Annual report submitted by the Girl Scouts of the United States of America to Congress describing highlights from 1958, activities, finances, organizational leadership, and other information about scouting programs.

A device was developed for detecting the failure of a fuel element in a reactor by monitoring for the presence of gaseous fission products. Small amounts of gaseous fission products were detected in the presence of radioactive argon by separating the fission product gases from the argon by chromatography. An automatic sequencing device was provided for taking samples at short intervals to ensure rapid detection of failures. (auth)

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General relationships are developed for the performance of continuous flooded dissolvers based on complete mixing, such as tank flow, uniform packing characteristics of metal, and a first-order rate law. The form of the final equation is the same as that derived for the nonmixing or tube-flow case discussed in earlier reports of this series, with differences appearing only in the term that expresses the concentrations of metal and dissolvent in the liquid phase. The relationships are applied to available pilot plant data on the mercury-catalyzed dissolution of four shapes of 2S aluminum elements. The data cover a range of catalyst concentrations from 1.5 x 10/sup -6/ to 3.75 x 10/sup - 4/ molar Hg/sup 2+/ and metal bed heights from 1 to 10 feet in a 2-inch pyrex column. The average initial dissolvent concentration was 5.6M nitric acid. Round rods, flat plates, tubes, and flattened tubes are compared. The data for the round rods are utilized to determine the effective reaction velocity constants at the various catalyst concentrations. The general dissolver equation is used to predict the effect on dissolution rate of the shape of metal elements, liquid phase flow rate, and height of the bed of elements. Calculated rates …

OR XLS 1-5 is a program for structure factor calculation and for the least squares refinement of crystal structures using x-ray or neutron diffraction data. The code is divided into five segments, and the purpose of each is briefly described. (W.D.M.)

For the determination of milligram quantities of uranium(N) in thorium oxide-uranium oxide mixtures which may also contain uranium(VI), it was necessary to devise a means of dissolving the sample so as to prevent any air oxidation of the uranium(IV) to uranium(VI). For this determination, the conventional potassium dichromate volumetric method was used except that the sample was dissolved under reflux in 7 M H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ which contained an excess of standard dichromate solution. Following the dissolution of the sample, this excess was determined by back titration with a standard solution of iron(II). Barium diphenylaminesulfonate was used as the indicator. Initial tests on the dissolution of samples of thorium oxide-uranium oxide in hot HC1O/sub 4/ and hot HCI are described. (auth)

Results of a study concerned with the problem of retarding the diffusion of fission products through unclad graphite fuel elements are presented. The pertinent parameters are pointed out, and their relations with the properties of graphite and gas coolants are considered. The effects of parameter variation on the concentration in the reactor primary system and the fission-product diffusion rate into the primary system are also examined. (J.R.D.)

BS>The ten transuranium elements discovered since 1940 are discussed in chronological order. The discoverer, the history, and methods used are given for each element. Future developments in the discovery and preparation of transuranic elements are discussed. (A.C.)

Free energy functions for gaseous nmonoxides were calculated from presently available spectroscopic results. However, the electronic contributions to the free energy functions were estimated. A simple ionic model was assumed since the molecular electronic states for most of these oxides are not known. In some instances where experimental data are insufficient to calculate the interatomic distances and the equilibrium frequencies of vibrations, they were estimated. The results of these calculations are tabulated for every 500 interval from room temperature to 3000 K. (auth)

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, April, 1959. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation process, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

>The importance of prevention of fires and explosions involving uranium, zircomum, plutonium, and thorium, which are of particular interest to the nuclear energy program, made imperative the study of their ignition behavior and oxidation kinetics. Methods of measurements of ignition characteristics of uranium and zirconium were developed and used to determine the effects of variables, such as surface preparation, metallurgical history, specific area (sample size), additives to the metal, and oxygen content and presence of moisture in the oxidizing gas. The study of ignition characteristics was supported by study of the effects of similar variables on the kinetics of oxidation of uranium and zirconium and binary alloys of each. The oxidation of uranium always proceeded in two linear stages over the temperature range of 125 to 295 deg C at pressures of 20, 50, 200, and 800 mm of oxygen. The temperature dependences of both stages indicate an activation energy dependent on pressure. The presence of ten additive elements in uranium metal caused only very small effects on the oxidation. The oxidation of zirconium was independent of pressure and proceeded according to a cubic rate law over the temperature range from 400 to 900 deg C, with an activation energy …

The hot press process has been altered so as to eliminate the slight wrinkling near the ID base. This was done by incorporating a three minute time delay in the pressing cycle. The pressing time was decreased to five minutes to restrict formation of the brittle intermetallic compound, Ni{sub 2}Al{sub 3}.

