Publications

The overall purpose of this study is to provide information and guidance to the Office of Environmental Management of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) about the level of characterization necessary to dispose of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The disposal option modeled was codisposal of DOE SNF with defense high-level waste (DHLW). A specific goal was to demonstrate the influence of DOE SNF, expected to be minor, in a predominately commercial repository using modeling conditions similar to those currently assumed by the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). A performance assessment (PA) was chosen as the method of analysis. The performance metric for this analysis (referred to as the 1997 PA) was dose to an individual; the time period of interest was 100,000 yr. Results indicated that cumulative releases of 99Tc and 237Np (primary contributors to human dose) from commercial SNF exceed those of DOE SNF both on a per MTHM and per package basis. Thus, if commercial SNF can meet regulatory performance criteria for dose to an individual, then the DOE SNF can also meet the criteria. This result is due in large part to lower burnup of the DOE SNF (less time for irradiation) and to the DOE SNF's small percentage of the total activity (1.5%) and mass (3.8%) of waste in the potential repository. Consistent with the analyses performed for the YMP, the 1997 PA assumed all cladding as failed, which also contributed to the relatively poor performance of commercial SNF compared to DOE SNF.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WPP) is located in southeastern New Mexico and is being developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the geologic (deep underground) disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste. A detailed performance assessment (PA) for the WIPP was carried out in 1996 and supports an application by the DOE to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the certification of the WIPP for the disposal of TRU waste. The 1996 WIPP PA uses a computational structure that maintains a separation between stochastic (i.e., aleatory) and subjective (i.e., epistemic) uncertainty, with stochastic uncertainty arising from the many possible disruptions that could occur over the 10,000 yr regulatory period that applies to the WIPP and subjective uncertainty arising from the imprecision with which many of the quantities required in the PA are known. Important parts of this structure are (1) the use of Latin hypercube sampling to incorporate the effects of subjective uncertainty, (2) the use of Monte Carlo (i.e., random) sampling to incorporate the effects of stochastic uncertainty, and (3) the efficient use of the necessarily limited number of mechanistic calculations that can be performed to support the analysis. The use of Latin hypercube sampling generates a mapping from imprecisely known analysis inputs to analysis outcomes of interest that provides both a display of the uncertainty in analysis outcomes (i.e., uncertainty analysis) and a basis for investigating the effects of individual inputs on these outcomes (i.e., sensitivity analysis). The sensitivity analysis procedures used in the PA include examination of scatterplots, stepwise regression analysis, and partial correlation analysis. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results obtained as part of the 1996 WIPP PA are presented and discussed. Specific topics considered include two phase flow in the vicinity of the repository, radionuclide release from the repository, fluid flow and radionuclide transport in formations overlying the repository, and complementary cumulative distribution functions used in comparisons with regulatory standards (i.e., 40 CFR 191, Subpart B).

Falling water drops can collect particles and soluble or reactive vapor from the gas through which they fall. Rain is known to remove particles and vapors by the process of rainout. Water sprays can be used to remove radioactive aerosol from the atmosphere of a nuclear reactor containment building. There is a potential for water sprays to be used as a mitigation technique to remove chemical or bio- logical agents from the air. This paper is a quick-look at water spray removal. It is not definitive but rather provides a reasonable basic model for particle and gas removal and presents an example calcu- lation of sarin removal from a BART station. This work ~ a starting point and the results indicate that further modeling and exploration of additional mechanisms for particle and vapor removal may prove beneficial.

This report describes the Sandia activities in the developing field management approach to enhancing National Laboratories (Sandia) educational outreach of architectural and infrastructure surety, a risk the safety, security, and reliability of facilities, systems, and structures. It begins with a description of the field of architectural and infrastmcture surety, including Sandia's historical expertise and experience in nuclear weapons surety. An overview of the 1996 Sandia Workshop on Architectural SuretysM is then provided to reference the initiation of the various activities. This workshop established the need for a surety education program at the University level and recommended that Sandia develop the course material as soon as possible. Technical material was assembled and the course was offered at the University of New Mexico (UNM) during the 1997 spring semester. The bulk of this report accordingly summarizes the lecture material presented in this pioneering graduate-level course on Infrastructure Surety in the Civil Engineering Department at UNM. This groundbreaking class presented subject matter developed by experts from Sandia, and included additional information from guest lecturers from academia, government, and industry. Also included in this report are summaries of the term projects developed by the graduate students, an overview of the 1997 International Conference on Architectural Suretp: Assuring the Performance of Buildings and Injiastruchwes (co-sponsored by Sandia, the American Institute of Architects, and the American Society of Civil Engineers), and recommendations for further course work development. The U.S. Department of Energy provides support to this emerging field of architectural and infrastructure surety and recognizes its broad application to developing government, industry, and professional standards in the national interest.

