This study used DOE ARM data and facilities to: 1) study macroscopic properties of continental stratus clouds at SGP and the factors controlling these properties, 2) develop a scientific basis for understanding the pocesses responsible for the formation of boundary layer clouds using ARM observations in conjunction with simple parametric models and LES, and 3) evaluate cumulus cloud characteristics retrieved retrieved from the MMCR operating at TWP-Nauru. In addition we have used high resolution 94 GHz observations of boundary layer clouds and precipitation to: 1)develop techniques for using high temporal resolution Doppler velocities to study large-eddy circulations and turbulence in boundary layer clouds and estimate the limitations of using current and past MMCR data for boundary layer cloud studies, 2) evaluate the capability and limitation of the current MMCR data for estimating reflectivity, vertical velocities, and spectral under low-signal-to-noise conditions associated with weak non-precipitating clouds, 3) develop possible sampling modes for the new MMCR processors to allow for adequate sampling of boundary layer clouds, and 4) retrieve updraft and downdraft structures under precipitating conditions.

This paper accompanies a poster that is being presented atthe SciDAC 2006 meeting in Denver, CO. This project focuses on leveragingscientific visualization and analytics software technology as an enablingtechnology for increasing scientific productivity and insight. Advancesincomputational technology have resultedin an "information big bang,"which in turn has createda significant data understanding challenge. Thischallenge is widely acknowledged to be one of the primary bottlenecks incontemporary science. The vision for our Center is to respond directly tothat challenge by adapting, extending, creating when necessary anddeploying visualization and data understanding technologies for ourscience stakeholders. Using an organizational model as a Visualizationand Analytics Center for Enabling Technologies (VACET), we are wellpositioned to be responsive to the needs of a diverse set of scientificstakeholders in a coordinated fashion using a range of visualization,mathematics, statistics, computer and computational science and datamanagement technologies.

Magnetostatic perturbations applied to the DIII-D plasma using a n=3 coil set have significant impact on the plasma edge, such as edge localized mode (ELM) suppression [1], but also affect the background turbulence levels. Discharges with parameters R=1.75 m, a=0.56 m, B{sub T} {approx} 1.6 T, I{sub p} {approx} 1 MA and n{sub e} {approx} 3 x 10{sup 13} cm{sup -3}-n{sub e} {approx} 7 x 10{sup 13} cm{sup -3} (low, v*{sub e} {approx} 0.1 and moderate, v*{sub e} {approx} 1 electron pedestal collisionality) were used as a target for the perturbation, [applied at 3 s Fig. 1(a) and 2 s Fig. 1(b)]. The global density and energy content, among many other parameters, are unaffected, raising the issue of what mechanism replaces the particle and heat exhaust otherwise mediated by ELMs. Mixed ELMs (high frequency, low amplitude Type II ELMs interspersed with Type I) in the moderate collisionality regime and Type I ELMs in the low collisionality regime, are replaced by intermittency and broadband turbulence or semiperiodic events. It is important to notice that the coils can be energized in high poloidal mode spectra (upper and lower coils produce fields in the same direction) or odd configuration (upper and lower coils …

Under the Administration's FY2006 foreign assistance request, U.S. aid to sub-Saharan Africa would continue to grow, due to sharp increases through the State Department's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative. Overall, non-food aid to Africa would total about $3.6 billion under the requst, compared with an estimated $3.4 billion being allocated in FY2005. U.S. assistance finds its way to Africa through a variety of channels, including the USAID-administered DA and Child Survival programs, food aid programs, and refugee assistance. The overall level of funding for aid to Africa remains a continuing subject of debate. Other issues include the eligibility of African countries for aid through the Millennium Challenge Account and U.S. support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), an African initiative linking increased aid with policy reform.

This report discusses the issue of U.S. economic assistance to sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the importance of continued assistance in light of U.S. national security and also various U.S.-led efforts to promote reform amongst African citizens themselves. U.S. assistance finds its way to Africa through a variety of channels, including the USAID-administered DA program, food aid programs, and indirect aid provided through international financial institutions and the United Nations.

The production of defect-free mask blanks remains a key challenge for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Integral to this effort is the development and characterization of mask inspection tools that are sensitive enough to detect critical defects with high confidence. Using a single programmed-defect mask with a range of buried bump-type defects, we report a comparison of measurements made in four different mask-inspection tools: one commercial tool using 488-nm wavelength illumination, one prototype tool that uses 266-nm illumination, and two non-commercial EUV ''actinic'' inspection tools. The EUV tools include a darkfield imaging microscope and a scanning microscope. Our measurements show improving sensitivity with the shorter wavelength non-EUV tool, down to 33-nm spherical-equivalent-volume diameter, for defects of this type. Measurements conditions were unique to each tool, with the EUV tools operating at a much slower inspection rate. Several defects observed with EUV inspection were below the detection threshold of the non-EUV tools.

