This report summarizes the fact that northern right whale is the most endangered among all the whale species. The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking extra measures to protect these whales from any negative human interactions.

A novel in situ transmission electron microscopy technique for the observation of reaction processes in multilayered materials is reported. The technique involves constant heating rate experiments of multilayered materials in image and diffraction modes. Because the fine scale microstructure of multilayered materials is typically a small fraction of the TEM specimen thickness, realistic comparison of the microstructural evolution with that of similarly processed thick foil samples is possible. Such experiments, when well designed, can provide rapid characterization of phase transformations and stability of nano-structured materials. The results of these experiments can be recorded in both video and micrograph format. The results and limitations of this technique will be shown for the Al/Zr and Al/Monel multilayered systems.

The exothermic, solid state reaction of Al and Zr has been studied in thick Al/Zr multilayers using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The multilayer samples were magnetron sputter deposited into highly textured alternate layers of Al and Zr with nominal composition Al{sub 3}Zr. The samples used in this study were 47{mu}m thick with a 427{Angstrom} period. When samples were isochronally scanned from 25 to 725C, a large exotherm at {approximately}350C was followed by one or two smaller exotherms at {approximately}650C. The first exotherm is dominated by a diffusion based reaction of Al and Zr that produces two phases in isochronal scans: amorphous Al-Zr and cubic Al{sub 3}Zr, and two additional phases in isothermal anneals: Al{sub 2}Zr and tetragonal Al{sub 3}Zr. The exothermic heat from this multi-phase reaction is measured using isochronal scans and isothermal anneals, and the heat flow is analyzed using a 1-D diffusion based model. An average activation energy and a diffusion constant are determined. In the isothermal scans, the total exothermic heat increases linearly with {radical}time, and layer thicknesses vary linearly with heat.

The idea of building a Serial Interface Controller (SIC) proposed by Paul O`Connor, Instrumentation Division, BNL is to determine the feasibility of incorporating a Serial Interface Controlled CMOS IC`s for charge amplification, shaping, analog storage and multiplexing used in particle detectors for high energy physics experiments. The serial data pumped into the CMOS ICs will be used to control many circuit parameters like digitally controlled gain, shaping time, precision preamplifier calibration circuits and many other parameters like timing discriminators mode of operation. The SIC board built will be tested on a Serial Interface Controlled Digital - to - Analog Convertor, which follows either Motorola`s SPI/QSPI or National Semiconductors Microwire interface technique. The DAC chosen for this was MAXIM`s MAX537, a Quad, 12-bit DAC. The function of this controller can be achieved by using some on-shelf micro-controllers like the Motorola`s MC68HC11, which offers dedicated SPI ports. The drawback encountered in using this controller is the overhead involved in putting together an user interface where the user can dynamically change its settings and load the SIC device. This is very critical in testing fewer number of CMOS IC`s having SIC. The SIC board described here takes care of this dynamic user interface …

This report provides a user`s manual for NIKE3D, a fully implicit three-dimensional finite element code for analyzing the finite strain static and dynamic response of inelastic solids, shells, and beams. Spatial discretization is achieved by the use of 8-node solid elements, 2-node truss and beam elements, and 4-node membrane and shell elements. Over twenty constitutive models are available for representing a wide range of elastic, plastic, viscous, and thermally dependent material behavior. Contact-impact algorithms permit gaps, frictional sliding, and mesh discontinuities along material interfaces. Several nonlinear solution strategies are available, including Full-, Modified-, and Quasi-Newton methods. The resulting system of simultaneous linear equations is either solved iteratively by an element-by-element method, or directly by a factorization method, for which case bandwidth minimization is optional. Data may be stored either in or out of core memory to allow for large analyses.

