The technology for producing an LLNL-developed polymer, L97KVB, has been transferred to a commercial speciality silicones manufacturer, McGhan-NuSil Corporation. Workers there have demonstrated both on a small scale and on a 200 lb. scale that they can produce a polymer which meets our analytical specifications and which will also perform satisfactorily in our load deflection and compression set tests.

Energy storage and energy extraction are of prime importance for efficient laser action and are affected by the line strengths and linewidths of optical transitions, excited-state lifetimes, nonradiative decay processes, spectroscopic inhomogeneities, nonlinear refractive index, and damage threshold. These properties are all host dependent. To illustrate this, the spectroscopic properties of Nd/sup 3 +/ have been measured in numerous oxide, oxyhalide, and halide glasses. A table summarizes the reported ranges of stimulated emission cross sections, peak wavelengths, linewidths, and radiative lifetimes associated with the /sup 4/F/sub 3/2/ ..-->.. /sup 4/I/sub 11/2/ lasing transition.

We have developed an instrument to measure neutron multiplication by statistical analysis of the timing of neutrons emitted from fissionable material. This instrument is capable of repeated analysis of the same recorded data with selected algorithms, graphical displays showing statistical properties of the data, and preservation of raw data on disk for future comparisons. In our measurements we have made a comparison of the covariance to mean and Feynman variance to mean analysis algorithms to show that the covariance avoids a bias term and measures directly the effect due to the presence of neutron chains. A spherical assembly of enriched uranium shells and acrylic resin reflector/moderator components used for the measurements is described. Preliminary experimental results of the Feynman variance to mean measurements show the expected correlation with assembly multiplication.

The optimal development and management of a geothermal resource requires a knowledge of the hydrological characteristics of the reservoir. Reservoir engineering analysis techniques for permeable aquifers have been undergoing development for several decades but little attention has been paid to fracture-dominated systems. A program to test the ability of Huff-Puff tests to help characterize a fracture-dominated reservoir is presented. Several series of these injection (Huff)-backflow (Puff) tests were conducted at the Raft River KGRA in Southern Idaho. These test series are described and preliminary results and interpretations are discussed.

This discussion outlines a few areas of fundamental research which appear vital for progress in developing advanced propulsion concepts using dc railgun thrusters. We have placed emphasis on the following: (1) dense plasma and high current density influences on changes in microstructure and properties of conventional rail conductors such as Cu, Al, and W alloys or composites; (2) the influences described in (1) on more advanced high temperature, microstrain resistant, materials such as amorphous tungsten; (3) location, description and temporal evolution of current, magnetic field, and losses during intense plasma-current field interactions with conductors; and (4) composite materials and sequentially sectioned structures for more efficient EM dc launcher configuration.

Leach testing experiments were conducted on SYNROC-D material to examine the parameters which affect leaching results and to measure the activation energy for leaching of elements from SYNROC-D. Measured leach rates were found to be controlled by precipitation of insoluble phases for those tests where the sample surface area to volume of leachant (SA/V) multiplied by leaching time (t) exceeded 0.3 cm{sup -1}d for leach tests at 90{sup 0}C. In these cases the apparent activation energy for leaching was approximately 10 kcal/mole based on Na and Si data. For leach tests at 90{sup 0}C with (SA/V)(t) less than 0.2 cm{sup -1}d, the activation energy for Na and Si dissolution was 18.5 kcal/mole for sample S29 and 14.5 kcal/mole for sample LS04. These activation energies are in agreement with values reported by Tole and Lasaga (1981) for nepheline dissolution. The effect of sample geometry was investigated by leaching a series of crushed samples of different grain size. The results support the view that geometric surface area should be used in leach rate calculations rather than gas adsorption BET surface area. Comparison of results on S29 leaching of crushed samples and monoliths show that data from MCC-1 and ISO type leach tests …

The Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C) is being conducted under the technical direction of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy. The SFT-C is located 420 m below surface in the Climax placed in test storage in April and May 1980. At the same time, 6 electrical elevated-temperature phase of the test. Data related to heat transfer, thermomechanical response, radiation dose, and radiation damage have been collected and are presented here, as appropriate, with calculational results. In general, measured and calculated results compare well.