum, D.H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The surface energy and the compressibility (open access)

The surface energy and the compressibility

This paper discusses the relationship between surface energy and compressibility as they relate to the nucleus. 5 refs., 4 figs. (LSP)
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Myers, W.D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The magnetic design and field measurement of Fermilab collider detectors: CDF (the Collider Detector at Fermilab) and D0 (open access)

The magnetic design and field measurement of Fermilab collider detectors: CDF (the Collider Detector at Fermilab) and D0

General magnetic characteristics of the CDF and D0 hadron collider detectors at Fermilab are described. The method and equipment for the field measurement for both detectors are described, and their field measurement data are presented. The magnetic field distribution inside the CDF solenoid magnet was measured extensively only at the boundaries, and the field values inside the volume were reconstructed. The effects due to the joints and the return conductor were measured and are discussed. The flux distribution inside the yokes and the fringing field of the D0 toroids were calculated and compared with measured data. A proposal to generate dipole magnetic field inside the D0 toroidal magnet is discussed. 9 refs., 6 figs.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Yamada, R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fast pulsars, strange stars (open access)

Fast pulsars, strange stars

The initial motivation for this work was the reported discovery in January 1989 of a 1/2 millisecond pulsar in the remnant of the spectacular supernova, 1987A. The status of this discovery has come into grave doubt as of data taken by the same group in February, 1990. At this time we must consider that the millisecond signal does not belong to the pulsar. The existence of a neutron star in remnant of the supernova is suspected because of recent observations on the light curve of the remnant, and of course by the neutrino burst that announced the supernova. However its frequency is unknown. I can make a strong case that a pulsar rotation period of about 1 ms divides those that can be understood quite comfortably as neutron stars, and those that cannot. What we will soon learn is whether there is an invisible boundary below which pulsar periods do not fall, in which case, all are presumable neutron stars, or whether there exist sub- millisecond pulsars, which almost certainly cannot be neutron stars. Their most plausible structure is that of a self-bound star, a strange-quark-matter star. The existence of such stars would imply that the ground state of the …
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Glendenning, N.K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fast Flux Test Facility core restraint system performance (open access)

Fast Flux Test Facility core restraint system performance

Characterizing Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) core restraint system performance has been ongoing since the first operating cycle. Characterization consists of prerun analysis for each core load, in-reactor and postirradiation measurements of subassembly withdrawal loads and deformations, and using measurement data to fine tune predictive models. Monitoring FFTF operations and performing trend analysis has made it possible to gain insight into core restraint system performance and head off refueling difficulties while maximizing component lifetimes. Additionally, valuable information for improved designs and operating methods has been obtained. Focus is on past operating experience, emphasizing performance improvements and avoidance of potential problems. 4 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Hecht, S. L. & Trenchard, R. G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fixed Target Electroweak and Hard Scattering Physics (open access)

Fixed Target Electroweak and Hard Scattering Physics

The possibilities for future physics and experiments involving weak and electromagnetic interactions, neutrino oscillations, general hard scattering and experiments involving nuclear targets were explored. The studies were limited to the physics accessible using fixed target experimentation. While some of the avenues explored turn out to be relatively unrewarding in the light of competition elsewhere in the world, there are a number of positive conclusions reached about experimentation in the energy range available to the Main Injector and Tevatron. Some of the experiments would benefit from the increased intensity available from the Tevatron utilizing the Main Injector, while some require this increase. Finally, some of the experiments would use the Main Injector low energy, high intensity extracted beams directly. A program of electroweak and hard scattering experiments at fixed target energies retains the potential for important contributions to physics. The key to major parts of this program would appear to be the existence of the Main Injector. 115 refs, 17 figs.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Brock, R.; Brown, C. N.; Montgomery, H. E. & Corcoran, M. D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The need for the next linear collider (open access)

The need for the next linear collider

The need for the next generation electron-positron collider is discussed within the context of the Standard Model and the physics that must lie beyond it.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Gilman, Frederick J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Application of neural nets to system identification and bifurcation analysis of real world experimental data (open access)

Application of neural nets to system identification and bifurcation analysis of real world experimental data

We report results on the use of neural nets, and the closely related radial basis nets'', to analyze experimental time series from electro-chemical systems. We show how the nets may be used to derive a map that describes the nonlinear system, and how reserving an extra input line'' of the network allows one to learn the system behavior dependent on a control variable. Pruning'' of the network after training appears to result in elimination of spurious connection weights and enhanced predictive accuracy. Subsequent analysis of the learned map using techniques of bifurcation theory allows both nonlinear system identification and accurate and efficient predictions of long-term system behavior. The electrochemical system that was used involved the electrodissolution of copper in phosphoric acid. This system exhibits interesting low dimensional dynamics such transitions from steady state to oscillatory behavior and from period-one to period-two oscillations. This analysis provides an example of methodology that can be fruitful in understanding systems for which no adequate phenomenological model exists, or for which predictions of system behavior given a large scale, complicated model is inherently impractical. 17 refs., 2 figs.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Adomaitis, R.A.; Kevrekidis, I.G. (Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering); Farber, R.M.; Lapedes, A.S. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)); Hudson, J.L. & Kube, M. (Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nonlinear plasma and beam physics in plasma wake-fields (open access)

