The phenomenon of the electromagnetic pinch effect is used to accelerate ionized gases for space propulsion. Electrical energy, initially stored in capacitors, is discharged across two nozzle shaped electrodes wherein the radial pinch is converted to axial motion of the effected gases instead of confinement at the axis. The gas dynamics of a pinch using the hydrodynamical model of a msgnetic piston driving a shock wave is combined with the electrodynamics of the circuit to calculate the discharge behavior. Experiments on three different electrode designs are discussed and results compared with calculated values. Results are applied to one particular space propulsion system consisting of a nuclear energy source, a space radiator, a turbine-generator, capacitor, and a pinch tube. The specific mission analyzed is a one-way unmanned flight to a Mars orbit, starting from an Earth orbit. (auth)

Efficiency of the pilot plant pumper-decanters was greatly improved by the maintenance of interfaccs. The low efficiency of the D-3 pumper-decanter in the plant could be substantially raised by an interface to prevent backmixing. A review of refinery performance, based on a correlation of wash raffinate density with extract uranium saturation showed that high-thorium product resulted from low extract saturation. Tributyl phosphate recovery by hexane stripping of raffinate can be greatly improved through the use of a pamper-decanter in place of the present open column. The pilot plant fluid-bed denitrator has been operated at production rates as high as 500 lb UO/sub 3/hr-sq ft using hlgh feed concentrations. Correlations of previous particle size and heat transfer data are presented. A pilot plant fluid-bed reduction reactor with a tapered internal mandrel has been placed in service. The equipment has performed well in preliminary runs. Equipment to convent low concentration to 38% HF by distillation has been installed. Runs have been made in the green salt reactors in order to simulate the conditions whereby the 38% HF will be utilized. These runs demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality UF/sub 4/ utilizing 38% HF to the Air reactor tube. Laboratory analysis of green …

The effects of simulated space vehicle vibration, acceleration and shock on the operation and efficiency of a SNAP-III thermoelectric generator are described. The test specifications were developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratories for the third stage and payload of the Vega Vehicle. (auth)

The SPAN-2 code calculates the uncollided gamma flux at a point outside a right circular cylinder which is surrounded by cyllndrical shell shields and above which are plane slab shields. The cylinder is assured to contain a source of gamma radiation which varies in the radial and axial directions only. Field points may be located in a plane through the axis of the cylinder. The method of integration used is three-dimensional Gaussian quadrature. Typical computing and editing time for a 20 field point problem, in which there are 10 side and 10 top shields, is four minutes per energy level. A 32,768 word IBM-704 is required for the code. (auth)

A one-step, continuous, fluid-bed process for the conversion of uranium hexafluoride to uranium dioxide was successfully carried out in preliminary experiments in a 1 1/2-inch-diameter Monel reactor. Hydrogen and steam were used for simultaneous reduction and pyrohydrolysis reactions carried out at 600 deg C, resulting in the formation of a dense coating of dioxide on the starting bed of uranium dioxide. The effects of uranium hexafluoride feed rate and reactant excesses on conversion were investigated. Results of fluid-bed steam pyrohydrolysis runs on uranium tetrafluoride are also presented. (auth)

Development of a nuclear density gage is reported. A diation transmitted through a sample and through a calibrated wedge. In simple cases the two radiation beams are mechanically chopped at 60 cycles, and the difference in intensity activates a servosystem which repositions the wedge until balance is achieved. Development or a lead chopper for use with Tm/sup 170/ is reported. The commutating system described previously was completed and is being tested. Research has begun on the use of mechanical energy discrimation in gaging. (J.R.D.)

Data are tabulated on the radioactive content of samples of surface water, lake and stream bottom silt, soil, plants, and air filters from the environs of the Argonne National Laboratory. Results are compared with those for similar samples collected from the area from 1952 through 1958. Fission prcduct activity from nuclear detocations was found in most samples from all locations. Fall-out activity was greatest during the spring and fall, and was particularly noticeable in air, precipitation, and plant samples. (For preceding period see ANL-5934.) (C.H.)

