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Analysis of the volatile and semivolatile fractions collected after use of the TOR lubricant indicated that other than contaminants in the collection laboratory, no compounds on the EPA's Target Compound Lists (Tables 2 and 5) were detected in these fractions. The data of these qualitative analyses, given in the various tables in the text, indicate only the relative amounts of the tentatively identified compounds. The authors recommend that quantitative analysis be performed on the volatile and semivolatile fractions to allow confirmation of the tentatively identified compounds and to obtain absolute amounts of the detected compounds. Additionally, the semivolatile fraction should be analyzed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify compounds that are not chromatographable under the temperature program used for determination of semivolatile compounds. Introducing the top-of-rail (TOR) lubricant into the wheel/rail interface results in a reduction of almost 60% of lateral friction force over the forces encountered under dry conditions. This reveals good potential for energy savings, as well as wear reduction, for railroad companies. In TOR lubrication, an increase in the angle of attack and axle load results in increased lateral friction and rate of lubricant consumption. The most efficient TOR lubricant quantity to be used in the wheel/rail …

The Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center of Sandia National laboratories has an ongoing research program in advanced user interfaces. As part of this research, promising new transduction devices, particularly hands-free devices, are being explored for the control of mobile and floor-mounted robotic systems. Brainwave control has been successfully demonstrated by other researchers in a variety of fields. In the research described here, Sandia developed and demonstrated a proof-of-concept brainwave-controlled mobile robot system. Preliminary results were encouraging. Additional work required to turn this into a reliable. fieldable system for mobile robotic control is identified. Used in conjunction with other controls, brainwave control could be an effective control method in certain circumstances.

This Calculation is intended to satisfy engineering requirements for maximum 60-minute precipitation amounts for 50 and 100-year return periods at and near Yucca Mountain. This data requirement is documented in the ''Interface Control Document for Support Operations to Surface Facilities Operations Functional and Organizational Interfaces'' (CRWMS M&O 1998a). These developed data will supplement the information on 0.1 hour to 6-hour (in 0.1-hour increments) probable maximum precipitation (PMP) presented in the report, ''Precipitation Design Criteria for Storm Water Management'' (CRWMS M&O 1998b). The Reference Information Base (RIB) item, Precipitation ''Characteristics for Storm Water Management'' (M09902RIB00045 .OOO), was developed based on CRWMS M&O (1998b) and will be supplemented (via revision) with the information developed in this Calculation. The ''Development Plan for the Calculation: Precipitation Characteristics for Storm Water Management'' (CRWMS M&O 2000) was prepared in accordance with AP-2.l3Q, ''Technical Product Development Planning''. This calculation was developed in accordance with AP-3.12Q, Rev. O/ICN 2.

It is known that filtered cathodic-arc-deposited ta-C films have outstanding properties even within the family of diamondlike materials. However, filtering of macroparticles is usually incomplete or accompanied by significant plasma losses. Ongoing research effort is directed towards the following goals: (1) complete elimination of macro- and nanoparticles from the vacuum arc plasma, (2) increase of plasma utilization in the cathodic-arc and macroparticle-filter system, (3) precise control and reproducibility of film deposition, and (4) synthesis of ultrathin films (< 5 nm) that meet requirements of the magnetic storage industry. The development of new filters, in particular the ''Twist Filter'', enables cathodic arc plasma deposition to synthesize ultrathin ta-C films of 3 nm on heads that pass corrosion and other relevant tests. We describe the Twist Filter system and report about recent ta-C tests results. In light of these results, even thinner films seem to be possible.

The goal of this project is to develop inorganic metal oxide clusters known as polyoxoanions (POAs) as complexants for the immobilization of actinide (An) ions from high-level waste (HLW). A diverse array of rugged isopolyoxoanions, [M{sub x}O{sub y}]{sup z{minus}}, and heteropolyoxoanions, [X{sub a}M{sub b}O{sub c}]{sup d{minus}}, comprised of M = V, Mo, W and X = Si, P polyhedra will be investigated for their ability to incarcerate An ions. The research combines two objectives--An-POA coordination and An-POA containment. The first involves the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of POAs that can selectively bind An ions to form stable An-POA complexes in alkaline and acidic solutions. The second involves investigations of the thermochemistry of the An-POA complexes under vitrification conditions germane to the formation of proposed HLW forms, such as borosilicate glass. The approach is envisioned to provide two levels of An encapsulation for maximum stability and durability as well as the potential to incorporate higher levels of An ions (particularly Pu) in waste forms than now possible. Such versatility bodes well for the potential application of POAs as An complexants in technology of significance to the environmental management of HLW. This report summarizes work performed since the commencement of the project …

The most recent results on CP violation and mixing in the charm system are reviewed as a guide to the future. While no surprising results are reported so far, charm provides a unique window to physics beyond the Standard Model. The results reported here come from four sources, ALEPH at LEP, E791 and FOCUS/E831 at Fermilab, and CLEO II.V at CESR. Results beyond these sources may be expected as a byproduct of B-motivated experiments.

