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Title: Basic research projects

Abstract

The research programs under the cognizance of the Office of Energy Research (OER) are directed toward discovery of natural laws and new knowledge, and to improved understanding of the physical and biological sciences as related to the development, use, and control of energy. The ultimate goal is to develop a scientific underlay for the overall DOE effort and the fundamental principles of natural phenomena so that these phenomena may be understood, and new principles, formulated. The DOE-OER outlay activities include three major programs: High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, and Basic Energy Sciences. Taken together, these programs represent some 30 percent of the Nation's Federal support of basic research in the energy sciences. The research activities of OER involve more than 6,000 scientists and engineers working in some 17 major Federal Research Centers and at more than 135 different universities and industrial firms throughout the United States. Contract holders in the areas of high-energy physics, nuclear physics, materials sciences, nuclear science, chemical sciences, engineering, mathematics geosciences, advanced energy projects, and biological energy research are listed. Funding trends for recent years are outlined. (RWR)

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6028429
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER-0028
TRN: 79-014293
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; US DOE; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; BUDGETS; ENERGY; FINANCIAL DATA; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; DATA; INFORMATION; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; PHYSICS; US ORGANIZATIONS; 990100* - Management

Citation Formats

Not Available. Basic research projects. United States: N. p., 1979. Web. doi:10.2172/6028429.
Not Available. Basic research projects. United States. doi:10.2172/6028429.
Not Available. Sun . "Basic research projects". United States. doi:10.2172/6028429. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6028429.
@article{osti_6028429,
title = {Basic research projects},
author = {Not Available},
abstractNote = {The research programs under the cognizance of the Office of Energy Research (OER) are directed toward discovery of natural laws and new knowledge, and to improved understanding of the physical and biological sciences as related to the development, use, and control of energy. The ultimate goal is to develop a scientific underlay for the overall DOE effort and the fundamental principles of natural phenomena so that these phenomena may be understood, and new principles, formulated. The DOE-OER outlay activities include three major programs: High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, and Basic Energy Sciences. Taken together, these programs represent some 30 percent of the Nation's Federal support of basic research in the energy sciences. The research activities of OER involve more than 6,000 scientists and engineers working in some 17 major Federal Research Centers and at more than 135 different universities and industrial firms throughout the United States. Contract holders in the areas of high-energy physics, nuclear physics, materials sciences, nuclear science, chemical sciences, engineering, mathematics geosciences, advanced energy projects, and biological energy research are listed. Funding trends for recent years are outlined. (RWR)},
doi = {10.2172/6028429},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1979},
month = {Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1979}
}

Technical Report:

