Cratering is a subject that has been studied by many investigators for many years for many purposes. These purposes range from experimental studies of physical properties to large scale excavations using explosive charges of kiloton size. In the past ten years considerable effort has been devoted to cratering experiments for the purposes of determining the effects of cratering by nuclear explosions, with recent accent on Plowshare applications. From the large amount of data available for craters in alluvian has been possible to establish very reliable relationships between charge size, depth of bursty crater radii, and crater depths. In addition it has been possible to construct a preliminary theory of the mechanics of explosive crater formation. The available experimental data for nuclear and high explosive craters are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the data for desert alluvium, and the pertinent relationships are derived. A theory of the important cratering mechanisms, which has been evolved on the basis of these data and data from other sources, is outlined. (auth)

As the first part of a study to evaluate the economics of the various steps leading to and including the permanent disposal of high-activity liquid and solid radioactive waste, costs of interim liquid storage of acid and alkaline Purex and Thorex wastes were estimated for storage times of 0.5 to 30 years. A 6- ton/day plant was assumed, processing 1500 tons/year of uranium converter fuel at a burnup of 10,000 Mwd/ton and 270 tons/year of thorium converter fuel at a burnup of 20,000 Mwd/ton. Tanks of Savannah River design were assumed, with stainless steel construction for acid wastes and mild steel construction for neutralized wastes. The operating cycle of each tank was assumed to consist of equal filling and emptying periods plus a full (or dead) period. With interim storage time defined as filling time plus full time, tank costs were minimum when full time was 40 to 70% of the interim storage time, using present worth considerations. For waste storage times of 0.5 to 30 years, costs ranged from 2.2 x 10/sup -3/ to 9.5 x 10/sup -3/ mill/kwh/sub e/ for acid wastes and from 1.7 x 10/sup -3/ to 5.1 x 10/sup -3/ mill/kwh/sub e/ for neutralized wastes. …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a grand jury may interrogate an accused witness without the witness' counsel being present?

Irradiation of the initial test in this program involving ten tubes of alternately charged nickel-plated C-64 alloy clad test elements and X-80001 alloy control elements has been successfully completed. The test indicated that the nickel-plate spalling problem has been resolved, as no significant spalling or flaking was observed during the post-irradiation examination. The second test in this program will be to verify that the nickel-plate integrity problem has been solved by irradiating a pilot loading (up to 100 charges) of fuel elements which have been nickel-plated on a production basis.