Aid in redesign of the calibration facility in order to: 1. Reduce the rate of exposure for calibration personnel below 1 mr/hr; 2. Reduce the rate of exposure outside of the 3745 Building; 3. Reduce the risk of breaking radium sources; 4. Improve the efficiency of calibration procedures by: a. Allowing calibration to be done faster; b. Providing several calibration ranges which can operate simultaneously in the present space allowed; c. Allowing instrument survey work to proceed while calibration work is done. A well-type calibration installation is proposed and a brief description of the required shielding is included.

The problem of separation of beams of particles of different masses but of the same momentum at Bev energies is the subject of a great deal of study at several high energy laboratories. In this note we shall describe the problem and tabulate a few of the cogent parameters. Frequently the student of high energy interactions is faced with a beam of miscellaneous particles coming from an accelerator. By standard techniques this beam can be rendered approximately parallel and an inch or so in diameter. By passage through a magnetic field the beam can be analyzed in momentum. Now it frequently happens that the particles in which the experimenter is particularly interested make up only a small fraction of the beam and the exigencies of the proposed experiment may well demand that the background of undesired particles be drastically reduced. The problem is difficult because the velocities of the various particles are almost equal to each other and to the velocity of lights; this makes time-of-flight techniques relatively ineffective. The energies of the particles are almost equal so electrostatic separation also is difficult. Since the beam is already analyzed in momentum, further separation by magnetic means is impossible.

Technical report. From Abstract : "The acidity of a solution of acid, HX, and salt, MX, is affected by both the concentration of X- and M+ owing to incomplete dissociation of the salt, MX. it was possible to increase the acidity of a solution of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol - tetrabutylammonium 2,6-di-tert-butylphenolate relative to a dilute solution of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide by increasing the tetrabutylammonium bromide content. This indicates that the dissociation constant of the hydroxide base is sufficiently large that extensive dissociation occurs in dilute solutions. The addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide is therefore recommended as a general method for increasing the acidity and improving the titration characteristics of extremely weak acids."

Maintenance of polarization of polarized protons in a linear accelerator is known to be feasible. Circular accelerators present a different problem, and the investigation of the interaction of orbit dynamics and particle polarization in general is undertaken. The equation of motion of the spin vector of a charged particle in a magnetic field as formulated by Bargmann, Michel, and Telegdi is utilized in the study of depolarization for several accelerators. High values of depolarization are obtained, and means for avoiding such depolarization are suggested. (D.C.W.)

The instrument (polychromator) described observes time-dependent spectral-line profiles by simultaneous measurement at nine different wavelengths of light intensity as a function of time. A cylindrical lens magnifies the dispersion of a Jarrell-Ash Model S2000 Ebert Monochromator and forms an image on a light-pipe solder. Light pipes transfer light from various sections of the image--i.e., different wavelengths--to photomultiplier tubes, and the responses are displayed on oscilloscopes. The instrument has been used to look at total wavelength spans of 15 A and 20 A.

The development of nuclear reactors and other sources of nuclear particles has provided the analyst with a new method which has been successfully applied to the determination of microgram and even submicrogram quantities of many elements. In this method, known as "radioactivation analysis," the element to be determined is "activated" through some type of nuclear reaction which produces a radioactive isotope of the element. Since the radioisotope produced decays with its own characteristic radiation and half-life, it is possible, through radiochemical measurements following radioactivation, to devise a method of analysis which is very specific for particular elements. Whenever necessary, the radioisotope is separated by chemical means and its radioactivity is then measured by some type of radiation counter.

The objective is to establish, from test results, the relationship between pressure loss and orifice configuration, mass rate, and steam quality, for a Fuel Cycle fuel assembly.

The response of a two silicon p-n junction diodes has been measured for protons up to 13.3 Mev. In one case the dependence of depletion layer thickness with bias voltage was found to be T or V(0.46). The observed resolution, made up of contributions from crystal noise, beam width, and scatterer thickness, was about 1% for 9-Mev protons.

"Additional mixtures of polymers and multi-unsaturated monomers have been prepared, irradiated and the gel content determined. The gel content determination of crosslinked polyolefins has been investigated in detail. The multi-unsaturated monomers used and radiation conditions applied up to this time have not given significant gel contents for polypropylene. the polypropylene resin used has been characterized by differential extraction."

The magnetic properties of core materials ae investigated for a pulse width of 30 nanoseconds. Methods of testing which are necessitated by the sort pulse width are explained and the design of the pulser which is capable of 0.2 megawatt peak power is described. The data obtained if evaluated and presented for the various materials which were tested.

At present, emphasis is being given the application of nondestructive testing to the inspection of nuclear fuel in conjunction with complete product specifications. The objective is to quantitatively specify fuel quality parameters, and to measure the entire fuel production against these specifications nondestructively. Under this concept the acceptability of a given fuel element becomes a well-defined factor readily determined by appropriate nondestructive tests.

When light propagates with the wave normal in the direction of an optic axis of a biaxial crystal, the usual ray theory breaks down. This phenomenon can be analyzed by means of an asymptotic solution of Maxwell's equations. The intensity is governed by a partial differential equation within the phase surfaces, instead of ordinary differential equations along rays. This example slows that light does not always propagate along rays. A similar phenomenon occurs in hydromagnetics.