The ability to measure formation enthalpies of compounds at relatively low temperatures using thick multilayer foils and differential scanning calorimetry is demonstrated. Cu/Zr and Al/Zr multilayers were deposited onto Si and glass substrates using a planetary, magnetron source sputtering system. The as-deposited foils were removed from their substrates and heated from 50 to 725C in a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The Cu/Zr samples, which are all Cu-rich, showed three distinct, reproducible, and exothermic solid state reactions. The heats from the first two reactions were summed and analyzed to measure 14.3{plus_minus}0.3 kJ/mol for Cu{sub 51}Zr{sub 14}`s enthalpy of formation. This quantity agrees with the single value of {Delta}H{sub f} = 14.07{plus_minus}1.07kJ/mol reported for this compound. The composition of the Al/Zr multilayers ranged from 8 at% Zr to 64 at% Zr. These samples showed a variety of distinct, reproducible, and exothermic solid state reactions. The total heats from these reactions were summed and analyzed to measure enthalpies of formation for five different Al-Zr alloys. The results compare favorably with literature values of {Delta}H{sub f}. Advantages of measuring enthalpies of formation using thick multilayer foil samples and low temperature DSC calorimetry are discussed.

A novel, in situ, high voltage electron microscopy technique for the direct observation of the micromechanisms of tensile deformation and fracture in nanostructured materials is detailed. This technique is particularly well suited for the dynamic observations of deformation and fracture in multilayered materials. The success of this type of in situ technique is highly dependent upon unique specimen preparation procedures and sample design, the importance thereof will be discussed. The initial observations discussed here are expected to aid in the understanding of the mechanical behavior of this new class of atomically engineered materials.

This report is an update of a report that summarized the current and near-term commercial and disposal of radioactive and mixed waste. This report was capacity for the treatment, storage, dating and written for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) with the objective of updating and expanding the report entitled ``Review of Private Sector Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Capacity for Radioactive Waste``, (INEL-95/0020, January 1995). The capacity to process radioactively-contaminated protective clothing and/or respirators was added to the list of private sector capabilities to be assessed. Of the 20 companies surveyed in the previous report, 14 responded to the request for additional information, five did not respond, and one asked to be deleted from the survey. One additional company was identified as being capable of performing LLMW treatability studies and six were identified as providers of laundering services for radioactively-contaminated protective clothing and/or respirators.

The effort has two broad goals, which have been prioritized by DOE, as follows: to enhance the ARGUS code for use in practical accelerator design simulations; to release ARGUS to the accelerator community through the Los Alamos Accelerator Code Group (LAACG). During the contract period, ARGUS versions 24 and 25 have been released. An upgraded version 25 (ARGUS v.25c) will be released in July, 1995, and will include all of the features that are tested and working at the conclusion of the DOE-funded effort. The effort that consolidated version 24 established a set of core capabilities that all ARGUS modules could access. Version 25 incorporated several major improvements: (1) a new frequency-domain module was incorporated into ARGUS that can handle degenerate modes, lossy materials, and periodic boundary conditions with sub-phase specification, and that can utilize the ARGUS data handling machinery for multiblock operation; (2) HDF output was implemented to allow ARGUS to send data to visualization tools; (3) a plasma chemistry capability was included in the steady-state PIC module to allow ionization, stripping, electron attachment, charge exchange, and other ion rate processes to occur within the PIC calculation; (4) new structure input options for figures of translation (extrusion) and figures …

A heterogeneous domain-decomposition method is presented for the numerical solution of singularly perturbed elliptic boundary value problem. The method, which is parallelizable at various levels, uses several ideas of asymptotic analysis. The sub-domains match the domains of validity of the local ({open_quotes}inner{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}outer{close_quotes}) asymptotic expansions, and cut-off functions are used to match solutions in neighboring subdomains. The positions of the interfaces, as well as the mesh widths, depend on the small parameter, {epsilon}. On the subdomains, iterative solution techniques are used, which may vary from one subdomain to another. The global convergence rate depends on {epsilon}; it generally increases like some power of (log({epsilon}{sup -1})){sup -1} as {epsilon} {down_arrow} 0. The method is illustrated on several two-dimensional singular perturbation problems.

There are 3 major objectives being addressed in this research. The first is to participate, by providing ground truth quality assurance, in the DOE/LBL/EPA cooperative study to determine a methodology to predict the areas where indoor radon concentrations have the highest probability of exceeding 20 pCi/L (750 Bq/m{sup 3}). The second is to examine 2 common types of homes (basement and non-basement) for radon entry by monitoring specific parameters under normal living conditions. The third task is to participate with other researchers in their studies using the techniques and experience developed by this principal investigator during previously funded times. Those researchers seek assistance in measuring soil permeability, determining the effect of meteorological parameters on radon entry, determining the diffusion characteristics of standard basement wall materials, developing a GIS (Geographic Information System) data base for predicting regional radon potential, and examining the contribution of regional solution-developed permeability in limestone to the radon potential of an area.

