The results of a comprehensive infrared imaging search for the putative 0.06 M{sub {circle_dot}} astrometric companion to the 4.4 pc white dwarf van Mannen 2 are reported. Adaptive optics images acquired at 3.8 {micro}m reveal a diffraction limited core of 0.09 inch and no direct evidence of a secondary. Models predict that at 5 Gyr, a 50 M{sub J} brown dwarf would be only 1 magnitude fainter than van Maanen 2 at this wavelength and the astrometric analysis suggested a separation of 0.2 inch. In the case of a chance alignment along the line of sight, a 0.4 mag excess should be measured. An independent photometric observation at the same wavelength reveals no excess. In addition, there exist published ISO observations of van Maanen 2 at 6.8 {micro}m and 15.0 {micro}m which are consistent with photospheric flux of a 6750 K white dwarf. If recent brown dwarf models are correct, there is no substellar companion with T{sub eff} {approx}> 500 K.

Growing interest and exploration dollars within the geothermal sector have paved the way for increasingly sophisticated suites of geophysical and geochemical tools and methodologies. The efforts to characterize and assess known geothermal fields and find new, previously unknown resources has been aided by the advent of higher spatial resolution airborne geophysics (e.g. aeromagnetics), development of new seismic processing techniques, and the genesis of modern multi-dimensional fluid flow and structural modeling algorithms, just to name a few. One of the newest techniques on the scene, is hyperspectral imaging. Really an optical analytical geochemical tool, hyperspectral imagers (or imaging spectrometers as they are also called), are generally flown at medium to high altitudes aboard mid-sized aircraft and much in the same way more familiar geophysics are flown. The hyperspectral data records a continuous spatial record of the earth's surface, as well as measuring a continuous spectral record of reflected sunlight or emitted thermal radiation. This high fidelity, uninterrupted spatial and spectral record allows for accurate material distribution mapping and quantitative identification at the pixel to sub-pixel level. In volcanic/geothermal regions, this capability translates to synoptic, high spatial resolution, large-area mineral maps generated at time scales conducive to both the faster pace of …

In this paper we propose a novel visibility-culling technique for optimizing the computation and rendering of opaque isosurfaces. Given a continuous scalar field f (x) over a domain D and an isovalue w, our technique exploits the continuity of f to determine conservative visibility bounds implicitly, i.e., without the need for actually computing the isosurface f{sup -1}(w). We generate Implicit Occluders based on the change in sign of f *(x) = f (x)-w, from positive to negative (or vice versa) in the neighborhood of the isosurface. Consider, for example, the sign of f * along a ray r cast from the current viewpoint. The first change in sign of f * within D must contain an intersection of r with the isosurface. Any additional intersection of the isosurface with r is not visible. Implicit Occluders constitute a general concept that can be exploited algorithmically in different ways depending on the framework adopted for visibility computations. In this paper, we propose a simple from-point approach that exploits well-known hardware occlusion queries.

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The mobilization of arsenic was examined in a system where the deposition of iron and arsenic have been substantially modified by large-scale manipulations. This engineering practice was designed to decrease arsenic concentrations in water supplied to the City of Los Angeles. Accomplishing this objective, however, has resulted in significant accumulation of arsenic and iron in the sediments of a reservoir on the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Arsenic and iron are released into the porewater at depth in the sediment, consistent with reductive dissolution of iron(III) oxyhydroxides. Factors influencing the possible re-sorption of arsenic onto residual iron(III) oxyhydroxides solids have been examined. Reduction of As(V) to As(III) alone cannot account for arsenic mobilization since arsenic occurs in the solid phase as As(III) well above the depth at which it is released into the porewater. Competition from other porewater constituents could suppress re-sorption of arsenic released by reductive dissolution.

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The compressibility of fluid deuterium up to several Mbar has been probed using laser-driven shock waves reflected from a quartz anvil. Combining high-precision ({approx} 1 %) shock velocity measurements with the double-shock technique, where differences in equation of state (EOS) models are magnified, has allowed us to accurately discriminate between various theoretical predictions. Our data are consistent with EOS models that show approximately fourfold compression on the principal Hugoniot from 0.7 to 1 Mbar; however, our results indicate that deuterium has a higher compressibility than predicted by these models for single shock pressures between 1 and 2.5 Mbar.

