[en] The authors present an initial design of a proof-of-principle experiment on the Laser Wakefield Accelerator (LWFA). The experiment will utilize the NRL Table-Top Terawatt (T³) laser system as the driver for the wakefield in a pulsed-valve gas jet plasma, and a ∼1 MeV Febetron as the electron beam injector. The LWFA will be operated in the self-modulated regime where enhanced acceleration gradients and extended interaction distances can be achieved. Numerical simulations demonstrate that with the present parameters of the T³ laser, peak accelerating gradients can reach >300 GeV/m and single stage energy gain of >100 MeV can be attained

[en] A new program has been introduced into the Chicago Public Schools to stimulate science education and career awareness. It utilizes a series of video tapes produced by Bill Kurtis (news anchor of CBS-WBBM-TV) called The New Explorers, which present profiles of scientists as people doing some very interesting things. The tapes are viewed in the classroom, the scientific principles and content discussed, and follow-up activities carried out. Among the latter, are visits to a group of partner organizations that include the museums and zoos in the Chicago area, as well as Fermilab and Argonne. Special programs have been developed at these sites to provide post-tape enhancement of the scientific experience and hands-on activities for the students. At Argonne, the students analyze various samples they bring with them by XRF and PIXE. This augments the topic of microscopic analysis depicted in the video

[en] In the ever competitive world of offshore fabrication, contractors are strategically aligning themselves in an attempt to secure their profitability into the 21st century. The article discusses the industrial interests in this field including the decommissioning market, and it presents the current workload at the fabrication yards of United Kingdom, Southern Mediterranean, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. 2 figs., 1 tab

[en] A brief report is given of the Third Biomass Conference of the America's, which was held in Montreal, Canada, the end of August 1997. The main conclusion is that biomass is becoming a fully-developed option, based on the growing interest of the chemical industry, large producers of alcohols, the paper industry, and investors and delegations from many different countries. 1 fig

[en] This plan describes the process for demonstrating the retrieval of difficult Hanford tank waste forms utilizing commercial technologies and the private sector to conduct the operations. The demonstration is to be conducted in Tank 241-C-106

[en] Based on scientific databases adopted for designing ITER plasmas and on the advancement of fusion nuclear technology from the recent R ampersand D program, a low wall-loading DEMO fusion reactor has been designed, where high priority has been given to the early and reliable realization of a tokamak fusion plasma over the cost performance. Since the major radius of this DEMO reactor is chosen to be 10 m, plasma ignition is achievable with a low fusion power of 0.8 GW and an operation period of 4-5 hours is available only with inductive current drive. The low ignition power makes it possible to adopt a first wall with an austenitic stainless steel, for which significant databases and operating experience exists, due to its use in the presence of neutron irradiation in fission reactors. In step with development of advanced materials, a step-wise increase of the fusion power seems to be feasible and realistic, because this DEMO reactor has the potential to produce a fusion power of ∼5 GW. 14 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

[en] The goal of this DOE-supported exhibition is to demystify Einstein's formula E = mc² by illustrating the interchangeability of matter (m) and energy (E), c² being the exchange rate. The exhibition has two major parts, open-quotes matter into energyclose quotes and open-quotes energy into matterclose quotes, plus a video to connect them. open-quotes Matter into energyclose quotes has now been completed and has been placed on the museum floor. Positrons from a ²²Na source are annihilated to produce gamma rays that are caught in NaI detectors. The viewer can alter the alignment of the detectors and observe the consequences for the rates of single and coincident counts. The viewer can also observe the effects of placing absorbers in front of the counters. Prototype explanatory graphics were placed around the exhibit and those will probably be changed after we have some experience with their effectiveness. The connecting video is in the process of being produced in collaboration with Fermilab. A cloud chamber for open-quotes energy into matterclose quotes, where gamma rays from a small Th source will produce observable pairs, was purchased and work to make the pairs visible has commenced

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