Results from recent integral decay-power experiments are presented and compared with summation calculations. The experiments include the decay power following thermal fission of /sup 233/U, /sup 235/U, and /sup 239/Pu. The summation calculations use ENDF/B-IV decay data and yields from Versions IV and V. Limited comparisons of experimental ..beta.. and ..gamma.. spectra with summation calculations using ENDF/B-IV are included. Generalized least-squares methods are applied to the recent /sup 235/U and /sup 239/Pu decay-power experiments and summation calculations to arrive at evaluated values and uncertainties. Results for /sup 235/U imply uncertainties less than 2% (1 sigma) for the ''infinite'' exposure case for all cooling times greater than 10 seconds. The uncertainties for /sup 239/Pu are larger. Accurate analytical representations of the decay power are presented for /sup 235/,/sup 238/U, and /sup 239/Pu for use in light-water reactors and as the nominal values in the new ANS 5.1 Draft Standard (1978). Comparisons of the nominal values with ENDF/B-IV and the 1973 ANS Draft Standard in current use are included. Gas content, important to decay-heat experiments, and absorption effects on decay power are reviewed. 37 figures, 8 tables.

The usage and performance of a program in a symbolic manipulation language that computes adiabatic invariants of certain Hamiltonian systems via the Lie transform are discussed. 1 table.

The quality assurance program for environmental monitoring that has been developed at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) consists of procedure documentation, replicate field-sample analysis, and participation in intercomparison measurements. Sampling, analytical, data processing, and record keeping procedures are described. A replicate-sample collection schedule has been established for all media sampled at LLL. At present, blind-spiked samples are not utilized. Flow rates of air samplers are verified at monthly intervals using a portable, field calibration unit. Intercomparison measurements are made on samples supplied by the Quality Assurance Branch of the Environmental Protection Agency-Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory and the Department of Energy-Environmental Measurements Laboratory. Replicate sampling currently accounts for approximately 8% of both the total samples collected and the analyses performed. Including standard, in-house, quality-control checks, and the intercomparison measurements, it is estimated that during 1978 quality assurance will represent about 15% of the total environmental-monitoring effort at LLL.

Development of acceptable risk criteria for nuclear waste management requires the translation of publicly determined goals and objectives into definitive issues which, in turn, require resolution. Since these issues are largely of a subjective nature, they cannot be resolved by technological methods. Development of acceptable risk criteria might best be accomplished by application of a systematic methodology for the optimal implementation of subjective values. Multi-attribute decision analysis is well suited for this purpose.

A sodium heat pipe cell containing high-voltage discharge plates was constructed to study the band absorption of light by the sodium dimer and to determine the feasibility of creating a metal vapor laser. Spectrographic measurements indicated that the increase in sodium dimer population with temperature resulted in 90% light absorption at 970/sup 0/K. High-voltage discharges in the sodium vapor dissociated the dimers and restored transparency to the medium. No lasing action of the sodium vapor with high-voltage discharges was observed either because of insufficient ionization or nonuniformity of the ionization over the plate area.

A review of the quantum statistical theory of strongly coupled many component plasmas is given. The theoretical development is shown to consist of six separate parts. Compensation between bound and scattering state contributions to the partition function and use of the shifted Debye energy levels are important aspects of the analysis. The results are valid when the electrons are moderately coupled to the heavy ions, i.e., ..lambda../sub e..cap alpha../* < 1, but no restriction is placed on the coupling between heavy ions. Another restriction is that lambda/lambda/sub D/ < 1, i.e., the thermal deBroglie wavelength is less than the Debye length. Numerical calculations of PV/N/sub 0/kT and C/sub V/ are given for a Rubidium plasma.