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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,441 records · Page 80
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Proton Radiography: Its uses and Resolution Scaling

Los Alamos National Laboratory has used high energy protons as a probe in flash radiography for over a decade. In this time the proton radiography project has used 800 MeV protons, provided by the LANSCE accelerator facility at LANL, to diagnose over five-hundred dynamic experiments in support of stockpile stewardship programs as well as basic materials science. Through this effort significant experience has been gained in using charged particles as direct radiographic probes to diagnose transient systems. The results of this experience will be discussed through the presentation of data from experiments recently performed at the LANL pRad.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Design and experimental activities supporting commercial U.S. electron accelerator production of Mo-99

{sup 99m}Tc, the daughter isotope of {sup 99}Mo, is the most commonly used radioisotope for nuclear medicine in the United States. Under the direction of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) are partnering with North Star Medical Technologies to demonstrate the viability of large-scale {sup 99}Mo production using electron accelerators. In this process, {sup 99}Mo is produced in an enriched {sup 100}Mo target through the {sup 100}Mo({gamma},n){sup 99}Mo reaction. Five experiments have been performed to date at ANL to demonstrate this process. This paper reviews the current status of these activities, specifically the design and performance of the helium gas target cooling system.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

The february 2014 accidents at WIPP - 15024 (What Happened and What We Know About Why)

With almost 15 years of successful and safe operations, the WIPP facility was suddenly shutdown in February 2014 due to two unrelated accidents underground. A fire burned the front tires and engine of a salt haul truck, creating significant soot and forced evacuation of the mine. A second unrelated incident occurred 9 days later when at least one drum of non-compliant waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory burst, introducing airborne radioactivity into the underground ventilation air. Some radioactivity was released to the atmosphere at the surface. Bioassay showed that 22 workers received low internal doses, with no long-term adverse health effects expected for these employees. Independent environmental monitoring indicated very low levels off-site and dose reconstruction modeling indicated no members of the public were exposed. Comprehensive accident investigations resulted in significant planned changes to enhance safety management programs at WIPP, and a recovery plan was developed. In addition to safety management program augmentation, recovery involves new and enhanced underground ventilation systems and decontamination of affected areas underground. Resumption of initial waste disposal operations is scheduled for early in FY16, with a return to normal operations (17 shipments per week) within about three years. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Unlocking Scholarly Insights: Leveraging Machine Learning Approaches for Citation Analysis and Intent Classification

Publicly funded organizations, notably institutions like the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), are deeply vested in acquiring robust productivity metrics to gauge the entirety of their research output. Motivated by the imperative to enhance institutional productivity assessment, this study investigates the utilization of Large Language Models (LLM) such as BERT-based models, as well as local LLaMa-30b-instruct and Mixtral-8x7b-instruct architectures for classifying type of URL referenced resources in academic papers such as software, dataset, as well as authorship intent. Challenges in discerning resource types from context are highlighted, along with the potential of BERT and LLMs to address these challenges. Through comprehensive analysis, this research unveils a notable surge in documents featuring URL citations, indicative of the escalating importance of digital resources in scholarly publications. Moreover, citations to datasets and software demonstrate consistent growth over time, underscoring their increasing significance. Our findings also reveal that LANL authors contribute substantially to accessible science, comprising about 10% of dataset and software mentions in LANL

Large Language Models, BERT, citation classificati↗
DOE OSTI2016

Sensitivity Study of Void Coefficients in the SHEBA-II Critical Assembly using MCNP6

SHEBA-II was an aqueous critical assembly experiment that was operated at the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility. It is a bare assembly that is fueled with an aqueous solution of ∼5% enriched nonstoichiometric uranyl fluoride. The composition of uranyl fluoride changes over time due to chemical and nuclear reactions taking place within the assembly. This study investigates how changes in the solution temperature, void volume, and void location effect criticality, and to provide information about potential hazards in off-normal situations. This study had extended previous work on the SHEBA-II CAV to include temperature dependence, void volume dependence, and the thermochemical properties of the solution (density). The overall results indicate that a critical boiling solution cannot be reached. The solution height needed within the tank to become critical would overfill the tank. For future work, these results will be used to calculate the temperature effects on void reactivity coefficients. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Neutron-induced fission cross section measurements for uranium isotopes {sup 236}U and {sup 234}U at LANSCE

