Sensitivity analysis and optimization of the nuclear fuel cycle

A sensitivity study has been conducted to assess the robustness of the conclusions presented in the MIT Fuel Cycle Study. The Once Through Cycle (OTC) is considered as the base-line case, while advanced technologies with fuel recycling characterize the alternative fuel cycles. The options include limited recycling in LWRs and full recycling in fast reactors and in high conversion LWRs. Fast reactor technologies studied include both oxide and metal fueled reactors. The analysis allowed optimization of the fast reactor conversion ratio with respect to desired fuel cycle performance characteristics. The following parameters were found to significantly affect the performance of recycling technologies and their penetration over time: Capacity Factors of the fuel cycle facilities, Spent Fuel Cooling Time, Thermal Reprocessing Introduction Date, and incore and Out-of-core TRU Inventory Requirements for recycling technology. An optimization scheme of the nuclear fuel cycle is proposed. Optimization criteria and metrics of interest for different stakeholders in the fuel cycle (economics, waste management, environmental impact, etc.) are utilized for two different optimization techniques (linear and stochastic). Preliminary results covering single and multi-variable and single and multi-objective optimization demonstrate the viability of the optimization scheme.

Annealing-induced evolution of defects in low-temperature-grown GaAs-related materials

Infrared absorption spectroscopy, optical transient current spectroscopy (OTCS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy are used to investigate the annealing induced evolution of defects in low-temperature (LT)-grown GaAs-related materials. Two LT samples of bulk GaAs (sample A) and GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple-quantum-well. (MQW) structure (sample B) were grown at 220 and 320 degreesC on (001) GaAs substrates, respectively. A strong defect-related absorption band has been observed in both as-grown samples A and B. It becomes weaker in samples annealed at temperatures above 600 degreesC. In sample A, annealed in the range of 600-800 degreesC, a large negative decay signal of the optical transient current (OTC) is observed in a certain range of temperature, which distorts deep-level spectra measured by OTCS, making it difficult to identify any deep levels. At annealing temperatures of 600 and 700 degreesC, both As-Ga antisite and small As cluster-related deep levels are identified in sample B. It is found that compared to the As cluster, the As-Ga antisite has a larger activation energy and carrier capture rate. At an annealing temperature of 800 degreesC, the large negative decay signal of the OTC is also observed in sample B. It is argued that this negative decay signal of the OTC is related to large arsenic clusters. For sample B, transient PL spectra have also been measured to study the influence of the, defect evolution on optical properties of LT GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs MQW structures. Our results clearly identify a defect evolution from AS(Ga) antisites to arsenic clusters after annealing.

Investigation of defects in low-temperature-grown GaAs using optical transient spectroscopy

Optical transient current spectroscopy (OTCS) has been used to investigate defects in the low-temperature-grown GaAs after postgrowth rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Two samples A and B were grown at 220 degreesC and 360 degreesC on (001) GaAs substrates, respectively. After growth, samples were subjected to 30s RTA in the range of 500-800 degreesC. Before annealing, X-ray diffraction measurements show that the concentrations of the excess arsenic for samples A and B are 2.5 x 10(19) and 1 x 10(19) cm(-3), respectively. It is found that there are strong negative decay signals in the optical transient current (OTC) for the annealed sample A. Due to the influence of OTC strong negative decay signals, it is impossible to identify deep levels clearly from OTCS. For a comparison, three deep levels can be identified for sample B before annealing. They are two shallower deep levels and the so-called As-Ga antisite defect. At the annealing temperature of 600 degreesC, there are still three deep levels. However, their structures are different from those in the as-grown sample. OTC strong negative decay signals are also observed for the annealed sample B. It is argued that OTC negative decay signals are related to arsenic clusters. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

