Article discussing research analyzing the relationship between real interest rates and real growth rates in wages.

Article offering a brief bibliography on the subject of copyright and digital media in the context of libraries.

Article discussing principal resonance contributors to high-valent, transition-metal alkylidene complexes.

Article discussing K-shell x-ray-production cross sections in 6C, 8O, 9F, 11Na, 12Mg, and 13AI, by 0.75- to 4.5-MeV protons.

Corrections to an equation printed with a typographical error in Quantum Irreversibility and Chaos, Physical Review Letters 67, 2593 (1991).

Article on financing geriatric programs in community health centers.

Article on the nucleotide sequence of xylE from the TOL pDK1 plasmid and structural comparison with isofunctional catechol-2,3-dioxygenase genes from TOL pWW0 and NAH7.

Article on the effect of solvent polarity and acidity on fluorescence emission fine structures of select aza-polynuclear aromatics and dibenzo[b,n]perylene hetero-atom derivatives.

Article on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon solute probes and an evaluation of additional naphthacene and perylene derivatives as possible solvent polarity probe molecules.

Article on polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles and the effect of solvent polarity on the fluorescence emission fine structure of three azapyrene compounds.

Article on the spectroscopic properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the effect of solvent polarity on the fluorescence emission behavior of select fluoranthene, fluorenochrysene, indenochrysene, and indenopyrene derivatives.

Article discussing thermochemical investigations of associated solutions and the calculation of anthracene-butyl acetate association parameters from measured solubility data.

Article commenting on "Topological investigation of molecular interactions in ternary mixtures of non-electrolytes: Excess Gibbs free energy mixing."

Article on polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles and the effect of solvent polarity and solvent acidity on the fluorescence emission behavior of select azapyrenes and phenanthroisoquinolines.

Article on a kinetic study of the recombination reaction sodium + sulfur dioxide + argon.

Strontium isotope studies of carbonates from soils, veins, eolian dust and Paleozoic basement samples near Crater Flat, southwest of Yucca Mountain, provide evidence for the origins of these materials. Vein and soil carbonates have nearly identical ranges of {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios at the lower end of the pedogenic range. The average {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr of Paleozoic basement from Black Marble Hill is similar to the {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr in the eolian dust, perhaps indicating a local source for this material. Possible spring deposits have generally higher {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr than the other carbonates. These data are compared with similar data from areas east of Yucca Mountain. 7 refs., 5 figs.

Borehole geophysical logging for site characterization in the volcanic rocks at the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, requires data collection under rather unusual conditions. Logging tools must operate in rugose, dry holes above the water table in the unsaturated zone. Not all logging tools will operate in this environment, therefore; careful consideration must be given to selection and calibration. A sample suite of logs is presented that demonstrates correlation of geological formations from borehole to borehole, the definition of zones of altered mineralogy, and the quantitative estimates of rock properties. We show the results of an exploratory calculation of porosity and water saturation based upon density and epithermal neutron logs. Comparison of the results with a few core samples is encouraging, particularly because the logs can provide continuous data in boreholes where core samples are not available. 9 refs., 4 figs.

The high-level nuclear waste regulations pertaining to gaseous release of carbon-14 from a repository should be changed to allow greater release, for several reasons. Some of them are as follows. First, the total amount of carbon-14 that would be placed in a repository is small compared to that produced naturally in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. Second, the dose that would result to an individual from total release of repository carbon-14 would be very small compared to that from natural radiation sources and would be well below the ``Below Regulatory Concern`` criterion. Third, the limits on gaseous carbon-14 release from a repository have been set unreasonably low compared to the limits set for carbon-14 release from other fuel cycle facilities. Fourth, the additional cost for waste packages to attempt to meet the regulations for carbon-14 release would likely be of the order of a billion dollars or more, too high to be justified by the small reduction in dose that might result. 32 refs.

Separate abstracts have been prepared for the papers presented at the meeting on nuclear facility air cleaning technology in the following specific areas of interest: air cleaning technologies for the management and disposal of radioactive wastes; Canadian waste management program; radiological health effects models for nuclear power plant accident consequence analysis; filter testing; US standard codes on nuclear air and gas treatment; European community nuclear codes and standards; chemical processing off-gas cleaning; incineration and vitrification; adsorbents; nuclear codes and standards; mathematical modeling techniques; filter technology; safety; containment system venting; and nuclear air cleaning programs around the world. (MB)

The pore structure and mineralogy of Topopah Spring Tuff are heterogeneous on scales less than one cm. This heterogeneity creates spatial variation in transport rates for aqueous actinide species both on the scale of tenths of microns and the scale of mm. The volumetric distribution of fluid paths having very different tortuosity, and potentially differing surface mineralogy and sorptive properties, must be considered in order to provide realistic predictions of transport rates. In addition, size and speciation of actinides in solution must be characterized since coexisting species can diffuse at different rates through the porous material due to both filtration effects and differences in sorption onto exposed mineral surfaces. 11 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

The atmospheric corrosion of oxygen-free copper (CDA-102), 70/30 copper-nickel (CDA-715), and 7% aluminum bronze (CDA-613) in an irradiated moist air environment was investigated. Experiments were performed in both dry and 40% RH (@90{degree}C) air at temperatures of 90 and 150{degree}C. Initial corrosion rates were determined based on a combination of weight gain and weight loss measurements. Corrosion products observed were identified. These experiments support efforts by the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) to evaluate possible metallic barrier materials for nuclear waste containers. 8 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

Advective and diffusive migration experiments (within the Dynamic Transport Column Experiments and Diffusion Studies of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project) involve utilizing crushed material, intact, and fractured tuff in order to test and improve (if necessary) transport models by experimentally observing the migration of sorbing and non-sorbing radionuclides on a laboratory scale. Performing a validation of the sorption data obtained with batch techniques (within the Batch Sorption Study) is an integral part of the mission of the Dynamic Transport Column Experiments and Diffusion Studies. In this paper the work scope of the radionuclide migration laboratory experiments (as they apply to validation of batch sorption data) is reviewed.

The Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project is evaluating Yucca Mountain in Nye County, Nevada, as a site for a potential high-level nuclear waste repository. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is concerned with the development and performance modeling of waste packages for the potential repository. Argonne National Laboratory has performed experimental studies in support of the waste package effort. This effort is currently guided by the Waste Package Plan, which calls for a systems engineering approach to waste package development. Part of this approach involves formulating an approved set of selection criteria to choose the materials to be used in fabricating the waste packages. Technical issues related to the performance of metals in the air/water vapor environment expected in the potential Yucca Mountain repository are discussed. Preliminary experiments, focused on the atmospheric corrosion of copper-based materials, are summarized. These experiments were performed over a broad range of conditions: temperatures between 90 and 150{degrees}C; relative humidities of 0, 15, 40, and 100%; and gamma dose rates between 0.01 and 0.3 Mrad/hr. In irradiated moist air, copper-based materials form cooper oxides and nitrate phases depending on the dose rate, humidity and temperature. The rates of general corrosion increase with temperature, humidity, and dose rate. …

This paper presents a summary of the conduct and findings of the Exploratory Studies Facility Alternatives Study (ESF-AS). The Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) is being planned for use in the characterization of a site for a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV. The purpose of the ESF-AS were to identify and rank order ESF-repository options and to improve understanding of the favorable or unfavorable features of the ESF design. The analysis resulted in the ranking of 34 options, in accordance with the extent to which each option could achieve the objectives. Additional findings regarding design features that were identified as key elements in an option`s ability to provide good overall performance are also discussed.