The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for …

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Clouds of low energy electrons in the vacuum beam pipes of accelerators of positively charged particle beams present a serious limitation for operation of these machines at high currents. Because of the size of these accelerators, it is difficult to probe the low energy electron clouds over substantial lengths of the beam pipe. We have developed a novel technique to directly measure the electron cloud density via the phase shift induced in a TE wave that is independently excited and transmitted over a section of the accelerator. We infer the absolute phase shift with relatively high accuracy from the phase modulation of the transmission due to the modulation of the electron cloud density from a gap in the positively charged beam. We have used this technique for the first time to measure the average electron cloud density over a 50 m straight section in the positron ring of the PEP-II collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. We have also measured the variation of the density by using low field solenoid magnets to control the electrons.

We search for the Z{sub 1}(4050){sup +} and Z{sub 2}(4250){sup +} states, reported by the Belle Collaboration, decaying to {chi}{sub c1}{pi}{sup +} in the decays {bar B}{sup 0} {yields} {chi}{sub c1}K{sup -}{pi}{sup +} and B{sup +} {yields} {chi}{sub c1}K{sub S}{sup 0}{pi}{sup +} where {chi}{sub c1} {yields} J/{psi}{gamma}. The data were collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e{sup +}e{sup -} collider operating at center-of-mass energy 10.58 GeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 429 fb{sup -1}. In this analysis, we model the background-subtracted, efficiency-corrected {chi}{sub c1}{pi}{sup +} mass distribution using the K{pi} mass distribution and the corresponding normalized K{pi} Legendre polynomial moments, and then test the need for the inclusion of resonant structures in the description of the {chi}{sub c1}{pi}{sup +} mass distribution. No evidence is found for the Z{sub 1}(4050){sup +} and Z{sub 2}(4250){sup +} resonances, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions are reported for the corresponding B-meson decay modes.

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High Energy Physics data processing and analysis applications typically deal with the problem of accessing and processing data at high speed. Recent studies, development and test work have shown that the latencies due to data access can often be hidden by parallelizing them with the data processing, thus giving the ability to have applications which process remote data with a high level of efficiency. Techniques and algorithms able to reach this result have been implemented in the client side of the Scalla/xrootd system, and in this contribution we describe the results of some tests done in order to compare their performance and characteristics. These techniques, if used together with multiple streams data access, can also be effective in allowing to efficiently and transparently deal with data repositories accessible via a Wide Area Network.

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The speciation of Tc(VII) in 12 M sulfuric acid was studied by NMR, UV-visible and XAFS spectroscopy, experimental results were supported by DFT calculation and were in agreement with the formation of TcO{sub 3}OH(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}. In summary, the speciation of heptvalent technetium has been investigated in sulfuric acid. In 12 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, a yellow solution is observed, and its {sup 99}Tc NMR spectrum is consistent with a heptavalent complex. The yellow solution was further characterized by EXAFS spectroscopy, and results are consistent with the formation of TcO{sub 3}(OH)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}. No technetium heptoxide or sulfato- complexes were detected in these conditions. The molecular structure of TcO{sub 3}(OH)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} has been optimized by DFT techniques, and the structural parameters are well in accordance with those found by XAFS spectroscopy. The experimental electronic spectra exhibit ligand-to-metal charge transfer transitions that have been assigned using TDDFT methods. Calculations demonstrate the theoretical electronic spectrum of TcO{sub 3}(OH)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} to be in very good agreement with the experimental one. Recent experiments in 12 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} show the yellow solution to be very reactive in presence of reducing agents presumably forming low valent Tc species. Current spectroscopic works focus …

High energy physics is replete with multi-dimensional information which is often poorly represented by the two dimensions of presentation slides and print media. Past efforts to disseminate such information to a wider audience have failed for a number of reasons, including a lack of standards which are easy to implement and have broad support. Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) has in recent years become the de facto standard for secure, dependable electronic information exchange. It has done so by creating an open format, providing support for multiple platforms and being reliable and extensible. By providing support for the ECMA standard Universal 3D (U3D) file format in its free Adobe Reader software, Adobe has made it easy to distribute and interact with 3D content. By providing support for scripting and animation, temporal data can also be easily distributed to a wide audience. In this talk, we present examples of HEP applications which take advantage of this functionality. We demonstrate how 3D detector elements can be documented, using either CAD drawings or other sources such as GEANT visualizations as input. Using this technique, higher dimensional data, such as LEGO plots or time-dependent information can be included in PDF files. In principle, a …

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In previous work [1], the onset criterion for radiation driven islands [2] in combination with a simple cylindrical model of tokamak current channel behavior was shown to be consistent with the empirical scaling of the tokamak density limit [3]. A number of the unexplained phenomena at the density limit are consistent with this novel physics mechanism. In this work, a more formal theoretical underpinning, consistent with cylindrical tearing mode theory, is developed for the onset criteria of these modes. The appropriate derivation of the radiation-driven addition to the modified Rutherford equation is discussed. Additionally, the ordering of the terms in the MRE is examined in a regime near the density limit. It is hoped that given the apparent success of this simple model in explaining the observed global scalings will lead to a more comprehensive analysis of the possibility that radiation driven islands are the physics mechanism responsible for the density limit. In particular, with modern diagnostic capabilities detailed measurements of current densities, electron densities and impurity concentrations at rational surfaces should be possible, enabling verification of the concepts described above.

