Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report, Third Quarter (September To November 2001), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV AAA proposal and Statement of Work for the Third Quarter.

The UNLV AAA UPP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) to ensure that work conducted under the UNLV AAA UPP meets program objectives. The UNLV AAA UPP consists of three components: Program Support, Research Infrastructure Augmentation, and Student Research.

Scroll Waves In The Presence Of Slowly Varying Anisotropy With Application To The Heart, S. Setayeshgar, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider the dynamics of scroll waves in the presence of rotating anisotropy, a model of the left ventricle of the heart in which the orientation of fibers in successive layers of tissue rotates. By choosing a coordinate system aligned with the fiber rotation and studying the phase dynamics of a straight but twisted scroll wave, we derive a Burgers’ equation with forcing associated with the fiber rotation rate. We present asymptotic solutions for scroll twist, verified by numerics, using a realistic fiber distribution profile. We make connection with earlier numerical and analytical work on scroll dynamics.

Open Source Software: A History, David Bretthauer

Published Works

In the 30 years from 1970-2000, open source software began as an assumption without a name or a clear alternative. It has evolved into a sophisticated movement which has produced some of the most stable and widely used software packages ever produced. This paper traces the evolution of three operating systems: GNU, BSD, and Linux, as well as the communities which have evolved with these systems and some of the commonly-used software packages developed using the open source model. It also discusses some of the major figures in open source software, and defines both “free software” and “open source software.”

Nuclear Criticality Analyses Of Separations Processes For The Transmutation Fuel Cycle: Quaterly Report, William Culbreth, Pang Tao

Separations Campaign (TRP)

During the first quarter of the work, the tasks included training students in the use of Monte Carlo codes used in radiation transport studies and the assessment of neutron multiplication factors for specific problems outlined by ANL-East through Drs. Laidler and Vandegrift.

The proposal also included objectives for the first year of work on this project, as listed below. The work conducted in the first quarter of the project was in partial completion of these objectives.

• Train UNLV students in the use of SCALE and/or MCNP for the assessment of nuclear criticality.

• Assess neutron multiplication factor, k_{eff …}

Radiation Transport Modeling Of Beam-Target Experiments For The Aaa Project: Quaterly Report, William Culbreth

Reactor Campaign (TRP)

The national development of technology to transmute nuclear waste depends upon the generation of high energy neutrons produced by proton spallation. Proton accelerators, such as LANSCE at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, are capable of producing 800 MeV protons. By bombarding a lead/bismuth target, each proton may generate 500 or more neutrons that can activate fission products or induce the fission of transuranic isotopes.

The Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNPX developed at LANL is an important tool in the design of transmuter technology. It must be validated, however, for the neutron energy that will be employed. Experiments are being …

Measuring The Speed Of Sound Of Quintessence, Christian Armendariz-Picon, Joel K. Erickson, R. R. Caldwell, Paul J. Steinhardt, V. Mukhanov

Physics - All Scholarship

Quintessence, a time-varying energy component that may account for the accelerated expansion of the universe, can be characterized by its equation of state and sound speed. In this paper, we show that if the quintessence density is at least one percent of the critical density at the surface of last scattering the cosmic microwave background anisotropy can distinguish between models whose sound speed is near the speed of light versus near zero, which could be useful in distinguishing competing candidates for dark energy.

Development Of Cfl-Free, Explicit Schemes For Multidimensional Advection-Reaction Equations, Hong Wang, Jiangguo Liu

Faculty Publications

We combine an Eulerian–Lagrangian approach and multiresolution analysis to develop unconditionally stable, explicit, multilevel methods for multidimensional linear hyperbolic equations. The derived schemes generate accurate numerical solutions even if large time steps are used. Furthermore, these schemes have the capability of carrying out adaptive compression without introducing mass balance error. Computational results are presented to show the strong potential of the numerical methods developed.

Ratio Of Isolated Photon Cross Sections In Pp̅ Collisions At √S = 630 And 1800 Gev, V. M. Abazov, Gregory R. Snow, D0 Collaboration

Gregory Snow Publications

The inclusive cross section for production of isolated photons has been measured in pp̅ collisions at √s = 630 GeV with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The photons span a transverse energy (E_T) range from 7–49 GeV and have pseudorapidity∣η∣ < 2.5. This measurement is combined with the previous D0 result at √s = 1800 GeV to form a ratio of the cross sections. Comparison of next-to-leading-order QCD with the measured cross section at 630 GeV and the ratio of cross sections show satisfactory agreement in most of the E_T range.

