Charles Nakhleh

Cosmic calibration : Constraints from the matter power spectrum and the cosmic microwave background

Several cosmological measurements have attained significant levels of maturity and accuracy over the past decade. Continuing this trend, future observations promise measurements of the cosmic mass distribution at an accuracy level of 1% out to spatial scales with

Electrothermal instability growth in magnetically driven pulsed power liners

k\ensuremath{\sim}10h\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}

Operator declaration verification technique for spent fuel at reprocessing facilities

and even smaller, entering highly nonlinear regimes of gravitational instability. In order to interpret these observations and extract useful cosmological information from them, such as the equation of state of dark energy, very costly high precision, multiphysics simulations must be performed. We have recently implemented a new statistical framework with the aim of obtaining accurate parameter constraints from combining observations with a limited number of simulations. The key idea is the replacement of the full simulator by a fast emulator with controlled error bounds. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the methodology and extend the framework to include joint analysis of cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure measurements. Our framework is especially well suited for upcoming large-scale structure probes of dark energy such as baryon acoustic oscillations and, especially, weak lensing, where percent level accuracy on nonlinear scales is needed.

Noble‐gas atmospheric monitoring for international safeguards at reprocessing facilities

This paper explores the role of electro-thermal instabilities on the dynamics of magnetically accelerated implosion systems. Electro-thermal instabilities result from non-uniform heating due to temperature dependence in the conductivity of a material. Comparatively little is known about these types of instabilities compared to the well known Magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability. We present simulations that show electrothermal instabilities form immediately after the surface material of a conductor melts and can act as a significant seed to subsequent MRT instability growth. We also present the results of several experiments performed on Sandia National Laboratories Z accelerator to investigate signatures of electrothermal instability growth on well characterized initially solid aluminum and copper rods driven with a 20 MA, 100 ns risetime current pulse. These experiments show excellent agreement with electrothermal instability simulations and exhibit larger instability growth than can be explained by MRT theory alone.

Exploring magnetized liner inertial fusion with a semi-analytic model

Abstract A verification technique for use at reprocessing facilities, which integrates existing technologies to strengthen safeguards through the use of environmental monitoring, has been developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This technique involves the measurement of isotopic ratios of stable noble fission gases from on-stack emissions during reprocessing of spent fuel using high-precision mass spectrometry. These results are then compared to a database of calculated isotopic ratios using a data analysis method to determine specific fuel parameters (e.g., burnup, fuel type, reactor type, etc.). These inferred parameters can be used to verify operator declarations. The integrated system (mass spectrometry, reactor modeling, and data analysis) has been validated using on-stack measurements during reprocessing of fuel from a US production reactor. These measurements led to an inferred burnup that matched the declared burnup to within 3.9%, suggesting that the current system is sufficient for most safeguards applications. Partial system validation using gas samples from literature measurements of power reactor fuel has been reported elsewhere. This has shown that the technique developed here may have some difficulty distinguishing pressurized water reactor (PWR) from boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel; however, it consistently can distinguish light water reactor (either PWR or BWR) fuels from other reactor fuel types. Future validations will include advanced power reactor fuels (such as breeder reactor fuels) and research reactor fuels as samples become available.

Joint DOE-PNC research on the use of transparency in support of nuclear nonproliferation

Environmental monitoring of nuclear activities promises to play a large role in the improvements in international safeguards under the International Atomic Energy Agencys Programme 93+2. Monitoring of stable noble‐gas (Kr, Xe) isotopic abundances at reprocessing plant stacks appears to be able to yield information on the burnup and type of the fuel being processed. To estimate the size of these signals, model calculations of the production of stable Kr and Xe nuclides in reactor fuel and the subsequent dilution of these nuclides in the plant stack are carried out for two case studies: reprocessing of PWR fuel with a burnup of 35 GWd/tU, and reprocessing of CANDU fuel with a burnup of 1 GWd/tU. For each case, a maximum‐likelihood analysis is used to determine the fuel burnup and type from the isotopic data.