The J-PARC Neutrino Experiment, the construction of which starts in JFY 2004, will use a superconducting magnet system for its primary proton beam line. The system, which bends the 50 GeV 0.75 MW proton beam by about 80 degrees, consists of 28 superconducting combined function magnets. The magnets utilize single layer left/right asymmetric coils that generate a dipole field of 2.6 T and a quadrupole field of 18.6 T/m with the operation current of about 7.35 kA. The system also contains a few conduction cooled superconducting corrector magnets that serve as vertical and horizontal steering magnets. All the magnets are designed to provide a physical beam aperture of 130 mm in order to achieve a large beam acceptance. Extensive care is also required to achieve safe operation with the high power proton beam. The paper summarizes the system design as well as some safety analysis results.

Coupled multi-mechanics simulations (such as thermal-stress and fluidstructure interaction problems) are of substantial interest to engineering analysts. In addition, adaptive mesh refinement techniques present an attractive alternative to current mesh generation procedures and provide quantitative error bounds that can be used for model verification. This paper discusses spatially adaptive multi-mechanics implicit simulations using the Diablo computer code. (U)

This document summarizes the Indirect Drive Cold-Loaded (diffusion-filled) Ignition Target design. These targets include a capsule whose strength is insufficient to withstand the room temperature pressure of the DT fuel. These capsules are diffusion filled with DT gas and then cooled to cryogenic temperature. The target must remain at cryogenic temperature until it is shot. Only features that affect the design of the NIF Cryogenic Target System (NCTS) are presented. The design presented is the current thinking and may evolve further. The NCTS should be designed to accommodate a range of targets and target scales, as described here. The interface location between the target and the NCTS cryostat is at the target base / gripper joint.

Extremely high radiation, levels with accumulated doses comparable to those in nuclear reactors than in accelerators, and very high heat loads ({approx}15 kw) make the quadrupole magnets in the fragment separator one of the most challenging elements of the proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA). Removing large heat loads, protecting the superconducting coils against quenching, the long term survivability of magnet components, and in particular, insulation that can retain its functionality in such a harsh environment, are the major challenges associated with such magnets. A magnet design based on commercially available high temperature superconductor (HTS) and stainless steel tape insulation has been developed. HTS will efficiently remove these large heat loads and stainless steel can tolerate these large radiation doses. Construction of a model magnet has been started with several coils already built and tested. This paper presents the basic magnet design, results of the coil tests, the status and the future plans. In addition, preliminary results of radiation calculations are also presented.

The temporal dependence of the 14.7 nm Ni-like Pd ion x-ray laser is measured as a function of the laser drive conditions with a fast sub-picosecond x-ray streak camera. The chirped pulse amplification laser beam that pumps the inversion process is varied from 0.5 - 27 ps (FWHM) to determine the effect on the x-ray laser pulse duration. The average x-ray laser pulse duration varies by a relatively small factor of 2.5 times from 3.6 ps to 8.1 ps with traveling wave (TW) irradiation conditions. Slightly shorter pulse durations approaching 2 ps are observed with the x-ray laser operating below saturation. The x-ray laser is found to be 4 - 5 times transform-limited for 6 - 13 ps laser pumping conditions.

We present deep Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the galaxy cluster RDCS1252.9-2927, which was selected from the ROSAT Deep Cluster Survey (RDCS) and confirmed by extensive spectroscopy with the VLT at redshift z = 1.237. With the Chandra data, the X-ray emission from the intra-cluster medium is well resolved and traced out to 500 kpc, thus allowing a measurement of the physical properties of the gas with unprecedented accuracy at this redshift. We detect a clear 6.7 keV Iron K line in the Chandra spectrum providing a redshift within 1% of the spectroscopic one. By augmenting our spectroscopic analysis with the XMM-Newton data (MOS detectors only), we significantly narrow down the 1{sigma} error bar to 10% for the temperature and 30% for the metallicity, with best fit values kT = 6.0{sup +0.7}{sub -0.5} keV, Z = 0.36{sup +0.12}{sup -0.10}Z{sub {circle_dot}}. In the likely hypothesis of hydrostatic equilibrium, we measure a total mass of M{sub 500} = (1.9{+-}0.3)10{sup 14}h{sup -1}{sub 70} M{sub {circle_dot}} within R{sub {Delta}=500} {approx} 536 kpc. Overall, these observations imply that RDCS1252.9-2927 is the most X-ray luminous and likely the most massive bona-fide cluster discovered to date at z > 1. When combined with current samples of distant …

