The Aircraft Reactor Experiment (ARE)was successfully concluded in November of 1954, and a detailed report of the operation was published the following year. At that time it was thought that an extensive examination of the reactor and system components after disassembly was warranted. It was realized, of course, that the level of radioactivity of the components would necessitate extensive delays in the examinations. Since examination of a few critical ARE samples showed nothing unexpected, much of the planned hot-cell inspection was postponed and complete examination of all but a few specimens was indefinitely suspended. The few examinations that were completed are described in this report, along with a description of the disassembly of the ARE system. Diagrams of the fuel system, sodium system, and off-gas system are presented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 for reference use in visualizing the disassembly process.

In some recent experiments the ion density in a plasma was measured as a function of radial distance from a d-c arc source of ions for the magnetic field intensities from 2500 to 14000 oersted. The diffusion coefficient appeared to very inversely as the square of the magnetic field strength, D~1/H2. The absolute value of D was shown to be approximately that which would be predicted by the collision diffusion theory when account is taken of the shorting effect of the end walls. The purpose of this report is to continue the examination of ion diffusion in a plasma and field experimentally the relation between the diffusion coefficient and the neutral gas pressure for a constant magnetic field.

Results of tracer studies suggest that, in tributyl phosphate extraction processes designed to recover and purify fissionable material, minimum ruthenium extraction should be obtained from feeds at least 2 M in nitric acid or at least 1 M acid-deficient. Ruthenium decontamination was decreased by preheating the feed and increased by pretreatment with reducing agents. A pretreatment using 0.06 M ferrous ion and 0.5 M urea with 1 hr simmering at 85°C should increase ruthenium decontamination about 10-fold in the 25 process. If other process considerations dictate the use of a low-acid feed, decontamination from ruthenium may be improved by using 3 M nitric acid as the scrubbing solution. Apparently, the scrubbing process is quite time-dependent; a solvent holdup time of about 15 min may be needed in the scrub section for maximum decontamination.

From abstract: "Two samples, each containing an estimated 10 curies (2 mg) of polonium-210, were purified by vacuum distillation and evaporated onto oblique sections of X-ray targets made of copper. Four lines of the K series and ten lines of the L series of the X-ray spectrum of polonium were recorded with a one-meter transmission crystal spectrograph and a 25-centimeter Bragg spectrograph, respectively. Measured wavelengths agree approximately with values predicted by extrapolation of Moseley's law and with those claimed by Hulubei. Decay of polonium-210 (half life = 138 days) and growth of lead-206 (stable) were observed over a period of 180 days."

From abstract: "Operation of the 86-inch cyclotron has been continuous except for a three-day interruption caused by a water leak inside the vacuum chamber; monthly output has averaged over 210,000 [mu]a-hr; the average continuous (168-hour week) beam power has been approximately 5.5 kw; and the energy of the beam has been determined to be ~19.4 Mev. No changes due to radiation damage have been detected in Inconel tubes containing UF4-NaF-KF eutectic which were irradited in the 96-inch cyclotron with power inputs up to ~415 watts/cc. The major components of the 63-inch cyclotron have been fabricated and are being tested as the machine is being assembled. On the 22-inch cyclotron a radius-wise examination of the fine structure of the proton beam reveals definite proton orbits. Several grams of very pure uranium 235 have been prepared; the chemical recovery for first-stage separation of U 236 has been established as 97%; and facilities for laboratory-scale separation of plutonium isotopes are being prepared."

From abstract: "The reaction between hydrogen and oxygen with the aid of various catalysts (especially platinum on aluminua) has been studied, and the operating variables such as flow rates, space velocity, temperature, and gas composition have been examined rather extensively. It has been found that hydrogen and oxygen in stoichiometric proportions and mixed with either steam or helium may be made to react to the extent of 99.5% or greater at space velocities up to 30,000 hr-1, or even higher, at temperatures from 100[degrees] to 900[degrees]C, and with mixtures ranging from less than 1% hydrogen to mixtures containing 12% hydrogen and 6% oxygen. Richer mixtures, including undiluted electrolytic gas (H2 + 1/2 O2) have been used with catalysts less active than platinum (e.g. copper, silver, nickel and V2O5) but here the gas mixture is explosive and care must be taken to prevent explosions. The thermal reaction between hydrogen and oxygen diluted with steam has also been investigated at temperatures between 500[degrees] and 800[degrees]C."

Effect of x irradiation in oxygen and in hydrogen on chromosome aberration frequency in tradescantia microspores.