The element silicon in the surface of new, 300 series stainless steel has been shown to rapidly dissolve in sodium above 525/sup 0/C. It deposits in slightly cooler regions as a crystalline compound with sodium and oxygen. In tests, the deposits have caused increases in hydraulic friction factor (hence, increased pressure loss) of up to 300% at Reynolds Numbers of 14/sup 4/ to 10/sup 5/.Also, they have contributed to local losses of heat transfer rate to 1/10 the original value, at a Reynolds Number of approximately 10/sup 4/. The crystals quickly decompose when out of sodium. Measurements made with a sodium loop (volume = 0.42 m/sup 3/) include compound solubility vs temperature, loop conditions vs source rates and deposit transfer rates. Laboratory examinations and analyses of the crystals have also been made. The effects of this material have been observed also in a number of other loops. With the data from these studies, such effects are now explained and can be controlled or eliminated by system design and operation.

In May 1979, The Institute of Ecology held a workshop to determine the role of organic soils in the global carbon cycle and to ascertain their past, present and future significance in world carbon flux. Wetlands ecologists and soil scientists who participated in the workshop examined such topics as Soils as Sources of Atmospheric CO/sub 2/, Organic Soils, Primary Production and Growth of Wetlands Ecosystems, and Management of Peatlands. The major finding of the workshop is that the organic soils are important in the overall carbon budget. Histosols and Gleysols, the major organic soil deposits of the world, normally sequester organic carbon fixed by plants. They may now be releasing enough carbon to account for nearly 10% of the annual rise in atmospheric content of CO/sub 2/.

A source mechanism based on concepts of irreversible thermodynamics and consisting of heat or fluid flow along a north-south trending zone of faulting is proposed for the self-potential anomaly measured over the Cerro Prieto geothermal reservoir. The source region is represented by a vertical plane of that separates regions of differing streaming potential or thermoelectric coupling coefficients. The coupling coefficient contrast could be caused by vertical offset of rock units along faults. The depth to the top of the source plane is about 1.3 km, its vertical extent is about 11 km, and its length along strike is about 10 km. Geological, geophysical, and mineralogical evidence supports the existence of an important north-south geological trend roughly corresponding in location to the proposed self-potential source plane.

The reliability of some electronics components for the Deep Underwater Muon and Neutrino Detection (DUMAND) System is discussed. An introductory overview of engineering concepts and technique for reliability assessment is given. Component reliability is discussed in the contest of major factors causing failures, particularly with respect to physical and chemical causes, process technology and testing, and screening procedures. Failure rates are presented for discrete devices and for integrated circuits as well as for basic electronics components. Furthermore, the military reliability specifications and standards for semiconductor devices are reviewed.

The availability of accurate, timely information will be an important key in the continued spread of solar energy. The products and services available through the Solar Energy Information Data Bank, a national information network developed and operated by Solar Energy Research Institute with the participation of member organization, are described.

The results of an investigation of the characteristics of photomultipliers for the Deep Underwater Muon and Neutrino Detection (DUMAND) System are discussed. The pulse-height resolution, the afterpulsing phenomena and the gain sensitivity to the ambient magnetic field have been determined for large photocathode area photomultipliers. Furthermore, the transient time difference, the single photoelectron time spread, and the collection and photocathode quantum efficiency uniformity as a function of the position of the photocathode sensing area have been reviewed. Finally, an attempt has been made to estimate the photomultiplier reliability and its lifetime.

Deviating thermomagnetic directions in volcanics representing the second and fifth or sixth pulse of volcanism suggest that the Cerro Prieto volcano originated about 110,000 years B.P. and continued to be active intermittently until about 10,000 years ago.

Precision gravity measurements were initiated at Cerro Prieto in 1978. Interpretation of the first annual repetition of the measurements is presented. Field procedures, data reduction, and data interpretation are reviewed briefly. (MHR)

A review of high-temperature geothermal reservoir engineering is presented. High-temperature downhole conditions encountered during field activities are reviewed with data from Cerro Prieto as the primary example. The types of measurements required for estimation of formation parameter values and how they depend on other geoscience data are reviewed. The analysis techniques that are currently used to evaluate field data are discussed and their limitations, applicability, and associated difficulties are described using data from Cerro Prieto as an example. Downhole tools that are needed for high-temperature measurements are discussed with a review of the current state of the art. The use of measured data in reservoir engineering simulation calculations is summarized, and different numerical models are reviewed. Data from Cerro Prieto are used as an example to show how reserves and reservoir depletion calculations can be used to aid the field developer in choosing operational field strategies.

Various aspects of the high-temperature heat exchanger conceptual designs for the gas turbine (HTGR-GT) and process heat (HTGR-PH) plants are discussed. Topics include technology background, heat exchanger types, surface geometry, thermal sizing, performance, material selection, mechanical design, fabrication, and the systems-related impact of installation and integration of the units in the prestressed concrete reactor vessel. The impact of future technology developments, such as the utilization of nonmetallic materials and advanced heat exchanger surface geometries and methods of construction, is also discussed.