The analysis presented herein predicts that, under signal-independent noise limited conditions, an Information-efficient Spectral Imaging Sensor (ISIS) style hyperspectral imaging system design can obtain significant signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and speed increase relative to a comparable traditional hyperspectral imaging (HSI) instrument. Factors of forty are reasonable for a single vector, and factors of eight are reasonable for a five-vector measurement. These advantages can be traded with other system parameters in an overall sensor system design to allow a variety of applications to be done that otherwise would be impossible within the constraints of the traditional HSI style design.

Several types of commercial fiber optic connectors were characterized for potential use in a Sandia designed Laser Diode Ignition (LDI) system. The characterization included optical performance while the connectors were subjected to the more dynamic environmental conditions experienced in weapons applications. The environmental testing included temperature cycling, random vibration, and mechanical shock. This report presents a performance assessment of the fiber optic connectors and fiber included in the characterization. The desirable design features are described for a fiber optic connector that must survive the dynamic environment of weapon systems. The more detailed performance of each connector type will be included as resources permit.

An experimental investigation has confirmed the predicted flow pattern in a prototype virtual cyclone, a novel device for nonimpact particle separation proposed by Torcdzynski and Rader (1996, 1997) based solely on computational simulations. The virtual cyclone differs from an ordinary cyclone in that the flow is turned by a virtual wall composed of an eddy rather than by a solid wall. A small-scale version of the computationally simulated geometry has been fabricated out of Lucite. The working fluid is ambient air, which is drawn through the apparatus and flow-metering equipment using a wind-tunnel vacuum source. The flow is seeded with smoke or water droplets produced by a nebulizer so that flow visualization techniques and particle-imaging velocimetry could be applied. Experiments have been performed on this apparatus for flows with Reynolds numbers from 200 up to 40,000 (a Mach number of 0.3). Flow visualization using a laser light sheet passing through the mid-plane of the apparatus verified that the computationally predicted flow is obtained over the entire range of flow rates. The shear layer between the main and recirculating flow is observed to become turbulent around a Reynolds number of 4000. While not changing the flow structure, the turbulent mixing produced by shear-layer roll-up limits particle concentration at the higher flow rates. In order to achieve highly efficient particle separation using a virtual cyclone, turbulence must be suppressed or mitigated. If laminar flow cannot be achieved for macroscopic-scale virtual cyclones, it should be achievable for a small-scale (low Reynolds number) virtual cyclone fabricated using MEMS-related technologies. This approach could lead to a chip-scale particle concentrator.

SAR imagery for coastline detection has many potential advantages over conventional optical stereoscopic techniques. For example, SAR does not have restrictions on being collected during daylight or when there is no cloud cover. In addition, the techniques for coastline detection witth SAR images can be automated. In this paper, we present the algorithmic development of an automatic coastline detector for use with SAR imagery. Three main algorithms comprise the automatic coastline detection algorithm, The first algorithm considers the image pre-processing steps that must occur on the original image in order to accentuate the land/water boundary. The second algorithm automatically follows along the accentuated land/water boundary and produces a single-pixel-wide coastline. The third algorithm identifies islands and marks them. This report describes in detail the development of these three algorithms. Examples of imagery are used throughout the paper to illustrate the various steps in algorithms. Actual code is included in appendices. The algorithms presented are preliminary versions that can be applied to automatic coastline detection in SAR imagery. There are many variations and additions to the algorithms that can be made to improve robustness and automation, as required by a particular application.

