Introduction: "The carrier (pyroelectric) concentration method is commonly used in the spectrographic analysis of plutonium metal. This report describes work which lead to substantial improvements in accuracy, precision and ease with which the analysis is made. Included are data from analyses of plutonium metal by the original and the improved carrier methods, and the cupferron extraction method."

Report presenting a spectrochemical method for analyzing the concentration of iron and silicon in uranium, which requires approximately 1/3 of the time required for the previously used "wet method."

Abstract: A study has been made of the source, acceleration, and neutralization of ions for application to space propulsion. A summary is made in this paper of some of the most important problems in this area and their solutions.

Review of a study regarding a lid-tank shielding facility's properties, including fast-neutron and gamma dose rates and thermal-neutron fluxes, which were mapped in a symmetry plane. The removal cross section of gadolinium was determined through comparison with various other materials.

From introduction: "Two fluorimeters have been constructed for the determination of small amounts of uranium. There fluorimeters have been constructed after the basic plans for the Model V fluorimeter developed at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and described in the Journal of Biological Chemistry for March 1948.

An experiment now in progress should give some accurate information about the thermal neutron absorption cross section of carbon 12. This report outlines and summarizes this experiment and analyzes it to determine the main sources of error and the probably error in the final result.

Abstract: The removal of both SM-1 Core I high burnup elements from SM-1 Core II and the insertion of the PM-1-M-2 element and the SM-1 Core I spare element in SM-1 Core II is discussed. Nuclear and thermal characteristics of Core II with these changes are presented and conclusions related to the changes in the hazard potential are made. If the core change indicated by this report is made, local peaking factors will be decreased and burnout ratios will be increased. This, of course, in itself leads to a more conservative estimate of core safety. There is no conceivable reason why the perturbation may not be safely made in the SM-1 Core II.

Quarterly progress report discussing activities related to the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) and related facilities

The proposed ORNL Research Reactor is designed to serve as a general purpose research tool delivering a maximum thermal flux of 8x10^13 n/cm2-sec at the initial power level of five megawatts. Operation at power levels up to ten megawatts is proposed for such items as sufficient cooling capacity is available to handle the increased heat load. The reactor will use MTR-type fuel elements and beryllium reflector pieces in a 7 x 9 grid with moderation and cooling provided by forced circulation of demineralized water. The reactor tanks are submerged in a barytes concrete pool, filled with water, which serves as a biological shield. Experimental facilities include two 18" diameter "Engineering Test Facilities" and six 6" diameter beam holes. In addition, access to the core is available through the water of the pool. The result on the surrounding population of release to the atmosphere of a large fraction of the radioactive material in the core has been computed by two methods. It is shown that under certain conditions off-area personnel could be subjected to greater than the maximum permissible exposure. An analysis of the maximum hazard caused by the release of the entire contents of the core to the local watershed …

In a recent paper, Bowers and Salpeter described a method for calculating the correlation energy of a classical one-component electron gas. The same problem has been considered by Meeron, Friedman, and Abe, using methods involving the summation of cert infinite classes of diagrams. While the relation between these theories and that of Bowers and Saltpeter is not year clear, it is interesting to note that Abe obtained an equivalent expression by approximating an integral. We have calculated the contribution to the equation of state using Abe's original expression and we found that the equation is valid only for certain values and it gives a correction of the wrong sign. On the other hand, our results are comparable to those which Bowers and Salpeter obtain from higher approximations.

This memorandum sets forth a recommended uniform basis for designing the ORN shield.This includes design values for power level and emergent radiation, standards values for various material properties, and basic radiation intensities.

GE is amending its application of 6/5/57 to construct and operate the Nuclear Test Reactor in order to incorporate changes in procedure and equipment.

The preparation of essentially pure dimethyl selenide for the Isotype Separations Group, Chemistry Division, is described. The compound was prepared by warming a mixture of selenium, sodium hydroxide, sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate in aqueous solution for several hours at 50°C and then adding methyl iodide. Dimethyl selenide was removed by distillation.