A new method for constructing probability tables in the Unresolved Resonance Region (URR) has been developed. This new methodology is an extensive modification of the Single-Level Breit-Wigner (SLBW) resonance-pair sequence method commonly used to generate probability tables in the URR. Using a Monte Carlo process, many resonance-pair sequences are generated by sampling the average resonance parameter data for the unresolved resonance region from the ENDF data file. The resonance parameters are then converted to the Reich-Moore format to take advantage of the more robust R-Matrix Limited (RML) format. For each sampled set of resonance-pair sequences, the temperature-dependent cross sections are calculated on a small grid around the energy of reference using the RML formalism and the Leal-Hwang Doppler broadening methodology. The effective cross sections calculated at the energy of reference are then used to construct probability tables in the unresolved resonance region. The RML cross section reconstruction algorithm has been rigorously tested for a variety of isotopes, including O-16, F-19, Cl-35, Fe-56, Cu-63, and Cu-65. The new URR method also produced normalized cross-section factor probability tables for U-238 that were found to be in agreement with current standards. The modified U-238 probability tables were shown to produce k-eff results in excellent agreement with several standard benchmarks, including the IEU-MET-FAST-007, IEU-MET-FAST-003, and IEU-COMP-FAST-004 benchmarks.

Many technical hurdles remain to be overcome before an advanced fuel cycle in which minor actinides from spent nuclear fuel are used to generate power. Three such issues were addressed: criticality safety of minor actinides as compared to currently used fissile isotopes; accuracy of evaluated nuclear data for selected minor actinide high energy fission cross-sections; and the preliminary design optimization of a minor actinide burning/breeding fission blanket in a fission fusion hybrid reactor concept. For minor actinide compositions found in spent fuel, current safety measures for actinide solutions were found to be adequate, though concerns may remain for unmoderated transuranic materials. Additionally, computational results indicated a 5-10% error in the fission cross-section of some minor actinides above the fast fission threshold. Finally, a relatively tall annular fission blanket was found to be the most ideal configuration for the UT fission- fusion hybrid reactor concept, satisfying criticality and power output criteria. / text

SgrAI is a restriction endonuclease (ENase) that cuts a long recognition sequence and exhibits self-modulation of cleavage activity and sequence specificity. Previous research has shown that SgrAI forms large oligomers when bound to particular DNA sequences and under the same conditions where SgrAI exhibits accelerated DNA cleavage kinetics. However, the detailed structure and stoichiometry of SgrAI:DNA as well as the basic building block of the oligomers, has not been fully characterized. Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) was employed to analyze SgrAI/DNA complexes and show that the basic building block of the oligomers is the DNA-bound SgrAI dimer (DBD). The oligomers are heterogeneous containing a mixture of species with variable numbers of DBD. The collision cross sections (CCS) of the oligomers were found to have a linear relationship with the number of DBD. Models of the SgrAI/DNA oligomers were constructed and a head-to-tail arrangement was most consistent with the experimental CCS.

Type I X-ray bursts (XRB) are highly energetic and explosive astrophysical events, observed as very sudden and intense emissions of X-rays. X-ray bursts are believed to be powered by a thermonuclear runaway on the surface of a neutron star in a binary system. XRB models are dependent on the accurate information of the nuclear reactions involved. The 18Ne(α,p)21Na reaction is considered to be of great importance as a possible breakout route from the Hot-CNO cycle preceding the thermonuclear runaway. In this thesis work, the 18Ne(α,p)21Na reaction cross-section was indirectly measured at Ecm(α,p) = 2568, 1970, 1758, 1683, 1379 and 1194 keV, using the time-reverse 21Na(p,α)18Ne reaction. Since the time-reverse approach only connects the ground states of 21Na and 18Ne, the cross sections measured here represent lower limits of the 18Ne(α,p)21Na cross-section. An experiment was performed using the the ISAC-II facility at TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada. A beam of 21Na ions was delivered to a polyethylene (CH2)n target placed within the TUDA scattering chamber. The reaction 18Ne and 4He ions were detected using silicon strip detectors, with time-of-flight and ΔE/E particle identification techniques used to distinguish the ions from background. The measurement at Ecm = 1194 keV is the lowest energy measurement to date of the 18Ne(α,p)21Na cross section. The measured cross sections presented in this thesis were compared to the NON-SMOKER Hauser-Feshbach statistical calculations of the cross section and to the unpublished results of another time-reverse investigation performed by a collaboration at the Argonne National Laboratory. A 18Ne(α,p)21Na reaction rate calculation based on the measured cross sections was performed. In comparison with previous reaction rate estimates, our results indicate a rate that is about a factor 2-3 lower than Hauser-Feshbach calculations, suggesting that a statistical approach may not be appropriate for cross section calculations for nuclei in this mass region. The astrophysical consequences of our new results appear to remain nevertheless negligible. These are also presented in this thesis.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / In this thesis a clutter voltage model for scattering from the sea surface is developed. A model for the scattering from a whitecap and a wave breaking occurrence model re combined to simulate the back scattered signal from one radar resolution cell. The simulation performed obtained the probability density function of sea clutter under different assumptions of wind velocities and wave breaking conditions. This model incorporates some measured quantities such as the mean clutter voltage and the correlation time as parameters. The probability density function depends on the parameters of this model. The obtained probability density functions do not confirm to any familiar simple density function. / http://archive.org/details/seaspikemodeling00kuoc / Lieutenant, Taiwan Navy

Using the parallel disk method of activation analysis, the (n,2n) reaction cross section in 141-Pr was measured as a function of neutron energy in the range 15.4 to 18.4 MeV. The bombarding neutrons were produced from the 3-T(d,n)4-He reaction, where the deuterons were accelerated by the 3-MV Van de Graff generator of the North Texas Regional Physics Laboratory in Denton, Texas.

