The cooling of the graphite was started by increasing the fan load and reducing reactor power. This change was accompanied by a temporary increase in exit air temperature, stack activity and some graphite temperatures. Although unexpected at the time, each change can be explained in terms of the change in air flow rate. There were no other unusual conditions noted during the operation. Temperature traverses through the graphite structure in various channels and at various times during the anneal operation are illustrated in the accompanying charts.

In this report we present solutions of the design problem in which a system of quadruple lenses is required to carry a particle beam from given focal lines in the x and y planes to other given focal lines. Particular attention will be given to the case of the anastigmatic lens system which takes a beam from one focal point to another focal point. Since the general problem is almost impossibly complicated a simplification is introduced by breaking the lens system into two parts. The first part of the lens system is required to bring the initial beam to the state where it is parallel to the z axis in both planes. The second part carries the initially parallel beam to the required final condition. Each part will involve two quadrupoles so that the complete system will consist of four quadruples; usually, however, the field gradients in the second and third quadrupoles can be made identical so that those quadrupoles can be combined into one and the system becomes a three quadrupole system. The configuration of the lens element will be as shown in the figures below. These figures indicate also the general character of the beam path in the …

The so-called Fluoride Volatility Processes refer to several proposed non-aqueous methods of processing irradiated fuel elements. In each of these methods, the uranium is fluorinated to UF6 and then decontaminated by distillation. One of those methods, involving the direct fluorination of the uranium by bromine trifluoride (BTF), has been under investigation at BNL since 1950. In 1952, it was demonstrated at BNL that uranium, as UF6, could be satisfactorily decontaminated by distillation in small-scale pilot plant equipment; end in 1953, BNL undertook the job of determining the technical feasibility of a continuous dissolver on a pilot-plant scale. The reason for the project was that the economic superiority of the process seemed to depend upon its amenability to continuous operation.

Report issued by the Brookhaven National Laboratory discussing data collected from two BNL meteorological towers. As stated in the introduction, "results are presented in graphic form rather than tabular form" (p. 1). This report includes tables, maps, illustrations, and photographs.

Progress report of the Brookhaven National Laboratory Nuclear Engineering Department providing updates on various projects, experiments, and other work. This report includes a summary of scholarly output from the reactor physics division, the applied chemistry and chemical engineering division, and metallurgy division.

The so-called Fluoride Volatility Processes refer to several proposed non-aqueous methods of processing irradiated fuel elements. In each of these methods, the uranium is fluorinated to uranium hexafluoride and then decontaminated by distillation. One of the methods, involving direct fluorination of the uranium by bromine trifluoride, has been under investigation at BNL since 1950; subsequently a pilot plant was built to study this step of the process. The objectives of the program were to investigate the technical feasibility of continuous dissolution, and to determine the effect of process variables on the capacity of the equipment; namely the effect of temperature, solution composition, flow rate, and uranium history on dissolving time as related to fuel elements of the types used at BNL, ORNL, and Hanford. The nominal capacity of the dissolver was five pounds of uranium per hour and all process equipment was fabricated of Monel. Special equipment components and numerous safety features were utilized. The major equipment development was a canned-rotor pump used for circulation of the dissolver stream through the heat exchanger. A system for continually charging slugs to the pressurized dissolver was also developed. Operation consisted of batch runs which were made with unirradiated BNL slugs in order …

We have recently completed measurement of resonance escape probability in the BNL reactor and in several slightly-enriched uranium light water moderated lattices. In addition, WAPD has made available to us data from other slightly enriched uranium-water lattices, so that about 18 lattices in all have been done.

The work of the BNL Waste Processing Development Project has been concerned with developing means to accomplish three main objectives in handling radiochemical wastes. One is to reduce the corrosiveness of the waste. At present some wastes must be stored in SS vessels at high cost, since other tankage would not resist corrosion for any length of time. Hanford has solved a part of this problem by storing a neutralized or alkaline waste which can be contained more cheaply in 1020 steel vessels, although neutralization increases its total volume 50 percent over the original acid solution volume. Another aim in waste disposal is to reduce the mobility of the water. Although equipment is checked and double checked, and corrosion resistance is assured by extra thick-walled vessels, the possibility exists that a leak in such storage tanks may develop. At such times the solution may be carried by ground water into populated areas, whereas a relatively immobile waste would remain a local problem. A third and very important consideration is a desirable reduction in total waste volume. Since costs of waste storage are propositional to the volume stored, any reduction in total volume will reduce the total cost.

Monthly report from the Reactor Operations Division of the Brookhaven National Laboratory that covers various topics like the different operations conducted, and the amount of energy consumed.

Preliminary data are enclosed in Tables I, II, II, IV, V, and VI. Tables I to V are data for round nickel tubes in a vertical and inclined (45°) position. Table VI contains some preliminary data for nickel rectangular channels (0.060" and 0.050" spacings) in a vertical position.

Diffusion theory and transport theory approaches to the problem of a nuclear reactor with a transverse air gap are compared. It is suggested that the differences in results for thin gaps is due to the fact that diffusion theory does not adequately represent the flux distribution in the immediate vicinity of the gap. For mathematical conveniences previous treatments of the gap problem have made use of fictitious image piles which exaggerate the neutron losses. The extent of the error is estimated by direct neutron leakage calculations.

The absorption bands induced in α-Al2O3 by gamma and reactor irradiation have been studied. The slight coloration due to γ-rays saturates. Bands specific to reactor irradiation have been found and their growth studied.

