Final Report (open access)

Final Report

The overall objective is to create robust artificial protein modules as scaffolds to control both (a) the conformation of novel cofactors incorporated into the modules thereby making the modules possess a desired functionality and (b) the organization of these functional modules into ordered macroscopic ensembles, whose macroscopic materials properties derive from the designed microscopic function of the modules. We focus on two specific types of cofactors for imparting functionality in this project; primarily nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores designed to exhibit extraordinary molecular hyperpolarizabilities, as well as donor-bridge-acceptor cofactors designed to exhibit highly efficient, 'through-bonds' light-induced electron transfer (LIET) over nano-scale distances. The ensembles range from 2-D to 3-D, designed to possess the degree of orientational and positional order necessary to optimize their macroscopic response, the latter ranging from liquid-crystalline or glass-like to long-range periodic. Computational techniques, firmly based in statistical thermodynamics, are utilized for the design the artificial protein modules, based on robust {alpha}-helical bundle motifs, necessarily incorporating the desired conformation, location, and environment of the cofactor. Importantly, this design approach also includes optimization of the interactions between the modules to promote their organization into ordered macroscopic ensembles in 2-D and 3-D via either directed-assembly or self-assembly. When long-range periodic …
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Blasie, J. K.; DeGrado, W.F.; Saven, J.G. & Therien, M.J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Low-temperature triple-alpha rate in a full three-body model (open access)

Low-temperature triple-alpha rate in a full three-body model

None
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Nguyen, N. B.; Nunes, F. M.; Thompson, I. J. & Brown, E. F.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
LSST Camera Optics Design (open access)

LSST Camera Optics Design

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) uses a novel, three-mirror, telescope design feeding a camera system that includes a set of broad-band filters and three refractive corrector lenses to produce a flat field at the focal plane with a wide field of view. Optical design of the camera lenses and filters is integrated in with the optical design of telescope mirrors to optimize performance. We discuss the rationale for the LSST camera optics design, describe the methodology for fabricating, coating, mounting and testing the lenses and filters, and present the results of detailed analyses demonstrating that the camera optics will meet their performance goals.
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Riot, V. J.; Olivier, S.; Bauman, B.; Pratuch, S.; Seppala, L.; Gilmore, D. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
A METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING THE DOSE RATE FOR BOUNDING MASS LIMITS IN A 9977 PACKAGING (open access)

A METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING THE DOSE RATE FOR BOUNDING MASS LIMITS IN A 9977 PACKAGING

The Small Gram Quantity (SGQ) concept is based on the understanding that the hazards associated with the shipment of a radioactive material are directly proportional to its mass. This study describes a methodology that estimates the acceptable masses for several neutron and gamma emitting isotopes that can be shipped in a 9977 Package compliant with the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 71 (10CFR71) external radiation level limits. 10CFR71.33 states that a shipping application identifies the radioactive and fissile materials at their maximum quantity and provides an evaluation demonstrating compliance with the external radiation standards. Since rather small amounts of some isotopes emit sufficiently strong radiation to produce a large external dose rate, quantifying of the dose rate for a proposed content is a challenging issue for the SGQ approach. It is essential to quantify external radiation levels from several common gamma and neutron sources that can be safely placed in a specific packaging, to ensure compliance with federal regulations. A methodology was established for determining the dose rate for bounding mass limits for a set of isotopes in the Model 9977 Shipping Package. Calculations were performed to estimate external radiation levels using the MCNP radiation transport …
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Abramczyk, G.; Bellamy, S.; Nathan, S. & Loftin, B.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Photonic Doppler Velocimetry Multiplexing Techniques: Evaluation of Photonic Techniques (open access)

Photonic Doppler Velocimetry Multiplexing Techniques: Evaluation of Photonic Techniques

This poster reports progress related to photonic technologies. Specifically, the authors developed diagnostic system architecture for a Multiplexed Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (MPDV) that incorporates frequency and time-division multiplexing into existing PDV methodology to provide increased channel count. Current MPDV design increases number of data records per digitizer channel 8x, and also operates as a laser-safe (Class 3a) system. Further, they applied heterodyne interferometry to allow for direction-of-travel determination and enable high-velocity measurements (>10 km/s) via optical downshifting. They also leveraged commercially available, inexpensive and robust components originally developed for telecom applications. Proposed MPDV architectures employ only commercially available, fiber-coupled hardware.
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Daykin, Edward
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rapid Determination Of Radiostrontium In Large Soil Samples (open access)

