The picture of laser light absorption and scattering which is emerging from theory and computer simulation studies of laser-plasma interactions is described. On the subject of absorption, we discuss theoretical and experimental evidence that resonance absorption in a steepened density profile is a dominant absorption mechanism. Recent work also indicates the presence of critical surface ripples, which we study using two and three dimensional computer simulations. Predictions of hot electron spectra due to resonance absorption are described, as are effects of plasma outflow. We then discuss two regimes where stimulated scattering may occur. Brillouin scattering is expected in the underdense target blow-off, for long laser pulses, and is limited by ion heating. Raman scattering in the background gas of a reactor target chamber is predicted to be at most a 10 percent effect for 1 ..mu..m lasers.

A model for the physics of exploding pusher targets is presented which compares favorably with the predictions of the complex simulation code, LASNEX.

This report is about Proposed Tax Reform: Summaries of items included in the Tentative Decisions of the Committee on ways and means, House of representatives 93rd congress.

A discussion is given of the anticipated operating conditions at the ISABELLE storage rings. Communications between experimental and control areas are considered, and beam luminosity monitoring is discussed. Running conditions and expected problems are outlined. (PMA)

A simple model has been developed which when normalized by experiment or Lasnex calculations can be used to scale neutron yields for variations in laser input power and pulse length and target radius and wall thickness. The model also illucidates some of the physical processes occurring in this regime of laser fusion experiments. Within certain limitations on incident intensity and target geometry, the model scales with experiments and calculations to within a factor of two over six decades in neutron yield.

The objective of this project is the development of a preliminary design for a full-sized, closed cycle, ammonia power system module for the 100 MWe OTEC demonstration plant. In turn, this demonstration plant is to demonstrate, by 1984, the operation and performance of an Ocean Thermal Power Plant having sufficiently advanced heat exchanger design to project economic viability for commercial utilization in the late 1980's and beyond. Included in this power system development are the preliminary designs for a proof-of-concept pilot plant and test article heat exchangers which are scaled in such a manner as to support a logically sequential, relatively low-cost development of the full-scale power system module. The conceptual designs are presented for the demonstration plant power module, the proof-of-concept pilot plant, and for a pair of test article heat exchangers. Costs associated with the design, development, fabrication, checkout, delivery, installation, and operation are included. The accompanying design and producibilty studies on the full-scale power system module project the performance/economics for the commercial plant. This section of the report contains appendices on the developed computer models, water system dynamic studies, miscellaneous performance analysis, materials and processes, detailed equipment lists, turbine design studies, tube cleaner design, ammonia leak detection, …

An evaluation of several recent ERDA/ORNL sponsored studies on the application of a small, 365 MW(t) pressurized water reactor for industrial energy is presented. Preliminary studies have investigated technical and reliability requirements; costs for nuclear and fossil based steam were compared, including consideration of economic inflation and financing methods. For base-load industrial steam production, small reactors appear economically attractive relative to coal fired boilers that use coal priced at $30/ton.

The potassium vapor topping cycle is a concept for increasing the efficiency of the Rankine vapor cycle by raising the peak temperature by employing a potassium vapor cycle with a turbine inlet temperature of 1500 to 1600/sup 0/F (815 to 870/sup 0/C) in which the waste heat rejected from the condensing potassium vapor is transferred to boiling water and steam in a conventional steam cycle. An efficiency of about 50% is calculated for this cycle with a natural circulation potassium boiler fired by gas or oil. An Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) program is under way at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to build a full-scale potassium boiler tube bundle and burner module and test it with water and then potassium. Progress in this program is reported. The design work necessary for the installation of the potassium system was completed during the quarter. Fabrication of the potassium system components was finished. Installation of the condenser enclosure was completed and the drain tank was installed. Construction work on the equipment tower was completed.

One of the major problems needing consideration when bringing a geothermal field into production is the anticipation and control of mineral precipitation in both the producing formations and production equipment. Prediction of the chemical interactions between natural multicomponent thermal fluids and the minerals comprising a producing formation can be accomplished by the study of equilibrium models approximating the natural system. Models are constructed from theoretically and experimentally derived thermodynamic data for the involved minerals and aqueous species. This equilibrium modeling approach was applied to the rock-water system at the East Mesa geothermal area in the Imperial Valley of California. Results of petrographic and fluid analyses are given. (JGB)

This Quality Program Plan describes the manner in which the Energy Systems Unit of the Advanced Technology Group Division of Sunstrand Corporation applies its Quality Assurance Program and Systems to control and assure commpliance to the Quality requirements in accordance with NRA-1, dated July 1, 1977, in support of the Kilowatt Isotope Power Systems (KIPS) Program Technology Verification Phase.

