The number and types of cables for various experiments planned for the ISABELLE storage rings are estimated, and the results of a questionnaire on anticipated data taking rates are discussed. Necessary data acquisition rates, data storage capabilities, and data processing rates are estimated. (PMA)

Significant progress in plasma confinement and temperature has been achieved in the 2XIIB facility at Livermore. These encouraging results, and their theoretical corroboration, have provided a firm basis for the design of a new generation of magnetic mirror experiments, adding support to the mirror concept of a fusion reactor. Two new mirror experiments have been proposed to succeed the currently operating 2XIIB facility. The first of these called TMX (Tandem Mirror Experiment) has been approved and is currently under construction. TMX is designed to utilize the intrinsic positive plasma potential of two strong, and relatively small, minimum B mirror cells to enhance the confinement of a much larger, magnetically weaker, centrally-located mirror cell. The second facility, MFTF (Mirror Fusion Test Facility), is currently in preliminary design with line item approval anticipated for FY 78. MFTF is designed primarily to exploit the experimental and theoretical results derived from 2XIIB. Beyond that, MFTF will develop the technology for the transition from the present small mirror experiments to large steady-state devices such as the mirror FERF/FTR. The sheer magnitude of the plasma volume, magnetic field, neutral beam power, and vacuum pumping capacity, particularly in the case of MFTF, has placed new and exciting …

In the Baseball II-T experiment a pellet generation and injection system was employed to place frozen ammonia pellets at the focus of a laser beam. The original trajectory guidance system suffered a number of problems that limited its accuracy and complicated the operation of the system. These problems were related to variable charge-to-mass ratios, timing, pellet discrimination, and computer speed. The original system design was improved by changes to the sensing components, microcomputer, and trajectory guidance system.

A parametric analysis and a preliminary conceptual design for a 1000 MWe Tandem Mirror Reactor (TMR) are described. The concept is sufficiently attractive to encourage further work, both for a pure fusion TMR and a low technology TMR Fusion-Fission Hybrid.

The parametric analysis and preliminary conceptual design for a multicell field reversed mirror reactor (FRM) are described.

High power pulse copper vapor laser systems consist of a master oscillator and numerous power amplifiers. Large systems used in laser isotope separation experiments require several automatic control systems. The rapid development of compact mini computers over the past several years has enabled the implementation of sophisticated computer controlled copper vapor laser systems. Present systems provide automatic time synchronization and input power stabilization. Future systems will incorporate semi-automatic start-up capabilities.

Transient processes in radiative transfer have recently become of interest in the modeling of astrophysical phenomena, particularly with regard to the brightness of novae, supernovae, and perhaps even galactic clouds adjacent to quasars. Analytic solutions to a particular class of Marshak wave problems are presented with and without the Marshak (Milne) boundary condition. The choice of boundary condition can have a decisive effect on the coupling of radiative energy to the material energy in the vicinity of a material boundary. The analytic solution obtained can be useful as a tool for calibrating numerical calculation techniques.

The prototype surface examination station for the Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) will use closed circuit television (CCTV) for routine modes of operation along with a nuclear periscope for special examination needs. The CCTV and the nuclear periscope were evaluated against prescribed station requirements and compared in a side-by-side demonstration. A quantitative evaluation of their outputs showed that both systems were capable of meeting surface anomaly detection requirements. The CCTV system was superior in its ability to collect, suppress and present data into a more useful form for the experimenters.

Some criteria for identifying dense plasmas are given. The theoretical analysis gives the following: general characteristics of dense plasmas, statistical model for compressed atoms, and ionization equilibrium in dense plasmas. (MOW)

An analytic method is presented for determining the dilation of fast reactor fuel assembly ducts. For temperatures where creep is linearly dependent on stress, the method is rigorous in satisfying equilibrium, compatibility and stress-strain equations. Solutions are presented for two cases: (1) a duct with constant pressure differential, (2) a duct with varying pressure differential. Results are in close agreement with finite element results of the MARC-CDC program. The method is used to predict the dilation of the Fast Test Reactor (FTR) ducts under different operating conditions. Presented are the stress, strain and dilation predictions along the duct wall, and the duct dilation variations with its geometric and loading parameters.

Fission product cesium may contribute to cladding strain in low oxygen-to-metal ratio (O/M) FBR fuel pins through localized reaction with fuel or UO/sub 2/ blanket pellets. Titanium oxide pellets were laboratory irradiation tested as candidate cesium getters for FBR fuel pins. Results indicate satisfactory performance.

Separate abstracts were prepared for the five papers presented. (WHK)

Final design is more than 85 percent complete on the Fuels and Materials Examination Facility, the facility for post-irradiation examination of the fuels and materials tests irradiated in the FFTF and for fuel process development, experimental test pin fabrication and supporting storage, assay, and analytical chemistry functions. The overall facility is generally described with specific information given on some of the design features. Construction has been initiated and more than 10% of the construction contracts have been awarded on a fixed price basis.

The concentrations of plutonium in samples collected from the north equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean are presented. The results discussed in this abstract are preliminary, and some of the conclusions and descriptions of results may be revised after results from similar tests made by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute are critically compared. An early exchange of these data is warranted because the results are directly related to the objectives of the workshop--to assess the processes, behavior, and fate of radionuclides in oceanic environments.