Rapid Determination Of Radiostrontium In Large Soil Samples

A new method for the determination of radiostrontium in large soil samples has been developed at the Savannah River Environmental Laboratory (Aiken, SC, USA) that allows rapid preconcentration and separation of strontium in large soil samples for the measurement of strontium isotopes by gas flow proportional counting. The need for rapid analyses in the event of a Radiological Dispersive Device (RDD) or Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) event is well-known. In addition, the recent accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in March, 2011 reinforces the need to have rapid analyses for radionuclides in environmental samples in the event of a nuclear accident. The method employs a novel pre-concentration step that utilizes an iron hydroxide precipitation (enhanced with calcium phosphate) followed by a final calcium fluoride precipitation to remove silicates and other matrix components. The pre-concentration steps, in combination with a rapid Sr Resin separation using vacuum box technology, allow very large soil samples to be analyzed for {sup 89,90}Sr using gas flow proportional counting with a lower method detection limit. The calcium fluoride precipitation eliminates column flow problems typically associated with large amounts of silicates in large soil samples.
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Maxwell, Sherrod L.; Culligan, Brian K. & Shaw, Patrick J.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Status Update of the Power Conditioning System in the National Ignition Facility (open access)

Status Update of the Power Conditioning System in the National Ignition Facility

None
Date: May 24, 2012
Creator: Galloudec, B. L.; Arnold, P.; James, G.; Pendleton, D.; Petersen, D.; Arellano-Womack, G. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
BACKSCATTER GUAGE DESCRIPTION FOR INSPECTION OF NEUTRON ABSORBER AND UNIFORMITY (open access)

BACKSCATTER GUAGE DESCRIPTION FOR INSPECTION OF NEUTRON ABSORBER AND UNIFORMITY

This paper describes design, calibration, and testing of a dual He-3 detector neutron backscatter gauge for use in the Savannah River Site Mixed Oxide Fuel project. The gauge is demonstrated to measure boron content and uniformity in concrete slabs used in the facility construction.
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: Dewberry, R.; Gibbs, K. & Couture, A.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Changes to MFRSRCLDOD1MIN Datastream (open access)

Changes to MFRSRCLDOD1MIN Datastream

Significant updates were made to the multifilter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR) cloud optical depth (MFRSRCLDOD) value-added product (VAP) in 2011. The original intent of the update was to add quality control (QC) flags and to update the VAP to use the improved retrievals of liquid water path (LWP) from the Microwave Radiometer Retrievals (MWRRET) VAP rather than the statistical retrievals of LWP from the Microwave Radiometer Line of Sight (MWRLOS) datastream. Although this was originally intended to be a straightforward update of the code, it became more complicated due to the following factors: (1) a new developer and translator team were working with the code; (2) numerous small changes had to be made to the code to consistently implement the QC flags; and (3) ARM standards have changed over the years since the code was originally developed.
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: McFarlane, S. & Shi, Y.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Experimental Study of Parametric Dependence of Electron-scale Turbulence in a Spherical Tokamak (open access)

Experimental Study of Parametric Dependence of Electron-scale Turbulence in a Spherical Tokamak

Electron-scale turbulence is predicted to drive anomalous electron thermal transport. However, experimental study of its relation with transport is still in its early stage. On the National Spherical Tokamak eXperiment (NSTX), electron-scale density fluctuations are studied with a novel tangen- tial microwave scattering system with high radial resolution of ±2 cm. Here, we report a study of parametric dependence of electron-scale turbulence in NSTX H-mode plasmas. The dependence on density gradient is studied through the observation of a large density gradient variation in the core induced by an ELM event, where we found the first clear experimental evidence of density gradient stabilization of electron-gyro scale turbulence in a fusion plasma. This observation, cou- pled with linear gyro-kinetic calculations, leads to the identification of the observed instability as toroidal Electron Temperature Gradient (ETG) modes. It is observed that longer wavelength ETG modes, k⊥ρs < 10 (ρs is the ion gyroradius at electron temperature and k⊥ is the wavenumber perpendicular to local equilibrium magnetic field), are most stabilized by density gradient, and the stabilization is accompanied by about a factor of two decrease in electron thermal diffusivity. Comparisons with nonlinear ETG gyrokinetic simulations shows ETG turbulence may be able to explain the …
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: Ren, Y.; Kaye, S. M.; Mazzucato, E.; Bell, R. E.; Diallo, A.; Domier, C. W. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
METAL MEDIA FILTERS, AG-1 SECTION FI (open access)

