The following quarterly report covers the period during February 16 to May 15, 1963. This report is divided into sections covering the separate activities during this period, studying the thermal behavior of the F-center in RbCl.

From introduction: "A detector system with the advantages of a liquid counter, but without the severe requirements on sample preparations, has been devised and is the basis of the present experimental investigation."

Report discussing a study on neutron detection schemes and the effect of neutron scattering on neutron image formation quality.

Introduction: "This report is an expanded version of the regular monthly letter report and is prepared in this form with the intention of reviewing work on the subject program for Euratom technical personnel. Work performed during the month of September, which normally constitutes the entire letter report, has been condensed under one heading."

The following report is the ninth in a series of monthly reports covering the program with the objective of developing alloys having superior 680 F water and/or 750 to 900 F steam corrosion resistance, as well as developing higher strength alloys for current temperature ranges while still maintaining corrosion resistance comparable to that of Zircaloy-2. This report was made covering the period December 1 to December 31, 1960.

Abstract: A definitive investigation of the boron-carbon equilibrium system is being made by X-ray diffraction, metallographic, and thermal analytical techniques. Alloys are being produced by sintering pressed powder aggregates with subsequent arc melting. Alloys have been made at two atomic percent intervals up to thirty atomic per cent carbon. In the future, higher carbon compositions are to be investigated. Techniques have been worked out for the metallographic preparation of the extremely hard and friable alloys.

This report discusses the alternating gradient synchrotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provides a preliminary discussion on experiences to date and experiments in progress.

"Test results indicated that graphite is not suitable for seal face material. A program to evaluate various materials and seal face geometries was initiated. A seal run using nucerite-bearium combination was carried on for six hours."

This is a report of work completed during the period October 1, 1961, to December 31, 1961. The Program fuel element was completed and assembled. After extensive analysis, it was concluded that the fuel was satisfactory for use in the Program.

The ANGIE, one of a series of reactor neutronic programs for an IBM 709 or 7090 data processing system, solves the time-dependent, multi-group, neutron diffusion equation for 1 to 26 energy groups applied to a rectangular mesh superimposed on either an x-y or an r-z plane.

This document reports the circumstances surrounding the failure of sheathed thermocouples during a test being conducted in the KAPL-120 Loop. The report is prepared to provide a record of these events and to acquaint those who use these thermocouples for testing of other applications with the difficulties that are sometimes encountered.

Although the corrosion of resistance of Zircaloy--2 clad fuel elements in high temperature water is excellent, some concern has been expressed in regard to the resistance against fretting corrosion. Since this form of corrosion can proceed quite rapidly it could induce fuel element failure through penetration of the cladding. Fretting corrosion if it occurred, would take place either where the fuel element contacted the process tube or where portions of the fuel element contacted each other, e. g. wire-wrapping around a cluster of cylindrical fuel rods. This form of corrosion is defined as corrosion occurring at contact areas and as such, fretting of Zircaloy-2 could take place in many reactor concepts. This report details the results of testing performed to induce fretting corrosion of Zircaloy-2 and the direction of the future tests.

Technical report. From Abstract : "Reaction of NbBr5 and niobium metal in a sealed tube under a temperature gradient from 410° to 350° gave NbBr4 in good yields. However, an increase in the higher temperature from 410° to 450° was sufficient to eliminate NbBr4 as a product and cause deposition of a lower bromide."

Technical report. From Abstract : "The necessary conditions for preparation of TaBr4 and TaI4 by reduction of the pentahalides with tantalum or aluminum metal in a sealed tube under a controlled temperature gradient have been demonstrated."

Abstract: An analysis of SM-1 Core II and SM-1A Core I zero power experiments was made by comparing these cores to each other and to AM-1 Core I on the basis of critical bank positions, bank calibrations and available chemical analyses of the fuel plate compositions. The effects of replacing boron absorbers by europium absorbers upon rod worth and stuck rod conditions were studied. Comparisons of measured and calculated power distributions were made. It was concluded that both SM-1 Core II and SM-1A Core I contain nearly identical B-10 loading of 17.79 grams, compared to the best estimate of 15.75 grams for SM-1 Core I. The available data indicates that all three cores possess similar nuclear characteristics.

