This paper presents a containment failure mode analysis during a spectrum of postulated degraded core accident sequences in a typical 1000-MW(e) boiling water reactor (BWR) with a Mark-I wetwell containment. Overtemperature failure of containment electric penetration assemblies (CEPAs) has been found to be the major failure mode during such accidents.

New switching power supplies were designed for the 10 mm laser amplifiers in the Nova Master Oscillator Room. The flashlamp supply must be repratable. Therefore, we designed a constant current, linearly charging power supply. Since it is a capacitor, the load varies throughout the charge cycle. At first the load is great, and di/dt of load current is at a maximum. As the capacitor charges the initial conditions for each cycle change, the power supply in effect sees a smaller capacitance, and di/dt decreases. We need a way of gradually increasing the on-time of the current pulses so that the transistors in the power bridge are turned off when they reach their maximum peak current. The normal current sense response of the control chip is not fast enough to be useful for our application. The deadtime, or the time that all the bridge transistors are turned off, is fixed so that as the pulse width varies so does the period. We end up with a constant peak current, switching power supply whose frequency varies from 50 khz to 20 khz. Finally, an overcurrent latch protects the transistors from bridge or transformer faults. The circuit is described and results are shown.

Allowance is made for beta-delayed fission in the calculation of the mass yield of underground thermonuclear explosions. This allowance is made by calculating a correction factor by four different methods. These correction factors are applied to a simple model of product yield and the accuracy and potential usefulness of the results are discussed. 19 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab. (DWL)

Measurements of soft x-ray production by transition radiation have been performed in a series of experiments at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The results have shown that transition radiation is an intense and predictable source of photons in the soft x-ray energy range. This paper will give a brief review of the general properties of the x-ray distributions generated by these sources. 9 refs., 9 figs.

Previous surveys of experimental level structure in deformed odd-odd nuclei have been updated with recent results for the lanthanide and actinide regions. The relative strengths of the effective neutron-proton interaction derived from these data are compared. The predictive power of a semi-empirical model for level structure in deformed odd-odd nuclei is demonstrated. Comparison is made with recent Hartree-Fock calculations of selected nuclei.

This report addresses the breeder reactor fuel fabrication development overview.

Experimental and theoretical studies of field reversal in a mirror machine are reported. Plasma-gun experiments demonstrate that reversed-field plasma layers are formed. Low energy plasma flowing behind the initially produced plasma front prevents tearing of the layer from the gun muzzle. MHD simulation shows that tearing can be obtained by impeding the slow plasma flow with a plasma divider. It is demonstrated theoretically that a field-reversed mirror imbedded in a multipole field can be sustained in steady state with neutral-beam injection even in the absence of impurities. MHD stability analysis shows that growth rates of elongated reversed-field theta-pinch configurations decrease with axial extension, which indicates the importance of including finite Larmor radius in the analysis. Tilting-mode criteria are improved by proper shaping, and a problimak shape is proposed. Tearing mode stability of reversed-field theta-pinches is greatly enhanced by flux exclusion. Self-consistent, 1-1/2-dimensional transport codes have been developed, and initial results are presented.