银杏、油松对CO2和O3浓度升高的生理响应

随着工业化和城市化的迅速发展，高浓度CO2和高浓度O3对植物影响的研究受到了广泛的重视，但二者交互作用对城市树木的生理及碳氧平衡的影响尚不清楚。银杏（Ginkgo biloba）、油松（Pinus tabulaeformis）是沈阳市城市森林的两种重要树种，对大气环境变化的响应具有代表性。本文采用开顶箱法研究了在高浓度CO2（700 μmol•mol-1）、O3（80 nmol•mol-1）及其复合作用条件下城市银杏、油松生长、光合、蒸腾以及呼吸作用的日动态、季节动态变化，揭示了银杏、油松光合对高浓度CO2、O3的适应机制及其本身环境效应的变化规律，为研究城市森林对全球变化的响应与反馈提供了重要基础。 得出的主要结果如下： 1. 短期（0-30 d）高浓度CO2处理提高了银杏、油松叶片/针叶细胞间CO2浓度、羧化效率和表观量子效率，从而提高了银杏、油松的净光合速率。 2. 一个生长季(100 d)高浓度CO2处理促进了银杏、油松叶片/针叶的生长，提高了细胞渗透调节物质含量，增强了银杏、油松抵御逆境胁迫的潜能。银杏、油松日变化曲线趋向单峰曲线，缓解了中午的光抑制现象；固碳释氧量提高了近1倍，有助于减缓全球变化的速度。 银杏、油松的气孔导度和羧化效率的降低是发生光合适应的重要原因。 3. 高浓度O3处理可导致两树种的生理伤害，银杏叶片表现为褐斑型伤害，油松则为水锈型，叶片生长受到抑制。同时两树种可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖含量降低，电导率升高。 两树种叶绿素含量降低，净光合速率下降。银杏光合速率的降低前期表现为气孔限制，后期转为非气孔限制为主。油松光合速率下降则是两种限制因素共同作用的结果,难分主次，表明油松的气孔调节能力弱于银杏，更易受到O3的伤害。造成实验处理后期银杏、油松光合速率下降的非气孔因素是表观量子效率和羧化效率的降低。 高浓度O3处理使银杏、油松的光抑制现象加强，固碳释氧、降温增湿能力降低，且油松降低幅度大于银杏。 4. 高浓度CO2和O3复合处理提高了银杏油松的叶绿素含量，减轻了高浓度O3对叶片/针叶的伤害，促进了叶的生长。 与对照相比，复合处理提高了银杏、油松的净光合速率，降低了气孔导度和蒸腾速率，从而使水分利用效率和含水量得到提高。表观量子效率和羧化效率的提高是光合速率大幅度上升的重要因素；呼吸速率的提高则是后期光合速率增幅减小的重要原因。复合处理前期CO2主要是通过气孔调节来缓解O3对树木的伤害，高浓度CO2处理对光合作用的促进作用大于高浓度O3处理的抑制作用。 高浓度CO2和O3复合处理的银杏、油松的光呼吸速率、可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖的含量增加，电导率降低，提高了银杏、油松的抗逆性，这是高浓度CO2缓解O3胁迫对树木伤害的一个原因。复合处理同样缓解了银杏、油松光抑制现象，提高了固碳释氧量，但银杏降温增湿能力降低。

CO2浓度升高对三种树木叶片化学和舞毒蛾幼虫取食及生长的影响

探讨全球气候变化的生物学和生态学效应是当今生态学中的热点，研究大气CO2浓度升高对植物-昆虫相互作用关系的影响具有重要的理论和实践意义。本文使用开顶式气室（Open-top chamber，OTC）在野外条件下研究了CO2浓度升高对三种树木（小青杨、白桦和蒙古栎）叶片化学成分含量的影响，以及树木叶片品质变化对一种广食性森林昆虫（舞毒蛾）幼虫取食、生长发育和取食偏嗜性的影响。得出如下结果：（1）CO2浓度升高对3个受试树种叶片中的营养成分及次生代谢物含量均有显著影响，总体表现为氮含量降低，而碳氮比、非结构性碳水化合物、总酚和缩合丹宁含量增加。叶片中的化学成分含量可随时间发生显著变化，不同树种、甚至同一树种不同冠层高度的叶片对CO2浓度升高的响应强度也是不同的。叶片的干物质含量和比叶重对CO2浓度升高的响应不显著。（2）室内非选择性取食实验、室内选择性取食实验以及上树取食饲养方式下的多龄期取食实验，均发现高浓度CO2处理组内舞毒蛾幼虫的生长发育受到显著抑制。但对四龄舞毒蛾幼虫所进行的短期生物测定并未发现不同CO2浓度处理下幼虫的生长发育速率、对食物的取食率和转化率等昆虫营养指标存在显著差异。（3）叶片品质的降低是导致舞毒蛾幼虫生长发育受抑制的主要原因。但是总体上，CO2浓度升高导致的叶片品质变化并未显著影响幼虫的取食率和取食量。（4）舞毒蛾幼虫对不同叶片种类表现出清晰的取食选择性，这种选择性在其幼龄期就可表现出来。幼虫对小青杨上层叶片有最显著的偏嗜性，对蒙古栎下层叶片有最明显的拒食性。但是CO2浓度升高导致的叶片品质变化对舞毒蛾幼虫的取食选择性和寄主偏嗜行为并未产生显著影响。（5）检测出高浓度CO2处理组内舞毒蛾幼虫虫粪中含有浓度更高的植物次生代谢物质（总酚和缩合单宁），这很可能是昆虫整体生长发育受抑制的重要原因之一。