This is the summary report on the ARF Project C 127, entitled "Preliminary Studies Related to Radioactive Fallout", covering the period from April 1, 1959, to April 29, 1960.

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.

Abstract: Presented here are working graphs of pressure, density, velocity, and temperature from the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory calculations (IBM Problem M) of a spherically symmetric explosion in a homogeneous atmosphere.

From abstract: The PT-750 is designed to be used in conjunction with a production tester which requires automatic recording of test data. This manual provides a source of procedures and reference material necessary in automatic recording and in use of the PT-750.

Abstract. An inexpensive method for detection of dust-loaded high efficiency filters is described. Air flow is continuously indicated by elementary pitot tubes and plastic rotameters. Accuracy obtained is within +- 15%. Information as to construction, installation, and use is presented.

This technical report analyzes an experiment designed to test the theory of seismic decoupling of underground explosives proposed by Latter, LeLevier, Martinelli, and McMillan [1959]. The theory calculated the amplitude of a 1.7-kiloton nuclear explosive in a hole in salt and compares it to the measured value of the 1.7-kt Rainier shot in tuff at the same distance. A decoupling factor of about 300 resulted. The experiment, called Cowboy, was designed to test the decoupling principle by carrying out a series of eight high-explosive shots in two spheres made in a salt dome and nine tamped shots for comparison purposes. The seismic data reported here was obtained primarily at 14,000 and 22,000 feet from the shot at frequencies of 10 to 30 cps. A salt-to-salt decoupling factor of 100 was obtained which is consistent wit the predicted 300 tuff-to-salt factor. When the sphere was over-driven so that the walls did not move elastically (a condition which violates the theory), decoupling factors of 10 and 30 were measured. The report interprets the seismic data to give the dependence of decoupling on the various parameters of the experiment. The decoupling deduced from measurements made 80 feet from the shot points is found …

From Summary: "The major objective of the run was the investigation of fuel stability. The reactor operated for long periods at the design power of 5 Mw with none of the usual indications of instability while the system pressure was kept at 1250 psig. Run 21 ended on January 22, so that the reason for an abrupt change in the mixing rate of fuel between the core and blanket could be investigated and a reactor steam-system valve could be repaired."

The vibrational eigenvalues belonging to the ground electronic state of the HD<sup>+ and HT<sup>+ ions have been calculated. These calculations have been done for the J = 0 rotational state and neglecting the dynamic corrections to the potential. For the HD<sup>+ ion we find twenty-two bound states, and for the HT<sup>+ ion twenty three bound states.

To insure a full evaluation of the effects of in-reactor loops with respect to all phases of the Plutonium Recycle Program, a separate study of each loop has been undertaken. An initial study was carried out which analyzed the effects of in-reactor loops using the design criteria for the gas loop as a basis. As soon as the design criteria for the H2O high pressure loop became available, a more detailed evaluation was completed for that loop. Recent completion of the scope description of the PRTR fuel element rupture test loop now permits an individual evaluation of this loop.

Facilities are to be designed for installation at Hanford for the reprocessing of irradiated, low enrichment fuels from non-production reactors, see Reference 1 and 2. The initial design of the processing facilities is to be based on processing the fuels discharged from the Dresden, Yankee, Piqua, Pathfinder and Shippingport (blanket elements only) reactors. Properties of the fuels and cladding make it impossible to completely process them in existing equipment, although the separation and decontamination can be performed in existing facilities once the fueks have been placed in solution form.

A chemical flowsheet is proposed for recovery of strontium and rare earths from Purex wastes. The iron in the waste is first complexed with tartrate and the pH is adjusted with caustic. Strontium and rare earths are extracted by a solvent comprised of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric--sodium di (2-ethylhexyl) phosphate--tributyl phosphate -- Amsco 125-82. and are stripped with nitric acid. Processing the strip product through additional solvent extraction cycles yields isolated, concentrated strontium and rare earth fractions.

After shutdown heating rates have been calculated for the target, control plates, and the beryllium reflector of the HFIR. Hilvety previously calculated the after shutdown heating rates in the element and his results are reported in ORNL CP-60-4-110. Decay times of 1.0 10, 10^2, 10^3, 10^4, and 10^5 seconds have been considered, and heat fluxes have been computed for all of the mentioned components. The greatest heat fluxes were found to be at the surfaces of the control plates and the permanent beryllium reflector.