Laser Intensity Scaling Through Stimulated Scattering In Optical Fibers, Timothy H. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

The influence of stimulated scattering on laser intensity in fiber optic waveguides is examined. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in long, multimode optical waveguides is found to generate a Stokes beam that propagates in the fiber LP01 mode. Additionally, the same process is found to combine multiple laser beams into a single spatially coherent source. Limitations in beam cleanup and combining are also investigated to identify ways to overcome them. The last portion of the dissertation theoretically examines suppression of stimulated Raman scattering in fibers to eliminate the restriction this imposes on the power of a fiber laser or amplifier. The …

Accuracy And Limitations Of Localized Green’S Function Methods For Materials Science Applications, Duane D. Johnson, Andrei V. Smirnov

Duane D. Johnson

We compare screened real-space and reciprocal-space implementations of Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker electronic-structure method for their applicability to largescale problems requiring various levels of accuracy. We show that real-space calculations in metals can become impractical to describe energies. We suggest a combined r- and k-space scheme as the most efficient and flexible strategy for accurate energy calculations. Our hybrid code is suitable for (parallel) large-scale calculations involving complex, multicomponent systems. We also discuss how details of numerical procedures can affect accuracy of such calculations.

Introduction To Effective Lagrangians For Qcd, Joseph Schechter

Physics - All Scholarship

A brief introduction to the effective Lagrangian treatment of QCD (in the sense of using fields representing physical particles rather than quarks and gluons) will be given. The historical evolution of the subject will be discussed. Some background material related to a recent model for Gamma Ray Bursters will be given. Finally, some recent work on low energy strong interactions will be mentioned.

Origins Of Nonstoichiometry And Vacancy Ordering In Sc1-X□Xs, Gus L. W. Hart, Alex Zunger

Faculty Publications

Whereas nearly all compounds AnBm obey Dalton's rule of integer stoichiometry (n:m, both integer), there is a class of systems, exemplified by the rocksalt structure Sc1-x□xS, that exhibits large deviations from stoichiometry via vacancies, even at low temperatures. By combining first-principles total energy calculations with lattice statistical mechanics, we scan an astronomical number of possible structures, identifying the stable ground states. Surprisingly, all have the same motifs: (111) planes with (112) vacancy rows arranged in (110) columns. Electronic structure calculations of the ground states (identified out of ~3 × 10^6 structures) reveal the remarkable origins of nonstoichiometry.

A New Cryptanalytic Method Using The Distribution Characteristics Of Substitution Distances, B. Song, H. Wang, Jennifer Seberry

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

In this paper, we suggest a new method for cryptanalysis of the basic structures of the block ciphers having SP network structure. The concept of the substitution difference is introduced and the distribution characteristics of substitution distances in an S-box is developed. This gives clues for cryptanalysis of the cipher. We then examine if this method is applicable to cryptanalysis of Rijndael. We present the method for cryptanalysis of the first round of Rijndael including the initial Round-Key addition part in order to illustrate our new method.

Night Out Itinerary Creator, Jennifer Hood

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Search For Quark-Lepton Compositeness And A Heavy W′ Boson Using The Eν Channel In Pp̅ Collisions At √S = 1.8 Tev, T. Affolder, Kenneth A. Bloom, Collider Detector At Fermilab Collaboration

Kenneth Bloom Publications

We present searches for quark-lepton compositeness and a heavy W′ boson at high electron-neutrino transverse mass. We use ~110 pb^-1 of data collected in pp̅ collisions at √s= 1.8 TeV by the CDF Collaboration during 1992–1995. The data are consistent with standard model expectations. Limits are set on the quark-lepton compositeness scale Λ, the ratio of partial cross sections σ (W′ → eν)/ σ (W → eν), and the mass of a W′ boson with standard model couplings. We exclude Λ< 2.81 TeV and a W′ boson with mass below 754 GeV/c² at the 95% …

Search For New Physics Using Quaero: A General Interface To D0 Event Data, V. M. Abazov, Gregory R. Snow, D0 Collaboration

Gregory Snow Publications

We describe QUAERO, a method that (i) enables the automatic optimization of searches for physics beyond the standard model, and (ii) provides a mechanism for making high energy collider data generally available. We apply QUAERO to searches for standard model WW, ZZ , and tt̅ production, to searches for these objects produced through a new heavy resonance, and to the first direct search for W′→ WZ. Through this interface, we make three data sets collected by the D0 experiment at √s =1.8 TeV publicly available.