Dense systems of linear equations are quite common in many science and engineering applications. Such linear systems place extreme storage and computational demands on computer resources and, in many cases, may severely limit the subsequent analysis. A dense out-of-core solver (DOCS) that operates on a partitioned coefficient matrix can reduce the in-core storage requirements of the linear system while spreading the associated computational burden over multiple processors (which reduces run time as well). In this report, I describe a DOCS that operates on a partitioned coefficient matrix that maybe distributed over multiple external storage devices. I have implemented this solver using Message-Passing Interface (MPI) protocols. This report presents petiormance data from a series of run time trials that compare the run time of both sequential and parallel implementations of the DOCS.

The power conversion system (PCS) is a vital part of many energy storage systems. It serves as the interface between the storage device, an energy source, and an AC load. This report summarizes the results of an extensive study of state-of-the-art power conversion systems used for energy storage applications. The purpose of the study was to investigate the potential for cost reduction and performance improvement in these power conversion systems and to provide recommendations for fiture research and development. This report provides an overview of PCS technology, a description of several state-of-the-art power conversion systems and how they are used in specific applications, a summary of four basic configurations for l:he power conversion systems used in energy storage applications, a discussion of PCS costs and potential cost reductions, a summary of the stancku-ds and codes relevant to the technology, and recommendations for future research and development.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been developing a nuclear waste disposal facility, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located approximately 42 km east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The WIPP is designed to demonstrate the safe disposal of transuranic wastes produced by the defense nuclear-weapons program. Pefiormance assessment analyses (U.S. DOE, 1996) indicate that human intrusion by inadvertent and intermittent drilling for resources provide the only credible mechanisms for significant releases of radionuclides horn the disposal system. These releases may occur by five mechanisms: (1) cuttings, (2) cavings, (3) spallings, (4) direct brine releases, and (5) long- term brine releases. The first four mechanisms could result in immediate release of contaminant to the accessible environment. For the last mechanisq migration pathways through the permeable layers of rock above the Salado are important, and major emphasis is placed on the Culebra Member of the Rustler Formation because this is the most transmissive geologic layer in the disposal system. For reasons of initial quantity, half-life, and specific radioactivity, certain isotopes of T~ U, Am, and Pu would dominate calculated releases from the WIPP. In order to help quantifi parameters for the calculated releases, radionuclide transport experiments have been carried out using five intact-core columns obtained from the Culebra dolomite member of the Rustler Formation within the Waste Isolation Pilot Pknt (WIPP) site in southeastern New Mexico. This report deals primarily with results of analyses for 241Pu and 241Am distributions developed during transport experiments in one of these cores. All intact-core column transport experiments were done using Culebra-simukmt brine relevant to the core recovery location (the WIPP air-intake shaft - AK). Hydraulic characteristics (i.e., apparent porosity and apparent dispersion coefficient) for intact-core columns were obtained via experiments using conservative tracer `Na. Elution experiments carried out over periods of a few days with tracers `2U and `?Np indicated that these tracers were weakly retarded as indicated by delayed elution of these species. Elution experiments with tracers 24% and 24*Arn were performed, but no elution of either species was observed in any flow experiment to date, including experiments of many months' duration. In order to quanti~ retardation of the non-eluted species 24*Pu and 241Arn afler a period of brine flow, non-destructive and destructive analyses of an intact-core column were carried out to determine distribution of these actinides in the rock. Analytical results indicate that the majority of the 241Am is present very near the top (injection) surface of the core (possibly as a precipitate), and that the majority of the 241Pu is dispersed with a very high apparent retardation value. The 24]Pu distribution is interpreted using a single-porosity advection-dispersion model, and an approximate retardation value is reported for this actinide. The specific radionuclide isotopes used in these experiments were chosen to facilitate analysis. Even though these isotopes are not necessarily the same as those that are most important to WIPP performance, they are isotopes of the same elements, and their chemical and transport properties are therefore identical to those of isotopes in the inventory.

A large-scale field demonstration comparing final landfill cover designs has been constructed and is currently being monitored at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two conventional designs (a RCRA Subtitle `D' Soil Cover and a RCRA Subtitle `C' Compacted Clay Cover) were constructed side-by-side with four alternative cover test plots designed for dry environments. The demonstration is intended to evaluate the various cover designs based on their respective water balance performance, ease and reliability of construction, and cost. This paper presents an overview of the ongoing demonstration.