This report consists of cable franchising provisions in house-passed H.R. 5252, 109th Congress.

We present a combined analysis of the X-ray emission of the Capella corona obtained with XMM-Newton RGS, Chandra HETGS, and LETGS. An improved atomic line database and a new differential emission measure (DEM) deconvolution method are developed for this purpose. Our new atomic database is based on the Astrophysical Plasma Emission Database and incorporates improved calculations of ionization equilibrium and line emissivities for L-shell ions of abundant elements using the Flexible Atomic Code. The new DEM deconvolution method uses a Markov Chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) technique which differs from existing MCMC or {chi}{sup 2}-fitting based methods. We analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each individual instrument in determining the DEM and elemental abundances. We conclude that results from either RGS or HETGS data alone are not robust enough due to their failure to constrain DEM in some temperature region or the lack of significant continuum emission in the wavelength band of the spectrometers, and that the combination of HETGS and RGS gives more stringent constraints on the DEM and abundance determinations. Using the LETGS data, we show that the recently discovered inconsistencies between the EUV and X-ray lines of Fe XVIII and XIX also exist in more highly charged iron ions, …

The following article is an edited transcript based on the Turnbull Lecture given by Eugene E. Haller at the 2005 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in Boston on November 29, 2005. The David Turnbull Lectureship is awarded to recognize the career of a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to understanding materials phenomena and properties through research, writing, and lecturing, as exemplified by the life work of David Turnbull. Haller was named the 2005 David Turnbull Lecturer for his 'pioneering achievements and leadership in establishing the field of isotopically engineered semiconductors; for outstanding contributions to materials growth, doping and diffusion; and for excellence in lecturing, writing, and fostering international collaborations'. The scientific interest, increased availability, and technological promise of highly enriched isotopes have led to a sharp rise in the number of experimental and theoretical studies with isotopically controlled semiconductor crystals. This article reviews results obtained with isotopically controlled semiconductor bulk and thin-film heterostructures. Isotopic composition affects several properties such as phonon energies, band structure, and lattice constant in subtle, but, for their physical understanding, significant ways. Large isotope-related effects are observed for thermal conductivity in local vibrational modes of impurities and after neutron transmutation doping. Spectacularly sharp photoluminescence lines …

Injection of massive quantities of gas is a promising technique for fast shutdown of ITER for the purpose of avoiding divertor and first wall damage from disruptions. Previous experiments using massive gas injection (MGI) to terminate discharges in the DIII-D tokamak have demonstrated rapid shutdown with reduced wall heating and halo currents (relative to natural disruptions) and with very small runaway electron (RE) generation [1]. Figure 1 shows time traces which give an overview of shutdown time scales. Typically, of order 5 x 10{sup 22} Ar neutrals are fired over a pulse of 25 ms duration into stationary (non-disrupting) discharges. The observed results are consistent with the following scenario: within several ms of the jet trigger, sufficient Ar neutrals are delivered to the plasma to cause the edge temperature to collapse, initiating the inward propagation of a cold front. The exit flow of the jet [Fig. 1(a)] has a {approx} 9 ms rise time; so the quantity of neutrals which initiates the edge collapse is small (<10{sup 20}). When the cold front reaches q {approx} 2 surface, global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes are destabilized [2], mixing hot core plasma with edge impurities. Here, q is the safety factor. Most (>90%) of …

The world is at a turning point, moving away from the Cold War nuclear legacy towards a future global nuclear enterprise; and this presents a transformational challenge for nuclear materials management. Achieving safety and security during this transition is complicated by the diversified spectrum of threat 'players' that has greatly impacted nonproliferation, counterterrorism, and homeland security requirements. Rogue states and non-state actors no longer need self-contained national nuclear expertise, materials, and equipment due to availability from various sources in the nuclear market, thereby reducing the time, effort and cost for acquiring a nuclear weapon (i.e., manifestations of latency). The terrorist threat has changed the nature of military and national security requirements to protect these materials. An Integrated Global Nuclear Materials Management (IGNMM) approach would address the existing legacy nuclear materials and the evolution towards a nuclear energy future, while strengthening a regime to prevent nuclear weapon proliferation. In this paper, some preliminary concepts and studies of IGNMM will be presented. A systematic analysis of nuclear materials, activities, and controls can lead to a tractable, integrated global nuclear materials management architecture that can help remediate the past and manage the future. A systems approach is best suited to achieve multi-dimensional and …

Thermodynamic states encountered during combustion of Aluminum powder in Shock-Dispersed-Fuel (SDF) explosions were analyzed with the Cheetah code. Results are displayed in the Le Chatelier diagram: the locus of states of specific internal energy versus temperature. Accuracy of the results was confirmed by comparing the fuel and products curves with the heats of detonation and combustion, and species composition as measured in bomb calorimeter experiments. Results were fit with analytic functions u = f(T) suitable for specifying the thermodynamic properties required for gas-dynamic models of combustion in explosions.

