[en] Strategies are presented for discovering light, color-singlet technipions (π_T), produced in association with a vector boson through s-channel technirho production, at the Tevatron and LHC. Signal and W+jets background were simulated including detector events. Tagging of b-quarks from the π_T → bb decay is found to be important to reduce the W-jets background. The kinematic properties of signal and background events are significantly different and simple cuts can be used to further improve the signal to background ratio. 4 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

[en] After modification of Dukovany NPP steam generator (SG) feedwater system, the increased concentration of minerals was measured in the cold leg of modified SG. Some modifications were performed on operating WWER 1000 steam generators with aim to optimize the water chemistry in the collectors area. Since the distribution of minerals can substantially affect on corrosion processes in steam generators, VITKOVICE, as a producer of WWER steam generators has focused the attention to the optimizing of these systems. To predict the mineral distribution on the secondary side of steam generators for considered feedwater/blowdown systems, the simple model of the flow distribution in the secondary side of SG was developed

[en] A limited number of temperature sensors could be installed at the primary collector surface in the area of water - steam phase boundary. The surface temperatures as well WWER 440 steam generator process data were measured and stored for a long time and off-line evaluated. Selected results are presented in the paper. (orig.)

[en] A modified feedwater piping system for the WWER steam generator (SG) is described in the presentation

[en] Research at Institutt for energiteknikk (IFE) comprises both nuclear and non-nuclear activities. The main nuclear program is centered on the OECD Halden Reactor Project. 19 participating countries and about 100 organisations is involved in the project. The Project is operated by a staff of 280 persons. In the autumn of 1996 the participating organizations reached agreement to continue their research collaboration for a further 3-year period (1997 to 1999). An extensive experimental program was carried out in 1996 using the Halden reactor (HBWR), partly for the joint international program, and partly for contract work for member countries. The main aim of this work is to improve the safety and reliability of existing nuclear power plants. The experimental equipment in the Halden reactor makes it ideal for simulating various operating conditions in different types of rectors. Processes such as corrosion in fuel cladding materials and fracture propagation in irradiated materials under the influence of additives in the coolant water can be studied. In an on-going study, fuel of Russian origin is being compared with modern western fuel. The results, being the first of their kind that are openly available, form an important bases for safety assessments of Russian VVER reactors. The man-machine laboratory is used to study how new technologies influence the operator and to develop computer based systems for improving the safety and accessibility of complex processes

[en] The author has studied production of strange and multistrange baryons and antibaryons in central sulphur-tungsten, sulphur-sulphur, and lead-lead interactions at relativistic energies. The spectra of strange baryons and antibaryons provide information about the dynamics of hadronic matter under the extreme conditions realised in these collisions. The particle ratios allow the degree and the nature of the flavour equilibrium to be studied, while the transverse mass distributions provide independent information of the temperatures achieved. 143 refs

[en] There are many different types of measurements that require a continuous time history of x-ray emission that can be provided with an x-ray streak camera. In order to properly analyze the images that are recorded with the x-ray streak cameras operated on Nova, it is important to account for the streak characterization of each camera. We have performed a number of calibrations of the streak cameras both on the bench as well as with Nova disk target shots where we use a time modulated laser intensity profile (self-beating of the laser) on the target to generate an x-ray comb. We have measured the streak camera sweep direction and spatial offset, curvature of the electron optics, sweep rate, and magnification and resolution of the electron optics

[en] The researchers have designed an economical device to measure the power time history in the National Ignition Facility's (NIF) 192 beam laser. The heart of the system is a commercial, high-speed, four-channel digitizer with a 15,000 point record length. Samples of several beams are taken with fiberoptic pickoffs, separated in time with appropriate fiberoptic delays and presented to high-speed vacuum photodiodes, which convert the samples to electrical signals for the digitizer. Amplitude and time multiplexing are used to cover the required dynamic range and to record 12 samples on the digitizer, making the cost per sample competitive with alternative approaches. Forty-eight digitizers can record the required three samples from each of the 192 beams. An additional similar but lower bandwidth system is used to record the backreflected light from the main laser amplifiers and elsewhere. The recording electronics are discussed in detail

[en] Back-reflections from a target, lenses, etc. can gain energy passing backwards through a laser just like the main beam gains energy passing forwards. Unless something blocks these back-reflections early in their path, they can seriously damage the laser. A Mechanical Beam Isolator is a device that blocks back-reflections early, relatively inexpensively, and without introducing aberrations to the laser beam

[en] Our work focuses on the development of finite element models (FEMs) that describe the biomechanics of human joints. Finite element modeling is becoming a standard tool in industrial applications. In highly complex problems such as those found in biomechanics research, however, the full potential of FEMs is just beginning to be explored, due to the absence of precise, high resolution medical data and the difficulties encountered in converting these enormous datasets into a form that is usable in FEMs. With increasing computing speed and memory available, it is now feasible to address these challenges. We address the first by acquiring data with a high resolution C-ray CT scanner and the latter by developing semi-automated method for generating the volumetric meshes used in the FEM. Issues related to tomographic reconstruction, volume segmentation, the use of extracted surfaces to generate volumetric hexahedral meshes, and applications of the FEM are described