Celà fait maintenant presque 50 ans qu'on a découvert que la section efficace totale proton-proton augmentait avec l’énergie, alors qu'on pensait précédemment qu'elle deviendrait asymptotiquement constante. Les incertitudes des mesures sur les rayons cosmiques effectuées à haute énergie ne permettent pas de déterminer la forme exacte de l'augmentation de la section efficace avec l’énergie.Le LHC au CERN à Genève fournit des collisions avec une énergie jamais atteinte dans un accélérateur de particule. L’énergie dans le centre de masse était 7 TeV en 2010 – 2011, 8 TeV en 2012 et atteindra 14 TeV dans un futur proche. Le détecteur ATLAS installé sur un des quatre points d'interaction du LHC, est utilisé pour collecter le résultat des collisions proton-proton. Son sous-détecteur ALFA, situé à 240 m du point d'interaction, est utilisé pour détecter les proton résultant des collisions élastiques. ALFA est donc capable, dans certaines conditions particulières de l'optique, de mesurer la section efficace totale et la pente nucléaire.Le travail effectué durant cette thèse a permit de mesurer σtot = 94.88 ± 0.12 stat ± 1.56syst mb et b = 19.45 ± 0.05stat ± 0.31syst GeV-2 à 7 TeV. / It is now nearly fifty years since total proton-proton (pp) cross sections have been found to grow with energy after it was believed for long time that they would become asymptotically constant . The uncertainties of the cosmic ray data, at high energy, do not allow to determine the exact growth with energy of the total cross section .The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva has already delivered collisions with an energy never reached in a particle accelerator. The energy in the center of mass was 7 TeV (2010 – 2011) or 8 TeV (2012) and will ultimately reached 14 TeV in the near future. Thus, this will provide a good environment for a new precise measurement of the total pp cross section at this energy.The ATLAS detector installed in one of the four LHC interaction points is used to collect the result of the pp collisions. Its sub-detector ALFA located 240 m from the interaction point, is used to track protons resulting from elastic collisions.Therefore, within special beam optics conditions, ALFA is able to measure the total cross section and the nuclear slope. During this PhD the analysis performed on the first data led to σtot = 94.88 ± 0.12 stat ± 1.56syst mb and b = 19.45 ± 0.05stat ± 0.31syst GeV-2 at 7 TeV.

Foram realizadas medidas das seçõesde choque de produção de raios X L, L e L bem como medidas das seções de choque de ionização das subcamadas L1, L2 e L3 para os elementos Au e Ta com o Acelerador de elétrons Microtron de São Paulo, do Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo. Os alvos foram produzidos no Laboratório de Alvos do Pelletron por evaporação desses elementos sobre substratos finos de carbono. Eles foram posicionados no centro da câmara de irradiação, de modo que o feixe incidia perpendicularmente à sua superfície. Os raios X decorrentes da ionização do alvo de tântalo foram observados com um detetor de Si(Li), enquanto que para o alvo de ouro usou-se um detetor HPGe, ambos posicionados a 120 graus em relação ao feixe. As curvas de eficiência de ambos os detetores foram levantadas usando as fontes de calibração e ajustando os pontos obtidos com um modelo analítico. Para cada energia de feixe, a seção de choque foi determinada a partir das áreas dos picos dos raios X característicos, da corrente incidente no alvo, da eficiência de deteção no pico e da espessura do alvo. As áreas dos picos foram determinadas pelo ajuste de uma forma gaussiana, a corrente incidente no alvo foi medida com um copo de Faraday e corrigida para a dispersão dos elétrons ao passarem pelo alvo, e as medidas de espessura dos alvos foram realizadas pelo método de retro-espalhamento de Rutherford (RBS). Os resultados experimentais obtidos ficaram acima do calculado com a aproximação de Born de ondas distorcidas para as medidas de seção de choque de produção de raios X L, L do Au e para os multipletos L e L do Ta. Para o grupo L do Au e do Ta as medidas foram consistentes com o modelo teórico. Os dados encontrados na literatura para ambos os elementos referem-se todos a energias próximas do limiar de ionização da camada L e nessa faixa são consistentes com o modelo teórico, embora em alguns casos afetados por incertezas superiores a 20%. Este trabalho traz as primeiras medidas para a seção de choque de produção de raios X L do Ta para energias superiores a 50 keV. / Measurements were made of the L, L and L x-rays production cross section and also of the ionization cross section of subshell L1 , L_2 and L3 for the elements Au and Ta in the electron accelerator Microtron of São Paulo, located at the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo. The targets used were produced in the Pelletron Targets Laboratory and consisted of fine targets evaporated on thin carbon substrates. These targets were positioned in the center of the Microtrons irradiation chamber, so that the focused beam perpendicular to the surface. The x-ray originated from the ionization of the Ta target were obtained with a Si(Li), for the Au target it was used a HPGe detector, both positioned at 120 degrees relative to the electrons beam. The efficiency curve for both detectors was made by using calibration sources and by adjusting the points with a analytical model. For every beam energy the x-rays production cross section were obtained by an accurate knowledge of the peak areas, of the current incident on the target, of the absolute efficiency, and of the thickness of the target. The peak areas were determined by fitting a Gaussian shape, the measurements of the current were made with a Faraday cup and it were corrected for the electrons\' dispersion when they pass through the target, and the measurements of the thickness were performed with the method of Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS). The experimental results were above the Born approximation of distorted waves for measurements of L and L x-rays production cross sections of Au and for the multiplets L and L and of Ta. The measurements of L group of Au and Ta were consistent with the theoretical model. The data founded in literature for both elements are all near to the region of the threshold ionization energy of the shell L, on that energy range they are consistent with the theoretical model, although in some instances they are affected by uncertainties greater than 20%. This work presents the first measurements of Ta L x-rays production cross section to energies above 50 keV.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND SCIENCE. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 211-214. / by Peter Eric Bosted. / Ph.D.