Nonlinear plasma and beam physics in plasma wake-fields

In experimental studies of the Plasma Wake-field Accelerator performed to date at the Argonne Advanced Accelerator Test Facility, significant nonlinearities in both plasma and beam behavior have been observed. The plasma waves driven in the wake of the intense driving beam in these experiments exhibit three-dimensional nonlinear behavior which has as yet no quantitative theoretical explanation. This nonlinearity is due in part to the self-pinching of the driving beam in the plasma, as the denser self-focused beam can excite larger amplitude plasma waves. The self-pinching is a process with interesting nonlinear aspects: the initial evolution of the beam envelope and the subsequent approach to Bennett equilibrium through phase mixing. 35 refs., 10 figs.
Date: February 12, 1990
Creator: Rosenzweig, J.B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tevatron Collider Physics (open access)

Tevatron Collider Physics

The physics of hadron colliders is briefly reviewed. Issues for further study are presented. Particular attention is given to the physics opportunities for a high luminosity ({ge} 100 pb{sup {minus}1}/experiment/run) Upgrade of the Tevatron Collider. 25 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.
Date: February 1990
Creator: Eichten, Estia J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bunch lengthening in the SLC (Stanford Linear Collider) damping rings (open access)

Bunch lengthening in the SLC (Stanford Linear Collider) damping rings

A high level of current dependent bunch lengthening has been observed on the North damping ring of the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC). At currents of 3 {times} 10{sup 10} this behavior does not appear to degrade the machine's performance significantly. However, at the higher currents that are envisioned for the future one fears that its performance could be greatly degraded due to the phenomenon of bunch lengthening. This was the motivation for the work described in this paper. In this paper we calculate the longitudinal impedance of the damping ring vacuum chamber. More specifically, in this paper we find the response function of the ring to a short Gaussian bunch, which we call the Green function wake. In addition, we try to estimate the relative importance of the different vacuum chamber objects, in order to see how we might reduce the ring impedance. This paper also describes bunch length measurements performed on the North damping ring. We use the Green function wake, discussed above, to compute the bunch lengthening. Then we compare these results with those obtained from the measurements. In addition, we calculate the current dependence of the tune distribution.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Bane, Karl L. F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A monolithically integrated detector-preamplifier on high-resistivity silicon (open access)

A monolithically integrated detector-preamplifier on high-resistivity silicon

A monolithically integrated detector-preamplifier on high-resistivity silicon has been designed, fabricated and characterized. The detector is a fully depleted p-i-n diode and the preamplifier is implemented in a depletion-mode PMOS process which is compatible with detector processing. The amplifier is internally compensated and the measured gain-bandwidth product is 30 MHz with an input-referred noise of 15 nV/{radical}Hz in the white noise regime. Measurements with an Am{sup 241} radiation source yield an equivalent input noise charge of 800 electrons at 200 ns shaping time for a 1.4 mm{sup 2} detector with on-chip amplifier in an experimental setup with substantial external pickup.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Holland, S. & Spieler, H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Efficient iteration in data-parallel programs with irregular and dynamically distributed data structures (open access)

Efficient iteration in data-parallel programs with irregular and dynamically distributed data structures

To implement an efficient data-parallel program on a non-shared memory MIMD multicomputer, data and computations must be properly partitioned to achieve good load balance and locality of reference. Programs with irregular data reference patterns often require irregular partitions. Although good partitions may be easy to determine, they can be difficult or impossible to implement in programming languages that provide only regular data distributions, such as blocked or cyclic arrays. We are developing Onyx, a programming system that provides a shared memory model of distributed data structures and extends the concept of data distribution to include irregular and dynamic distributions. This provides a powerful means to specify irregular partitions. Perhaps surprisingly, programs using it can also execute efficiently. In this paper, we describe and evaluate the Onyx implementation of a model problem that repeatedly executes an irregular but fixed data reference pattern. On an NCUBE hypercube, the speed of the Onyx implementation is comparable to that of carefully handwritten message-passing code.
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Littlefield, R.J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A high temperature, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system (open access)

A high temperature, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition system

We have designed and built a high-temperature, plasma-assisted, chemical vapor deposition system to deposit multilayer optical coatings of SiO{sub 2} and doped-SiO{sub 2} flat substrates. The coater concept and design is an outgrowth of our recent work with Schott Glasswerke demonstrating the use of plasma assisted CVD to prepare very high damage threshold optical coatings. The coater is designed to deposit up to several thousand alternating quarterwave layers of SiO{sub 2} and doped SiO{sub 2} substrate at deposition rates up to several microns per minute. The substrate is resistively heated to about 1000{degree}C during the deposition phase of the process. The plasma is driven by a 13.56 MHz RF unit capable of producing power densities of up to 140 W cm{sup {minus}3} in the reaction zone. The coater is designed to be adaptable to microwave generated plasmas, as well as RF. Reactant gas flow rates of up to 10 slm can be achieved at a 10 tar operating pressure. Reactants consist of O{sub 2}, SiCl{sub 4} and a volatile halogenated dopant. These gases react in the plasma volume producing SiO{sub 2} with dopant concentrations of up to a few percent. A variable dopant concentration is used to produce index differences …
Date: February 1, 1990
Creator: Brusasco, R. M.; Britten, J. A.; Thorsness, C. B.; Scrivener, M. S.; Unites, W. G.; Campbell, J. H. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)) et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library