Annual report of the Texas Racing Commission describing goals, activities, and accomplishments during fiscal year 2000

December report of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Panel describing their activities and findings regarding the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), including sections on the background and evolution of TARP, and an analysis of its accomplishments and shortcomings.

June report of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Panel describing their activities and findings regarding the stress testing of banks by federal banking regulators to examine the ability of banks to continue operations in a weaker than expected economic environment.

January report of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Panel describing their activities and findings regarding the U.S. Treasury's responses to the panel's initial questions in the first report.

October report of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Panel describing their activities and findings regarding the evaluation of the U.S. Treasury's foreclosure mitigation efforts through its programs and initiatives.

In recent assessments of climate forcing, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change lists aerosol as one o f the most important anthropogenic agents that influence climate. Atmospheric aerosols directly affect the radiative fluxes at the surface and top of the Earth's atmosphere by scattering and/or absorbing radiation. Further, aerosols indirectly change cloud microphysical properties (such as cloud drop effective radius) that also affect the radiative fluxes. However, the estimate of the magnitude of aerosol climatic effect varies widely, and aerosol/cloud interactions remain one of the most uncertain aspects of climate models today. The Atmospheric Sciences Division has formulated a plan to enhance and expand our modeling expertise in aerosol/cloud/climate interactions. Under previous LDRD support, we successfully developed a computationally efficient version of IMPACT to simulate aerosol climatology. This new version contains a compact chemical mechanism for the prediction of sulfate and also predicts the distributions of organic carbon (OC), black carbon (BC), dust, and sea salt. Furthermore, we implemented a radiation package into IMPACT to calculate the radiative forcing and heating/cooling rates by aerosols. This accomplishment built the foundation of our currently funded projects under the NASA Global Modeling and Analysis Program as well as the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Program. …

This report summarizes groundwater-related numerical calculations that will support groundwater flow and transport analyses associated with the scheduled 2005 performance assessment of the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) at the Hanford Site. The report also provides potential supporting information to other ongoing Hanford Site risk analyses associated with the closure of single-shell tank farms and related actions. The IDF 2005 performance assessment analysis is using well intercept factors (WIFs), as outlined in the 2001 performance assessment of the IDF. The flow and transport analyses applied to these calculations use both a site-wide regional-scale model and a local-scale model of the area near the IDF. The regional-scale model is used to evaluate flow conditions, groundwater transport, and impacts from the IDF in the central part of the Hanford Site, at the core zone boundary around the 200 East and 200 West Areas, and along the Columbia River. The local-scale model is used to evaluate impacts from transport of contaminants to a hypothetical well 100 m downgradient from the IDF boundaries. Analyses similar to the regional-scale analysis of IDF releases are also provided at individual tank farm areas as additional information. To gain insight on how the WIF approach compares with other approaches …

Releasing the energy stored in an isomeric nuclear state in a controlled way with an atomic or electromagnetic trigger is an attractive speculation: the energy gain may be on the order of the ratio of nuclear/atomic energies - MeV/keV. (Nuclear isomers are loosely defined as excited nuclear states with lifetimes longer than 10{sup -9} s.) Nuclear isomers, therefore, represent an opportunity for a stand-alone energy source if suitable schemes for trigger and control of the energy release can be found. Potential applications include space drive, as well as very bright {gamma}-ray sources. The nucleus {sup 178}Hf has a nuclear isomer with excitation energy E{sub x} = 2.447 MeV. The 2.447-MeV isomeric state decays slowly (t{sub 1/2} = 31 y) to the nearby state at 2.433 MeV. The J{sup {pi}} = 13{sup -} state loses energy in a rapid (t {approx} 10{sup -12} s) {gamma}-ray cascade ending at the 8{sup -} rotational band head which in turn decays via the ground-state rotational band cascade. The {gamma}-ray cascade is delayed at the 8{sup -} state at 1.147 MeV, since the 8{sup -} state is also isomeric, with t{sub 1/2} = 4 s. Very scarce quantities of the 16{sup +}, 31-yr isomer are …

Review and test speeds of various encryption technologies using Entrust Software. Multiple encryption algorithms are included in the product. Algorithms tested were IDEA, CAST, DES, and RC2. Test consisted of taking a 7.7 MB Word document file which included complex graphics and timing encryption, decryption and signing. Encryption is discussed in the GIAC Kickstart section: Information Security: The Big Picture--Part VI.

