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This memorandum provides a comparison of monthly slug ruptures at the Hanford C-Pile.

This paper presents a calculation of transient events in the Hanford piles due to the build up of fission product nuclides with a very large neutron absorption cross-section. In particular it was found after operation of the first major pile that Xe{sup 135} was a short lived isotope which built up in the pile, and which possessed a very large cross-section. The dynamics in number density of this isotope has a major impact on the reactivity behavior of the piles, and in particular on the start-up behavior following transient shut-downs.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of November 1956. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: research and engineering operations; production and reactor operations; facilities engineering operation; employee relations operation; and financial operation.

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, March, 1956. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology; financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations, pile technology, safety and radiological sciences are discussed.

The electron spin paramagnetic resonance of dibenzene chromium cation h a s been observed. I t s c e n t e r is a t a valhe of g = 1.98. I t shows eleven hyperfine components s e p a r a t e d by 3.5 gauss. These a r e i n t e r p r e t e d to b e eleven of the thirteen components expected to r e s u l t f r o m the interaction of the twelve equivalent protons with the unpaired electron.

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S>A convenient modified form of Maxwell distribution is chosen. The modified expressions for the energy transfer from the ions to the electrons in a plasma and the bremsstrahlung from the electrons are calculated. Using the expressions some possible steady-state conditions for the ion and electron gases are derived and compared with those for the usual Maxwell distributions. (anth)

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The design of the S2G 8-inch sodium stop value freeze seal was evaluated under established conditions by cycling before and after a simulated bellows failure. The effectiveness of the freeze seal under severe ambient, water flow, and insulation conditions was also evaluated. The stop valve operated successfully under all test conditions.

Failure, which resulted in the stoppage of fluoride flow in ORNL No. 1, occurred as a NaK to fuel leak in the vicinity of the NaK inlet heater. The reaction of NaK with fuel at this point caused the deposition of nearly pure UF/ sub 3/ around the tubes and, finally, a sufficient increase in the melting point of the fuel to produce solidification. Fluorides throughout the heat exchangers were found to be depleted in uranium and to contain some potassium. Thus it would appear that stoppage of flow occurred after considerable NaK pick-up had taken place. Fluoride attack observed in these heat exchangers, with the exception of the area of failure, agreed substantially with what would be predicted from other dynamic systems. However, in those tubes near the point of failure, attack on the"tension" side of the tubes occurred to depths approximately twice those observed in "unstressed" tubes at comparable temperatures. Mass transferred particles were present in the NaK circuit of ORNL No. 1 to a maximum thickness of 15 mils. Deposit thicknesses varied markedly from header to header. (auth)

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A preliminary design study, Phase I of the ALPR . project, has been made in accordance with the Army Reactors Branch specifications for a nuclear ''package'' power plant with a 200 to 260 kw electric and 400 kw heating capacity..The plant is to be installed at the Idaho Reactor Testing Station as a prototype for remote arctic installations. The ''conventiornl'' power plant as well as the exterior reactor components are described, and cost estimates are given. ''Nuclear'' components of the reactor are described. (auth)

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