Addressing the implications of the Japanese fuel cycle through transparency

In this paper, we explore magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) [S. A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)] using a semi-analytic model [R. D. McBride and S. A. Slutz, Phys. Plasmas 22, 052708 (2015)]. Specifically, we present simulation results from this model that: (a) illustrate the parameter space, energetics, and overall system efficiencies of MagLIF; (b) demonstrate the dependence of radiative loss rates on the radial fraction of the fuel that is preheated; (c) explore some of the recent experimental results of the MagLIF program at Sandia National Laboratories [M. R. Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)]; (d) highlight the experimental challenges presently facing the MagLIF program; and (e) demonstrate how increases to the preheat energy, fuel density, axial magnetic field, and drive current could affect future MagLIF performance.

Integration of MHD load models with circuit representations the Z generator.

PNC and LANL collaborated in research on the concept of transparency in nuclear nonproliferation. The research was based on the Action Sheet No. 21, which was signed in February 1996, ``The Joint Research on Transparency in Nuclear Nonproliferation`` under the ``Agreement between the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation of Japan (PNC) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) for Cooperation in Research and Development Concerning Nuclear Material Control and Accounting Measures for Safeguards and Nonproliferation``. The purpose of Action Sheet 21 is to provide a fundamental study on Transparency to clarify the means to improve worldwide acceptability for the nuclear energy from the nuclear nonproliferation point of view. This project consists of independent research and then joint discussion at workshops that address a series of topics and issues in transparency. The activities covered in Action Sheet 21 took place over a period of 18 months. Three workshops were held; the first and the third hosted by PNC in Tokyo, Japan and the second hosted by LANL in Los Alamos, New Mexico, US. The following is a summary of the three workshops. The first workshop addressed the policy environment of transparency. Each side presented its perspective on the following issues: (1) a definition of transparency, (2) reasons for transparency, (3) detailed goals of transparency and (4) obstacles to transparency. The topic of the second workshop was ``Development of Transparency Options.`` The activities accomplished were (1) identify type of facilities where transparency might be applied, (2) define criteria for applying transparency, and (3) delineate applicable transparency options. The goal of the third workshop, ``Technical Options for Transparency,`` was to (1) identify conceptual options for transparency system design; (2) identify instrumentation, measurement, data collection and data processing options; (3) identify data display options; and (4) identify technical options for reprocessing, enrichment, and MOX fuel fabrication facilities.

A Bayesian calibration approach to the thermal problem

Dr. Charles W. Nakhleh is a technical staff member in the Safeguards Systems Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research interests include the applications of environmental monitoring to international safeguards, safeguarding of advanced nuclear fuel cycles, and policy and technology issues related to the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University in 1996. The Japanese civil nuclear fuel cycle has a comprehensive scope and ambitious goals. From uranium enrichment and fuel fabrication facilities to nuclear power plants, reprocessing facilities, and fast breeder reactors, Japan has developed at no small cost a nuclear program whose sophistication equals that of any in the world and, indeed, surpasses most. 2 As with any nuclear endeavor, this program poses risks and challenges in many areas, most importantly in matters of security.

Observations of modified three-dimensional instability structure for imploding z-pinch liners that are premagnetized with an axial field.

MHD models of imploding loads fielded on the Z accelerator are typically driven by reduced or simplified circuit representations of the generator. The performance of many of the imploding loads is critically dependent on the current and power delivered to them, so may be strongly influenced by the generators response to their implosion. Current losses diagnosed in the transmission lines approaching the load are further known to limit the energy delivery, while exhibiting some load dependence. Through comparing the convolute performance of a wide variety of short pulse Z loads we parameterize a convolute loss resistance applicable between different experiments. We incorporate this, and other current loss terms into a transmission line representation of the Z vacuum section. We then apply this model to study the current delivery to a wide variety of wire array and MagLif style liner loads.