This report presents the status of the Nondestructive Assay R and D program of the LASL Nuclear Safeguards Research Group, R-1, covering the period September-December 1975. It covers: holdup measurements at the Kerr-McGee Pu facility at Crescent, Okla.; calculations for Random Driver; instrument development and measurement controls; ERDA nondestructive assay training program; and in-plant dynamic materials control (DYMAC) program. 22 figures, 5 tables. (DLC)

Results are reported on an algebraic approach to the quark problem, strong coupling approximation to field theories and, spontaneous symmetry breaking in the presence of gravitation. A supersymmetry albebra was constructed which obeys triality exactly and allows for separate conservation of lepton and baryon numbers. The existence of higher lying color singlet states is predicted. Investigations into a perturbation expansion around a strong coupling (''independent valued'') limit of field theories were completed. The result is a generalized classical field theory with correct clustering properties; unitarity is satisfied at the tree diagram level. Vacuum solutions to conformal relativity were found, exhibiting spontaneous symmetry breaking. A ''second Higgs mechanism'' was discovered; as a consequence, scalar mesons are removed from the theory altogether. Significance of the results from the point of view of quark confinement and some cosmological consequences are discussed.

The designs and costs of magnetic-confinement experimental devices and reactors can be affected strongly by the choice of parameters for the neutral-beam injection system. To provide the designer with information with which to estimate the physical and cost consequences of variations in energy, neutralizer thickness, ion-species mixtures, etc., we are carrying out parametric studies of the neutralization efficiency. Some of the results are reported here. The data base is too small and uncertain to permit calculations which would optimize all aspects of designs at this time.

An early idea for fueling a controlled fusion device had been the injection of a polarized mixture of ions and electrons across a magnetic field and into the device. Now, the beam intensity (several kA/cm/sup 2/) required for this technique is available from pulsed ion diodes. Remaining feasibility questions involve beam optics and trapping. The most obvious advantage over neutral-beam injection is avoidance of the need to produce high-energy atoms. Therefore, the technique will compete best at ion energies above 100 keV. The method appears feasible for pulsed startup of mirror machines, but not for steady-state injection into a plasma.

Several possible blanket designs for use in a tokamak fusion-fission hybrid reactor are investigated. The main constituent of the blanket is a molten salt, possibly with a separate convertor region for multiplication of the source neutrons. Both the thorium and uranium fuel cycles are analyzed subject to constraints on the blanket performance such as high blanket energy multiplication and sufficient breeding of tritium and fissile fuel. It is found that the behavior depends strongly on the salt composition through the ratios of fertile material to fissile material and lithium to fissile material. It is also very important to have multiplication of the high energy source neutrons in a convertor zone between the plasma and the salt. Ways of optimizing this neutron multiplication through variations in the convertor zone composition and thickness are investigated.

Separate abstracts were prepared for the six sections of the report. (HLW)

This text is intended to be an elementary ''guided tour'' through some basic concepts of modern computer science. Various models of computing machines and formal languages are studied in detail. Discussions center around questions such as, ''What is the scope of problems that can or cannot be solved by computers.''

Inversions in the populations of excited levels in hydrogen and HeII were observed in the FM-1 Spherator. The inversion increases strongly as the ratio of the decay time of the electron temperature to the decay time of the electron density was decreased. Time dependent numerical calculations of the populations were in good agreement with the experimental measurements. More general calculations for high Z hydrogen-like ions are discussed.

The following aspects of HTGR reprocessing technology are discussed: characteristics of HTGR fuels, criteria for a fuel reprocessing flowsheet; selection of a reference reprocessing flowsheet, and waste treatment. (LK)

Pressure pulse tests were conducted with both solid and flexible test sections in a test vessel filled with room temperature water. Pressure pulses of magnitude up to 1150 psid and durations from 6 to 47 msec were generated with a drop hammer and piston pulse generator. FLASH-34 calculations show good agreement with the test data. In particular, FLASH-34 adequately predicts the decrease in peak pressure and the increase in pulse duration due to the presence of a flexible test section. Both test data and FLASH-34 calculations showed the structural response to be approximately quasistatic, except for slight departures from quasistatic response for the most rapid pressure pulses. All of the structural responses were in the elastic range.

