Publications

Silicon nitride (hydrogenated) particles are synthesized using a pulsed 13.56 Mhz glow discharge. The plasma is modulated with a square-wave on/off cycle of varying period to study the growth kinetics. In situ laser light scattering and ex situ particle analysis are used to study the nucleation and growth. For SiH{sub 4}/Ar and SiH{sub 4}/NH{sub 3} plasmas, an initial very rapid growth phase is followed by slower growth, approaching the rate of thin film deposition on adjacent flat surfaces. The average particle size can be controlled in the 10-100 nm range by adjusting the plasma-on time. The size dispersion of the particles is large and is consistent with a process of continuous nucleation during the plasma-on period. The large polydispersity is also reported for silicon particles from silane and differs from that reported in other laboratories. The silicon nitride particle morphology is compared to that of silicon and silicon carbide particles generated by the same technique. Whereas Si particles appear as rough clusters of smaller subunits, the SiC particles are smooth spheres, and the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} particles are smooth but non-spherical. Post-plasma oxidation kinetics of the particles are studied with FTIR and are consistent with a hydrolysis mechanism proposed in earlier work with continuous plasmas. Heat treatment of the powder in an ammonia atmosphere results in the elimination of hydrogen, rendering the silicon nitride resistant to atmospheric oxidation.

Cooperative research is currently underway among five drill bit companies and Sandia National Laboratories to improve synthetic-diamond drill bits for hard-rock applications. This work, sponsored by the US Department of Energy and individual bit companies, is aimed at improving performance and bit life in harder rock than has previously been possible to drill effectively with synthetic-diamond drill bits. The goal is to extend to harder rocks the economic advantages seen in using synthetic-diamond drill bits in soft and medium rock formations. Four projects are being conducted under this research program. Each project is investigating a different area of synthetic diamond bit technology that builds on the current technology base and market interests of the individual companies involved. These projects include: optimization of the PDC claw cutter; optimization of the Track-Set PDC bit; advanced TSP bit development; and optimization of impregnated-diamond drill bits. This paper describes the progress made in each of these projects to date.

The Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Safeguards and Seals Evaluation Program is evaluating new fiber optic active seal technologies for use at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The goal of the program is to investigate active seal technologies that can monitor secured containers storing special nuclear materials (SNM) within DOE vaults. Specifically investigated were active seal technologies that can be used as tamper-indicating devices to monitor secured containers within vaults while personnel remain outside the vault area. Such a system would allow minimal access into vaults while ensuring container content accountability. The purpose of this report is to discuss tamper-indicating devices that were evaluated for possible DOE use. While previous seal evaluations (Phase I and II) considered overall facility applications, this discussion focuses specifically on their use in vault storage situations. The report will highlight general background information, specifications and requirements, and test procedures. Also discussed are the systems available from four manufacturers: Interactive Technologies, Inc., Fiber SenSys, Inc., Inovonics, Inc., and Valve Security Systems.

This paper describes the techniques used to resolve invalid connectivity created as a natural part of the whisker weaving algorithm. These techniques rely on the detection of {open_quotes}repeated hexes{close_quotes} in the STC data, which indicate face pairs which share two edges. The {open_quotes}repeated hex{close_quotes} case is described in detail, including the resolution technique by which a self-intersecting whisker sheet with two independent face loops are created. The algorithm used to construct the primal of an all-hexahedral mesh (i.e. the actual nodes and hex elements) from the connectivity data contained in the STC is also described. The primal is constructed using a {open_quotes}gift-wrapping{close_quotes} algorithm, where all the mesh edges and hexes containing a particular node are found by traversing between hexes already known to share the node. This algorithm is implemented inside the CUBIT code and is used to generate meshes for several example problems.

