The power of sufficiently-energetic proton beams to penetrate high atomic number (Z) metals, together with the potential for high-dynamic-range measurements, enabled by the roughly linear energy loss mechanism in the material, makes ion beam imaging complementary to x-ray techniques and, in many cases, it is superior. Specifically, x-ray imaging is poor in an object that contains both low- and high-Z materials. This is because the energetic x-rays required to penetrate high-Z material(s) interact weakly with the low-Z materials and therefore provide poor image contrast. Protons, on the other hand, are less sensitive to Z; thus they penetrate the high-Z material, yet are sufficiently influenced by the low-Z material as to provide useful contrast and information. Each proton ''measures'' the total electronic density of material that it traverses by its gradual and continuous energy loss as it passes through the object. Measuring the energy loss of a proton beam that has traveled through the target provides information about the line integral of the areal electron density in the material in a single measurement. Repeating this measurement across the target thus provides an electron-density map of the target; reconstructing multiple maps can lead to full 3-D tomographic renderings. The use of proton …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act (CGFAA) mandated that GAO annually audit all claim payments made to compensate the victims of the Cerro Grande Fire in northern New Mexico. For this third report on this topic, GAO determined whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is now a part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, (1) paid fire claims in accordance with applicable guidance and (2) implemented corrective actions to address prior GAO recommendations, including determining if FEMA properly reported claim payments to the Congress."

This report includes information such as background, summary, and possible reauthorization issues of the Higher Education Act.

This report summarizes several key technology policy issues such as Internet privacy, computer and internet security, broadband internet access, electronic commerce, spam, internet's domain name system, and e-government.

Paleorecords of the middle Holocene (MH) from the North American midcontinent can offer insights into ecological responses to pervasive drought that may accompany future climatic warming. We analyzed MH sediments from West Olaf Lake (WOL) and Steel Lake (SL) in Minnesota to examine the effects of warm/dry climatic conditions on prairie-woodland ecosystems. Mineral composition and carbonate {delta}{sup 18}O were used to determine climatic variations, whereas pollen assemblages, charcoal {delta}{sup 13}C, and charcoal accumulation rates were used to reconstruct vegetation composition, C{sub 3} and C{sub 4} plant abundance, and fire. The ratio of aragonite:calcite at WOL and {delta}{sup 18}O at SL suggest that pronounced droughts occurred during the MH but that drought severity decreased with time. From charcoal {delta}{sup 13}C data we estimated that the MH abundance of C{sub 4} plants averaged 50% at WOL and 43% at SL. At WOL C{sub 4} abundance was negatively correlated with aragonite:calcite, suggesting that severe moisture deficits suppressed C{sub 4} plants in favor of weedy C{sub 3} plants (e.g., Ambrosia). As climate ameliorated C{sub 4} abundance increased (from {approx}33 to 66%) at the expense of weedy species, enhancing fuel availability and fire occurrence. In contrast, farther east at SL climate was cooler and wetter …

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Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the offices of county commissioner and city council member in the same county are incompatible as a matter of law (RQ-0581-JC)

ALE3D simulations are presented for the thermal explosion of Comp B (RDX,TNT) in a Scaled Thermal Explosion Experiment (STEX). Candidate models and numerical strategies are being tested using the ALE3D code which simulates the coupled thermal, mechanical, and chemical behavior during heating, ignition, and explosion. The mechanical behavior of the solid constituents is represented by a Steinberg-Guinan model while polynomial and gamma-law expressions are used for the equation of state of the solid and gas species, respectively. A gamma-law model is employed for the air in gaps, and a mixed material model is used for the interface between air and explosive. A three-step chemical kinetics model is used for each of the RDX and TNT reaction sequences during the heating and ignition phases, and a pressure-dependent deflagration model is employed during the rapid expansion. Parameters for the three-step kinetics model are specified using measurements of the One-Dimensional-Time-to-Explosion (ODTX), while measurements for burn rate are employed to determine parameters in the burn front model. We compare model predictions to measurements for temperature fields, ignition temperature, and tube wall strain during the heating, ignition, and explosive phases.

We investigate the appearance of closed timelike curves in quotients of plane waves along spacelike isometries. First we formulate a necessary and sufficient condition for a quotient of a general spacetime to preserve stable causality. We explicitly show that the plane waves are stably causal; in passing, we observe that some pp-waves are not even distinguishing. We then consider the classification of all quotients of the maximally supersymmetric ten-dimensional plane wave under a spacelike isometry, and show that the quotient will lead to closed timelike curves iff the isometry involves a translation along the u direction. The appearance of these closed timelike curves is thus connected to the special properties of the light cones in plane wave spacetimes. We show that all other quotients preserve stable causality.

