Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and University of North Texas (UNT) research teams collected over 800 emissions and ash samples during the combustion of over 650 tons of binder enhanced densified refuse-drived fuel (b-dRDF) pellets with high sulfur coal in a spreader-stoker boiler at ANL. This full-scale test burn was conducted to validate predictions from laboratory and pilot scale test results that indicated substantial reductions of SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x} and CO{sub 2} in the flue gas, and the reduction of heavy metals and organics in the ash residue, when combusting the b-dRDF pellets with coal. Effects of varying fuel composition on performance of the boiler's spray-dryer/fabric filter emissions control system was also evaluated. This paper describes the b-dRDF pellet/coal cofiring tests, the emission and ash samples that were taken, the analyses that were conducted on these samples, and the final test results. 5 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Parametric instabilities excited by an intense electromagnetic wave in a plasma is a fundamental topic relevant to many applications. These applications include laser fusion, heating of magnetically-confined plasmas, ionospheric modification, and even particle acceleration for high energy physics. In laser fusion, these instabilities have proven to play an essential role in the choice of laser wavelength. Characterization and control of the instabilities is an ongoing priority in laser plasma experiments. Recent progress and some important trends will be discussed. 8 figs.

We discuss various novel methods of frequency upshifting short ({le} 1 picosecond) pulses of laser light. All of these methods make use of either the sudden creation of a plasma or relativistic plasma waves. The first method discussed is known as photon acceleration. This method makes use of the fact that a laser pulse moving in a plasma can be thought of as a packet of photons, each possessing an effective mass of m{sub {gamma}} = {h bar}{omega}{sub pe}/c{sup 2} and moving with the group velocity of the laser pulse. These photons experience a force acting on them when in the presence of a gradient in the plasma density. By using a relativistic plasma wave (i.e., a moving density gradient) traveling with the photons, the energy of the photons (thus the frequency) can be continuously increased. We then discuss the sudden creation of a plasma in a region where there exists an electromagnetic wave. This results in a frequency shift of the wave. A similar method is the creation of an ionization front moving near the speed of light, whereby the interaction of this plasma front with an EM wave also results in a frequency upshift of the original wave. …