Convection in Type 2 supernovae (open access)

Convection in Type 2 supernovae

Results are presented here from several two dimensional numerical calculations of events in Type II supernovae. A new 2-D hydrodynamics and neutrino transport code has been used to compute the effect on the supernova explosion mechanism of convection between the neutrinosphere and the shock. This convection is referred to as exterior convection to distinguish it from convection beneath the neutrinosphere. The model equations and initial and boundary conditions are presented along with the simulation results. The 2-D code was used to compute an exterior convective velocity to compare with the convective model of the Mayle and Wilson 1-D code. Results are presented from several runs with varying sizes of initial perturbation, as well as a case with no initial perturbation but including the effects of rotation. The M&W code does not produce an explosion using the 2-D convective velocity. Exterior convection enhances the outward propagation of the shock, but not enough to ensure a successful explosion. Analytic estimates of the growth rate of the neutron finger instability axe presented. It is shown that this instability can occur beneath the neutrinosphere of the proto-neutron star in a supernova explosion with a growth time of {approximately} 3 microseconds. The behavior of the …
Date: October 15, 1993
Creator: Miller, D. S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Determination of Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Data and Decontamination Factors Needed for the Development of Evaporator Technology for Use in Volume Reduction of Radioactive Waste Streams (open access)

Determination of Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Data and Decontamination Factors Needed for the Development of Evaporator Technology for Use in Volume Reduction of Radioactive Waste Streams

A program is currently in progress at Argonne National Laboratory to evaluate and develop evaporator technology for concentrating radioactive waste streams. By concentrating radioactive waste streams, disposal costs can be significantly reduced. To effectively reduce the volume of waste, the evaporator must achieve high decontamination factors so that the distillate is sufficiently free of radioactive material. One technology that shows a great deal of potential for this application is being developed by LICON, Inc. In this program, Argonne plans to apply LICON`s evaporator designs to the processing of radioactive solutions. Concepts that need to be incorporated into the design of the evaporator include, criticality safety, remote operation and maintenance, and materials of construction. To design an effective process for concentrating waste streams, both solubility and vapor-liquid equilibrium data are needed. The key issue, however, is the high decontamination factors that have been demonstrated by this equipment. Two major contributions were made to this project. First, a literature survey was completed to obtain available solubility and vapor-liquid equilibrium data. Some vapor-liquid data necessary for the project but not available in the literature was obtained experimentally. Second, the decontamination factor for the evaporator was determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA).
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Betts, S. E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effect of snails (Elimia clavaeformis) on phosphorus cycling in stream periphyton and leaf detritus communities (open access)

Effect of snails (Elimia clavaeformis) on phosphorus cycling in stream periphyton and leaf detritus communities

In this study, the author examined the effect of grazing on phosphorus cycling in stream periphyton and leaf detritus communities using the snail Elimia clavaeformis. Phosphorus cycling fluxes and turnover rates were measured in a laboratory and in a natural stream, respectively, using radioactive tracer techniques.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Jay, E. A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Temperature and Motility on the Advective Transport of a Deep Subsurface Bacteria Through Saturated Sediment (open access)

The Effects of Temperature and Motility on the Advective Transport of a Deep Subsurface Bacteria Through Saturated Sediment

Replicate column experiments were done to quantify the effects of temperature and bacterial motility on advective transport through repacked, but otherwise unaltered, natural aquifer sediment. The bacteria used in this study, A0500, was a flagellated, spore-forming rod isolated from the deep subsurface at DOE`s Savannah River Laboratory. Motility was controlled by turning on flagellar metabolism at 18{degrees}C but off at 40{degrees}C. Microspheres were used to independently quantify the effects of temperature on the sticking efficiency ({alpha}), estimated using a steady-state filtration model. The observed greater microsphere removal at the higher temperature agreed with the physical-chemical model, but bacteria removal at 18{degrees}C was only half that at 4{degrees}C. The sticking efficiency for non-motile A0500 (4{degrees}C) was over three times that of the motile A0500 (18{degrees}C), 0.073 versus 0.022 respectively. Analysis of complete breakthrough curves using a non-steady, kinetically limited, transport model to estimate the time scales of attachment and detachment suggested that motile A 0500 bacteria traveled twice as far as non-motile A 0500 bacteria before becoming attached. Once attached, non-motile colloids detached on the time scale of 9 to 17 days. The time scale for detachment of motile A0500 bacteria was shorter, 4 to 5 days. Results indicate that bacterial …
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: McCaulou, D. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation of wavelength shifters for spectral separation of barium fluoride emissions (open access)

