The progress report covers the work carried out during the first year 1958-59 in the department of metallurgy at M.I.T. under the supervision of Professors John T. Norton and Robert E. Ogilvie. A brief summary of the work that has been completed and in some cases still continuing is given. The work has been listed under the following general headings: (1) Diffusion studies in the uranium-niobium system, (2) X-ray detection of cladding defects, (3) Precision X-ray stress analysis of uranium and zirconium, (4) Magnetic studies of Fe3O3 single crystals, (5) Crystal structure studies of yttrium compounds, (6) Structural relationships in ZrFe2-ZrCr2 system.

The potential to kinetic energy conversion process in the lower stratosphere is evaluated using adiabatically derived vertical velocities for the North American region for a five-day period. Preliminary results suggest the possibility that on the average the kinetic energy of stratospheric motions may not result from a conversion of potential energy within the stratosphere. The further implication is that stratospheric motions are mechanically driven by the motions in the adjacent layers of the atmosphere.

Sixty-two references, some annotated, were taken from foreign literature to determine the status of work done in this area of metallurgy during 1958 and 1959. The references are grouped into two categories: references pertinent to the subject and general metallurgical references on metallic fuels.

A sequential method is described for the determination of strontium- 89, strontium-90, barium-140, and tungsten185 in rain water samples. A comparison is made of data on radioactivity in individual rain samples and in monthly pot samples. Data are included on the total strontiuro-90 fall-out collected in steep walled stainless steel pots during the period. Results are compared with cumulative data for 1958 end 1959. (C.H.)