METAL MEDIA FILTERS, AG-1 SECTION FI

One application of metal media filters is in various nuclear air cleaning processes including applications for protecting workers, the public and the environment from hazardous and radioactive particles. To support this application the development of the ASME AG-1 FI Standard on Metal Media has been under way for more than ten years. Development of the proposed section has required resolving several difficult issues associated with operating conditions (media velocity, pressure drop, etc.), qualification testing, and quality acceptance testing. Performance characteristics of metal media are dramatically different than the glass fiber media with respect to parameters like differential pressures, operating temperatures, media strength, etc. These differences make existing data for a glass fiber media inadequate for qualifying a metal media filter for AG-1. In the past much work has been conducted on metal media filters at facilities such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to qualify the media as High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters. Particle retention testing has been conducted at Oak Ridge Filter Test Facility and at Air Techniques International (ATI) to prove that the metal media meets or exceeds the 99.97% particle retention required for a HEPA Filter. Even with his testing, …
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: Adamson, D.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
SECAD-- a Schema-based Environment for Configuring, Analyzing and Documenting Integrated Fusion Simulations. Final report (open access)

SECAD-- a Schema-based Environment for Configuring, Analyzing and Documenting Integrated Fusion Simulations. Final report

SECAD is a project that developed a GUI for running integrated fusion simulations as implemented in FACETS and SWIM SciDAC projects. Using the GUI users can submit simulations locally and remotely and visualize the simulation results.
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: Shasharina, Svetlana
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Uranium Enrichment Standards of the Y-12 Nuclear Detection and Sensor Testing Center (open access)

Uranium Enrichment Standards of the Y-12 Nuclear Detection and Sensor Testing Center

The Y-12 National Security Complex has recently fabricated and characterized a new series of metallic uranium standards for use in the Nuclear Detection and Sensor Testing Center (NDSTC). Ten uranium metal disks with enrichments varying from 0.2 to 93.2% {sup 235}U were designed to provide researchers access to a wide variety of measurement scenarios in a single testing venue. Special care was taken in the selection of the enrichments in order to closely bracket the definitions of reactor fuel at 4% {sup 235}U and that of highly enriched uranium (HEU) at 20% {sup 235}U. Each standard is well characterized using analytical chemistry as well as a series of gamma-ray spectrometry measurements. Gamma-ray spectra of these standards are being archived in a reference library for use by customers of the NDSTC. A software database tool has been created that allows for easier access and comparison of various spectra. Information provided through the database includes: raw count data (including background spectra), regions of interest (ROIs), and full width half maximum calculations. Input is being sought from the user community on future needs including enhancements to the spectral database and additional Uranium standards, shielding configurations and detector types. A related presentation are planned …
Date: May 23, 2012
Creator: Cantrell, J.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
B_c Meson Production Around the Z^0 Peak at a High Luminosity e^+ e^- Collider (open access)

B_c Meson Production Around the Z^0 Peak at a High Luminosity e^+ e^- Collider

Considering the possibility to build an e{sup +}e{sup -} collider at the energies around the Z{sup 0}-boson resonance with a planned luminosity so high as L {proportional_to} 10{sup 34} {approx} 10{sup 36} cm{sup -2}s{sup -1} (super Z-factory), we make a detailed discussion on the (c{bar b})-quarkonium production through e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} (c{bar b})[n] + b + {bar c} within the framework of non-relativistic QCD. Here [n] stands for the Fock-states |(c{sub b}){sub 1}[{sup 1}S{sub 0}]>, |(c{bar b})8[{sup 1}S{sub 0}]g>, |(c{bar b} ){sub 1}[{sup 3}S{sub 1}]>, |(c{bar b}){sub 8}[{sup 3}S{sub 1}]g>, |(c{bar b}){sub 1}[{sup 1}P{sub 1}]> and |(c{bar b}){sub 1}[{sup 3}P{sub J}]> (with J = (1, 2, 3)) respectively. To simplify the hard-scattering amplitude as much as possible and to derive analytic expressions for the purpose of future events simulation, we adopt the 'improved trace technology' to do our calculation, which deals with the hard scattering amplitude directly at the amplitude level other than the conventional way at the squared-amplitude level. Total cross-section uncertainties caused by the quark masses are predicted by taking m{sub c} = 1.50 {+-} 0.30 GeV and m{sub b} = 4.90 {+-} 0.40 GeV. If all higher (c{bar b})-quarkonium states decay to the ground state B{sub …
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Yang, Zhi; U., /Chongqing; Wu, Xing-Gang; /SLAC, /Chongqing U.; Chen, Gu; Liao, Qi-Li et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
California GAMA Special Study: Examination of Water Quality of Tritium-Dead Drinking Water Wells (open access)

