A CAMAC Serial Highway Interface has been designed for the Local Control and Instrumentation System of the Mirror Fusion Test Facility. There are over 50 distinguishable systems in the facility, each of which consists of the LSI-11 computer, fiber optic communication links, and the CAMAC system. The LSI-11 computer includes a 32k memory, serial modem interface and the CAMAC Serial Highway Interface.

Micro-channel plate multipliers have been used to detect the passage of relativistic charged particles. Measurements of the detection efficiency and pulse height response versus micro-channel plate gain are presented for one, two and three micro-channel plate arrays. The probability of detecting an avalanche on the detector anode per one channel of MCP crossed by the relativistic particle was calculated. Temporal response and time jitter were measured and are reported. The track images of beam particles crossing the detector are shown.

A serial communications system based on the EIA RS232-C standard with modem control lines has been developed. The DLV11-E interface is used for this purpose. All handshaking is done with the modem control lines. This allows totally independent full duplex communication. The message format consists of eight bit data with odd parity and a sixteen bit checksum on the whole message. All communications are fully interrupt driven. A program was written to load a program into a remote LSI-11 using the serial line without bootstrap ROM.

Bare fused silica surfaces were prepared by subjecting the mechanically polished surface to a rastered cw CO/sub 2/ laser beam. Analysis shows that this processing causes: (a) removal of a uniform layer of fused silica; and (b) a probable re-fusing or healing of existing subsurface fractures. The fused silica removal rate is found to be a function of the laser intensity and scan rate. These surfaces are seen to have very low scatter and to be very smooth. In addition, they have exhibited entrance surface damage thresholds at 1.06 ..mu..m, and 1 nsec, which are substantially above those seen on the mechanically polished surface. When damage does occur, it tends to be at a few isolated points rather than the general uniform damage seen on the mechanicaly polished part. In addition to the damage results, we will discuss an observational technique used for viewing these surfaces which employs dark-field illumination.

The local energy transferred from neutrons and photons to TLD materials with respect to energy transferred to biological tissues or air has been calculated. Experimental response of TLDs was measured for photons with energies above 1.5 keV.

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) has been in construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for 3 years, and most of the major subsystems are nearing completion. Recently, the scope of this project was expanded to meet new objectives, principally to reach plasma conditions corresponding to energy break-even. To fulfill this promise, the single-cell minimum-B mirror configuration will be replaced with a tandem mirror configuration (MFTF-B). The facility must accordingly be expanded to accomodate the new geometry. This paper briefly discusses the status of the major MFTF subsystems and describes how most of the technological objectives of MFTF will be demonstrated before we install the additional systems necessary to make the tandem. It also summarizes the major features of the expanded facility.

We have designed, built, and characterized uv preilluminated gas switches for a trigger circuit and a low inductance discharge circuit. These switches have been incorporated into a 54 x 76 x 150 cm pulser module to produce a 1 Ma output current rising at 5 x 10/sup 12/ amps/sec with 1 ns jitter. Twenty such modules will be used on the Nova Inertial Confinement Fusion Laser System for plasma retropulse shutters.

Hardware design for laser fusion experimental machines has led to a combination of engineering technologies that are critical to the successful operation of these machines. These large opto-mechanical systems are dependent on extreme cleanliness, accommodation to efficient maintenance, and high stability. These three technologies are the primary mechanical engineering criteria for laser fusion devices.

This paper explores tHe observational consequences of models for Type I supernovae based on the detonation (or deflagration) of the degenerate cores of white dwarfs or intermediate mass (approx. = 9 M/sub sun/) stars. Such nuclear burning can be initiated either at the center of the core or near its edge. The model examined in most detail is that of a 0.5M/sub sun/ C/O white dwarf which undergoes an edge-lit He/C/O detonation after accreting 0.62 M/sub sun/ of he at 10/sup -8/ M/sub sun//yr. The light curve resulting from this model is found to be in excellent agreement with those observed for Type I supernovae, particularly those in the fast subclass. The physical processes involved in the detailed numerical calculations which lead to this conclusion are quantitatively elucidated by simple analytic models, and effects of uncertainties in the input physics are explored.