The US Department of Defense (DOD), through an Interagency Agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE), has initiated a three-phase program with the Consortium for Coal Water Slurry Fuel Technology, with the aim of decreasing DOD`s reliance on imported oil by increasing its use of coal. The program is being conducted as a cooperative agreement between the Consortium and DOE and the first two phases of the program are underway. Activities this reporting period included performing coal beneficiation/preparation studies, conducting combustion performance evaluations, preparing retrofit engineering designs, determining retrofit economics, and installing a micronized coal-water mixture (MCWM) circuit.

Experimental studies presented in this report discuss the performance of porous VYCOR membrane reactors in which the oxidative coupling of methane was carried out in an excess of oxygen. This was accomplished by shortening the porous section of the membrane reactor and operating at lower W/F ratios. Results are also discussed from experiments in which methane gas flow was metered in from the high pressure shell side into the oxygen stream on the tube side of the membrane reactor. These studies indicated that the presence of gas phase oxygen downstream to the catalyst bed was detrimental for the C{sub 2} selectivity in the methane coupling reaction. Dense membrane synthesis and characterization results are presented which describe new approaches to dense membrane synthesis. Modifications to the 40 Angstrom pore diameter gamma alumina membranes to enhance their stability and pore filling of micron size pores on alpha alumina supports are discussed. Sr{sub 0.8}La{sub 0.2}FeO{sub 3}, an oxygen conducting perovslcite synthesized in the Microfluidizer showed interesting DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and TGA (Thermo Gravimetric Analysis) spectra that indicated a change in the crystal structure at relatively moderate temperatures of 150{degrees}C and 350{degrees}C. This report also presents details of the design and experimental set-up …

This report is a site development plan detailing the mission of LBL, its workload and site population, program projections and requirements, master plans, and management considerations.

The cost of a fabrication line such as one in a semiconductor house has increased dramatically over the years and it is possibly already past the point that some new start-up company can have sufficient capital to build a new fabrication line. Such capital-intensive manufacturing needs better utilization of resources and management of equipment to maximize its productivity. In order to maximize the return from such a capital-intensive manufacturing line, we need to address the following: (1) increasing the yield, (2) enhancing the flexibility of the fabrication line, (3) improving quality, and finally (4) minimizing the down time of the processing equipment. Because of the significant advances now made in the fields of artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, machine learning and genetic algorithms, we advocate the use of these new tools to in manufacturing. We term the applications of these and other tools that mimic human intelligence to manufacturing neural manufacturing. This paper will address the effort at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to use artificial neural networks to address certain semiconductor process modeling, monitoring and control questions.

The goal of this work is to examine viable near-term infrastructure options for a transition to hydrogen fueled vehicles and to suggest profitable directions for technology development. The authors have focused in particular on the contrasting options of decentralized production using the existing energy distribution network, and centralized production of hydrogen with a large-scale infrastructure. Delivered costs have been estimated using best available industry cost and deliberately conservative economic assumptions. The sensitivities of these costs have then been examined for three small-scale scenarios: (1) electrolysis at the home for one car, and production at the small station scale (300 cars/day), (2) conventional alkaline electrolysis and (3) steam reforming of natural gas. All scenarios assume fueling a 300 mile range vehicle with 3.75 kg. They conclude that a transition appears plausible, using existing energy distribution systems, with home electrolysis providing fuel costing 7.5 to 10.5{cents}/mile, station electrolysis 4.7 to 7.1{cents}/mile, and steam reforming 3.7 to 4.7{cents}/mile. The average car today costs about 6{cents}/mile to fuel. Furthermore, analysis of liquid hydrogen delivered locally by truck from central processing plants can also be competitive at costs as low as 4{cents}/mile. These delivered costs are equal to $30 to $70 per GJ, LHV. Preliminary …