A nuclear fuel element and a method of manufacturing the element. The fuel element is comprised of a metal primary container and a fuel pellet which is located inside it and which is often fragmented. The primary container is subjected to elevated pressure and temperature to deform the container such that the container conforms to the fuel pellet, that is, such that the container is in substantial contact with the surface of the pellet. This conformance eliminates clearances which permit rubbing together of fuel pellet fragments and rubbing of fuel pellet fragments against the container, thus reducing the amount of dust inside the fuel container and the amount of dust which may escape in the event of container breach. Also, as a result of the inventive method, fuel pellet fragments tend to adhere to one another to form a coherent non-fragmented mass: this reduces the tendency of a fragment to pierce the container in the event of impact. 1 fig., 1 tab.

Cross section measurements were made of prompt {gamma}-ray production as a function of incident neutron energy on a {sup 48}Ti sample. Partial {gamma}-ray cross sections for transitions in {sup 45-48}Ti, {sup 44-48}Sc, and {sup 42-45}Ca have been determined. Energetic neutrons were delivered by the Los Alamos National Laboratory spallation neutron source located at the LANSCE/WNR facility. The prompt-reaction {gamma} rays were detected with the large-scale Compton-suppressed germanium array for neutron induced excitations (GEANIE). Neutron energies were determined by the time-of-flight technique. The {gamma}-ray excitation functions were converted to partial {gamma}-ray cross sections taking into account the dead-time correction, target thickness, detector efficiency and neutron flux (monitored with an in-line fission chamber). The data are presented for neutron energies E{sub n} between 1 to 200 MeV. These results are compared with model calculations which include compound nuclear and pre-equilibrium emission. The model calculations are performed using the STAPRE reaction code for E{sub n} up to 20 MeV and the GNASH reaction code for E{sub n} up to 120 MeV. Using the GNASH reaction code the effect of the spin distribution in preequilibrium reactions has been investigated. The preequilibrium reaction spin distribution was calculated using the quantum mechanical theory of Feshbach, Kerman, …