A first-principles approach to radiation hardness assurance was described that provides the technical background to the present US and European total-dose radiation hardness assurance test methods for MOS technologies, TM 1019.4 and BS 22900. These test methods could not have been developed otherwise, as their existence depends not on a wealth of empirical comparisons of IC data from ground and space testing, but on a fundamental understanding of MOS defect growth and annealing processes. Rebound testing should become less of a problem for advanced MOS small-signal electronics technologies for systems with total dose requirements below 50--100 krad(SiO{sub 2}) because of trends toward much thinner gate oxides. For older technologies with thicker gate oxides and for power devices, rebound testing is unavoidable without detailed characterization studies to assess the impact of interface traps on devices response in space. The QML approach is promising for future hardened technologies. A sufficient understanding of process effects on radiation hardness has been developed that should be able to reduce testing costs in the future for hardened parts. Finally, it is hoped that the above discussions have demonstrated that the foundation for cost-effective hardness assurance tests is laid with studies of the basic mechanisms of radiation effects. Without a diligent assessment of new radiation effects mechanisms in future technologies, one cannot be assured that the present generation of radiation test standards will continue to apply.

The SANDUS (SANdia Digital Underground System) waveform digitizing system was developed by the instrumentation development division in support of underground nuclear testing and first fielded in the late 70`s. This system has been successfully used for over a decade for the digitization of signals from DC to 10 Mhz. This report is intended to be a broad survey of the fundamental performance characteristics of the system. The data included herein were obtained from a small number of channels under a limited number of configurations and should provide the reader with the general range of performance parameters. As a survey, the laboratory and analytical procedures for the tests have not been detailed.

This report is a literature review on cast tooling with the general focus on AISI H13 tool steel. The review includes processing of both wrought and cast H13 steel along with the accompanying microstructures. Also included is the incorporation of new rapid prototyping technologies, such as Stereolithography and Selective Laser Sintering, into the investment casting of tool steel. The limiting property of using wrought or cast tool steel for die casting is heat checking. Heat checking is addressed in terms of testing procedures, theories regarding the mechanism, and microstructural aspects related to the cracking.

A series of ventilation experiments have been performed to assess the potential retention of diesel exhaust constituents in the North Ramp of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project`s Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF). Measurements were taken to help evaluate the potential impact of retained diesel exhaust constituents on future in-situ experiments and long-term waste isolation. Assessment of the diesel exhaust retention in the ESF North Ramp required the measurement of air velocities, meteorological measurements, quantification of exhaust constituents within the ventilation air stream, multiple gas sample collections, and on-line diesel exhaust measurements. In order to assess variability within specific measurements, the experiment was divided into three separate sampling events. Although somewhat variable from event to event, collected data appear to support pre-test assumptions of high retention rates for exhaust constituents within the tunnel. The results also show that complete air exchange in the ESF does not occur within the estimated 16 to 20 minutes derived from the ventilation flowrate measurements. Because the scope of work for these activities covered only measurement and acquisition of data, no judgment is offered by the author as to the implications of this work. Final analyses and decisions based upon the entire compendium of data associated with this investigation is being undertaken by the Repository and ESF Ventilation Design Groups of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project.

This report provides an overview of the fire safety experiments performed under the sponsorship of the German government in the containment building of the decommissioned pilot nuclear power plant known as HDR. This structure is a highly complex, multi-compartment, multi-level building which has been used as the test bed for a wide range of nuclear power plant operation safety experiments. These experiments have included numerous fire tests. Test fire fuel sources have included gas burners, wood cribs, oil pools, nozzle release oil fires, and cable in cable trays. A wide range of ventilation conditions including full natural ventilation, full forced ventilation, and combined natural and forced ventilation have been evaluated. During most of the tests, the fire products mixed freely with the full containment volume. Macro-scale building circulation patterns which were very sensitive to such factors as ventilation configuration were observed and characterized. Testing also included the evaluation of selective area pressurization schemes as a means of smoke control for emergency access and evacuation stairwells.

Extracting information from unstructured text has become an emphasis in recent years due to the large amount of text now electronically available. This status report describes the findings and work done by the end of the first year of a two-year LDRD. Requirements of the approach included that it model the information in a domain independent way. This means that it would differ from current systems by not relying on previously built domain knowledge and that it would do more than keyword identification. Three areas that are discussed and expected to contribute to a solution include (1) identifying key entities through document level profiling and preprocessing, (2) identifying relationships between entities through sentence level syntax, and (3) combining the first two with semantic knowledge about the terms.