California GAMA Special Study: Examination of Water Quality of Tritium-Dead Drinking Water Wells

None
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Visser, A.; Moran, J. E.; Singleton, M. J.; Hillegonds, D. J.; Belitz, K.; Kulongoski, J. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Crossed-beam energy transfer in direct-drive implosions (open access)

Crossed-beam energy transfer in direct-drive implosions

Direct-drive-implosion experiments on the OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] have showed discrepancies between simulations of the scattered (non-absorbed) light levels and measured ones that indicate the presence of a mechanism that reduces laser coupling efficiency by 10%-20%. This appears to be due to crossed-beam energy transfer (CBET) that involves electromagnetic-seeded, low-gain stimulated Brillouin scattering. CBET scatters energy from the central portion of the incoming light beam to outgoing light, reducing the laser absorption and hydrodynamic efficiency of implosions. One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations including CBET show good agreement with all observables in implosion experiments on OMEGA. Three strategies to mitigate CBET and improve laser coupling are considered: the use of narrow beams, multicolor lasers, and higher-Z ablators. Experiments on OMEGA using narrow beams have demonstrated improvements in implosion performance.
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Seka, W.; Edgell, D. H.; Michel, D. T.; Froula, D. H.; Goncharov, V. N.; Craxton, R. S. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Final Technical Report (open access)

Final Technical Report

During the past decades, considerable theoretical efforts have been devoted to studying the electronic and geometric structures and related properties of surfaces. Such efforts are particularly important for systems like the actinides for which experimental work is relatively difficult to perform due to material problems and toxicity. The actinides are characterized by a gradual filling of the 5f-electron shell with the degree of localization increasing with the atomic number Z along the last series of the periodic table. The open shell of the 5f electrons determines the atomic, molecular, and solid state properties of the actinide elements and their compounds and understanding the quantum mechanics of the 5f electrons is the defining issue in the chemistry and physics of actinide elements. These elements are also characterized by the increasing prominence of relativistic effects and their studies can, in fact, help us understand the role of relativity throughout the periodic table. However, the electronic and geometric structures of the actinides, specifically the trans-uranium actinides and the roles of the 5f electrons in chemical bonding are still not well understood. This is crucial not only for our understanding of the actinides but also for the fact that the actinides constitute 'the missing …
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Ray, Dr. Asok K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Functional Bounding Content Envelope for Type B Radioactive Material Transportation Packages (open access)

Functional Bounding Content Envelope for Type B Radioactive Material Transportation Packages

None
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Sitaraman, S.; Kim, S. & Anderson, B.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Heavy Quarkonium Production at LHC through W Boson Decays (open access)

Heavy Quarkonium Production at LHC through W Boson Decays

The production of the heavy (c{bar c})-quarkonium, (c{bar b})-quarkonium, and (b{bar b})-quarkonium states [({bar Q}') quarkonium for short], via the W{sup +} semi-inclusive decays, has been systematically studied within the framework of the nonrelativistic QCD. In addition to the two color-singlet S-wave states, we also discuss the production of the four color-singlet P-wave states |(Q{bar Q}')({sup 1}P{sub 1}){sub 1}> and |(Q{bar Q}')({sup 3}P{sub J}){sub 1}> [with J = (0,1,2)] together with the two color-octet components |(Q{bar Q}')({sup 1}S{sub 0}){sub 8}> and |(Q{bar Q}')({sup 3}S{sub 1}){sub 8}>. Improved trace technology is adopted to derive the simplified analytic expressions at the amplitude level, which shall be useful for dealing with the following cascade decay channels. At the LHC with the luminosity L {proportional_to} 10{sup 34} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} and the center-of-mass energy {radical}S = 14 TeV, sizable heavy-quarkonium events can be produced through the W{sup +} boson decays; i.e., 2.57 x 10{sup 6} {eta}{sub c}, 2.65 x 10{sup 6} J/{Psi}, and 2.40 x 10{sup 6} P-wave charmonium events per year can be obtained, and 1.01 x 10{sup 5} B{sub c}, 9.11 x 10{sup 4} B*{sub c}, and 3.16 x 10{sup 4} P-wave (c{bar b})-quarkonium events per year can be obtained. Main …
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Liao, Qi-Li; U., /Chongqing; Wu, Xing-Gang; /SLAC, /Chongqing U.; Jiang, Jun; Yang, Zhi et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
A HTAP multi-model assessment of the influence of regional emission reductions on aerosol direct radiative forcing and the role of intercontinental transport (open access)

