The present study indicates that the estimation of the gamma-ray strength function is the approach least subject to error when unmeasured capture cross sections are to be computed. An estimate is given for the /sup 88/..gamma..(n,..gamma..) cross section.

The following subjects are covered: geothermal energy and its use, electric utilities and the climate for geothermal development, the raw fuels industry and geothermal energy, and government and energy. The role of large petroleum companies and large public utilities is emphasized. (MHR)

The LOFT pressurizer spray and surge line piping was analyzed for a 450/sup 0/F step change in fluid temperature. This transient was chosen to conservatively represent several pressurizer operating transients that had not previously been analyzed. These include temperature transients resulting from a 300/sup 0/F ..delta..T between pressurizer temperature and cold leg temperature, injection of a cooled (70/sup 0/F) slug of stagnant fluid into the hot (540/sup 0/F) spray line piping, and inflow of 100/sup 0/F primary coolant system water into the hot (480/sup 0/F) surge line piping.

Separate abstracts were prepared for 30 papers presented.

The applicability of Magneto-plasma-dynamic (MPD) arcs as a source of warm, streaming plasma for start-up and for the suppression of instabilities is discussed. The plasma source emits a high particle flux (1000-5000 amp) of well directed ions having kinetic energy in the 10-100 eV range. The construction details of an MPD plasma source are given and a sequence of proposed tests are presented. The tests are designed to demonstrate the large flux and good gas utilization of the source as well as investigate the behavior of the streaming plasma in a high magnetic field environment.

A bibliography of the scientific information originating in the Metals and Ceramics Division of ORNL during the period 1970 through 1974 is presented. The master listing contains 925 references, for which both subject and author indexes are provided.

The investigation focused on heterogeneous networks in which a variety of dissimilar computers and operating systems were interconnected nationwide. Homogeneous networks, such as MFE net and SACNET, were not considered since they could not be used for general purpose resource sharing. Issues of privacy and security are of concern in any network activity. However, consideration of privacy and security of sensitive data arise to a much lesser degree in unclassified scientific research than in areas involving personal or proprietary information. Therefore, the existing mechanisms at individual sites for protecting sensitive data were relied on, and no new protection mechanisms to prevent infringement of privacy and security were attempted. Further development of ERDA networking will need to incorporate additional mechanisms to prevent infringement of privacy. The investigation itself furnishes an excellent example of computational resource sharing through a heterogeneous network. More than twenty persons, representing seven ERDA computing sites, made extensive use of both ERDA and non-ERDA computers in coordinating, compiling, and formatting the data which constitute the bulk of this report. Volume 3 analyzes the benefits and barriers encountered in actual resource sharing experience, and provides case histories of typical applications.

Review of the LOFT steam generator stress and fatigue life analysis report is presented. Deficiencies were found which will require evaluation and in some areas reanalysis. The effects of these deficiencies upon the steam generator will include: to further reduce the allowable ..delta..P across the tubesheet for the abnormal design case of pressure on primary; and to reduce the allowable number of LOCE transients at some locations of the steam generator from the numbers listed in the stress report and to increase them at other locations.

A modified Covell method for direct peak analysis has been applied to energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectra. The method is background independent and is well-suited to computerized data reduction. It provides acceptable precision, minimizes errors from instrumental gain shift, and permits peak overlap correction. Peak overlap errors exhibit both positive and negative nodes as a function of peak separation distance, and are corrected using concentration ratios determined from thin, single-element standards. Peak precisions and overlaps are evaluated as a function of window width to aid in width selection. Least-square polynomial smoothing prior to peak analysis significantly improves peak area precisions without significantly affecting their accuracies.

Physiological response monitoring under controlled conditions can provide an effective means for passively determining if the wearer is under moderate to severe stresses. By monitoring the heart rate (HR) and galvanic skin response (GSR) of an individual, it is possible to detect in real time the increase in heart rate and GSR levels due to physiological reactions to mental duress. With existing physiological monitoring equipment, however, the work load of the wearer must be well defined since it is impossible, without additional data, to distinguish mental duress responses from those resulting from moderate physical exertion. Similarly, environmental conditions should be constrained within set limits to avoid masking increases in GSR levels due to metntal stress from those associated with increased perspiration. These constraints should not prove overly restrictive and would allow an integrated security system utilizing physiological monitoring equipment to provide an effective real time, automated early warning system for detection of mental duress or death of the wearer.

Newsletter of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, discussing news and events and activities of the agency, as well as other related topics.

Progress is reported in studies on the following LWR core meltdown phenomena: (1) molten core-concrete interactions and (2) steam explosions.

The conference contained 39 papers. Separate abstracts were prepared for 29 papers. The other ten abstracts appeared previously in ERA. (JFP)

A test was made in the 2-Megawatt Plasmajet Facility to obtain experimental data relative to the thermal response of concrete to incident heat flux. 14.6 cm diameter by 8.0 cm long concrete cylinders were positioned in a supersonic flow of heated nitrogen from an arc heater. The end of the concrete cylinders impacted by the flow were subjected to heat fluxes in the range of 0.13 to 0.35 kW/cm/sup 2/. Measurements included cold wall surface heat flux and pressure distributions, surface and indepth temperatures, ablation rates, and surface emission spectrographs. The test was part of the Sandia light water reactor safety research program and complements similar tests made in the Radiant Heat Facility at heat fluxes from 0.03 to 0.12 kW/cm/sup 2/. A description of the tests and a tabulation of test data are included.