Probing processes are used intermittently and not effectively as an on-line measurement device. This project was needed to evolve machine probing from merely a setup aid to an on-the-machine inspection system. Use of probing for on-machine inspection would significantly decrease cycle time by elimination of the need for first-piece inspection (at a remote location). Federal Manufacturing and Technologies (FM and T) had the manufacturing facility and the ability to integrate the system into production. The Contractor had a system that could optimize the machine tool to compensate for thermal growth and related error.

The Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) Waste Package Department of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management & Operating contractor (CRWMS M&O) performed calculations to provide input for disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) (Ref. 1). The Shippingport LWBR SNF has been considered for disposal at the potential Yucca Mountain site. Because of the high content of fissile material in the SNF, the waste package (WP) design requires special consideration of the amount and placement of neutron absorbers and the possible loss of absorbers and SNF materials over geologic time. For some WPs, the outer shell corrosion-resistant material (CRM) and the corrosion-allowance inner shell may breach (Refs. 2 and 3), allowing the influx of water. Water in the WP will moderate neutrons, increasing the likelihood of a criticality event within the WP; and the water may, in time, gradually leach the fissile components and neutron absorbers from the WP, further affecting the neutronics of the system. This study presents calculations of the long-term geochemical behavior of WPs containing a Shippingport LWBR SNF seed assembly, and high-level waste (HLW) glass canisters arranged according to the codisposal concept (Ref. 4). The specific study objectives were …

This issue of OIT [Office of Industrial Technologies] Times features steps being taken to streamline the R and D proposal solicitation process and includes an updated solicitation schedule. There is an article describing The Pittsburgh Regional Technology Showcase event launched by DOE Assistant Secretary Dan Reicher.

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Since the invention of quantum mechanics, even the simplest example of collisional breakup in a system of charged particles, e{sup {minus}} + H {r_arrow} H{sup +} + e{sup {minus}} + e{sup {minus}}, has stood as one of the last unsolved fundamental problems in atomic physics. A complete solution requires calculating the energies and directions for a final state in which three charged particles are moving apart. Advances in the formal description of three-body breakup have yet to lead to a viable computational method. Traditional approaches, based on two-body formalisms, have been unable to produce differential cross sections for the three-body final state. Now, by using a mathematical transformation of the Schrodinger equation that makes the final state tractable, a complete solution has finally been achieved, Under this transformation, the scattering wave function can be calculated without imposing explicit scattering boundary conditions. This approach has produced the first triple differential cross sections that agree on an absolute scale with experiment as well as the first ab initio calculations of the single differential cross section.

The kinetics of hydroxide film growth on LiD have been studied by the thermogravimetric method in nitrogen saturated with water vapor and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of samples that have been exposed to air with 50% relative humidity. The reaction probability is estimated to be 4 x 10{sup -7} for LiD exposed to ambient air with 50% relative humidity, suggesting that the diffusion through the hydroxide film is not the limiting step on the overall process at high moisture levels. The rate of growth is drastically reduced when the temperature is increased to 60 C.

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This document is used to validate Revision 13.0 of the Tank Monitor and Control System (TMACS) and verify it functions as intended by design.

Classical plasticity theories generally assume that the stress at a point is a function of strain at that point only. However, when gradients in strain become significant, this localization assumption is no longer valid. A common factor in the failure of these conventional models is that, since they do not account for the strain gradients, they do not display a size effect. This effect is seen experimentally when the scale of the phenomenon of interest is on the order of several microns. At this scale, strain gradients are of a significant magnitude as compared to the overall strain and must be considered for models to accurately capture observed phenomena. The mechanics community has been actively involved in the development of strain gradient theories for many years. Recently, interest in this area has been rekindled and several new approaches have appeared in the literature. Two different approaches are currently being evaluated: one approach considers strain gradients as internal variables which do not introduce work conjugate higher order stresses, and another approach considers the strain gradients as internal degrees of freedom which requires work conjugate higher order stresses. Experiments are being performed to determine which approach models material behavior accurately with the …