Oxide thickness and composition averaged over a few square millimeter has been measured with nm thickness resolution by diffuse reflectance fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. {mu}-Raman spectroscopy has been done on powders and bulk samples in the past, and can now be done on surfaces layers with {micro}m lateral and depth resolution using con-focal microscopy. Here we apply con-focal-microscopy-based {mu}-Raman spectroscopy to a freshly polished/lightly oxidized and to heavily oxidized uranium to determine its sensitivity. The spectra show that {mu}-Raman spectroscopy does detect oxide thickness and oxide composition with high sensitivity.

Renewed interest in hydrogen storage materials has resulted in the development of Ti-doped NaAlH{sub 4}. Different doping methods such as mechanical milling with powdered TiCl{sub 3}, or wet doping in solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), yield enhanced kinetics. Still, the location and action of the Ti dopant is an open question. In order to address titanium substitution in the bulk, we present lattice parameter measurements of crushed single crystals which were exposed to Ti during growth. Rietveld refinements suggest that the titanium does not appear to enter the bulk by this method of exposure. Therefore, reaction products are investigated by x-ray diffraction of completely reacted samples of solvent-mixed versus mechanically milled 3 NaAlH{sub 4}+TiCl{sub 3}. Formation of TiAl{sub 3} is observed in mechanically milled materials, but not solution mixed samples, where bonding to THF likely stabilizes Ti-based nanoclusters. The Ti in these clusters is activated by mechanical milling.

This report provides a history of official congressional mail sent at government expense(franking privilege), a description of its costs, distribution of franking funds, criticism and defense of franking, past franking reforms, and considerations for possible future franking reform.

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Planar flames are intrinsically unstable in open domains due to the thermal expansion across the burning front--the Landau-Darrieus instability. This instability leads to wrinkling and growth of the flame surface, and corresponding acceleration of the flame, until it is stabilized by cusp formation. We look at the Landau-Darrieus in stability for C/O thermonuclear flames at conditions relevant to the late stages of a Type Ia supernova explosion. Two-dimensional direct numerical simulations of both single-mode and multi-mode perturbations using a low Mach number hydrodynamics code are presented. We show the effect of the instability on the flame speed as a function of both the density and domain size, demonstrate the existence of the small scale cutoff to the growth of the instability, and look for the proposed breakdown of the non-linear stabilization at low densities. The effects of curvature on the flame as quantified through measurements of the growth rate and computation of the corresponding Markstein number. While accelerations of a few percent are observed, they are too small to have any direct outcome on the supernova explosion.

The Savannah River Site has used Kanne ionization chambers since the late 1950's to monitor for airborne tritium in reactor facilities. Two Kanne monitors indicated elevated airborne tritium levels while monitoring a non-ventilated room used to store tritiated liquid moderator. Subsequent air sample analysis failed to reveal the presence of airborne tritium. It was suspected that elevated radon levels caused the Kanne monitors to falsely indicate tritium activity. Two commercially available monitoring systems were used to quantify radon levels in the storage room. Measurements performed during this evaluation found that radon caused the Kanne monitors in the storage room to falsely indicate the presence of airborne tritium. A side-by-side comparison of a filtered versus an unfiltered Kanne monitor found that a high efficiency particulate filter reduced monitor response to near background under high radon conditions. It was recommended that a high efficiency filter be installed on the dedicated storage room Kanne monitor and that the room be de-posted as an Airborne Radioactivity Area. It was also found that the Kanne monitors would detect a spill from a single drum of moderator within minutes and the dose rate due to tritium exposure at 20 hours following this spill would be 4.56 …

Cementitious waste forms (CWFs) are an important component of the strategy to immobilize high-level nuclear waste resulting from plutonium production by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Technetium (99Tc) is an abundant fission product of particular concern in CWFs due to the high solubility and mobility of pertechnetate, TcO4-, the stable form of technetium in aerobic environments. CWFs can more effectively immobilize 99Tc if they contain additives that reduce mobile TcO4- to immobile Tc(IV) species. Leaching of 99Tc from reducing CWFs that contain Tc(IV) is much slower than for CWFs containing TcO4-. Previous X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies showed that the Tc(IV) species were oxidized to TcO4- in reducing grout samples prepared on a laboratory scale. Whether the oxidizer was atmospheric O2 or NO3- in the waste simulant was not determined. In actual CWFs, rapid oxidation of Tc(IV) by NO3- would be a concern, whereas oxidation by atmospheric O2 would be of less concern due to the slow diffusion and reaction of O2 with the reducing CWF. To address this uncertainty, two series of reducing grouts were prepared using TcO4- containing waste simulants with and without NO3-. In the first series of samples, the TcO4- was completely reduced using …