The photon collider will require the development of high average-power short-pulse lasers to achieve the required rate of Compton backscattering. The MERCURY laser at LLNL has been under development as part of the Inertial Confinement Fusion program. Its basic parameters are well matched to the photon collider requirements and it is currently being commissioned.

We are investigating a novel insulator concept that involves the use of alternating layers of conductors and insulators with periods less than 1 mm. These structures perform 1.5 to 4 times better than conventional insulators in long pulse, short pulse, and alternating polarity applications. We survey our ongoing studies investigating the performance under long pulse electron beam, short pulse, and full reversing conditions.

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The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a stadium-sized facility that, when completed in 2008, will contain a 192-beam, 1.8- Megajoule, 500-Terawatt, ultraviolet laser system together with a 10-meter-diameter target chamber and room for 100 diagnostics. NIF is the world's largest and most energetic laser experimental system and will provide a scientific center to study inertial confinement fusion and matter at extreme energy densities and pressures. NIF's energetic laser beams will compress fusion targets to conditions required for thermonuclear burn, liberating more energy than required to initiate the fusion reactions. Other NIF experiments will study physical processes at temperatures approaching 10{sup 8} K and 10{sup 11} bar; conditions that exist naturally only in the interior of stars and planets. NIF has completed the first phases of its laser commissioning program. The first four beams of NIF have generated 106 kilojoules in 23-ns pulses of infrared light and over 16 kJ in 3.5- ns pulses at the third harmonic (351 nm). NIF's target experimental systems are being commissioned and experiments have begun. This paper provides a detailed look the NIF laser systems, laser and optical performance, and results from recent laser commissioning shots. We follow this with …

A Monte Carlo method for the estimation of {beta}-delayed {gamma}-ray spectra following fission is described that can accommodate an arbitrary time-dependent fission rate and photon collection history. The method invokes direct sampling of the independent fission yield distributions of the fissioning system, the branching ratios for decay of individual fission products and the spectral distributions for photon emission for each decay mode. Though computationally intensive, the method can provide a detailed estimate of the spectrum that would be recorded by an arbitrary spectrometer, and can prove useful in assessing the quality of evaluated data libraries, for identifying gaps in these libraries, etc. The method is illustrated by a first comparison of calculated and experimental spectra from decay of short-lived fission products following the reactions {sup 235}U(n{sub th}, f) and {sup 239}Pu(n{sub th}, f). For general purpose transport calculations, where detailed consideration of the large number of individual {gamma}-ray transitions in a spectrum may be unnecessary, it is shown that an accurate and simple parameterization of a {gamma}-ray source function can be obtained. These parametrizations should provide high-quality average spectral distributions that should prove useful in calculations describing photons escaping from thick attenuating media.

This report describes the findings and recommendations resulting from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Incident Management Simulation Workshop held by the DHS Advanced Scientific Computing Program in May 2004. This workshop brought senior representatives of the emergency response and incident-management communities together with modeling and simulation technologists from Department of Energy laboratories. The workshop provided an opportunity for incident responders to describe the nature and substance of the primary personnel roles in an incident response, to identify current and anticipated roles of modeling and simulation in support of incident response, and to begin a dialog between the incident response and simulation technology communities that will guide and inform planned modeling and simulation development for incident response. This report provides a summary of the discussions at the workshop as well as a summary of simulation capabilities that are relevant to incident-management training, and recommendations for the use of simulation in both incident management and in incident management training, based on the discussions at the workshop. In addition, the report discusses areas where further research and development will be required to support future needs in this area.