Abstract. A fast-slow coincidence scintillation spectrometer for gamma-gamma cascade measurements following thermal neutron absorption in nuclei is now in operation at the Livermore 1-megawatt pool-type reactor. Design features of the spectrometer and experimental techniques in its use are discussed with particular emphasis on the application of the recently introduced sum-coincidence method for analysis of capture-gamma double cascades. A new technique for the determination of added neutron binding energy is presented and various types of coincidence data from appropriate experiments are illustrated.

The work described was undertaken to provide data for nuclear safety studies concerning NPF reprocessing equipment. The original objective was to determine the uranium density and water (hydrogen) content of UO2-H2O mixtures ranging from compact centrifuge cakes to dilute slurries. The scope was later expanded to include mixtures of UO2 with hydrocarbon oil and mixtures of UO3-H2O.

With the development of the zircaloy-2 clad uranium fuel element, it was necessary to develop a method of closing the end of the element after the extruded tubes were cut to the desired length. Regardless of the ultimate design of the closure, a satisfactory zircaloy-2 fusion welding technique had to be worked out. The first fully successful welding was performed with electron beam welding in a vacuum chamber. To make satisfactory welds, the electron beam welding involved time and equipment, plus undue maintenance on the equipment.

The calculation of shielding the thickness for plutonium is complicated by the many different energies represented in the gamma radiation emitted during decay of the plutonium isotopes. Dose rate predictions are also frequently confused by gamma from varying content of fission product impurities in the plutonium, as well as other gamma radiation induced through alpha and neutron particle absorption within the source material or its environment. After assumptions are made for these many factors the radiation data for shielding determination is still frequently inadequate because of wide variations in dose rates resulting from self-absorption. The degree if self-shielding is in turn dependent on nature of the plutonium compound, degree of compactness, weight, and over-all geometrical distribution of the source material. By preparing a variety of plutonium samples representing combinations of these varying factors, actual dose rates and gamma spectra, as obtained from them, can then be extrapolated for application to specific situations.

Continued process improvements in the separation plants provide an incentive for economics in waste storage costs by utilizing existing facilities to their maximum capability consistent with the radiological hazards involved. The major improvements have reduced waste volumes resulting in increased fission product concentration and energy potential. Analyses have been made to determine the effect of this change on the integrity of the existing structures.

The NPR design calls for carbon steel to be the major constituent in the reactor coolant piping system. The piping and its associated fittings will, in all likelihood, be exposed to atmospheric weather conditions during the period of reactor construction. This type of exposure causes rusting. From experience gained during the startup of KER Loop 1 it is expected that there will be initially high NPR coolant activity levels. The high activity during the startup of KER Loop 1 was partially caused by the activation of rust that was eroded from pipe walls. Prevention of rusting on the carbon steel prior to its introduction into the coolant system would reduce the initial activity levels.

Soil chemistry studies have been carried on at Hanford for a number of years in support of the disposal of low and intermediate level liquid wastes to the ground. Equilibrium type experiments were carried out to investigate the mechanisms of the reactions of Sr, Cs, and rare earth ions with soils (1, 3, 4, 5). Experiments were also conducted with simulated and actual wastes in soil columns and an empirical method was developed for prediction of radionuclide breakthrough from ground disposal facilities into ground water on the basis of short, laboratory soil columns and equilibrium experiments (6,7). In this method it is assumed that the shape and position of the breakthrough curve is the same under laboratory conditions as in the larger scale field case. It is also assumed that the "column volume" or amount of soil effectively used for fission product sorption is that directly under a disposal facility without considering any spreading of waste solutions. These assumptions are known to be on the conservative side, but the degree of conservativeness is not known.

From abstract: "Steady temperatures and thermal stresses are determined for long hexagonal tubes having round holes for the case of uniform internal heat generation and a fluid-cooled inside surface. Thermal stresses are also determined for thick plates pierced by holes on an equilateral triangular pattern and for hexagonal tubes having a hexagonal hole with rounded inside corners. Stresses in the end regions of tubes are also investigated."

A study of metallurgical problems resulting from variation in grain boundaries, bonding layers, and inclusions in metals and alloys has become increasingly important over the past several years. To keep pace with and aid in these studies, several new techniques have been developed in emission and X-ray spectroscopy. In X-ray, areas as smalls as one square micron can be studied by making them targets for a focused electron beam and observing the X-rays emitted (5,2). Such an instrument would be quite helpful at Hanford, but the high original cost is prohibitive.

Samples containing 5 to 10 mg of uranium were extracted with hexone (methyl isobutyl ketone) and titrated coulometrically in sulphate media. Relative standard deviations of 0.45% for samples containing 5 mg and 0.56% for 10 mg were determined by precision studies.

The initial and long-term nuclear characteristics of two internally cooled heterogeneous, graphite-moderated, two-region, molten-salt reactors have been studied. These reactors have doubling times of 22.5 years and 27.5 years. Methods of decreasing the doubling times by removing the Pa233 from the core and be increasing the specific power of the reactor are described.

The major portion of transfers and inventory in the Chemical Processing Department are dependent on volume measurement. Good volume measurements are therefore essential to good SS material control. Considerable attention has been given to the volume problem especially on primary transfer points. Document HW-57888 discusses the biasing effect pf temperature on manometer oil. HW- 57866 given the procedure for vessel calibration. Other undocumented correspondence has discussed recent calibrations and certain aspects of temperature considerations in the volume determinations. However, there is a need to document for future reference the consideration given temperature and provide at the same time information which covers the temperature angle on all volume methods used in the Chemical Processing Department.