A single-pass continuous-flow leach test of PNL 76-68 glass beads (7 mm dia) was concluded after 420 days of uninterrupted operation. Variables included in the experimental matrix were flow-rate, leachant composition, and temperature. Analysis was conducted on all leachate samples for /sup 237/Np and /sup 239/Pu as well as a number of nonradioactive elements. Results indicated that flow-rate and leachant systematically affected the leach rate, but only slightly. Temperature effects were significant. Plutonium leach rate was lower at higher temperature suggesting that Pu sorption onto the beads was enhanced at the higher temperature. The range of leach rates for all analyzed elements (except Pu), at both temperature, at all three flow rates, and with all three leachant compositions varied only three orders of magnitude. The range of variables used in this experiment covered those expected in many proposed repository environments. The preliminary interpretation of the results also indicated that matrix dissolution may be the dominant leaching mechanism, at least for Np in bicarbonate leachant. Regardless of the leaching mechanism the importance of this study is that it bounds the effects of repository environments when the ground water is oxidizing and when it doesn't reach the waste form until the waste …

The radial Fokker-Planck (RFP) model of A. Futch was modified to treat plasma buildup in the tandem mirror plug and center cell with a self-consistent model (TOARBUC). Two major changes have been made to the original version of this code. First, the center cell is treated as having separate electron and ion confining potentials with the ion potential having the opposite sign of that in a conventional mirror. Second, a two-electron-temperature treatment derived by R. Cohen was included in the present model to allow the plug and center cell to have different T/sub e/'s as observed in the experiment. The following sections explain these changes in greater detail.