{lg_bullet} The focus was on fundamental actinide science and its role. {lg_bullet} History- none except the Nuclear Waste Management Symposia {lg_bullet} Joint Sessions- none but we are open to it in the future. {lg_bullet} Tutorials- none but we are open to it in the future. {lg_bullet} 3 days: 16 Invited talks; 36 Contributed Talks; 10 Posters

The original proposal described the construction and operation of a 1 MMscfd treatment system to be operated at a Butcher Energy gas field in Ohio. The gas produced at this field contained 17% nitrogen. During precommissioning of the project, a series of well tests showed that the amount of gas in the field was significantly smaller than expected and that the nitrogen content of the wells was very high (25 to 30%). After evaluating the revised cost of the project, Butcher Energy decided that the plant would not be economical and withdrew from the project. Since that time, Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) has signed a marketing and sales partnership with ABB Lummus Global, a large multinational corporation. MTR will be working with the company's Randall Gas Technology group, a supplier of equipment and processing technology to the natural gas industry. Randall's engineering group has found a new site for the project at a North Texas Exploration (NTE) gas processing plant. The plant produces about 1 MMscfd of gas containing 24% nitrogen. The membrane unit will bring this gas to 4% nitrogen for delivery to the pipeline. The membrane skid is being built by ABB. NTE has ordered the …

The results of the DOE-funded Mouse Genome Sequence (MGS) project include a significant enhancement in the capacity of the community to connect biological knowledge with the mouse genome sequence in a comparative context. The resources developed as the result of the activities of the MGS project staff are used extensively by both individual researchers and other informatics groups.

This report describes development of a revised Savannah River Site (SRS) meteorological data set for the MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS). This data set contains quality assured values of transport wind direction, wind speed, atmospheric stability class, and precipitation for all hours in each of the five years 1997-2001. Measurements collected from the SRS H-area meteorological tower are the primary source for these data. Substitution was used to complete the data set for the 2 percent of hours in which data from the H-tower record were missing or invalid.

This ICN updates the sampling schedule in Table RB.1b.

OAK-B135 Our research efforts over the past year have focused on the development of advanced integrated PCR reactors on chips, the development of robust integrated valves, the development of integrated optical detectors, and the development of microdevices for performing integrated genetic analysis. The details of all the projects will be found in the listed papers.

In recent years, the development of Ti-doped NaAlH{sub 4} as a hydrogen storage material has gained attention because of its large weight percentage of hydrogen ({approx}5%) compared to traditional interstitial hydrides. The addition of transition-metal dopants, in the form of Ti-halides, such as TiCl{sub 3}, dramatically improves the kinetics of the absorption and desorption of hydrogen from NaAlH{sub 4}. However, the role that Ti plays in enhancing the absorption and desorption of H{sub 2} is still unknown. In the present study, {sup 27}Al, {sup 23}Na, and {sup 1}H MAS (Magic Angle Spinning) NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) has been performed to understand the titanium speciation in Ti-doped NaAlH{sub 4}. All experiments were performed on a sample of crushed single crystals exposed to Ti during growth, a sample of solvent-mixed 4TiCl{sub 3} + 112NaAlH{sub 4}, a reacted sample of solvent-mixed TiCl{sub 3} + {sup 3}NaAlH{sub 4} with THF, and a reacted sample of ball-milled TiCl3 + 3NaAlH{sub 4}. The {sup 27}Al MAS NMR has shown differences in compound formation between solvent-mixed TiCl{sub 3} + 3NaAlH{sub 4} with THF and the mechanically ball-milled TiCl{sub 3} + 3NaAlH{sub 4}. {sup 27}Al MAS NMR of the mechanically ball-milled mixture of fully-reacted TiCl{sub 3} + 3NaAlH{sub …

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Technology Center are using advanced microscopy techniques to understand the effects of trace organic chemical additions on nuclear waste slurry flow properties. Trace organic chemicals, surfactants (rheology modifiers), are being used in all types of industries to modify the flow properties of various commercial chemicals. Nuclear waste treatment at the Department of Energy's weapons production facilities, Savannah River Site and Hanford Reservation, is limited by the viscosity of the nuclear waste slurries as the material is processed through a variety of waste treatment and immobilization processes. The picture was taken using a laser scanning confocal microscope.