This is our final report on Sandia National Laboratories Laboratory- Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project 3517.070. Its purpose has been to investigate lossless compression of digital waveform and image data, particularly the types of instrumentation data generated and processed at Sandia Labs. The three-year project period ran from October 1992 through September 1995. This report begins with a descriptive overview of data compression, with and without loss, followed by a summary of the activities on the Sandia project, including research at several universities and the development of waveform compression software. Persons who participated in the project are also listed. The next part of the report contains a general discussion of the principles of lossless compression. Two basic compression stages, decorrelation and entropy coding, are described and discussed. An example of seismic data compression is included. Finally, there is a bibliography of published research. Taken together, the published papers contain the details of most of the work and accomplishments on the project. This final report is primarily an overview, without the technical details and results found in the publications listed in the bibliography.

CUERVO is a finite element code that is designed for the solution of multi-dimensional field problems described by a general nonlinear, advection-diffusion equation. The code is also applicable to field problems described by diffusion, Poisson or Laplace equations. The finite element formulation and the associated numerical methods used in CUERVO are outlined here; detailed instructions for use of the code are also presented. Example problems are provided to illustrate the use of the code.

A fuel dispersal model for C-141 transport accidents was developed for the Defense Nuclear Agency`s Fuel Fire Technology Base Program to support Weapon System Safety Assessments. The spectrum of accidents resulting from aircraft impact on a runway was divided into three fuel dispersal regimes: low, intermediate, and high-velocity impact. Sufficient data existed in the accident, crash test, and fuel-filled bomb literature to support development of a qualitative framework for dispersal models, but not quantitative models for all regimes. Therefore, a test series at intermediate scale was conducted to generate data on which to base the model for the high-velocity regime. Tests were conducted over an impact velocity range from 12 m/s to 91 m/s and angles of impact from 22.5{degrees} to 67.5{degrees}. Dependent variables were area covered by dispersed fuel, amount of mass in that area, and location of the area relative to the impact line. Test results showed that no liquid pooling occurred for impact velocities greater than 61 m/s, independent of the angle of impact. Some pooling did occur at lower velocities, but in no test was the liquid-layer thickness greater than 5.25 mm.

As part of the High Consequence System Surety project, this work was undertaken to explore, one approach to conducting a surety theme analysis for a software-driven system. Originally, plans were to develop a theoretical approach to the analysis, and then to validate and refine this process by applying it to the software being developed for the Weight and Leak Check System (WALS), an automated nuclear weapon component handling system. As with the development of the higher level High consequence System surety Process, this work was not completed due to changes in funding levels. This document describes the software analysis process, discusses its application in a software, environment, and outlines next steps that could be taken to further develop and apply the approach to projects.

Passive optical components can be broken down into two main groups: Refractive elements and diffractive elements. With recent advances in manufacturing technologies, diffractive optical elements are becoming increasingly more prevalent in optical systems. It is therefore important to be able to understand and model the behavior of these elements. In this report, we present a thorough analysis of a completely general diffractive optical element (DOE). The main goal of the analysis is to understand the diffraction efficiency and power distribution of the various modes affected by the DOE. This is critical to understanding cross talk and power issues when these elements are used in actual systems. As mentioned, the model is based on a completely general scenario for a DOE. This allows the user to specify the details to model a wide variety of diffractive elements. The analysis is implemented straightforwardly in Mathematica. This report includes the development of the analysis, the Mathematica implementation of the model and several examples using the Mathematical analysis tool. It is intended that this tool be a building block for more specialized analyses.

