A portable neutron coincidence counter

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has designed and constructed a prototype portable neutron coincidence counter intended for use in a variety of applications, such as the verification and inspection of weapons components, safety measurements for novel and challenging situations, portable portal deployment to prevent the transportation of fissile materials, uranium enrichment measurements in hard-to-reach locations, waste assays for objects that cannot be measured by existing measurement systems, and decontamination and decommissioning. The counting system weighs less than 40 kg and is composed of parts each weighing no more than 5 kg. In addition, the counter`s design is sufficiently flexible to allow rapid, reliable assembly around containers of nearly arbitrary size and shape. The counter is able to discern the presence of 1 kg of weapons-grade plutonium within an ALR-8 (30-gal drum) in roughly 100 seconds and 10 g in roughly 1000 seconds. The counter`s electronics are also designed for maximum adaptability, allowing operation under a wide variety of circumstances, including exposure to gamma-ray fields of 1 R/h. This report provides a detailed review of the design and construction process. Finally, preliminary experimental measurements that confirm the performance capabilities of this counter are discussed. 6 refs., 18 figs., 3 tabs

Sympathetic cooling and detection of molecular ions in a Penning trap

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Submicrometer Pattern Fabrication by Intensification of Instability in Ultrathin Polymer Films under a Water-Solvent Mix

Dewetting of ultrathin (< 100 nm) polymer films, by heating above the glass transition, produces droplets of sizes of the order of microns and mean separations between droplets of the order of tens of microns. These relatively large length scales are because of the weak destabilizing van der Waals forces and the high surface energy penalty required for deformations on small scales. We show a simple, one-step versatile method to fabricate sub-micron (>~100 nm) droplets and their ordered arrays by room temperature dewetting of ultrathin polystyrene (PS) films by minimizing these limitations. This is achieved by controlled room temperature dewetting under an optimal mixture of water, acetone and methyl-ethyl ketone (MEK). Diffusion of organic solvents in the film greatly reduces its glass transition temperature and the interfacial tension, but enhances the destabilizing field by introduction of electrostatic force. The latter is reflected in a change in the exponent, n of the instability length scale, {\lambda} ~h^n, where h is the film thickness and n = 1.51 \pm 0.06 in the case of water-solvent mix, as opposed to its value of 2.19 \pm 0.07 for dewetting in air. The net outcome is more than one order of magnitude reduction in the droplet size as well as their mean separation and also a much faster dynamics of dewetting. We also demonstrate the use of this technique for controlled dewetting on topographically patterned substrates with submicrometer features where dewetting in air is either arrested, incomplete or unable to produce ordered patterns

Process system evaluation-consolidated letters. Volume 1. Alternatives for the off-gas treatment system for the low-level waste vitrification process

This report provides an evaluation of alternatives for treating off-gas from the low-level waste (LLW) melter. The study used expertise obtained from the commercial nonradioactive off-gas treatment industry. It was assumed that contact maintenance is possible, although the subsequent risk to maintenance personnel was qualitatively considered in selecting equipment. Some adaptations to the alternatives described may be required, depending on the extent of contact maintenance that can be achieved. This evaluation identified key issues for the off-gas system design. To provide background information, technology reviews were assembled for various classifications of off-gas treatment equipment, including off-gas cooling, particulate control, acid gas control, mist elimination, NO{sub x} reduction, and SO{sub 2} removal. An order-of-magnitude cost estimate for one of the off-gas systems considered is provided using both the off-gas characteristics associated with the Joule-heated and combustion-fired melters. The key issues identified and a description of the preferred off-gas system options are provided below. Five candidate treatment systems were evaluated. All of the systems are appropriate for the different melting/feed preparations currently being considered. The lowest technical risk is achieved using option 1, which is similar to designs for high-level waste (HLW) vitrification in the Hanford Waste Vitrification Project (HWVP) and the West Valley. Demonstration Project. Option 1 uses a film cooler, submerged bed scrubber (SBS), and high-efficiency mist eliminator (HEME) prior to NO{sub x} reduction and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration. However, several advantages were identified for option 2, which uses high-temperature filtration. Based on the evaluation, option 2 was identified as the preferred alternative. The characteristics of this option are described below

Dual-gas tracers for subsurface characterization and NAPL detection

Effective design of in situ remediation technologies often requires an understanding of the mass transfer limitations that control the removal of contaminants from the soil. In addition, the presence of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in soils will affect the ultimate success or failure of remediation processes. Knowing the location of NAPLs within the subsurface is critical to designing the most effective remediation approach. This work focuses on demonstrating that gas tracers can detect the location of the NAPLs in the subsurface and elucidating the mass transfer limitations associated with the removal of contaminants from soils