This report provides an overview of the results of the Vital Issues process as implemented for the Senegal Water Resources Management Initiative, a collaborative effort between the Senegalese Ministry of Water Resources and Sandia National Laboratories. This Initiative is being developed to assist in the development of an efficient and sustainable water resources management system for Senegal. The Vital Issues process was used to provide information for the development of a proposal that will recommend actions to address the key management issues and establish a state-of-the-art decision support system (DSS) for managing Senegal`s water resources. Three Vital Issues panel meetings were convened to (1) develop a goal statement and criteria for identifying and ranking the issues vital to water resources management in Senegal; (2) define and rank the issues, and (3) identify and prioritize a preliminary list of information needed to address the vital issues. The selection of panelists from the four basic institutional perspectives (government, industry, academe, and citizens` interest groups) ensured a high level of stakeholder representation on the panels.

Integrated Circuits (ICs) are being extensively used in commercial and government applications that have extreme consequences of failure. The rapid evolution of the commercial microelectronics industry presents serious technical and supplier challenges to this niche critical IC marketplace. This Roadmap was developed in conjunction with the Using ICs in Critical Applications Workshop which was held in Albuquerque, NM, November 11--12, 1997.

This report presents interpretations of hydraulic tests conducted at 15 well locations in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico between 1980 and 1996. The WIPP is a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility to demonstrate safe disposal of transuranic wastes arising form the nation`s defense programs. The WIPP repository lies within bedded halite of the Salado Formation, 2,155 ft below ground surface. The tests reported herein were, with two exceptions, conducted in the Culebra Dolomite member of the Rustler Formation, which overlies the Salado Formation. The remaining tests were conducted in the Magenta Member of the Rustler and in the overlying formation, the Dewey Lake Redbeds. This report completes the documentation of hydraulic-test interpretations used as input to the WIPP Compliance Certification Application (US DOE, 1996).

This paper presents a detailed explanation of the construction of an interest enabled database, also known as a database driven web site. The data contained in the internet enabled database are impact limiter material and seal properties. The technique used in constructing the internet enabled database presented in this paper are applicable when information that is changing in content needs to be disseminated to a wide audience.

In a number of recent studies the generation of mobile protons in the buried oxide of SOI materials and in thermal oxide buried underneath a poly-Si layer has been discussed. The protons are found to be stable and can be easily rearranged by applying an electric field. The details of the hydrogen reactions leading to the generation of the mobile H{sup +} are still under investigation. In a recent work a dynamic equilibrium model was presented. The forward reaction dominates above {approximately} 500 C and the resulting H{sup +} is mobile and entrapped inside the SiO{sub 2}. The electron is donated to the Si. The H{sup 0} is likely to be formed through H{sub 2} + K {Leftrightarrow} HK + H{sup 0}, where K is a cracking site. In the same work it was shown that the reactive hydrogen species enter the oxide from the device edges. Hence, the amount of the reactive species reaching the oxide by diffusion through the Si overlayer is negligible. These results seem to contradict earlier studies where it is shown that hydrogen can easily diffuse through the top Si layer under the given experimental conditions. The authors present here new details on hydrogen diffusion and chemistry during the protonation anneal that may offer an explanation for the hydrogen diffusion paradox. The new findings suggest that reactions at the ambient/SiO{sub 2} interface play a key role.

TOUGH2 is a porous media code which is widely-used for simulating flow and transport in fractured and porous media. TOUGH2 is generally employed using REV (Representative Elementary Volume) size elements or larger volumes. However, because TOUGH2 solves mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations, it can also be used for any size volumes as long as the proper constitutive relationships are included. The present paper discusses application of TOUGH2 to pore-scale modeling of enhanced vapor diffusion in porous media, and the changes and approximations that were employed.

Sandia is a National Security Laboratory providing scientific and engineering solutions to meet national needs for both government and industry. As part of this mission, the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center conducts research and development in robotics and intelligent machine technologies. An overview of Sandia`s mobile robotics research is provided. Recent achievements and future directions in the areas of coordinated mobile manipulation, small smart machines, world modeling, and special application robots are presented.

