Award Data

Neutron-sensitive microchannel Plates (MCPs) are now providing state-of-the-art user-based, high spatial resolution neutron imaging systems at several US government neutron research facilities as well as university research reactors. Using enriched 10B, thermalized neutron detection efficiencies exceeding 50% have been demonstrated, and cold neutron detection efficiencies of up to 70% have been do ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program aims at development and demonstration of an integrated theoretically/experimentally combinatorial method for the accurate prediction of rheological behaviors of special polymer solutions. In-depth understandings of dynamic responses of the polymer solutions under external shear are essential for development of the “smart” polymer-based add ...

The cost of high power RF sources exceeds available funding for several large accelerator systems. The ILC, for example, will require more than 700 multiple beam klystrons. The complexity of the klystron currently requires hundreds of individually machined parts, in addition to tens of bonding processes. The high cost is preventing construction of new accelerator systems. Calabazas Creek Research ...

The Neutron Spin Echo (NSE) method has provided unique information about the dynamics of soft materials, including confirmation of the de Gennes model of polymer reptation, and quantitative measurement of the bending constants of various membranes. In almost all cases these measurements have been made at small neutron scattering angles, where structural correlations with length scales between 10 n ...

Although thermal and cold neutron scattering is widely used, and is critical for success in many areas of materials science and engineering, relatively low neutron fluxes severely limit applications of not only laboratory neutrons generators, but also large national neutron facilities. State-of-the-art thermal and cold neutron sources are large expensive national facilities, which serve diverse co ...

For economically viable large-scale production of microalgae based food and biofuel to become a reality, significant improvements in algal productivity need to be achieved. With current regulatory guidelines, large scale outdoor cultivation of microalgae for these products restricts the use of transgenic algal strains, which in the laboratory, have thus far been the primary strategy taken to effec ...

Next generation reactor R&D aims to improve overall safety, efficiency, sustainability, and proliferation resistance for economically viable nuclear energy. New reactor design and fuel development rely on novel materials that are resistant to both radiation damage and corrosive environments. However, American nuclear fuel developers face a serious dilemma: there are no existing domestic fast react ...

One of the most exciting recent developments in superconducting RF technology has been the discovery of a nitrogen-doping process which can reliably increase the superconducting quality factor of niobium resonators well above 1010 at high frequency (>1 GHz). This process is now well demonstrated in particular for TESLA-style 9-cell cavities at 1.3 GHz. Nitrogen doping is part of the plan for the p ...

This project will develop a flexible longitudinal electron optical system based on high-precision radio-frequency cavities for short and intense electron bunch compressions, both in the energy and time domains. The proposed system is designed to be insertable into an existing transmission electron microscope column to upgrade its temporal resolution. Active phase-space control enables broad ranges ...

The discovery of large shale gas reserves in recent years has resulted in the reduction of natural gas price and a need to develop new applications for the available resource. Upgrading shale gas to liquid fuels which are more easily transportable and have greater economic value can result in significant benefits to the US. Coupled with this challenging problem the DOE has a goal of further develo ...