The possibility of subsurface imaging using SAR technology has generated a considerable amount of interest in recent years. One requirement for the successful development of a subsurface imagin system is an understanding of how the soil affects the signal. In response to a need for an electromagnetic characterization of the soil properties, the Radar/Antenna department has developed a measurement system which determines the soils complex electric permittivity and magnetic permeability at UHF frequencies. The one way loss in dB is also calculated using the measured values. There are many reports of measurements of the electric properties of soil in the literature. However, most of these are primarily concerned with measuring only a real dielectric constant. Because some soils have ferromagnetic constituents it is desirable to measure both the electric and magnetic properties of the soil.

The chemical and radiation stability of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in the form of beads (B-PAN), similar to the beads of composite absorbers, and one selected composite absorber (ammonium molybdophosphate, the active component in PAN binder [AMP-PAN], a prospective candidate for the treatment of acidic wastes) were studied. Aqueous 1M HNO{sub 3} + 1M NaNO{sub 3}, 1M NaOH + 1M NaNO{sub 3}, and 1M NaOH were chosen as simulants of DOE acidic and alkaline wastes. In addition,radiation stability was determined indistilled water. The chemical stability of B-PAN and AMP-PAN beads was tested for a period up to one month of contact with the solution at ambient temperature. The radiation stability of the beads was checked in a radiation dose range 10{sup 3}--10{sup 6} Gy (10{sup 5}--10{sup 8} rads). In acidic solutions the stability of PAN binder was proved not to be limited by either chemical or radiation decomposition. PAN binder may thus be used for preparing composite absorbers for treatment of acid wastes from DOE facilities. The same conclusion is valid for alkaline solutions with pH up to 13. In highly alkaline solutions (concentration of NAOH higher than I M) and in the presence of NaNO{sub 3}, the stability of the tested polyacrylonitrile polymer was sufficient for applications not extending over 10 days. Cross-linking of the polymer caused by ionizing radiation was found to have a positive influence on chemical stability. This effect enables a longer period of applicability of PAN-based composite absorbers. Because of the high sorption rate achievable with PAN-based absorbers, the stability achieved is sufficient for most applications in the DOE complex. The chemical stability of binding polymer may also be further improved by testing another, more suitable type of polymer from the broad family of polyacrylonitrile polymers.

We study the evolution of layer morphology during the early stages of metal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto Si(100) via pyrolysis of Fe(CO){sub 5} below 250{degrees}C. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) shows that nuclei formation is limited by precursor dissociation which occurs on terraces, not at step sites. Also, the average size of clusters formed during CVD is larger than for Fe growth by evaporation (a random deposition process). Based on STM data and Monte Carlo simulations, we conclude that the CVD-growth morphology is affected by preferential dissociation of Fe(CO){sub 5} molecules at existing Fe clusters -- an autocatalytic effect. We demonstrate that nucleation kinetics can be used to control formation of metal nanostructures on chemically tailored surfaces. Reactive sites on Si (001) are first passivated by hydrogen. H atoms are locally removed by electron stimulated desorption using electrons emitted from the STM tip. Subsequent pyrolysis of Fe(CO){sub 5} leads to selective nucleation and growth of Fe films in the areas where H has been removed.

The computer program LEHGC is a Hybrid Lagrangian-Eulerian Finite-Element Model of HydroGeo-Chemical (LEHGC) Transport Through Saturated-Unsaturated Media. LEHGC iteratively solves two-dimensional transport and geochemical equilibrium equations and is a descendant of HYDROGEOCHEM, a strictly Eulerian finite-element reactive transport code. The hybrid Lagrangian-Eulerian scheme improves on the Eulerian scheme by allowing larger time steps to be used in the advection-dominant transport calculations. This causes less numerical dispersion and alleviates the problem of calculated negative concentrations at sharp concentration fronts. The code also is more computationally efficient than the strictly Eulerian version. LEHGC is designed for generic application to reactive transport problems associated with contaminant transport in subsurface media. Input to the program includes the geometry of the system, the spatial distribution of finite elements and nodes, the properties of the media, the potential chemical reactions, and the initial and boundary conditions. Output includes the spatial distribution of chemical element concentrations as a function of time and space and the chemical speciation at user-specified nodes. LEHGC Version 1.1 is a modification of LEHGC Version 1.0. The modification includes: (1) devising a tracking algorithm with the computational effort proportional to N where N is the number of computational grid nodes rather than N{sup 2} as in LEHGC Version 1.0, (2) including multiple adsorbing sites and multiple ion-exchange sites, (3) using four preconditioned conjugate gradient methods for the solution of matrix equations, and (4) providing a model for some features of solute transport by colloids.