Evaluation of wavelength shifters for spectral separation of barium fluoride emissions

BaF{sub 2} has the advantage over other scintillators, when comparing radiation hardness, scintillation decay time, and fast scintillation yield. Since the fast BaF{sub 2} emissions have peak wavelengths of 220, 195, and 170 nm, a wavelength shifter (WLS) is needed. Organic fluors were evaluated as WLS components. Results indicate that spectral separation using WLS is possible, but not to the extent desired; other techniques must be used also. Alternative scintillators, such as CeF{sub 3}, should be investigated.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: DeVol, Timonthy A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Shock Wave Propagation Through Complex Geometry, Gas Continuous, Two-Phase Media (open access)

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Shock Wave Propagation Through Complex Geometry, Gas Continuous, Two-Phase Media

The work presented here investigates the phenomenon of shock wave propagation in gas continuous, two-phase media. The motivation for this work stems from the need to understand blast venting consequences in the HYLIFE inertial confinement fusion (ICF) reactor. The HYLIFE concept utilizes lasers or heavy ion beams to rapidly heat and compress D-T targets injected into the center of a reactor chamber. A segmented blanket of failing molten lithium or Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} (Flibe) jets encircles the reactors central cavity, shielding the reactor structure from radiation damage, absorbing the fusion energy, and breeding more tritium fuel.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Liu, J. Chien-Chih
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hydrogeologic characterization of a fractured granitic rock aquifer, Raymond, California (open access)

Hydrogeologic characterization of a fractured granitic rock aquifer, Raymond, California

The hydrogeologic properties of a shallow, fractured granitic rock aquifer in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, California were investigated via the analysis of borehole geophysical logs and pumping tests. The drawdowns produced during these tests are not indicative of any simple conceptual aquifer model, and borehole logs show that the granite is intensely fractured. These observations are suggestive of a complex fracture-flow geometry which is extremely difficult to decipher. However, through the measurement of orientations of individual subsurface fractures from acoustic televiewer logs, and correlation between particular fractures and electrical resistivity and thermal-pulse flowmeter logs, it was found that the aquifer is, in general, comprised of two subhorizontal and nearly parallel zones of unloading fractures. Downhole flowmeter measurements taken in several wells provide further evidence for the inferred dual-layer structure of the aquifer, as well as yield quantitative measures of the contribution of flow from each zone. Analysis of drawdowns in pumped wells reveals that there are zones of relatively high transmissivity immediately around them. It was found that these properties, as well as a nearby zone of lower transmissivity, can account for their observed drawdowns. A numerical model was constructed to test whether these major heterogeneities could also …
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Cohen, A. J. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interaction between a high density-low temperature plasma and a frozen hydrogen pellet in a railgun injector (open access)

Interaction between a high density-low temperature plasma and a frozen hydrogen pellet in a railgun injector

A model has been developed which describes the ablation process of frozen hydrogen pellets in an electromagnetic railgun. The model incorporates the neutral gas shielding model in which the pellet surface is heated by incident electrons from the plasma arc. The heated surface then ablates, forming a neutral cloud which attenuates the incoming electrons. The energy lost in the cloud by the electrons heats the ablatant material as it flows into the plasma arc. Under steady-state conditions, a scaling law for the ablation rate was derived as a function of plasma-arc temperature and density. In addition, flow conditions and the criteria for the existence of a steady-state solution were formulated and subsequently examined under simplifying assumptions. Comparison with experimentally observed ablation rates shows good qualitative agreement.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Grapperhaus, M. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Measurements of gluon spin-sensitive quantities at the Z{sup 0} resonance (open access)

Measurements of gluon spin-sensitive quantities at the Z{sup 0} resonance

Measurements have been made of the scaled jet energies (x{sub 1}, x{sub 2}, x{sub 3}) and the Ellis-Karliner angle (cos{theta}{sub EK}), which are sensitive to the spill of the gluon, in the 3-jet hadronic events from the e{sup +}e{sup {minus}} annihilation at the Z{sup 0} resonance. The experiment is performed with the SLD detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). The data used in this analysis was collected during the 1992 physics run, which includes 10,252 hadronic Z{sup 0} events that have CDC information written out. Only charged tracks measured in the central drift chamber are used for the measurements of the above variables. The raw data are found to be in good agreement with the Monte Carlo simulations passing the same set of track and event selection cuts. A bin-to-bin correction is done for the distributions of x{sub 1}, x{sub 2}, x{sub 3}, and cos{theta}{sub EK} to account for the effects of hadronization, detector acceptance and resolution. The corrected data is compared to the parton level distributions of x{sub 1}, x{sub 2}, x{sub 3}, and cos{theta}{sub EK} simulated from the vector QCD model and the scalar gluon model respectively. The systematic errors, calculated for all the bins in …
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Fan, C. G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Polarized light scattering as a probe for changes in chromosome structure (open access)

