Report that describes the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Experimental Gas-Cooled Reactor, problems with the procurement and assembly of its components, and its economic feasibility.

Quarterly progress report describing work related to a study of radiation physics problems involved in the design of high-level cesium-137 gamma sources. It outlines work completed and ongoing goals for the project.

Discussing peaceful applications of nuclear explosions

The general expression for the angular correlation between radiations produced in successive cascade transitions is derived by use of Racah algebra. The result is then specialized to the beta - gamma correlation and applied to two cases in which additional properties of the photon are specified, the circular polarization and the plane polarization. The prospect of testing time reversal and determining nuclear matrix element ratios by beta - gamma correlation measurements is explored using the nuclide Tm/sup 170/ as an example. The directional angular correlation between the 2.31-Mev beta and the subsequent 0.605-Mev gamma emitted in the decay of Sb/sup 124/ was measured as a function of the beta energy. The K-conversion coefficient of the 279-kev gamma following beta decay of Hg/sup 203/ was measured by comparing the x-ray and gamma intensities in a scintillation spectrometer. The measured valve of alpha /sub k/ = 0.195 plus or minus 0.014 indicates that the transition is M1 with E2 mixed to the extent of 63%. The angular correlation of the 107-1.24 Mev gamma cascade in Zn/sup 68/ following the decay of 68-min Ga/sup 68/ is shown. The Legendre polynomial expansion coefficients were deter-gular correlation in the decay of Sb/ sup 118/ was …

This report discusses the mathematical and statistical questions concerned with the estimation of a leak rate from data collected during a reactor containment vessel pressure test such as that performed on the PRTR vessel in May, 1959. A mathematical method is suggested in Section 3 for the construction of a total number of gas molecules in the containment vessel time series using vessel absolute pressure and temperature readings at several positions within the vessel. A formula for the precision of the series is given in terms of the individual instrument precisions. The question of accuracy and its relationship to the temperature gradient within the vessel is also considered.

The use of threshold detector foils to measure the external neutron spectrum of two reactors is described. The foils employed are Pu236 to measure the total fast flux, U238 for the region above 1.5 Mev, S32 above 2.5 Mev, and Au197 for thermal neutrons. Scintillation counters ae used to determine the activity induce din the detectors. The foil-counting system is calibrated by used a Cockcroft-Walton accelerator as a fast neutron source. The results indicate a fission type spectrum at each reactor.

The use of the DD^3 amplifier with the RIDL 200- and 400-channel analyzers has been found advantageous for certain applications. In order to use the DD2, certain modifications to the input circuits of the Analog-to Digital Converter Unit are necessary. In addition, the modifications improved the linearity of the analyzer in the low channels. Using the analyzer with the RIDL Type 30-7 Scintillation Pulse Amplifier, it was noted that non-linearity of as much as 5 or 6 channels was present below channel 20. With the modifications made and with the use of the DD2, this non-linearity has been reduced to less than 1/2 channel.

Abstract: This report presents the vapor pressures versus temperature data graphically for the rare earth elements, yttrium and scandium.

The feasibility of removing and recovering cesium-137 from various HAPO process solutions by precipitation of Cs2ZnFe(CN)6 has been demonstrated previously. Pilot plant studies of calcination and steam hydrolysis of non-radioactive Cs2ZnFe(CN)6 precipitates by members of the Process Equipment Development Operation are currently in progress. In support of these pilot plant studies, experiments were performed to determine the extent, if any, to which cesium volatilizes during calcination and hydrolysis of Cs2ZnFe(CN)6 precipitates containing cesium-137. Experimental procedures and results are presented in this report.