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A CO/sub 2/ laser (approx.0.5 kJ energy, 70 nsec pulse width) was focussed onto the end of an axially oriented, thick (35 to 350 .mu.) carbon fiber with or without a magnetic field present along the laser-fiber axis. We present evidence for axial-to-transverse enhancement of the CVI 182A (n = 3 .-->. 2) transition, which is correlated with the appearance of a population inversion between levels n = 3 and 2. For the B = 0 kG, zero field case, the maximum gain-length product of kl approx. =3 (k approx. =6 cm/sup -1/) was measured for a carbon fiber coated with a thin layer of aluminum (for additional radiation cooling). The results are interpreted in terms of fast recombination due mostly to thermal conduction from the plasma to the cold fiber core.

We have observed significant differences in the response to ionizing radiation of two closely related human cells lines, and now compare the effects on these lines of both low and intermediate LET radiation. Compared to TK6, WTK1 has an enhanced X-ray survival, and is also more resistant to cell killing by alpha-particles. The hprt locus is more mutable in WTK1 than in TK6 by both X-rays and alpha-particles. WTK1 is also more mutable by alpha-particles than by X-rays at the hprt locus. X-ray-induced mutation at the heterozygous tk locus in WTK1 is about 25 fold higher than in TK6, while alpha-particle-induced mutation is nearly 50 fold higher at this locus. Also, the slowly growing tk- mutants, which comprise the majority of spontaneous and X-ray-induced tk- mutants of TK6, were not induced significantly by alpha-particles. Previously, we showed that TK6 has a reduced capacity for recombination compared with WTK1, and therefore, these results indicate that recombinational repair may contribute to both cell survival and mutation-induction following exposure to ionizing radiation. Such a mechanism may aid cell survival, but could also result in increased deleterious effects such as the unmasking of recessive mutations in cancer suppresser genes.

We present an extension of the B erenger Perfectly Matched Layer with additional terms and tunable coecien ts which introduce some asymmetry in the absorption rate. We show that the discretized version of the new PML oers superior absorption rates than the discretized standard PML under a plane wave analysis. Taking advantage of the high rates of absorption of the new PML, we have devised a new strategy for introducing the technique of Mesh Renemen t into electromagnetic Particle-In-Cell plasma simulations. We present the details of the algorithm as well as a 2-D example of its application to laser-plasma interaction in the context of fast ignition.

A mechanism is proposed and evaluated for driving rotation in tokamak plasmas by minority ion-cyclotron heating, even though this heating introduces negligible angular momentum. The mechanism has two elements: First, angular momentum transport is governed by a diffusion equation with a boundary condition at the separatrix. Second, Monte Carlo calculations show that ion-cyclotron energized particles will provide a torque density source which has a zero volume integral but separated positive and negative regions. With such a source, a solution of the diffusion equation predicts that ion-cyclotron heating will cause a rotational shear layer to develop. The corresponding jump in plasma rotation ΔΩ is found to be negative outwards when the ion-cyclotron surface lies on the low-field side of the magnetic axis and positive outwards with the resonance on the high-field side. The magnitude of the jump ΔΩ=(4qmaxWJ2*) (eBR3a2ne(2π)2)−1(τM/τE) where |J2*|≈2–4 is a nondimensional rotation frequency calculated by the Monte Carlo ORBIT code [R. B. White and M. S. Chance, Phys. Fluids 27, 2455 (1984)]. For a no-slip boundary condition when the resonance lies on the low-field side of the magnetic axis, the sense of predicted axial rotation is co-current and overall agreement with experiment is good. When the resonance lies on the high-field side, the predicted rotation becomes countercurrent for a no-slip boundary while the observed rotation remains co-current. The rotational shear layer position is controllable and of sufficient magnitude to affect microinstabilities.

A multinational test program is in progress to quantify the aerosol particulates produced when a high energy density device, HEDD, impacts surrogate material and actual spent fuel test rodlets. This program provides needed data that are relevant to some sabotage scenarios in relation to spent fuel transport and storage casks, and associated risk assessments; the program also provides significant political benefits in international cooperation. We are quantifying the spent fuel ratio, SFR, the ratio of the aerosol particles released from HEDD-impacted actual spent fuel to the aerosol particles produced from surrogate materials, measured under closely matched test conditions. In addition, we are measuring the amounts, nuclide content, size distribution of the released aerosol materials, and enhanced sorption of volatile fission product nuclides onto specific aerosol particle size fractions. These data are crucial for predicting radiological impacts. This document includes a thorough description of the test program, including the current, detailed test plan, concept and design, plus a description of all test components, and requirements for future components and related nuclear facility needs. It also serves as a program status report as of the end of FY 2003. All available test results, observations, and analyses - primarily for surrogate material Phasemore » 2 tests using cerium oxide sintered ceramic pellets are included. This spent fuel sabotage - aerosol test program is coordinated with the international Working Group for Sabotage Concerns of Transport and Storage Casks, WGSTSC, and supported by both the U.S. Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.« less

High-energy (MeV) ion implantation is now being rapidly introduced into integrated circuit manufacturing because it promises process simplification and improved device performance. However, high-energy implantation introduces an imbalance of excess vacancies and vacancy-cluster defects in the near-surface region of a silicon crystal. These defects interact with dopants affecting diffusion and electrical activation during subsequent processing. The objective of this project was to develop sufficient understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying the evolution of these defects and interactions with dopant atoms to enable accurate prediction and control of dopant diffusion and defect configurations during processing. This project supported the DOE mission in science and technology by extending ongoing Basic Energy Sciences programs in ion-solid physics and x-ray scattering at ORNL into new areas. It also strengthened the national capability for advanced processing of electronic materials, an enabling technology for DOE programs in energy conversion, use, and defense.

We study the bulk deformation properties of the Skyrme nuclear energy density functionals. Following simple arguments based on the leptodermous expansion and liquid drop model, we apply the nuclear density functional theory to assess the role of the surface symmetry energy in nuclei. To this end, we validate the commonly used functional parametrizations against the data on excitation energies of superdeformed band-heads in Hg and Pb isotopes, and fission isomers in actinide nuclei. After subtracting shell effects, the results of our self-consistent calculations are consistent with macroscopic arguments and indicate that experimental data on strongly deformed configurations in neutron-rich nuclei are essential for optimizing future nuclear energy density functionals. The resulting survey provides a useful benchmark for further theoretical improvements. Unlike in nuclei close to the stability valley, whose macroscopic deformability hangs on the balance of surface and Coulomb terms, the deformability of neutron-rich nuclei strongly depends on the surface-symmetry energy; hence, its proper determination is crucial for the stability of deformed phases of the neutron- rich matter and description of fission rates for r-process nucleosynthesis. 16 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev. C

Successful cancer patient survival and local tumor control from hadron radiotherapy warrant a discussion of potential secondary late effects from the radiation. The study of late-appearing clinical effects from particle beams of protons, carbon, or heavier ions is a relatively new field with few data. However, new clinical information is available from pioneer hadron radiotherapy programs in the USA, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. This paper will review available data on late tissue effects from particle radiation exposures, and discuss its importance to the future of hadron therapy. Potential late radiation effects are associated with irradiated normal tissue volumes at risk that in many cases can be reduced with hadron therapy. However, normal tissues present within hadron treatment volumes can demonstrate enhanced responses compared to conventional modes of therapy. Late endpoints of concern include induction of secondary cancers, cataract, fibrosis, neurodegeneration, vascular damage, and immunological, endocrine and hereditary effects. Low-dose tissue effects at tumor margins need further study, and there is need for more acute molecular studies underlying late effects of hadron therapy.