A well established program of neutron-induced fission cross section measurement at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) is supporting the Fuel Cycle Research program (FC R and D). The incident neutron energy range spans from sub-thermal up to 200 MeV by combining two LANSCE facilities, the Lujan Center and the Weapons Neutron Research facility (WNR). The time-of-flight method is implemented to measure the incident neutron energy. A parallel-plate fission ionization chamber was used as a fission fragment detector. The event rate ratio between the investigated foil and a standard {sup 235}U foil is converted into a fission cross section ratio. In addition to previously measured data new measurements include {sup 236}U data which is being analyzed, and {sup 234}U data acquired in the 2011-2012 LANSCE run cycle. The new data complete the full suite of Uranium isotopes which were investigated with this experimental approach. Obtained data are presented in comparison with existing evaluations and previous data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The conduct of the united states department of energy nuclear criticality safety program hands-on training and education courses - 14621

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP), funded and managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), offers courses to educate nuclear criticality safety (NCS) engineers, process supervisors, and others, and to provide experimental, hands-on training addressing important characteristics of neutron multiplying systems. This training satisfies the American National Standard Institute/American Nuclear Society (ANSI/ANS)-8.26-2007 requirement for participating in hands-on experiments with fissionable materials and provides awareness and understanding of DOE Orders, Guides and Rules, ANS standards, and hazard identification techniques, as well as control design, implementation, and maintenance in criticality safety evaluations. Since the pilot course was developed in 2011, a variety of courses have been developed for NCS practitioners and process supervisors. Attendees have come from several US and international sites. Through NCSP international collaborations and relationships, students from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in the United Kingdom, Atomic Energy of Canada, and the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety in France have participated in these courses in the US. Manager courses are available for process supervisors and operations managers with NCS responsibilities in their daily jobs. Manager courses are taught at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC); they offer a combination of hands-on experiments and classroom discussions. A two-week course is also offered for NCS practitioners, with a week of classroom instruction at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) focused on generation of NCS evaluations, and a week of hands-on training utilizing the critical assemblies at either SNL or NCERC. Cleared students can attend the hands-on training at either SNL or NCERC, and uncleared students can attend at SNL. Courses continue to evolve and continuously improve as important elements of NCS evaluations (e.g., human factors, non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques, process criticality accident lessons-learned, and hand calculation methods) are integrated with criticality safety evaluation exercises. Courses include tours of process operations at SNL, NCERC, and LANL, and interaction with instructors experienced in conducting critical experiments and working in NCS. The NNSA NCSP provides management, funding, and technical direction for these courses and makes them available with no tuition cost to NCS practitioners. This paper provides a status report to the NCS community on the conduct of these courses and how they will likely evolve in the future. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

DOE Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Planning: Three Relevant Case Studies - 16056

Executive Order 13653, Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change, was issued in 2013. The President emphasized the importance for federal agencies to take action to enhance climate preparedness and resilience. The U.S. Department of Energy released the DOE Climate Change Adaptation Plan in 2014 to build resilience and mitigation across the Department, and to assure inclusion of climate change adaptation as part of its planning and operations. DOE's Office of Environmental Management has an important mission to manage safe cleanup of environmental legacy contamination brought about from five decades of nuclear weapons development and government sponsored nuclear energy research. Specifically, Environmental Management is responsible for remediation of soil and groundwater, deactivation and decommissioning of facilities, and disposal of hazardous and radioactive waste. Three case studies are discussed in this paper that demonstrate the cost benefit and importance for Environmental Management to assess climate change vulnerability and implement planning procedures: 1. Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has experienced $0.5 billion in unanticipated costs as a result of climate-related events including: extreme drought, wildfires, deluge rains, and historic flooding over the past 15 years. 2. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency American Cyanamid Superfund Site, situated on the New Jersey coast was hit by Hurricane Irene in 2011. Three major contaminated, solvent impoundment berms were breached within the 100-year flood plain, causing major damage to the facility. 3. For radioactive waste disposal facilities in low-lying areas in proximity to groundwater, climate change vulnerability and assessment is prudent for operational management. One such Superfund hazardous and radioactive waste disposal facility, the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility located at the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, has documented surface and ground water management challenges since construction began in 2001, driven by changing regional weather patterns. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2013

