Decadal Challenges for Predicting and Controlling Materials Performance in Extremes; A Report of a Workshop held December 6-10, 2009, Bishop's Lodge, Santa Fe, NM

Various paginations (approximately 250 pages). Illustrations (color). Reports from several previous workshops are includes as appendices. The performance of materials in extreme environments is central to a number of national security challenges, including especially the need for sustainable energy solutions. From fission & fusion energy to nuclear weapons to a broad suite of renewable challenges, a science-based approach to certifying materials performance for extended lifetimes is needed. The need to develop materials that perform in new and more extreme environments is also acute. Put simply, we lack sufficient confidence in the materials we have to confidently predict or extend their lifetime. Materials often fail at one tenth or less of their intrinsic limit and we do not know why. Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MaRIE)--MaRIE will provide a capability to address the control of performance and production of materials at the mesoscale. MaRIE fills a critical gap in length scale between studies conducted at the integral scale at DARHT and U1a, and at the atomic scale at NIF and Z. MaRIE (Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes) is designed to support key NNSA goals to understand the condition of the nuclear stockpile and to extend the life of U.S. nuclear warheads. When combined with the emerging computational capability to simulate materials at ultrahigh resolution, MaRIE will fill the gap in understanding of micro- and mesoscale materials phenomena and how they affect weapon performance.Two New Predictive Capabilities for Weapons PerformanceExtreme Conditions: The ability to predict how micro- and mesoscale materials properties evolve under weapons-relevant extreme conditions (including aging) and impact performance.NEW MATERIALS: The ability to predict the microstructure of new materials (or those resulting from new manufacturing processes) and how that will affect weapons performance.More Characteristics A key characteristic of MaRIE is the ability to simultaneously apply several in situ diagnostics to observe transient phenomena at high resolution, in real time, under weapons relevant extreme conditions. Of highest significance are subgranular resolution measurements of phase transformations, heterogeneity, and strength of materials in samples that have been well characterized. The resulting data will be used to build new, or inform existing, high-fidelity materials models for weapons simulation codes. These data are particularly aimed at understanding the behavior of high explosives and plutonium as they apply to implosion dynamics and initial conditions for boost. New understanding will increase confidence in the performance prediction of life-extended weapons and in the success of any technical response to a change in the deterrent imposed by budget realities or external pressures.…