A space-charge-limited beam with current densities (J) exceeding 1 mA/cm{sup 2} have been measured from lithium alumino-silicate ion sources at a temperature of ∼1275{degrees}C. At higher extraction voltages, the source appears to become emission limited with J ≥ 1.5 mA/cm{sup 2}, and J increases weakly with the applied voltage. A source with an alumino-silicate coating 6.35 mm in diameter and ≤0.25 mm thick, has a lifetime of ∼40 hours at ∼1275{degrees}C, when pulsed at 0.05 Hz and with pulse length of ∼6 μs each. At this rate, the source lifetime was independent of the actual beam charge extracted due to the loss of neutral atoms at high temperature. Furthermore, the source lifetime increases with the amount of alumino-silicate coated on the emitting surface, and may also be extended if the temperature is reduced between pulses.

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The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Solar Electric Power Association, the Utility Wind Integration Group, and the U.S. Department of Energy hosted a day-long public workshop on the variability of photovoltaic (PV) plants. The workshop brought together utilities, PV system developers, power system operators, and several experts to discuss the potential impacts of PV variability and uncertainty on power system operations.

The High-Resolution Mid-Atlantic Forecasting Ensemble (HME) is a federated effort to improve operational forecasts related to precipitation, convection and boundary layer evolution, and fire weather utilizing data and computing resources from a diverse group of cooperating institutions in order to create a mesoscale ensemble from independent members. Collaborating organizations involved in the project include universities, National Weather Service offices, and national laboratories, including the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). The ensemble system is produced from an overlapping numerical weather prediction model domain and parameter subsets provided by each contributing member. The coordination, synthesis, and dissemination of the ensemble information are performed by the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This paper discusses background related to the HME effort, SRNL participation, and example results available from the RENCI website.

RHIC EBIS has been commissioned to operate as a versatile ion source on RHIC injection facility supplying ion species from He to Au for Booster. Except for light gaseous elements RHIC EBIS employs ion injection from several external primary ion sources. With electrostatic optics fast switching from one ion species to another can be done on a pulse to pulse mode. The design of an ion optical structure and the results of simulations for different ion species are presented. In the choice of optical elements special attention was paid to spherical aberrations for high-current space charge dominated ion beams. The combination of a gridded lens and a magnet lens in LEBT provides flexibility of optical control for a wide range of ion species to satisfy acceptance parameters of RFQ. The results of ion transmission measurements are presented.

Several hundred million {tau} decays have been studied with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Recent results on Charged Current Lepton Universality and two independent measurements of |V{sub us}| using {tau}{sup -} {yields} e{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub e}{nu}{sub {tau}}, {mu}{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub {mu}}{nu}{sub {tau}}, {pi}{sup -}{nu}{sub {tau}}, K{sup -} {nu}{sub {tau}} and K{sub S}{sup 0}{pi}{sup -} {nu}{sub {tau}} decays, and a search for Second Class Current in {tau}{sup -} {yields} {pi}{sup -} {omega}{nu}{sub {tau}} decays are presented, where the charge conjugate decay modes are also implied.

This paper summarizes the development, testing, and certification of the 9979 Type A Fissile Packaging that replaces the UN1A2 Specification Shipping Package eliminated from Department of Transportation (DOT) 49 CFR 173. The DOT Specification Package was used for many decades by the U.S. nuclear industry as a fissile waste container until its removal as an authorized container by DOT. This paper will discuss stream lining procurement of high volume radioactive material packaging manufacturing, such as the 9979, to minimize packaging production costs without sacrificing Quality Assurance. The authorized content envelope (combustible and non-combustible) as well as planned content envelope expansion will be discussed.

The Hanford Site includes 149 single-shell tanks, organized in 12 'tank farms,' with contents managed as high-level mixed waste. The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order requires that one tank farm, the Waste Management Area C, be closed by June 30, 2019. A challenge to this project is the disposition and closure of Waste Management Area C underground pipelines. Waste Management Area C contains nearly seven miles of pipelines and 200 separate pipe segments. The pipelines were taken out of service decades ago and contain unknown volumes and concentrations of tank waste residuals from past operations. To understand the scope of activities that may be required for these pipelines, an evaluation was performed. The purpose of the evaluation was to identify what, if any, characterization methods and/or closure actions may be implemented at Waste Management Area C for closure of Waste Management Area C by 2019. Physical and analytical data do not exist for Waste Management Area C pipeline waste residuals. To develop estimates of residual volumes and inventories of contamination, an extensive search of available information on pipelines was conducted. The search included evaluating historical operation and occurrence records, physical attributes, schematics and drawings, and contaminant inventories associated …

Detection and identification of gas species using tunable laser diode laser absorption spectroscopy has been performed using vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL). Two detection methods are compared: direct absorbance and wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS). In the first, the output of a DC-based laser is directly monitored to detect for any quench at the targeted specie wavelength. In the latter, the emission wavelength of the laser is modulated by applying a sinusoidal component on the drive current of frequency {omega}, and measuring the harmonics component (2{omega}) of the photo-detected current. This method shows a better sensitivity measured as signal to noise ratio, and is less susceptible to interference effects such as scattering or fouling. Gas detection was initially performed at room temperature and atmospheric conditions using VCSELs of emission wavelength 763 nm for oxygen and 1392 nm for water, scanning over a range of approximately 10 nm, sufficient to cover 5-10 gas specific absorption lines that enable identification and quantization of gas composition. The amplitude and frequency modulation parameters were optimized for each detected gas species, by performing two dimensional sweeps for both tuning current and either amplitude or frequency, respectively. We found that the highest detected signal is observed …