This as-built report describes site conditions at the Tillman Creek mitigation site in South Cle Elum, Washington. This mitigation site was constructed in 2006-2007 to compensate for wetland impacts from the Yakama Nation hatchery. This as-built report provides information on the construction sequence, as-built survey, and establishment of baseline monitoring stations.

The K-25 Building at the East Tennessee Technology Park is relying on the use of Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) methods for characterizing hold-up materials in process equipment. The characterization data is used for many purposes including mass estimates for nuclear criticality safety (NCS) and waste disposition. This paper addresses the sensitivity of certain parameters in the NDA process to overall mass measurement results.

This report documents progress made on all LDRD-funded projects during fiscal year 2008.

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We describe a method for simultaneously determining the {alpha}-ratio and k{sub eff} for fissile materials using fast neutrons. Our method is a generalization of the Hage-Cifarrelli method for determining k{sub eff} for fissile assemblies which utilizes the shape of the fast neutron spectrum. In this talk we illustrate the method using Monte Carlo simulations of the fast neutrons generated in PuO{sub 2} to calculate the fast neutron spectrum and Feynman correlations.

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The accomplishments of this project include three elements. The first element directly relates to the focus of this project. Specifically, we have determined the three-dimensional Ehrlich-Schwoebel barriers, with and without surfactants, and two manuscripts in preparation; references refer to the list of journal publications. Further, we have discovered a characteristic length scale - the dimension of atomic islands bounded by multiple-layer surface steps. This discovery has made it possible to understand scientifically why nanorods synthesis is possible at all, will enable science-based design of nanorods, and may impact energy technology through nanomaterials design and synthesis. The second element relates to an exploration - synthesis of nanowires. This exploration is made possible through additional support of a Small Grant Exploratory Research from NSF. Through a combination of atomistic simulations, theories, and experiments, the PI and colleagues have made two contributions to the field. Specifically, they have revealed the physical reason why periodic twins develop during growth of SiC nanowires. Further, they have discovered that SiC nanowire films have an order-of-magnitude higher friction that their macroscopic counterpart, something that has never been reported before. The third elements relates to knowledge dissemination. The PI has co-edited (with Helena van Swygenhoven of PSI) an …

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This is a Final Progress report of Gordon research conference on 2006 Iron-Sulfur Enzymes with the conference agenda.

There are many applications requiring high power proton accelerators of various kinds. However, each type of proton accelerator can only provide beam with certain characteristics, hence the match of accelerators and their applications need careful evaluation. In this talk, the beam parameters and performance limitations of linac, cyclotron, synchrotron, and FFAG accelerators are studied and their relative merits for application in neutron, muon, neutrino, and ADS will be assessed in terms of beam energy, intensity, bunch length, repetition rate, and beam power requirements. A possible match between the applications and the accelerator of choice is presented in a matrix form. The accelerator physics and technology issues and challenges involved will also be discussed.

In recent years, semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots havegarnered the spotlight as an important new class of biological labelingtool. Withoptical properties superior to conventional organicfluorophores from many aspects, such as high photostability andmultiplexing capability, quantum dots have been applied in a variety ofadvanced imaging applications. This dissertation research goes along withlarge amount of research efforts in this field, while focusing on thedesign and development of new nanoprobes from semiconductor nanocrystalsthat are aimed for useful imaging or sensing applications not possiblewith quantum dots alone. Specifically speaking, two strategies have beenapplied. In one, we have taken advantage of the increasing capability ofmanipulating the shape of semiconductor nanocrystals by developingsemiconductor quantum rods as fluorescent biological labels. In theother, we have assembled quantum dots and gold nanocrystals into discretenanostructures using DNA. The background information and synthesis,surface manipulation, property characterization and applications of thesenew nanoprobes in a few biological experiments are detailed in thedissertation.

During the manufacture of wood composites, paper, and to a lesser extent, lumber, large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as terpenes, formaldehyde, and methanol are emitted to air. Some of these compounds are hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). The air pollutants produced in the forest products industry are difficult to manage because the concentrations are very low. Presently, regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs and RCOs) are commonly used for the destruction of VOCs and HAPs. RTOs consume large amounts of natural gas to heat air and moisture. The combustion of natural gas generates increased CO2 and NOx, which have negative implications for global warming and air quality. The aforementioned problems are addressed by an absorption system containing a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as an absorbent. RTILs are salts, but are in liquid states at room temperature. RTILs, an emerging technology, are receiving much attention as replacements for organic solvents in industrial processes with significant cost and environmental benefits. Some of these processes include organic synthesis, extraction, and metal deposition. RTILs would be excellent absorbents for exhausts from wood products facilities because of their unique properties: no measurable vapor pressure, high solubility of wide range of organic compounds, thermal stability to …