A two-phase model for Aluminum particle combustion in explosions is proposed. It combines the gas-dynamic conservation laws for the gas phase with the continuum mechanics laws of multi-phase media, as formulated by Nigmatulin. Inter-phase mass, momentum and energy exchange are prescribed by the Khasainov model. Combustion is specified as material transformations in the Le Chatelier diagram which depicts the locus of thermodynamic states in the internal energy-temperature plane according to Kuhl. Numerical simulations are used to show the evolution of two-phase combustion fields generated by the explosive dissemination of a powdered Al fuel.

Computational chemists are using Common Component Architecture (CCA) technology to increase the parallel scalability of their application ten-fold. Combustion researchers are publishing science faster because the CCA manages software complexity for them. Both the solver and meshing communities in SciDAC are converging on community interface standards as a direct response to the novel level of interoperability that CCA presents. Yet, there is much more to do before component technology becomes mainstream computational science. This paper highlights the impact that the CCA has made on scientific applications, conveys some lessons learned from five years of the SciDAC program, and previews where applications could go with the additional capabilities that the CCA has planned for SciDAC 2.

This report provides an overview of the issues, considerations, and controversies on dam removal. Considerations up to the dam removal, and issues related to dam removal itself, are the focus of this report.

This annual report is prepared pursuant to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs; Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Part 61, Subpart H). Subpart H governs radionuclide emissions to air from Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. NESHAPs limits the emission of radionuclides to the ambient air from DOE facilities to levels resulting in an annual effective dose equivalent (EDE) of 10 mrem (100 {micro}Sv) to any member of the public. The EDEs for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) site-wide maximally exposed members of the public from operations in 2005 are summarized here. Livermore site: 0.0065 mrem (0.065 {micro}Sv) (41% from point source emissions, 59% from diffuse source emissions). The point source emissions include gaseous tritium modeled as tritiated water vapor as directed by EPA Region IX; the resulting dose is used for compliance purposes. Site 300: 0.018 mrem (0.18 {micro}Sv) (48% from point source emissions, 52% from diffuse source emissions). The EDEs were calculated using the EPA-approved CAP88-PC air dispersion/dose-assessment model, except for doses for two diffuse sources that were estimated using measured radionuclide concentrations and dose coefficients. Specific inputs to CAP88-PC for the modeled sources included site-specific meteorological data and source emissions data, the …

In this chapter we review numerous diagnostics capable of measurements at or near the first wall, many of which contribute information useful for safe operation of a tokamak. There are sections discussing infrared cameras, visible and VUV cameras, pressure gauges and RGAs, Langmuir probes, thermocouples, and erosion and deposition measurements by insertable probes and quartz microbalance. Also discussed are dust measurements by electrostatic detectors, laser scattering, visible and IR cameras, and manual collection of samples after machine opening. In each case the diagnostic is discussed with a view toward application to a burning plasma machine such as ITER.

We discuss new methods of measuring and interpreting the forbidden-to-intercombination line ratios of helium-like triplets in the X-ray spectra of O-type stars, including accounting for the spatial distribution of the X-ray emitting plasma and using the detailed photospheric UV spectrum. Measurements are made for four O stars using archival Chandra HETGS data. We assume an X-ray emitting plasma spatially distributed in the wind above some minimum radius R{sub 0}. We find minimum radii of formation typically in the range of 1.25 < R{sub 0}/R{sub *} < 1.67, which is consistent with results obtained independently from line profile fits. We find no evidence for anomalously low f/i ratios and we do not require the existence of X-ray emitting plasmas at radii that are too small to generate sufficiently strong shocks.

In the quest for precision cosmology, one must ensure that the cosmology is accurate as well. We discuss figures of merit for determining from observations whether the dark energy is a cosmological constant or dynamical, with special attention to the best determined equation of state value, at the ``pivot'' or decorrelation redshift. We show this is not necessarily the best lever on testing consistency with the cosmological constant, and moreover is subject to bias. The standard parametrization of w(a)=w_0+w_a(1-a) by contrast is quite robust, as tested by extensions to higher order parametrizations and modified gravity. Combination of complementary probes gives strong immunization against inaccurate, but precise, cosmology.

