Abstract: The tensile and yield strengths of both cast and wrought uranium discs were substantially increased by explosively impacting them at room temperature and at 375 deg F. However, the room-temperature impacting caused gross damage in the cast material and slight internal damage in the wrought material at the highest impacting pressures. Impacting at 375 deg F, which is just above the brittle-ductile transition temperature for uranium, was the most effective method for increasing the strengths with no damage to either the cast or wrought material. This impacted material retained some of its increased strength after a low temperature (425 deg C) vacuum anneal that greatly increased the elongation. A salt anneal caused a partial recrystallization in the impacted cast uranium. (auth).

Introduction: Geologic studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in support of the U.S. Air Force's Project Pluto in Area 401 of the Nevada Test Site were made on behalf of the U.S. Atomic energy Commission.

Quarterly report regarding the activities of the Yankee Core Evaluation Program, the purpose of which is to evaluate the performance of the core used in the Yankee Plant and to compare actual performance with predictions, as well as the revision of designs to address any differences between actual and predicted performance.

From introduction: The radioassay of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates has been improved in this laboratory by designing a scraping device for rapid and quantitative transfer of extremely small zones of adsorbent from narrow glass plates into counting vials.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by: direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies.

Introduction: QUICKIE is a computer program designed to solve the multigroup neutron slowing down and thermalization equations without consideration of spatial dimensions.

Quarterly report discussing progress on the Fast Ceramic Reactor Development Program. Information is reported on vented fuel production, transient testing of fuel, fuel performance evaluation, fast-flux irradiation of fuel, and reactor physics and core analysis.

Summary: Tests with the two-rod assembly were performed with liquid film trippers attached to the unheated wall, and a variation in rod spacing. Experimental data and improved high-speed motion pictures have been obtained of transition boiling behavior. The changes of the local heat transfer process between nucleate and film boiling can be readily distinguished i the motion pictures. Observational test performed with very short fins on the heated surface resulted in essentially eliminating transition boiling temperature fluctuations and doubling the film boiling coefficient. These gains were attained without reduction of the critical heat flux

Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC. Five tasks are in progress: (1) Task 1A-High Power Density Fuel Development, (2) Task 1B-Fuel Fabrication Development. Assembly, (3) Task II-Stability, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, (4) Task III-Physics Development, and (5) Task IV-Co-Ordination and Test Planning.

The objective of Project Agreement 22 is to determine the feasibility of using in-core ion chambers to cover the complete reactor neutron flux startup range from 10(4) -5 - 10(13) nv using in-core ion chambers. This technical report discusses the following topics: low versus high cable termination impedance, amplifier considerations, noise considerations, gas and pressure selection, cable selection, effect of gamma, effect of temperature, and remaining problems.

Experimental data supporting lower valence halides of scandium were not found in the literature. Our investigation was of the phase diagram of the ScCl3-Sc system, and also the vapor pressure-composition isotherm (at 960 degree) for this system. Investigation of the ScCl3-Sc system presented particular difficulties in comparison with analogous systems for rare earth elements in that ScCl3 is highly volatile (boiling pt. = 967 degree); according to our data the vapor pressure is 512 mm Hg measured at 960 degree C. Furthermore, ScCl3 and its vapors react vigorously with quartz. Because of the mentioned extent of reaction in a quartz ampule, the inside was covered with a solid layer of metallic molybdenum for use with relatively large batches of ScCl3.

Report describing the use of a 5" x 3" NaI(Tl) detector and a high pressure ionization chamber to obtain gamma ray spectra and total gamma dose rates at approximately 100 locations during the course of several survey trips in the southeastern, central, and western United States. Reasonably precise elements of the dose rates are made using the pulse height spectra and relatively simple methods of analysis. Total terrestrial dose rates as well as the partial dose rates from the uranium-238 series, thorium-232 series, potassium-40, zirconium-niobium-95, and rhodium-106 are tabulated for each location.

A research program is being conducted to obtain experimental data in the irradiation of plutonium-enriched fuel to confirm a theoretical model for predicting isotopic composition and reactivity changes in plutonium-enriched, light-water-moderated reactors. Quarterly progress: Work has begun in the Radioactive Materials Laboratory to sample the project fuel from the pins irradiated to 1800 and 5000 MWT/T. Some delay has been experienced due to preemption of the hot cells by priority work. Examination of the autoradiographs of the un-irradiated project fuel showed that in a volume of fuel approximately equivalent to a pellet there were 13 hot spots larger than 15 mils. Evaluation of these spots with the fuel analyzer showed that they contained about 14 mg of PuO2 or about 9% of the total present. The EPITHERMOS code is being modified to automatically normalize the epithermal scattering to the correct value for all moderators. Calibration of the flux wires has been made and the reduction of the data from the VBWR irradiation is nearly complete. A similar resonance activation was made in the water reflector of the Stanford Pool Reactor to obtain the relative activity in a well-defined pure water spectrum. Reduction of these data is also in progress.