(n,{gamma}) Experiments on tin isotopes

Neutron capture experiments on highly enriched {sup 117,119}Sn isotopes were performed with the DANCE detector array located at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The DANCE detector provides detailed information about the multi-step {gamma}-ray cascade following neutron capture. Analysis of the experimental data provides important information to improve understanding of the neutron capture reaction, including a test of the statistical model, the assignment of spins and parities of neutron resonances, and information concerning the Photon Strength Function (PSF) and Level Density (LD) below the neutron separation energy. Preliminary results for the (n,{gamma}) reaction on {sup 117,119}Sn are presented. Resonance spins of the odd-A tin isotopes were almost completely unknown. Resonance spins and parities have been assigned via analysis of the multi-step {gamma}-ray spectra and directional correlations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Actinides and Correlated Electron Materials

The Actinides and Correlated Electron Materials area of leadership spans Los Alamos National Laboratory competency in actinide materials research dating to the Manhattan Project as articulated in the Integrated Plutonium Science and Research Strategy and competency in strongly correlated electron systems dating back to at least the early 1980s. This area of leadership focuses on the goals of discovering, understanding, and controlling emergent electronic states and predictive performance of actinide materials. They are quintessentially linked by the fact that the physics of actinides—and plutonium in particular—are governed by strong electronic correlations. Not only is the electronic structure of actinides dictated by fine details of electron correlations, but chemical bonding and physical structure are as well. Hence, by addressing the first goal of this leadership area we can significantly accelerate progress on the second goal. To understand such matter requires probing the intertwined spin, charge, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom with greater precision and developing models that accurately predict the consequences of these coupled degrees of freedom, on multiple length and time scales and including acute reactivity and effects of self-irradiation phenomena in these materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thirty Minutes Before the Dawn

The Trinity test of July 16, 1945, marked the scientific apex of the Manhattan Project. Often recognized as the symbolic birth of the nuclear age, Trinity’s multifaceted legacy remains just as captivating and complex today as it did 75 years ago. This paper examines why the test was necessary from a technical standpoint, shows how Los Alamos scientists planned the event, and explores the physical and emotional aftermaths of Trinity. The author also uses rarely accessed original records to reconstruct the story of Trinity’s health hazards, as seen through the eyes of radiation technicians and medical doctors as events unfolded. Trinity was conducted as the Potsdam Conference began, weeks after the collapse of Nazi Germany. It was considered necessary to let President Harry S. Truman know whether the United States possessed a nuclear capability ahead of his negotiations with Joseph Stalin, the Soviet premier. The author examines the competing priorities that drove the timetable for the test: international politics, security, and safety. Three weeks after Trinity, a gun-assembled enriched-uranium bomb called Little Boy was used against the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, Fat Man, a weaponized version of the imploding Trinity device, was dropped on Nagasaki. The author briefly examines these strikes and what impact they may have had on the Japanese surrender. The paper concludes by examining the legacy of the Trinity test 75 years into the age it helped usher in.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Giants of the Nuclear Testing Era: The Works of Robert K. Osborne

Dr. Robert (Bob) Kidder Osborne was a key physicist and nuclear weapons designer—a giant, in fact, in the sense of Isaac Newton’s use of the term—at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) during the days of weapons designing and testing (1943–1992). (See figure 1.) His career began a few short years after the end of World War II, in August 1949, and spanned over 30 years. He retired from the Laboratory in March 1981. During his career, the United States was designing, building, and testing new nuclear weapons at a prodigious rate. Most of these designs were tested using full-scale nuclear tests (like Operation Plumbbob - Franklin Prime, shown in figure 2). Designers, like Osborne, relied on the results of these tests to prove, and improve, their designs. These improved designs led to developing weapons that contributed to a growing stockpile, which reached its numerical peak in 1967.1 Osborne was a major figure in the development of these advanced weapons designs. He was also largely responsible for the Laboratory’s development of one-point safety, hydronuclear testing, and he was the lead designer of the primary for the W76 nuclear warhead, which is the most numerous warhead in the current U.S. stockpile. Osborne was also an important mentor to many of the Laboratory’s weapons designers.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned on Two Active DOE Facility D and D Projects - 18379