Investigations on the toxicity of SRC materials are reported. Toxicological studies include: microbial mutageneis (Ames test); in vitro mammalian cell toxicity and transformation assays; epidermal carcinogenesis (skin painting); acute and subchronic oral toxicity; developmental toxicity; dominant lethal assays; inhalation toxicity; and dosimetry and metabolism. The materials tested include: SRC-I process solvent, wash solvent, and light oil; SRC-II heavy distillate, middle distillate, and light distillate; shale oil; crude petroleum; and pure carcinogens. (DC)

The filtering, pressing and sintering behavior of an alumina powder with and without silica impurity on surface has been studied. When silica is removed from surface by HF-treatment and compactibility is considerably enhanced due to the different acidity/basicity nature of the OH of the hydroxyl layers. The silica impurity decreases the activation energy of the initial stage of sintering and grain boundary energy, improves the densification process and exerts a moderate inhibitor effect on the grain growth.

The RF Energy Compressor, REC described here, transforms cw rf into periodic pulses using an energy storage cavity, ESC, whose charging is controlled by 180/sup 0/ bi-phase modulation, PSK, and external Q switching, ..beta..s. Compression efficiency, C/sub e/, of 100% can be approached at any compression factor C/sub f/.

Coherent antiStokes Raman scattering resulting from mixing of surface plasmons in investigated. The technique is shown to be sensitive and surface-specific.

Initial Tandem Mirror Hybrid Study predicts the ability to produce large amounts of fissile fuel (2 to 7 tonnes per year U233 from a 4000 MW plant) at a cost that adds less than 25% to the cost of power from an LWR.

Information is presented concerning assessments of current seismic design methods; systematic evaluation program for older operating reactors; seismic vulnerability of fuel reprocessing facilities; and advisability of seismic scram.

The progress of the LLL Laser Fusion Program to achieve high gain thermonuclear micro-explosions is discussed. Many experiments have been successfully performed and diagnosed using the large complex, 10-beam, 30 TW Shiva laser system. A 400 kJ design of the 20-beam Nova laser has been completed. The construction of the first phase of this facility has begun. New diagnostic instruments are described which provide one with new and improved resolution, information on laser absorption and scattering, thermal energy flow, suprathermal electrons and their effects, and final fuel conditions. Measurements were made on the absorption and Brillouin scattering for target irradiations at both 1.064 ..mu..m and 532 nm. These measurements confirm the expected increased absorption and reduced scattering at the shorter wavelength. Implosion experiments have been performed which have produced final fuel densities over the range of 10x to 100x liquid DT density.

A discussion is given of the importance of material properties in the finite-element calculations for thermally induced displacements and stresses resulting from a heating experiment in an in-situ granitic rock, at Stripa, Sweden. Comparisons are made between field measurements and finite element method calculations using (1) temperature independent, (2) temperature dependent thermal and thermomechanical properties and (3) in-situ and laboratory measurements for Young's modulus. The calculations of rock displacements are influenced predominantly by the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient, whereas the dominant factor affecting predictions for rock stresses is the in-situ modulus.

An assembly of an electrolytic oxygen meter and a diffusion type hydrogen meter was designed to fit into the Multipurpose Sampler hardware already installed and operating on the four FFTF sodium systems. One of the key elements in this assembly is a ceramic-metal sealed oxygen sensor which allows use of a metal tube to extend the 51 cm (20 in.) between the sampler top and the flowing sodium region.

An idealized two-reservoir model was introduced to explore some of the effects of reinjection in a geothermal field. For both the single-well model and the doublet model, the results indicate that reservoir pressures will be adequately maintained even when an intervening layer of low permeability is present. The same intervening layer may nevertheless be an effective barrier to the movement of cold fronts, due to the effect of gravity and viscosity on the flow of denser colder waters. This shows promise for developing reinjection strategies that can be tested on more detailed simulation models for specific sites such as th Cerro Prieto field.

A mechanical model was constructed to probe into the mechanism of ductility loss. Fracture criterion based on critical localized deformation was undertaken. Two microstructure variables were considered in the model. Namely, the strength ratio of grain boundary affected area to the matrix, ..cap omega.., and the linear fraction, x, of grain boundary affected area. A parametrical study was carried out. The study shows that the ductility is very sensitive to those microstructure parameters. The functional dependence of ductility to temperature as well as strain-rate, suggested by the model, is demonstrated to be consistent with the observation.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is characterized by a curvature or assymetry of the spine which may become progressively more severe, with clinical symptoms appearing just prior to, or during, puberty. The incidence for scoliosis in the age group from 12 to 14 years of age has been reported as high as 8 to 10%, with more than 80% of the cases occurring in females. Although pathologic changes exist in muscles from both sides of the spinal curvature, and no statistically significant side differences have been reported, morphologic changes suggest that the concanve side is the most affected. This paper reports our preliminary data on the elemental composition of individual muscle fibers derived from convex, concave and gluteal scoliotic muscle, and erythrocytes from scoliotic and normal patients, analyzed by proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE) and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). A new type of specimen holder was designed for this study which offers low x-ray background, minimal absorption and maintenance of a moist environment around the specimen.

MACRO, a code to propagate probability distributions through a set of linked models, is currently under development at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. An early version of this code, MACRO1, has been used to assess post-sealing dose to man for simple repository and site models based on actual site data.

Daphnia magna Straus 1820 was raised on a defined medium in 4-liter flasks with controlled light intensity, temperature, and algal food species. Adult D. magna tolerated high levels of ammonia (up to 108 ..mu..M) at high pH (> 10), although at these levels parthenogenic reproduction may be inhibited. Scenedesmus quadricauda and Ankistrodesmus sp. were satisfactory food sources, and by utilizing Ankistrodesmus densities greater than one animal per ml were achieved. Maintaining the pH at about 7 to 8 seems to be important for successful D. magna culture.