A gamma ray burst detector of x-ray photons 2 to 10 keV is designed to maximize area, 100 m/sup 2/, and sensitivity, 10/sup -10/ ergs cm/sup -2/ s/sup 1/2/ modest directionality, 2 x 10/sup -4/ sr, and minimize thickness, 3 mg cm/sup -2/, as a plastic space balloon ion chamber. If the log N - log S curve for gamma bursts extends as the -3/2 power, the sensitivity is limited by gamma-burst peak overlap in time so that the question of the size spectrum and isotropy is maximally tested. Supernova type I prompt x-ray bursts of congruent to 3-ms duration should be detected at a rate of several per day from supernova at a distance greater than 100 Mpc.

The build-up of tritium in a liquid lithium breeding blanket for an ICF chamber has been examined. The break-even time is found to decrease both the increasing tritium breeding ratio and increasing values of ..cap alpha.., the fraction of unburned tritium absorbed in lithium. The break-even inventory also decreased with increasing breeding ratio but increases with increasing values ..cap alpha... For a molten-salt extraction process, the steady-state tritium inventory in lithium is inversely proportional to lithium flow rate through the extraction system. The lithium flow rate through the tritium extraction system required to maintain a given tritium concentration increases with increasing values of ..cap alpha...