A new, wide-range equation of state (EOS) for vanadium is presented. The generation of this EOS was of a fast-response nature. That is, the data base was constructed very rapidly, the analysis was very cursory, and it was inserted into the Bi-linear Logorithm (BLL) EOS library in 3 to 5 days. The composite theoretical model incorporates condensed matter, ionization equilibrium, and multiphase physics. The theoretical EOS was compared with all available high-temperature and high-pressure data for vanadium; good agreement was obtained. The welting on the Hugoniot could be observed because the Kopyshev gamma nuclear correction was used to generate the high-density region. 8 figures, 1 table.

The evolution of the primary control rod system design for FFTF and CRBR, beginning with the initial choice of the basic concepts, is described. The significant component and systems tests are reviewed together with the test results which referenced the development of the CRBR primary control rod system design. Modifications to the concepts and detail designs of the FFTF control rod system were required principally to satisfy the requirements of CRBR, and at the same time incorporating design refinements shown desirable by the tests.

The Grants Uranium Region is a 2500 mile area of northcentral New Mexico which has produced about 40 percent of all domestic uranium, and holds over one-half of the current reserves. The increasing demand for uranium to fuel commercial nuclear power plants is resulting in rapid growth of the uranium industry and economic, social, and environmental changes are occurring. One of the environmental issues of this region is the concern for eventually unacceptable levels of air and water pollution from effluents from uranium mill tailings piles. This study addresses these potential impacts in relation to industrial environmental control practices, siting features, and other regional/temporal variables, including rates of production, locations and sizes of new mills, and population distributions.

The Tandem Mirror Experiment (TMX) under construction at LLL is a Q-enhancement experiment using two mirror fields to ''plug'' a central solenoid field. Neutral beam injection supplies the energetic neutrals to the plug regions with attendant quantities of cold gas. The vacuum vessel consists of two large stainless steel tanks, which house the plug coils, joined by an aluminum central cell tank, which fits inside the existing solenoid coils from the 2XIIB experiment. The plug tanks are subdivided into regions for differential pumping of the source gas by liquid-nitrogen- or water-cooled liners. The liners are gettered by Ti--Ta wire sublimators of the 2XIIB type, using 2XIIB power supplies, to supply the necessary high-speed surface pumping. The roughing vacuum system consists of mercury vapor diffusion pumps backed by Roots-type blowers.

We provide, on microfiche records, tabulated values for data points in the Experimental Cross-Section Information Library (ECSIL). The microfiche records also include corresponding bibliographic information and data indexes. ECSIL now contains 1,600,000 neutron-cross-section data points.

The LOCA-ECC Thermal Shock Program was established to investigate the potential for flaw propagation in pressurized-water reactor (PWR) vessels during injection of emergency core coolant following a loss-of-coolant accident. Studies thus far have included fracture mechanics analyses of typical PWRs, the design and construction of a thermal shock test facility, determination of material properties for test specimens, and four thermal shock experiments with 0.53-m-OD (21-in.) by 0.15-m-wall (6-in.) cylindrical test specimens. In the first experiment, initiation was not expected and did not occur, although there was a small amount of subcritical crack growth. In the second experiment, initiation of a semicircular flaw took place as expected; the final length along the surface was about four times the initial length, but there was no radial growth. The third and fourth experiments were similar, and the long axial flaw initiated in good agreement with predictions.

On November 15, 1976, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory completed its first comprehensive stemming experiment for measuring downhole parameters while varying fill material and rate. Stemming can be defined as backfilling a hole in which a device has been placed to prevent leakage of radioactive materials or gases to the surface. A computer code is being developed for stemming operations, and this experiment was designed to measure parameters under different stemming conditions so the code could be verified and modified. The experiment was conducted in the lower half of a steel-cased, 4-ft-diam, 2000-ft-deep hole at Nevada Test Site. The two stemming materials used in the experiment, Overton sand and LLL II mix, were tested at three fill rates. Significant results of this experiment included successful measurement of downhole air overpressures, vertical and horizontal soil-particle pressures, and temperature. Vertical soil-particle pressures were higher than expected. All surface measurements were valid. The slump-displacement measurements system provided a timing mark to indicate the occurrence of a slump. A major slump occurred on the third day of stemming; a minor slump occurred on the fourth day.

