Introduction: "This is the ninth letter report on ARF Project C 127, entitled "Preliminary Studies of Scavenging Systems Related to Radioactive Fallout." This report covers the period from August 1 to October 1, 1959."

The following report studies a method of assay where an unknown sample is determined by comparison with a standard sample of known isotopic ratio. The purpose is to acquaint the technical personnel with the fundamentals of the feedback method of assaying samples of TF6.

At present there are three Laboratories actively engaged in analyzing samples for the "SUNSHINE PROGRAM"; Lamont Geological Observatory, University of Chicago and the New York Health and Safety Laboratory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Laboratories at Beltsville ae preparing samples for the University of Chicago, and are running normal strontium analyses. In order that the results reported from each of the three laboratories may be used to evaluate Sr90 distribution, a cooperative program has been in operation since August of 1953. This preliminary report lists the results on samples received and distributed by HASL. It is hoped that complete results from all laboratories will be available soon.

Technical report. From Abstract : "The scandium-yttrium and scandium-zirconium were studied by thermal and x-ray methods. Both systems are characterized by complete solid solubility in the low temperature hexagonal form and in the high temperature bcc form. In the Sc-Y system, there is a minimum in the solidus at 50 at. pct and 1365°C, while the solidus in the Sc-Zr system follows a nearly straight line relationship between the melting point of scandium and zirconium. There is a minimum in the temperature of transition from hexagonal to bcc in the Sc-Y system at 43 at. pct Y and 1175°C; while the temperature of transition is raised in the Sc-Zr system to a maximum of 1415°C at 30 at. pct Zr."

Abstract. Given the maximum intrinsic curvature of a rod, the maximum force required to confine it between parallel rigid walls is computed.

An extension of the concepts advanced by Langmuir regarding the nature of the platinum catalyzed oxidation of hydrogen and the application of the resulting theory to the experimental data observed by Ranschoff and Spiewak for an HRE type recombiner indicates that their data are corrected by the dimensionless equation (see report) equally well, with a mean deviation of 3.8 percent. This expression is recommended as a basis for the design of catalytic recombiners. The catalytic combinations is pictured as consisting of two surface chemical mechanisms, one of which is oxygen diffusion controlled, the other hydrogen diffusion regulated, the mechanism "change-over" occurring at that point in the recombiner where the components are arriving at the catalyst surface by diffusion in stoichiometric proportions. The catalyst volume requirements for three two portions of the bed are shown to be (see report). The hydrogen mole fraction at the mechanism "change-over" point is (see report). And the relationship between the two mass transfer coefficients is (see report). Methods for evaluating the necessary transport properties of the ternary system steam-hydrogen-oxygen for carrying out design calculations are summarized, and the new significant parameters are tabulated and plotted to facilitate these calculations. The question of non-uniform velocity profiles …

Transfer operations of highly radioactive solutions by the normal transfer pipette leads in most instances to a spread of contamination in the shielded facility. In the dripless pipette, the solution is held in the reservoir by the use of the siphon principle.

A program has been coded for the ORACLE which will solve, using Monte Carlo technique, the transport problem for monodirectional, monoenergetic gamma radiation incident at an angle Θ, upon an infinite laminated slab of finite thickness. Each of the laminations (or regions) is itself an infinite, homogeneous slab of finite thickness. The code is designed to give estimates of energy deposition, energy flux, tissue dose rate, reflected and transmitted energy current, and the angular and energy distribution of the reflected and transmitted energy current. All the answers except for energy deposition and reflected and transmitted energy current are optional.