Quarterly progress report discussing activities related to the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) and related facilities

From abstract: "Resistivities of solid solution alloys in the systems Gd-Lu, Tb-Lu, Gd-Er, and Y-Lu were measured from 4.2-320°K to determine the behavior of the resistivity in alloy systems with magnetic phenomena arising from localized magnetic moments. A large contribution to the residual resistivity is caused by the random distribution of these localized moments through the lattice. An analysis of the lattice resistivity of the metals shows large variations across the heavy rare-earth series which are possibly correlated with the change of c/a ratio of the metals and the attendent changes in the Fermi surface geometry."

Human iron metabolism has been extensively studied in the past twenty-five years with the radioisotopes iron⁵⁵ and iron⁵⁹. Before the availability of the whole body counter, however, iron absorption studies were performed by the indirect methods of fecal assay of unabsorbed radioiron, and estimation of red cell incorporation of absorbed tracer. The few long-term excretion studies performed required numerous assumptions, since human iron excretion was less well understood. Whole body counting provides a simple and accurate method of measuring the total body retention of administrative tracer iron⁵⁹, thus making absorption and subsequent excretion determinations possible with a single radioiron study. The energetic gamma emissions of iron⁵⁹ permit ready external detection with small quantities of isotope, Normal radioiron distribution is uniform throughout the circulating red cell mass and thus minimize geometry influences on the counting efficiency, 0nly the 45.1 day half-life of iron⁵⁹ limits long term iron turnover studies. Measurements of iron⁵⁹ absorption and long-term body turnover have been under way at Brookhaven National Laboratory for over two years. The present paper outlines some of the results of these studies, and discusses some implications of the method.

The efficiency of multiple traversal targets is defined as the probability that a proton dies by making a nuclear collision in the target rather than by hitting the limit of the synchrotron aperture. The efficiencies of Be, Al, Cu, and Pb targets are shown for 15 and 30-Bev protons in the Brooknaven AGS. Beryllium was found to be the most efficient. (M.C.G.)

The phase shifts for proton-proton scattering as calculated from the one-pion exchange contribution (OPEC) alone are of some interest because they describe the scattering correctly in the high angular momentum states, and because in the lower angular momentum states the deviation from the OPEC phases is an indication of the strength of the two-pion and higher exchanges processes. The attached table gives the proton-proton nuclear-bar phase shifts as calculated from OPEC. Phase shifts and mixing parameters are given in degrees, as function of the T, the laboratory kinetic energy of the incoming protons in Mev. Phase shift and mixing parameters are listed in the angular momentum states.

Abstract. Results are presented of a theoretical study to calculate the [alpha]/[beta] ratio of filter-collected natural airborne radioactivity. The detection of airborne plutonium contamination by noting increases in this [alpha]/[beta] ratio is discussed. A modification of this approach which provides a more uniform response to alpha airborne contamination is described.

The object of this report is to acquaint the operator with the operational and technical aspects of the beam current integrator as well as the theory of the system operation. The design and operation of a beam current integrator are described, and the theory of operation is discussed. The instrument has two channels. The console channel is designed to measure the accumulation of charge received by a target during a period of a day no matter what the range used in the experimenter's channel. An analysis indicated that this unit will measure the accumulation of charge by a target to an accuracy of 0.1215% assuming that the constant error due to shorting the integrating capacitor is accounted for. The instrument is ranged to handle from 0.5 to 500 mu a of beam current. (M.C.G.)

Based on the assumption that the noise contribution of a semiconductor detector is due solely to the bulk properties of the semiconductor, equations are presented which indicate the theoretical limits of noise in detector-amplifier combinations. These equations show that an optimum amplifier time constant and detector bias voltage exist for which condition the minimum noise is independent of the semiconductor resistivity. The optimum performance of a detector-amplifier system is shown to depend only upon detector area, input capacity (less detector capacity), semiconductor minority carrier lifetime, and the transconductance of the amplifier input tube. A new detector structure including a guard-ring electrode as an integral part of the detector structure is described which largely eliminates noise due to surface leakage. Experimental results for detector leakage and energy resolution are presented which agree well with theory.

A repeatable technique for preparation of thin, self-supporting copper films has been developed at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California. The process, done in a vacuum chamber, involves evaporation of copper by electron bombardment, and deposition of the copper on a detergent-coast glass substrate. The copper film is later removed from the substrate by immersion in water.