Microelectronic cathode emitter technology being developed at Sandia for supplying continuous low current for flat panel displays appears to be a promising technology for providing high currents when operated in a pulsed, higher voltage mode. If currents in excess of one amp per square centimeter could be produced for tens of microseconds at several kilohertz repetition rate, important applications in such as large volume food or waste sterilization in situ detection, and high power microwave production could be achieved. A testbed was built to perform the experiments. The desired current densities have been demonstrated using small emitter arrays.

Chloride ion contamination at parts per billion concentrations plaques electrochemists studying barrier anodic aluminum oxide film growth and anodic aluminum oxide capacitor manufacturers. Chloride ion contamination slows film growth and reduces film quality. We have demonstrated that synthetic hydrocalcite substantially reduces the detrimental effects of chloride ion contamination in an aqueous electrolyte commonly used to grow barrier anodic aluminum oxide. We have determined that problems arise if precautions are not taken when using synthetic hydrocalcite as a chloride-ion getter in an aqueous electrolyte. Synthetic hydrocalcite is somewhat hydrophobic. If this powder is added directly to an aqueous electrolyte, some powder disperses; some floats to the top of the bath and forms scum that locally impedes anodic film formation. Commercially available powder contains a wide range of particle sizes including submicrometer-sized particles that can escape through filters into the electrolyte and cause processing problems. These problems can be over come if (1) the getter is placed in filter bags, (2) a piece of filter paper is used to skim trace amounts of getter floating on the top of the bath, (3) dummy runs are performed to scavenge chloride-ion loaded getter micelles dispersed in the bath, and (4) substrates are rinsed with a strong stream of deionized water to remove trace amounts of powder after anodization.

Sandia National Laboratories, sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Energy Management, conducts the photovoltaic balance-of-system program. Under this program, Sandia supports the Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research Development Plan, SERDP, which is advancing the use of photovoltaics in operational DoD facilities. This report details the acceptance testing of the first of these photovoltaic hybrid systems: the Superior Valley photovoltaic-diesel hybrid system. This is the first of several photovoltaic installations for the Department of Defense. The system hardware tested at Sandia included an inverter, maximum power trackers, and a system controller.

This report lists publications and presentations that are related to inertial confinement fusion and were authored or coauthored by Sandians in the Pulsed Power Sciences Center from 1989 through 1993. The 661 publications and presentations are categorized into the following general topics: (1) reviews, (2) ion sources, (3) ion diodes, (4) plasma opening switches, (5) ion beam transport, (6) targets and deposition physics, (7) advanced driver and pulsed power technology development, (8) diagnostics, and (9) code development. Research in these areas is arranged by topic in chronological order, with the early efforts under each topic presented first. The work is also categorized alphabetically by first author. A list of acronyms, abbreviations, and definitions of use in understanding light ion inertial confinement fusion research is also included.

Recent data collections with the Sandia VHF-UHF synthetic-aperture radar have yielded surprising results; trees appear brighter in the images than expected! In an effort to understand this phenomenon, various small trees have been measured on the Sandia folded compact range with the inverse-synthetic-aperture imaging system. A compilation of these measurements is contained in this report.

In September, 1994, Sandia`s Diversity Leadership and Education Outreach Center arid the Corporate Diversity Team commissioned a Diversity Action Team (DAT-Phase II) to address the area of team- work. The goal of this DAT was to identify ways to capitalize on the diversity of people to enhance team success at Sandia. Given a six- month lifetime and funding levels of 12 hours per person per month, we chose to accomplish our goal by gathering and analyzing data on the performance and diversity of Sandia teams and publishing this report of our findings. The work presented herein builds on earlier work of this team.