The development and design of a large bakeable valve based on a unique seat arrangement and a novel motion seal are described. The seat sealing is accomplished through the use of high pressure fluid actuation of an annular pinch gasket. Experimental data on seat closure performance, and the specific design features to achieve successful closures, are presented. The bakeable motion seal utilizes a stainless steel bellows sleeving over an inner concentric actuating shaft. This shaft is bent at 90 deg to the axis of rotation and is free to rotate relative to the bellows. There is no apparent size limitation to this type of actuation. The design of a 10-inch gate valve utilizing these principles is described. (auth)

The Homogeneous Reactor Test requires an emergency or dump valve for rapidly releasing the contents of the high-pressure systems to the low-pressure systems. In order to determine the most suitable trim material for this service, a loop was constructed and used to test a variety of materials under simulated reactor dump conditions. As a result of the tests both 347 and 17-4 PH stainless steels were recommended and used in the HRT dump valves. The HRT core dump valve has not been replaced since the beginning of critical operrtions. The blanket dump valve has been replaced twice since criticallty; once apparently as a result of mechanical binding and once following a dump. (auth)

Requirements for successfull polishing of metallographic specimens are discussed and the design of a machine to accomplish such work on radioactive specimens in a metallographic cave is presented. Quality results, readily obtrained by use of the ANL machine, are illustrated by photomicrographs. (auth)

Many elements exhibit anisotropic scattering at energies of interest in reactor calculations. A method is presented for the calculation of transport cross sections including the observed anisotropy. (auth)

The GEORGE computer at Argonne National Laboratory was coded to transform yields as well as the coefficients between the two systems. The matrices used in the transformation of coefficients are tabulated. (auth)

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The effect of nitrate on Th extraction by primary amines was studied. Selectivity of the primary amines can be greatly improved by adding alcohol to the kerosene diluent. The flow capacity of settlers for NaCl stripping in the Amex Process was determined in a 6-in. settler for alcohol-modified and unmodified 0.1 M Rohm and Haas LA-1 amine m kerosene A process scheme is proposed for the recovery of U and Pu from H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ stainless steel decladding solutions, by extracting U/sup 4+/ and Pu/sup 3+/ or Pu/sup 4+/ with successive streams of 0.1 to 0.3 M primary amine and stripping ihe combined extracts with dilute HNO/sub 3/. The structural effects on Th and U extraction with neutral organophosphorus reagents were studied. A flowsheet was developed for the extraction between TBP and HNO/sub 3/. The kinetic behavior of amine extractants was studied. (W.L.H.)

An investigation of the effects of irradiation on uranium containing 0.52 and 1.62 wt.% zirconium was made. Specimens of wrought material, variously heat treated, were studied as well as castings of the alloys. It was found that, although the wrought and heat-treated alloys were reportedly stable under thermal cycling, they elongated rapidly under irradiation. The best material studied was the 1.62% alloy in the as-cast condition. It was found to increase in length initially at a rate of about 5% per at.% burnup, after which the rate steadily diminished. Up to burnups of at least 5.3 at.% it retained a smooth surface. Two specimens of the cast 1.61% alloy, one irradiated to 2.1 at.% burnup at a calculated central temperature of 690 deg C and the other irradiated to 5.3 at.% burnup at a calculated central temperature of 620 deg C, swelled and increased in volume with the formation of a large central void surrounded by highly porous metal. The critical swelling temperature of urauium--1.62 wi.% zirconium alloy was found to lie between 300 and 620 deg C, with some indications that it may be near 500 deg C. (auth)

Since the light metallic elements undoubtedly will play a greater and greater role as propellants in advanced chemical and nuclear-chemical propulsion systems, interest in their burning characteristics is increasing. Presented here are some preliminary conclusions on burning characteristics. These conclusions are based on fundamental physical considerations and not on experimental results. An analytical approach to calculate the burning rate of metals is also suggested. This approach differs from the diffusion-droplet approach in that it includes radiation feed-back and loss terms. Such terms can be important at the high temperatures of the diffusion film surrounding a burning metal. (auth)

