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BS>The average energy required to form an ion pair, W, when alpha particles are absorbed in mixtures of argon with other gases is studied. The other gases were selected on the basis of their ionization potentials. One group consists of representative gases that have ionization potentials below that of Ar (15.77 ev) and above the doublet metastable state of Ar (11.49 and 11.66 ev). This list includes methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, xenon, and krypton. The other group of special interest consists of some gases with ionization potentials below the metastable state of Ar. All gases tested in these two groups cause an increase in ionization, i e., a decrease in W, when added to argon. As an illustration of this effect, the addition of 1/2% of acetylene to Ar will increase the ionization by 23% The experimental data, i.e., W as a function of relative concentration of the two gases, were fitted to a model in which it is assumed that energy is transferred from two excited levels in argon to the additive gases in collision processes. Good agreement between the experimental data and calculations based on the model is taken as additional evidence that the excited state notion …

The Zirflex and Sulfex processes for chemical decladding Zircaloy or stainless-steel-clad UO/sub 2/ power reactor fuels were successfully demonstrated at irradiation levels as high as 28,200 Mwd/t. The Zircaloy jackets were dissolved in boiling 6 M NH/sub 4/F-- 1 M NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/, and the stainless steel jackets were dissolved in refluxing 4 M H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. Both processes gave average soluble losses of uranium and plutonium to the decladding reagents of about 0.05%. Centrifugation or filtration of the highly radioactive decladding waste solutions was required to recover UO/sub 2/ fines produced by fracture of the UO/sub 2/. The fines were recycled and dissolved with the UO/sub 2/ cores in boiling 4 M HNO/sub 3/ solution. About 5 to 6 hr were required for complete dissolution of the UO/sub 2/ core to produce terminal concentrations of 100 g of uranium per liter and 3 M HNO/sub 3/. The core solution was a suitable solvent extraction feed after clarification and adjustment of plutonium valence with sodium nitrite. One cycle of the modified Purex process, in Mini mixersettlers, using 100-g-uranium-per-liter feed solutions, gave losses of uranium and plutonium to the raffinate of less than 0.1%, and gross gamma decontamination factors of about …

Dissolver solution samples were analyzed for neptunium, and the data are plotted as g Np/t U vs g Pu/t U.

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A Monte Carlo IBM-7090 program (OGRE-P1) was written for calculation of the dose rate on one side of a slab owing to an isotropic, cosine, or collimated monoenergetic gamma radiation source on the other side of the slab. A maximum of 50 homogeneous regions are permitted. (auth)

Recently a T = 1 resonance in the {Lambda}-{pi} system called Y{sub 1} has been observed with a mass of 1385 MeV. Two types of resonances have been predicted that might relate this observation to other elementary-particle interactions: (1) P 3/2 resonances in the {Lambda}-{pi} and {Sigma}-{pi} systems predicted by global symmetry, corresponding to the (3,2/ 3/2) resonance of the {pi}-N system, (2) a spin-1/2 Y-{pi} resonance resulting from a bound state in the {bar K}-N system. The position and the width of the observed Y{sub 1} resonance agree with both theories, but since the spin and parity have not yet been determined, they cannot distinguish between the two theoretical interpretations.

Fission prcduct cross sections were measured radiochemically and mass- spectrometrically for gold bombsrded with 112-Mev C/sup 12/ ions. Cross sections for 43 nuclides were measured for elements from nickel to barium. Thirty-six yields are either primary fission product yields (independent yields) or were corrected (with less than 25% correction) so as to represent independent yields. The independent yields were empirically systematized and a yield-mass curve was constructed. The yield-mass curve is compared with the yield-mass curves obtained from the fission of Bi with 22 and 190-Mev deuterons. The yield systematics indicate that the sum of the mass numbers of complementary fission products is 13 plus or minus 1 amu less tban that of the compound nucleus, and the sum of the charges of complemertary fission products is two units less than that of the compound nucleus. It is postulated that 9 plus or minus 1 neutrons and an alpha particle must have been emitted. Evidence is presented that at least three and possibly more of the neutrons are emitted prior to fission. The most probable charge of the fission products as a function of mass number was determined empirically. It is shown that from mass number 80 to mass number …

BS>Ruthenium, either as soluble salts, powdered metal, or oxide, catalyzed the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) in dilute oxygenated sulfuric acid solutions. Under the same conditions, in the absence of ruthenium, Cr(Vl) was not produced. In a 2 M Al(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/-1 M HNO/sub 3/ solution at atmospheric boiling point, ruthenium and compounds of ruthenium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and osmium very markedly increased the rate at which Cr(III) was oxidized to Cr(VI). Very low concentrations of ruthenium were capable of causing the oxidation to proceed at an appreciable rate. In boiling 65% nitric acid, Cr(HI) was oxidized to Cr(VI) if reduced oxides of nitrogen were removed from solution either m the presence or absence of ruthenium; without removal of the oxides of nitrogen, detectable quantities of Cr(VI) were not formed in either case. Cr(VI) was not produced in boiling and aerated uranyl sulfate solutions containing ruthenium. (auth)