Polarized light scattering as a probe for changes in chromosome structure

Measurements and calculations of polarized light scattering are applied to chromosomes. Calculations of the Mueller matrix, which completely describes how the polarization state of light is altered upon scattering, are developed for helical structures related to that of chromosomes. Measurements of the Mueller matrix are presented for octopus sperm heads, and dinoflagellates. Comparisons of theory and experiment are made. A working theory of polarized light scattering from helices is developed. The use of the first Born approximation vs the coupled dipole approximation are investigated. A comparison of continuous, calculated in this work, and discrete models is also discussed. By comparing light scattering measurements with theoretical predictions the average orientation of DNA in an octopus sperm head is determined. Calculations are made for the Mueller matrix of DNA plectonemic helices at UV, visible and X-ray wavelengths. Finally evidence is presented that the chromosomes of dinoflagellates are responsible for observed differential scattering of circularly-polarized light. This differential scattering is found to vary in a manner that is possibly correlated to the cell cycle of the dinoflagellates. It is concluded that by properly choosing the wavelength probe polarized light scattering can provide a useful tool to study chromosome structure.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Shapiro, D. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Population Differentiation in Tree-Ring Growth Response of White Fir (Abies Concolor) to Climate: Implications for Predicting Forest Responses to Climate Change (open access)

Population Differentiation in Tree-Ring Growth Response of White Fir (Abies Concolor) to Climate: Implications for Predicting Forest Responses to Climate Change

Forest succession models and correlative models have predicted 200--650 kilometer shifts in the geographic range of temperate forests and forest species as one response to global climate change. Few studies have investigated whether population differences may effect the response of forest species to climate change. This study examines differences in tree-ring growth, and in the phenotypic plasticity of tree-ring growth in 16-year old white fir, Abies concolor, from ten populations grown in four common gardens in the Sierra Nevada of California. For each population, tree-ring growth was modelled as a function of precipitation and degree-day sums. Tree-ring growth under three scenarios of doubled C0{sub 2} climates was estimated.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Jensen, D. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium tantalate niobate pyroelectric materials and far-infrared detectors (open access)

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate and potassium tantalate niobate pyroelectric materials and far-infrared detectors

This thesis discusses characterization of two ferroelectric materials and the fabrication of bolometers. Potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) are chosen because they can be optimized for operation near 100K. Chap. 2 reviews the physics underlying pyroelectric materials and its subclass of ferroelectric materials. Aspects of pyroelectric detection are discussed in Chap. 3 including measurement circuit, noise sources, and effects of materials properties on pyroelectric response. Chap. 4 discusses materials selection and specific characteristics of KTN and KDP; Chap. 5 describes materials preparation; and Chap. 6 presents detector configuration and a thermal analysis of the pyroelectric detector. Electrical techniques used to characterize the materials and devices and results are discussed in Chap. 7 followed by conclusions on feasibility of KDP and KTN pyroelectric detectors in Chap. 8.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Baumann, H. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rare event simulation in radiation transport (open access)

Rare event simulation in radiation transport

This dissertation studies methods for estimating extremely small probabilities by Monte Carlo simulation. Problems in radiation transport typically involve estimating very rare events or the expected value of a random variable which is with overwhelming probability equal to zero. These problems often have high dimensional state spaces and irregular geometries so that analytic solutions are not possible. Monte Carlo simulation must be used to estimate the radiation dosage being transported to a particular location. If the area is well shielded the probability of any one particular particle getting through is very small. Because of the large number of particles involved, even a tiny fraction penetrating the shield may represent an unacceptable level of radiation. It therefore becomes critical to be able to accurately estimate this extremely small probability. Importance sampling is a well known technique for improving the efficiency of rare event calculations. Here, a new set of probabilities is used in the simulation runs. The results are multiple by the likelihood ratio between the true and simulated probabilities so as to keep the estimator unbiased. The variance of the resulting estimator is very sensitive to which new set of transition probabilities are chosen. It is shown that a zero …
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Kollman, C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Resonant holographic measurements of laser ablation plume expansion in vacuum and argon gas backgrounds (open access)