Foram realizadas medidas das seçõesde choque de produção de raios X L, L e L bem como medidas das seções de choque de ionização das subcamadas L1, L2 e L3 para os elementos Au e Ta com o Acelerador de elétrons Microtron de São Paulo, do Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo. Os alvos foram produzidos no Laboratório de Alvos do Pelletron por evaporação desses elementos sobre substratos finos de carbono. Eles foram posicionados no centro da câmara de irradiação, de modo que o feixe incidia perpendicularmente à sua superfície. Os raios X decorrentes da ionização do alvo de tântalo foram observados com um detetor de Si(Li), enquanto que para o alvo de ouro usou-se um detetor HPGe, ambos posicionados a 120 graus em relação ao feixe. As curvas de eficiência de ambos os detetores foram levantadas usando as fontes de calibração e ajustando os pontos obtidos com um modelo analítico. Para cada energia de feixe, a seção de choque foi determinada a partir das áreas dos picos dos raios X característicos, da corrente incidente no alvo, da eficiência de deteção no pico e da espessura do alvo. As áreas dos picos foram determinadas pelo ajuste de uma forma gaussiana, a corrente incidente no alvo foi medida com um copo de Faraday e corrigida para a dispersão dos elétrons ao passarem pelo alvo, e as medidas de espessura dos alvos foram realizadas pelo método de retro-espalhamento de Rutherford (RBS). Os resultados experimentais obtidos ficaram acima do calculado com a aproximação de Born de ondas distorcidas para as medidas de seção de choque de produção de raios X L, L do Au e para os multipletos L e L do Ta. Para o grupo L do Au e do Ta as medidas foram consistentes com o modelo teórico. Os dados encontrados na literatura para ambos os elementos referem-se todos a energias próximas do limiar de ionização da camada L e nessa faixa são consistentes com o modelo teórico, embora em alguns casos afetados por incertezas superiores a 20%. Este trabalho traz as primeiras medidas para a seção de choque de produção de raios X L do Ta para energias superiores a 50 keV. / Measurements were made of the L, L and L x-rays production cross section and also of the ionization cross section of subshell L1 , L_2 and L3 for the elements Au and Ta in the electron accelerator Microtron of São Paulo, located at the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo. The targets used were produced in the Pelletron Targets Laboratory and consisted of fine targets evaporated on thin carbon substrates. These targets were positioned in the center of the Microtrons irradiation chamber, so that the focused beam perpendicular to the surface. The x-ray originated from the ionization of the Ta target were obtained with a Si(Li), for the Au target it was used a HPGe detector, both positioned at 120 degrees relative to the electrons beam. The efficiency curve for both detectors was made by using calibration sources and by adjusting the points with a analytical model. For every beam energy the x-rays production cross section were obtained by an accurate knowledge of the peak areas, of the current incident on the target, of the absolute efficiency, and of the thickness of the target. The peak areas were determined by fitting a Gaussian shape, the measurements of the current were made with a Faraday cup and it were corrected for the electrons\' dispersion when they pass through the target, and the measurements of the thickness were performed with the method of Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS). The experimental results were above the Born approximation of distorted waves for measurements of L and L x-rays production cross sections of Au and for the multiplets L and L and of Ta. The measurements of L group of Au and Ta were consistent with the theoretical model. The data founded in literature for both elements are all near to the region of the threshold ionization energy of the shell L, on that energy range they are consistent with the theoretical model, although in some instances they are affected by uncertainties greater than 20%. This work presents the first measurements of Ta L x-rays production cross section to energies above 50 keV.