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Level densities and radiative strength functions in {sup 171}Yb and{sup 170}Yb nuclei have been measured with the {sup 171}Yb({sup 3}He, {sup 3}He{prime}{gamma}){sup 171}Yb and {sup 171}Yb({sup 3}He,{alpha}{gamma}){sup 170}Yb reactions. A simultaneous determination of the nuclear level density and the radiative strength function was made. The present data adds to and is consistent with previous results for several other rare earth nuclei. The method will be briefly reviewed and the result from the analysis will be presented. The radiative strength function for {sup 171}Yb is compared to previously published work.

From 1981 to 1989, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) developed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission a method for performing Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) in the eastern US with results documented in NUREG/CR-5250. Improvements in the handling of the uncertainties lead to updated results documented in the 1993-EUS-Update study (NUREG-1488.) These results presented substantial differences with the utilities sponsored study performed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, 1989.) In order to understand the differences between the two studies, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department Of Energy (DOE) and EPRI jointly sponsored a study led by the Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) the task of which was to explain the differences between the two studies and provide guidance on how to perform a state-of-the-art PSHA. The work and conclusions of the SSHAC are documented in NUREG/CR-6372, 1997. As a follow-up to the 1997 SSHAC study, the Trial Implementation Project (TIP), (UCRL-ID-133494, 1998, NUREG/CR-6607) made use of the SSHAC recommendations and developed a set of more detailed guidance for performing PSHA. The TIP project tested the more complicated issue of development of the seismic zonation and seismicity models on two sites: Watts Bar and Vogtle. It was found that …

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) established an area monitoring dosimeter program in accordance with Article 514 of the Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Control Manual (RCM) in January 1993. This program is to minimize the number of areas requiring issuance of personnel dosimeters and to demonstrate that doses outside Radiological Buffer Areas are negligible. In accordance with 10 CFR Part 835.402 (a)(1)-(4) and Article 511.1 of the PNNL Radiological Control Program Description, personnel dosimetry shall be provided to (1) radiological workers who are likely to receive at least 100 mrem annually, and (2) declared pregnant workers, minors, and members of the public who are likely to receive at least 50 mrem annually. Program results for calendar years 1993-2002 confirm that personnel dosimetry is not needed for individuals located in areas monitored by the program.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the intrinsic physics limitations on the angular and energy resolution of electron-tracking type gamma-ray detectors. In a Compton interaction, one can completely determine the direction and energy of the incoming gamma ray, without measuring the scattered photon's energy, if one can measure the direction and energy of the scattered electron, and the direction of the scattered photon. Multiple scattering of the Compton electron will quickly destroy the information of the electron's initial direction, so practical devices must be able to resolve the original electron direction, i.e., have tracking resolution mucic h smaller than the typical radiation length in the material.

We have studied how often incoming photons interact via a Compton interaction and/or a photoelectric interaction as a function of energy and detector material Results are using a 1m{sup 3} detector, and discrete energy photons from 0.1 MeV up to 10 MeV. Essentially all of the lower energy photons interact at least once in a detector of this size. This is not the case at higher energies. Each detector, photon energy combination was simulated with 2000 photons.

The production and handling in 1999 of about 200 million kilograms of bromine plus substantial derivatives thereof by Great Lakes Chemical Corp. and Albemarle Corporation in their southern Arkansas refineries gave OSHA Occupational Injury/Illness Rates (OIIR) in the range of 0.74 to 1.60 reportable OIIRs per 200,000 man hours. OIIRs for similar industries and a wide selection of other U.S. industries range from 1.6 to 23.9 in the most recent OSHA report. Occupational fatalities for the two companies in 1999 were zero compared to a range in the U.S.of zero for all computer manufacturing to 0.0445 percent for all of agriculture, forestry and fishing in the most recent OSHA report. These results show that bromine and its compounds can be considered as safe chemicals as a result of the bromine safety standards and practices at the two companies. The use of hydrobromic acid as an electrical energy storage medium in reversible PEM fuel cells is discussed. A study in 1979 of 20 megawatt halogen working fluid power plants by Oronzio de Nora Group found such energy to cost 2 to 2.5 times the prevailing base rate at that time. New conditions may reduce this relative cost. The energy storage aspect …

We used high resolution Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to image compaction of linear and circular DNA by the yeast mitochondrial protein ABF2p , which plays a major role in maintaining mitochondrial DNA. AFM images show that protein binding induces drastic bends in the DNA backbone for both linear and circular DNA. At high concentration of ABF2p DNA collapses into a tight globular structure. We quantified the compaction of linear DNA by measuring the end-to-end distance of the DNA molecule at increasing concentrations of ABF2p. We also derived a polymer statistical mechanics model that gives quantitative description of compaction observed in our experiments. This model shows that a number of sharp bends in the DNA backbone is often sufficient to cause DNA compaction. Comparison of our model with the experimental data showed excellent quantitative correlation and allowed us to determine binding characteristics for ABF2. Our studies indicate that ABF2 compacts DNA through a novel mechanism that involves bending of DNA backbone. We discuss the implications of such a mechanism for mitochondrial DNA maintenance.