Reduced Order Modeling For High Speed Flows With Moving Shocks, David J. Lucia

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) for reduced order modeling (ROM) of fluid problems is extended to high-speed compressible fluid flows. The challenge in using POD for high-speed flows is presented by the presence of moving discontinuities in the flow field. To overcome these difficulties, a domain decomposition approach is developed that isolates the region containing the moving shock wave for special treatment. The domain decomposition implementation produces internal boundaries between the various domain sections. The domains are linked using optimization-based solvers which employ constraints to ensure smoothness in overlapping portions of the internal boundary. This approach is applied …

Water Current, Volume 33, No. 6. December 2001

Water Current Newsletter

• “Daisy Well System” Promising Way for Small Communities to Fight Nitrates by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• Water and the NRCS…All Encompassing Topics by Steve Chick

• Variety and Current Issues Punctuate Spring Water and Natural Resources Seminar by Steve Ress

• Integrated Water Management Options in the Nebraska Ground Water Management & Protection Act by J. David Aiken

• Arkansas Researchers Study Water Quality on Nebraska Tribal Lands by Ralph Davis and Shelley McGinnis

• Platte River Policy Preferences by Raymond J. Supalla

• Water News Briefs

Seafloor Characterization From Spatial Variation Of Multibeam Backscatter Vs. Grazing Angle, Tianhang Hou, Lloyd C. Huff, Yuri Rzhanov, Larry A. Mayer

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Backscatter vs. grazing angle, which can be extracted from multibeam backscatter data, depend on characteristics of the multibeam system and the angular responses of backscatter that are characteristic of different seafloor properties, such as sediment hardness and roughness. Changes in backscatter vs. grazing angle that are contributed by the multibeam system normally remain fixed over both space and time. Therefore, they can readily be determined and removed from backscatter data. The variation of backscatter vs. grazing angle due to the properties of sediments will vary from location to location, as sediment type changes. The sediment component of variability can be …

Methanesulfonate In The Firn Of King George Island, Antarctica, Jiankang Han, Zichu Xie, Xinping Zhang, Dongsheng Dai, Paul Andrew Mayewski, M. S. Twickler

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

Methanesulfonate was investigated as a potential contributor to the sulfur budget, based on analysis of a firn core from Collins Ice Cap, King George Island, Antarctica (62°10' S, 58°50' W). The anion was found to be present at a mean concentration of 0.17 μeq L^-1, with a maximum of 0.73 μeq L^-1. Dating based on the δ¹⁸O profile suggests that the principal peaks of methanesulfonate are associated with snow deposited in summer and autumn. A careful examination of MSA, SO₄^2-and nssSO₄^2- profiles indicates that two of the three peaks …

Discrete Maximum Principle For Nonsmooth Optimal Control Problems With Delays, Boris S. Mordukhovich, Ilya Shvartsman

Mathematics Research Reports

We consider optimal control problems for discrete-time systems with delays. The main goal is to derive necessary optimality conditions of the discrete maximum principle type in the case of nonsmooth minimizing functions. We obtain two independent forms of the discrete maximum principle with transversality conditions described in terms of subdifferentials and superdifferentials, respectively. The superdifferential form is new even for non-delayed systems and may be essentially stronger than a more conventional subdifferential form in some situations.

The Cataclysmic Variable Cw 1045+525: A Secondary-Dominated Dwarf Nova?, C. Tappert, J. R. Thorstensen, W. H. Fenton, N. Bennert, L. Schmidtobreick, A. Bianchini

Physics

We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable CW 1045+525. Both the optical spectrum and the photometric lightcurve show a strong contribution of a K5V-M0V secondary. We derive an orbital period d by measuring the radial velocities of the absorption lines of the secondary. The period and spectral type of the secondary suggest a distance of 350-700 pc. There is evidence for additional sources of line- and continuum emission, but no direct evidence of an accretion disc. We discuss several scenarios for the nature of CW 1045+525 on the basis of our results, finding a dwarf nova classification …

Computer Sound Card Assisted Measurements Of The Acoustic Doppler Effect For Accelerated And Unaccelerated Sound Sources, Thomas J. Bensky, S. E. Frey

Physics

An approach to experimentally measuring the speed of a moving object by direct application of the Doppler effect for sound is discussed. The method presented here uses a Windows computer and sound card to record Doppler shifted sound from a moving source. This sound card approach allows for direct acquisition of Doppler shifted sound intensity as a function of time, affording much analytical and pedagogical freedom in undergraduate lab instruction. In addition, the acquisition of such data allows for the experimental study of not only constant velocity sound sources, but of accelerated sound sources as well.