Values of the gram-atomic volumes and enthalpies of atomization to the monatomic ideal gas state for liquid elements at their melting points are collected to facilitate predictions of the behavior of mixed systems. Estimated values are given for experimentally undetermined quantities.

During an ERDA safety and health inspection, Brookhaven National Laboratory was cited for failure to monitor and report the amount of airborne contaminants released to the environment via laboratory hoods. However, an analysis of potential environment releases of radiological and nonradiological contaminants from these hoods illustrate that even under worst case situations, emissions of these contaminants would not endanger the community air quality. Brookhaven is therefore requesting an exemption from the ERDA requirement. Rationalization supporting this request is presented in this report. (auth)

The report includes a review of the current state-of-the-art of dry-cooling technology for industrial and power-generating facilities and an evaluation of its technical potential and cost for large nuclear power plants. Criteria are formulated for coarse screening of the arid regions of the Western United States to select a surrogate site for more detailed site-specific analyses. The screening criteria included seismic considerations, existing transportation facilities, institutional and jurisdictional constraints, waste heat dissipation effects, water requirements, and ecologic and socioeconomic considerations. The Galt site near Las Vegas, Nevada was selected for the surrogate site analysis to assess important issues related to the construction and operation of twelve dry-cooled nuclear power plants at an arid location remote from major load centers. The assessment covers geotechnical, atmospheric and hydrologic considerations, special aspects of transporting large equipment overland to the site from seaports, analyses of potential transmission routes to major load centers, local institutional and taxing provisions, and ecologic and socioeconomic impacts.

Progress is reported on the following research projects: release of dissolved organic carbon by phytoplankton; plankton respiration and nutrient regeneration; bacterial utilization of labeled compounds; effects of heat and chlorine on natural assemblages of Chesapeake Bay phytoplankton; and nutrient flux between sediment and water. (HLW)

Progress is reported on studies on the physiology of blood platelets in thrombocytopenic patients and rabbits. Methods for the detection of platelet antibodies and the preservation of platelets in vitro were investigated. Studies on the effect of low doses of x irradiation (up to 1000 R) on platelet function indicate that platelets exposed to ionizing radiation have increased functional activity. A list is included of publications that report the results of the studies in detail.

Areas at Rocky Flats that had previously been reseeded by Rocky Flats personnel were evaluated for seeding success. Only one species in the seed mixture, Agropyron smithii (western wheatgrass) made a significant contribution to the stand. Two other species which made important contributions but were not in the seed mixture were Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) and B. inermis (smooth brome). The vegetation receiving chronic exposure to ionizing radiation at the Grasslands Irradiation Study Area appears to be near equilibrium although electromagnet failure prevented irradiation for approximately 3 months during late summer 1975. Secondary succession is continuing in the sectors given a seasonal, short-term exposure in 1969 but at exposures where the dominant species, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) was killed there is no indication that any recovery of the B. gracilis is taking place. In plots that were artificially disturbed by burning, scraping and tilling, recovery patterns in the burned plots most nearly parallel recovery patterns of the areas receiving intermediate damage from exposure to ionizing radiation. For the scraped and tilled plots, recovery patterns most nearly paralleled those receiving heavy damage from exposure to ionizing radiation where all B. gracilis was killed.