The Cd/sup 115m/ and Cd/sup 115/ isomers produced in 12- to 340Mev proton bombardments of U/sup 238/ were isolated by radiochemical methods. The cumulative yield ratios of Cd/sup 115/Cd/sup 115m/Cd/ were determined. In the 45- Mev heliumion flssion of uranium, an estimation of the independentyield ratio of Pm/sup 148/ (5.3-day) to Pm/sup 148/ (43-day) was made. In the deuteron fission of uranium at about 20 Mevs an estimate of the independent-yield ratio of Nb/sup 95m/ to the total niobium of mass 95 was made. A literature survey on experimental isomer ratios from fission was made. The yield ratio of Sc/sup 44// Sc/sup 44/ was measured in Sc/sup 45/ ( alpha , alpha n)Sc/sup 44/ reactions with helium ions of energies between 20 and 43 Mev and at 320 Mev. The Sc/sup 44m/Sc/ sup 44/ ratio was measured in K/sup 41/( alpha ,n)Sc/sup 44/ reactions at 10 and 43 Mev. The compound-nucleus model was used to calcalate the Sc/sup 44m/Sc/sup 44/ ratios produced by the reactions /sup n44/ and Sc/sup 45/(p,pn)Sc/sup 44/ at energies 0.4 Mev above threshold. Agreement between the experimental and calculated Sc/sup 44m/Sc/sup 44/ ratio was obtained for the K/sup 41/(l0-Mev alpha ,n)Sc/sup 44/ reaction. A classical knock-on …

Observations on the indirect action of ionizing radiation on compounds containing primary amine, secondary amines N-alkylamides and peptide-bond eonfigurations are correlated in terms of related mechanisms involving the C-N linkage as the locus of chemical change. The radiation chemistry of aqueous solutions of various amino acids and proteins is considered in detail from this viewpoint. Effects of oxygen and other solutes are discussed. Particular reference is given to: (a) studies of the radiation-induced oxidation of protein in oxygenated solutions (b) studies of radical-radical reaction in oxygen-free protein solutions containing a simple C/sup 14-/ labeled organic solute such as CH/sub 3/C/sup 14/OOH. (auth)

With this device an adjustment can be made of the ion source inside the vacuum chamber or the 60-in. cyclotron in order to obtaln msximum beam current. For inout movement, a worm-driven screw slides the ion source shaft through a supporting seal plate. For leftright and up-down movement a horizontal slide plate in a vertical slide frame is used. The movements of the ion source obtained with this mechanism are l.250-in. of total travel in-out and left-right; and 0.750-in. updown. (W.L.H.)

Graphite specimens fully clad with Type 310 stainless, Type 446 stainless, or Inconel were irradiated in a 1000-psi CO/sub 2/ environment for a period of 4 weeks at approximately 1300 F followed by 1 week at 1500 F. The fast-neutron-plus-gmma dose rate was estimated at 8 x 10/sup 7/ rads per hr. The gas environment was sampled and replenished eight times during the experiment. After 60 hr at about 1350 F, the CO content had in creased from a negligible value to 3.6 vol. %. It then decreased steadily to a value of 0.4 vol. % at the end of 4 weeks. When the temperature was raised to 1500 F, the CO content increased to 1.9 vol, % in 100 hr and then decreased to 0.6 vol. %. The O content remained nearly constant throughout the experiment. Postirradiation examination and metallography revealed very little effect of the exposure on the cladding materials at the gas and graphite interfaces. (auth)

The C/sup 14/C/aup 12/ isotope effect has been measured for the acid- catalyzed thermal decarbonylation of benzolyformic acid. The decarbonylation which involves the breaking of a C-O bond in the rate-determining step, was found to have a value for k/sub C/sup 14/k/sub C/sup 12/ of 0.977. (auth)

The leaching data show that no appreciable amounts of radioactive contaminants will be released to ground water. Only about 0.5% of the activity was leached from debris crushed to <53 mu when agitated for 48 hours with ground water from the Nevada test site. Even under extreme conditions of 6 M boiling acids, only about 2% of the activity was leached in 16 hours from samples crushed to 149 to 297 mu . (auth) l6289 Alpha-pulse analysis by gridded ionization chamber shows a standard deviation of about 18 kev for samples of U/ sup 238/, U/sup 234/, Th/sup 232/, Th/sup 230, and Th/sup 228/. (auth)

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A method is presented for measuring the average energy of the neutrons from a source. The attenuation of the neutrons by polyethylene is measured by the use of a long counter in good geometry. The attenuation length is a sensitive function of the neutron energy. The average neutron energies from several ( alpha ,n) sources were measwed and agree well with values obtained by other techniques. (auth)

A method is presented for measuring the average energy of the neutrons from a source. The attenuation of the neutrons by polyethylene is measured by the use of a long counter in good geometry. The attenuation length is a sensitive function of the neutron energy. The average neutron energies from several (o, n) sources have been measured and agree well with values obtained by other techniques.

In anticipation of the availability of the phase-shifts and mixing parameters, which are being calculated by Bransden, Smith, and Tate for the elastic scattering of nucleons by deuterons (with tensor forces), the von Neuman density matrix and Racah algebra were used to derive expressions for the average value of the spin operator in the emerging beam of nucleons after single and double scattering from unpolarized deuterons. The values of the geometrical factors which appear in these expressions were calculated on an IBM-650 digital computing machine and are given in the form of tables. The range of the angular momentum quantum numbers was chosen to cover nucleon-nucleon and nucleon-deuteron prolems up to J, the total angular momentum, equal to five. (auth)

The preferred orientation of a relatively small piece of high-purity uranium rod, rolled to an 85% reduction at 300 deg C, has been determined in the as-rolled and in the recrystallized conditions. The 12 different charts obtained indicated that the as-rolled texture could be described as a duplex (041) and (352) with the (041) being the major component and with considerable spread about each component. The recrystallized rod showed approximate (041) and (392) components with considerable spread. These texture components for both the as- rolled and the recrystallized rods are not too different from those previously reported for reactor-grade uranium rod. However, it was noted that the texture appeared to be quite sharp for the reduction used, and the maximum intensity on an inverse pole figure was considerably displaced from the periphery of an (001) standard projection for both the rolled and recrystallized rods. (auth)