[en] EXOSAT, the European Space Agency's first x-ray astronomy satellite which was launched last year, has sent back information on x-ray sources. The article briefly discusses the observations made by the satellite concerning Cygnus x-1 and the galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. EXOSAT is the first x-ray astronomy satellite to be operated in a deep space orbit

[en] This document provides the results of Human Factors Engineering reviews for the Fuel Transfer System project design

[en] Oil and Gas Companies and their service providers are demanding significantly more bandwidth between their offshore rig locations and their project offices to support real time data applications and video conferencing. SLB Data Marine Systems developed proprietry satellite technology in the North Sea, to allow satellite bandwidth to be 'shared' amongst a population of offshore platforms or vessels and for individual sites to 'pull down' this bandwidth on a demand basis.As well as meeting the new demands of the oil industry with regard to cost effectively transporting these new 'rig to office' applications, this same bandwidth can be used to support telemedicine or distant learning

[en] We address the question of the order of the deconfinement phase transition of four dimensional U(1) lattice gauge theory. Simulations of the Z-gauge theory dual to the Villain action on toroidal lattices up to lattice sizes of 28⁴ give results consistent with both, a vanishing and a nonvanishing discontinuity in the thermodynamic limit. A decision on the order of the phase transition requires still larger lattice sizes

[en] The recently developed meron-cluster algorithm completely solves the exponentially difficult sign problem for a number of models previously inaccessible to numerical simulation. We use this algorithm in a high-precision study of a model of N=1 flavor of staggered fermions in (2+1) dimensions with a four-fermion interaction. This model cannot be explored using standard algorithms. We find that the Z(2) chiral symmetry of this model is spontaneously broken at low temperatures and that the finite-temperature chiral phase transition is in the universality class of the 2D Ising model, as expected

[en] Numerous steam generators have experienced tube deformation or denting at support plate intersections due to localized mechanical forces exerted by a magnetite corrosion product within tube and carbon steel support plate annulus. In extreme cases, this denting has led to the early replacement of some steam generators, i.e., Surry and Turkey Point. In addition to monitoring the steam generator for tube wall degradation it has become apparent that it is also desirable to monitor the condition of dented tube-support plate intersections during scheduled inservice inspections. To this end, the acquisition of accurate and reliable information with regards to dent shape is important in establishing tube strain and identifying dent growth rates. This report summarizes the results of a round-robin evaluation conducted in 1983 using then available state-of-the-art technology for assessing dented tubes. More specifically, the capability of various systems for profiling and providing estimates of tube inner diameter on known dent shapes was demonstrated

[en] On June 11, 1999 the Department of Energy dedicated the single largest piece of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California. The ten (10) meter diameter aluminum target high vacuum chamber will serve as the working end of the largest laser in the world. The output of 192 laser beams will converge at the precise center of the chamber. The laser beams will enter the chamber in two by two arrays to illuminate 10 millimeter long gold cylinders called hohlraums enclosing 2 millimeter capsule containing deuterium, tritium and isotopes of hydrogen. The two isotopes will fuse, thereby creating temperatures and pressures resembling those found only inside stars and in detonated nuclear weapons, but on a minute scale. The NIF Project will serve as an essential facility to insure safety and reliability of our nation's nuclear arsenal as well as demonstrating inertial fusion's contribution to creating electrical power. The paper will discuss the requirements that had to be addressed during the design, fabrication and testing of the target chamber. A team from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and LLNL with input from industry performed the configuration and basic design of the target chamber. The method of fabrication and construction of the aluminum target chamber was devised by Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. (PDM). PDM also participated in the design of the chamber in areas such as the Target Chamber Realignment and Adjustment System, which would allow realignment of the sphere laser beams in the event of earth settlement or movement from a seismic event. During the fabrication of the target chamber the sphericity tolerances had to be addressed for the individual plates. Procedures were developed for forming, edge preparation and welding of individual plates. Construction plans were developed to allow the field construction of the target chamber to occur parallel to other NIF construction activities. This was necessary to achieve the overall schedule. Plans had to be developed for the precise location and alignment of laser beam ports. Upon completion of the fabrication of the aluminum target chamber in a temporary structure the 130 ton sphere was moved from the temporary construction enclosure to its final location in the target building. Prior to the installation of a concrete shield and after completion of the welding of the chamber penetrations vacuum leak checking was performed to insure the vacuum integrity of target chamber. The entire spherical chamber external surface supports a 40 cm thick reinforced concrete shield after installation in the target building. The final task is a total survey of the laser ports and the contour machining of spacer plates so that laser devices attached to these ports meet the alignment criteria

[en] We examine a (3+1)-dimensional model of staggered lattice fermions with a four-fermion interaction and Z(2) chiral symmetry using the Hamiltonian formulation. This model cannot be simulated with standard fermion algorithms because those suffer from a very severe sign problem. We use a new fermion simulation technique -- the meron-cluster algorithm -- which solves the sign problem and leads to high-precision numerical data. We investigate the finite temperature chiral phase transition and verify that it is in the universality class of the 3-d Ising model using finite-size scaling

[en] This book is in two parts. The first is a Code of Practice for the Safe Operation of Critical Assemblies and Research Reactors, prepared as a result of a meeting of experts which took place in Vienna on 20-24 May 1968. The Code has been prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency in co-operation with the World Health Organization, and its publication is sponsored by both organizations. In addition, the Code was approved by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency on 16 December 1968 as part of the Agency's safety standards, which are applied to operations undertaken by Member States with the assistance of the Agency. The Board, in approving the publication of the present book, also recommended Member States to take the Code into account in the formulation of national regulations and recommendations. The second part of the book is a Technical Appendix to give information and illustrative samples that would be helpful in implementing the Code of Practice. This second part, although published under the same cover, is not part of the Code. An extensive Bibliography, amplifying the Technical Appendix, is included at the end.

[en] Sulfur isotope effects during the oxidation of thiosulfate by Thiobacillus versutus were found to be negligible. This result is considered in relation to other oxidative and reductive processes to assess which reactions are most likely to control the isotopic compositions of sulfur compounds in microbial sulfureta