Laboratory-directed research and development: FY 1996 progress report

This report summarizes the FY 1996 goals and accomplishments of Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) projects. It gives an overview of the LDRD program, summarizes work done on individual research projects, and provides an index to the projects` principal investigators. Projects are grouped by their LDRD component: Individual Projects, Competency Development, and Program Development. Within each component, they are further divided into nine technical disciplines: (1) materials science, (2) engineering and base technologies, (3) plasmas, fluids, and particle beams, (4) chemistry, (5) mathematics and computational sciences, (6) atomic and molecular physics, (7) geoscience, space science, and astrophysics, (8) nuclear and particle physics, and (9) biosciences

Laboratory directed research and development. FY 1995 progress report

This document presents an overview of Laboratory Directed Research and Development Programs at Los Alamos. The nine technical disciplines in which research is described include materials, engineering and base technologies, plasma, fluids, and particle beams, chemistry, mathematics and computational science, atmic and molecular physics, geoscience, space science, and astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics, and biosciences. Brief descriptions are provided in the above programs

Particle acceleration and synchrotron emission in blazars

The conclusion is that the observations support the idea that the synchrotron emitting electrons are being accelerated at a collisionless shock front in a disordered field.An optical and infrared observing programme which provides the most detailed information yet available for blazars is described. From this it is possible to make progress in understanding the physical processes which are occuring on the smallest scales within the emission region. Later theoretical calculations including a treatm ent of synchrotron emission incorporating losses and a realistic source geometry are presented together with a model of particle acceleration at relativistic shocks in disordered magnetic fields. The work contained in this thesis can explain the radiation and make predictions regarding future observations