A surface resistivity survey was conducted on the Hanford Site over a waste disposal trench that received a large volume of liquid inorganic waste. The objective of the survey was to map the extent of the plume that resulted from the disposal activities approximately 50 years earlier. The survey included six resistivity transects of at least 200m, where each transect provided two-dimensional profile information of subsurface electrical properties. The results of the survey indicated that a low resistivity plume resides at a depth of approximately 25-44 m below ground surface. The target depth was calibrated with borehole data of pore-water electrical conductivity. Due to the high correlation of the pore-water electrical conductivity to nitrate concentration and the high correlation of measured apparent resistivity to pore-water electrical conductivity, inferences were made that proposed the spatial distribution of the apparent resistivity was due to the distribution of nitrate. Therefore, apparent resistivities were related to nitrate, which was subsequently rendered in three dimensions to show that the nitrate likely did not reach the water table and the bounds of the highest concentrations are directly beneath the collection of waste sites.

The electric field profiles of broad-bandwidth coherentterahertz (THz) pulses, emitted by laserwakefield-accelerated electronbunches, are studied. The near-single-cycle THz pulses are measured withtwo single-shot techniques in the temporal and spatial domains. Spectraof 0 - 6 THz and peak fields up to ~; 0.4 MVcm-1 are observed. Themeasured field substructure demonstrates the manifestation ofspatio-temporal coupling at focus, which affects the interpretation ofTHz radiation as a bunch diagnostic and in high-field pump-probeexperiments. A ray-based model confirms the coupling.

Final report for the Indiana University portion of the CCTTSS project.

The Environmental Analysis and Performance Modeling group of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performs performance assessments of the Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level waste facilities to meet the requirements of DOE Order 435.1. One of the performance objectives in the DOE Order is that the radiological dose to representative members of the public shall not exceed 25 mrem in a year total effective dose equivalent from all exposure pathways, excluding radon. Analysis to meet this performance objective is generally referred to as all-pathways analysis. SRNL performs detailed transient groundwater transport analysis for the waste disposal units, which has been used as input for the groundwater part of all-pathways analysis. The desire to better integrate all-pathways analysis with the groundwater transport analysis lead to the development of a software application named the SRNL All-Pathways Application. Another requirement of DOE Order 435.1 is to assess the impact of nuclear waste disposal on water resources, which SRS has interpreted for groundwater protection as meeting the EPA regulations for radionuclides in drinking water. EPA specifies four separate criteria as part of their implementation guidance for radionuclides, which are specified as maximum contaminant levels (MCL). (1) Beta/gamma emitters have a combined dose limit of 4 …

Dating lake sediments by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) {sup 14}C analysis of plant macrofossils overcomes one of the main problems associated with dating bulk sediment samples, the presence of old organic matter. Even so, many AMS dates from arctic and boreal sites appear to misrepresent the age of the sediment. To understand the nature of these apparent dating anomalies better, we conducted a series of {sup 14}C dating experiments using samples from Alaskan and Siberian lake-sediment cores. First, to test whether our analytical procedures introduced a sample-mass bias, we obtained {sup 14}C dates for different-sized pieces of single woody macrofossils. In these sample-mass experiments, sized statistically equivalent ages were found for samples as small as 0.05 mg C. Second, to assess whether macrofossil type influenced dating results, we conducted sample-type experiments in which {sup 14}C dates were obtained for different macrofossil types sieved from the same depth in the sediment. We dated materials from multiple levels in sediment cores from Upper Capsule Lake (North Slope, northern Alaska) and Grizzly Lake (Copper River Basin, southern Alaska), and from single depths in other records from northern Alaska. In several of the experiments there were significant discrepancies between dates for different plant tissues, …

Ten heat pump water heaters (HPWH) were placed in an environmentally controlled test facility and run through a durability test program of approximately 7300 duty cycles (actual cycles accumulated ranged from 6640 to 8324 for the ten units). Five of the units were upgraded integral types (HPWH mounted on storage tank, no pump) from the same manufacturer as those tested in our first durability program in 2001 (Baxter and Linkous, 2002). The other five were ''add-on'' type units (HPWH with circulation pump plumbed to a separate storage tank) from another manufacturer. This durability test was designed to represent approximately 7-10 years of normal operation to meet the hot water needs of a residence. The integral units operated without incident apart from two control board failures. Both of these were caused by inadvertent exposure to very hot and humid (>135 F dry bulb and >120 F dew point) conditions that occurred due to a test loop failure. It is not likely that any residential water heater would be installed where such conditions were expected so these failures are not considered a long-term reliability concern. Two of the integral HPWHs featured a condensate management system (CMS) option that effectively eliminated any need …