The rapid development of the field of atomic energy during the past few years now permits the exploration of applications to medicine involving new concepts in the treatment of cancer. One such has been the study of neutron capture therapy which is being developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The study of the interaction of the electromagnetic field with nuclei has proved very fruitful for the elucidation of many details of nuclear structure. The γ-ray transitions observed in either absorption or emission can be divided into three classes, depending on whether the matrix elements of the transition are (1) much larger, (2) approximately equal or (3) much smaller than those expected for single proton transitions which are usually taken as a norm. In class (1) we find (a) the broad transitions leading to the "giant resonances" in the nuclear photo-electric effect, and (b) the "fast" transitions between low lying states, especially for even-even nuclei far removed from magic numbers. The large matrix elements and the regular dependence of their magnitude on the atomic weight speak for cooperative phenomena in which many nucleons or the nuclei as a whole are involved. In class (2) we find the much studied M4 transitions which give strong support for the single particle model; they have rather uniform matrix elements. Some finer points remain to be understood, especially why some odd nuclei do not show the expected ratio for |M|^2 of ~ 2:1. The transitions belonging to class (3) require further selection rules and …

One might expect that the Cosmotron would offer certain advantages over cosmic rays for the study of heavy unstable particles; provided, of course, that it can produce them. In the first place, the conditions under which they are produced could be controlled to a considerably greater extent. In the second place, it might be possible to arrange conditions under which they would be observed more abundantly, an actual beam of heavy mesons being the ideal situation.

A short review of the field of internal conversions. Isomeric transitions teach us many details of nuclear structure. In these studies electromagnetic theory is considered as a "tool". It is a quite quantitative tool in the case of "internal conversion" - a phenomenon which has been widely studied for many years. Internal conversion takes place in competition with γ-ray emission: a fraction of the nuclei in excited states decay by γ-ray emission, the remaining fraction by transferring the energy to K, or L, etc. electrons in the atomic shell. Thus the lifetime of an excited nuclear state depends on the internal conversion coefficient. As internal conversion must be expected to depend on the details of the electronic environment, the lifetime of an isomeric state depends on the state of chemical combination of the isomer - as was recently shown explicitly in one case, that of Te-99m(6hr.).

Summary of miscellaneous updates related to the project. This includes information on the following. Simplified equations for modeling reactor conditions. Solubility tests involving thorium, bismuth, and protactinium. various other measurements and tests involving thorium, uranium, protactinium, bismuth, aluminum, and various other salts.

A study of the effects of gamma radiation with respect to the formation of nitro-hydrocarbons on the Purex and Redox systems shows that no appreciable formation of nitro-paraffins occurs.

Summary of miscellaneous updates related to the project. This includes information on the following: the declassification of a relevant paper, solubility measurements, static corrosion tests, various other tests involving bismuth, magnesium, uranium, protactinium, and thorium.

Recently, there has been some evidence to point to possible ordering in the α-brasses. Masumoto et al. have concluded from their specific heat measurements that there is a possibility of ordering in the α-brasses. In particular they observed an anomaly in the specific heat curves for the α-brasses for the temperature range from 200 to 260°C and explained these results upon the basis of a change in local or short range order in α-brasses at these temperatures. In connection with the study of radiation damage effects in α-brass ordering has been suspected. Rosenblatt has annealed 70-30 α-brass previously annealed at 350°C and cooled to room temperature at 190°C for six weeks. He observed a decrease of .90 ± .03% in the electrical resistivity of α-brass measured at -196°C after the anneal at 190°C.

In a third run with the fluorine torch, the settling chamber wells were kept hotter than before (≥ 625°C); the flame was cooled by diluting the fluorine with helium. In the analysis of the products, 99% of the thorium fluoride fed in was accounted for, but only 64% of the protactinium activity. Part of this was carried in the exhaust gases past the cold trap and into the soda line disposal column, where it was detected by survey meters. The stripping of protactinium from the solid was somewhat more efficient than before; 77% of the feed which was recovered from the settling chamber had lost 72% of its original specific activity. About 15% of the input activity was trapped on the cold fingers with very little thorium fluoride.

The polymerization of vinyl monomers can be initiated by heat, ultraviolet radiation, and various catalysts. More recently, ionizing radiation has been shown to effectively initiate vinyl polymerization. However, polymerization in the solid state by ionizing radiation is not reported in the literature, although several papers have been published that describe briefly the thermal polymerization of divinyldiphenyl, Leuch's anhydride and in greater detail the peroxide catalyzed polymerization of acetaldehyde. The purpose of this note is to describe some experiments which demonstrate that crystalline acrylamide undergoes polymerization upon irradiation with γ-rays from an intense Co-60 source. Below its melting point the monomer shows little or no tendency to polymerize thermally.

As a result of an operating nuclear reactor, several accelerators and many laboratories using radioactive isotopes, considerable amounts of radioactive gaseous, liquid and solid wastes are generated at Brookhaven.

The proton beam in the Cosmotron is accelerated to an energy of 2.3 billion electron volts by a radio frequency voltage which is impressed across an insulated gap in the ferrite loaded accelerating cavity of the vacuum chamber. To maintain a constant orbit radius as the beam is accelerated, the frequency of the accelerating voltage must increase from the initial value of 370 kc/sec to 4200 kc/sec during the one second magnet pulse. Over the entire 11:1 frequency range, a minimum gap voltage of 2000 volts rms must be maintained. At every instant throughout the magnet pulse, the frequency of this voltage must be a predetermined function of the magnet field to a high degree of accuracy. Frequency errors greater than about .2 percent result in loss of beam due to excessive radius changes. Smaller errors than this however, can excite fatal phase oscillations in the beam if they occur rapidly. As little as .005 percent frequency modulation can result in total beam loss if it occurs at a rate of several kc/sec, where the beam is most sensitive to such disturbances.