Award Data

Semivolatile organic matter is pervasive in the atmosphere. Its effect on the radiation balance of the earth depends on how this material is partitioned between the vapor and particle phases. Yet, no currently available instrumentation provides simultaneous, quantitative measurement of semivolatile organic vapor and particle phases at the molecular level. Previous work involved the development ...

This project will demonstrate a breakthrough detector for the readout of scintillators used for gamma ray detection in Nuclear Physics experiments. The new detector: (1) will overcome the quantum efficiency and high voltage limits of current photomultipliers (PMTs) and Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs); (2) will offer the possibility of improving scintillator detector resolution at least by a factor ...

Improved methods of neutron detection are needed not only for nuclear physics research but also for international control of weapons and neutron based therapies in medical applications. He-3 tube-based neutron detectors and planar solid-state neutron detectors are the two currently available technologies for thermal neutron detection. Although He-3 tube-based neutron detectors have efficiencies ...

Biodiesel is a clean-burning, renewable fuel produced from domestic agricultural sources (such as vegetable oils and animal fats) that can be blended with petroleum diesel and used by most compression-ignition (diesel) engines with few or no modifications. However, the availability of suitable agricultural fats and oils for biodiesel feedstock is limited, and is not expected to increase apace wit ...

Low-temperature superconductors have limited usefulness at very high magnetic fields or in high heat load applications, which are representative of some sections in future particle accelerators. In this project, the suitability of second generation (2G) high-temperature superconductor (HTS) wire will be explored for these environments. The characterization of this developing superconductor has b ...

Second generation high temperature superconductors BC50offer potential benefits for many electric power applications, including those that require filamentizated conductors with low ac loss, such as transformers and fault current limiters. However, the use of 2G wire in these applications requires the development of both novel multi-filamentary conductor designs with lower ac losses and advanced ...

Scanning Probe Microscopy, SPM, is a strategically vital tool for nanotechnology research, a 250 million dollars per year industry essential to such multibillion-dollar downstream industries as materials and pharmaceuticals. However, the single biggest drawback to SPM is its inability to obtain any chemical information on its samples. This drawback impacts DOE researchers in the Genome to Life p ...

Many critically important biological processes ¿ such as oxygen production during photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, biogenic hydrogen production, and the evolution of the bioavailability of heavy metal contaminants ¿ are associated with changes in the oxidation state of metal ions. The most effective technique for studying the chemistry of these dilute systems is synchrotron-based, fluorescenc ...

76205-Before hydrogen fuel can be economically produced by the bacterial fermentation of sugars and carbohydrates, increases in both the rate and yield of the process are required. Current processes exhibit modest rates and yields, which are only about one fourth that of competitive ethanol fuel fermentations. The target cost requirement is $1.50/kg hydrogen. This project will demonstrate that ...

Currently, most (85%) of the nation¿s energy requirements are met through burning fossil fuels, of which coal accounts for about 23% of current energy supplies. The ability to further exploit the nation¿s most abundant and lowest cost resource (coal) for meeting future energy needs will require that our power plants function safely and efficiently as they age. In turn, technologies are needed ...