Slowstart Congestion Control For Fine-Grained Layered Multicast, Khalid Shaheen

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Anatomy And Three-Dimensional Reconstructions Of The Brain Of A Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) From Magnetic Resonance Images, Lori Marino, Keith D. Sudheimer, Timothy L. Murphy, Kristina K. Davis, D. Ann Pabst, William A. Mclellan, James K. Rilling, John I. Johnson

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Cetacean (dolphin, whale, and porpoise) brains are among the least studied mammalian brains because of the formidability of collecting and histologically preparing such relatively rare and large specimens. Magnetic resonance imaging offers a means of observing the internal structure of the brain when traditional histological procedures are not practical. Furthermore, internal structures can be analyzed in their precise anatomic positions, which is difficult to accomplish after the spatial distortions often accompanying histological processing. In this study, images of the brain of an adult bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, were scanned in the coronal plane at 148 antero-posterior levels. From these scans …

Atomic And Electronic Structure Of Co/Srtio3/Co Tunnel Junctions, Ivan I. Oleinik, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, David G. Pettifor

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

First-principles density-functional calculations of the atomic and electronic structure of Co/SrTiO₃ /Co (001) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ’s) are performed. Different interface terminations are considered and the most stable structure with the TiO₂ termination is identified based on energetics of adhesion. The calculated electronic structure of the TiO₂-terminated MTJ shows an exchange coupling between the interface Co and Ti atoms mediated by oxygen. This coupling induces a magnetic moment of 0.25 µ_B on the interface Ti atom, which is aligned antiparallel to the magnetic moment of the Co layer. We argue that this might cause an …

Active Information Retrieval, Tommi Jaakkola, Hava Siegelmann

Hava Siegelmann

In classical large information retrieval systems, the system responds to a user initiated query with a list of results ranked by relevance. The users may further refine their query as needed. This process may result in a lengthy correspondence without conclusion. We propose an alternative active learning approach, where the system responds to the initial user’s query by successively probing the user for distinctions at multiple levels of abstraction. The system’s initiated queries are optimized for speedy recovery and the user is permitted to respond with multiple selections or may reject the query. The information is in each case unambiguously …

An Investigation Of The Rank Transformation In Multple Regression, Todd C. Headrick, Ourania Rotou

Todd Christopher Headrick

Real world data often fail to meet the underlying assumptions of normal statistical theory. The rank transformation (RT) procedure is recommended and used in the context of multiple regression analysis when the assumption of normality is violated. There is no general supporting theory of the RT. In view of this, the current study examined the Type I error and power properties of the RT in terms of multiple regression. The investigation included both additive and nonadditive models. Results indicated that there were severely inflated Type I error rates associated with the RT procedure under both normal and nonnormal distributions (e.g., …

Metaxpath, Curtis Dyreson, Michael H. Böhen, Christian S. Jensen

Curtis Dyreson

This paper presents the METAXPath data model and query language. METAXPath extends XPath with support for XML metadata. XPath is a specification language for locations in an XML document it serves as the basis for XML query languages like XSLT and the XML Query Algebra.

The METAXPath data model is a nested XPath tree. Each level of metadata induces a new level of nesting. The data model separates metadata and data into different data spaces, supports meta-metadata and enables sharing of metadata common to a group of nodes without duplication. The METAXPath query language has a level shift operator to …

Challenges For The New West: Economic Impacts Of Wilderness In Nevada's Rural Counties, Lesley Regina Argo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Public lands designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System are removed from multiple-use management for protection of their natural condition. Opponents argue that "locking up" the natural resources on these lands through designation will undermine the rural economies in the west that are dependent upon extractive industries such as mining and logging. Proponents argue that the "Old West" reliance on extractive industries is declining and, in the "New West", wilderness promotes economic development in rural communities by preserving the amenity values that draw population and employment to the region. Characteristics of Nevada's economy, population and land challenge the …