Experiments done wIth the Van de Graaff generator are listed. Improvements and generator troubles are discussed. Most of the small resonances up to 350 kev in Na/sup 24/ were studied by self-detection measurements and the analysis of the resonances is in progress. The analyses were completed in the region from 180 to 350 kev and the results are included. Preliminary studies on dissociation of multiple-changed DBr/sup 80/ ions formed by isomeric transition ot 4.4-hr Br/sup 80m/ indicate that less than 5% of the DBr ions of each charge greater than +3 remain bound. Atomic ions or Br with charges from +1 to +10 were observed. The complete crystal structure of sodium uranyl acetate was determined. The dimensions of the Li/sub 2/WO/sub 4/ unit cell were measured. A precise determination of all atomic positions is under way. It was found that the statistical properties of the excited states of some complex atoms are the same as those which have previously been discussed for neutron resonance states. The assumption that space-time possesses the symmetry of the DeSitter group is being studied to develop the physical consequences for the properties of elementary particles. A possible formalism that explains the difference between the masses …

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In the design of nuclear reactor core subassemblies, a stress analysis is often made of a subassembly whose plates differ in geometry, in reactor coolant pressure loading, and in temperature distribution. Bettis code S0131 was developed for the IBM-650 computer to assess the adequacy of the subassembly design and to assist in determining acceptable manufacturing tolerances. The output of the code gives redundant weld reactions, deformations, and stresses in the individual plates. (auth)

A classical linear vector space is a unitary DELTA module, where DELTA is a division ring. Properties of linear spaces are given. The approach used is a module theoretic one, that is, a sequence of progressively stronger impositions on the module structure of a unitary Rmodule M is studied, without regard to the nature of the operator ring R. (W.D.M.)

The rate of chloride removal varied directly with HNO/sub 3/ concentration fn an APPR-type Darex dissolver product containing 100 g/liter metal loading, 0.58 M initial chloride, and initial HNO/sub 3/ concentrations of 8, 9, 10, 12, and 14 M. The removal rate with 8 and 9 M HNO/sub 3/ was very low. After 6 hr refluxing, the chloride content decreased to 0.50 and 0.36 M, respectively. After refluxing for the same time with 10 to 14 M HNO/sub 3/, the product contained 0.064to 0.0007 M (2270 to 25 ppm) chloride. The effect of air sparging was approximately equivalent to refluxing without sparging at a HNO/sub 3/ concentration 2 M higher. After 6 hr sparging and refluxing the chloride content varied from 0.034 to < 0.00014 M (1200 to < 5 ppm) for initial HNO/sub 3/ concentrations from 8 to 14 M. (auth)

K-capture to positron branching ratios were measured in the decay of Na/ sup 22/, Co/sup 58/, and Ga/sup 68/ -- all pure Gamow-Teller emitters, using coincidence scintillation spectrometer techniques. The measured values are 0.105 plus or minus 0.004 for Na/sup 22/, 5.08 plus or minus 0.17 for Co/sup 58/, and 1.28 plus or minus 0.12 and 0.10 plus or minus 0.02 for Ga/sup 58/. From these the Fierz interference terra is computed to be b =--0.004 plus or minus 0.012, -0.004 plus or minus 0.14, --0-03 plus or minus 0.02, and +0.03 plus or minus 0.01, respectively. These results indicate that the Fierz interference in Gamow-Teller interaction is very small. The decay of 270 day Ge/sup 68/ was investigated in equilibrium with Ga/sup 68/ to look for a possible low-lying 0+ level in Ga/sup 68/ using x-ray--x-ray and x-ray- gamma -ray coincidences. The result was negative. Besides the 9 kev K x ray, the 1.07 Mev gamma ray in the decay of Ga/sup 68/ and annihilation radiation, no other gamma rays were detected (<8% of 1.07 Mev gamma ray). The number of positrons per 1.07 Mev gamma - quantum was determined as 19.47 plus or minus 2.10. The ratio of …

>Tests of previously suggested methods of determining uranium in solution by x-ray absorption indicated that daily calibration of the photometer is necessary because of changes in response. It was found that by using machined aluminum plates as standards rather than uranium solutions, the time necessary for daily calibration can be reduced to about 15 minutes. The method was found to have a limit of error of plus or minus 0.25% at the 95% confidence level for a single determination of uranium in a solution equivalent to about 30 milligrams uranium dioxide per gram of solution. It was found difficult to obtain cells matched for x-ray absorption work, a point that has been insufficiently stressed in the past. (auth)

Instructions on the use of HEMAD code are presented. This code is used to compute the energy spectrum of neutrons in an infinite, homogeneous lattice in the heavy moderator approximation and to average specified quantitics over such spectrum. (J.R.D.)