The objective of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program is to demonstrate the scientific feasibility of ICF for military applications (to develop and utilize the capability to study nuclear weapons physics in support of the weapons program) and for energy-directed uses in the civilian sector. The demonstration of scientific feasibility for both military and civilian objectives will require achieving gains on the order of 10 to 100 in fusion microexplosions. Our major near-term milestones include the attainment of high compression, one-hundred to one-thousand times (100 to 1000X) liquid D-T density in the thermonuclear fuel and ignition of thermonuclear burn. In 1979, our laser fusion experiments and analysis programs focused on two important areas related to achieving this goal: conducting x-ray-driven implosions of a variety of D-T-filled fuel capsule's to unprecedented high densities ({approx}> 50X liquid D-T density) and the determination of the scaling of hot electrons and thermal radiation in hohlraums.

An analytical electron fluid model has been developed to describe the plasma response to a propagating ion beam. The model predicts very good charge neutralization during quasi-steady-state propagation, provided the beam pulse duration is much longer than the electron plasma period. In the opposite limit, the beam pulse excites large-amplitude plasma waves. Figure 1 shows the influence of a solenoidal magnetic field on charge and current neutralization. Analytical studies show that the solenoidal magnetic field begins to influence the radial electron motion when {omega}{sub ce} > {beta}{omega}{sub pe}. Here, {omega}{sub ce} is the electron gyrofrequency, {omega}{sub pe} is the electron plasma frequency, and {beta} = V{sub b}/c is the ion beam velocity. If a solenoidal magnetic field is not applied, plasma waves do not propagate. In contrast, in the presence of a solenoidal magnetic field, whistler waves propagate ahead of the beam and can perturb the plasma ahead of the beam pulse. In the limit {omega}{sub ce} >> {beta}{omega}{sub pe}, the electron current completely neutralizes the ion beam current and the beam self magnetic field greatly diminishes. Application of an external solenoidal magnetic field clearly makes the collective processes of ion beam-plasma interactions rich in physics content. Many results of …

Charge state distributions (CSDs) have been determined in low density ({approx}10 {sup 12} cm{sup -3}) gold plasmas having either a monoenergetic beam (E{sub Beam} = 2.66, 3.53 and 4.54 keV) or experimentally simulated thermal electron distributions (T{sub e} = 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 keV). These plasmas were created in the Livermore electron beam ion traps EBIT-I and EBIT-II. Line emission and radiative recombination features of Ni to Kr-like gold ions were recorded in the x-ray region with a crystal spectrometer and a photometrically calibrated microcalorimeter. The CSDs in the experimentally simulated thermal plasmas were inferred by fitting the observed 4f{yields}3d and 5f{yields}3d lines with synthetic spectra from the Hebrew University Lawrence Livermore Atomic Code (HULLAC). Additionally, the CSDs in the beam plasmas were inferred both from fitting the line emission and fitting the radiative recombination emission to calculations from the General Relativistic Atomic Structure Program (GRASP). Despite the relatively simple atomic physics in the low density plasma, differences existed between the experimental CSDs and the simulations from several available codes (e.g. RIGEL). Our experimental CSD relied upon accurate electron impact cross sections provided by HULLAC. To determine their reliability, we have experimentally determined the cross sections for several of the …

For some divertor aspects, such as detached plasmas or the private flux zone, it is not clear that the controlling physics has been fully identified. This is a particular concern when the details of the plasma are likely to be important in modeling the problem--for example, modeling co-deposition in detached inner divertors. An empirical method of ''reconstructing'' the plasma based on direct experimental measurements may be useful in such situations. It is shown that a detached plasma in the outer divertor leg of DIII-D can be reconstructed reasonably well using spectroscopic and probe data as input to a simple onion-skin model and the Monte Carlo hydrogenic code, EIRENE. The calculated 2D distributions of n{sub e} and T{sub e} in the detached divertor were compared with direct measurements from the divertor Thomson scattering system, a diagnostic capability unique to DIII-D.