Pressing materials problems that must be solved before tritium can be used to produce energy economically in fusion reactors are discussed. The following topics are discussed: (1) breeding tritium, (2) recovering bred tritium, (3) containing tritium, (4) fuel recycling, and (5) laser-fusion fueling. (MOW)

The effectiveness of soluble nuclear poisons used for control of criticality in processing reactor fuels was investigated. Results of survey calculations for Gd and B and mixtures of these elements indicate that the soluble poison mixtures are more efficient in increasing critical volume than one element alone. It is noted that each system in which soluble poisons are used must be evaluated separately based on poison costs, separation costs, and factors involving criticality. (JRD)

The results have demonstrated that the most sensitive stages to acute thermal shock were the 1-2 and 2-4 cell stages of periods of cell division. Late embryos and larvae were more tolerant of temperature and chemical stress than were juveniles or adults. The level and duration of exposure was not critical at less than 40/sup 0/C for 24/sup 0/C acclimated fish. Increased incubation temperatures shortened the time to hatching and fish reared at high but non-lethal temperatures had higher feeding rates than those reared below an apparently sensitive environmental level of 24/sup 0/C. The results of the exposure of different developmental stages to chlorine and temperature at different levels and for different durations are still undergoing analysis. Preliminary interpretation is possible of the 0 and 7 day larvae stage where the effects were obvious but more subtle interaction effects could occur at earlier developmental stages and not be apparent without the further statistical analysis that is underway.

The transport behavior of fission products in flowing helium streams has been studied to determine their deposition and re-entrainment characteristics. Such information is required for the design and safety analysis of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). A small high-pressure, high-temperature loop was constructed for deposition studies at near-HTGR conditions. Five loop experiments were performed to determine the plateout distribution of iodine, strontium, and cesium. In general, the plateout activity showed an exponential decrease with distance from the source with enhanced plateout at flow disturber locations (contractions, bends, etc.) and especially in a chill section where the surface was cooled. Blowdown tests were performed on selected loop specimens to determine the amount of re-entrainment caused by abnormally high wall shear stresses. The liftoff fraction (fractional amount removed) was shown to vary approximately linearly with the shear ratio (defined as the ratio of the steady state wall shear stress under blowdown conditions to that under normal operating conditions). Blowdown results are also reported for pipe sections taken from the GAIL-IV in-pile loop. Attempts were made to correlate these plateout data with the PAD code (Plateout Activity Distribution) which was developed for prediction of plateout distribution in an HTGR primary circuit. Because of inadequate …

X-ray fluorescence (XRE) and neutron activation analysis (NAA) are compared; a periodic table of the elements showing their sensitivity to each method is included. It is proposed to use both methods to make chemical abundances measurements on archaeological samples, including Bichrome Ware and Palestinian samples. The intent is to see if NAA can be replaced by XRF. (DLC)

During the past contract period, this research has been concerned with three principal tasks, namely: (1) Fusion-product studies. The primary objective of this work is to study potential effects (e.g. instabilities, changes in heating profile and wall loadings, etc.) caused by high-energy fusion products. A second objective is to establish the operating conditions and measurements required for use of D-/sup 3/He in early experiments such as TFTR to simulate D-T burns. (2) Mirror system studies. The objective of this work is to provide specialized support for the mirror research and development effort at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Three topics are under study: charge-exchange losses during neutral beam injection; the dynamics of plasma build-up during start-up; new approaches to mirror systems such as the ''twin-beam'' mirror. (3) Exploratory studies. Several new studies have been initiated during this period. These include: extension of the mirror neutral-beam injection studies to toroidal geometry and preliminary studies of reversed field configurations. Further details about each of these areas are contained in subsequent sections.

A description is given of the East Mesa geothermal facility and the services provided. The facility provides for testing various types of geothermal energy-conversion equipment and materials under field conditions using geothermal fluids from three existing wells. (LBS)

Studies were performed to determine the comparative effectiveness of solvent and aqueous detergent methods for cleaning various metals. The metals investigated included 304L stainless steel, beryllium, uranium-6.5 wt percent niobium alloy, and unalloyed uranium (/sup 238/U). The studies were initiated in response to governmental regulations restricting the use of some chlorinated solvents. Results showed that aqueous detergent cleaning was more effective than solvents, i.e. trichloroethylene and methyl chloroform, for the removal of light industrial soils. The subsequent adoption of aqueous cleaning at this plant has facilitated waste disposal, which contributed to recorded economic savings. The controlled use of aqueous detergents is environmentally acceptable and has decreased the hazards of fire and toxicity that are generally associated with solvents. 8 tables, 15 figures