Activities in a program to develop techniques in the use of pulsed neutron sources to measure shutdown parameters related to large thermal power reactors are reported. In the course of this program, a new theory was suggested and an experimental apparatus was designed and built. Experiments were carried out to test the new model. This present report contains additional data and information extracted from the experiments at PG&E Humboldt Bay Power Reactor at Eureka, California. During the last days of 1963 a number of control rod and fuel bundle worth measurements were made in the ESADA Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor (EVESR) using the (k[beta]/[script l] technique. A description of the experiments is given in the text of the report and some results are reported. A computer program was written to perform the data analysis of the pulsed neutron experiments and the code is discussed in the Appendix.

From Abstract: "The approach to the problem has been as fundamental as possible with emphasis on quantitative measurements and calculations of the energy, angular, and spatial distributions of weapons radiations in an air-over-ground geometry. Spatial distributions of dose in various shields, including Japanese dwellings, have been measured. Techniques have been developed in Japan for verifying the location of survivors and accurately describing their shielding environments."

From Abstract: "The data are presented as aeroradioactivity units or areas with similar gamma radiation counting rates at 500 ft., at two map scales: (1) generalized at about 1: 1,000,000 and (2) detailed at 1:250,000. The maximum aeroradioactivity in almost all the area was less than 400 counts/sec. Aerial measurements of ground radioactivity in the ARMS-II Orlando area were consistent with what was expected, considering the geology of the area."

From Purpose of Survey: "The ARMS-II Parr area survey was one of many that have been flown for the CETO since the nationwide ARMS program was started (1958). Figure 2 shows the location of the areas survey as of Apr. 1, 1964. The purpose of the program is to measure the present environmental levels of gamma radiation in areas around nuclear facilities and planned nuclear activities."

Report that summarizes multiple laboratories' reports on global fallout deposition. Reports include data on Strontium-90 deposition recorded by the Health and Safety Laboratory, data from other laboratories, related interpretive reports, and recent publications related to fallout.

Recent underground nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission have yielded data on the effects of contained nuclear explosions in four rock mediums: tuff, alluvium, rock salt, and granite. This report presents and compares data obtained primarily through exploratory mining and drilling into the postshot environment of 35 such events.

In any underground nuclear explosion, the shock front that propagates from the shot point carries with it energy from the explosion, and distributes this energy by doing work on the surrounding material. In the process, the material undergoes changes in both its physical and mechanical states. If enough energy is deposited in the material, it will vaporize or melt thus changing its physical state, or cause it to crush or crack. During the past few years, special computer codes have been developed for predicting the close-in phenomena of underground nuclear explosions using the laws of physics, and the knowledge of the properties of the materials in which the detonations occur. As a consequence, a better understanding of experimental observations and measurements has evolved.

The effects of explosion-induced ground motion must be evaluated in planning and executing any nuclear excavation project. For some projects ground use intensity may dictate the use of less-than-optimum yields to minimize damaging effects. In remote areas, weighing the alternatives of outright purchase of some property or use of smaller yields may be required. The cost of indemnifying owners against damage must be considered in any case. Discussions of the effects of ground motion on three broad types of facilities - engineered structures, residential buildings, and equipment required for the support of nuclear excavation operations - are presented. A method of predicting the response of single- and multi-storied buildings, the response spectrum technique, is discussed, with emphasis on the application of explosion-induced spectra.

A fraction of the energy released by the underground detonation of nuclear explosives is locally deposited as residual thermal energy. An accurate prediction of this usable fraction of the energy released is necessary to evaluate the feasibility of several of the proposed projects in the Plowshare Program. This paper will present a summary of the available data on residual thermal energy from nuclear detonations in three different geological media: tuff, halite, and granodiorite.

The angle errors of a rotary table can be accurately measured by stepping off the angles with an optical caliper and computing table error from (1) the error readings at each angle measured and (2) the cumulative caliper error that will be evident when the circle is closed at 360', eliminating the necessity of adjusting the caliper to the exact setting.

Report regarding the mechanical properties of Niobium, Molybdenum, Tantalum, and Tungsten alloys. Includes a review of the scant literature regarding these elements.