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  • The global utilization of nuclear energy has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the first sustained nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago in 1942. Today, there are over 440 nuclear reactors in 31 countries producing approximately 16% of the electrical energy used worldwide. In the United States, 104 nuclear reactors currently provide 19% of electrical energy used nationally. The International Atomic Energy Agency projects significant growth in the utilization of nuclear power over the next several decades due to increasing demand for energy and environmental concerns related to emissions from fossil plants. There are 28 newmore » nuclear plants currently under construction including 10 in China, 8 in India, and 4 in Russia. In the United States, there have been notifications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of intentions to apply for combined construction and operating licenses for 27 new units over the next decade. The projected growth in nuclear power has focused increasing attention on issues related to the permanent disposal of nuclear waste, the proliferation of nuclear weapons technologies and materials, and the sustainability of a once-through nuclear fuel cycle. In addition, the effective utilization of nuclear power will require continued improvements in nuclear technology, particularly related to safety and efficiency. In all of these areas, the performance of materials and chemical processes under extreme conditions is a limiting factor. The related basic research challenges represent some of the most demanding tests of our fundamental understanding of materials science and chemistry, and they provide significant opportunities for advancing basic science with broad impacts for nuclear reactor materials, fuels, waste forms, and separations techniques. Of particular importance is the role that new nanoscale characterization and computational tools can play in addressing these challenges. These tools, which include DOE synchrotron X-ray sources, neutron sources, nanoscale science research centers, and supercomputers, offer the opportunity to transform and accelerate the fundamental materials and chemical sciences that underpin technology development for advanced nuclear energy systems. The fundamental challenge is to understand and control chemical and physical phenomena in multi-component systems from femto-seconds to millennia, at temperatures to 1000?C, and for radiation doses to hundreds of displacements per atom (dpa). This is a scientific challenge of enormous proportions, with broad implications in the materials science and chemistry of complex systems. New understanding is required for microstructural evolution and phase stability under relevant chemical and physical conditions, chemistry and structural evolution at interfaces, chemical behavior of actinide and fission-product solutions, and nuclear and thermomechanical phenomena in fuels and waste forms. First-principles approaches are needed to describe f-electron systems, design molecules for separations, and explain materials failure mechanisms. Nanoscale synthesis and characterization methods are needed to understand and design materials and interfaces with radiation, temperature, and corrosion resistance. Dynamical measurements are required to understand fundamental physical and chemical phenomena. New multiscale approaches are needed to integrate this knowledge into accurate models of relevant phenomena and complex systems across multiple length and time scales.« less
  • The design, discovery and growth of novel materials, especially in single crystal form, represents a national core competency that is essential for scientific progress and long-term economic growth. Indeed, many of the major discoveries of condensed matter science during the last fifty years have been made possible by the discovery of new materials. Recently revealed phenomena such as high Tc superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect, for example, represent new states of matter that emerge from the collective behavior of large numbers of electronic, magnetic and lattice degrees of freedom. Such materials challenge our fundamental understanding of matter and providemore » novel materials functionality. New materials also lie at the core of many new and existing technologies, such as semiconductor electronics, solid state lasers, radiation detectors, compact disk storage, both cellular and optical communications, solar cells, fuel cells and catalysts. Such materials further hold the promise for new technologies ranging from efficient indoor and traffic lighting, to multi-component data storage, integrated bioelectronic sensors, and thermoelectric power generation. Single crystals are often required to achieve a materials’ full functionality as well as to completely elucidate its properties. A Department-of-Energy-sponsored workshop was held on Oct. 10-12, 2003 in Ames, Iowa with the purpose of assessing the state of novel materials and crystal growth in the U.S. Leaders of broad areas of synthesis and condensed matter science reviewed present U.S. strengths, levels of support, and competition from abroad. The principal finding of the workshop is that the current U.S. infrastructure and personnel levels are insufficient to meet the growing demand for high quality, specialized samples, and to maintain international competitiveness in an area vital to the nation’s condensed matter science enterprise. We further risk being unable to fully exploit the nation’s world- leading leading capabilities in neutron and x-ray science, even as powerful new facilities come on line. This situatio n is exacerbated by the several decade- long decline of traditionally strong industrial expertise in crystal synthesis, by the relatively small number of synthesis scientists being trained in U.S. universities and national laboratories, and by increasing support for single crystal materials synthesis in Europe and Japan. The principal recommendation of the workshop is that the Department of Energy should act to close the gap in U.S. based design, discovery and growth of novel materials for basic research by growing and coordinating the nation’s existing crystal growth efforts, by adding qualitatively new capabilities, and by significantly enhancing Ph.D. and postdoctoral training opportunities in universities, national laboratories and industry. Specifically, the workshop recommendations are: 1) to broadly increase the level of funding for individual research activities in new materials and single crystal growth, 2) to establish a novel, national materials design, discovery and growth network with unprecedented interconnectivity, and 3) to create multi- investigator materials preparation facilities that feature specialized capabilities, provide samples on - a priority basis, and offer training in advanced techniques. We believe these recommendations will strengthen the U.S. base in materials synthesis at all levels, optimize the use of national resources, and integrate the materials synthesis community more effectively into the larger U.S. condensed matter science enterprise for maximum impact.« less
  • Projects forming part of a course to train apprentices as instrument mechanlcs are given. The use of general equipment used in testing electronic units is covered, and an introduction to components commonly used is provided. The characteristics and basic applications of thermionic valves are investigated, and the operation of the cathode ray oscilloscope is carefully introduced. The valve voltmeter is used, and a simple test oscillator is employed. The latter projects cover the characteristics and basic applications of semiconductor devices with a brief introduction to relaxation oscillators. (auth)