Experimentation, theory and modeling have all played vital roles in defining what is known about microstructural evolution and the effects of microstructure on material properties. Recently, technology has become an enabling factor, allowing significant advances to be made on several fronts. Experimental evidence of crystallographic slip and the basic theory of crystal plasticity were established in the early 20th Century, and the theory and models evolved incrementally over the next 60 years. (Asaro provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms and basic plasticity models.) During this time modeling was primarily concerned with the average response of polycrystalline aggregates. While some detailed finite element modeling (FEM) with crystal plasticity constitutive relations was done in the early 1980s, such simulations over taxed the capabilities of the available computer hardware. Advances in computer capability led to a flurry of activity in finite element modeling in the next 10 years, increasing understanding of microstructure evolution and pushing the limits of theories and material characterization. Automated Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) has produced a similar revolution in material characterization. The data collected is extensive and many questions about the evolution of microstructure and its role in determining mechanic properties can now be addressed. It is …

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Long-range seismic profiles from Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE) in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) provide a unique data set to investigate several important issues in regional Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) monitoring. The recording station spacing ({approx}15 km) allows for extremely dense sampling of the propagation from the source to {approx} 3300 km. This allows us to analyze the waveforms at local, near- and far-regional and teleseismic distances. These data are used to: (1) study the evolution of regional phases and phase amplitude ratios along the profile; (2) infer one-dimensional velocity structure along the profile; and (3) evaluate the spatial correlation of regional and teleseismic travel times and regional phase amplitude ratios. We analyzed waveform data from four PNE's (m{sub b} = 5.1-5.6) recorded along profile KRATON, which is an east-west trending profile located in northern Sibertil. Short-period regional discriminants, such as P/S amplitude ratios, will be essential for seismic monitoring of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) at small magnitudes (m{sub b} < 4.0). However, P/S amplitude ratios in the short-period band, 0.5-5.0 Hz, show some scatter. This scatter is primarily due to propagation and site effects, which arise from variability in the elastic and anelastic structure of the crustal waveguide. …

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A 1.5 cm long, 1.2 g specimen of the Eltanin meteorite was found at 10.97 m depth in Polarstern piston core PS2704-1. The early studies indicated that the small fragments of the Eltanin meteorite was debris from a km-sized asteroid which impacted into the deep-ocean basin. In this study, the authors measured {sup 39}Ar-{sup 40}Ar age, noble gases, and cosmogenic radionuclides in splits of specimen as a part of consortium studies of Eltanin meteorite. They concluded that the specimen was about 3 m deep from the asteroid surface. The exposure age of the Eltanin asteroid was about 20 Myr.

Atoms and molecules adsorbed on metals affect each other even over considerable distances. In a tour-de-force of density-functional methods, the authors establish the nature and strength of such indirect interactions, and explain for what adsorbate systems they can critically affect important materials properties. These perceptions are verified in kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of epitaxial growth, and help rationalize a cascade of recent experimental reports on anomalously low diffusion prefactors. The authors focus their study on two metal systems: Al/Al(111) and Cu/Cu(111).

A key uncertainty in models of the global carbonate-silicate cycle and long-term climate is the way that silicates weather under different climatologic conditions, and in the presence or absence of organic activity. Digital imaging of basalts in Hawaii resolves the coupling between temperature, rainfall, and weathering in the presence and absence of lichens. Activation energies for abiotic dissolution of plagioclase (23.1{+-} 2.5 kcal/mol) and olivine (21.3 {+-} 2.7 kcal/mol) are similar to those measured in the laboratory, and are roughly double those measured from samples taken underneath lichen. Abiotic weathering rates appear to be proportional to rainfall. Dissolution of plagioclase and olivine underneath lichen is far more sensitive to rainfall.

The overall goal of the proposed project is to explore the use of partitioning tracers to characterize dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in aquifer systems. Bulk-phase partitioning tracers will be investigated to detect and determine DNAPL saturation, while interface partitioning tracers will be investigated to measure the area of the DNAPL-water interface. The specific objectives that will be addressed to accomplish this goal are: (1) Investigate the use of partitioning tracers to detect and determine both the saturation and interfacial area of DNAPLs in saturated porous media. (2) Investigate the effect of rate-limited mass transfer on the transport behavior of partitioning tracers. (3) Investigate the effect of porous-media heterogeneity on the transport behavior of partitioning tracers. (4) Develop and evaluate mathematical models capable of simulating the transport of partitioning tracers in complex systems. This proposal outlines an integrated approach for the development and testing of a unique method for detecting and measuring DNAPL in aquifer systems. The approach combines one-dimensional laboratory experiments, three-dimensional intermediate-scale flow cell experiments, physical methods for DNAPL description (including dual-energy gamma radiation), and advanced modeling techniques. This approach will allow a new, promising technique for characterizing DNAPL in aquifer systems to be verified by established laboratory …