A HTAP multi-model assessment of the influence of regional emission reductions on aerosol direct radiative forcing and the role of intercontinental transport

None
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Yu, H.; Chin, M.; West, J. J.; Atherton, C. S.; Bellouin, N.; Bergmann, D. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
ISR Hadron Production in e+e- Annihilations and Meson-Photon Transition Form Factors (open access)

ISR Hadron Production in e+e- Annihilations and Meson-Photon Transition Form Factors

We present several recent results from the BaBar collaboration in the areas of initial state radiation physics and transition form factors. An updated study of the processes e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} K{sup +}K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} and e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} K{sup +}K{sup -}{pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0} provides an improved understanding of the Y (2175) meson. A very precise study of the process e{sup +}e{sup -} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} improves the precision on the calculated anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and provides by far the best information on excited {rho} states. Our previous measurements of the timelike transition form factors (TFF) of the {eta} and {eta}' mesons at Q{sup 2} = 112 GeV{sup 2}, combined with new measurements of the their spacelike TFFs and those of the {pi}{sup 0} and {eta}{sub c} mesons, provide powerful tests of QCD and models of the distribution amplitudes of quarks inside these mesons. The {eta}{sub c} TFF shows the expected behavior over the Q{sup 2} range 1-50 GeV{sup 2}, and we are sensitive to next-to-leading-order QCD corrections. The {eta} and {eta}' TFFs are consistent with expected behavior, but those for the {pi}{sup 0} are not. Extracting the strange and nonstrange components of the …
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Muller, David
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reach the Bottom Line of the Sbottom Search (open access)

Reach the Bottom Line of the Sbottom Search

We propose a new search strategy for directly-produced sbottoms at the LHC with a small mass splitting between the sbottom and its decayed stable neutralino. Our search strategy is based on boosting sbottoms through an energetic initial state radiation jet. In the final state, we require a large missing transverse energy and one or two b-jets besides the initial state radiation jet. We also define a few kinematic variables to further increase the discovery reach. For the case that the sbottom mainly decays into the bottom quark and the stable neutralino, we have found that even for a mass splitting as small as 10 GeV sbottoms with masses up to around 400 GeV can be excluded at the 95% confidence level with 20 inverse femtobarn data at the 8 TeV LHC.
Date: May 22, 2012
Creator: Alvarez, Ezequiel & Bai, Yang
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Advanced Flow Battery Electrodes (open access)

Advanced Flow Battery Electrodes

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy project sheet summarizing general information about the Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage (GRIDS) program including critical needs, innovation and advantages, impacts, and contact information. This sheet discusses advanced flow battery electrodes as part of the "Low-Cost, High-Performance 50-Year Electrode" project.
Date: May 21, 2012
Creator: Primus Power
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analysis of Full Charge Reconstruction Algorithms for X-Ray Pixelated Detectors (open access)

Analysis of Full Charge Reconstruction Algorithms for X-Ray Pixelated Detectors

Existence of the natural diffusive spread of charge carriers on the course of their drift towards collecting electrodes in planar, segmented detectors results in a division of the original cloud of carriers between neighboring channels. This paper presents the analysis of algorithms, implementable with reasonable circuit resources, whose task is to prevent degradation of the detective quantum efficiency in highly granular, digital pixel detectors. The immediate motivation of the work is a photon science application requesting simultaneous timing spectroscopy and 2D position sensitivity. Leading edge discrimination, provided it can be freed from uncertainties associated with the charge sharing, is used for timing the events. Analyzed solutions can naturally be extended to the amplitude spectroscopy with pixel detectors.
Date: May 21, 2012
Creator: Baumbaugh, A.; Carini, G.; Deptuch, G.; Grybos, P.; Hoff, J.; Siddons, P. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library