The team of TIAX LLC, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, and Callidus Technologies, LLC conducted a six-year program to develop an ultra-low emission process heater burner and an advanced high efficiency heater design. This project addresses the critical need of process heater operators for reliable, economical emission reduction technologies to comply with stringent emission regulations, and for heater design alternatives that reduce process heater energy requirements without significant cost increase. The key project targets were NOx emissions of 10 ppm (@ 3% O2), and a heater thermal efficiency of 95 percent. The ultra low NOx burner was developed through a series of pilot-scale and field tests combined with computational fluid dynamic modeling to arrive at simultaneous low emissions and suitable flame shape and stability. Pilot scale tests were run at TIAX, at the 2 MMBtu/hr scale, and at Callidus at 8 MMBtu/hr. The full scale burner was installed on a 14 burner atmospheric pipestill furnace at an ExxonMobil refinery. A variety of burner configurations, gas tips and flame stabilizers were tested to determine the lowest emissions with acceptable flame shape and stability. The resulting NOx emissions were 22 ppm on average. Starting in 2001, Callidus commercialized the original ultra low …

Charges of 0.5 g PETN were used to disperse 1 g of flake aluminum in a rectangular test chamber of 4 liter inner volume and inner dimensions of approximately 10 cm x 10 cm x 40 cm. The subsequent combustion of the flake aluminum with the ambient air in the chamber gave rise to a highly luminous flame. The evolution of the luminous region was studied by means of high-speed cinematography. The high-speed camera is responsive to a broad spectral range in the visible and near infra-red. For a number of tests this response range was narrowed down by means of a band-pass filter with a center wavelength of 488 nm and a half-width of 23 nm. The corresponding images were expected to have a stronger temperature dependence than images obtained without the filter, thus providing better capability to highlight hot-spots. Emission in the range of the pass-band of the filter can be due to continuous thermal radiation from hot Al and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles or to molecular band emission from gaseous AlO. A time-resolving spectrometer was improvised to inspect this topic. The results suggest that AlO emission occurs, but that the continuous spectrum is the dominating effect in …

Particle tracking and simulation studies are becoming increasingly complex. In addition to the use of more sophisticated graphics, interactive scripting is becoming popular. Compatibility with different control systems requires network and database capabilities. It is not a trivial task to fulfill all the various requirements without sacrificing runtime performance. We evaluated the effectiveness of the .NET framework by converting a C++ simulation code to C. The portability to other platforms is mentioned in terms of Mono.

The natural near-field environment in and around the emplacement drifts of the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, includes the host rock, dust, seepage water, and pore water. The chemical compositions of these components have been analyzed to provide a basis for assessing possible chemical and mineralogical reactions that may occur in and around the emplacement drifts during the heating and cooling cycle. The crystal-poor rhyolite of the Topopah Spring Tuff of Miocene age with an average silica (SiO{sub 2}) content of 76 percent will host the proposed repository. Samples of the rhyolite are relatively uniform in chemical composition as shown by an average coefficient of variation (CV) of 8.6 percent for major elements. The major component of underground dust is comminuted tuff generated during construction of the tunnel. Average CVs for major elements of dust samples collected from the main tunnel (Exploratory Studies Facility, ESF) and a cross drift (Enhanced Characterization of the Repository Block, ECRB) are 25 and 28 percent, respectively. This increased variability is due to a variable amount of dust derived from trachyte with SiO{sub 2} contents as low as 66 percent (from overlying crystal-rich members) and from surface dust with an even lower …

In this paper, we present a three-dimensional quasistatic model for high brightness beam dynamics simulation in rf/dc photoinjectors, rf linacs, and similar devices on parallel computers. In this model, electrostatic space-charge forces within a charged particle beam are calculated self-consistently at each time step by solving the three-dimensional Poisson equation in the beam frame and then transforming back to the laboratory frame. When the beam has a large energy spread, it is divided into a number of energy bins or slices so that the space-charge forces are calculated from the contribution of each bin and summed together. Image-charge effects from conducting photocathode are also included efficiently using a shifted-Green function method. For a beam with large aspect ratio, e.g., during emission, an integrated Green function method is used to solve the three-dimensional Poisson equation. Using this model, we studied beam transport in one Linac Coherent Light Sources photoinjector design through the first traveling wave linac with initial misalignment with respect to the accelerating axis.