Accurate simulation of high density target implosion requires material properties (ionization, pressure, energy, opacity, and transport coefficients) at densities where bound electrons are significantly perturbed by neighboring atoms. In the LASNEX code, this data is supplied by tables and/or calculated from a Stromgren model for ionization equilibrium. Improvements have been made in this model which aim at assuring thermodynamic consistency and obtaining better agreement with more elaborate calculations. Arbitrary degeneracy is allowed for the free electrons. Consistent Coulomb contributions to pressure and continuum lowering are obtained. A new pressure ionization scheme merges bound electrons into the continuum as a smooth function of density and the corresponding contribution to pressure is calculated. Results are shown for aluminum.

The Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility (FMIT) is a high-energy, high-flux neutron source for fusion materials development. The FMIT linear accelerator will produce a 35 MeV beam of deuterons that generates high-energy neutrons by a nuclear stripping reaction with flowing liquid lithium targets. The targets will be located in two identical irradiation test cells, either of which will provide an irradiation volume of 10 cm/sup 3/ at a neutron flux of 10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/-s and 500 cm/sup 3/ at a flux of 10/sup 14/ n/cm/sup 2/-s. FMIT has been authorized by the US Congress and will be constructed and operated by the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) at Richland, Washington, in collaboration with the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) which is providing the accelerator design. The project is currently entering the detailed design phase, targeting for start of construction in early 1980 and operaion in 1983-84. Research and development programs are underway at both HEDL and LASL to resolve uncertainties in the lithium target and accelerator designs.

The spurious pressures and acceptable velocities generated when using certain combinations of velocity and pressure approximations in a Galerkin finite element discretization of the primitive variable form of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are analyzed both theoretically and numerically for grids composed of quadrilateral finite elements. Schemes for obtaining usable pressure fields from the spurious numerical results are presented for certain cases.

Results are presented on the design and testing of a pressurized gas blown spark gap switch capable of high repetition rates in a burst mode of operation. The switch parameters which have been achieved are as follows: 220-kV, 42-kA, a five pulse burst at 1-kHz, 12-ns risetime, 2-ns jitter at a pulse width of 50-ns.

In the course of using laser Doppler velocimetry to study combustion in a thermal boundary layer, the particle count rate was found to decrease abruptly to zero inside the boundary layer. Experimental and theoretical investigation of this phenomenon was carried out. The motion of the particles may be due to the combined effects of thermophoresis and radiative heating.

An off-resonance transformer for charging a 250-kV Blumlein system provides a viable alternative to other charging schemes by permitting the use of conventional thyratrons. Such a transformer must have reliability, a reasonable voltage step-up, and a non-reversing primary current. The analysis, design, and performance data for such a transformer are presented. The strong interrelationship between transformer design and Blumlein requirements necessitates that Blumlein description and design criterion be briefly presented prior to transformer design such that transformer load requirements be defined.

In certain high-current applications the resistance of the aluminum conductors is an important design parameter. Such a case is the aluminum exploding-bridge used in some nuclear detonators. The resistance of the network must be accurately known so that the individual bridge will receive the proper firing current. Vapor-deposited, thick aluminum films (0.011 mm) are often used to produce the necessary circuitry. These films are suitably masked and etched to make the conductors. Conventional etching methods for aluminum or aluminum-0.1 wt percent copper do not yield conductors with a well-defined, reproducible cross section. This results in unacceptable variations in electrical resistance. For this application, we have developed a new etching solution that contains 25 to 50 vol percent polyphosphoric acid, 75 to 50 vol percent orthophosphoric acid, and 10 to 30 g/l ferric chloride. Etching may be done at 55 to 65/sup 0/C, but for precision etching the temperature should be controlled to +-1/sup 0/C. The solution is useful for dip etching of aluminum circuits. The paper describes some limited production experience with this etch.

Table-top model experiments were performed to investigate pressure suppression pool dynamics effects due to a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) for the Peachbottom Mark I boiling water reactor containment system. The results guided subsequent conduct of experiments in the /sup 1///sub 5/-scale facility and provided new insight into the vertical load function (VLF). Model experiments show an oscillatory VLF with the download typically double-spiked followed by a more gradual sinusoidal upload. The load function contains a high frequency oscillation superimposed on a low frequency one; evidence from measurements indicates that the oscillations are initiated by fluid dynamics phenomena.

Actinide cross section data at thermonuclear neutron energies are needed for the calculation of ICF pellet center burnup of fission reactor waste, viz. 14 MeV neutron fission of the very long-lived actinides that pose storage problems. A major advantage of pellet center burnup is safety: only milligrams of highly toxic and active material need to be present in the fusion chamber, whereas blanket burnup requires the continued presence of tons of actinides in a small volume. The actinide data tables required for Monte Carlo calculations of the burnup of /sup 241/Am and /sup 243/Am are discussed in connection with typical burnup reactor fusion and fission spectra. 2 figures.

A neutron-detection system has been assembled to provide both spatial and energy information from the neutrons produced in advanced fusion experiments. Techniques described are applicable to experiments where the neutron pulse is on the order of one-second duration. The system gives spatial resolution of about 1 cm at distances of 1 to 2 m and energy resolution of 0.6 MeV at 14 MeV. In all cases, pulse-shape discrimination is used to distinguish neutrons from gamma rays.