A target production concept is described for the production of multilayered cryogenic spherical inertial confinement fusion targets. The facility is to deliver targets to the reactor chamber at rates up to 10 per second and at costs consistent with economic production of power.

This report summarizes the preliminary design for the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Demonstration Plant project. The scope of Phase I was the conceptual design of: (1) full sized power system module; (2) scaled (5 MWe nominal) proof of concept power system; and (3) 1 MWe heat exchanger test article. Included were all components and subsystems specifically involved with the generation of power (warm and cold seawater pumps, heat exchangers, turbine/generator, etc.) The scope of Phase I preliminary design is: (1) conceptual design of a commercial size power system between 40 to 50 MWe(net) with costing on prototype, first production, and eighth unit; (2) preliminary design of a 10 MWe net modular application power module with tube material of titanium, and analogous to the commercial size power module. The heat exchangers are to be immersed and costing data should be provided for first unit and eighth unit; and (3) preliminary design of a heat exchanger test article.

Particulate material collected by filtration from the north Equatorial Pacific Ocean has been analyzed for plutonium and other radionuclides. Different filter pore size, types of filter substrates, flow rates, and sample volumes were evaluated. Retention of /sup 239 +240/Pu was found to vary with the sample volume filtered and was not greatly affected by the type of filter substrate, flow rate, or porosity tested. About 7 +- 3% of the /sup 239 +240/Pu activity in north Equatorial Pacific surface water is found with the particulate material filtered from 120 liters of water, while less than 1% is retained on samples with volume of 20,000-70,000 liters. Clearly an understanding of these results is necessary to correctly assess the quantity of plutonium, other radionuclides and trace elements associated with and transported by particulate material in the marine environment.

Setting performance criteria for systems that safeguard special nuclear material (SNM) involves many considerations: characteristics of adversaries attempting to divert SNM, safeguards response to attempts, costs of safeguards systems, and the consequences of diverted SNM. This paper describes an Aggregated Systems Model which is designed to assist decision makers integrate and evaluate consistently these diverse factors. Results from applying the model to a hypothetical facility handling SNM are summarized. The paper also describes a new performance criterion designed to measure the effectiveness of a safeguard system in deterring adversaries.

In this task the historical performance of powerplants in Illinois was examined and the opportunities for improved powerplant productivity in Illinois was determined. The four utilities considered were the major investor-owned electric generating utilities in Illinois, i.e., Central Illinois Light Co., (CILCO), Central Illinois Public Service (CIPS), Commonwealth Edison (CECO), and Illinois Power (IP). The major findings are: (1) for evaluation purposes, the equivalent availability was judged to be the most-appropriate measure; (2) in terms of powerplant productivity, IP is among the best in the nation and, in terms of productivity from large coal units, it ranks in the top five nationally; (3) in general, the performance of coal-fired units of CILCO and CECO have been below national averages and in some cases, significantly below; (4) a review of the trends in production of all Illinois units reveals that Illinois units as a group have been generally below national averages for the respective unit classes; (5) as noted in this and other studies, productivities of the nuclear plants in Illinois have been below the national average for all comparable nuclear plants; and (6) this analysis should be updated when national 1977 and 1978 Edison Electric Institute data become publicly available.

A finite-element computer program, MULT-NOZZLE, was developed for the stress analysis of cylindrical pressure vessels with two or three closely spaced reinforced nozzles. MULT-NOZZLE consists of two modules which may be operated independently. The first module, FEMG, automatically prepares a finite-element mesh including the nodal point coordinates, finite-element connectivities, mesh options, and boundary value specifications for input to the finite-element solution module SAP3M. SAP3M, which is a modified and improved version of the SAP3 computer program, computes the nodal point displacements and stress tensor components, and prints and/or stores the results for later postprocessing. The accuracy of the SAP3M module is demonstrated by comparison studies of two classical theory-of-elasticity problems: a simply supported beam and a thick-walled ring under internal pressure loading. A complete discussion of MULT-NOZZLE is presented in four volumes. Volume develops the finite-element idealization for pressure vessels with two idential radially attached closely spaced nozzles for internal pressure loading. The nozzles may be unreinforced or fully reinforced according to the rules of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and may be located in either a longitudinal or a transverse plane of the vessel. Validation of the program for analyzing this type of structure is demonstrated by …

A good comprehensive review of research progress and the present status of research on inertial confinement, tokamak device, and magnetic mirror technology is given. (MOW)