Resonant holographic measurements of laser ablation plume expansion in vacuum and argon gas backgrounds

This thesis discusses the following on resonant holographic measurements of laser ablation plume expansion: Introduction to laser ablation; applications of laser ablation; The study of plume expansion; holographic interferometry; resonant holographic interferometry; accounting for finite laser bandwidth; The solution for doppler broadening and finite bandwidth; the main optical table; the lumonics laser spot shape; developing and reconstructing the holograms; plume expansion in RF/Plasma Environments; Determining {lambda}{sub o}; resonant refraction effects; fringe shift interpretation; shot-to-shot consistency; laser ablation in vacuum and low pressure, inert, background gas; theoretically modeling plume expansion in vacuum and low pressure, inert, background gas; and laser ablation in higher pressure, inert, background gas.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Lindley, R. A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A study of diagnostic x-ray lines in heliumlike neon using an electron beam ion trap (open access)

A study of diagnostic x-ray lines in heliumlike neon using an electron beam ion trap

Heliumlike ions play an extremely important role in X-ray astrophysics because of their emissivity and because the relative intensities of their emission lines can be used to infer physical characteristics of X-ray emitting plasmas, including temperature, electron density, and ionization balance. In order to properly apply these diagnostics, accurate atomic data are required, including cross sections for collisional excitation and ionization, radiative rates, and the wavelengths and strengths of satellite lines. Although theoretical atomic models have been created to estimate many of the rates and cross sections involved, very few experimental results are available for comparison with theoretical predictions. This thesis describes an experimental study of heliumlike neon using an electron beam ion trap, a device specifically designed to study X-ray emission from highly charged ions. Using a low-energy X-ray spectrometer designed and built for this experiment, electron impact excitation cross sections and dielectronic satellite strengths were measured for all significant n = 2{yields}1 emission lines in He-like and Li-like Ne over a range of energy extending from well below the direct excitation threshold of the lines to over fourteen times the threshold energy. The cross section for innershell ionization of Li-like Ne, which excites the He-like forbidden line, was …
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Wargelin, B. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl complexes of divalent cobalt and nickel (open access)

Synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl complexes of divalent cobalt and nickel

The thesis is divided into the following 4 chapters: synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of trinuclear pentamethylcyclopentadienyl cobalt and nickel clusters with triply-bridging methylidyne groups; chemical and physical properties of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl acetylacetonate complexes of Co(II) and Ni(II); synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl halide complexes of Co and Ni; and crystallographic studies of distortions in metallocenes with C{sub 5}-symmetrical cyclopentadienyl rings.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Smith, M. E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Temperature dependence of CsI(Tl) gamma-ray excited scintillation characteristics (open access)

Temperature dependence of CsI(Tl) gamma-ray excited scintillation characteristics

Gamma-ray excited emission spectrum, absolute scintillation yield, rise and decay time constants, and thermoluminescence emissions of CsI(Tl) were measured at {minus}100 to +50 C, for crystals from 4 different vendors. The thermoluminescence glow curves were the only property that varied significantly from crystal to crystal; room temperature operation in current mode could be susceptible to temperature fluctuations. The CsI(Tl) emission spectrum has emission bands peaking around 400 and 560 nm; the former band disappears between {minus}50 and {minus}75 C. The RT absolute scintillation yield was calculated to be 65,500{plus_minus}4,100 photons/MeV. The two primary decay time constants increases about exponentially with inverse temperature. An ultra-fast decay component was confirmed. Applications are discussed.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Thermocapillary and arc phenomena in stainless steel welds (open access)

Thermocapillary and arc phenomena in stainless steel welds

Goal was to study effect of power level and distribution on thermocapiilary-induced weld shape and of arc factors on weld shape. Thermocapillarity was apparent in both conduction mode EB welds and GTA welds, particularly in the former. A non-Gaussian arc distribution is suggested for accounting for the differences between the twoss processes. At higher current levels (200--300 A), plasma shear force also contributes to weld shape development. Evidence suggests that thermocapillary flow reversal is not a factor in normal GTA welds; EDB flow reversal occurs only at high power density levels where the keyhole mode is present.
Date: October 1, 1993
Creator: Pierce, S. W.
System: The UNT Digital Library