Intense ion beams may be the best option for an Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) driver. While light ions may be the long-term pulsed power approach to IFE, the current economic climate is such that there is no urgency in developing fusion energy sources. Research on light ion beams at Sandia will be suspended at the end of this fiscal year in favor of z-pinches studying ICF target physics, high yield fusion, and stewardship issues. The authors document the status of light ion research and the understanding of the feasibility of scaling light ions to IFE.

The Security Systems and Technology Center at Sandia National Laboratories has for many years been involved in the development and use of vulnerability assessment and risk analysis tools. In particular, two of these tools, ASSESS and JTS, have been used extensively for Department of Energy facilities. Increasingly, Sandia has been called upon to evaluate critical assets and infrastructures, support DoD force protection activities and assist in the protection of facilities from terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction. Sandia is involved in many different activities related to security and force protection and is expanding its capabilities by developing new risk analysis tools to support a variety of users. One tool, in the very early stages of development, is EnSURE, Engineered Surety Using the Risk Equation. EnSURE addresses all of the risk equation and integrates the many components into a single, tool-supported process to help determine the most cost-effective ways to reduce risk. This paper will briefly discuss some of these risk analysis tools within the EnSURE framework.

Amorphous carbon (a-C) films grow via energetic processes such as pulsed-laser deposition (PLD). The cold-cathode electron emission properties of a-C are promising for flat-panel display and vacuum microelectronics technologies. These ultrahard films consist of a mixture of 3-fold and 4-fold coordinated carbon atoms, resulting in an amorphous material with diamond-like properties. The authors study the structures of a-C films grown at room temperature as a function of PLD energetics using x-ray reflectivity, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. While an understanding of the electron emission mechanism in a-C films remains elusive, the onset of emission is typically preceded by conditioning where the material is stressed by an applied electric field. To simulate conditioning and assess its effect, the authors use the spatially-localized field and current of a scanning tunneling microscope tip. Scanning force microscopy shows that conditioning alters surface morphology and electronic structure. Spatially-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy indicates that the predominant bonding configuration changes from predominantly 4-fold to 3-fold coordination.

Both fundamental and practical aspects of ceramic joining are understood well enough for many, if not most, applications requiring moderate strengths at room temperature. This paper argues that the two greatest needs in ceramic joining are for techniques to join buried interfaces by selective heating, and methods for joining ceramics for use at temperatures of 800 to 1,200 C. Heating with microwave radiation or with high-energy electron beams has been used to join buried ceramic interfaces, for example SiC to SiC. Joints with varying levels of strength at temperatures of 600 to 1,000 C have been made using four techniques: (1) transient liquid phase bonding; (2) joining with refractory braze alloys; (3) joining with refractory glass compositions; and (4) joining using preceramic polymers. Joint strengths as high as 550 MPa at 1,000 C have been reported for silicon nitride-silicon nitride bonds tested in four-point flexure.

This part of the Short Course will review the basic mechanisms for radiation effects in semiconductor devices. All three areas of radiation damage will be considered -- total dose, displacement effects, and single event effects. Each of these areas will be discussed in turn. First an overview and background will be provided on the historical understanding of the damage mechanism. Then there will be a discussion of recent enhancements to the understanding of those mechanisms and an up-to-date picture provided of the current state of knowledge. Next the potential impact of each of these damage mechanisms on devices in emerging technologies and how the mechanisms may be used to understand device performance will be described, with an emphasis on those likely to be of importance in the new millennium. Finally some additional thoughts will be presented on how device scaling expected into the next century may impact radiation hardness.

Two models are commonly used to analyze gas-phase diffusion in porous media in the presence of advection, the Advective-Dispersive Model (ADM) and the Dusty-gas Model (DGM). The ADM, which is used in TOUGH2, is based on a simple linear addition of advection calculated by Darcy`s law and ordinary diffusion using Fick`s law with a porosity-tortuosity-gas saturation multiplier to account for the porous medium. Another approach for gas-phase transport in porous media is the Dusty-Gas Model. This model applies the kinetic theory of gases to the gaseous components and the porous media (or dust) to combine transport due to diffusion and advection that includes porous medium effects. The two approaches are compared in this paper.