'Surgical removal', although having a number of technical and safety challenges, is an effective alternative to traditional Demolition and Decommissioning (D and D) methods. When carefully planned and managed, surgical removal of equipment can be safely performed to achieve cost savings and accelerated schedule. At Fernald, a large groundwater extraction system that treats radionuclides was downsized during continued operations. Challenges included demolition of remedial components in tight spaces adjacent to active components, in-situ management and removal of slurry multimedia and resins, and complex hoisting/rigging of whole vessels from very tight areas. The approach realized a significant reduction in waste volumes and slurry transfer to reduce radionuclide exposure while allowing use of existing vessels as IP-1 shipping containers while providing an opportunity to implement out of the box design for hoisting/rigging/moving large vessels. Several lessons were learned as Los Alamos Technical Associates, Inc. (LATA) faced the project challenges and progressed through the D and D process. The slurry removal required thorough understanding of equipment selection and circulation techniques to maintain a slurry while avoiding plugging of extraction equipment. The physical condition of each individual tank was different and required development of alternate removal techniques, such as draining the vessel and removal of the hard material with an air vacuum truck, for each one. Lessons learned regarding large tank removal focused on recertification of an overhead crane, determination of pick points from a partially filled vessel, reanalyzing the lifting lugs for a partially full tank, and requirements to fill all void space in the vessels to meet off-site disposal specifications. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), LATA performed the surgical removal of all biomass process equipment inside ORNL's Building 2719. Among the challenges was a requirement that the removal action had to be conducted during continued operations. Live steam lines, fire protection, water process and boiler feed water systems were operational during LATA's D and D effort and were in close proximity to removal operations. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-753: Three-Dimensional Dose Distributions of Incident Proton Particle in the Polymer Gel Dosimeter and the Radiochromic Gel Dosimeter: A Simulation Study with MCNP Code

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the three-dimensional dose distributions in the polymer and the radiochromic gel dosimeter, and to identify the detectability of both gel dosimeters by comparing with the water phantom in case of irradiating the proton particles. Methods: The normoxic polymer gel and the LCV micelle radiochromic gel were used in this study. The densities of polymer and the radiochromic gel dosimeter were 1.024 and 1.005 g/cm{sup 3}, respectively. The dose distributions of protons in the polymer and radiochromic gel were simulated using Monte Carlo radiation transport code (MCNPX, Los Alamos National Laboratory). The shape of phantom irradiated by proton particles was a hexahedron with the dimension of 12.4 × 12.4 × 15.0 cm{sup 3}. The energies of proton beam were 50, 80, and 140 MeV energies were directed to top of the surface of phantom. The cross-sectional view of proton dose distribution in both gel dosimeters was estimated with the water phantom and evaluated by the gamma evaluation method. In addition, the absorbed dose(Gy) was also calculated for evaluating the proton detectability. Results: The evaluation results show that dose distributions in both gel dosimeters at intermediated section and Bragg-peak region are similar with that of the water phantom. At entrance section, however, inconsistencies of dose distribution are represented, compared with water. The relative absorbed doses in radiochromic and polymer gel dosimeter were represented to be 0.47 % and 2.26 % difference, respectively. These results show that the radiochromic gel dosimeter was better matched than the water phantom in the absorbed dose evaluation. Conclusion: The polymer and the radiochromic gel dosimeter show similar characteristics in dose distributions for the proton beams at intermediate section and Bragg-peak region. Moreover the calculated absorbed dose in both gel dosimeters represents similar tendency by comparing with that in water phantom.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Godiva IV Central Cavity Neutron Environment Characterization with Threshold Neutron Detectors

Godiva IV is a cylindrical fast burst reactor comprised of approximately 65 kg of highly enriched uranium that is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory and sited at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Nevada National Security Site in Nevada in the United States. Godiva IV is typically operated at delayed critical and in the regime spanning from sub-prompt to super-prompt bursts. Godiva IV is used for sample irradiations, criticality safety demonstrations, dosimetry studies, and for studying super-prompt behavior. In preparation for both an upcoming experiment to reduce uncertainties in the prompt fission spectrum for 235 U using threshold neutron detectors, and for future research using Godiva IV, it was desired to exercise the process of the selection of threshold neutron detectors/activation foils, radiation metrology, and the subsequent adjustment of the neutron spectrum. For this exercise, nine high purity threshold neutron detectors/activation foils were irradiated in a Godiva IV burst. The foils were then analyzed using a high purity germanium detector in the NCERC counting laboratory to determine end of irradiation specific activities for available IRDFF-II reactions. This work summarizes the Godiva IV foil irradiation, radiation metrology results, and adjusted neutron spectrum. The results of this exercise ultimately characterized the neutron environment inside the sample irradiation cavity inside Godiva IV to a higher degree than previously performed, informed decisions for the upcoming larger scale experiment, and will inform future neutron spectrum characterizations at NCERC.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Proposed Plutonium-Nickel Critical Experiment

The Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) and subsequently its descendant, the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) located at the Nevada National Security Site, have been performing critical experiments for over 75 years. The work done continues to build upon lessons learned from the past. It also builds upon knowledge gained from past experiments. The LACEF and NCERC experiments “provide nuclear criticality benchmark data for a wide variety of fissile and non-fissile materials in all neutron energy spectra systems”. In 2014, a subcritical benchmark with plutonium surrounded by nickel was issued in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP). Two years later, a new benchmark experiment was performed, commonly known as Subcritical Copper Reflected $\mathcal{a}$-Phase Plutonium SCR$\mathcal{a}$P. The uncertainties in the SCR$\mathcal{a}$P experiment were significantly reduced from the Pu-Ni experiment and the methods were refined. Additionally, a Pu-lead critical experiment was performed in 2017 which followed different methods and with different objectives. Now, an experiment is proposed that builds on both the subcritical nickel experiment and the critical lead experiment. The proposed experiment has interleaved nickel and plutonium, in a thermal arrangement. This particular experiment would support criticality safety at the Hanford Tank Farms, whose tanks contain a significant amount of nickel credited as a neutron absorber in the criticality safety evaluation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Proposed Muon Radiography Method for Spent Fuel Cask Interrogation

Multiple scattering muon radiography is a technique that was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to detect high Z material using cosmic ray muons as a radiation source. As a result,there has been considerable interest in using the technique to radiograph nuclear waste inside of storage casks. Recently,the technique has been used to interrogate the inside of a MC-10 dry fuel cask at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).This is the only technique that has been successful in imaging the interior of a spent fuel cask.The measurement was performed with the LANL Mini Muon Tracker (MMT), composed of two super-modules of drift tubes and readout electronics placed on each side of the fuel cask. The final result was a one dimensional histogram (projection) that showed areal scattering density within the cask binned according to horizontal position within the cask. While successful, the MMT is not designed for an optimal measurement of a fuel cask. The MMT only covers a limited solid angle around the cask and needs to be orientated so as to be aligned with the grid of stored fuel bundles. Even when properly aligned, the resulting areal scattering density projection indicates that a fuel bundle within a column is missing, but is ambiguous as to which row is lacking the fuel bundle. This paper discusses a potential new detector and analytical technique that may be used to better radiograph the nuclear material inside of a storage cask. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Awe Bonner sphere measurements of the neutron leakage spectrum from the GODIVIA-IV critical assembly at NCERC - 14413

The US National Criticality Experiments Research Centre (NCERC) is home to several critical assembly machines that were relocated from Los Alamos National Laboratory in the last decade. The centre is sponsored by the Department of Energy's Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP), which has the mission to ensure the safe handling of fissile materials from a criticality perspective. Under the auspices of the NCSP, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is planning to host an international inter-comparison of nuclear accident dosimetry (NAD) using the Godiva-IV assembly at NCERC. The inter-comparison is motivated by a decline in the frequency of performance testing of NADs (both in the US, the UK and France) and the desire to modernize and harmonize dosimetry systems. A pre-requisite for the inter-comparison is the characterisation of the neutron and gamma-ray leakage spectra associated with the Godiva-IV assembly at NCERC. AWE provided its Bonner-sphere spectrometry capability to LLNL for two experimental campaigns, in November 2013 and May 2014, to measure the neutron leakage spectrum of the assembly in both a sub-critical 'steady-state' and a super-prompt-critical 'burst'. Nine points, at distances from 2 to 4 meters from the machine were measured with the Bonner-sphere spectrometer using both an active He-3 detector and a passive technique employing gold foils. This paper presents the spectra unfolded from the data and integral dose values, and compares these to previously published data. The limitations of the work and future plans are also discussed. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