The main objective of this project is to measure heat of dissolution of CO{sub 2} in carefully selected mixed alkanolamine solvent systems, and provide such directly measured data that might be used for efficient design of CO{sub 2} capture processes, or for better understanding of thermodynamics of CO{sub 2}-alkanolamine systems. Carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases, and the need for stabilization of its composition in earth's atmosphere is vital for the future of mankind. Although technologies are available for capture and storage of CO{sub 2}, these technologies are far too expensive for economical commercialization. Reduction of cost would require research for refinement of the technology. For more economical CO{sub 2} capture and regeneration, there is a need for development of more efficient solvent systems. In this project we will extend the thermodynamic database by measuring heat of solution data of CO{sub 2} in mixed solvents made of MEA (monoethanolamine), MDEA (methyldiethanolamine), piperazine, and water. Mixed solvents of different compositions will be selected and in each case data will be measured at temperatures 40 and 80C and various partial pressures of CO{sub 2}. At the end of the project, observations, conclusions, and recommendations will be derived for the …

We discuss linear and nonlinear optical wave propagation in a left-handed medium (LHM) or medium of negative refraction (NRM). We use the approach of characterizing the medium response totally by a generalized electric polarization (with a dielectric permittivity {tilde {var_epsilon}}(w, {rvec k})) that can be decomposed into a curl and a non-curl part. The description has a one-to-one correspondence with the usual approach characterizing the LHM response with a dielectric permittivity {var_epsilon}<0 and a magnetic permeability {mu}<0. The latter approach is less physically transparent in the optical frequency region because the usual definition of magnetization loses its physical meaning. Linear wave propagation in LHM or NRM is characterized by negative refraction and negative group velocity that could be clearly manifested by ultra-short pulse propagation in such a medium. Nonlinear optical effects in LHM can be predicted from the same calculations adopted for ordinary media using our general approach.

Computer simulation is an indispensable tool in assisting the design, construction, and operation of accelerators. In particular, computer simulation complements analytical theories and experimental observations in understanding beam dynamics in accelerators. The ultimate function of computer simulation is to study mechanisms that limit the performance of frontier accelerators. There are four goals for the benchmarking of computer simulation codes, namely debugging, validation, comparison and verification: (1) Debugging--codes should calculate what they are supposed to calculate; (2) Validation--results generated by the codes should agree with established analytical results for specific cases; (3) Comparison--results from two sets of codes should agree with each other if the models used are the same; and (4) Verification--results from the codes should agree with experimental measurements. This is the summary of the joint session among working groups A, B, and D of the HI32006 Workshop on computer codes benchmarking.

This project is conducted under the leadership and guidance of Sandia National Laboratory as part of the DOE Office of Science FAST-OS Program. It was initiated at the California Institute of Technology February 1, 2005. The Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Thomas Sterling, accepted a position of Full Professor at the Department of Computer Science at Louisiana State University (LSU) on August 15, 2005, while retaining his position of Faculty Associate at California Institute of Technology’s Center for Advanced Computing Research. To take better advantage of the resources, research staff, and students at LSU, the award was transferred by DOE to LSU where research on the FAST-OS Config-OS project continues in accord with the original proposal. This brief report summarizes the accomplishments of this project during its initial phase at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

The Environmental Analysis and Performance Modeling group of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) conducts performance assessments of the Savannah River Site (SRS) low-level waste facilities to meet the requirements of DOE Order 435.1. These performance assessments, which result in limits on the amounts of radiological substances that can be placed in the waste disposal facilities, consider numerous potential exposure pathways that could occur in the future. One set of exposure scenarios, known as inadvertent intruder analysis, considers the impact on hypothetical individuals who are assumed to inadvertently intrude onto the waste disposal site. Inadvertent intruder analysis considers three distinct scenarios for exposure referred to as the agriculture scenario, the resident scenario, and the post-drilling scenario. Each of these scenarios has specific exposure pathways that contribute to the overall dose for the scenario. For the inadvertent intruder analysis, the calculation of dose for the exposure pathways is a relatively straightforward algebraic calculation that utilizes dose conversion factors. Prior to 2004, these calculations were performed using an Excel spreadsheet. However, design checks of the spreadsheet calculations revealed that errors could be introduced inadvertently when copying spreadsheet formulas cell by cell and finding these errors was tedious and time consuming. This weakness led …