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This report describes the earthquakes that occurred in the Hanford seismic monitoring network during the first and second quarters of Fiscal Year 2005

The ENDF/B data library has recently been updated and is now freely available through the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC), Brookhaven National Laboratory. This most recent library is identified as ENDF/B-VI, Release 8. Release 8 completely supersedes all preceding releases. Release 8 will be the last release of ENDF/B-VI; the next release of ENDF/B data will be for the new ENDF/B-VII library. As distributed the ENDF/B-VI, Release 8 data includes cross sections represented in the form of a combination of resonance parameters and/or tabulated energy dependent cross sections, nominally at 0 Kelvin temperature. For use in applications this library has been processed into the form of temperature dependent cross sections at eight neutron reactor like temperatures, between 0 and 2100 Kelvin, in steps of 300 Kelvin. It has also been processed to five astrophysics like temperatures, 1, 10, 100 eV, 1 and 10 keV. For reference purposes, 300 Kelvin is approximately 1/40 eV, so that 1 eV is approximately 12,000 Kelvin. At each temperature the cross sections are tabulated and linearly interpolable in energy. All results are in the computer independent ENDF/B-VI character format [1], which allows the data to be easily transported between computers. In its processed form this …

Yucca Mountain licensing will require estimation of ground motions from probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHA) with annual probabilities of exceedance on the order of 10{sup -6} to 10{sup -7} per year or smaller, which correspond to much longer earthquake return periods than most previous PSHA studies. These long return periods for the Yucca Mountain PSHA result in estimates of ground motion that are extremely high ({approx} 10 g) and that are believed to be physically unrealizable. However, there is at present no generally accepted method to bound ground motions either by showing that the physical properties of materials cannot maintain such extreme motions, or the energy release by the source for such large motions is physically impossible. The purpose of this feasibility study is to examine recorded ground motion and rock property data from nuclear explosions to determine its usefulness for studying the ground motion from extreme earthquakes. The premise is that nuclear explosions are an extreme energy density source, and that the recorded ground motion will provide useful information about the limits of ground motion from extreme earthquakes. The data were categorized by the source and rock properties, and evaluated as to what extent non-linearity in the material has …

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of measurement errors in the position and energy of the observed interactions on the angular resolution of a Compton-ring imaging type detector. In a Compton interaction, if one can measure the energy of the scattered photon and the energy of the Compton electron, then one can determine the scattering angle between the incoming and outgoing photon using the well-known Compton formula.

Initially, casks for dry storage of spent fuel were licensed for assembly-average burnup of about 35 GWd/MTU. Over the last two decades, the discharge burnup of fuel has increased steadily and now exceeds 45 GWd/MTU. With spent fuel burnups approaching the licensing limits (peak rod burnup of 62 GWd/MTU for pressurized water reactor fuel) and some lead test assemblies being burned beyond this limit, a need for a confirmatory dry storage demonstration program was first identified after the publication in May 1999 of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC) Interim Staff Guidance 11 (ISG-11). With the publication in July 2002 of the second revision of ISG-11, the desirability for such a program further increased to obtain confirmatory data about the potential changes in cladding mechanical properties induced by dry storage, which would have implications to the transportation, handling, and disposal of high-burnup spent fuel. While dry storage licenses have kept pace with reactor discharge burnups, transportation licenses have not and are considered on a case by case basis. Therefore, this feasibility study was performed to examine the options available for conducting a confirmatory experimental program supporting the dry storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel with burnups well in …

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Richland Operations Office plans to accelerate the cleanup of the Hanford Site. Testing new technology for the accelerated cleanup will require dissolved saltcake from single-shell tanks. However, the 137Cs will need to be removed from the saltcake to alleviate radiation hazards. A saltcake composite constructed from archived samples from Hanford Site single-shell tanks 241-S-101, 241-S-109, 241-S-110, 241-S-111, 241-U-106, and 241-U-109 was dissolved in water, adjusted to 5 M Na, and transferred from the 222-S Laboratory to the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL). At the RPL, the approximately 5.5 liters of solution was passed through a 0.2-micron polyethersulfone filter, collected, and homogenized. The filtered solution then was passed through an ion exchange column containing approximately 150 mL IONSIV® IE-911, an engineered form of crystalline silicotitanate available from UOP, at approximately 200 mL/hour in a continuous operation until all of the feed solution had been run through the column. An analysis of the 137Cs concentrations in the initial feed solution and combined column effluent indicates that > 99.999 percent of the Cs in the feed solution was removed by this operation. PNNR